DECLASSIFIED FROM SECRET
200148Z FEB 68
FM CG III MAF
TO CG FMFPAC
SECRET MARINE CORPS EYES ONLY
FOLLOWING MESSAGE SENT TO GENERAL WESTMORELAND, INFO GEN MOMYER (USAF), FROM LTGEN CUSHMAN
REF (A) YOUR 191147Z FEB68
1. IN RESPONSE TO REF (A), GENERAL MOMYER AND I MET THIS DATE AT III MAF HQTRS. GENERAL MOMYER PRESENTED HIS PROPOSED I CORPS ORGANIZATION FOR AIR REQUEST AND CONTROL. AS A RESULT OF THIS BRIEFING, SEVERAL POINTS HAVE BEEN RAISED IN MY MIND:
A. FIRST, THE PROPOSED ORGANIZATION FOR COMBAT IN THE I CORPS TACTICAL ZONE. IN THE PRESENTATION OF GENERAL MOMYER'S, THERE WAS A PROVISIONAL CORPS B NORTH AND AN I CORPS SOUTH, WITH PARALLEL AIR RERQUEST AND CONTROL ORGANIZATIONS. THERE WAS NO INDICATION AS TO WHETHER THERE WOULD BE A COMMON SUPERIOR TO PROVISIONAL B NORTH, AND I CORPS SOUTH, OR WHETHER, AS YOU HAVE STATED TO ME, I WOULD FUNCTION AT THE FIELD ARMY COMMANDER LEVEL AND THE PROVISIONAL CORPS WOULD BE UNDER MY OPCON. IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE PROPER AIR REQUEST AND CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS, IT IS NECESSARY THAT THE EXACT ORGANIZATION FOR COMBAT BE ESTABLISHED.
B. UNDER THE PROPOSED ORGANIZATION, THE TACC AT SAIGON WOULD FRAG ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN VIETNAM. UNDER EXISTING MARINE CORPS DOCTRINE, THE SENIOR MARINE CORPS COMMANDER POSSESS THE AUTHORITY TO FRAG ALL AIRCRAFT THAT ARE INTEGRAL TO THE MARINE CORPS COMBAT ELEMENTS. IT IS MY DESIRE THAT ANY SYSTEM ENSURE CONTINUANCE OF THIS HIGHLY DESIRABLE PRACTICE OF FRAGGING MARINE CORPS AIRCRAFT. UNDER THE PROPOSED SYSTEM, AT LEAST TWO LEVELS OF APPROVING AUTHORITY WOULD BE SUPERIMPOSED OVER MY PRESENT SYSTEM. NATURALLY, RESPONSIVENESS TO FRAGGING PRE-PLANNED MISSIONS WOULD SUFFER. DURING OUR DISCUSSION, IT WAS CONTENTED THAT THE MARINE CORPS REQUESTS FOR AIR SUPPORT WOULD RARELY BE CHANGED BY THE 7TH AF; IT WAS POSTULATED THAT THIS WOULD OCCUR ON THE ORDER OF ONCE A MONTH. ACCORDINGLY, TO INSIST UPON A MORE COMPLICATED REQUEST SYSTEM FOR THE EXCEPTION, RATHER THAN THE RULE, APPEARS TO BE NEITHER NOR DESIRABLE.
C. UNDER ANY ARRANGEMENTS, IT IS AXIOMATIC THAT THE GROUND COMMANDER BE THE DETERMINING INDIVIDUAL AS TO WHICH SUPPORTING ARM-ARTILLERY, AIR, OR NAVAL GUNFIRE, WILL BE DELIVERED IN HIS AREA. I, AS THE GROUND COMMANDER, MUST POSSESS THE FINAL CHOICE IN WHETHER I WANT TO SHUT OFF ARTILLERY, AIR, OR NAVAL GUNFIRE AT ANY PARTICULAR MOMENT DURING THE BATTLE.
