1972-Contin ued

of Navy and Marine Corps tactical air sorties were

close and direct air sorties in support of allied ground

troops, with a view toward frustrating the enemy's

desire to acquire territory before a cease-fire agree-

ment was signed.

22 November Groundbreaking ceremonies for the

new Naval Aviation Museum building were officiated

by Admiral Arthur W. Radford, USN (Ret). Admiral

Radford, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,

was the Chairman of the Naval Aviation Museum

Association, Inc., a non-profit organization of Naval

Aviation enthusiasts who labored since 1965 to finance

and create the first part of the new museum building.

All funds for the building of the first phase of the

museum were contributed by private individuals and

organizations. The museum was designed to be built

in three phases. The first phase consisted of 65,000 sq.

ft. of floor space with future expansion of 140,000 sq.

ft. The Naval Aviation Museum was established at NAS

Pensacola, Fla., in December 1962 by the authority of

the Secretary of the Navy. It had been housed in a

temporary building until enough money had been

accumulated to build the first phase of the new muse-

um building.

30 November The majority of the Navy's tactical air

sorties in SVN during October and November can best

be described as close and direct air support attacks.

Targets attacked during these sorties accounted for

more than 75 percent of all known targets during

October and November. The percentage of Navy sor-

ties flown for interdiction purposes in SVN decreased

markedly during October and November compared to

the previous levels in the spring and summer months.

13 December An HC-1 Detachment Five SH-3G Sea

King helicopter, stationed aboard Oriskany, rescued a

VFP-63 pilot involved in operations in the Tonkin Gulf

while on Yankee Station. This was the fifteenth pilot

rescued by HC-l detachments while they were operat-

ing aboard a carrier on Yankee Station during 1972.

During 1972 HC-1 rescued a total of 36 people, includ-

ing the 15 pilots.

17 December During the period 23 October through

17 December there was a U.S. bombing halt above the

20th parallel in NVN. No MiG kills or U.S. losses were

recorded during this period. Three to four carriers

were maintained on Yankee Station during the bomb-

ing halt. Carriers alternating on Yankee Station were:

Enterprise, Kitty Hawk, Midway, Saratoga, Oriskany,

America and Ranger.

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

299

18 December Linebacker II operations were initiat-

ed on 18 December when negotiations in the Paris

peace talks stalemated. The Linebacker II operations

ended on 29 December when the North Vietnamese

returned to the peace table. These operations involved

the resumed bombing of NVN above the 20th parallel

and was an intensified version of Linebacker I. The

reseeding of the mine fields was resumed and concen-

trated strikes were carried out against surface-to-air

missile and antiaircraft artillery sites, enemy army bar-

racks, petroleum storage areas, Haiphong naval and

shipyard areas, and railroad and truck stations. Navy

tactical air attack sorties under Linebacker II were cen-

tered in the coastal areas around Hanoi and Haiphong.

There were 505 Navy sorties in this area during

Linebacker II. Between 18 and 22 December the Navy

conducted 119 Linebacker II strikes in North Vietnam.

Bad weather was the main limiting factor on the num-

ber of tactical air strikes flown during Linebacker II.

The following carriers participated in Linebacker II

operations: Enterprise, Saratoga, Oriskany, America

and Ranger.

19 December HC-1

Ticonderoga, recovered the

splashdown. The Apollo 17

helicopters, aboard

crew of Apollo 17 after

crew consisted of Naval

Helicopter fTom HS-6 recoveljng mtronauts flum Apollo /4/unar mission.