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CDR Bob Kemper was my best buddy & squadronmate in VA-146 1965-1967. At the time of his accident he was the XO of VT-7, NAS Meridian, MS. Last known activity was an instructional instrument flight with a student in a T2A "Buckeye" aircraft.
Flying an actual instrument approach into NAS Meridian, the flight encountered severe icing conditions. Evidently, to such an extent that the anti-icing system could not keep up. Close in, the aircraft started sinking badly even with full power. Seeing that a crash was inevitable, CDR Kemper ordered his student to eject. When he knew the student was clear, he ejected.
His student survived. CDR Kemper's chute deployed, but unfortunately he was still decelerating when he collided with a pine tree and was killed.
In keeping with the Naval Aviator's Creed, I believe he sacrified his life for his shipmate.
I am proud to say I flew many combat missions as Bob Kemper's wingman. He was a hero to me in life, and remains so today. He is sorely missed.
Other Comments:
REMEMBERANCES
I first met Bob when we both reported to VA-146 from the A4 training squadron VA-125 at Lemoore. I was a bit in awe of him at the time. He was a senior LT (soon to be LCDR) & a Naval Academy grad, and I was a mid-grade LT former NAVCAD with no college. We both had previous A4 squadron & deployment experience so we fit right in as as "team" .
As we became close, when at Lemoore we did lots of thing as familys (my 3 kids & his 3 daughters were the same age range), dining out, Friday family pizza nights, etc. When at sea we were roommates & flew together as often as we could.
Bob was a very talented golfer. We played together a lot. I should have listed him on my income tax as a dependent because I can't remember ever winning a golf bet , though I kept on trying!
He had natural leadership qualities which had been polished at the Naval Academy plus some 10 years fleet experience when I met him. His enlisted sailors adored Bob.
Example: I went up to see him off on a combat launch one night. Pitch black & NOISY (as usual). As we approached his aircraft the plane captain reported "she's ready for preflight, sir". Bob replied "did you preflight it?" "YES sir". Bob replied "that's good enough for me, I trust you!" and up the ladder he scooted. I didn't understand it at first, then I realized that he was instilling confidence & trust in his P/C, most likely increasing his vigilence on future preflights. Innovative!
Bob Kemper was fearless & loved to fly! Even in combat, when a pilot would have to cancel a mission for whatever reason, Bob was always first (in a short line) to scrounge the flight. Unlike others, he never griped about manning the mandatory spare for there was always a chance it might be launched.
At the very end of our combat cruise in USS CONSTELLATION (CVA-64), the last day of ops before departing for home was Nov. 11, 1967 (appropriately Armistice Day). Bob had an early strike that day & mine was mid-day. Bob greeted me with a hug. Together, we greeted each returning pilot all day, hoping, praying that nothing bad would happen on the last day. When our last "Busy Bee" touched down, a cheer resounded throughout the ready room. Bob's combat career & mine ended that day with over 500 missions between us, many of them flown together.
Bob's nickname was "Boo Boo" as he was a husky dude & reminded us of the big friendly bear in the "Moose" cartoon!
CDR Kemper was a hero in his small hometown of Shelbyville, KY. As a rural Kentucky lad, he had gone through the finest Naval Academy in the world, achieved the gold wings of a Naval Aviator, then a highly decorated carrier pilot. Several years later, Bob flew a two-seater Skyhawk back to Kentucky for a standard weekend training cross-country landing at the commercial Standiford Airport not to far from his hometown. Unbeknownst to him, word of his trip leaked out & his townfolk arranged a greeting for him. Hundreds showed up to express their appreciation for their local icon.
Shelbyville, KY is also the hometownThe greeting
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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Operation Rolling Thunder I
From Month/Year
March / 1965
To Month/Year
June / 1966
Description 2 March 1965 - 2 November 1968. Operation Rolling Thunder was the title of a gradual and sustained US 2nd Air Division (later Seventh Air Force), US Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) aerial bombardment campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) from 2 March 1965 until 2 November 1968, during the Vietnam War.
