The FReeper Foxhole Revisits Colonel Simons and the Son Tay Raid (11/20-21/1970) - Nov. 19th, 2004

http://www.psywarrior.com/sontay.html ^

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Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

The Son Tay Raid

By the spring of 1970, there were more than 450 known American POWs in North Vietnam and another 970 American servicemen who were missing in action. Some of the POWs had been imprisoned over 2,000 days, longer than any serviceman had ever spent in captivity in any war in America's history. Furthermore, the reports of horrid conditions, brutality, torture and even death were being told in intelligence reports.

A low-level aerial photograph of Son Tay POW camp taken by a "Buffalo Hunter" reconnaisance drone in 1968, just after the first Americans were moved to the compound.

In May of 1970, reconnaissance photographs revealed the existence of two prison camps west of Hanoi. At Son Tay, 23 miles from Hanoi, one photograph identified a large "K" - a code for "come get us" - drawn in the dirt. At the other camp Ap Lo, about 30 miles west of North Vietnam's capital, another photo showed the letters SAR (Search and Rescue), apparently spelled out by the prisoner's laundry, and an arrow with the number 8, indicating the distance the men had to travel to the fields they worked in.

Reconnaissance photos taken by SR-71 "Blackbirds" revealed that Son Tay "was active". The camp itself was in the open and surrounded by rice paddies. In close proximity was the 12th North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Regiment totaling approximately 12,000 troops. Also nearby was an artillery school, a supply depot, and an air defense installation.

Five hundred yards south was another compound called the "secondary school", which was an administration center housing 45 guards.To make matters more difficult, Phuc Yen Air Base was only 20 miles northeast of Son Tay.


Lockheed's SR-71 reconnaisance aircraft took most of the Son Tay target photos from above 80,000 feet while streaking over North Vietnam at more than three times the speed of sound.

It was determined that Son Tay was being enlarged because of the increased activity at the camp. It was evident that the raid would have to be executed swiftly. If not, the Communists could have planes in the air and a reactionary force at the camp within minutes.

Son Tay itself was small and was situated amid 40-foot trees to obstruct the view. Only one power and telephone line entered it. The POWs were kept in four large buildings in the main compound. Three observation towers and a 7-foot wall encompassed the camp. Because of its diminutive size, only one chopper could land within the walls. The remainder would have to touch down outside the compound.Another problem the planning group had to consider was the weather. The heavy monsoon downpours prohibited the raid until late fall. Finally, November was selected because the moon would be high enough over the horizon for good visibility, but low enough to obscure the enemy's vision.

The National Security Agency (NSA) tracked the NVA air defense systems and artillery units nearby. Also, in addition to the "Blackbirds", unmanned Buffalo Hunter "Drones" flew over the camp as well, although they had to cease flying because many feared that the NVA would spot them. In July, an SR-71 photo recon mission depicted "less active than usual" activity in the camp. On Oct. 3, Son Tay showed very little signs of life. However, flights over Dong Hoi, 15 miles to the east of Son Tay, were picking up increased activity. The planners were scratching their heads. Had the POWs been moved? Had the NVA picked up signs that a raid was imminent?



Brigadier General Donald D. Blackburn, who had trained Filipino guerrillas in World War II, suggested a small group of Special Forces volunteers rescue the prisoners of war. He chose Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons to lead the group.

Colonel Simons went to Fort Bragg, home of the Army Special Forces and asked for volunteers. He wanted 100 men possessing certain identified skills and preferably having had recent combat experience in Southeast Asia. Approximately 500 men responded. Each was interviewed by Simons, and Sergeant Major Pylant. From that group 100 dedicated volunteers were selected. All the required skills were covered. All were in top physical condition. Although a force of 100 men was selected, Simon's believed that the number might be excessive. However as some degree of redundancy and a reservoir of spares were deemed necessary, it was decided that they would train the 100.

The ground component commander selected was Lieutenant Colonel "Bud" Sydnor from Fort Benning, Georgia. Sydnor had an impeccable reputation as a combat leader. Additionally selected to be a member of the task force from Fort Benning was another superb combat leader, Captain Dick Meadow. Meadows would later lead the team that made the risky landing inside the prison compound.


Buffalo Hunter
Name given to U.S. reconnaissance drones flown over North Vietnam during the 1960s and early 1970s to collect tactical intelligence and strategic intelligence. These unmanned aircraft were launched from airborne DC-130 Hercules cargo aircraft that remained over friendly territory; after their photo flight,the drones flew back to a location where they could be landed and have their film recovered; drones were reusable.

Since the compound was more than 20 miles west of Hanoi, planners of the operation believed Son Tay was isolated enough to enable a small group to land, release prisoners and withdraw. In addition to a table model of the Son Tay prisoner of war camp, code named "Barbara", A full-scale replica of the compound was constructed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where a select group of Special Forces soldiers trained at night. The mock compound was dismantled during the day to elude detection by Soviet satellites. Despite security measures, time was running out. Evidence, although inconclusive, showed that perhaps Son Tay was being emptied.

