MOAA: Your Views

“The Reality Behind Toko-Ri” [June 2003] brought back a lot of memories. I served on USS Princeton, one of the “other carriers that followed the [USS] Essex.”

One of the techniques developed by follow-on aviators aimed at degrading the Communist rail system involved keeping the bridges down after they were knocked down. The Commies would pile large supplies of wood at the bottom of the rail crossings, ready to stack it up from the bottom of the gorge to track level on short notice. Our pilots found napalm to be an effective countermeasure in torching the wood piles.

Another tactic developed by Princeton aviators involved tunnel bombing. Here again, as I recall, the ad Skyraiders were the workhorses needed to “skip” a large enough bomb into the mouth of a tunnel to collapse the entrance. A delayed fuse aided the process. Tunnels protecting trains during daylight hours usually were identified by wisps of smoke exiting both ends of the tunnel.

Unfortunately, the Essex couldn’t permanently erase the antiaircraft guns the North Koreans kept replacing on the hilltops above tunnel entrances. It was a constant, ongoing effort for the follow-on pilots to take them out, whether attacking a bridge or a tunnel.

Perhaps one of the Princeton aviators with a good memory and talent for writing may come forward with an article to round out the story of bridges and tunnels. My contribution as a black-shoe deck officer limits my information to wardroom tales. More direct hands-on experience is needed. Who would believe me if I said it was shown that an ad could actually get off the ground with its wings folded?

I really enjoyed [“The Reality Behind Toko-Ri”], and as an aircraft modeler of the Korean War period, I was wondering if the photos were available.

Editor’s note: Many members inquire about photos appearing in Military Officer. Unfortunately, we purchase rights to run photographs one time only in the magazine. Members desiring copies must contact the copyright holder (usually identified in the photo credit) directly.

E Pluribus Unum

The article in the June 2003 issue titled “The World at Home” was excellent and underscores something that I’ve always felt strongly about: There’s an awful lot of the U.S. of A. left for me to see before I undertake any extensive overseas travel. If you ever run a sequel (and I hope you do because there are certainly many, many more such destinations), please include the Danish region next to my old hometown, Exira, Iowa (pop. 955).

A lot of western and southwestern Iowa is Danish, but located just northwest of Omaha, Neb., and only a few miles from Interstate 80, are the two hamlets of Elk Horn (pop. 672) and its suburb, Kimballton (probably around 250, if that), which are extra-rich depositories of Denmark’s culture.

Elk Horn procured an authentic Danish windmill, disassembled it piece by piece, shipped it to this country, and rebuilt it. An official Iowa welcome center, it features tours of the still-working grain mill that produces flour.

A few blocks up the street, Kimballton has a duplicate of the “Little Mermaid” statue that stands in Copenhagen harbor. And the food...well, it’s authentic and delicious, and I’ve never seen an undernourished local of Danish descent. It’s in the heart of the rolling farm country near the Missouri River, less than an easy hour from Offutt Air Force Base—a great stopping-off place on your east-west travels in the heartland.

The recent article on ethnic outposts in America was most enjoyable and brought back memories of the Basques in Boise.

Thirty years ago, the state agency I headed in Idaho obtained a small grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to launch a Basque festival and cultural program, the forerunner of today’s center in Boise. It was an intelligent use of federal money, serving as a catalyst for the Basques and the rest of the community to work together to preserve the rich cultural heritage of these fascinating people.

…They are a wonderful people, and Boise and the state of Idaho are fortunate to have them.

You had an interesting and informative article on seeing the world without leaving the United States. As a Boston resident, I (along with my wife) personally checked out the part on “Massachusetts’ ‘Little Portugal.’ ” We visited both New Bedford and Fall River over the weekend and would especially like to thank you for the tip about Sagres Restaurant. We had a great meal there.

On Top of Old Smokey

It was a thrill getting my story [“Glacial Gyrations,” “Encore,” March 2003] published in a prestigious magazine. I have since heard that Bill Holmes (who pushed the plane) has died. Most interesting, I heard from one of the guys who actually found the remnants of the plane—after 50 years.

Hope Springs Eternal

Thanks for honoring Bob Hope in the June issue of Military Officer [“News Notes”]. I especially remember Hope’s USO visit to Argentia, Newfoundland, during the holiday season in 1960. Most of the base turned out to see Bob, Jerry Colonna, and if my memory serves me correctly, Miss America.

Chrysler was Hope’s sponsor in those days, and the show had to be filmed for TV. The audience’s view of the stage was very restricted due to cameras, lights, props, etcetera, and the experience was further reduced by multiple retakes. Local jokes are funny, but after the sixth retake they lose their charm. It was cold in that hangar, and the show was a bust, so most of the audience just left. My wife and I stuck it out.

Finally the director shouted that it was a “take.” I’m so glad we stayed, because that’s when the local show really started. They cleared the stage and Bob and Jerry went on for some time with a routine that could never be aired on prime-time TV; they crossed that [line from] pg to r in a heartbeat. We had a great time. Thanks, Bob.

Riding for Awareness

Thank you very much for “Rolling Thunder Rides On” [sidebar to “Rev It Up”] in the May 2003 issue of Military Officer.

I would like to clarify the sentence that says, “The demonstration has been discontinued, but the rally has grown since then.” Rolling Thunder is an annual event that takes place in Washington, D.C., every Memorial Day weekend. It has continued to grow in participants and observers since its inception.

The run is a demonstration rather than a rally to make government officials and the American public aware of the POW/MIA issue. We will continue to hold this demonstration until we get a satisfactory accounting of military personnel from all wars that are unaccounted for.

Again, thanks for the article.

Former U.S. Army Sgt. Artie Muller
National President, Rolling Thunder
Neshanic Station, N.J.

[My husband] Commander Ferguson was on the Essex (CVS-9) from 1966-68. A Korean-era picture of the Essex was on the cover of [Military Officer, June 2003]. He recognized the picture immediately before I looked inside for the information about the cover picture. Thanks for a look into part of his military history.

— Joyce Ferguson
via e-mail

Toko Real

E Pluribus Unum

On Top of Old Smokey

Hope Springs Eternal

Riding for Awareness