Part 11 (1/2)

We'll lose all of Asia, then Europe, and then we'll be a rich little island all by ourselves. That means World War Three.”

He shook his head, a lion bothered by gnats. ”And when that comes to pa.s.s I'd sure hate to depend on the Galbraiths and that Harvard crowd to protect my property.”

He walked to the credenza and poured another scotch.

Whitey accepted a red wine that LBJ carefully poured for him. It was dry and velvety. The bottle had not been open more than a few hours, he decided.

”Well, what do you think?” LBJ said in a loud voice.

”Excellent wine, sir.”

”G.o.dd.a.m.nit, that's not what I meant. What do you think of my theory?”

Whitey looked thoughtful. ”I'm not as certain as you are that our congressmen are controlled by anything other than a desire to do what they think is best.” He stopped short of saying what he thought a congressman thought best-which was, he was sure, reelection and whatever it took to garner votes.

”That's not saying anything at all,” LBJ scoffed. ”Now, here, I want you to read something that came in tonight.”

He pressed a b.u.t.ton and his Marine military aide entered with a briefcase. LBJ took it and waved him away. The man saluted, did a clicking about-face on the inlaid stone, and departed. The President took a sheaf of papers from a red notebook in the case and handed several to Whitey. ”Read these,” he said. ”What do they mean? Here I am, trying to set up peace talks with Ho, and I get messages like these.”

Whitey read the top sheet.

FROM: COMUSMACV TO: ALL COMMANDERS.

QQQQ.

SECRET NOFORN SUBJ: OPERATION HOBBY HORSE (U) 1. (S/NF) GOV' T SOUTH.

VIETNAM HAS ANNOUNCED.

THAT A 36 HOUR TET CEASEFIRE WILL BE OBSERVED DURING THE PERIOD MONDAY.

291800H.

TO WEDNESDAY 310600HJAN. THEUSPOSITION FOR TET HAS NOT BEEN FORMALLY.

DECLARED AT THIS TIME.

2. (SINF) OPERATION HOBBY HORSE, OUTLINED HEREIN, WILL BE IMPLEMENTED.

ON RECEIPT OF THIS MESSAGE TO MAXIMIZE OUR TACTICAL POTENTIAL. HOBBY.

HORSE WILL BE EXECUTED IN TWO PHASES: A. (SINF) PHASE ONE. EFFECTIVE.

IMMEDIATELY, COMMANDERS WILL INITIATE A COMPREHENSIVE AND INTENSIVE.

INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION EFFORT TO IDENTIFY AND PIN POINT ENEMY TROOP.

LOCATIONS, BASES, FACILITIES, AND LINES OF COMMUNICATIONS. THIS.

INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION EFFORT IS STRESSED DURING THE TET CEASE FIRE.

THIS HQ WILL PROVIDE, BY SEPARATE MESSAGE, SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TASKING.

AIR AND GROUND RECONNAISSANCE. ALL COMMANDERS WILL PREPARE DETAILED.

ATTACK AND FIRE PLANS FOR ALL WEAPONS SYSTEMS INCLUDING ARTY, NGF,.

TACAIR, AND B-52 ARC LIGHTWHICHWILLBEEXECUTEDDURINGPHASE.

TWO, HOBBY HORSE.

B. (S/NF) PHASE TWO. IT IS ANTIc.i.p.aTED ENEMY ALERTNESS WILL REACH A.

PEAK IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING CEASEFIRE PERIOD. COMMANDERS WILL DETERMINE.

THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TIME SUBSEQUENT TO CEASEFIRE TO STRIKE THE ENEMY.

WHEN HE IS MOST VULNERABLE AND LEAST EXPECTING AN ATTACK. IT IS a.s.sUMED.

THESE OPPORTUNITIES WILL VARY BY AREA AND TARGET. THE DISCRETION AND.

JUDGMENT OF THE RESPONSIBLE COMMANDER WILL PREVAIL IN ALL INSTANCES.

3. (SINF) IN THE PAST, FREE WORLD FORCES HAVE DERIVED NO DISCERNIBLE.

MILITARY AD VANTAGES FROM HOLIDAY CEASEFIRES. IT IS ESSENTIAL,.

THEREFORE, THAT OUR INTELLIGENCE CAPABILITIES BE EMPLOYED TO THE LIMIT.

OF THE IMPOSED CEASEFIRE CONSTRAINTS DURING THE TRUCE PERIOD; AND THAT.

THE FULL WEIGHT OF OUR FIREPOWER AND MANEUVER MOBILITYBE APPLIED WITH.

PRECISION, Ma.s.s, AND PREEMPTIVE SUDDENNESS.

FOLLOWING THE CEASEFIRE.

4. (S) TO BE FULLY EFFECTIVE, HOBBY HORSE PLANNING MUST BE CLOSELY.

COORDINATED WITH FRIENDLY FORCES.

. (U) ACTION ADDRESSEES ACKNOWLEDGE BY MSG.

OR TELEPHONE MACV 2927 OR EAC 381.

The second sheet was a summary of Disums (Daily Intelligence Summaries) with pertinent points extracted.

On 5 Jan 68 troops of the US 4th Infantry Division captured a detailed plan t.i.tled ”Urgent Combat Order Number One ” f or an attack on Pleiku province to begin before the Tet holidays.

On 10 Jan, Commander II Field Force, General Fred Weyand, put together pieces of intelligence to conclude the VC in the III Corps Tactical Zone were moving from border sanctuaries toward population centers including Saigon.