To All.
Good Sunday Morning March 8, 2026.
The weather was wonderful yesterday and is the same today except for a wind advisory starting at 10 and going most of the day at speeds up to 26 knots. Looks like I Had better go outside and tie things down.. Well I went to bed when I got tired and got up when I wanted to this morning except when the cold nose of the big dog was gently pushed into my cheek telling me he and his buddy had to go outside.
Warm Regards,
skip
HAGD
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director's corner for all 94 H-Grams.
. March 8
1822 Crew from the schooner Enterprise capture and burn seven small pirate vessels off Cape Antonio, Cuba.
1862 The ironclad CSS Virginia destroys the wooden ships USS Cumberland and USS Congress in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
1943 PBY-5 Catalinas from VP-53 sink German submarine U 156 east-northeast of Trinidad.
1945 Phyllis Daley becomes the first African-American ensign in the Navy Nurse Corps and serves at the Naval Dispensary at Boston, Mass.
1945 Navy patrol bombers hit a Japanese convoy, sinking cargo vessel No. 21 Yusen Maru in Formosa Strait.
1950 Operation Portrex begins. The two-week-long exercise is the first use of airborne troops in support of an amphibious landing and takes place on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico.
1961 USS Patrick Henry (SSBN 599) returns from patrol to become the first ballistic missile submarine to use Holy Loch, Scotland, as a refit and upkeep anchorage.
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Today in World History: March 8
1618 Johannes Kepler discovers the third Law of Planetary Motion.
1702 Queen Anne becomes the monarch of England upon the death of William III.
1790 George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address.
1853 The first bronze statue of Andrew Jackson is unveiled in Washington, D.C.
1855 The first train crosses Niagara Falls on a suspension bridge.
1862 On the second day of the Battle of Pea Ridge, Confederate forces, including some Indian troops, under General Earl Van Dorn surprise Union troops, but the Union troops win the battle.
1862 The Confederate ironclad C.S.S. Virginia (formerly U.S.S. Merrimack) is launched.
1880 President Rutherford B. Hayes declares that the United States will have jurisdiction over any canal built across the Isthmus of Panama.
1904 The Bundestag in Germany lifts the ban on the Jesuit order of priests.
1908 The House of Commons, London, turns down the women's suffrage bill.
1909 Pope Pius X lifts the church ban on interfaith marriages in Hungary.
1910 Baroness de Laroche becomes the first woman to obtain a pilot's license in France.
1921 French troops occupy Dusseldorf.
1921 Spanish Premier Eduardo Dato is assassinated while leaving Parliament in Madrid.
1941 Martial law is proclaimed in Holland in order to extinguish any anti-Nazi protests.
1942 Japanese troops capture Rangoon, Burma.
1943 Japanese forces attack American troops on Hill 700 in Bougainville. The battle will last five days.
1945 Phyllis Mae Daley receives a commission in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. She will become the first African-American nurse to serve duty in World War II.
1948 The U.S. Supreme Court rules that religious instruction in public schools is unconstitutional.
1954 France and Vietnam open talks in Paris on a treaty to form the state of Indochina.
1961 Max Conrad circles the globe in a record time of eight days, 18 hours and 49 minutes in Piper Aztec.
1965 More than 4,000 Marines land at Da Nang in South Vietnam and become the first U.S. combat troops in Vietnam.
1966 Australia announces that it will triple the number of troops in Vietnam.
1970 The Nixon administration discloses the deaths of 27 Americans in Laos.
1973 Two bombs explode near Trafalgar Square in Great Britain injuring 234 people.
1982 The United States accuses the Soviets of killing 3,000 Afghans with poison gas.
1985 Thomas Creighton dies after having three heart transplants in a 46-hour period.
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Thanks to the Bear and Dan Heller. We will always have the url for you to search items in Rolling Thunder
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER …
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
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Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..March 8 . .
March 8: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2816
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. Thanks to TR
Skip. A little history.
Ahhh the good old F3H Demon.
VF 41, the Black Aces. Transitioned 1957 from the F2H Banshee. The F3H was an all weather comprtitor to the Douglas F4D Skyray. Good radar, was configured for the AIM - 7 Sparrow in addition to Sidewinder and guns. Decent radar, 60 mile range.
Had a poopy GE J-71 engine single spool engine that the Nav got from the USAF B 66 program when they upgraded to the J- 57.. USN / GE Added a burner and crammed it into the McDonnell airframe with small cheek intakes. It didn't like rain, the compressor case would shrink down and seize the engine. The fix was to shave the compressor resulting in a finiky engine and loss of thrust such that you could take the duty, run up to mil power, hold the brakes, light the burner, wait until the EGT came back down to 670, and go.