D. THE MARINE CORPS, BY STATUTE, PROVIDES FLEET MARINE FORCES OF COMBINED ARMS, TOGETHER WITH SUPPORTING AIR COMPONENTS. OUR DIVISIONS AND AIR WINGS ARE ORGANIZED FOR COMBAT INTO AIR/GROUND TEAMS, AND THE FIXED-WING SQUADRONS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SORTIES FOR EACH MARINE BATTALION. TO FOLLOW THE SYSTEM PROPOSED BY GENERAL MOMYER WOULD, IN EFFECT, DILUTE THE NUMBER OF SORTIES REQUIRED FOR THE SUPPORT OF EACH MARINE BATTALION. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE INTEGRAL AIR SUPPORT OF THE U. S. ARMY IS UNTOUCHED. UNDER THE PROPOSAL, HELICOPTERS ARE NOT AFFECTED. AS YOU KNOW, THE ARMY ORGANIZATION INCLUDES HUEY GUNSHIPS, HUEYS ARMED WITH A.R.A., HUEY COBRAS, AND IN THE NEAR FUTURE, THE ADVANCED AERIAL FIRE SUPPORT SYSTEM. ACCORDINGLY, THE ARMY COMMANDER RETAINS THE CONSIDERABLE FIRE POWER OVER WHICH HE HAS DIRECT CONTROL, AND WITH WHICH HE CAN INFLUENCE THE TIDE OF BATTLE. UNDER THE PROPOSED SYSTEM, THESE ASSETS WOULD BE UNTOUCHED, WHEREAS THE FIXED-WING OF THE MARINE AIR/GROUND TEAM THAT PERFORMS SIMILAR MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF MARINE GROUND SERVICES WOULD BE PLACED UNDER THE MISSION CONTROL OF ANOTHER SERVICE.
2. IN MY OPINION, THE PROCEDURES OUTLINED IN YOUR DIRECTIVE 95-4 PROVIDE YOU THE FLEXIBILITY NEEDE TO MARSHALL ALL AVAILABLE AIR ASSETS IN MACV, IN THE EVENT OF A MMAJOR EMERGENCY OR DISASTER. IN QUESTIONING GENERAL MOMYER, I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THERE HAD BEEN DISSATISFACTION OF THE PART OF THE GROUND UNIT COMMANDERS WITH RESPECT TO THE AIR SUPPORT BEING PROVIDED IN I CORPS. CONSEQUENTLY, IT IS MY OPINION THAT THERE IS NO COMPELLING REASON FOR CHANGING A SYSTEM THAT IS PRESENTLY WORKING WELL. ALTHOUGH NOT ACTIVELY ADVOCATING THE FOLLOWING PROPOSAL, I BELIEVE IT COULD VERY WELL SATISFY YOUR DESIRE FOR HAVING A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL YOU COULD HOLD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AIR EFFORT IN I CORPS. AS YOUR PRINCIPAL GROUND COMMANDER, I ALSO POSSESS CONSIDERABLE ASSETS, AND IN MY OPINION, THE FINEST AIR CONTROL SYSTEM EXISTING IN THE WORLD TODAY. IF YOU WISH, I COULD ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTROL AND COORDINATION OF THE ENTIRE AIR EFFORT IN THE I CORPS TACTICAL ZONE AND BE THE SINGLE INDIVIDUAL YOU COULD HOLD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE U.S. MILITARY EFFORT IN THE I CORPS TACTICAL ZONE. IN THIS REGARD, THE MANY NAVY CARRIER SORTIES COULD EASILY BE ASSIMILIATED AND CONTROLLED BY MY AIR CONTROL SYSTEM, AS BOTH OUR SERVICES USE THE SAME SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN SO SUCCESSFUL IN PAST AMPHIBIOUS COMBAT OPERATIONS.
3. ALTHOUGH THE BRIEFING CONDUCTED BY GENERAL MOMYER WAS WELL DONE, SEVERAL POINTS OTHER THAN THOSE OUTLINED ABOVE WERE RAISED BY ME OR MY STAFF. AS A RESULT, I HAVE ASKED GENERAL MOMYER TO PROVIDE ME THE DRAFT PLAN THAT YOU INTEND SUBMITTING TO CINCPAC FOR APPROVAL, WHICH HE PROMISED TO DO. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT UPON RECEIPT, IT WILL RECEIVE MY IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
4. WARM REGARDS.
GP-4
UNQUOTE
DECLASSIFIED FROM SECRET
