VIETNAM: THE B-52

[Music] [Music] this is you Nepal air based in Thailand we've been operating b-52s from here since April of 1967 it's not a glamorous job the crews take off on a scheduled time they fly relatively straight and level and deliver the ordnance and then he fly back for the aircraft for the mission tomorrow the men of these machines are real pros who carry briefcases with them they follow checklists and operated this team producing very positive results okay yeah I'll be clear right tails of course the crews understand what the mission is the meanest guys understand what the mission is they're operating in a combat environment so they're highly motivated however it takes more than that to convince the individual that the job that he's doing has to be done professionally and it's real important to the international security United States so people come into theatres are often very amazed at how we employ junior officers and junior Airmen here we give our junior people the authority the responsibility and turn them loose to a little guidance they they require why of course we give it to them but in those cases the end well-motivated so well trained out we put him a specific job here and because the of the standardization prestige that we employ in sac the individual can fall right into the pattern with no additional training that's Captain Dietrich's aircraft parking right now his crew is typical of the men who've been flying out here after the unload they go into the operational debriefing oh here we go [Applause] George Dietrich captain Pilate commanded official language gold cohorts can connect Pennsylvania number two man is dick Stolley he's married and has a two-year-old son six years in the Air Force all inside [Music] Watson's radar navigator we used to call it Bombardier commissioned for aviation cadet six years ago wife's name is Mary they have a daughter about a year old this is the navigator first lieutenant Steven celli he's 25 comes from Laconia New Hampshire no children yet he has a degree in history from Syracuse 10 Newman is the electronic worker officer he operates the Jamboree used to be an electronic technician in civilian life as two children both girls staff sergeant EB Johnson 32 he's the old man on the crew major veterinary medicine at Tuskegee used to be a curator reptiles the Miami serpent Orion it's very important that we recognize how the crew members and the individuals feel and I think I've got a reasonably good feel on what the reaction of most of the individuals are to our participation in this is conflict leader this great big white Louis [Music] looks like the whole target area to set there I was walking outside there was no fire or smoke associated with [Music] have to be something buried that's where the real satisfaction where you go out and the pants either go and get secondary we very seldom hear some of these operation grass we your your remote I think once after you gained Eid the confidence of the people in the wing do I it's very simple matter to be able to talk to these individuals whether the flight crews staff officers think we the maintenance support guys typical American guys that are highly motivated have the driving desire to be professionals you sleep all the way home Hey [Applause] [Music] [Music] yeah on a schedule for a week the reason handling on the schedule last week I've been over to the pet Shack ad Vaughn in Saigon and they took me through McAfee where they do all the mission planning lay on the target boy I can tell you and I think the best thing we could do here is perhaps go over to McVie talk with Brigadier General Jason he's the man in charge it might be target assignments and he can give us the full picture can give you an idea on how the targets are selected on why sometimes it's necessary even at the last minute to make a change in our target well the targets that we request be struck and I selected from two sources one source is the tactical commanders in the field and they select targets in direct support of their operations just as they would select a tactical air target or a deep artillery time I would say this accounts for the majority of the targets that we have nominated for strike then there's another source of targets that come from the intelligence analyst both of the field commands and here at this level and they're primarily analyzing targets of enemy supply lines our enemy supply caches our enemy base areas and then on a daily basis the targets from these two sources come in to this headquarters and they're analyzed here in the combat operations center I think as long as you keep in mind that when we're talking about b-52 strikes we're talking about pre-planned type of strikes we're not talking something that we want to hit with haste because we're talking about such big payloads and we're bringing them in so close to the troops the use that we're making of the b-52 out here is as another tactical support weapon on the immediate battlefield and in that capacity I think it's been extremely effective this is both based on my observation and what I'm sure you will find in discussing subject with the tactical commanders we find that the greatest effectiveness of the b-52 is this big payload this is a very fine thing to be able to put on a target that has some impact upon your operation when you're a tactical commander also we like the fact that it can be delivered around-the-clock regardless of whether with the same general accuracy in all conditions it can be delivered with a great deal of what we call shock effect upon the enemy because there's really no signal that the attack is coming and as we've recently experienced in some of our strikes in the Khe Sanh area we know we can bring them in quite close to our own friendly troops I think