40 years ago: My stint in 'Nam

Forty years ago this spring, I was a newly trained radioman heading to my assigned ship, the USS Preble, DLG-15, a guided missile frigate heading for deployment to Vietnam. I happened across these records taken from the logs of the Preble. (Italics are my comments). Unfortunately by doing this chronologically, the lead is buried -- the Preble was the last U.S. naval ship to be hit by enemy fire in the Vietnam War.

-1972-

During the spring of 1972, The USS Preble participated in local exercises and continued training for her next WESTPAC (Western Pacific) deployment. On 31 July, Preble departed Pearl Harbor, enroute WESTPAC. Preble stopped at Midway Island on 3 August for fuel, 10 August at Guam for fuel (and some Olympia beer! I swear we must have had some deal with Olympia because it was all over the place.) and finally arriving at Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines on 13 August. Preble departed Subic Bay on 18 August for duties in the Tonkin Gulf.
On the night of 22 August, Preble sailed into the combat zone, off Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, and took station near the gun line. (This is where it all became real. Tracer shells, flares and thick acrid smoke in the dead of night made the arrival a scene from Dante's Inferno.). She was assigned picket ship duty in the Gulf of Tonkin, performing the functions of both North and Mid SAR (Search and Rescue) commander, concurrently, the first and only warship to carry out such a simultaneous assignment during the entire course of the war.

On 28 August, Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., Chief of Naval Operations, and Vice Admiral J.L. Holloway III, Commander of Seventh Fleet visited Preble (To this day, I still don't know why they came. But thanks to Zumwalt, we were able to sport beards and had beer dispensers in the barracks. He was not-so-affectionately called the "hippie admiral" by the old salts.)

On 30 August, Preble was assigned duties as South AAW (AntiAircraft Warfare)/SAR controlling "ALPHA" air-strikes and air activity in the Hon La Anchorage. On 12 September, Preble's combat information center picked up a distress beeper from a downed A-7 Corsair off the USS Saratoga (CVA-60). Preble vectored USS Wiltsie (DD-716), the closest rescue ship, to the exact spot for a successful recovery. Four days later, on 16 September, Preble picked up the beeper from an Air Force F-4 Phantom downed in the Gulf, near Dong Hoi. Within 25 minutes of the aircraft hitting the water, Preble had pinpointed the downed pilots, launched her motor whaleboat, and safely recovered both air crewmen. (The following day, the pilots did a low pass fly-by that scared the hell out of everyone - to say thanks).
On 19 September, Preble was relieved and proceeded to Subic Bay, R.P arriving on 21 September. On 23 September Martial Law was declared in the Republic of the Philippines. (We were still allowed off base in Subic Bay and saw some pretty raw action against the Filipino residents perpetrated by their own troops. It felt like we were in two war zones.)