On November 18, 1970, the Son Tay raiders moved to Takhli, Thailand, a CIA operated secure compound. It was here that final preparations were made. The CIA compound at Takhli became a beehive of activity. Weapons and other equipment checks were carefully conducted. Ammunition was issued. Simons, Sydnor and Meadows made the final selection of the force numbers. Of the original 100 SF members of the force, 56 were selected for the mission. This was unwelcome news for the 44 trained and ready, but not selected. It was known from the beginning that the size of the force would be limited to only the number considered essential for the task.


Brigadier General Donald D. Blackburn

Only Simons and three others knew what the mission was to be. Five hours before takeoff November 20, Simons told his 56 men: "We are going to rescue 70 American prisoners of war, maybe more, from a camp called Son Tay. This is something American prisoners have a right to expect from their fellow soldiers. The target is 23 miles west of Hanoi."

A few men let out low whistles. Then, spontaneously, they stood up and began applauding. Simons had one other thing to say:

"You are to let nothing, nothing interfere with the operation. Our mission is to rescue prisoners, not take prisoners. And if we walk into a trap, if it turns out that they know we're coming, don't dream about walking out of North Vietnam-unless you've got wings on your feet. We'll be 100 miles from Laos; it's the wrong part of the world for a big retrograde movement. If there's been a leak, we'll know it as soon as the second or third chopper sets down; that's when they'll cream us. if it happens, I want to keep this force together. we will back up to the Song Con River and, by Christ, let them come across that God damn open ground. we'll make them pay for every foot across the sonofabitch."


"Barbara" code name of a model of the Son Tay compound built by the Central Intelligence Agency and used in the training of the Son Tay assault force. "Barbara" is now on display at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum at Fort Bragg, NC.

Later in their barracks at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base Simons' men stowed their personal effects - family photos, letters, money, anything that should be returned to their next of kin. The raiders were then transported in closed vans to the base's biggest hangar. Inside the hanger, a four engine C-130 waited to take them on board. The raiders made a final weapon and equipment check that lasted one hour and 45 minutes.

The plan was not unduly complicated. Using in-flight refueling, the six helicopters would fly from Thailand, across Laos and into North Vietnam. While various diversions were taking place locally and across North Vietnam, the task force would close on the camp under cover of darkness. The single HH-3H "Banana 1" with a small assault force, would be crashed-landed inside the prison compound, while two HH-53s "Apple 1 and Apple 2" would disgorge the bulk of the assault force outside. The wall would be breached and the prison buildings stormed. Any North Vietnamese troops found inside would be killed and the POWs would be taken outside and flown home in the HH-53s.

On Nov. 21, 1970, at approximately 11:18 p.m., the Son Tay raiders, accompanied by C-130Es called Combat Talons, departed Udorn, Thailand, for the final phase of their mission. At the same time, diversionary attacks were being launched all over the country. The U.S. Navy began a huge carrier strike against North Vietnam's port city of Haiphong. Ten Air Force F-4 Phantoms were flying MIG combat air patrol to screen the force from enemy fighters, while an F-105 Wild Weasel decoy force launched a raid on enemy surface-to-air missile sites. Five A-1 Skyraiders with the call sign "Peach One to Five", arrived on station to suppress ground fire around the enemy camp.



As the group neared the prison, the two "Jolly Greens", dubbed "Apple-4" and "Apple-5" hovered at 1,500 feet to act as reserve flareships in the event the C-130s' flares did not ignite.

Suddenly, Major Frederick M. "Marty" Donohue's HH-53 helicopter, call sign "Apple-3", developed trouble. Without warning, a yellow trouble light appeared signaling transmission problems. Donohue calmly informed his co-pilot, Captain Tom Waldron, to "ignore the SOB". In a normal situation, Donohue would have landed. But this was no normal mission. "Apple-3" kept going. As Donohue's chopper "floated" across Son Tay's main compound, the door gunners let loose 4,000 rounds a minute from their mini-guns. The observation tower in the northwest section of the camp erupted into flames. With that, Donohue set down at his "holding point" in a rice paddy just outside the prison.

As Major Herb Kalen tried to negotiate a landing inside the compound, the almost lost control of his chopper, call sign "Banana-1", that was carrying the assault group code-named "Blueboy".

The 40-foot trees that surrounded Son Tay were, in actuality, much larger. "One tree", a pilot remembered, "must have been 150 feet tall ... we tore into it like a big lawn mower. There was a tremendous vibration ... and we were down."



Luckily, only one person was injured; a crew chief suffered a broken ankle. Regaining his composure, Special Forces Captain Richard Meadows scurried from the downed aircraft and said in a calm voice through his bullhorn: "We're Americans. Keep your heads down. We're Americans. Get on the floor. We'll be in your cells in a minute." No one answered back, though. The raiders sprung into action immediately. Automatic weapons ripped into the guards. Other NVA, attempting to flee, were cut down as they tried to make their way through the east wall. Fourteen men entered the prison to rescue the POWs. However, to their disappointment, none were found.