VF 41 Deployed on the Interpid/ North Atlantic . Air Task Group 181. VF 21 in F-J-3s, VA 42 and 176 in Spads.
The Demon was a fuel hog, Last to launch, first to recover. Spend 30 minites to get on top, bounced by the F-Js, go bingo, first aboard. Flew like a single engine Phantom coming aboard. Park up forward on the angle, and navigate the goat steps to the deck.
The only saving grace was night training at Key West, where the stars and the shrimp boats became one at the horizon. Flew twice at night and suntanned all day. Take the ferry to Cuba on the weekends.
The good old days. TR.
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Some bits from 1440
Good morning! It's Sunday, March 8 and happy International Women's Day. As the conflict in Iran continues, we wanted to understand the history and politics that led to this moment, so we hunted down the best resources on the Internet on the 1979 Iranian Revolution and tried to present them in a clear, balanced view. We're also highlighting English novelist Jane Austen 250 years after her birth and examining the standards around producing and marketing dietary supplements.
The Iranian Revolution
The revolt that still shapes global politics today.
The Iranian Revolution was a popular uprising that overthrew Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1979, ending millennia of monarchical rule in Iran. Mass protests, strikes, and demonstrations swept the country in 1978, culminating in the Shah's flight from Iran in January 1979.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a cleric who led resistance against the Shah's rule from exile, returned to Iran and quickly consolidated power. Within months, Iranians voted to establish an Islamic Republic, replacing the monarchy with a theocratic system of government based on Muslim clerical rule.
The Shah was unpopular for his harsh authoritarian rule and rapid Westernization, which many Iranians saw as a betrayal of their culture and religion. Resentment had been growing for decades—particularly since a 1953 CIA-backed coup removed Iran's democratically elected prime minister and restored the Shah's absolute power.
The revolution established the world's first modern Islamic theocracy and intensified the rivalry between Shia Iran and Sunni Arab states, leading to proxy conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen that continue today. It also permanently severed relations with the United States, most notably during the 1979 hostage crisis.
Austen and Authorship
Recognizing the literary powerhouse.
Jane Austen was an English writer whose 18th- and 19th-century novels—such as "Pride and Prejudice," "Emma," and "Mansfield Park"—are renowned for their exploration of romance, class, and gender.
Austen was the seventh of eight children and the child of a clergyman in the Church of England. She began writing at a young age, often staging plays in her family's barn, though her first published novel, "Sense and Sensibility," did not arrive until she was 35. Three more books were published during her lifetime, though all were published anonymously. After her death, her brother released "Northanger Abbey" and "Persuasion," and publicly identified her as the author for the first time.
Today, Austen is one of the most celebrated novelists in the English language. Her books have also been widely adapted for the screen, helping to maintain a devoted fan base of "Janeites," who celebrate the author's nuanced female characters, clever wordplay, and deftly constructed plots.
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> Winston Churchill said he was comforted by "Pride and Prejudice" during World War II. .
> Austen's first published novel was simply labeled as being "By a Lady.
Supplements, explained
Dietary supplements, which are used by roughly 75% of Americans, are products that are marketed as adding nutrients to your diet or boosting health. This industry, worth more than $60B annually, includes vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and herbal mixes.
Doctors may recommend supplements for specific populations with documented deficiencies in key nutrients, such as iron, calcium, or B12, but their usefulness for the general population is contested. Though some supplement claims are backed by solid research, others have outpaced the science.
Legally, dietary supplements are under the umbrella of food, so they aren't regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration before they get to market. Unlike items classified as drugs, there are no inspectors checking whether these products are adulterated, misbranded, or perform their advertised functions before they're sold online or in stores. If consumers buy supplements and become ill or have manufacturing concerns, they can file complaints with the FDA, and the agency can then take actions—including pulling any problematic products off the market.
Several consumer groups independently purchase and test supplements and publish their findings about specific products and brands, including the nonprofit Consumer Reports, the nonprofit US Pharmacopeia (which provides the USP certifications on vitamins), and the private company ConsumerLab.
A drink can mark the moment—but the morning after can linger (and not in a good way). That's where ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol comes in. It's a genetically engineered probiotic designed to break down acetaldehyde, a byproduct of alcohol associated with next-day sluggishness. Drink one before your first sip and let it go to work in your gut. Wake up the next morning refreshed and ready to tackle the day.
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Historybook: First stock car race held in Daytona Beach (1936); International Women's Day becomes official United Nations holiday (1977); Baseball player Joe DiMaggio dies (1999); Sam Simon, director and codeveloper of "The Simpsons," dies (2015).
