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Good Sunday morning July 12 2026 . It was cloudy and cool when I got up and it is supposed to stay that way for the whole day with a high of 85 by 1.
Warm Regards,
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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
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 100 H-Grams
The Exercise Tiger Debacle, 28 April 1944
On 5 August 1944, Rear Admiral Donald Pardee Moon committed suicide on board his flagship USS Bayfield (APA-33) in the Bay of Naples. Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal announced that Moon’s death was the result of combat fatigue. Other reports indicate Moon suffered a serious head injury during darkened ship, resulting in constant severe headaches that impaired his judgment, which were described in Moon’s suicide note. Some suggested that the stress of planning for the rushed impending landings in southern France (Operation Dragoon, 15 August 1944) contributed. Others believed that a sense of guilt over what happened during Exercise Tiger was a motivating factor, or at least a concern that a court of inquiry might be convened.
Exercise Tiger was intended to be a full-dress rehearsal for the landings on Utah Beach. Instead, the rehearsal cost more lives (over 650) than the actual landings at Utah Beach on D-Day and served as an example of what could have occurred on D-Day were it not for Adolf Hitler’s shortsighted Navy policies, which left the Germans with a paltry naval capability to defend the Normandy beaches. Nevertheless, on the night of 27–28 April, nine German S-boats (the Allies called them E-boats) got in among a convoy of eight fully loaded LSTs en route to the practice landing and hit three of them with torpedoes, sinking two (one going down in only six minutes) and blowing the stern off the third, with heavy loss of U.S. Army (at least 441) and US Navy (198) lives. There was no known damage suffered by the S-boats from Allied fire.
The LST convoy was part of a much larger “Assault Force U,” which was under the command of Rear Admiral Moon. Moon was an officer of stellar reputation, and the reality was that there was not much of anything he could have done that would have made a big difference in the outcome. Nevertheless, presiding over such a debacle weighed heavily on him. Other senior officers held him responsible, at least in an informal sense, and the fact that the first rehearsal landings were a succession of foul-ups didn’t help (including reported deaths by “friendly fire”). Moon, however, put those lessons to good use, and the actual landings on Utah Beach under his command were executed significantly better than on any of the other beaches, for which he is a hero and his untimely death a tragedy.
The fact that the D-Day landings didn’t suffer the same fate as Exercise Tiger was due to several factors. The principal one was Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s bold decision to launch the invasion in the face of adverse weather forecasts; the S-boats were in port as the Allied invasion fleet crossed the English Channel since the Germans assumed that no one in their right mind would invade in that weather. Second, even if they had come out, there were nowhere near enough S-boats to make more than a dent in the massive Allied invasion fleet. Third, the extraordinary Allied deception effort had the Germans, including what naval forces they had, expecting the invasion in the wrong place.
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July 12
1836 Charles H. Haswell is commissioned as the first regularly appointed Engineer Officer. In Oct. 1844, he is promoted to Engineer in Chief of the Navy.
1916 The AB-3 flying boat, piloted by Lt. Godfrey de Chevalier, is catapulted from USS North Carolina (ACR 12) while underway in Pensacola Bay, Fla. The launch completes calibration of the first catapult designed for shipboard use.
1921 - Congress creates Bureau of Aeronautics to be in charge of all matter pertaining to naval aeronautics.
1943 USS Taylor (DD 468) sinks Japanese submarine (RO 107), east of Kolombangara, Solomon Islands.
1951 - Ninth Naval District forces assist in flood relief work in Kansas City through 20 July
1953 - United Nations Fleet launches heavy air and sea attack on Wonsan; Major John Bolt, USMC becomes first jet ace in Marine Corps.
1988 Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci III approves opening the Navy's Underwater Construction Teams, fleet oilers, ammunition ships and combat stores ships to women.
1990 Cmdr. Rosemary B. Mariner becomes the first woman to command an operational aviation squadron, Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 34 (VAQ 34). She is one of the first women to become qualified as a Naval Aviator in 1974 and one of the first women to fly light attack aircraft. Mariner attained the rank of Captain before retiring in 1997.