n 1 October, Preble departed Subic Bay, R. P., arriving on Yankee Station in the South China Sea on 3 October, to become plane guard for the USS Saratoga (CVA-60). (Actually our orders were to place ourselves between the aircraft carriers and any attacker. A common fear at that time was North Vietnamese Komar gunboats would emerge from the rivers with Styx missiles and attack the aircraft carriers. I don't know of any case where that actually happened.) On 15 October, Preble was detached from Saratoga and returned to the Gulf off Dong Hoi to resume South SAR/AAW picket duties. At times the monotony of the 'box patrol' was broken, when Preble was called on to maintain small arms proficiency by intercepting the tide of full rice bags which enemy supply vessels often loosed toward the shore. "Operation Pocket Money", the mining of North Vietnam's ports and rivers, had made it too hazardous for the communist freighters to get their cargo ashore otherwise. (This was a time for some comic tension relief with the absurdity of using .50 caliber machine guns to sink rice bags).
On 2 November, armed reconnaissance aircraft under Preble's control spotted an enemy convoy of some 150 trucks. The ship requested additional aircraft and directed them to the target area. After the smoke cleared, the final bombs damage assessment stood at 80 percent. Soon thereafter, combat operations against North Vietnam were curtailed, as the Paris Peace Talks progressed. Preble departed the Gulf of Tonkin for port visits to Hong Kong and Kaohsiung (Taiwan), before proceeding to Subic Bay for reprovisioning and repairs.
Preble returned to her South SAR station on 27 November. During mid-December, from the 18th on, Preble's forward air controllers participated in directing concentrated nighttime B-52 raids against Hanoi and Haiphong: part of "Operation Linebacker II."
As Christmas approached, Preble completed her third gunline period, and was enroute Japan for holiday R&R, when a change of orders directed her to take position on the gunline, off the Cua Viet River and the Demilitarized Zone. Preble arrived on station 25 December (Yes, Christmas Day. There were no decorations.), and got her first fire mission. On 27 December, she encountered her first enemy shore-battery counterfire receiving 7 rounds. (From this point on, all radiomen had to wear flak jackets in the radio shack which had a thin outer shell that was pierced). Fragments from 122mm shells littered the weatherdecks after each fire mission, attesting to the numerous near misses that the ship received. Equipped with FLIR (forward-looking infrared) detection, the ship's gunfire interdicted a truck convoy traveling down the coast on the night of 28 December, and destroyed several vehicles, setting off numerous secondary explosions and fires. On 29 December, after having fired 532 rounds of 5-inch/54-caliber ammunition in four days on the gunline, Preble was relieved and departed the Gulf for Sasebo, Japan.

-1973-

Preble arrived in Sasebo, Japan on 1 January.Transiting the Taiwan Straits, enroute the South China Sea, on 12 January, Preble diverted to assist in coordinating the rescue and recovery of two air crewmen from an F-4 Phantom II downed in nearby waters. From 14 through 23 January, Preble took up picket station between Hon Gio Island and the Dong Hoi coast. Relieved by USS Worden (DLG-18) on the 23rd, the ship returned to the DMZ and gunline duty in support of a South Vietnamese offensive. On 24 January, having laid down gunfire to disrupt an enemy truck convoy and suppress an attacking tank column, the ship took hits from 130-mm shore batteries. An antenna atop the aft mast was destroyed and a shell burst off the port side amidships ripped holes in the superstructure. The Commodore's Cabin was severely damaged, and the port lookout received some minor wounds. (Fragments also pierced the torpedo tubes topside. A few inches more and it would have gotten even more interesting.) (The ship did not know it at the time, but this was the last hit on an U.S. Navy warship by North Vietnamese shore batteries in the Vietnam War.)
Over the next four days, Preble fired 431 rounds supporting the advance of a South Vietnamese battalion. In return, some 169 rounds of North Vietnamese counter-battery fire harassed the ship. At 0800, on 28 January 1973, the ship's 1MC announced that the Vietnam War was over. Preble remained on the gunline until 1 February, when she was relieved to begin her eastward transit to Hong Kong and Subic Bay, and thence to Pearl Harbor.
At Pearl Harbor, the ship (prepared) for a fall deployment to the Indian Ocean area. On 24 September, Preble departed Pearl Harbor for a six-month deployment. After calling at Midway Island and Guam, she reached Subic Bay on 14 October. On 19 October, after fueling and reprovisioning, Preble commenced her westward sail. During two months of special operations, as part of the first Attack Carrier Task Group excursion into the Arabian Sea, she crossed the South China Sea, transited the Straits of Malacca, entered the Bay of Bengal, and proceeded onward to visit the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden. (Special ops means this was a top secret mission being directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Yom Kippur War but that's another story I'll save for a different time. I'm researching more about it now.) Finally, retracing her route, Preble returned to Subic Bay on 17 December.
Preble received the following awards: Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and Combat Action Ribbon. (We also earned three campaign stars.)

-1974-

With three weeks of upkeep and R&R behind her, Preble departed Subic Bay on 14 January. She began to wrap up her deployment, with port calls at Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Manila and Singapore, interweaving two more stops in Subic Bay before returning home via Guam and Midway Island. On 22 March, Preble was again berthed at Pier Bravo in Pearl Harbor. (And I went home.)