As the raiders were neutralizing the compound, Lieutenant Colonel John Allison's helicopter, call sign "Apple-2", with the "Redwine" group aboard, was heading toward Son Tay's south wall. As his door gunners fired their mini-guns on the guard towers, Allison wondered where "Apple-1" was. Code-named "Greenleaf", it was carrying "Bull" Simons. Allison put his HH-3 inside the compound and the Special Forces personnel streamed down the rear ramp. Wasting no time, they blew the utility pole and set up a roadblock about 100 yards from the landing zone (LZ). A heated firefight ensued. Guards were "scurrying like mice" in an attempt to fire on the raiders. In the end, almost 50 NVA guards were killed at Son Tay.

"Apple-1", piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Warner A. Britton, was having troubles of its own. The chopper had veered off the mark and was 450 meters south of the prison and had erroneously landed at the "secondary school." Simons knew it wasn't Son Tay. The structures and terrain were different and, to everyone's horror, it was no "secondary school" - it was a barracks filled with enemy soldiers - 100 of whom were killed in five minutes.


Three of the Son Tay Raiders in full battle gear. (From Left to Right) SFC Donald D. Blackard, SFC Gregory T. McGuire, and SFC Freddie D. Doss

As the chopper left, the raiders opened up with a barrage of automatic weapons. Captain Udo Walther cut down four enemy soldiers and went from bay to bay riddling their rooms with his CAR-15. Realizing their error, the group radioed "Apple-1" to return and pick up the raiders from their dilemma.

Simons, meanwhile, jumped into a trench to await the return of Britton when an NVA leaped into the hole next to him. Terrified, and wearing only his underwear, the Vietnamese froze. Simons pumped six shells from his .357 Magnum handgun into the trooper's chest, killing him instantly.

Britton's chopper quickly returned when he received the radio transmission that Simon's group was in the wrong area. He flew back to Son Tay and deposited the remaining raiders there. Things were beginning to wind down. There was little resistance from the remaining guards.

Meadows radioed to Lieutenant Colonel Elliot P. "Bud" Sydnor, the head of the "Redwine" group on the raid, "Negative items". There were no POWs. The raid was over. Total time elapsed was 27 minutes.



What went wrong? Where were the POWs? It would be later learned that the POWs had been relocated to Dong Hoi, on July 14. Their move was not due to North Vietnam learning of the planned rescue attempt but because of an act of nature. The POWs were moved because the well in the compound had dried up and the nearby Song Con River, where Son Tay was located, had begun to overflow its banks. This flooding problem, not a security leak, resulted in the prisoners being transported to Dong Hoi to a new prison nicknamed "Camp Faith". Murphy's Law - "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong" - had struck again.

Was the raid then a failure? Despite the intelligence failure, the raid was a tactical success. The assault force got to the camp and took their objective. It's true no POWs were rescued, but no friendly lives were lost in the attempt. Furthermore, and more importantly, the raid sent a clear message to the North Vietnam that Americans were outraged at the treatment our POWs were receiving and that we would go to any length to bring our men home. At Dong Hoi, 15 miles to the east of Son Tay, American prisoners woke up to the sound of surface-to-air missiles being launched, the prisoners quickly realized that Son Tay was being raided. Although they knew they had missed their ride home, these prisoners now knew for sure that America cared and that attempts were being made to free them. Morale soared. The North Vietnamese got the message. The raid triggered subtle but important changes in their treatment of American POWs. Within days, all of the POWs in the outlying camps had been moved to Hanoi. Men who had spent years by themselves in a cell found themselves sharing a cell with dozens of others. From their point of view the raid was the best thing that could have happened to them short of their freedom. In the final assessment, the raid may not have been a failure after all.

Political cartoonist R.B. Crockett of the Washington Star said it best, and first, the day after the news of the Son Tay raid broke. At the top of the Star's editorial page was a drawing of a bearded, gaunt POW. His ankle chained to a post outside his hutch. He looks up watching the flight of American Helicopters fade into the distance. Below the cartoon is a three word quote: "Thanks for trying".



Brigadier General Leroy J. Manor, Colonel Simons, SFC Adderly, and TSgt Leroy W. Wright were decorated by President Nixon at the White House on November 25, 1970 for their parts in the rescue attempt. The remainder of the raiders were decorated by Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on December 9, 1970. Click here for a complete list of awardees.

The Son Tay Raid would not be Colonel Simons last attempt to free prisoners in a foreign country. In early 1979 , after his retirement, Colonel Simons was asked by Ross Perot, then Chairman of EDS, to plan and conduct a rescue operation to free two Electronic Data Systems, Inc (EDS) employees who were taken hostage by the Iranian government. In February 1979,Colonel Simons planning efforts proved successful as he organized a mob in Tehran which stormed Gazre prison where the EDS employees were being held hostage. The two Americans, along with 11,000 Iranian prisoners, were freed. Col. Simons and his party fled 450 miles to Turkey, and were later returned to the United States. Noted author, Ken Follet, wrote a best selling novel, "On Wings of Eagles", (Morrow & Company, 1983) about the rescue. The book was later made into an NBC TV mini series.

Colonel Simons died of heart complications three months later.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

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....... The Raid on Son Tay

On the night of 20 November 1970 at 2300 hours, five HH-53s and one HH-3 helicopter took off with fifty-six Special Forces Soldiers from Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. The aircraft would refuel over Laos and enter North Vietnamese airspace from the west. The target of the helo borne assault was the Son Tay Prisoner of War (POW) Camp located 23 miles northwest of the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. The flight from Udorn to Son Tay was approximately 337 miles one way.


Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons, answers questions about the Son Tay POW Rescue Raid from the Pentagon Press Corps. Also in the picture are (left to right): Melvin R. Laird, Secretary of Defense; Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Air Force Brigadier General Leroy J. Manor, who commanded the overall operation.

It was believed that at least 60 American Prisoners of war were being held captive at the Son Tay facility. The camp was believed to have been active since May of 1968. Evidence in May of 1970 suggested the camp was being enlarged.

The lead HH-53 arrived over Son Tay POW camp at approximately 0200 hours the morning of 21 November. As planned, the lead helo would take the guard towers and barrack buildings under fire with its two 4,000 round per minute Gatling guns. Once the lead helo cleared the compound, the HH-3 made a controlled crash landing inside the courtyard of the walled prison. Aboard the aircraft was a 14-man assault force commanded by CPT Richard Meadows, the assault force commander. This element was code named “Blueboy” and had the mission of clearing all cellblocks, freeing American POWs, and neutralizing any enemy resistance within the compound. Once the POWs were freed, the assault force would blow a hole in the south wall of the compound and lead the POWs to a waiting evacuation helo.

Navy diversion aircraft were flying from carriers and conducting diversionary strikes in the Haiphong and Hanoi area. This diversionary maneuver, prior to the Raid force reaching Son Tay, caused the North Vietnamese air defense sectors to focus their attention east thus allowing the Raid force to slide in the back door from the west.


Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird decorates the Special Forces soldiers and airman who assaulted the Son Tay compound

At the same time the “Blueboy” element was searching for the US POWs, the “Redwine” element had landed south of the compound with the mission of clearing buildings, securing a landing zone, and blocking a road network to the south, preventing enemy personnel or vehicles from entering the target area (Son Tay) from the south. At the same time, the “Greenleaf” element was to land east of the compound and clear buildings and secure a road to the north, again preventing enemy personnel and vehicles from coming from the north. However, the helo carrying the “Greenleaf” element made a navigational error, landing some 400 meters southwest of the Son Tay Compound at a facility only known as a “secondary school”. On insertion, a huge firefight broke out between the “Greenleaf” element and an unknown number of enemy soldiers. To this day, the nationality of these enemy soldiers remains unknown. Some have commented through the years that they were Russian or Chinese advisors. Members of the “Greenleaf” element would only say later that the soldiers were taller than the average Vietnamese. (All members of the raiding force, except for three, had been to Viet Nam before, many serving multiple tours.)

As the fire fight continued, LTC Sydnor, the ground force commander at the Son Tay compound, realized the “Greenleaf” element had not landed at Son Tay as planned. He put Plan Green into effect. Plan Green called for the “Redwine” element not only to cover their responsibilities to the south, but now they must cover “Greenleaf’s” responsibilities to the east and north as well. Meanwhile at the “secondary school”, as the firefight continued, Col Simons, the Deputy Task Force Commander, was having his radio operator recall the helo. I believe Lt Col Warner Britton, pilot of Apple 1, had already realized the mistake. After dropping the “Greenleaf” element and gaining altitude, he now saw two huge firefights taking place separated by 400 meters. He immediately rolled the helo over and was inbound to the “secondary school” to pick up Simons’ men and reinsert them into the correct target area. In all, the fight at the “secondary school” lasted about five minutes. Some sixteen enemy soldiers were believed killed with no injuries to friendly forces.



Lt Col Britton effected the pickup and flew Simons’ men to the Son Tay compound, landing south of the facility. The “Greenleaf” element was required to do a passage of lines through the “Redwine” element – a tricky maneuver, especially at night. No friendly forces suffered any injuries during this passage.

About the time the “Greenleaf” element was in its position on the east side of the compound, radio traffic from the “Blueboy” element inside the prison was indicating there were “negative items”, a coded phrase that meant no US prisoners were found. Once that was confirmed by the Ground Force Commander, the helos were recalled from their holding area, approximately 3 miles west of Son Tay. Prior to leaving the prison, the “Blueboy” element destroyed the HH-3 that had crash landed inside the courtyard of the prison. The HH-3 was never intended to fly out as the courtyard was too small of an area.

After picking up the force, the helos headed west to an aircraft air refuel point over Laos. It was a long three and a half hour flight back to Udorn, Thailand. We could not believe no prisoners were present. After three months of training, over 170 rehearsals, half of which were conducted with live fire, we had just hit a “dry hole”. (In later discussions with ex-Son Tay prisoners, we learned they had been moved in July 1970 for unknown reasons.)


For his efforts in planning and conducting the Son Tay Raid Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons was presented the Distinguished Service Cross by president Richard M. Nixon in a White House Ceremony

The entire operation took twenty-seven minutes from touchdown to takeoff, including the “visit” to the “secondary school”. The only injuries suffered by friendly forces were one gun shot wound to the leg of a Raider and a broken foot suffered by the Flight Engineer on the HH-3 during the crashing of the HH-3 in the courtyard. It is estimated as many as 30 to 50 North Vietnamese were killed including those at the “secondary school”.