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Good morning I found these and decided both had their merits and decided to put them together. BTW the second one has all the words needed to describe last night's speech…skip
Allow us to take you on a trip to the past , to a bygone era before the dawn of streaming services and on-demand content. Going to the movies wasn't limited to just paying a ticket and watching a particular film: Back in the day, seeing the posters on the walls of the lobby and getting psyched about upcoming releases was also very much part of the experience of going to your local movie theater.
While today we might play that exciting movie trailer on an endless loop on YouTube, advertisement agencies always relied on drawing audiences through catchy and flashy campaigns. And an integral part of these strategies was sometimes what made a movie either a hit or a failure: an exciting tagline . We have gathered the phrases that helped transform the ten films in this list into the iconic pieces of pop culture we now hold sacred.
1
Alien
Ridley Scott's 1979 film redefined the concept of space for audiences around the world. We stopped seeing the outer limits of our galaxy as "the Final Frontier" to be explored, and we now learned to fear that cold vacuum of endless silence.
Part of that dread definitively came from the movie's legendary tagline. The poster showed a glowing alien egg over a pitch-black background, and unveiled a phrase that still makes us feel uneasy: "In space, no one can hear you scream."
2
Taxi Driver
Whenever someone mentions Martin Scorsese's cult neo-noir, Robert DeNiro's iconic "You talkin' to me?" line usually comes to mind. And while this phrase is certainly legendary, Taxi Driver had a less-know tagline that also perfectly captures the essence of the film.
The 1976 original poster shows DeNiro's character of Travis Bickle standing in the middle of a deserted New York City sidewalk, while the tagline reads**: "On every street in every city in this country, there's a nobody who dreams of being a somebody."**
3
Ghostbusters
We can guarantee that this tagline has been ringing in your head ever since you read the name Ghostbusters on this list. You might even be humming this movie's unforgettable theme track: After all, Ghostbuster's iconic "Who ya gonna call?" tagline is on the centerstage of Ray Parker Jr.'s song.
What's interesting is that, while this tagline closed the film's trailer, it is curiously absent from the original 1984 poster , being instead replaced with a much more generic: "They are here to save the world." Nevertheless, "Who ya gonna call?" became an integral part of the Ghostbuster's mythos, and is still constantly quoted almost 40 years after the film's release.
4
The Naked Gun
Leslie Nielsen's 1988 "The Naked Gun" is not only remembered as a hilarious satire of police movies but also as a groundbreaking comedy film that paved the way for future parodies. The movie perfectly mixes slapstick gags with an amazing self-awareness of the ridiculousness the crime genre has to offer.
Appropriately, the movie's tagline mocked the film industry's tired, old tropes and cliches: "If you only see one movie this year... you need to get out more often."
5
The Social Network
The most recent movie on this list, David Fincher's 2010 "The Social Network" delved deeply into the humble (and tumultuous) early years of Facebook. This biographical drama examines Mark Zuckerberg's founding of the social media site from his Harvard dorm room and his legal battle with friend and co-founder Eduardo Saverin.
The movie's tagline perfectly summarizes these internal struggles into a single line: "You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies." Actor Jessee Eisenberg's iconic portrayal of Zuckerberg was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
6
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Much like "Alien", the 1977 "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" portrayed UFO encounters in a new, more unnerving light. Steven Spielberg's science-fiction drama chronicles the life of an Indiana electrician who sees his life change after an otherworldly encounter.
The film's poster shows a dark, deserted highway lit by the blue light emanating from an undisclosed energy sphere half hidden behind the horizon. The movie's tagline is located in the middle of the frame, a short but extremely effective reminder of the uneasiness this movie brings: "We are not alone."
7
The Fly
David Cronenberg's remake of the 1958 science fiction horror film "The Fly" was both an homage and a sharp turn from the original: Jeff Goldblum's spine-chilling fly hybrid is still regarded as one of the most terrifying monsters in film history.
In that regard, the movie's tagline highlights the primal fear that the monster produces in a simple but unnerving phrase: "Be afraid. Be very afraid." Right next to the tagline, The poster shows the now-iconic "telepod" lit by a blinding light, from which only a human hand and insect leg can be seen.
8
Apollo 13
This movie is the only one in this list that features a real-life quote as its tagline. "Houston, we have a problem" , the now-iconic distress call spoken by astronaut Jim Lovell (played by Tom Hanks) offered audiences a direct connection to the real Apollo 13 mission.
Ron Howard's 1995 drama echoed through the American public and is now considered one of the best films of all time . In 2023, it was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress.
