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Posted on 08/02/2018 10:44:08 AM PDT by Bull Snipe
American Destroyer USS Maddox DD731 is attacked by three North Vietnamese Navy torpedo boats from MTB Squadron 135. The Maddox is on patrol about 28 miles off the coast of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. The three MTB's launch a total of 6 torpedoes at Maddox but did not score a hit. Maddox returned fire with her five inch guns and soon some attach aircraft from USS Ticonderoga, attacked the MTBs. They were heavily damaged, 4 Vietnamese sailors were killed and several others injured. The boats broke off the attach and they retreated.
JFK was dead x 10 months, I was going into my Soph year of HS in one of the worst slums in NYC & I loved Motown music (still do). The Beatles were just starting to make noise. Who knew about a British invasion? Good times for sure, and yes I remember this incident and realized the ramifications almost immediately.
...One recalls that it was in August 1964, after the Republicans nominated Barry Goldwater, that the Tonkin Gulf incident occurred.
Twice it was said, on Aug. 2 and Aug. 4, North Vietnamese patrol boats had attacked the U.S. destroyers Maddox and Turner Joy in international waters. The U.S. Senate responded by voting 88 to 2 to authorize President Johnson to assist any Southeast Asian nation whose government was threatened by communist aggression.
The bombing of the North began, followed by the arrival of U.S. Marines. America’s war was on.
Only attack that worked for Goldwater in 64' was that LBJ was soft on communism.
LBJ thought the Gulf of Tonkin and his reaction was a gift.
I didn’t bring this up as a joke. Look into Dave McGowan and his book “Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon” about the laurel canyon music scene and the ties to military intelligence. Here’s a good interview on the beatles, that is recent, concerning the same subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWpLLYhTjHs&t=1300s
you can download these with various websites, but I like mp3fy.com. Once an mp3 file you can listen to it from your phone anywhere.
Rear Admiral Morrison was the task force commander. I believe that he was on the U.S.S. Constellation at the time. The admiral died about 10 years ago at his home in Coronado, CA.
Not the case. CO of the Maddox at the time of the action was Commander Herbert L. Ogier. Captain Morrison was CO of Bon Homme Richard CV-31 at the time. Captain Morrison was promoted to Rear Admiral the following year.
My Dad was aboard the carrier Ticonderoga(CV 14) in WWII.
you are correct. My post 9 is wrong about Morrison.
My Dad sailed on USS Yorktown CV-5 from June of 1940 to till her sinking at Midway.
Not so.
I presume he survived the sinking??
I have toured the replacement Yorktown at Charleston Harbor, SC. It was under construction when the original was sunk at Midway. They commissioned it in the Yorktown name of the original because of its distinguished service. The replacement was, I think, the first long-hull Essex class carrier. The Ticonderoga was a long-hull Essex. To me, it was well worth the time. My two grown sons went with me.
Dad had already passed when I toured it. Wish I had gone sooner so I could have talked with him about it.
He survived the sinking. He and about half of the Yorktown engineers, (my dad was a MM) went to the USS West Virginia BB-48. He spent the rest of the war on her.
Went with my Dad to a Yorktown CV-5 Reunion in Charleston, SC. The Reunion committee had arranged for the 75 cent tour of the Yorktown CV 5 while we there
My daddy served on the USS Ticonderoga in the late 50’s!!
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