How to pay back schools? Depends on how you ask

Two area lawmakers launched surveys recently about the repayment of school funding that was delayed to help an immediate problem with the state budget.
If you look closely, you can see the results depend largely on how the question was asked ...and who did the asking.
GOP Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen's results? "A 62-percent majority says our first priority should be to repay shifted K-12 education funds.
Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) indicate the best way to begin repaying delayed K-12 education funding is to reduce spending in order to grow the surplus."
DFL Sen. Kathy Sheran's results? Of the respondents to her survey, 51% said "The state should use a phased-in approach that would pay back the shift over the course of four or five years." While 33% said "Follow state law and pay back the shift as soon as the state has enough funds in reserve, which could take 5-10 years." And 5% said "Never pay the shift back. It’s the price schools had to pay to fix the 2011 budget deficit."

Seriously, who doesn't need an ID?

Started out my Monday morning with a call from my occasional conscience tweaker, Mr. D, a rural businessman.
"Jimmy, can you tell me something? What groups actually need IDs?"
His dander was up on the constitutional amendment coming up for a November vote that require a government-issued ID be presented to cast a ballot in elections. My dander was up, too, because I don't like being called Jimmy.
I thought for a moment. "You mean actually have to live without them? I'm not sure."
"Well, you need an ID to cash a check, to collect Social Security, to buy a house..." He went on about military service, getting food stamps, boarding a plane, buying a drink, driving a car, getting a loan.
He surmised that it would be someone who is below the age of 62, homeless, self-employed, used cash and didn't drive a car. "And so the requirement would hardly affect a lot of people."
"What about the Amish," I asked?
"Well, that's another group I suppose."
"And what about those who live off the land, you know, shunning all the conveniences of modern life?"
"Yeah, there are those self-sustainers who probably ride a horse into town."
But even so, his argument went, are we really inconveniencing a large number of people to get an ID - and a free one at that - to vote.
"Look at the problems now. You have students who, if they wanted to, can vote twice - once where they're going to school and again at their hometown or even from another state because no one is checking. Or nursing home residents who are there temporarily." And, he went on, "I just never liked the idea that anyone could walk in and have a buddy vouch for him" as being a resident of the precinct.
Well, actually he can vouch for up to 15 people and if it's a residential home, one person can vouch for an unlimited number of residents staying there.
"You're making my case for me," he said.
"I'll tell you what I'll do," I offered. "I'll post this column and see if there are any other groups of people who would be left out if IDs were required and didn't already have them."
And there we have it. So, any suggestions?

Free Press adopts digital subscription

MANKATO — After months of work, The Free Press website will undergo an important change. By the end of the month, we will offer digital subscriptions to mankatofree press.com that will allow you to view an unlimited number of our website’s articles, blogs, photos and more.
Without the digital subscription, you still will be able to access 10 pages each month. After that, you will be asked to become a digital subscriber.
With some dedicated experimentation and resources, we have found over the last year that we have three distinct audiences: the online reader, the e-edition (or PDF) reader and the print edition reader who values hard copy and home delivery.
We have been upgrading our website to such a point where it now has become a stand-alone product with features such as our CoverItLive reporting of sports and news events, more photos, extended police logs and court documents, breaking news, video reports, blogs, polls, Mankato Magazine, Minnesota Valley Business magazine and other interactive features.
We have developed methods by which we could present the news in ways the print edition could not. We are now at the point where we can offer all the extended features at a fair price to cover the expense of gathering and presenting the news in its various forms.
Subscribers to The Free Press can get full access to our website for $1 per month, and for nonsubscribers the price is $4.99 per month.
We value our print subscribers as members of the Free Press Media Group and they will enjoy a greatly discounted rate for unlimited access to mankatofreepress.com. And some features will continue to have unlimited access, including our obituaries, classifieds, weddings, engagements and celebrations.
The mankatofreepress.com is unquestionably the region’s No. 1 local news website, drawing more viewers than any other local media company. Last year, we had 17.2 million page views and nearly 2 million unique users with stories that generated enough interest to go “viral” or get shared by thousands more readers. Nearly 70 percent of those who came to mankatofreepress.com were returning visitors.
We are committed to changing and innovating to provide you with the local news you need, when you want it and the way you want it.

