HARRIS, Hunter, Jr. (General)

Call No.: K239.0512-403

IRIS No.: 00904402, V.1, 00904403, V.2

IRIS Tape No.: 00904404, 00904405

Accessibility: OPEN

Pages/Time: 80pp/3:00

Class: U

Date/Location: 22 April 1971/Unknown

Interviewers: Colonel John E. Van Duyn and Major Richard B. Clement

Source: Project CORONA HARVEST Collection

Topics:

(1965-1967) Oral history interview with General Hunter Harris, Jr. former Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Forces. Discusses development of Southeast Asia (SEA) conflict during his tenure; purpose of war in SEA; mistakes made by US; command and control in Seventh/Thirteenth Air Force (AF); targeting with political constraints; possibility of Russian or Chinese Communist involvement in war and Laos command arrangement. Also discussed was the need for counterinsurgency rather than conventional infantry tactics; US withdrawal's effect on Vietnamization; problem of changes in rules of engagement; Route Package concept originates at HQ Pacific Air Forces; inter-service rivalry; A-1 suitability for close air support in South Vietnam; Strategic Air Command aircraft command and control. And finally, Washington control of day-to-day operations; advancement in munitions; Task Force Alpha, the Igloo White system ill-advised; relations between USAF and Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV); theory of gradualism; Tactical Air Command sortie figures questioned; competition of US Army and US Air Force in air reconnaissance; need for F-15/AX aircraft; big issue of prisoners of war; political realities of the war; collateral bomb damage and bomb damage assessment.