2003 USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk. The ninth in the Nimitz-class of nuclear-powered supercarriers, the ship's motto is Peace through Strength, a phrase coined by President Reagan.
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Today in World History July 12
1096 Crusaders under Peter the Hermit reach Sofia in Hungary.
1691 William III defeats the allied Irish and French armies at the Battle of Aughrim, Ireland.
1794 British Admiral Lord Nelson loses his right eye at the siege of Calvi, in Corsica.
1806 The Confederation of the Rhine is established in Germany.
1941 Moscow is bombed by the German Luftwaffe for the first time.
1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposes a highway modernization program, with costs to be shared by federal and state governments.
1957 The U.S. surgeon general, Leroy E. Burney, reports that there is a direct link between smoking and lung cancer.
1974 G. Gordon Liddy, John Ehrlichman and two others are convicted of conspiracy and perjury in connection with the Watergate scandal.
1984 Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale chooses Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate.
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
July 11
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.
An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).
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Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
For Sunday July 12
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A few bits from Nice News
Did you know that by French law, baguettes are required to consist of only four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast? If the answer is yes, bien joué! If it’s no,
consider bookmarking our parent company Britannica’s free daily trivia game to learn all sorts of interesting tidbits about the world. Called Tightrope (you’ll see why), the timed game is a great way to gamify your learning — play here.
— the Nice News team
Featured Story
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“Emotional Sobriety” Can Help You Maintain Peace Amid Life’s Ups and Downs
Alina Naumova/iStock
It feels good to belly laugh, it’s healthy to cry, and it can be helpful to get angry. Experiencing our emotions deeply (particularly a wide range of them) is a beautiful part of life — but when we stay stuck in our feelings, they can start to run the show, influencing our actions and behaviors in ways that don’t serve us. So how do we know where to draw the line?
That’s where emotional sobriety comes in. Conceptualized by Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the practice was originally meant to go hand in hand with physical sobriety, or abstaining from using addictive substances. But while it was created with addicts in mind, the notions behind it — learning to regulate your emotions and turning inward for your self-esteem — aren’t limited to those in recovery.
To learn more about emotional sobriety, we sought the insights of Gail Saltz, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College. Click below for her advice on adopting the practice into your own day-to-day routine.
Learn the Practice
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If something breaks, the company fixes it. No surprises, no maintenance calls, no big purchase decision. EnergySage connects you with trusted local installers offering $0-down solar — compare your options for free today.
This Week’s Top Stories
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Environment
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Inside the International Plan to Save One of the World’s Rarest Birds From Extinction
Chester Zoo
The Javan green magpie, with its vibrant lime-hued feathers and distinctive call, is a striking sight. Yet, scientists who scoured 12 mountains on the Indonesian island of Java failed to spot a single one. With less than 250 of the birds believed to exist worldwide, the species is on the brink of extinction, so conservationists have hatched an emergency action plan to hopefully boost its population.
“This is a bird that most people have never heard of, and that’s part of the problem. The Javan green magpie is running out of time — and running out of places to hide,” Andrew Owen, head of birds at England’s Chester Zoo and co-author of the plan, said in a press release.
In late 2025, bird specialists from Chester Zoo were among 48 international experts who traveled to Java to develop the scheme, which will be implemented over the next decade. Action steps include tackling bird trapping, habitat loss, and the illegal online songbird trade as well as bolstering an ongoing conservation breeding program. The plan also spotlights the bird’s cultural significance in Indonesia.
While continued breeding is vital to the critically endangered species’ survival, Owens acknowledged that it can’t be the sole solution. “This new action plan is about giving the species a future in the wild,” he said. “That’s what drives us.”
Sports
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Why Do Baseball Players Put Black Marks Under Their Eyes?
Maddie Malhotra—Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
This article was written by Adam Annaccone, a clinical associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas at Arlington, for The Conversation.
