Operation Rolling Thunder began on 2 March 1965, and ended on 31 October 1968. It was designed as an aerial bombardment campaign against North Vietnam to discourage their support of the insurgency that threatened South Vietnam. In spite of massive airstrikes of strategic targets and our demonstrated air superiority over North Vietnam, Operation Rolling Thunder failed to convince the North Vietnamese to stand down their military operations against South Vietnam. Carrier Air Wing 16 (CVW-16), flying off USS Oriskany (CVA-34) had the highest loss rate of aircraft and aircrew of any Naval Aviation Air Wing during the Vietnam War. In the three plus years of Rolling Thunder flight operations, the loss rate for CVW-16 aircrew and aircraft neared 70 percent of Oriskany's complement of fighter and attack aircraft. Records indicate 20 pilots were either killed or missing in action, with another 7 captured as POWs. A total of 39 aircraft were lost during the carrier's three Tonkin Gulf combat cruises in the Rolling Thunder time period. Author Peter Fey's book, Bloody Sixteen, expertly details the heavy load carried by CVW-16 Squadrons.
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