European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 13, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday january 13, 1969 the stars and stripes a year of Airpower in Vietnam conflict by Monte Lange Saigon special the climactic year of 1968, starting with the massive enemy tet offensive in january and ending with the Complete bombing Haltin november brought the role of Airpower into sharper perspective than at any other time since 1065.in South Vietnam practically every major confrontation wit the enemy was supported by in tense air Force b52 strato fortress and tactical air strikes which had a critical if not decisive influence upon the out come. Between january and the mid dle of november 121,000 attack sorties resulted in the destruction of nearly 85,000 fortifications 5,100 enemy samoans Fin caused More than 5,000 second Ary explosions. More than 600,000 tons of bombs were dropped by tactical fighters and b52s during that same period. This bomb tonnage was larger than that employed during the korean War. Based on reports of prisoners of War in pow Camps and hoi Chanh returnee the air strikes Force units to move constantly kept them off balance caused numer Ous casualties lowered morale and helped Stop them from Stag ing any significantly successful offensive activity.b52s flew nearly 21,000 sorties during the year. They were use Din close air support at Khe Sanh Dak to Kham due due Lapland Thuong due All significant Battles where air support was critical Factor. The defense of the Marine basest Khe Sanh proved to be one of the largest campaigns in the War. Surface lines of communication were severed Between sup port bases and Khe Sanh. Vic tory at Khe Sanh was gained Nobby traditional ground superiority but by a massive application Ofair Power which included As an integral part tactical Airlift. In the most massive concentrated bombardment program since world War ii tactical air and b52s put More than 22,500 strike sorties into the Are around Khe Sanh in Northwest i corps Dis organizing mul Iregi ment enemy attacks on the key base beginning in january. De spite poor weather associated with the Northeast Monsoon an demands for Airpower in other parts of South Vietnam the round the clock bombardment of carefully plotted enemy positions routed the enemy Force causing heavy casualties. On May 12, after the Vietcong s 1st regt 2nd Nova div Hud occupied the High ground above the civilian irregular de sense group Camp at Kham due near the laotian Border in i corps a decision was made to evacuate under the cover of air  May 5, the enemy launched numerous assaults in the Saigon area and began shelling the City almost daily with 122mm Rock ets. Allied forces placed heavy Reliance upon tactical Airpower und d52s, to prevent a full scale assault on the capital  May 500 fixed Wing sorties struck within a radius office Miles from the Center of the City with vietnamese air Force aircraft accounting for 185 of these. The known results of these strikes were 756 fortifications und 360 bunkers destroyed und19 secondary explosions caused. Also b52s flew nearly 1,000 Sor ties within 32 Miles of Saigon. By the end of May the coun Ter offensive was credited with killing More than 10,000 enemy soldiers and detaining more4han2,000. During August 12,710 fortifications and 812 enemy samoans were destroyed and 583 second Ary explosions were observed. B52 Crews ranged throughout the country attacking enemy locations. The capability of Strat fort an tactical air strikes to disrupt ene my attacks without sending Large ground forces to relieve attack objectives was forcibly demonstrated on sept. 28 when the cig Camp at Thuong due Ini corps came under attack. It was estimated two enemy regi ments occupied Hills around Thuong due. Massive b52 strike Sand round the clock tactical air supp it from Usan Naf an Dusic resources played a major role in preventing the enemy from taking the critically located Camp. During 1968, prior to the nov.1 bombing halt air Force air Craft flew 43,976 combat sorties Over North Vietnam. During the period air Force pilots and Crews destroyed 1,374 trucks 488 military structures,1,031 watercraft and 182 Bridges and caused 6,452 landslides andro Adcus. Despite poor weather Over North Vietnam during the first three months of this year air Force pilots kept the pressure on enemy airfields resupply routes Railroad Bridges storage areas and truck Parks. All enemy aircraft downed bythe air Force in 1968 were destroyed by f4 phantom  aircraft three mig2is and five mig17s, were All downed i january and february. On March 31, president John son announced the first bombing pause restricting pilots to tar gets below the 20th parallel in the Southern Panhandle of North Vietnam. With the bombing re Striction in effect air Force pilots struck lines of Communia f t every second counts helicopter Crew men of det 10, Atlantic aerospace Rescue and recovery Center at Valano air base Italy Rushto their waiting hh43b Huskie As another res Cue Mission begins. Inset Capi. George r. An Drews operations officer of the detachment is a Vietnam vet who earned a distinguished Fly ing Cross doubleheader. Is Feyerherm decorated capt. At Valano symbolizes air Rescue Rote by John Kruege staff writer Aviano Italy is a distinguished flying Cross double header was achieved in Vietnam by capt. George r. Andrews now assigned Here to det 10 of the Atlantic aerospace Rescue and recovery  a space of a few weeks the helicopter Pilot from Tampa,fla., performed his dual heroics. One Mission involved rescuing Pilot Down in mountains shrouded in heavy overcast prolonged hover according to the citation an Drews demonstrated great de termination and Superior airman ship in maintaining a pro