One of our Wild Weasel F-105 aircraft was shot down by a surface to air missile (SAM). Shot down is probably not the correct term. The SAM exploded near the aircraft riddling the fuel tank of the F-105 with holes. According to the pilot, the aircraft was still flyable but just ran out of gas due to the holes in the fuel tank. Both pilot and electric warfare officer were able to bail out over Laos. They both were recovered after first light on the morning of 21 November.

Training for the Raid began in August of 1970 and ended on or about 10 November 1970. At that point forces were deployed to Thailand for final preparations for the Raid. The training was conducted at Elgin Air Force Base, Florida, at Auxiliary Field 3, the same training area used by General Jimmy Doolittle’s Raiders in preparing for their bombing raid over Tokyo, Japan in early 1942. Training was conducted in three phases. Phase I was to physically condition the force, conduct land navigation both day and night, weapons firing using the M-16 rifle, M-79 grenade launcher, M-60 machine gun, .45 cal pistol, and the M-72 LAW (light-anti-tank-weapon), target identification, etc. Shooting was conducted during day and night range operations. In Phase II the force was selected from a pool of 100 personnel based on physical condition, shooting skills, land navigation abilities, and other skills. The force was organized into three platoons: 1st Platoon, “Redwine” element (command and security - 20 personnel); 2nd Platoon, “Blueboy” element (assault force - 14 personnel); and 3rd Platoon, “Greenleaf” element (security and support - 22 personnel). During this phase, the force began training together on a mockup camp. Shooting skills continued to be honed as well as target identification (identifying bad guys from friendlies). During Phase III, the army elements trained with the air force elements. Over the three-month training period each ground element learned and knew their air crews. This was important due to the bond and trust that was formed. In all, more than 170 rehearsals were conducted during daytime and nighttime conditions. At no time did the Raiders know the true target. It was only after the final briefing on 20 November prior to leaving for the launch site at Udorn, Thailand that Son Tay was identified.


A1E's leading HC-130P, refueling a HH-53

The total number of airplanes to support the Raid was 116. Most of these were Navy aircraft flying in the Haiphong and Hanoi area. Son Tay aircraft included 5 HH-53s (call sign Apple 1-5); 1 HH-3 (call sign Banana 1); 5 A-1E skyraiders (call sign Peach 1-5) providing close air support; 5 F-105s (call sign Firebird 1-5) targeting SAM sites; and 10 F-4s (call sign Falcon 1-10) providing protection from MIG aircraft should they launch. The refuel aircraft were Limes 1 and 2, and they were HC-130Ps which provided fuel for the helos over Laos going to and returning from Son Tay.

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:
www.sfalx.com
www.wpafb.af.mil
www.patriotfiles.com
www.afa.org
www.tropaselite.hpg.ig.com.br
www.sontayraider.com
aircommandoman.tripod.com
The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Col. Simons and the Son Tay Raid (11/20-21/1970) - Sep. 3rd, 2003

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A POW's-Eye View of the Raid

Air Force Association President R. E. Smith was one of the prisoners at Son Tay. On October 25, 1967, he was an Air Force major flying out of Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, in an F-105 from the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing when he was shot down by ground fire. His target that day was the Paul Doumer Bridge over the Red River at Hanoi. His right leg was badly injured on bailout and, upon hitting the ground, he was shot twice in the left thigh by a North Vietnamese soldier. Fortunately, no bones or arteries were severed.


RAIDER - SON TAY
VIETNAM - 1970

His captors immediately undressed him with a machete, wired his hands together, and took him to Hanoi. En route, onlookers threw bricks and stones at him and beat him with sticks. "I was very lucky to have made it into the prison," he says. "I suspect many MIAs were not as lucky after they were caught and were killed by spectators."

While Mr. Smith escaped death at the hands of the spectators, he did not escape the torture, beatings, and solitary confinement that all American POWs suffered from the prison guards.

He spent the next eight months in the Hoa Lo Prison ("Hanoi Hilton"), then was transferred to Son Tay in July 1968. He and fifty-six others were taken from Son Tay in July 1970, four months before the raid, and locked up elsewhere before ending up in the Hanoi Hilton four days after the raid.



Why were the prisoners moved? Mr. Smith believes the North Vietnamese were trying to improve the treatment and conditions of the POWs. He never saw any indication that rising water was the reason for their removal. "Neither is there any intelligence information, to my knowledge, that the Vietnamese knew the US was coming and therefore moved the POWs," he adds. "I think we were moved so that we would all be in a centrally located prison where we could be more easily handled logistically."

About three or four months after the raid, he says, "We got indications that something had happened at Son Tay . . . from the Vietnam Free Press, a propaganda rag printed in several languages. It said a bombing raid had been conducted on the town of Son Tay and that many Americans had been killed.


COL Arthur D. "Bull" Simons Statue outside the JFK Special Warfare Museum

"We were absolutely elated when we learned of the raid. From our standpoint, it was the single most significant event in terms of POW life that happened in North Vietnam. It brought us together; it allowed us to be better organized; it reinforced the belief that the US would go to any length to see that we were returned. Disappointed that the raid did not work? Yes, but so very proud of the men and our country for the effort."

Mr. Smith was repatriated March 14, 1973, and remained on active duty until August 1978. He was elected Air Force Association President in September 1994.

