A South Dakota Vietnam vet flew in Operation Linebacker II
KELOLAND News
[{'start': '0.240', 'end': '4.080', 'text': 'Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of'}, {'start': '2.159', 'end': '6.240', 'text': 'the fall of Saigon, which brought an end'}, {'start': '4.080', 'end': '8.320', 'text': 'to the Vietnam War. A South Dakota'}, {'start': '6.240', 'end': '11.280', 'text': 'Vietnam vet was part of a two-week'}, {'start': '8.320', 'end': '14.719', 'text': 'strategic bombing campaign back in 1972'}, {'start': '11.280', 'end': '17.119', 'text': 'called Operation Linebacker 2. This was'}, {'start': '14.719', 'end': '19.840', 'text': 'most historians would tell you that it'}, {'start': '17.119', 'end': '22.960', 'text': 'was the beginning of the end. In'}, {'start': '19.840', 'end': '25.920', 'text': 'December of 1972, the US carried out a'}, {'start': '22.960', 'end': '28.480', 'text': 'series of bombing strikes with B-52s in'}, {'start': '25.920', 'end': '30.560', 'text': 'North Vietnam to send a message that we'}, {'start': '28.480', 'end': '33.760', 'text': 'were serious about bringing this war to'}, {'start': '30.560', 'end': '35.840', 'text': 'an end. It was called linebacker 2. In'}, {'start': '33.760', 'end': '39.200', 'text': 'professional football in the 70s, in'}, {'start': '35.840', 'end': '41.440', 'text': 'particular, the the linebacker was the'}, {'start': '39.200', 'end': '43.920', 'text': 'the wild man on the field that nobody'}, {'start': '41.440', 'end': '46.719', 'text': 'wanted to be messing with. Kim my Rapid'}, {'start': '43.920', 'end': '50.239', 'text': 'City was on those missions. I flew five'}, {'start': '46.719', 'end': '53.280', 'text': 'missions in the 11 days of of'}, {'start': '50.239', 'end': '55.120', 'text': 'linebacker. More than 20,000 tons of'}, {'start': '53.280', 'end': '57.520', 'text': 'ordinance was dropped on strategic'}, {'start': '55.120', 'end': '60.000', 'text': 'targets in North Vietnam. The entire'}, {'start': '57.520', 'end': '62.280', 'text': 'purpose of Operation Linebacker 2 was to'}, {'start': '60.000', 'end': '65.920', 'text': 'get the North Vietnamese to agree to'}, {'start': '62.280', 'end': '68.240', 'text': 'release all of the American prisoners of'}, {'start': '65.920', 'end': '70.479', 'text': 'war that they held. It was the largest'}, {'start': '68.240', 'end': '73.520', 'text': 'bombing campaign involving heavy bombers'}, {'start': '70.479', 'end': '75.600', 'text': 'since World War II. But they had their'}, {'start': '73.520', 'end': '78.479', 'text': "work cut out for them. We didn't have"}, {'start': '75.600', 'end': '81.920', 'text': 'the precision bombs that we have now.'}, {'start': '78.479', 'end': '85.680', 'text': 'So, we just had to fly in as straight as'}, {'start': '81.920', 'end': '88.400', 'text': 'we could and aim as carefully carefully'}, {'start': '85.680', 'end': '91.920', 'text': 'as we could to drop our bombs where they'}, {'start': '88.400', 'end': '94.799', 'text': 'belonged. My was invited to fly back to'}, {'start': '91.920', 'end': '98.000', 'text': 'Vietnam two weeks ago to meet his former'}, {'start': '94.799', 'end': '101.439', 'text': 'enemies. I had never been to Vietnam. I'}, {'start': '98.000', 'end': '103.280', 'text': 'only flew over Vietnam. And so this'}, {'start': '101.439', 'end': '106.320', 'text': 'would really be a first visit for me'}, {'start': '103.280', 'end': '108.159', 'text': "that didn't involve flying high over the"}, {'start': '106.320', 'end': '111.280', 'text': 'country, dropping a bunch of bombs, and'}, {'start': '108.159', 'end': '114.280', 'text': 'flying back home. My says the visit was'}, {'start': '111.280', 'end': '116.960', 'text': 'healing. With 50 years since the'}, {'start': '114.280', 'end': '120.000', 'text': 'hostilities, I was able to meet a lot of'}, {'start': '116.960', 'end': '121.840', 'text': 'the people that were doing their best to'}, {'start': '120.000', 'end': '123.600', 'text': 'keep me from doing my best. In other'}, {'start': '121.840', 'end': '125.759', 'text': 'words, they were shooting at me. I was'}, {'start': '123.600', 'end': '128.000', 'text': 'dropping bombs on them. I got to meet'}, {'start': '125.759', 'end': '132.239', 'text': 'some people who were responsible who'}, {'start': '128.000', 'end': '134.560', 'text': 'whose actions directly led to the some'}, {'start': '132.239', 'end': '137.840', 'text': 'B-52s being shot down and they were'}, {'start': '134.560', 'end': '139.400', 'text': 'occupied by friends of mine. Some died,'}, {'start': '137.840', 'end': '143.040', 'text': 'some were taken'}, {'start': '139.400', 'end': '145.200', 'text': 'prisoner, but I was able to meet them.'}, {'start': '143.040', 'end': '146.360', 'text': 'They were able to meet me. I I had'}, {'start': '145.200', 'end': '149.760', 'text': 'bombed their'}, {'start': '146.360', 'end': '153.160', 'text': 'hometown and we were able to shake hands'}, {'start': '149.760', 'end': '155.760', 'text': 'and acknowledge the fact that we were'}, {'start': '153.160', 'end': '158.319', 'text': 'both putting our lives on the line for'}, {'start': '155.760', 'end': '161.280', 'text': 'our country and we re respect one'}, {'start': '158.319', 'end': '163.519', 'text': 'another for that. The Vietnamese were'}, {'start': '161.280', 'end': '166.239', 'text': 'holding about 600 American prisoners of'}, {'start': '163.519', 'end': '168.400', 'text': 'war there. After Operation Limebacker 2,'}, {'start': '166.239', 'end': '171.680', 'text': 'they were released. The US acknowledged'}, {'start': '168.400', 'end': '174.160', 'text': 'though it lost 16 B-52 bombers that had'}, {'start': '171.680', 'end': '174.160', 'text': 'been shot'}]