longed hover Over a Small open ing in the Jungle canopy using Only the verbal directions of his hoist operator. The other Mission was carried out under heavy fire and the flames und explosions of an enemy rocket attack on Danang air  five minutes Andrews and his Crew of det 7, 38th Aero space Rescue recovery so were airborne in their hh43 Huskie to assess damage and to search for casualties constantly threatened constantly threatened by sporadically exploding ordnance As Well As enemy fire the report detailed the Rescue men made Landing after Landing in a search 2j�-hour ordeal for Andrews his for  j co Pilot capt. Richard a. Mayer the chopper also coordinated airborne fireman s. Sgt. Ever fire fighting efforts by ignoring e. Handy and Par Rescue Spe obvious dangers and placing the Ici Alist t. Sgt. John l. Hennessey Craft in Low hover just beyond an air Force s p o k e s m a n the reach of 35-foot-High  summed up the performance As Tion resupply routes truck Parkland military storage areas. Significant strikes in the South Ern Panhandle after the March 1 bombing restriction included on june 21, f105 thunderchief pilots from the 355th tactical fighter Wing at Tali Royal thai fab struck a concentration of enemy soldiers in a strike 25 Miles Northeast of Mugia pass in the Southern Panhandle of North Vietnam in three consecutive Days of raids air Force thunderchief pilots from the 355th and the388th Korat Tafb tows and phantom Crews from the 8th Ubon Tafb and 366th Danang air base tows and the432nd tactical reconnaissance Wing adorn Tafb struck a enemy ammunition and petrol Eum Oil and lubricants pol storage area 37 Miles West Northwest of Dong hoi june 22,23 and 24. The pilots and Crews were credited by Forward air control lers from the 37th Tow Phu cat air base flying f100 super sabres with causing 211 second Ary explosions 61 sustained fires 13 pol fires destroying 25trucks, a Bridge 2 automatic weapons positions and cutting roads in numerous places. On oct. 6, 7 and 7, f4 Crew from the 8th Tow blasted an enemy storage area 35 mile North of Mugia pass. Total bomb damage for the three consecutive Days of raids included 220 sustained fires 55secondary explosions 100 pol explosions 30 pol fires and 3antiaircraft artillery aaa positions 5 trucks and a three Story warehouse destroyed. The Crews also silenced four other aaa positions. On nov. 1, the president announced the Complete halt of the bombing of North Vietnam. How Ever air Force reconnaissance aircraft and their armed escort continued to Fly Over the South Ern Panhandle of North Vietnam. Also during 1968, More than900 lives were saved by person Nel of the 3rd aerospace Rescue and recovery group. Of this to Tal. 578 Are classified As combat saves. The largest Rescue Effort of1968 or any other year came Over the memorial Day week end when Usan and us air j Craft flew 189 strike sorties Toj Aid in the Rescue of a Navy Pilot.hc130p Crown aircraft flew As Mission controllers and Jolly Green giant helicopter Crews flew More than 62 combat hour throughout the three Day  Downwash he one of outstanding courage air Andrews blew the fire away Manship and professionalism from threatened fuel tanks and thas prevented the loss of a mul. ,. Simillion Dollar storage area. I the Navy Pilot flying from a enabled the Field to remain of j a aft  in the Gulf Ferat Onul for incoming aircraft also cleared a path for the fire fighters on the ground it was a night to  emergency soon another emergency arose with incoming aircraft and a runway covered with debris an shrapnel but the hii43 Crew and saved the life of a critically injured  Here at this Northern ital base Home of the 40th tactical group Muj. Franklin l. Chase used the Downwash to Clear it of j and his Aaric Mac detach obstructions. J m ent provide crash Rescue Cov minutes later the _ Huskie was rage primarily for fighter Typ dispatched to the dispensary to evacuate a critically injured air Man to the naval Hospital. The Hospital area however was aircraft with airborne fire fight ing and Pilot pick up  13-Man staf Chase from Hopkinton mass., Tonkin was downed by North vietnamese ground fire May 31. In spite of ground fire and poo weather which hampered the Rescue Effort the Pilot was picked up on the morning of june 2. Since Rescue operations began in Southeast Asia in 1964, men of the aerospace Rescue an recovery service have rescued More than 1,500 Allied forces. U., . Ii Nav Nuiji . A a. ,. Ii i under heavy enemy  commands a 13-Man staff one rat i personnel from uie the Huskie found yet another l i"1v" � it the Hazard at the Hospital the entire area was blacked out and it was impossible to see the Power lines Drews Whort also operations of nig with two hh43b huskies four of the staff Are Pilot offi cers including Chase and an bordering the Landing pud. Finer. The others Are capt. Jack As gunships engaged the Peak also maintenance officer enemy the report ment and have surpassed the2,200 Mark in total saxes. During the ear. Four National guard fido squadrons and one Usan Floo Squadron joined the strike Force. The ov1u Bronco continued and capt. Bruce Wood who is jus introduced to the War zone i. In Andrews used his Landing lights j also administrative and safety i Al. Tested Audi began to locate the lines and then made officer. Mediately flying it Imossi his Landing before drawing enemy  the pressure from enemy ground fire continued during the return flight that terminated the the unit s maintenance nco1c, so sgt. Dexter Ryan from mount City mo., has been nominated within the military Airlift come As airman of the year. Missions. A second aircraft the fill a arrived in Southeast Asia m March for test and evaluation and returned to the United states nine months later