Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Covert communications with our POWs in Vietnam

All,

I read this the other day and was surprised to find it had been declassified. Truly amazing stuff that I did not know went on. While I wouldn't call it a robust communication channel with our guys who were POW's in Vietnam, it at least was a two-way communication channel. It certainly gave them hope and gave the Intel folks insights. Huge props to the families that helped knowing what it meant to their husbands and sons if they had been caught.

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-...es/vol-60-no-1/a-shield-and-a-sword.html

Capt. Gordon I Peterson, USN (Ret.) and David C. Taylor

On 2 and 4 May 1972, two US Air Force SR-71 Blackbird recon­naissance aircraft overflew Hanoi, North Vietnam. A third aircraft stood back, ready to take the place of either plane if it was unable to perform its task. The pilots had not been told the objective of their unusual mission. At precisely noon on each day, flying at supersonic speed, the lead plane set off a sonic boom. Exactly 15 seconds later the second aircraft’s signature shock wave signaled to US prisoners of war (POWs) held captive in the Hoa Lo prison that their proposed escape plan had been authorized.

Studies in intelligence always has some interesting stuff in it. You need to download the PDF for the whole story.

Amazing!

Fascinating stuff. CDR Ralph Gaither (then Ensign) F-4 driver and his back seater Captain (then Lt) Rod Knudsen were sort of my mentors during my early junior officer years. They were shot down in 65 and Knudsen's fight after he got shot down and eventually captured is one of the bravest accounts of "brass balls" I've ever heard. Anyway, to that IDIOT (you listening SakoAV you worthless POS), to try and diminish McCain is so maddening had he done that in my presence, I do believe I would have hurt him, BAD. Rant over, but thanks for sharing, Pugs.

Very cool, Pugs!

I just ordered Robert Wallace's Book "Spycraft:The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, From Communism to al-Qaeda" from ABE Books.

Ed

Don't let Sucko occupy any part of your mind for even one second Jorge, instead go read the Mall ninja story and laugh your ass off instead.


Very cool stuff Pugs.

Wow!!!

Unbelieveable courage!

Fascinating.

That was one of the most interesting and inspiring things I've read in quite a while. Thanks Pugs.

Thanks for the great read...

Years ago I met and spoke with Captain "Gordy" Nakagawa while I was stationed at Camp Pendleton (rifle team) (He was CO of PT Mugu as I recall). Great guy it seemed... When he was introduced it was mentioned that he was a POW in Vietnam... Captain Nakagwa interjected "I've been a POW TWICE... once in my own country."

Here locally, I've had the pleasure of speaking with CDR Everett Alvarez a few times while attending USUHS functions. An interesting and humbling experience for me.

What I took away from those conversation... Each presented in such a positive manner, cheerful, humor, perhaps joy, definitely inspirational.

Thanks, great read.

FYI, the Smithsonian Channel (367 on the Dish) has had a program on called "The Spy in the Hanoi Hilton" concerning ADM Denton's actions and how he was the main chain in the CIA's network. Fascinating account, and outlined the reasons he received the MOH for his actions.

Thanks for that. DirectTV has it available On-Demand from he Smithsonian Channel. Got it downloading now and will watch it later this week.

link?

That is really interesting. Good stuff.

Linky

It is classic, fo shizzle.

+1

Thanks again for posting, Pugs

This cannot be true, at least to neocon jorge1 and his neocon hero turned traitor, John McCain:

"In 1991, as a response to pressure from POW families and Vietnam War veterans, a Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs was created and chaired by current Sec. of State John Kerry.

But McCain was the committee’s most influential member and soon the committee was also debunking stories of POWs still alive in Vietnam. And when former Defense Intelligence Agency head Air Force Lt. Gen. Eugene Tighe disputed the Pentagon’s position, McCain was instrumental in forcing Tighe into early retirement.

Schanberg believes that McCain’s culpability in this matter was revealed in a transcript from North Vietnamese Gen. Tran Van Quang, which showed that Hanoi planned to keep many POWs to make certain it would get war reparations from the United States.

Additionally, Schanberg was amazed at the mainstream press for ignoring the POWs and McCain’s cover-up.

“Reporters who had covered the Vietnam War turned their heads and walked in other directions. McCain doesn’t talk about the missing men, and the press never asks him about them,” Schanberg wrote."

Source

The Web is chock full of articles about McCain's scandal.

McCain should have gone from the Hanoi Hilton to Leavenworth for treason.

Gotta be a special kind of low to smear someone going in harm's way daily while you sat the last few wars out.

STILL waiting on your personal stories of LA heroism you mentioned. I know, I know, just doing your job taking on those "bangers".
Bob

That was a fascinating article, thanks for sharing. So glad to know that even during the worst, our guys still pulled off some big (at least to them) victories to keep going.

The Web is chock full of crapp about McCain's scandal.