In an effort to convince the North Vietnamese government to abandon its support of the insurgency in South Vietnam, President Johnson began a new bombing campaign in March 1965, known as Operation Rolling Thunder.
Lasting from 2 March 1965 until 1 November 1968, Rolling Thunder was the longest bombing campaign in United States history. It involved tactical aviation assets from the 7th Air Force in Thailand and South Vietnam, as well as aircraft from 7th Fleet and Marine Corps assets.
The campaign was marred by disputes between senior military leaders and the civilian administration from the outset. Military leaders argued for decisive strikes in order to isolate North Vietnam and to destroy their production capabilities and transportation systems.
President Johnson and Secretary McNamara sought the graduated use of force, choosing a cycle of bombing halts followed by escalation in an effort to persuade the North Vietnamese to negotiate for peace with the United States and South Vietnam.
During the three years of Rolling Thunder, Johnson and McNamara instituted seven bombing halts.
The three basic objectives of Operation Rolling Thunder under the Johnson administration were:
Strategically deter North Vietnam from supporting the insurgency in South Vietnam;
Raise the morale of military and political elites in South Vietnam;
Interdict North Vietnam’s support of the communist insurgency in the South.
Johnson and his staff continually sought a middle ground that would demonstrate American resolve without raising the ire of the international community. Ironically, by seeking this middle ground, the administration guaranteed that Rolling Thunder would fail to meet any of its objectives.
Rolling Thunder went through five phases.
During Phase I, from March to June 1965, a variety of targets were struck in an attempt to persuade North Vietnam to negotiate for peace. The air strikes served little purpose, other than to harden the resolve of North Vietnam and to solidify the sanctity of their cause. Most importantly, it led to the creation of the world’s most complex and lethal air defense networks.
Phase II from July 1965 to January 1966 was primarily an interdiction campaign aimed at roads, bridges, boats, and railroads. These attacks destroyed an estimated 4,600 trucks, 4,700 boats, and 800 railroad cars. At the urging of Admiral U. S. Grant Sharp, CINCPAC, the focus of Rolling Thunder shifted from interdiction to petroleum products.
Admiral Sharp realized that the interdiction campaign was not achieving the desired results and believed that by focusing the campaign on energy resources, North Vietnam might be forced to negotiate for peace.
Phase III from January to October 1966, focused on North Vietnam’s petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) resources. Before this phase began, North Vietnam required only 32,000 tons of oil a year to supply their needs. By the time Rolling Thunder began to target POL resources, North Vietnam had 60,000 tons of POL stocks in reserve.
While the attacks destroyed an estimated 70 percent of the North Vietnamese supply, the North dispersed the remaining stock in fifty-five gallon barrels throughout the country. This proved more than adequate to supply the infantry and guerrilla forces fighting in South Vietnam and did little to affect the war in South Vietnam.
Phase IV from October 1966 to May 1967, concentrated the campaign’s efforts on the industry and power-generating capabilities of North Vietnam. For the first time, targets in Hanoi were struck, but as with Phase III the new tactics failed to have much impact on a non-industrialized country. Because North Vietnam’s ports still remained off limits, the strikes did not impede North Vietnamese ability to receive and distribute supplies destined for South Vietnam.
Phase V, the final phase, from May 1967 to October 1968, concentrated on isolating Hanoi from Haiphong, and both cities from the remainder of the country, as well as the destruction of remaining industrial infrastructure. United States aircraft averaged over 13,000 sorties a month and destroyed over 5,600 trucks, 2,500 rail cars, and 11,500 boats during this final phase of Rolling Thunder.
As during earlier phases, the North Vietnamese air defense network grew. By 1967, pilots confronted the most comprehensive air defense network in the world. North Vietnam fired over 25,000 tons of AAA ammunition from 10,000 anti-aircraft guns and hundreds of missiles from over twenty-five SAM battalions during any given month of 1967.