25. Secret Military History

1964-0502, War, North Vietcong Sinks a US Aircraft Carrier.
Shortly after midnight two Viet Cong commandos emerged from a sewer tunnel that emptied into Saigon Port, each man carrying 90 pounds of high explosives.
Their target was the largest American ship in port, USNS Card. An aircraft carrier. Card was part of the U.S. Military Sealift Command.
The commandos swam toward Card, where they spent an hour in the water attaching the charges just above the waterline near the bilge and the engine compartment on the ship’s starboard side. They set the timers and quickly swam away.
The charges exploded. Five civilian crewmen on board Card died, the explosion tore a huge hole in the engine-room compartment she was on her way to the bottom, the last aircraft carrier in U.S. military history to date sunk by enemy action.
The Navy sent the salvage vessel USS Reclaimer and the tug USS Tawakoni to Saigon Port to begin pumping water out of the sunken vessel. Salvage crews raised Card in two weeks.


1965-0207, War, Vietnam, 52nd Avn Bn Attacked.
Close to Pleiku, Vietnam, two-teams of six-Vitcong guerillas attacked the 52nd Avn Bn compound at Camp Holloway. In 10-Minutes, the enemy sappers blew up sixteen UH-1B helicopters, two CV-2 airplanes and three O-1F airplanes. They killed seven US Soldiers and wounded 104 others. There were no Vietcong casualties.


1966-0425, Leadership, Zero Defects Leadership, the Beginning.
Zero Defects, a new dimension in quality, exploded over Fort Jackson on 25 April 1966, a common kick-off day on which other installations of Third US Army launched coordinated attacks on a broad front Objective:
The reduction and elimination of error and all its causes, by individuals all along the line. Battle Cry: Prevention not detection; Right the first time every time.
The Zero Defects debut at Fort Jackson was carefully planned to attract the interest and excite the imagination of commanders, managers, and super visors alike. Indoctrination of management was augmented by a teaser campaign and promotion, which, in turn, were climaxed by colorful kick-off ceremonies at Patton Stadium. Hundreds of Fort Jackson personnel joined the Commanding GEN, MG Gines Perez and his guest’s distinguished business, Military and government leaders from across the Palmetto State to observe the ceremonies.
Mr. Miles Hardenburgh, US Army Missile Command, Huntsville, Alabama, delivered the keynote address. Mr. Charles Crawford, Comptroller Section, served as Administrator from 25 April to 25 July 1966 and was succeeded by Mr. Bynum G Johnston. For purposes of perspective, it is important to note that the unique approach of the Zero Defects Program a personalized approach to every individual and his work, from the laundress to the Commanding GEN calls for the highest order of commitment and involvement by everyone who has a hand in mission accomplishment.
MG Perez articulated both the feeling and natural appeal of Zero Defects when he said: “Zero Defects is designed to reverse the trend toward diminishing the status of the individual. It offers him the means to set his own goals voluntarily. It assists him in reaching these goals and it recognizes him when he does so.” On 21 April 1967, Fort Jackson observed the First Anniversary of the Zero Defects Program. The Commanding GEN sustained its challenge and reaffirmed its principles before his staff, Soldiers and employees assembled at the flagpole.
GEN Perez was presented a Zero Defects flag of original design, one made by his own people. The flag depicts all elements of the mission force, Military and civilian and symbolizes a unified effort by that force in a common purpose: the defense and freedom of the United States of America.

1967-0428, UCMJ, Muhammad Ali Draft Dodger.
Muhammad Ali refused to be drafted into the US Army on the grounds of being a conscientious objector in Houston, Texas. A 1971 Supreme Court decision reversed his conviction.
Ali went before military induction officials inside Houston's Military Entrance Processing Station building off San Jacinto and refused to step forward for induction when his name was called. He was later arrested. This came after Ali had made three separate appeals to have his draft status changed due to what he called his non-violent Muslim faith and membership in the Nation of Islam. The New York State Athletic Commission suspending his boxing license and the World Boxing Association stripping him of his world heavyweight title. This banned him from boxing in the United States.
Ali was known as Cassius Clay before converting to Islam in the ’60s. His associations with the black activist Nation of Islam group and its leaders, Elijah Mohammad and Malcolm X brought him to the attention of the FBI.
The FBI saw Ali as a racist who referred to white people as “white devils” and “crackers” and indicated that the Nation of Islam’s hatred for white people was “violent.”
Ali told an audience at a mosque that “black women have the best sons and daughters in the world,” that “the so-called negro is the original man and is superior to the white devil” and that he would rather be with his own people than “blue-eyed devil white people.”
He said the American flag “represented death and destruction” while the “Muslim flag” represents “life and prosperity, justice for all black men.” According to Ali, programs to achieve integration were “useless” and the 1964 Civil Rights Act was a “swindle.”
He said he would rather die or go to jail than serve in the U.S. Army.
In June 1971, the USSC overturned his conviction. The high court stated that it was not possible to decide which of the three basic tests for conscientious objector status were used and relied on by the draft board in Ali's case to deny his objecting status.