Bottom of the ninth. Two outs. Bases loaded. The winning run is standing on third base. The pitcher winds up and throws. The batter swings and sends a high fly ball into the air. The center fielder races back, looks up at the sky, and then says the sentence no baseball fan wants to hear: “I lost it in the sun.”
For baseball players, seeing the ball clearly can be the difference between making a game-winning catch and watching the winning run score. That is one reason many athletes put black marks under their eyes before a game.
Baseball, football, and other outdoor athletes apply black stripes under their eyes because they hope it might reduce the glare from the sun or bright stadium lights. But the use of eye black comes down to tradition as much as it does science. Learn more.
Humanity
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When an Atlanta Middle School Prioritized Kindness, Discipline Referrals Halved
Perkins&Will
At Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Atlanta, teachers begin their lessons by asking students a question that has nothing to do with yesterday’s math homework or reading material. “Every class, every day, our teachers start with connection before content,” Principal Kimberly Sewell told CBS News Atlanta. She added: “For 30 seconds, we ask students something simple, like their favorite pizza topping or what makes them happy.”
The casual opening question is part of a broader approach adopted by the school two years ago to bring more positivity and kindness into the classroom. Discipline referrals have since dropped by about 50% and attendance has improved, according to Sewell, who added: “It’s very, very important that [students] know that we see them and that we are so happy that they are coming to school today.”
Good news spreads fast, as the middle school was recently among 32 schools nationwide that received a Kindness Designation from the nonprofit Teach Kindness.
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Some bits from the California Flyover
SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2026
Good Morning! On this day in 1971, Olympic figure skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi was born in Hayward. Born with clubfoot, she took up skating as therapy and went on to win gold at the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville.
From a fast-moving wildfire in Southern California to another successful SpaceX launch on the Central Coast, here's your Sunday Flyover.
Today’s sponsor, InvestorPlace, is sharing new research on emerging AI, robotics, and technology companies that analysts believe could represent some of the market’s next major investment opportunities.
Los Angeles ⛅ 83°/66° | San Luis Obispo ⛅ 78°/59° | San Francisco ⛅ 71°/58° | San Diego ⛅ 75°/66° | Sacramento ⛅ 94°/67° | Redding ⛅ 100°/72° | Lake Tahoe 78°/57° | San Jose ⛅ 86°/66° | Fresno ⛅ 101°/74° | Oakland ⛅ 78°/61° | Bakersfield ⛅ 104°/75° | Anaheim ⛅ 82°/65° | Santa Ana ⛅ 81°/66° | Riverside ⛅ 95°/66° | Palm Springs ⛅ 108°/85°
Summit Fire Grows Past 2,600 Acres
Firefighters are battling the Summit Fire in northern Los Angeles County after it grew to more than 2,600 acres Saturday, prompting evacuation orders, evacuation warnings, and air quality alerts.
The fire, burning near Llano, was 0% contained as of Saturday, with triple-digit heat and dry conditions making it difficult for crews to slow its spread. Multiple agencies, helicopters, and air tankers are responding.
Evacuation orders remain in place for parts of the Angeles National Forest, while nearby communities remain under evacuation warnings as firefighters continue working to contain the blaze.
Man Sentenced in 1982 Cold Case Murder
A man convicted in the 1982 murder of 13-year-old Sarah Geer has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing a 44-year-old Northern California cold case to a close.
DNA evidence and genetic genealogy led investigators to James Oliver Unick decades after the crime, resulting in his 2024 arrest and 2026 conviction.
At sentencing, Sarah's family reflected on their decades of loss, while prosecutors said they hope the sentence brings some measure of peace.
SpaceX Launches 24 More Starlink Satellites
SpaceX successfully launched 24 Starlink internet satellites Friday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, expanding its global broadband network to more than 10,700 satellites in orbit.
The mission lifted off from the Central Coast at 8:01 p.m., using one of the company's most-flown Falcon 9 boosters. About eight minutes later, the booster successfully landed on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean for reuse.
The launch marked the booster's 35th flight and another milestone for SpaceX as it continues to grow its satellite constellation and reusable rocket program. Watch the video for a recap.
