Operation Arc Light
Encyclopedia
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
as conventional bombers from bases in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
to support ground combat operations in Vietnam. By extension, Arc Light, and sometimes Arclight, is the code name and general term for the use of B-52 Stratofortress as a close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
(CAS) platform to support ground tactical operations assisted by ground-control-radar detachments of the 1st Combat Evaluation Group (1CEVG) in Operation Combat SkySpot during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
In 1964, the U.S. Air Force began to train strategic bomber crews in the delivery of conventional munitions. Under Project Big Belly, all B-52Ds were modified so that they could carry nearly 30 tons of conventional bombs. B-52s were deployed to air force bases in Guam and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Arc Light operations were most often CAS bombing raids of enemy base camps, troops concentrations, and supply lines.
The first use of these heavy bombers in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
occurred on 18 June 1965. Flying out of Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
, Guam, twenty-seven aircraft used 750 and 1,000 pound bombs to attack a Viet Cong stronghold. During this mission two B-52Fs were lost in a mid-air collision; another was unable to conduct air refueling. Missions were commonly flown in three-plane formations known as "cells" and were also employed when ground units in heavy combat requested fire support. Releasing their bombs from high in the stratosphere
Stratosphere
The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler...
, the B-52s could neither be seen nor heard from the ground as they inflicted horrific damage. B-52s were instrumental in nearly wiping out enemy concentrations besieging Khe Sanh
Battle of Khe Sanh
The Battle of Khe Sanh was conducted in northwestern Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam , between 21 January and 9 July 1968 during the Vietnam War...
in 1968 and An Loc
Battle of An Loc
The Battle of An Lộc was a major battle of the Vietnam War that lasted for 66 days and culminated in a decisive victory for South Vietnam. In many ways, the struggle for An Lộc in 1972 was an important battle of the war, as South Vietnamese forces halted the North Vietnamese advance towards...
and Kontum
Battle of Kontum
The lead-up to the Battle of Kontum began in mid-1971, when North Vietnam realized that its victory at Operation Lam Son 719 meant it was ready for larger offensives that could end the war sooner...
in 1972.
Arc Light missions continued until the cessation of hostilities by all U.S. forces on August 15, 1973. Between June 1965 and August 1973, 126,615 B-52 sorties were flown over Southeast Asia. During those operations, the U.S. Air Force lost 31 B-52s: 18 from hostile fire over North Vietnam and 13 from operational causes.
Combat SkySpot Memorial
Nineteen technicianTechnician
A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skills and techniques, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Experienced technicians in a specific tool domain typically have intermediate understanding of theory and expert...
s of the 1CEVG were lost in ground combat. On September 21, 2010, President Barack H. Obama presented the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
to the sons of Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger for his actions in the battle of Lima Site 85
Battle of Lima Site 85
The Battle of Lima Site 85, also called Battle of Phou Pha Thi, was fought as part of a military campaign waged during the Vietnam War and Laotian Civil War by the Vietnam People’s Army and the Pathet Lao, against airmen of the United States Air Force 1st Combat Evaluation Group, elements of the ...
. A memorial to all 1CEVG technicians is located directly behind the Arc Light memorial.
Arc Light was re-activated on Anderson on February 8, 1972 when president Nixon resumed bombing of north Vietnam targets in an effort to move peace talks along. Over 15,000 men were sent to Anderson on temporary duty over the next 90 days. With limited barracks and other facilities tents were set up behind for use by men working 80 hour weeks.
In popular culture
- There is a brief reference to 'Operation Arc Light' in the film Apocalypse NowApocalypse NowApocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
by the character "Captain Willard", played by Martin SheenMartin SheenRamón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
. As the river boat (PBR) carrying Willard is moving up the coast to rendezvous with the air cavalry escort, they hear the rumble of a B-52 strike in the distance. When the character "Chef" asks what's going on, Willard replies, "Arc Light, B-52 strike". - In the video game Men of ValorMen of ValorMen of Valor is a first-person shooter video game for the PC and Microsoft Xbox. It was developed by 2015, Inc., published by Vivendi Universal and first released on October 19, 2004...
, while at a besieged Khe Sahn, Dean and Hoss are informed that Dean's brother Jamie's squad is being overrun by NVA regulars and that they just called in an Arc Light on their own position. Later on after safely returning to Khe Sanh the Marines witness a B-52 strike up close. - In the video game Call of Duty: Black OpsCall of Duty: Black OpsCall of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch, published by Activision and released worldwide on November 9, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii consoles, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Announced on April 30, 2010,...
, an Arc Light strike occurs on the NVA troops at the end of the level "S.O.G."