an interesting story on troop reaction came out of Khe Sanh you it was the first day that we brought one of the b-52 strikes in real close to the marine position and one would have thought the Marines would have been probably down in their dugouts staying out of the way but the story is that they were all standing up on top of the bunkers cheering as the b-52s were being delivered outside of their position I think there's a test for the fact that they're very pleased with the effectiveness and I'd suggest that if you're one to get some more on this that you should go out and talk to some of the troop commanders to some of the troops themselves and I think you'd get a very clear insight as to the effectiveness of this weapons years as commander of the first field force what has been your associate well my job primarily deep in the booth kappa priority first name initiative recognises it a b-52 strike is a priceless commodity and we have many many more targets and we have made fifty two strikes available tool as we have to set these up with the power of power in order to put a weight on the proper party how the church filled the troops of course this is one of the big things aside from the physical Linda's morale boost for home they get these things they know their consignment that's and if your regiment negative Arclight start with b-52 strike out there and they know that this is going to take quite a beta so you could say on the one hand that decided they did for the morale of alone forces I think what is equally as important is the fact that in all the prisoners and the hoist ons that we've been Terra heated we ask that what are the things that you dislike most or one of the you fearful and you find that they come out generally speaking with pretty badass don't like two strikes they don't like pack air they don't like the gunships the helicopter gunship and they don't like our doing get on down and talk food the combat [Music] I'd like to have them change their mental and distance on the maximum distance or I believe I'll be enclosed I'll be able to come and approach it to the troops especially if they're on high ground especially the area we just came from it really gives me and the people feel enough security when they do here and you know if you're gonna move into that area you're not gonna run into anything great feeling don't be sitting there Washington bombs hit the ground we did see arc lights going off on the other side of the ridge about seven or eight klicks away up that distance you know everybody kind of smile you know just like with a feeling of security it would any claim any kind when I read the flood of the b-52 is like the biggest buildings you really appreciate them coming in coming in to morale booster for everybody and all about the most secure feeling I've had Vietnam so far always one morning we had seven thirty eight o'clock when you have been out there you really begin to get an appreciation of what we're doing out here well why an early mission in the morning so I think I'm gonna take off okay we've had many many cases here where were people real back home perhaps and we've permitted them to call back and chat with a wives or their mothers as a case might be this way they were there reassured that everything is a-okay back there and this puts the individual a position where he can perform well he has nothing on his mind of course there's nothing more dangerous than a guy working on an airplane some concern over some problem back home it's extremely dangerous we recognize and we work real hard it is Laswell highlight the problems to us and they do okay oh let's go huh Roger control 100 is out of the ballgame my hip pockets fair as 6:04 give me a reading please Roger will take care craft 6:04 how's the repo coming Roger control refuel should be complete on 6401 hundred you ready for a Mickey Mouse & 2130mm a mess out there at that time when you consider it takes four to five hundred man-hours to regenerate an airplane once he returns from a mission I think the people become more aware the fact that the only way you can do this is through is a good coordinated team effort because each individual has played a very important part and getting their airplane off the ground we have a very sophisticated radar bamhi navigation system so whether it has absolutely no bearing on our capability to bomb we can pinpoint bomb to overcast conditions under any weather conditions [Music] [Music] [Music] gentlemen in 10 seconds the time will be zero 300 local twenty hundred Zulu five four three two one pack from the bakery gentlemen captain tried to enable a date mission classification this briefing the secret the airborne commander's cover more the room is secure takeoff time for the first cell is zero 500 local roll call phase your loan over captain d3 conference or major Brooks takeoff time for the second cell is zero five 20 local roll call captain Dilworth major Eldridge majorly climb out on the standard departure root level off at Point Bravo proceed to point Charlie the point Delta and at point Delta start climb to flight level three six zero proceed to point echo to the IP open your bomb doors thirty seconds prior to release on your primary target x-ray two six after your release break right to point Foxtrot and proceed to the alternate IP for release on the all in at Target open your bomb doors thirty seconds prior to release on x-ray three zero proceed to Point Golf and join the return route to the bow lieutenant Nichols for weather good morning gentlemen good takeoff whether due to pal 3/8 of strata Q at 2,000 feet some Sears strata at 30,000 feet visibility greater than 6 miles surface winds from the south at 10 knots temperature 83 pressure altitude plus 60 altimeter setting two Niner Niner one [Music] okay