9
Jaws & Jaws 2
We decided to include two amazing taglines in this entry because we couldn't possibly decide between them . The first Jaws film had an unforgettable poster that showed Bruce the shark (yeah, his name is Bruce) looming underwater, complemented by the now-legendary tagline: "You'll never go in the water again!"
By the time the second Jaws film was released, the first film had already cemented itself as a smashing hit. Logically, the executives behind the sequel decided to directly reference its predecessor: The movie's tagline cleverly states: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...
Note from Skip….I first saw Jaws while on the USS Hancock in the Far east and we thought the best line was "We got to get a bigger boat" We all agreed with that one.
10
Jurassic Park
We end this list with another classic Spielberg film. The first Jurassic Park film took audiences on a thrilling, unprecedented ride**, revered to this day as a timeless masterpiece.**
In 1993, the advertising campaign for the movie both made groundbreaking promises and played with people's expectations. The movie posters show the classic Jurassic Park logo over a black background, alongside the enigmatic tagline "An adventure 65 million years in the making."
UNWONTED TERMS FOR UNCOMMON SITUATIONS
Even Oddities Can be Described: 12 Words for the Unusual.
Published on March 7, 2024
Everything that exists, even if only in our minds, can be named. Such is the beauty of words, and the English language is especially rich and ingenious in this regard. Its lexicon not only embraces the conventional but also celebrates the delightfully odd.
Within its linguistic treasure lie peculiar words like "kerfuffle," "bumfuzzle," and "collywobbles" that dance on the tongue and paint vivid portraits of unusual situations. Take a moment and read about twelve seldomly heard terms that almost seem unreal.
1
Kerfuffle
Have you ever heard the word "kerfuffle"? It is a delightful linguistic oddity that describes a state of mild chaos or disorder.
This peculiar term originated from Scottish dialects in the late 18th century, derived from the Gaelic cur, meaning to twist or bend, combined with fuffle , suggesting disorderly movement or commotion. As quite a few examples on this list, the very sound of the word itself evokes its meaning.
2
Discombobulate
Another word that rarely gets thrown around, "discombobulate" aptly describes a state of confusion, disorientation, or bewilderment.
The prefix dis- means negation or reversal, while combobulate is an invention that might have been influenced by similar-sounding words like "discompose" or "discomfit." Together, they form a word that evokes the sensation of being mentally perplexed.
3
Bumfuzzle
Another word that describes a state of confusion, "bumfuzzle" originated in the Southern United States in the mid-19th century with an uncertain etymology, possibly arising from a blend of "bamboozle" and "fuddle."
This term embodies the linguistic treasure found in regional dialects, showcasing English's ability to develop expressive terms to portray the complexity of human emotions.
4
Flummox
A word that closes this trilogy of confusion terms, "flummox" also describes a state of bewilderment, perplexity, or confusion.
Making its first appearance in 19th-century England, its exact etymology remains uncertain, possibly derived from combining flummock, a word meaning to bewilder or confuse, with the suffix "-ox," adding emphasis or exaggeration.
5
Flibbertigibbet
Credit: Priscilla Du Preez
"Flibbertigibbet" is a term that can be used to describe someone who is frivolous or overly talkative. Its origins can be traced back to Old English, where flibbert denoted a frivolous person and gibbet referred to an inconsistent and unstable individual.
The word, as hard to pronounce as it is, serves as an apt definition for a lively yet disorganized individual. Think of someone who, when exposing his thoughts, is enthusiastic yet all over the place.
6
Whippersnapper
Credit: Papaioannou Kostas
We all know a "whippersnapper," even if we probably don't call them that way. The term is used to describe a young and inexperienced person, often with an air of arrogance or impudence.
The word dates back to the 17th century, blending "whip," meaning something small or insignificant, with "snapper," suggesting someone who talks back or is impertinent. It was initially used to mock young men who cracked whips while herding cattle, and it evolved into a light-hearted term teasingly aimed at youthful individuals displaying an excess of self-assurance.
7
Bibble
If you ever heard someone eating, sipping, slurping, or drinking noisily, then you have heard someone "bibble." As with many cases in the English language, the origin of the word is very possibly rooted in onomatopoeia: a written emulation of the very sound that it aims to describe. The word is not to be confused with "nibble", which means "to take small bites" of something.
8
Gobbledygook
One –even less used– cousin of the term "gibberish," "gobbledygook" is an endearing linguistic oddity used to describe incomprehensible or jumbled language, often mixed with obscure slang or meaningless words.
Coined in the 1940s by Texas Congressman Maury Maverick, this term blends "gobble," reminiscent of turkeys' sounds, with "gook," signifying muddled, unclear speech. Initially aimed at criticizing bureaucratic language, it was eventually used to describe similar discourse in every other sphere as well.
