27.
Hubbard declares Our job was in direct support
of the aircraft on the strike
missions.
28.
Airplane fires missiles The difference is they carry
weapons and we don't.
29.
Hubbard declares: But the jobs are done
simultaneously
30.
Rice fields cultivated, And one aiding the other or
peasant behind buffaloes assisting the other.
X: That means you see no great
difference between your
unarmed reconnaissance and
the work of other pilots
dropping explosives, CBU
bombs and firing rockets?
31.
Hubbard declares: Hubbard: Well, it makes no difference
what type of mission I was
flying. It all was for the
same end result in the
strikes.
32.
Living buffalo Author's The well-being of the water-
wallows in pool commentary: buffalo basically forms the
existence of the South East
Asian farmer. Ther air
pirates knew this.
33.
Series of dead buffaloes - Music -
34.
Photo of wounded Author's With other children seven-
shepherd boys commentary: year-old Nge Van Thicu was
herding buffaloes and zebus
when he was identified from
the air as a military
target.
35.
Turn fade-in Commentary: Award for air pirates:
Air medal The "Air Medal".
36.
Torkelsen declares: Torkelsen: For flying over North Vietnam
we got one Air Medal for
every ten missions, and in
South Vietnam for every
fifteen missions.
37.
Tableau. X: Then you have the right to a
One after another, 10 Air total of 10 medals.
Medals appear
38. Torkelson declares: Torkelson: Yes.
X: Six for North Vietnam and 4
for your mission in the
South.
Torkelson: Yes.
39.
Abbott declares: Abbott: It's just the lowest medal we
can get. It's not for bravery
or anything, it is just for
flying over North Vietnam.
Everybody receives an air
medal. So, if I fly the
hundred mission over there
40.
10 Air Medals I'd be assured of getting ten
medals.
41.
Abbott declares: X: But you only flew 61, and you
won't be flying any more.
Abbott: Yes, sir. No, sir. 42. Shooting - Shooting - Film scene
43.
Ringsdorf declares: Ringsdorf: No, I have no desire to
handle a pistol. You're,
you're taking movies, I am
not that warlike.
44.
Shooting. - Shooting -
Film scene
45.
Hughes declares: Hughes: I'm basically not a killer by
nature and I made no attempt
whatsoever to shoot it out
so to speak.
46.
Scene of shooting Commentary: An American flyer would never
do a thing like this.
47.
View of Hughes Basically - he says - he
is not a killer.
48.
Photo: Author's The murderer on the ground
American holds gun experiences what happens when
muzzle at temple of old he presses the trigger. Death
Vietnamese woman has a face at a short
distance.
49.
Planes dive-bomb, For those who look down
bombs explode from lofty heights death
is buried in clouds of
smoke. A cockpit does not
smell of blood.
50.
Shively declares: Shively: One thing about the Air Force
is that flying in an airplane
like we do at such high
speeds and confined in a
cockpit with helmet and
everything on, we're kind of
removed from the sight and
the feeling of killing.
51.
Hughes declares: X: Yes, it is a different
situation when you are
face-to-face with the enemy.
It is obviously easier to
make war from lofty heights,
am I right?
Hughes: Well, I wouldn't like to draw
a comparison, as a pilot
you're an instrument of war.
You have a job which you have
been trained for and you have
been trained for and you
perform it to the best of
your ability, thinking that
you are doing the right
thing.
52.
Pilots walk toward Author's "Instrument of War". They
plane, in Da Nang Commentary: go to their planes like
others go to the office.
53.
Bombs hung on plane 8 tons of bombs hang
underneath a "Phantom". While
their fuses are being
screwed in --
54.
Pilots in their club the pilots are still in their
club. They are not interested
55.
Bombs hung on plane In this operation: it is
another "Job", but not
theirs.
56.
In cockpit Their job is flying.
57.
Instrument board in cockpit It is not much of a
sensation to press the one
button among many,
58.
Bombs falling which releases the bombs.
59. Bomb explosion - Music -
60.
Shively declares: Shively: One thing about the Air Force
is that flying in an airplane
61.
Airplane in the air like we do at such high
speeds and confined
in a cockpit with helmet and
everything on
62.
Shively declares: we are kind of removed from
the sight and the feeling of
killing.
63.
Montage. Destroyed houses, Well, it's not like being in
Vietnamese people. Planes the Army where you see the
take off for raid. men fall, or something like
this, but we are quite
removed from the entire
situation and therefore we do
not always think about the
destruction that we're
causing on the ground and I
would, and now I understand
and realize that we have
killed very many people. And
it's a thing that I do not
like to have on my conscience
and I am sure they would not
like to have on theirs.
