Captain John Jerome Herrick (1920 – 1997) was a United States Navy Commander of Destroyer Division 192, stationed upon the vessel USS Maddox during the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August of 1964.
Biography[]
On 30 July 1964, on the orders of CIA agent William King Harvey, Herrick, along with the rest of the Maddox crew participated in a ruse whereby they attacked the North Vietnamese Army while disguised as South Vietnamese combatants. This served to create a diversion for Alekseï Gavrani to reach the northern side of Hòn Mê and pursue the Bloodstone Unit.[1]
The following day, Herrick discussed the event with the ship's captain, Commander Herbert Ogier, who argued that they were underestimating the North Vietnamese and asked that he speak with Gavrani, hoping to avoid starting a war. Herrick met with Gavrani who insisted that they drop him off in North Vietnam to continue his mission, a demand that Herrick initially protested but ultimately complied with.[1]
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