9
Abibliophopia
The kind of phobia that will turn anybody´s home into a library, "abibliophopia" is a charmingly peculiar term that describes the fear of running out of reading material or being without books.
While not officially recognized in psychological dictionaries, its origins can be traced to the Greek roots a-, meaning without, biblio-, referring to books, and -phobia, denoting fear. This word defines the anxiety book lovers might experience at the thought of an empty shelf or an absence of new reading material.
10
Cattywampus
A regional dialect, "cattywampus" is a term that describes either something positioned diagonally or something that is going the wrong way.
In either case, the word evokes a sense of playful disorder or misalignment and is an example of the English language's knack for inventing expressions that illustrate situations that aren't quite straight or are plain wrong but in a lighter sense.
11
Collywobbles
A funny word to describe a not-so-funny sensation, "collywobbles" refers to a feeling of nervousness, unease, or fluttering in the stomach.
Its origins trace back to the 19th century, merging "colly," an old English term for coal dust or darkness, with "wobbles," implying an unsettled or wobbly sensation. Initially describing a feeling of stomach discomfort or anxiety, it evolved to signify a broader sense of nervousness or apprehension.
12
Unwonted
The most fitting word on this list was left for the last. "Unwonted" is a very rarely used term that describes something uncommon, unusual, or not customary.
Coming from Old English, it combines "un-" as a prefix denoting negation or reversal and "wonted," which is derived from wont, meaning accustomed or habitual. An unwonted word in itself, this was a much more used term in the days of Charles Dickens and Henry James, when prose and spoken language were more adorned.
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
The U.S. was the first nation to use the term "President" for its head of state.
Once the U.S. finally secured its independence from Great Britain with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the new country had to invent lots of things from scratch, including its form of government, its rules and laws, and even what to call its leader. The title "president" — derived from the Latin praesidere, which means "to sit before" — had usually been reserved for heads of colleges or ceremonial titles in congresses or committees. (John Hancock was president of the Second Continental Congress, for example.) Before American independence, leaders of European countries were called kings, queens, emperors, dukes, or even Lord Protectors (during England's more revolutionary years), but never "president."
Article II of the U.S. Constitution enshrined the title "President," reflecting the democratic sentiments of post-revolutionary America. However, the country's founding document didn't solve all the intricacies related to the title. In the spring of 1789, Congress debated exactly how to address the President. John Adams, then Vice President and head of the Senate, hand-picked a committee that thought the title "His Highness, the President of the United States of America, and Protector of the Rights of the Same" (or something similar) put George Washington on even footing with his royal European peers, but many other lawmakers thought the title too monarchical. (Thomas Jefferson called it "the most superlatively ridiculous thing I ever heard of.") Instead, Washington opted for just plain "President of the United States." Decades later, Haiti followed suit by naming its leader "president" in 1807. Today, dozens of countries use the title for their heads of state.
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Military Milestones from Dueling Ironclads to Flying Tigers by W. Thomas
Smith Jr.
This Week in American Military History
Mar. 8, 1965: The lead elements of 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines begin coming
ashore at Da Nang, South Vietnam. Within hours, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines
will arrive aboard transport aircraft at the nearby airbase. The Marines of
3/9 and 1/3 – both part of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade – are the
first of America's ground-combat forces destined for offensive operations
against the enemy in Southeast Asia, once again putting teeth in the Marine
Corps' claim that it is "first to fight."
Mar. 9, 1847: Thousands of American soldiers and a company-sized force of
Marines (though referred to as a battalion) under the overall command of
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott and "Home Squadron" Commodore David E.
Conner begin landing at Collado Beach, Mexico, just south of Vera Cruz.
In what will prove to be "a model" for future amphibious operations, the
landings are unprecedented: The largest American amphibious operation to
date, conducted in less than five hours without a single loss of life.
A portion of Conner's dispatch to the Secretary of the Navy reads:
"Gen. Scott has now with him upwards of 11,000 men. At his request, I
permitted the Marines of the squadron, under Capt. [Alvin] Edson, to join
him, as a part of the 3rd Regiment of artillery. The general-in-chief
landed this morning, and the army put itself in motion at an early hour, to
form its lines around the city. There has been some distant firing of shot
and shells from the town and castle upon the troops as they advanced, but
without result."
Though the landings are bloodless, grim fighting will continue in the
Mexican-American War.
Mar. 9, 1862: In day-two of the now-famous Battle of Hampton Roads
(Virginia), the Confederate Navy's ironclad warship, CSS Virginia (built
from the remains of the previously scuttled frigate USS Merrimack) and her
Union rival, the also-ironclad USS Monitor, begin exchanging shots in one
of history's first clashes of ironclads.