64.
Beginning with Shively, Author's First Lieutenant Shively and
pan to portraits of 10 pilots the other have a lot on their
conscience. Highly
specialised, they function
dependably just as every part
of their Thurderchief or
Phantom. Available
specialists - engineers of
death without inner relation
to the result of their
deeds, as along as they still
flew.
65.
Pilot with mask in cockpit This type of person is usable
for even the most despicable
war.
66.
President Johnson with Commentary: The American president has
daughter and grandchild reserved for himself the
right to decide what his air
pirates are to bomb in North
Vietnam.
67.
Turn fade-in. - Music -
Photo: dead children
68. Fade to Commentary: Hey, hey, LBJ - how many Photo: Placard kids did you kill today?
69.
Johnson with Hey, hey, LBJ - how many
grandchild kids did you kill today -
ask American opponents of the
war in Vietnam.
70.
Turn fade-in - Music -
Photo: dead children
71. Turn fade-in Author's Photo: Commentary: "Bomb North Vietnam" - Slogan at Schoneberg
72. Turn fade-in - Music - Photo: Victim
73. Photo: Author's "Bomb North Vietnam" - Slogan at Schoneberg Commentary:
74. Turn fade-in - Music - Photo: Victim
75. Photo: Author's The murderers scream Slogan at Schoneberg Commentary: their hatred -
76. Turn fade-in - Music - Photo: Victim
77. Photo: Author's The collective scream of ultra Slogan at Schoneberg Commentary: reactionaries -
78. Turn fade-in - Music - Photo: Victim
79. Photo: Author's The calling card of today's Placard at Schoneberg Commentary: fascists -
80. Turn fade-in - Music - Photo: Victim
81.
Photo: Author's presented at town hall in
Placard at Schoneberg Commentary: the front line city of West
Berlin.
82.
Turn fade-in - Music -
Photo: Victim
83. Turn fade-in Author's Federal President Heinrich Photo: Lubke with Johnson Commentary: Lubke:
84.
Turn fade-in Commentary: "May the present struggle
that your country is
conducting as the champion of
freedom against the powers of
oppression, be crowned with
success.
85.
Turn fade-in Author's Federal Chancellor Kiesinger:
Photo: Kiesinger Commentary:
86.
Turn fade-in Commentary: "We have no intention
falling - whatsoever of bombs
criticising the policy of the
United States in Vietnam."
87.
Turn fade-in Author's Franz Joseph Strauss:
Photo: Franz J. Strauss Commentary:
88. Turn fade-in Commentary: "The USA deserves the thanks Photo: and admiration of everyone Captured NLF fighters who takes freedom seriously."
89. Turn fade-in Author's Social Democrat Foreign Photo: Brandt Commentary: Minister Willy Brandt:
90. Turn fade-in Commentary: "I think it would be GI's with captured NLF unreasonable to demand the fighters withdrawal of the Americans."
91. Turn fade-in Author's CDU Minister von Hassel: Photo: Hassel Commentary:
92. Turn fade-in Commentary: "Our freedom is also being wounded child lifted into defended in Vietnam. shelter hole
93. Turn fade-in Author's Author's West Berlin Mayor Schutz: Photo: Schutz Commentary:
94. Turn fade-in Commentary "We will never permit Photo: Booted anyone to spit on the boots American kicks NLF of our American friends." fighter
95. Turn fade-in Author's CDU Fraction Chairman Barzel: Photo: Barzel Commentary:
96. Turn fade-in Commentary: "We know what we owe Vietnam, Federal police arrest what we owe the dollar. Demonstrators. Pan to head of policeman
97. Mushroom cloud at bridge - Music -
98.
Photo: Commentary: "Creative engineering at
Advertisement with Martin made it happen . . .
American text and North Vietnam has the
bridges out to prove it."
An advertisement in an
American illustrated.
99.
Bombing of bridges Author's They advertise for bombs and
fades under text of Commentary: rockets, the same for washing
advertisement machines and refrigerators.
Capital leaves no stones
unturned in its drive for
higher profit. 100. Photo: Ad
Commentary: ". . . and North Vietnam has
the bridges out with American
text to prove it."
101.
Torkelson declares: Torkelson: Most of the bombing missions
that I went on were in the
southern part of North
Vietnam and these were
bridges. . .
102.
Bridge is bombed - Music -
103.
Shively declares: Shively: It's, it's; for me, it's my
job. And that's, that's the
way I looked at it, sir.
104.
Hughes declares: X: Colonel, I'm astonished that
the various pilots with whom
we have had the opportunity
to speak, refer to their JOB.
