Ford Press Releases, January - April 1966: 12130682

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REP. FORD STAT &lENT - APRIL 21, 1966
Committee, and Congressman Otis Pike of the House Armed Services Committee share
it. I know that many responsible newsmen here, covering the Pentagon and sharing
risks with our fighting men in Vietnam will continue to express their concern
because that is our obliaation to the American people,
Now here are just a few of the reports that have come in to corroborate the
question I raised a week ago:
1. New York Ttmes Correspondent Neil Sheehan, in a front page story from
Saigon yesterday, reported that since April 6 "the number of Air Force attack
sorties in South Vietnam has ~ to about 43 per cent of its former level"--
from 185 daily sorties dropping about 1000 bombs on Communist targets to an
average of 83 sorties and 400 bombs. Rocket firings, according to this reliable
report, have fallen even more spectacularly from 2800 a week to 98. Mr. Sheehan
says further that our planes are being sent out against the enemy with light
loads--which is another way of saying more American manpower is being exposed to
combat risks with less firepower. The tlew York Times dispatch states that "Air
Force officers in Vietnam have repeatedly warned the Pentagon over the last four
months that munitions were not arriving fast enough to meet requirements" and so
far ehey are still inadequate. This has nothing to do with recent civil
disturbances at South Vietnamese porta nor with the internal distribution system
of our fine military field commanders under Gen. Westmoreland, according to
Mr. Sheehan's sources. This New York Times report was called to Mr. McNamara's
attention in the Senate hearings yesterday and he called it "baloney."
2. Earlier, CBS News Correspondent Peter Kaliscber) quoting what he called
an "unimpeachable" source, reported from Saigon that "a dire lack of ammunition
and explosives" bas forced a cutback in U~ s. Air Force sorties from over 400
to less than 100 per day. Kaliseber said the critical shortage was not in bombs
but in fuses and other key parts that make bombs usable. He also reverted a
shortage of 20-millimeter cannon shells and planes taking off half-loaded.
"Only emergency missions and those in direct support of ground forces operations
are be$ng flown," CBS Mews said. This and other careful reports from trained
war correspondents on the scene also, apparently, come under Mr. McNamara's
category of "all this baloney."
3. The long-range management of our overall defense effort can be faulted
for its failure to adequately anticipate the needs of the American Merchant
Marine. a subject which we discussed at some length yesterday at the House
Republican Policy Committee press conference. As recently as the start of this
year, Mr. MCNamara testified that our merchant fleet was adequate for our defense
needs and reaffirmed his earlier preference for airlift. Yet this week the
administration is reportedly trying to scrape up 20 or more additional u. s.
flag carriers, and the current budget includes funds for replacement of only
9 to 13 of the World War II merchant ships that form the bulk of our dwindling
~rchant marine--now fallen to about 1000 vessels, mostly old, while the Soviet
Union has 1500, mostly newt and 673 more building or on order. In this connection,
I note that Mr. McNamara yesterday brushed off questions by the distinguished
senator from Kansas. Senator Carlson, about the resale of surplus items by NATO
nations. He said it was all "World War II equipment junk." It's a sad fact
this is true of much of the Merchant Marine that he considers perfectly adequate.
But our alarm over shipping is more ''baloney."
4. the authoritative magazine, Aviation Week, in a series of articles by a
Marine Corps Reserve pilot who spent two ~· in Vietnam reports in technical
detail on a wide range of ordnance and ammunition shortages, deficiencies and
deterioration. 'Jhe publication, Aviation Daily, in its April 19 issue summed
up the misstatements Mr. MCNamara has made in recent weeks and concluded that
·~e has managed to almost meet h~self coming back on some of the stories be
has presented to the public."
Mr. McNamara has a great gift for figures. He is extremely agile in the use
of words. As I said previously, I am not the least concerned with playing word
games. I have not myself used the word "baloney" to characterize disagreements ! .~-- ...... -. ·-,
among equally patriotic Americans. We in the minority in this Congress cannot/'' ·:\
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