The battle ends in a draw with both vessels inflicting marginal damage on
one another before breaking off the fight: Technically it is a tactical
victory for Virginia because she has inflicted greater damage on the
blockading ships than they on her (Virginia had attacked and destroyed the
Union Navy's wooden warships USS Congress and USS Cumberland the previous
day before the arrival of the Monitor). But it may also be seen as a
strategic victory for the Union because Virginia fails to break the
blockade. The battle however will not be remembered for which side might
have carried the day – though that is still being debated – but rather the
lessons learned in this particular clash which greatly contributed to the
ongoing revolution in Naval tactics and ship-design and construction.
Mar. 10, 1783: The Duc De Lauzun, a Continental Navy transport-vessel
(laden with Spanish silver currency), and her escort, the frigate Alliance
(the first of two so-named American warships), are spotted by three Royal
Navy ships – HMS Sybil, HMS Alarm, and HMS Tobago –off Cape Canaveral,
Florida. Sybil pursues the two American vessels, fires on the slow-moving
Duc De Lauzun, then is aggressively engaged by Alliance. In less than one
hour, the badly damaged Sybil disengages and flees, ending the last Naval
battle of the American Revolution.
Alliance is commanded by Capt. (future commodore) John Barry, who – as we
said Feb. 4 – is considered in some circles to be "the Father of the
American Navy," though some would argue that title belongs to Capt. John
Paul Jones.
Mar. 11, 1862: President Abraham Lincoln – frustrated over Union Army Gen.
George B. McClellan's unwillingness to attack the Confederate Army –
relieves McClellan of his post as general-in-chief of the U.S. Army, but
keeps him on as commanding general of the Army of the Potomac. McClellan –
who will lose his command after failing to destroy Confederate Gen. Robert
E. Lee's wounded army following the Battle of Antietam – becomes the second
well-known casualty in Lincoln's series of firing, hiring, and firing
generals until the Union Army (like the already well-commanded Confederate
Army) is led by some of the most able generals in American military history.
Mar. 11, 1943: "The Flying Tigers" – the famous volunteer group of
American fighter pilots contracted to the Chinese Air Force during World
War II and ultimately brought under U.S. Army Air Forces command as the
China Air Task Force – is absorbed into the 14th Air Force.
Commanded by Gen. Claire L. Chennault, "the Flying Tigers" were so-named
because of the tiger-shark faces painted on the noses of their P-40
fighters.
Today, according to the U.S. Air Force, airmen of the 14th Air Force are
"the day-to-day operators of Air Force Space Command's space forces." And
the centerpiece of the 14th Air Force emblem is a tiger with wings.
Note from Skip. That 14th Air Force Command is located at Vandenberg AFB and outside their Headquaters building is a beautiful P-40 in Flying Tiger colors complete with Tiger teeth.
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From the archives
One night at Cheers Sitcom, Cliff Clavin said to his buddy, Norm Peterson: "Well, ya-see, Normy, it's like this A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.
In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells but, naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers!"
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This Day in U S Military History
1943 – US Ambassador to the USSR, Admiral W.M. Standley, claims that the Soviet leaders are not telling their people about all the aid the US is sending. On March 11, Soviet Ambassador to the US, Maxim Litvinov, thanks the US for its aid.
1944 – USAAF heavy bombers raid Berlin for a second time. About 10 percent of the force of 580 bombers is lost despite the escort of 800 fighters.
1945 – On Iwo Jima, the forces of US 5th Amphibious Corps continue pushing northward with heavy fire support. Japanese forces are now all within one mile of the north end of the island.
1958 – Battleship USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is decommissioned, leaving the Navy without an active battleship for the first time since 1895.
1965 – The USS Henrico, Union, and Vancouver, carrying the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade under Brig. Gen. Frederick J. Karch, take up stations 4,000 yards off Red Beach Two, north of Da Nang. First ashore was the Battalion Landing Team 3/9, which arrived on the beach at 8:15 a.m. Wearing full battle gear and carrying M-16s, the Marines were met by sightseers, South Vietnamese officers, Vietnamese girls with leis, and four American soldiers with a large sign stating: "Welcome, Gallant Marines." Gen. William Westmoreland, senior U.S. military commander in Saigon, was reportedly "appalled" at the spectacle because he had hoped that the Marines could land without any fanfare. Within two hours, Battalion Landing Team 1/3 began landing at Da Nang air base. The 3,500 Marines were deployed to secure the U.S. airbase, freeing South Vietnamese troops up for combat. On March 1, Ambassador Maxwell Taylor had informed South Vietnamese Premier Phan Huy Quat that the United States was preparing to send the Marines to Vietnam. Three days later, a formal request was submitted by the U.S. Embassy, asking the South Vietnamese government to "invite" the United States to send the Marines. Premier Quat, a mere figurehead, had to obtain approval from the real power, Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu, chief of the Armed Forces Council. Thieu approved, but, like Westmoreland, asked that the Marines be "brought ashore in the most inconspicuous way feasible." These wishes were ignored and the Marines were given a hearty, conspicuous welcome when they arrived.