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On November 20-21, 1970, a joint force composed of USAF Special Operations and rescue personnel and U.S. Army Special Forces, supported by U.S. Navy Carrier Task Force 77, made a daring raid on the Son Tay prison camp located less than 30 miles from Hanoi, North Vietnam. The objective was to rescue as many as 100 U.S. captives thought to be held there. The assault troops, in six ARRS helicopters accompanied by two C-130 aircraft, flew 400 miles to Son Tay from bases in Thailand. U.S. Navy pilots made a diversionary raid while 116 USAF and Navy aircraft from seven air bases and three aircraft carriers flew refueling, surface-to-air missile suppression, fighter cover, close air support, early warning, communications support and reconnaissance missions. Although no prisoners were found in camp, the raid was a brillant success in transporting, landing and recovering an assault force of 92 USAF and 56 Army personnel without the loss of a single man.

Although no prisoners were rescued, the raid focused world attention on the plight of the prisoners of war (POWs), raised their morale and resulted in improved living conditions for all U.S. prisoners of the North Vietnamese. The men of the Joint Task Force earned the admiration of their countymen for risking their lives in an attempt to bring freedom to others.


Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons

'We are going to rescue 70 American prisoners of war, maybe more, from a camp called Son Tay. This is something American prisoners have a right to expect from their fellow soldiers. The target is 23 miles west of Hanoi.'

-- Colonel Arthur "Bull" Simons

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"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!



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[snippy_about_it]

Here are the recommended holiday mailing dates for military mail this year:

For military mail addressed TO APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

• Parcel Post - November 13
• Space Available - November 27
• Parcel Airlift - December 4
• Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - Mailing date is December 11 to all locations
  • EXCEPT for locations starting with ZIP 093. For all locations starting with ZIP 093 the mailing date is December 6.
• Express Mail - December 20 to locations where Express Mail service is available. Check with your local post office to determine which APO/FPO addresses can receive Express Mail. Note: This service is not available to ships.

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For military mail FROM APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

• Space Available - November 20
• Parcel Airlift - December 4
• Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - December 11
• Express Mail - December 18 from APO/FPO addresses where Express Mail can be accepted. Check with your local military post office to determine if they can accept Express Mail. Note: This service is not available from ships.

Thanks for the information StayAt HomeMother

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Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

Thanks to quietolong for providing this link.

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

[SAMWolf]

I'm pooped and I just know my body is gonna pay for this morning. Good Night Snippy.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

[Iris7]

Colonel Simmons wrote a book about his Special Forces experiences, read it a long time ago. One ferocious guy. I wish he had lived longer. It could be that he is to the Right of me. Nah, couldn't be! Actually, could be.

Notice the decorations in the photo with Mel Laird at the press briefing. I'll bet those weren't for drinking beer - well, most of them!

Knew a few Forces guys in the old days, one an ex Fifth Special Forces (VN) guy. Strange crew, very Army. Very clannish, strac. Pretty nuts. Skinny. Runners. Not particularly hard men, more the romantic type. Very extraordinarily brave, too nearly reckless for me. I'm the lover, not the fighter, type. (military joke)

[SAMWolf]

Morning Aeronaut.

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C.

Too dark out to see the weather yet. ;-)

[Aeronaut]

Hi Sam.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Iris7.

Read a book about Delta Force a few years back. Thanks God we have men like them in America.

[alfa6]

Friday Morning Bump for the Freeper Foxhole

Y'all take it easy now 'kay

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

PS Hi manna

[The Mayor]

November 19, 2004

Joyful Trials

Read: James 1:1-12

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. —James 1:2

Bible In One Year: Ezekiel 11-13; James 1

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The Bible tells us to respond to difficult circumstances in a way that is directly opposed to our natural tendency. One of the most challenging of those commands is this: "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (James 1:2).

Other translations speak of viewing our difficulties with pure joy, considering ourselves happy—not resisting trials and temptations as intruders but welcoming them as friends. I don't know about you, but that's not the first thing that pops into my mind.

This outlook would seem absurd and unattainable if not for the reason behind it: "knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (v.3). An attitude of joy is not based on what we feel but on what we know of God and His work in our lives. Therefore, a painful process that yields a desired goal can be welcomed as a friend.

It's not the testing of our strength but the trying of our faith in Almighty God that develops our endurance. Through it all, the Lord promises wisdom for today (v.5) and a crown of life for those who persevere (v.12).

My natural response to difficult circumstances is "Oh, no!" The Lord wants me to see what He can accomplish through them and say, "Oh, yes!" —David McCasland

The deeper meaning of my trials
O Lord, You've kept from me;
But some small part of Your great plan
I pray, Lord, help me see. —D. De Haan

Joy in trials comes from knowing that the outcome will be good.

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies and gent. It's Friday!

Friday Foxhole FReeper Flag-o-gram.

Today's Foxhole flag is from alfa6

See your flag here! FReepmail me today.