Do you see any difference in
principle between your
activity as a bomb-dropper
and, let's say, the work of a
bridge builder?
Hughes: Well, yes, I understand, The
earning of money, I think, is
not a factor in either job.
The man that helps build a
bridge because of his
personal satisfaction in
seeing something majestic
rising into the sky and
provide facilities for ground
transportation. In other
words, he sees a certain
amount of beauty attached to
it, the pilot
105.
Bombs dropped is dedicated to a patriotic
concept
106.
Hughes declares: which he is fighting for or
doing his work for is as
majestic, theoretically, as
is the bridge.
X: And this also applies when
the pilot has the
task of destroying this
bridge?
Hughes: Sir, I can only speak for
myself, I can assure you that
the destruction, that the
destruction is not something
that many people can enjoy. I
have only 44 missions in
combat, this is my only
combat tour and until now I
couldn't express my
particular views on
destruction and I can assure
you now that it is not a, it
is not a nice thing, it is
not an easy thing to sleep a
night after a mission, and I
don't believe that anyone of
us as pilots really comes
back with any degree of
satisfaction such as the
bridge builder that goes home
to his family in the evening.
107.
Bridges are bombed Commentary: The American Martin Company
on the other hand is
satisfied; it would like to
see the air pirates of the
Air Force bomb to the ground
every bridge in North
Vietnam.
108.
Scenes from defense of Author's Which, however, is not
Ham Rong bridge Commentary: possible, even for "creative
Martin engineering". The
struggle over the important
bridges of Ham Rong has
already cost more than a
hundred airplanes equipped
with Martin engineering -
109.
Scenes of repair of bridge here the bridge builders are
at the same time its
defenders: a creative unit
which also
stopped this air pirate,
110.
Captured pilot led over bridge Lt. Colonel Allan Bady. He is
being taken as a prisoner
over the bridge he just tried
to destroy.
111.
Airplane fires Air-to-Surface Commentary: Each rocket fired increases
missle the profits of armaments
Stand copy firms such as the Martin
Company.
112. Even a dud is calculated. It
Vietnamese is also part of the
handles astronomical sum of 75
US missile million dollars that
Washington daily pumps into
the Vietnam War.
113.
Phantom at take-off Of course the McDonnell
Douglas Corporation delivers
a "Phantom" for three-
and-a-half million dollars -
114. but at the same time every
Fade over to rubble remains airplane destroyed places a
of plane burden on the budget of the
United States, and each tax
increase adds to the domestic
political scrap pile faced by
Wasington as a result of the
Vietnam war.
115.
Pilots in Phantom jet, Air pirates produce no value;
plane taxis to take-off but for them too the American
amounts: Their pay is drawn from the budget provides extra account
strategists.... of Washinigton's global
116. How much extra pay do I get
Abbott: Abbott: by flying over North Vietnam?
declares I received 65 Dollars a month
for cost of living allowance,
that was my only extra pay I
received over here, plus 30
Dollars separation a month
for my wife.
X: And as a member of the armed
forces you're entitled to
certain tax exemptions?
Abbott: Yes, sir. We are allowed 500
Dollar deduction a month from
our pay for taxes.
117.
Torkelson declares: X: Is service in the Vietnam war
interesting for your
financially?
Torkelson: Ah, well, yes, we get combat
pay while we are here.
118.
Hubbard declares: Hubbard: Well, I don't really know. I
never stopped to figure it
out, but I would say
somewhere in the, when I was
shot down, I was making
somewhere in the vicinity of
about probably a little over
1,000 dollars, between 1,000
and 1,100 dollars a month.
119.
Dead pilots Author's Combat Pay - Family
Separation Allowance -
Tax Free Allowances -
Special Allowances for
Subsistence. These are things
of the past. The US
Government is willing to pay
about 1,000 dollars a month
to a First Lieutenant willing
to violate international law
in Vietnam.
These air pirates no longer
receive dollars -
They payed with their lives
for their share of
the business.
120.
U.S. planes taking off, Commentary: For years the trusts
flying have made fantastic profits
with their business in bombs.
121.
Photo: Johnson For almost four years Johnson
has ordered his
122.
Bombs falling. U.S. "Johnsons" - as the
planes flying pirate planes are called by
the Vietnamese - to fly
against the Democratic
Republic of Vietnam. "Rolling
Thunder" is the military code
name for this terror action.
123.
Dud bomb and rubble Author's But over 800,000 tons of
clearance Commentary: bombs have not been able to
force the Vietnamese to their
knees. Highways such as this
one have been confirmed by
American reconnanissance
aircraft as destroyed for
months to come - but the
heroic determination of these
people has opened them to
traffic in a matter of hours
thereafter.