Minnesota tax reform: It's not all give and takes

Recently the Minnesota Commissioner of Revenue Myron Frans met with about 35 business people from the Mankato area for a "listening session" on tax reform.
His charge from Governor Mark Dayton was to take some time in the next year to develop proposals to be presented outside of an election cycle which may polarize positions rather than have a productive discussion.
But rather than an objective look at tax structure, it was clear from the presentation that a bulls-eye is still on higher income Minnesotans.
Frans presented slides entitled "While income is increasingly concentrated at the top ... the Top 10% now has 50% share of income" and "The tax burden is being shifted to those with the least ability to pay....The middle class is paying a larger share of Minnesota taxes."
Frans' conclusion: The top 10% of income earners are not "paying their fair share."
This has been a DFL refrain for several years now and it was unfortunate that he led the discussion to business people who may have a different interpretation of the data.
But, Frans did point out that over time, we have shifted a greater share of state revenue coming from property tax at the expense of sales tax. And for the individual income tax, the state has dramatically increased the number of adjustments and credits favoring special interests.
So the question posed by Frans and the state legislators in attendance to business people was "What are you willing to give up?"
The response, instead, was "Let's talk about spending first before we talk about shifting sources of revenue." In other words, have we had a serious discussion about the role of government, prioritizing those roles and determining how to fund those essential services. Afterwards, we can debate if we want other services funded and how.
Easier said then done and, frankly, not in the purview of the commissioner's mandate from the governor. So, let me go back to the charge of "what are we willing to give up?"
Here's a suggested list I gleaned from discussions with people in the community and from tax reform advocates on "what to change."
--Remove sales tax exemption on food, clothing and services. In exchange, lower the rate. Arguments against: "Increasing" taxes on food and clothing is regressive. Response: While it may be regressive, there are elements that suggest wealthier pay more overall for higher priced goods they buy...and of course, a sales tax is a "choice" tax. A T-bone steak will bring in more revenue than the same tax rate on a bag of Cheetos.
--To support reimbursement of health care costs for the needy, increase taxes on tobacco and alcohol. Arguments against: Again, it is a regressive tax. But also unreliable since people may cut their consumption and thereby we have less revenue. Response: Well then it improves the collective health of users who in turn may not need as much health care in the future.
--Phase out LGA but allow cities to impose their own local option taxes to fund services its constituents want. Regional centers, like Mankato-North Mankato, can increase their local option sales tax to help fund infrastructure being used by those people visiting the city. Arguments against: Small cities don't have enough traffic to garner large revenue support for infrastructure services and would be at a disadvantage. Response: Life is never a level playing field. Is it really the responsibility of the state to determine who are the haves and the have nots?
--Look at the estate tax and reduce the amount of taxation (as much as 40% on wealthy Minnesotans). Arguments against: The proportion of population being elderly will be substantial in the coming years and a great degree of revenue will be lost if we cut their taxes. Response: Those elderly may be leaving the state in order to avoid paying the estate tax. These are the least likely to use services (health subsidies, schools, etc.) but will still be here to help fund them.
--Cut the business incentives for new equipment and R&D that favor corporations or specific business activities. In turn, increase tax breaks for small businesses that are the true drivers of job growth. Arguments: This will put us at a disadvantage in attracting major employers. Response: The real concern now is with employers who already are in the state and trying to survive.
There are no easy answers to our budget problem. However, there was a winning formula in 1986 when President Ronald Reagan signed into law a sweep tax law reform. It was done with bipartisan help but it also was backed up with real economic analysis supporting the effect rather than partisan political positioning.
It was whittled away over time by special interest lobbying and legislators looking for their own perks. This is the normal course of how things evolve and we need to get on a path of constantly looking at regular periods of reform that has as its goals -- fairness, simplicity and business competitiveness.