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on November 19:
1600 Charles I king of England (1625-49); executed by Parliament
1752 George Rogers Clark frontier military leader in Revolutionary War
1770 Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen Copenhagen Denmark, sculptor (Dying Lion)
1805 Ferdinand de Lesseps France, diplomat (built Suez Canal)
1810 August Willich Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1878
1811 John Ancrum Winslow Comm (Union Navy), died in 1873
1827 Isaac Munroe St John Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1880
1831 James A Garfield 20th President (March 4-Sept 19, 1881)
1888 Jose Raul Capablanca Cuba, world chess champion (1921-27)
1899 Allen Tate US, poet (Mr Pope & Other Poems)
1905 Tommy Dorsey Mahanoy Plane PA, orchestra leader (Stage Show, Mahogany)
1917 Indira Gandhi Allahabad India, Indian PM (1966-77, 1980-84)
1919 Alan Young England, actor (Time Machine, Wilbur Post-Mr Ed)
1919 George Fenneman Peking China, TV announcer (You Bet Your Life)
1921 Roy Campanella Brooklyn Dodger catcher (NL MVP 1951/53/55)
1926 Jeane J Kirkpatrick US ambassador to UN (R)
1933 Larry King radio talk show host (Larry King Show)
1935 John F Welch Jr Salem MA, CEO (GE)
1936 Dick Cavett Kearney NB, talk show host (Dick Cavett Show)
1938 Ted Turner broadcasting mogul/owns (Atlanta Braves)/won America's Cup
1939 Garrick Utley Chicago IL, newscaster (1st Tuesday, NBC Weekend)
1941 Dan Haggerty Hollywood CA, actor (Grizzly Adams)
1942 Calvin Klein fashion designer (Calvin Klein Jeans)
1947 Bob Boone San Diego, catcher (Phillies, Angels)
1949 Ahmad Rashad (Bobby Moore) NFL receiver (Minnesota Vikings)/sportscaster
1949 Mickey Lee Davis Jr Tennessee, murderer (FBI Most Wanted List)
1954 Kathleen Quinlan Mill Valley Cal, actress (Rose Garden, Twilight Zone)
1956 Glynis O'Connor NYC, actress (California Dreaming, Ode to Billy Joe)
1957 Otis J Anderson NFL running back (NY Giants, 1990 Superbowl MVP)
1957 Sharon Farrah WBL guard (NY Stars)
1960 "Lovely" Elizabeth Frankfurt KY, WWF's 1st lady of wrestling
1961 Meg Ryan Bethel CT, actress (When Harry Met Sally, As the World Turns)
1962 Jodie Foster Bronx NYC, actress (Taxi Driver, Accused)

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Deaths which occurred on November 19:
0498 Anastasius II, Pope (496-98 (Dante Inferno XI, 8-9), dies
1630 Johann Hermann Schein, German composer (Opella Nova), dies at 44
1703 Man in the Iron Mask, prisoner in Bastille prison in Paris, dies
1798 Theobald Wolfe Tone, Irish nationalist, dies
1828 Franz Schubert Austrian composer, died
1887 Emma Lazarus US poet ("Give us your tired & poor"), dies in NY at 38
1915 Joe Hill Labor leader, executed for murder
1971 Bill Stern sportscaster (Saturday Night Fights), dies at 64
1985 Stepin Fetchit 1st black star, dies of pneumonia at 83
1988 Christine Onassis heiress, dies of heart failure at 37
1992 Dorothy Walker Bush, 91, the mother of President George H.W. Bush, dies
2000 Attorney Charles Ruff, who represented President Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and his impeachment trial, died in Washington, D.C., at age 61.

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 JOHNSTONE JAMES M.---FORT MILL SC.
1966 WHITED JAMES L.---OKLAHOMA CITY OK
1967 CLOWER CLAUDE D.---BEAUMONT TX
[03/15/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 96]
1967 CROXDALE JACK L. II---LAKE CHARLES LA.
1967 DE HERRERA BENJAMIN D.---COLORADO SPRINGS CO.
1967 ESTES WALTER O.---WILLIAMSTOWN MI.
[09/30/77 REMAINS RETURNED BY SRV]
1967 FORD DAVID E.---WILSON CT
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 IANDOLI DONALD---PATTERSON NJ.
1967 KLINCK HARRISON HOYT---LOS ANGELES CA.
[REMAINS RETURNED 08/14/85]
1967 LIGON VERNON P.---FRANKFORT KY.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, DECEASED]
1967 STIER THEODORE G.---PASADENA CA.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 TEAGUE JAMES E.---HARRISBURG AR.
[09/30/77 REMAINS RETURNED BY SRV]
1967 VISSOTZKY RAYMOND WALTON---STOUGHTON MA.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 98]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0461 St Hilary begins his reign as Catholic Pope
0498 Anastasius II ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1493 Christopher Columbus discovers Puerto Rico, on his 2nd voyage
1521 Battle at Milan: Emperor Charles V's Spanish/German/papal troops beat France & occupy Milan
1530 Augsburg Emperor Karel I demands Edict of Worms
1644 1st Protestant ministry society in New England
1794 Jay Treaty, 1st US extradition treaty, signed with Great Britain
1861 Julia Ward Howe writes "Battle Hymn of the Republic"

