Saturday, December 1, 2012

Spy Planes

I know I have been silent for a while now. Nothing seems to be going my way or any way to guarantee the publication of this book. Then yesterday some strange things happened. I received a video clip from someone I knew a long time ago. The clip was not much new to me but it touched upon the subjects of my book and left me with the feeling that what I'm doing is right. It also shored up my believe that I am not giving away any secrets. Believe me I was shocked to find that their are still secrets out there and by all accounts will be there for a long time. The video dealt with spyplanes and began with the converting of the the P2V-7 into the RB-69A. The purpose of the change of designation was that the Navy wanted nothing to do with the missions of the P2V-7 by the CIA but the Air Force took a chance and allowed its designation. The P2V-7 operated from 1955 until 1964 beginning their missions in Wiesbaden, then West Germany and ended their missions with the ROCAF/Taiwan Black Bat Squadron. Most of the 34th Squadron's Black Op missions still remain classified by the CIA, although a CIA internal draft history, Low-Level Technical Reconnaissance over Mainland China (1955-66), reference CSHP-2.348, written in 1972 that covers CIA/ROCAF/Taiwan 34th Squadron's Black Op missions is known to be in existence but would not be declassified by the CIA until after 2022. (As written in en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-2_Neptune) The video further showed President Eisenhower making it his main mission to assure full reconnaissance of the Soviet Union and Communist China. No mention is ever made of President Johnson. It is here that I have first hand knowledge that President Kennedy wanted the secret reconnaissance missions stopped. When President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, President Johnson reinstated the missions immediately. Because of the lack of a qualified aircraft, several penetration missions into the Eastern Block countries were performed by the British B-57 Canberra. This led to enhancing this aircraft into the RB-57D by the Martin Corporation. The redesign allowed the aircraft to travel 2000 miles at altitudes of 65,000 feet. Two or three RB-57D were flown to Taoyuan AB, near Taipei, Taiwan in early 1959. Taiwanese pilots had been trained to fly this aircraft and they began penetration missions over Mainland China in 1959. RB-57D "5643", piloted by Capt Ying-Chin Wang, was shot down and killed on October 7, 1959 by a People's Liberation Army SA-2 Surface to Air missile which was the first successful shoot-down of an aircraft ever achieved by a SAM. Some 23 years later I was very fortunate to meet Capt. Wang's widow while on assignment to Taiwan.

 It was the subsequent losses of another aircraft that allowed our once in a life-time mission over China in a General Dynamics modified WB-57F. Of all the faces in the video I actually recognized one individual. As I stated in my book, it was customary to only know the contact below oneself and the contact above oneself. Because of a fluke in timing I reported to my superior just as another gentleman was leaving his office. By recognizing him on the videa I can only surmise that this gentleman was my handler's handler. (Talking about talking out of both ends of your mouth, but such were the times) What stuck with me was the words this man spoke on the video. Although he never actually referred to our mission, he did note that our altitude, which is still classified, prevented any further loss of life.

And so the waiting goes on. The second book may be finished before the first one is published. Thanks to all those who stop by and read and comment. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

1 comment:

  1. Sorry you are having such a difficult time moving forward with your book. My goal after the holidays is to get my cover done. It seems to be more difficult than the writing itself.

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