Mankato visits Charlottesville, bringing back...?

About six years ago, Mankato began sending delegations made up of leaders from both the profit and nonprofit sectors -- about equally split -- to learn what other cities are doing. The goal was to broaden perspectives and take home ideas that would benefit the region as a whole.
The delegation has been to Bellingham, WA; Fort Collins, CO and most recently Charlottesville, VA to meet delegations from those cities.
I didn't make it to the first two and the concept was intriguing so this time I hitched a ride. On the agenda was learning more about governmental cooperation, town/gown initiatives, early childhood education programs, downtown rehabilitation and public affairs among other topics.
Here are some takeaways:
--On paper, Charlottesville has a lot in common with Mankato. Population is about the same. It's close to a metropolitan area (Washington DC and Richmond VA). A university town with a strong community college and governmental units were separate so they needed to cooperate on different levels.
But we couldn't be more apart in some important levels. The public-private partnership in the greater Mankato region is much stronger in sharing costs and investments. In Charlottesville, there are few business influences so it relies upon government to reach out for development of which they are loath to do.
-- It's a conflict between preservationists in an area surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and business growth. The fear is the area will turn into a tourist-laden commercial zone like Tennessee's own Gatlinburg or Dollywood. The pendulum has swung pretty heavily to one side. One story told of a major investor wanting to come to town and rather than work on incentives or pave the way to make it easier, the governments there said "We have no objection if you come." The investor didn't.
-- The region relies heavily on federal government contracts, especially in defense, and research parks being developed by the University of Virginia which reaps the benefits of research since it is a privately held institution.
--UVA has a huge influence in the city. Besides the research parks there are a number of medical centers built and staffed by UVA. And investments as donations proliferate the city. It does not take its largess for granted reaching out to the community to discuss its own growth and changes within the neighborhoods. It also extends a large hand in assistance both from its faculty and students to the community. Tenure qualifications include community service.
-- Education is highly valued in the Charlottesville area with strong support for elementary and secondary schools. Both county and city have their own districts. Student teacher ratio in elementary is 13:1 in the county and 10:1 in secondary.
-- There are no "bars" per se in Virginia. If you want to sell alcohol about 60% of your receipts must come from food. Rationale is more safety, lower cost of enforcement, health and treatment. Consequently, with some major investment for upgrades, its downtown area is healthy as a pedestrian mall with shops, restaurants, theaters and other small niche businesses including a book store owned and operated by author John Grisham and a children's museum. At the end of the mall is a Telos Wireless Charlottesville Pavilion built by developer and manager of the Dave Matthews Band on land leased for a dollar a year by the city. DMB started in Charlottesville in the '90s and continues to bring big name bands to the city. Concerts are often free but the beer isn't.
-- The city, counties and UVA share their comprehensive plans to ensure they are in synch with one another especially on the edges.
More viewpoints on this trip will be coming from other participants later in The Free Press.

Benson Park area site of new apartments

Construction on an apartment complex next to Benson Park in North Mankato is under way.
With an eye toward 13 units in the years ahead, Craig Theuninck Construction of Kasota is starting with two four-unit apartments being built between the southeast corner of Benson Park and Arlington Lane on Carlson Drive. Completion is targeted for last winter or early spring.
North Mankato City Planner Mike Fischer said the apartments are similar to those Theuninck built at the intersection of Haughton Avenue and Howard Drive.
Residential construction has been expanding around Benson Park most recently with a subdivision built by Drummer Construction on Rolling Green Lane and Timm Road. Plans are for a natural resources-themed park (details here) complete with natural play areas, natural amphitheater, sugar shack/tree house in woodland, picnic area, outdoor classrooms and demonstration areas and a fishing pier on Ladybug Lake.
The city is hoping for state funding assistance to develop the park.