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➤ Foster City: A Bay Area restaurant is drawing national attention after adopting a policy that allows parents to be charged if their children's disruptive behavior damages property or disturbs other diners.
➤ San Jose: Police shut down an illegal underground nightclub operating in an industrial area after investigating reports of violent crime and discovering the venue lacked permits and age verification.
➤ San Francisco: The city moved a step closer to acquiring PG&E's local electric grid after city leaders approved an environmental review for the proposed public power takeover.
➤ California City: An Amber Alert for a 3-year-old last seen in California City was canceled early Saturday after the child was found safe, according to the California Highway Patrol.
➤ Bakersfield: Reforms at Kern County's Lerdo Jail have reduced the use of administrative segregation by more than 95%, following an investigation into inmate conditions and mental health care.
➤ Monterey Bay: A domoic acid outbreak has prompted a temporary ban on anchovy and sardine fishing in the bay, leaving commercial fishermen sidelined as officials monitor harmful algal bloom conditions.
➤ Redlands: A former deputy police chief received $1.2 million in 2025, making him California's highest-paid city employee, according to newly released state payroll records.
➤ Buena Park: Police are increasing patrols around Knott's Berry Farm after learning of a planned teen takeover event, warning that anyone engaging in disruptive or criminal behavior will face enforcement.
➤ San Diego: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than 118 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a vehicle's spare tire compartment during an inspection at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
➤ UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky went No. 1 overall to the Chicago White Sox in the 2026 MLB Draft, becoming the highest-drafted Bruin since Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer in 2011.
➤ Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants selected UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. He posted a 1.06 ERA and set a school record with 133 strikeouts this season.
➤ Former USC quarterback Caleb Williams sent Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope and a lifelong Chicago sports fan, an autographed No. 18 Bears jersey. Williams added "AMDG," an acronym for a Latin phrase meaning "For the greater glory of God."
➤ Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will miss this week's All-Star Game to undergo treatment for irritation in his left knee, though he has continued serving as the team's designated hitter this weekend.
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➤ Bakersfield singer-songwriter Anberlin Flowers has released her debut single, My Girl, We'll Be Fine, marking the public debut of music she once wrote only for herself.
➤ Cambria's Moonstone Beach was named one of the nation's best beaches for etiquette, recognized for its peaceful atmosphere, scenic boardwalk, and respectful beachgoers.
➤ A Monterey County teen will serve as a flag bearer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after being named the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County's Youth of the Year.
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➤ Student behavior is getting worse, and teachers are pointing the finger at parents, a new survey says.
➤ Cuba's power grid collapsed for the third time this month, leaving millions in the dark again.
➤ Gen Z is ditching the bar for the gym, and the numbers are striking.
The International Space Station captured a stunning view of Los Angeles as Fourth of July fireworks illuminated the city below. The dazzling celebration was so bright it was visible from orbit.
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Thanks to Barrett
Gotta share relative to the subject:
Our great aunt in North Carolina disapproved of her daughter's dalliance with a German exchange student. Like totally. Probably in '41 she reported her suspicions to the FBI, concerned about a Nazi Spy in the family. She explained that she did not trust Yankees or other foreigners. J. Ed's feds knew about the students of course, and the titled Kraut was deported.
Some U-boat sailors were held in Papago Park here in PHX and some of them escaped. They built a raft to carry them to Mexico (which BTW had declared war on Germany). In the summer.
The Kapitain outlasted the other miscreants. Wandered downtown, settled in a (relatively) cool hotel lobby when not hiding in a cave. Finally gave up and turned himself in. IIRC there was a prisoner-guards reunion in the 80s.