I'll get one on order start taking that with down right away [Music] [Music] not control we have a JFC 12 change on 6:04 sergeant lemons for intelligence your primary target is against Khe Sanh area where there's a large confirmed troop concentration build-up to the storage area bound to the south your alternate target is against two concentrations between clay qu and khan tomb also confirmed that a large Vietcong force is moving in from Laos intelligence ground action for yesterday in the first Corps the target area depressurize control of10 Roger control 6:04 is and in hand across the board complete a tote 250 Roger Roger what was your going home now I have a cool one for me Roger control I'm strictly a kool-aid man thank you are there any questions on the mission as brief will you rise please for chaplain Clara hand let us pray Almighty God our Father blessed these crews the leaders they follow the men who support them help them to be the men you want them to be keep them safe from all harm and let what they do today bring a better tomorrow bless their families and loved ones give to them the same peace and security that these men try to bring to the world today amen the specific model of b-52 the word using this theater is b-52d it's the only b-52 and the side force that has had the big belly modification the airplane was not originally designed to carry iron bombs so to achieve this end this modification was necessary as far as general characteristics of the bird are concerned it's about at 180 feet from wingtip to wingtip 156 feet long and are operating gross weights out of Thailand or in the neighborhood of 400,000 pounds [Music] [Music] [Music] okay radios pilot warning an indicator lights Preston test pilot what he compared lights Christmas Gopala by wall switches in the Czech pilot gonna check up on their all switches on navigation points the bright flash ground connection clear the Bob doors and deal for nerdy snack and her Czech copilot altimeter 29.92 zero elevation here okay pilot two nine nine zero out of the correctional +100 crash Nicole pod your goodies to Johnny okay all the temperature whole without what's upsetting abuse over nine so in one minute I understand the real kind zero [Applause] zero nine zero at this time Jojo better at it and a Divya this is point whiskey SCM project copy SEM at this time stop calling up to eight one two eight you want to hit now okay do it signals Roger Khobar just the normal acquisition signals are no threat to this time right here ready for pond one checklist they're just a blur right up being this to any a1 toughest magnet in cross-checks cross Jack ENS off dude set that most likes which has briefed Roger seriously new point aiming point standby one magic not much to it okay Chucky no one listed as myself on that - sergeant okay so I chose two switches as desired as to say the primary control for the switch bomb wrong pilot what's left is PDI but it's about 6 1 interface ctrl + S which bomb configuration check you ready for Roger go ahead just about control switch so our police power switch sorry control valve lights are off - you're ticked off on this little switch manual doors open - 30 TG coming up on 30 TG 30 peaches I mean they're coming up doors checked open please a checklist you already know my release switch doors closed that's the bomb control switch all just play boats like to switch a spear in computer power switch a sphere is a switch to disable switch normal mode select switch as desired rate our camera switches as required medical camera doors closed landing gear Stumbo comes off pilot in the hydraulic packs shut down turn off the check monitoring system sucks which stand by internal brick shadow external brick charge off it's really circuit disconnect I'll get off at least power switch off switch ok man walk away light circuit breakers oh yeah [Applause] the crews come over into this part of the world quite frequently six months at a stretch and in many cases the crews find themselves back home for a very short period of time and the bank again for another six month period operating out of Guam it's very confining there's very little for the for the crews to do there so when they have an opportunity you will come to that she's you to Powell they're very happy to come over here so we make every effort in the world to schedule in such a manner so that each crew during his 18 day cycle has an opportunity spend perhaps at least two days in to Bangkok I think it's very educational I think because of the professionalism that these individuals play on an often job it's very healthy for them to become exposed to the type people they have a better understanding of our people the way we conduct business the way we conduct ourselves in the Thai community many many crew members have worked very hard toward establishing better base community relations I've seen this happen here in the local area so many many times we've received so many congratulatory messages letters things of this nature from tight dignitaries high families indicating how pleased they were to be able to get to know Sacre members of ethics a crew members spend some time in their homes at the table it's very enlightening [Music] [Music] the Jazz bus [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] the aircraft hasn't recycled and another mission is launched perhaps the crews feel a bit more fulfillment since they know what their efforts are cheap even though professionally speaking it's just another mission they are professionals highly trained and qualified in two specialties it is also a fact that they are men doing a good job the reasons are diverse however they all have one thing in common they're here because the country needs them [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music]