On December 18, 2022, marked the 50th Anniversary of Operation Linebacker II, the largest heavy bomber operation conducted by the United States Air Force since World War II. It was a campaign that brought U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War to a close. A commemorative ceremony was held at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to recognize the sacrifice and professionalism of B-52 Stratofortress crews and their U.S. Navy counterparts who participated in the operation over North Vietnam in 1972.
By the eighth year of the Vietnam War, the aircrews selected to conduct Operation Linebacker II understood the gravity of the mission. In the photographs taken during the first mission briefing, all the aircrew members are seen with grim expressions. Shawn Bohannon, a senior historian for Air Force Global Strike Command, said, “That picture truly encapsulates the stress and anxiety that those aircrew members were feeling when they revealed the target.”
On the night of December 18, 1972, 87 B-52s and their crews launched from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Over the next 11 days, 730 sorties were conducted with command and control operations in Hanoi and war-sustaining complexes in Haiphong being the main targets. The carrier-based tactical aircraft of the U.S. Navy participated more than ever in the attacks.
The immediate effects of this heavy bombing were enormous. The treatment of the 591 American prisoners of war held by the North Vietnamese improved dramatically. Further, the North Vietnamese agreed to return to Paris for peace talks, leading to a cease-fire agreement signed on January 27, 1973. All POWs were released on the same day.
Bohannon said, reflecting on the success of the campaign, “That air campaign was successful in that there was a conclusion to the war, but it was born on the backs of the extraordinarily brave crew members who had to face those kinds of threats night after night.” Intense enemy defenses throughout the campaign took 26 aircraft, yet bravery and sacrifice mark the pages of history nonetheless.
The anniversary ceremony was held at Barksdale AFB on December 19, 2022, to commemorate the lives lost during Operation. Highlighting the significance of the operation, Maj. Gen. Andrew Gebara, commander of the 8th Air Force and Joint-Global Strike Operations Center said, “Operation Linebacker II is an important part of Eighth Air Force and our nation’s history. The magnitude and selflessness of Airmen who served on those missions 50 years ago is a testament to the will of each warrior that fought for freedom, and they deserve to be honored and remembered.”
The same B-52 Stratofortress that played a main actor in Operation Linebacker II still serves the U.S. Air Force today. “There is a famous quote that goes something like, ‘Join the Air Force and fly the aircraft your grandfather flew.’ Generations of aircrew have flown those B-52s and gone on to retire multiple times over. The B-52 is an eternal testament to such a great product that Boeing built.” added Bohannon.
Operation Linebacker II represented the pinnacle of technological advances and strategy for the United States Air Force, but it was also about endurance and the adaptability of the aircrew. The mix in effective use of technology such as chaff, jamming, and smart munitions, along with steadfast resolve by the aircrews, contributed to the success of the campaign.
On the other hand, the North Vietnamese underestimated the response of the U.S. to their Easter Offensive and committed a critical mistake in judgment. Having moved the air defense missiles south, the Hanoi-Haiphong area became so exposed that it was at the mercy of heavy air attacks. As much as they believed in a “victorious” resistance, the campaign demonstrated striking weaknesses in the way options were selected.
The application of its lessons learned, even in subsequent conflicts such as Desert Storm, demonstrates that even now, this has been a very relevant historic campaign. Today, on this 50th anniversary, the bravery and sacrifice of those participating in Operation Linebacker II remain relevant and instructive to military strategy.