On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 02:08:45 GMT, Buzzer wrote:

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 19:42:44 -0500, Bob McKellar
wrote:

Well, I thought I put in enough qualifiers in my statement, but I guess I didn't. I was not making any war crime
accusations, just commenting on the stupidity of the whole thing. Risking four expensive aircraft ( not to mention
four expensive pilots, who have other additional non monetary values, to say the least ) to attack a road grader?
( I guess it was a Weapon of Mud Destruction.)

Maintenance debriefing Ubon, Thailand 1967. Pilot with an amused look
said something along the lines of the footbridge over the small stream
is still there, but I'll bet there are fewer elephants in the
surrounding jungle. That is four f-4s and eight expensive crew
members. Targets were seldom mentioned in debriefing, but the elephant
remark has stayed with me after all these years..

Elephants and buffaloes, euphemistically known as tactical military
supply conveyors.

But, to return to the original contention of Bob's--yes, there was an
incredible amount of equipment and highly trained (and occasionally
poorly trained) manpower place at risk for extremely small reward.

The entire operation remains an exercise demonstrating how not to
fight a war.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8