EDELEN, Henry H. Jr. (Colonel)

Call No.: K239.0512-243

IRIS No.: 00904138/00905029, V.2

IRIS Tape No.: 00905030, 00905031

Accessibility: OPEN

Pages/Time: 132pp/2:52

Class: U

Date/Location: 27 January 1970/Unknown

Interviewers: Lt. Colonel S. Bissell and Major Samuel E. Riddlebarger

Source: Project CORONA HARVEST Collection

Topics:

(1965-1969) Oral history interview with Colonel Henry Edelen. Pentagon Air Staff contingency planning for Southeast Asia and Rolling Thunder (RT) Team in J-3 Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), development and approval of RT target packages: RT targeting team, guidance, and influence of Commander in Chief Pacific (CINCPAC) and Chairman, JCS, in target selections, communication between RT team and Chief of Staff USAF. Selection of initial targets in North Vietnam (NVN), relationship between armed reconnaissance and fixed target limits in NVN, reduced authorities in targeting due to bombing stand-down, theory of gradualism, fallacious military doctrine, development of Route Packages, attrition over NVN and attacking surface-to-air missile sites under construction. Discusses effect of Stennis Senate Committee hearings on fixed target authorizations, denial of Haiphong NVN as a target, air campaign of interdiction in NVN, effectiveness of bombing NVN, CINCPAC as single manager for air and lesson learned--learn your lesions before getting in another war.