1968-0117, UCMJ, Navy Paymaster Murdered.
In 1968, Ensign Andrew L Muns was the paymaster on the USS Cacapon, a refueling ship in Subic Bay, Philippines, he disappears along with $8,600 (69,479-2022) the paymasters’ safe that Muns controlled had an additional $51,000 (412,000-2022) in cash that was still in the safe. The Navy thinks he went AWOL and declares him a deserter.
In 1975, his family had him declared legally dead. The Navy reused to provide a flag for his memorial service.
In 1998, the family pressured the Navy to reopen the cold case. CIS interviewed a shipmate of Muns named Michael LeBrun a former enlisted man who was now selling insurance in Kansas. He confessed to killing Muns when Muns caught him stealing money.
In 2001, at trial LeBun pleaded not guilty, claiming the Navy had tortured a confession. The judge agreed and sentenced LeBun to four-years in prison for involuntary manslaughter.
On 2001-0608, the Navy performed a full memorial service for Ensign Muns.

1968-0615, Leadership, the Movie “THE SERGEANT.”
About a psychopath homosexual 1SG in the US Army.


1968-0823, Race, Black Soldiers Protest at Fort Hood
On the morning of August 23, 1968, a group of Black soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas stage one of the largest acts of civil disobedience ever recorded among members of the United States military. Adopting the non-violent tactics of the civil rights movement, the soldiers stage a sit-in to protest their impending deployment to Chicago to defend the Democratic National Convention from protesters.
By 1968, sit-ins were a well-established, peaceful way to protest segregation and demand racial equality. But even as the war in Vietnam escalated and more Americans were sent to fight there, dissent by active-duty military personnel remained rare. Tensions all over the country were peaking in August of 1968 in the wake of the assassinations of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Bobby Kennedy, who was seeking the Democratic nomination. As protesters headed to Chicago to demand aggressive action on civil rights and an anti-war plank in the Democratic Party’s platform, law enforcement geared up for what would turn out to be a brutal crackdown.
The convention had not yet begun when the troops at Fort Hood received word that they would be deployed to Chicago. The night before they were slated to ship out, 60 Black soldiers sat down at an intersection on the grounds of the fort and began their sit-in. “The people we are supposed to control, the rioters, are probably our own race,” one of them reportedly said. “We shouldn’t have to go out there and do wrong to our own people.” Others stated that they had served honorably and done everything the Army asked, but drew the line at a treating their fellow citizens as “hostiles.”
Military leaders and staff spoke with the protesters early the following morning, after which 17 soldiers left the protest. The remaining 43 were eventually detained, with most being court-martialed, demoted and even sentenced to hard labor for refusing to leave the sit-in. The protest of the Fort Hood 43 remains one of the largest acts of civil disobedience ever conducted by members of the American military, although it was overshadowed by the chaotic Chicago convention they refused


1969-0226, War, Nine Chinooks from 269th Avn Bn Destroyed, 14 Americans Killed.
At 0400-hours, 20 Vietcong guerrillas infiltrated the USA Army Cu Chi Airfield and planted bombs under nine Chinook helicopters. The helicopters were destroyed and 9 US Soldiers who were sleeping inside the helicopters were killed 11 Vietcong were killed and eight were taken POW.
Five US Army Soldiers who were on guard duty were found with their throats slit, they had fallen asleep on their posts.


1971-0520, Race, Vietnam.
Pentagon reports 11-percent of US Military in Vietnam are black. The Military overall is 27-percent black.


1972-0815, Gender, Army Must Let More Women in or Keep the Draft.
Faced with the elimination of the draft in less than one year, the Army expands the WAC and opens most noncombat specialties to women.