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BRENDEL, COLONEL JO, of Louisville, KY, passed away in the early hours of Monday, May 24, 2010, while visiting Austin, TX with his family for the graduation of two of his granddaughters from the University of Texas.
Jo was born March 20, 1931 in Los Angeles, CA to Louis and Emelyn Brendel. He spent most of his childhood in Fairfield, Connecticut, graduating from Roger Ludlow High School. He received his undergraduate degree in 1954 from the United States Naval Academy where he was a member of the 1954 national champion lacrosse team. He received his graduate degree in 1961 from the University of Chicago.
Jo served over 20 years in the United States Air Force. His career led him to various assignments within the states and abroad. His first assignment was at Patrick AFB in Cocoa Beach, Florida followed by assignments at Edwards AFB in the Mohave Desert, Space Systems in Los Angeles, CA, Hickam AFB in Honolulu, HI, several assignments in Washington DC, Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH, and his final assignment was the commanding officer of AFROTC at the University of Louisville. He also served in Vietnam.
After military retirement, Jo spent several years working at the Better Business Bureau, and as interim director of the Louisville Visual Art Association.
A member of St. Matthews Episcopal Church, he served on the vestry four terms; he also traveled to Ghana representing his church in an exchange program. He was a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity for 20 years. His other commitments included Kentucky Harvest and Reading for the Blind.
He is survived by his wife, Marcia Ann Leiss, who was also from Fairfield, CT; daughter, Marilyn Brendel Brooks (Terry) of Houston, TX; son, Greg Brendel and daughter Lisa Brendel Ewen, both of whom reside in Anchorage, KY; sister, Janet Brendel Montgomery (Richard) of Darien, CT; grandchildren, Kathryn and Christina Brooks, Matthew Brendel, Wilson and Katie Ewen.
Visitation will be 4 p.m. on Friday, June 4, 2010, at St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 330 Hubbards Lane with memorial service following at 5:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Matthews Episcopal Church or Habitat for Humanity.
Vietnam War/Counteroffensive Phase VII Campaign (1970-71)
From Month/Year
July / 1970
To Month/Year
June / 1971
Description
On December 1, 1970. the USAF began another interdiction campaign named COMMANDO HUNT V, the third so-named dry season campaign in as many years.* In Commando Hunt V, the USAF attacks focused on the Laotian panhandle, although tactical aircraft periodically struck targets in northern Laos and Cambodia. B-52s and fighter-bombers hit the passes between North Vietnam and Laos, creating chokepoints that forced the North Vietnamese to channel traffic and reinforcements moving southward so that gunships, B-57G bombers, and other tactical aircraft could more easily destroy them. The Icitoo Wrtrre automated system of sensors that the USAF airdropped along the Ho Chi Mirth Trail was designed to aid in the location of trucks and other moving targets. The South Vietnamese and U.S. military leaders intended this aerial campaign to prevent a sustained enemy offensive in South Vietnam, thus giving the Republic of Vietnam more time to equip with modem weapons and train its armed forces. To that end, between January 30 and March 24. 1971, the ARVN entered Laos near Khe Sanh, 15 miles south of the DMZ. The Allies in this operation, code-named LAM Son 719, hoped to cut a segment of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and capture Tchepone, the hub of the Communists’ logistics system in Laos. From February 8 to March 24 the USAF supported Lam Son 719 by airlifting South Vietnamese troops and supplies into Khe Sanh. Flying tactical air strikes in Laos, and furnishing forward air control (FAC) in the battle area.
On March 7, 1971, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam reached Tchepone; however, North Vietnamese forces inflicted such heavy casualties that South Vietnamese commanders were forced to withdraw 3 days later. The USAF then covered U.S. Army helicopters evacuating ARVN troops with heavy tactical air and B-52 attacks. By March 24 the last ARVN troops retumed to South Vietnam, but they had abandoned large quantities of military hardware, including trucks and tanks, during the evacuation. in spite of the ARVN‘s chaotic withdrawal. the North Vietnamese army also suffered heavy losses and did not begin another major offensive in South Vietnam for almost a year.
The COMMANDO HUNT V campaign saw the first extensive use of 2 new USAF weapons: laser-guided bombs and “daisy cutter” bombs. On
February 3. 1971, F-4s equipped with laser-seeker pods and laser-guided bombs destroyed a 37-mm antiaircraft site along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Then, on February 19, F-4 pilots used this weapon to destroy 2 trucks. On March 3 the Seventh Air Force used laser-guided bombs to destroy tanks that had been spotted near Tchepone. The USAF now had the means to hit accurately small targets on the first try. During LAM Son
719. the USAF also used large, high-explosive “daisy cutter” bombs (up to 15.000 pounds) to clear landing zones for helicopters. These bombs.
extracted by parachute from C-130s, exploded a few feet above the ground and cleared enough area in the jungle for I or 2 helicopters to
land. The ordnance allowed engineers to establish suitable landing zones quickly in enemy territory and contibuted substantially to the rapid
movement of troops into and out of Laos.
All the while, the war raged in other regions of Southeast Asia. From January through April 1971, the USAF launched numerous retaliatory strikes against surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft sites in North Vietnam, and USAF pilots also frequently flew close air support missions in Cambodia and northern Laos. Meantime, on February 18 the North Vietnamese delegation once again boycotted the Paris peace talks, although on April 8 it reappeared to resume negotiations.
