Ed Rasimus wrote:

In late November, the agreement had not been signed
by the North and they walked out of Paris.

Ed, that is a misleading description of events. When the NVN walked out in
November, they had nothing to sign. Kissenger had recently submitted changes to
the October agreement, but even if NVN found them acceptable it would have been
weeks before a final signing. Bottom line; NVN walked out because we were
changing an already agreed upon accord AND (more importantly) the anti-war
movement in congress was threatening to give them much more than the Paris
Peace Accord.

You can speculate, I was a participant, and the POWs were on-scene
observers.

You and I have been over this before Ed, but I don't believe participation in
history makes someone an expert in anything other then your own part in that
event. In this discusion, aircrew perspective doesn't provide much.

I can find a direct causative relationship between getting
the crap kicked out of them for eleven days and crying "uncle", then
signing and in very short order releasing the guys.

Without a doubt, however LBII would have lasted until the dollars ran out if
congress had returned and voted to suspend funding for the war. The bombing
and, as equally important, the silence from congress convinced NVN to return to
Paris and sign *the original October agreeement*.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"