1968 – A Soviet submarine, code-named K129, sank in the Pacific at a depth of almost 20,000 feet. A US sub, the Halibut, found the Soviet vessel 6 months later and recovered 3 missiles with nuclear warheads, Soviet code books and an encryption machine. In 1974 the CIA attempted to recover the sub. A 100 foot section was pulled in by the Glomar Explorer with 2 nuclear tipped torpedoes and the bodies of 6 Russian sailors.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day (TWO MORE FROM Iwo Jima)
FITZ, JOSEPH
Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 24 May 1886, Austria. Accredited to: lowa. G.O. No.: 19, 1 May 1906. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Pampanga, Mount Dajo Jolo, Philippine Islands, 8 March 1906. Serving in the presence of the enemy on this date, Fitz displayed bravery and extraordinary heroism.
*WATSON, GEORGE
General Order: Citation: For extraordinary heroism in action on 8 March 1943. Private Watson was on board a ship which was attacked and hit by enemy bombers. When the ship was abandoned, Private Watson, instead of seeking to save himself, remained in the water assisting several soldiers who could not swim to reach the safety of the raft. This heroic action, which subsequently cost him his life, resulted in the saving of several of his comrades. Weakened by his exertions, he was dragged down by the suction of the sinking ship and was drowned. Private Watson's extraordinarily valorous actions, daring leadership, and self-sacrificing devotion to his fellow-man exemplify the finest traditions of military service.
*LA BELLE, JAMES DENNIS
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 22 November 1925, Columbia Heights, Minn. Accredited to: Minnesota. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while attached to the 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the seizure of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 8 March 1945. Filling a gap in the front lines during a critical phase of the battle, Pfc. LaBelle had dug into a foxhole with 2 other marines and, grimly aware of the enemy's persistent attempts to blast a way through our lines with hand grenades, applied himself with steady concentration to maintaining a sharply vigilant watch during the hazardous night hours. Suddenly a hostile grenade landed beyond reach in his foxhole. Quickly estimating the situation, he determined to save the others if possible, shouted a warning, and instantly dived on the deadly missile, absorbing the exploding charge in his own body and thereby protecting his comrades from serious injury. Stouthearted and indomitable, he had unhesitatingly relinquished his own chance of survival that his fellow marines might carry on the relentless fight against a fanatic enemy His dauntless courage, cool decision and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon Pfc. LaBelle and upon the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.
*LUMMUS, JACK
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 22 October 1915, Ennie, Tex. Appointed from: Texas. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as leader of a Rifle Platoon attached to the 2d Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 8 March 1945. Resuming his assault tactics with bold decision after fighting without respite for 2 days and nights, 1st Lt. Lummus slowly advanced his platoon against an enemy deeply entrenched in a network of mutually supporting positions. Suddenly halted by a terrific concentration of hostile fire, he unhesitatingly moved forward of his front lines in an effort to neutralize the Japanese position. Although knocked to the ground when an enemy grenade exploded close by, he immediately recovered himself and, again moving forward despite the intensified barrage, quickly located, attacked, and destroyed the occupied emplacement. Instantly taken under fire by the garrison of a supporting pillbox and further assailed by the slashing fury of hostile rifle fire, he fell under the impact of a second enemy grenade but, courageously disregarding painful shoulder wounds, staunchly continued his heroic 1-man assault and charged the second pillbox, annihilating all the occupants. Subsequently returning to his platoon position, he fearlessly traversed his lines under fire, encouraging his men to advance and directing the fire of supporting tanks against other stubbornly holding Japanese emplacements. Held up again by a devastating barrage, he again moved into the open, rushed a third heavily fortified installation and killed the defending troops. Determined to crush all resistance, he led his men indomitably, personally attacking foxholes and spider traps with his carbine and systematically reducing the fanatic opposition until, stepping on a land mine, he sustained fatal wounds. By his outstanding valor, skilled tactics, and tenacious perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, 1st Lt. Lummus had inspired his stouthearted marines to continue the relentless drive northward, thereby contributing materially to the success of his regimental mission. His dauntless leadership and unwavering devotion to duty throughout sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.