1863 Lincoln delivers his address in Gettysburg; "4 score & 7 years..."

1874 William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, of Tammany Hall (NYC) convicted of defrauding the city of $6M, sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment
1879 National Assoc of Trotting Horse Breeders determines what "is" a trotter
1885 Bulgarians, led by Stefan Stambolov, repulse a larger Serbian invasion force at Slivinitza
1887 Start of Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of The Dying Detective" (BG)
1896 Start of Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of The Sussex Vampire" (BG)
1903 Carrie Nation attempts to address the Senate
1906 London selected to host 1908 Olympics
1919 US Senate rejects (55-39) Treaty of Versailles & League of Nations
1923 The Oklahoma State Senate ousts Governor Walton for anti-Ku Klux Klan measures
1928 1st issue of Time magazine, Japanese Emperor Hirohito on cover
1932 Joe Kershalla scores 71 points in a college football game
1939 Don Lash wins 6th straight AAU cross-country 10K championship
1942 Russia launches winter offensive against Germans along the Don front
1947 200" mirror arrives at Mt Palomar
1949 Prince Rainier III coronation in Monaco
1951 Roy Campanella named NL MVP on his 30th birthday
1959 Ford cancels the Edsel
1961 Houston George Blanda passes for 7 touchdowns vs NY Titans (49-13)
1963 Worst Canadian air disaster kills 118 in Montreal
1965 ABC radio begins weekly "Vietnam Update" report
1966 Mad Dog Vachon beats Dick The Bruiser in Omaha, to become NWA champ
1968 Army coup seizes power in Mali
1969 Apollo 12's Conrad & Bean become 3rd & 4th humans on the Moon
1970 Golden Gate Park Conservatory becomes a Cal state historical landmark
1971 Fort Wilderness opens
1977 Egyptian President Anwar Sadat arrives in Israel
1979 Chuck Berry released from prison on income tax evasion
1980 CBS TV bans Calvin Klein's jeans ad featuring Brooke Shields
1985 President Reagan & Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for 1st time
1989 US beats Trinidad, 1-0 qualifying for the 1990 world soccer cup finals. It was US' 1st qualification since 1950
1990 Greyhound files reorganization plan so they can be traded publicly
1990 Iraq announces it will free all German hostages
1991 Eduard Shevardnadze was reappointed Soviet foreign minister after resigning in December 1990 with a warning of an impending coup.
1993 Algerian Moslem fundamentalists uprising, 27 killed(and still going strong)
1994 First National Lottery draw in England
1996 The United States vetoed U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's bid for a second term.
1997 Bobbi McCaughey gave birth to septuplets in Des Moines, Iowa, the first time seven babies had been born and survived.
2001 The U.S. government offered a $25 million award for information leading to the location or capture of Osama Bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America.

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Mali : Liberation Day
Monaco : Monegasque National Day
Puerto Rico : Discovery Day (1493)
United Arab Emirates : Pilgrimage
US : Equal Opportunity Day
US : Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
US : Have A Bad Day Day.
Brazilian Flag Day.
World Toilet Day.
International Drum Month.

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Religious Observances
Moslem-United Arab Emirates : Pilgrimage
Old RC, Ang : Commemoration of Elizabeth, Princess of Hungary/widow

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Religious History
1742 English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'Plead His promises, be much in secret prayer, and never give God rest, till your soul is filled with all His fulness.'
1862 Birth of William (Billy) Sunday, American revivalist. Orphaned during the Civil War, Sunday became a major league baseball player 1883_91, then turned to evangelism in 1893, speaking to an estimated total audience of 100 million before his death in 1935.
1885 Birth of Haldor Lillenas, American hymnwriter. He penned nearly 4,000 Gospel texts and hymn tunes during his lifetime, including "It Is Glory Just to Walk With Him," Wonderful Grace of Jesus" and "Peace, Peace, Wonderful Peace."
1910 Swedish Pentecostal missionaries Daniel Berg, 26, and Adolf Vingren, 31, arrived in Brazil. In 1918 they established the first Pentecostal church, from which grew Brazil's largest Protestant body, the Assemblies of God.
1961 The Third Assembly of the World Council of Churches convened at New Delhi, India, during which the International Missionary Council and its work was integrated into the larger ecumenical group.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"Crime does not pay ... as well as politics"

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Excuses for Being Late for Work...
"I keep forgetting which side of the International Date Line you're on."

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Things I learned from children...
No matter how much Jello you put in a swimming pool you
still can't walk on water.

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Dictionary of the Absurd...
flatulent
A borrowed apartment

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The Top 5 Things We Would
Have Seen Under a Kerry Administration
4. Viagra for every nudist colony!
(Fulfilling his promise to give America a nude erection.)

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Folks. The sun's breaking out as I'm typing.

We received through the automatic update a new set of virus definitions from Norton. Be sure to watch for them when they arrive.

Yesterday I talked about a car/school bus crash near Cache yesterday. There were two fatalities. Those two fatalities as it turns out were two high school students from Cache who had bright futures. Thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends of those two students.

Apparently the car pulled out in front of the school bus and they collidied there were a few minor injuries on the bus but thankfully nothing major.

Realyy a sad and tragic deal yesterday morning. Hearts go out to the good folks over in Cache.

How's it going, Snippy?

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone.

[Professional Engineer]

Hi miss Feather