124.
Planes shot down. Fade The Vietnamese people have
over to not only shot the "Johnsons"
out of the sky piece for
piece,
125. Photo: Johnson
they have also surmounted
this Johnson.
126.
Planes shot down Commentary: Operation "Rolling Thunder"
has failed. Billsons of
dollars went down the drain
and not even the smallest
victory was attained.
127.
F 111 jet This F 111 jet bomber -
said to be a "magic weapon" -
at a cost of 8 million
dollars - was supposed to
bring about a decisive
turning point. "The F 111 is
invulnerable" said the
Pentagon.
128.
Six F 111 jets in flight Six of these magic planes
were base in Thailand for
attacks against the
Democratic
Republic of Vietnam -
129.
Two F 111s crossed out but when two of them failed
to return, the rest were
grounded.
130.
Abbott declares: X: When you began your
bombing-raids here in Vietnam
did you reckon that the
Vietnamese would fly modern
jet fighters?
131.
MiG chases I had seen them before. And,
Thunderchief; ah, whether the Vietnamese
filmed from plane were flying. Yes, I was sure
they were flying them.
132.
Abbott declares: And I thought about being
shot down yes. But I just
pressed on anyway.
133.
Thorsness declares: X: Did you ever expect to run
into an aircraft fire as
heavy as this over the
Democratic
Republic of Vietnam?
Thorsness: I thought it possible,
because people that had been
here prior to my self had
said that the, ah, defensive
system network of North
Vietnam was very good, very
strong.
And so, I, I had been told,
basically, that it
was very good, a strong
defensive system.
134.
Shively declares: Shively: They fight back very well, s
ir. As far as any aircraft
defences go; myself, I've
never fought in a war before
and in fact I just
started flying, but many of
the pilots that I flew with
had flown in Korea and some
even in World War Two, and
they said that the defences
here were the most formidable
that they had ever
encountered. And I can
certainly believe this,
because I know from my
personal experiences that
there is an awful lot of
flak, and there's an awful
lot of missiles to look out
for when we're flying up
there, sir.
135. ?????
Writing on missile, Commentary: "Sdelano w USSR -
missile in position, Che Tao tai Lien-Xo" Made in
turns the USSR. The American air
pirates have particular
respect for Soviet
surface-to-air missiles in
the hands of the Vietnamese
People's Army.
136.
Duart declares: Duart: My job was to ward a strike
flight or the launch of
surface-to-air missiles at
Dinh and if possible for me
to suppress the sites that
were launching the
missiles....
137. only to search and make sure
Missiles that no missile, new missile
in position sites, had moved in; this area was
that no missile, was relatively clear of
missile sites,
138. and we would constantly go
Duart over there and check a make
declares sure none had moved in. And
this is what I was doing on
my last mission. There was no
strike involved.
139.
Command post X: Major Duart, you took off
of Vietnamese missile unit to attack missile sites,
140. Missile take-off as you told us.
141. Shot of Duart But in the end.
142.
Plane shot down you yourself were downed by a
missile.
143.
Duart declares: Duart: In my case it was a great
feeling to get out of that
air plane, but I'll clarify
that by saying that I hear
that at any time that I was
flying over this country that
I may be hit by a multitude
of different type weapons and
some very small weapons
hitting in a vital spot would
bring down this big powerful
aircraft, and in my case I
was hit by a large weapn that
most certainly would knock
down my aircraft and the
fire was so intense in the
cockpit that I was greateful
to get out of that airplane.
X: It's astonishing that you
survived the hit at all.
144.
Plane shot down Many of your people have not
survived such rocket hits.
145.
Duart declares: Duart: Yes, I realize it probaby
more than a lot of people.
146.
Montage: - Music -
Graves of air pirates
147.
Abbott
declares: X: How many of your airplanes
were flying that day on your
mission?
Abbott: In mission? There were three
other ones with me.
X: Three more? A total of four
then; is that correct?
Abbott: Yes. Counting myself. In my
flight. Yes, sir.
X: And how many were hit by
MiGs; brought down by MiGs?
Abbott: How many were brought down by
the MiGs? I think there were
three, I'm not sure. I was
hit and then I got the
information that two
others were downed the same
day as me. So they got
three that day.
148.
"Thunderchiefs" in Commentary: According to 1st Lt.
flight, three are crossed out Abbott's statement in three
out of four attacking
airplanes were destroyed.
149.
Hughes declares: X: Colonel Hughes, it seems that
there is now a certain
scarcity of pilots since your
transfer to Vietnam was
rather quick.
