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Thunder in the Night
 Thunder in the Night, A Sailor's Perspective on Vietnam
by Raymond S. Kopp

----- Dedicated to my fallen comrads -----
Memorial Pages - click the page numbers. . . (1) . . . (2). . . (3) . . .(4) . . .(5) . . .(6)
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     “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
     He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”  -  2 Corinthians 1:8-11
IMPORTANT UPDATE TO VA BENEFITS!!! New Recognition for Vietnam War "Blue Water" Sailors - Click
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ISBN: 1-892451-28-X
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When May 1972 came around, the war in Vietnam was supposed to be winding down. But for a the crews of Task Unit 77.1.2 it was just starting. Steaming into heavily defended North Vietnamese waters the sailors and marines experienced war as they never thought possible. They engaged their foes with crushing, hit and run tactics that helped stem the flow of men and materiel needed for the Communist takeover of South Vietnam. In raid after raid the artillery firefights that ensued showed their adversaries to be well-trained and equipped forces intent on defending the military complexes of the Hanoi and Haiphong region. As time trudged on they found themselves constant targets of enemy fire and inner-psychological warfare.
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This "Scoreboard" (left) was kept on the bulkhead of the ship's Combat Information Center, the nerve center of operations, inside the heavy cruiser's  massive steel hull. These "Strike" missions were the real combat forrays of Operation Linebacker I which included raids on Haiphong Harbor, the seaport entrance to Hanoi. Linebacker I was the first phase of America's last and most expansive assault on North Vietnam. Culminating in the air raids of Linebacker II in December of that year, these actions applied extreme military pressure at the time and place where it was needed most in an effort to bring about the signing of the Paris Peace Accord of January 1973.
Haiphong Harbor Yacht Club patch created by
Dave  Brownstead, 1972.
Reviews for Thunder in the Night
"In Thunder in the Night, Kopp has written an important and powerful book. He illuminates a forgotten part of history: the naval battles of the early 1970s, as the United States' involvement in Vietnam came to a close. The book is an honest, moving portrayal of men at war. The author has sympathy and understanding in his characters, and he is unflinching in his examination of war's effects on the men and women who fall into its grip. This book is a timeless, moving story."
- Susan Thornton - Author - On Broken Glass: Loving and Losing John Gardner

"Thunder in the Night by Ray Kopp will reverberate through naval history and the history of the Vietnam War for years to come. It is a classic revelation of men in battle. His excellent description of the war, the ship, the men, and the battles is a must read for all who seek to know why and how sailors and soldiers face the same common struggle to survive and win."
- Franklin B. Resseguie, Lt. Col. USAF, Retired - Author - Feathers on the Wind and Eagle Feathers
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About The Author
Ray Kopp was born in the small town of Starrucca, Pennsylvania on September 19, 1951. He joined the Navy upon graduation from high school and his four years of service took him to many places, including Vietnam. Ray left the Navy in September of 1973 and later returned to Navy Reserve duty from 1978 to 1980. He has enjoyed many occupational endeavors, including working as a technical specialist and designer in the aerospace industry, an N/C machinest, a sailing instructor and a skiing instructor. Ray resides in Rochester, NY where he pursues further writing goals.
Portrait by Stephen Mogck

 

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