What will come to be known as the Vietnam War has not yet begun. However, in recent weeks, harassment by hostile torpedo boats of our intelligence-gathering ships in international waters has escalated amid increasing tensions between Washington and Hanoi. The teletype minutes ago spat out the following instruction direct from CINCPAC:
JCS HAVE DIRECTED CINCPAC TO CONDUCT ONE0TIME MAXIMUM EFFORT CVA AIR STRIKES AGAINST SWATOW PATROL CRAFT AND PT BOATS AT BASES IN NVN AND A SUPPORTING POL FACILITY. ACTION REQ NLT BY 0700 LOCAL 5 AUG.
USS Hancock (CV-14) and USS Forrestal (CV-59) will now drop everything they were previously doing in order to get combined operations under way. Assigned target: the Thuyen Lua torpedo boat base.
You and your wingman are on the bow cats. Finish preparations and launch as soon as you're ready. Hit your target and get back here. We're probably going to be doing a lot more of this.
See you back at the boat.