*MATHIS, JACK W. (Air Mission)
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 359th Bomber Squadron, 303d Bomber Group. Place and date: Over Vegesack, Germany, 18 March 1943. Entered service at: San Angelo, Tex. Born: 25 September 1921, San Angelo, Tex. G.O. No.: 38, 12 July 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy over Vegesack, Germany, on 18 March 1943. 1st Lt. Mathis, as leading bombardier of his squadron, flying through intense and accurate antiaircraft fire, was just starting his bomb run, upon which the entire squadron depended for accurate bombing, when he was hit by the enemy antiaircraft fire. His right arm was shattered above the elbow, a large wound was torn in his side and abdomen, and he was knocked from his bomb sight to the rear of the bombardier's compartment. Realizing that the success of the mission depended upon him, 1st Lt. Mathis, by sheer determination and willpower, though mortally wounded, dragged himself back to his sights, released his bombs, then died at his post of duty. As the result of this action the airplanes of his bombardment squadron placed their bombs directly upon the assigned target for a perfect attack against the enemy. 1st Lt. Mathis' undaunted bravery has been a great inspiration to the officers and men of his unit.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 8, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
8 March
1913: Shakir S. Jerwan, chief pilot for the Moisant International Aviators, delivered an airmail letter to former President William H. Taft. He dropped the letter from his monoplane in front of Taft's hotel in Augusta. (24)
1918: Majs Edward C. Schneider and James L. Whitney reached an artifical altitude of 34,000 feet in 24 minutes in a simulated altitude flight at Signal Corps Laboratory, Mineola, N. Y. (24)
1944: Eighth Air Force attacked Berlin with 623 bombers, escorted by 891 fighters. (4)
1946: The Civil Air Authority (CAA) gave the Bell Model 47, a two-place helicopter, the first commercial helicopter license (NC-1H). (24)
1949: William P. Odom, in a Beechcraft Bonanza, set an FAI world distance record for light planes by flying 5,273 miles from Honolulu to Teterboro, N. J., in 36 hours 2 minutes. (9) (24)
1955: At Great Falls AFB, the USAF formed the 91 SRS to perform a unique mission. It could launch and recover F-84F Thunderstreaks from B-36 bombers. (24)
1960: The first Atlas D equipped with an all-inertial (open loop) guidance system intended for the E and F-models launched from Cape Canaveral. (6)
1961: F-86D PHASE-OUT. PACAF sent three of its few remaining F-86Ds to the Military Assistance Program; the remainder went to salvage by 10 March. On 3 March, the last programmed F-102 Delta Dagger arrived at Clark Air Base for the 509 FIS. This completed the replacement program begun in 1960. (17)
1965: SAC phased out its first B-52B (number 52-8714) from the 22 BMW at March AFB. The bomber went to Chanute AFB, Ill., for use in training. (1) Major Dan D. Fulgham of Edwards AFB took part in the Gemini personnel recovery system tests by jumping from 15,000 and 23,000 feet in the Gemini suit and egress equipment. (3) The 431st Air Refueling Squadron, the last in TAC, inactivated at Biggs AFB, Tex. (11)
1979: Orbital Space Shuttle "Columbia" left Palmdale overland to Edwards AFB for its flight to Patrick AFB, Fla. (12)
1985: First TAC F-16C/D Fighting Falcon arrived at Shaw AFB. (16) MAC helicopters assisted Bahamian police and U.S Drug enforcement officials in confiscating 1,800 pounds of cocaine worth $320 million. (16)
1991: The first Martin-Marietta Titan IV, propelled by a heavy lift space booster, launched from Vandenburg AFB. The Titan IV had two upper stage options, which allowed the missile to carry critical military payloads. (16) (26)
2007: The Air Force marked its 50th consecutive successful launch with an Atlas V loaded with six experimental satellites. The Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., successfully launched the rocket from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., using the 45th Space Wing spacelift team. The firsts on this mission include: The first launch of an Air Force payload on an Atlas V; the first flight of an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adaptor; the first Air Force mission with six unique spacecraft; the first dedicated Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle mission for the Department of Defense Space Test Program; and the first Atlas V mission to carry multiple satellites to two different low-Earth orbits. The Atlas carried: NextSat and ASTRO for the Defense Advanced Projects Agency; STPSat-1 for the Space Test Program; Cibola Flight Experiment for the Los Alamos National Laboratory; MidSTAR for the U.S. Naval Academy; and FalconSat-3 for the U.S. Air Force Academy. (AFNEWS, "Air Force's Satellite-Loaded Atlas V is 50th Launch Success," 12 Mar 2007.)
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