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From: Jack Long
TODAY IN NAVAL HISTORY
11 JULY 1944
NAZI POWs IN AMERICA
On this day, German POWs Wolfgang Kurzer and Karl Tomola quietly slipped away from the camp at Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, and headed north. They crossed the Canadian border where they found employment washing dishes or working on farms. Within several months they were ready to try for Germany and in November re-crossed the border at Rouses Point, New York. They wended their way to New York City, either by luck or design having chosen one of only two US ports open to neutral shipping (New York and Philadelphia). Here they attempted to ship aboard a neutral freighter as deck seamen, but their accents and their lack of proper credentials not only waylaid their plans but probably tipped the local authorities. They were found a short time later stowed away in 55-gallon drums aboard the Spanish freighter Castilla Ampudia with a two-week supply of food and ten pounds of chocolate.
Throughout the course of WWII, Axis prisoners of war were confined in 686 POW area camps and branches across the United States. Upwards of 420,000 POWs were being held on American soil by 1945. Good treatment and ample recreational pursuits reduced the desire to escape. Indeed, the massive size of our country and the oceans to the east and west gave little hope of reaching Germany. Yet all POWs are bound by a code of conduct obligating them to attempt escape. Many tried, though news of such was usually suppressed for fear of public panic. Most found themselves unprepared for the language and culture they encountered, and most were caught within a day or two. POWs on the lam often sought the perceived safety of Mexico or Canada, traveling at night or in rail cars and avoiding the local populace. A few occasionally managed to remain at large for some time in this manner.
As an example of how escaped Germans often suffered from unfamiliarity with American ways, witness the case of a trio of Germans, one of whom had been a submariner aboard U-162. They walked away from a work detail at Camp Crossville in eastern Tennessee. After several days of hiding in the backwoods, the trio stopped beside a mountain cabin for a drink from the pump. Their libations were interrupted by a cantankerous old crone who told them in no uncertain terms to "git!" Unfamiliar with mountain ways, the three were unmoved--at which the old granny drew a bead and shot one of them dead. The deputy sheriff soon arrived and informed the old lady to her horror that she had shot an escaped German prisoner. The penitent granny confessed she never would have pulled the trigger had she known they were Germans. "What in thunder did you think you were aiming at?" the sheriff asked.
"Why, I reckon'd they wuz Yankees!"
Watch for more "Today in Naval History" 16 JUL 24
CAPT James Bloom, Ret.
Krammer, Arnold. Nazi Prisoners of War in America. Chelsea, MI: Scarborough House, 1991, pp. 114-46.
Moore, John Hammond. The Faustball Tunnel: German POWs in America and Their Great Escape. New York, NY: Random House, 1978, p. 64-65.
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
Scientists can figure out how old whales are by looking at their earwax.
Whales are some of the most majestic creatures on the planet. The blue whale is the largest animal to ever exist, the bowhead whale can live for more than 200 years, and a few humpback whales saved the future of humanity in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. In fact, these creatures are so amazing that even their earwax is a vital tool — at least for helping scientists understand the mysterious mammals themselves. Take, for instance, the 10-inch-long earplug of an adult blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Cetologists — scientists who study whales — can cut into a plug of earwax and learn the whale’s age, much as dendrochronologists do with tree rings. Earwax from blue whales (and other large whales such as humpbacks) forms rings, known as “laminae,” every six months, which give scientists a snapshot of the creature’s entire life through cycles of summer feeding and winter migration.
And these waxy earplugs can tell scientists more than just a whale’s age. Earplugs also capture a chronological “chemical biography” that shows what chemicals and pollutants were found in the animal’s body throughout its life, including levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Scientists have compared whale cortisol levels with whaling data, using records from 1870 to 2016, and found an unmistakable positive correlation. The only discrepancy was during World War II, when whale stress levels increased despite a decrease in whaling overall (scientists assume increased military activity was the likely culprit). Despite a near-international moratorium on whaling in the 1980s, whales still exhibit high cortisol levels thanks to increased ship noise, climate change, and other factors. But with the help of whale earwax, scientists can at least continue to examine the health of these majestic beasts and the oceans they inhabit.
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What Did Ancient Romans Eat?