Hughes: With the turnover of pilots
and certainly at our loss
rates, pilot requirements are
at an extreme all-time high,
and it is true that we are
now calling back the pilots
to the cockpits, those pilots
who had previously been
grounded or been away from
the flying business for some
time and I believe that the
average age of the American
pilot in the Far Ea st now
has gone up pretty close to
my age.
Commentary: Lt. Colonel Hughes is 41
years old.
150. Photo Major Sterling: 42
151. Photo Lt. Commander Denton: 43
152. Photo Colonel Risner: 43
154. Photo Major Guarino: 45
155. Photo Colonel Burdett: 47
156.
Thunderchief In the meantime many pilots
ascending in the cockpits of these
planes must be described as
"Old- timers" under air war
conditions: the losses of the
United States in the Vietnam
war are so great that the
reserve must be called up.
157.
Thorsness declares: X: Major, you flew a total of 93
missions. How many of your
friends failed to return
during this period I mean
during the period of your
flights?
Thorsness: I don't specifically know,
sir, how many did not come
back. There were, there were
several, of course. It's
known that we have lost quit
a number of aircraft over
North Vietnam. Some of the
people I knew, and many of
them I did not, of course,
but I didn't keep a running
tally of how many friends I
lost, but there were quite a
few.
158.
Photo Commentary: First Lieutenant Anderson
159. Photo First Lieutenant Lockhart
160. Photo First Lieutenant Plumb
161 Photo Lt. Commander Tanner
162. Photo Major Young
163. Photo Lieutenant Butler
164. Photo Captain Seeber
165. Photo Captain Kearn
166. Photo Lt. Commander Stark
167. Photo Captain Waters
168. Photo Lt. Commander Griffin
169. Photo Lieutenant Brudno
170. Photo Captain Harris
171. Photo Lt. Commander Stackhouse
172. Photo Lieutenant Glubb
173. Photo Lt. Colonel Larson
174. Photo (????????) Wohden
175. Photo Major Everson
176. Photo Lieutenant Ratzlaff
177. Photo First Lieutenant Bucheman
178. Photo Captain Perkins
179. Photo Lieutenant Walters jr.
180. Photo Lt. Commander Rivers
181. Photo Lieutenant Carpenter
182. Photo Captain Daughtrey
183. Photo Captain Jones
184. Photo First Lieutenant McNish
185. Photo First Lieutenant Tschudy
186. Photo Major Willard
187. Photo Lieutenant Commander Black
188. Photo Lieutenant Driscoll
189. Photo Lt. Commander Kopfman
190. Photo Captain Connell
191. Photo Captain Sandwick
192. Photo Captain Shattuck
193. Photo Lt. Commander Hutton
194. Photo Commander Berg
195. Photo First Lieutenant Bliss
196. Photo Lieutenant Ray
197. Photo Major Merrit
198. Photo Lieutenant Coffee
199. Photo Captain Shaw
200. Photo Major Byrne
201. Photo Captain Waltman
202. Photo Captain Wells
203. Photo Major Bomar
204. Photo James Mulligan
205. Photo Captain Luna
206. Photo Captain Andrews
207. Photo Commander Mehl
208. Photo First Lieutenant Teague
209. Photo Captain Black
210. Photo Major Smith
211. Photo Lieutenant Commander Clower
212. Photo Lieutenant Commander Schulz
213. Photo Lieutenant Commander Haterman
214. Photo Lieutenant Commander Schoeffel
215. Photo Sergeant Major Cormier
216. Photo Lieutenant Davis
217. Photo First Lieutenant Estes
218. Photo Captain Overly
219. Photo Commander Hardman
220. Photo Captain Black
221. Photo Captain Norris
222. Photo Captain Parrot
223. Photo Captain Temperly
224. Photo Colonel Flynn
225. Photo Lieutenant Matheney
226. Photo Lieutenant Colonel Lewis
227. Photo Lieutenant Commander Stafford
228. Photo Lieutenant Commander McCain
229. Photo First Lieutenant Venanzi
230. Photo Captain Berger
231. Photo Major Dutton
232. Photo Lieutenant Commander Crecca
233. Photo First Lieutenant Frishman
234. Photo First Lieutenant Rice
235. Photo First Lieutenant Stier
236. Photo Major Stirm
237. Photo Lieutenant Commander Doss
238. Photo Lieutenant Commander Schuman
239. Photo First Lieutenant Rehman
240. Photo Major Hatcher
241. Photo Captain Flynn
242. Photo Captain Atterby
243. Photo Lieutenant Commander Schmidt