ANCIENT ROMAN FEAST
The mere mention of ancient Rome conjures up a multitude of powerful images: the assassination of Julius Caesar, legionaries marching in perfect unison, the alliance of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, gladiators fighting in the Colosseum. It was a time of power and conquest, of low scheming and high culture. It was also a time of feasting — something the Romans were known for, especially during Bacchanalia festivals, in which food and wine would flow with fervor. But what exactly did the Romans eat? Here are some of the most common foodstuffs that fed the hungry denizens of the Roman Empire.
Bread and Porridge
Cereal grains, particularly wheat and oatmeal, were part of almost every meal in ancient Rome. These grains were typically used to make bread, biscuits, or porridge, and were eaten by the common folk, the upper crust, and soldiers in the Roman army. Roman porridge recipes survive to this day, including one in Cato the Elder’s De Agri Cultura, a treatise on agriculture written around 160 BCE, which happens to be the oldest remaining complete work of prose in Latin. The simple recipe, which isn’t dissimilar to modern counterparts, suggests soaking wheat in boiling water before adding milk to create a thick gruel — a staple dish that anyone in Rome could have prepared.
Vegetables and Beans
Seasonally available and locally sourced vegetables and beans were often served as accompaniments to Roman meals. Common vegetables included lettuce, cabbage, turnips, and leeks, while wealthier Romans could afford asparagus, mushrooms, and artichokes. Legumes such as broad beans, chickpeas, and lentils also played an important role in the Roman diet, providing substantial amounts of calories, protein, calcium, and iron to a diet that wasn’t nearly as meat-heavy as our diets today. A recent study found that Roman gladiators were mostly vegetarian, eating primarily wheat, barley, and beans.
Fruits and Nuts
As the empire expanded, the Romans discovered and embraced many varieties of fruits and nuts. The humble apple tree, for example, was introduced to many parts of the world after the Romans found it growing in Syria. They also cultivated pears, plums, apricots, and figs, as well as nuts — which were considered expensive treats — including chestnuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and hazelnuts. Then, of course, there were grapes, which were eaten fresh, or — more importantly — turned into wine. The Romans loved to drink wine, which they diluted with a little water. Drinking wine neat was considered uncivilized, but not as uncouth as drinking beer, which was seen as simply barbaric.
Milk and Cheese
The Romans did not typically drink milk, and doing so was largely frowned upon. They saw excessive milk drinking as evidence of barbarism, and even considered butter fit only for treating burns. (The Romans believed their ubiquitous olive oil to be far superior for cooking purposes.) They did, however, use goat and sheep milk to make cheese. Many farms produced cheese, and some wealthier homes had dedicated cheese kitchens. Roman soldiers were also familiar with the cheese-making process, including the use of rennet, and could produce the food while deployed abroad. The Roman author Pliny the Elder was indignant when considering the lack of cheese-making in what he saw as lesser civilizations, writing, “It is a remarkable circumstance, that the barbarous nations which subsist on milk have been for so many ages either ignorant of the merits of cheese, or else have totally disregarded it.”
Meat and Fish
Meat and fish were both considered luxuries in ancient Rome, and were primarily reserved for wealthier citizens. Pork was the most common meat, either cooked fresh (stewed or roasted) or turned into bacon. Fresh fish and seafood included tuna, eels, sea urchins, and other shellfish. During feasts, wealthy Romans sometimes ramped up their culinary creations to a whole different level. Dishes served at these extravagant events included pickled sow’s udders, stuffed dormice, bull’s testicles, and hares decorated with wings to resemble Pegasus.
Garum
Special mention has to go to one standout ingredient of ancient Roman cuisine: a fermented fish sauce called garum. Pliny the Elder described garum as “a choice liquor consisting of the guts of fish and the other parts that would otherwise be considered refuse.” Despite this unappetizing appraisal, he nonetheless called it an “exquisite liquid.” The Romans mass-produced garum in dedicated factories. Three common varieties were manufactured: a dark-colored condiment that was high in protein, a cooking sauce similar to Vietnamese fish sauces, and a milder version called muria. Roman diners sprinkled garum on all manner of savory dishes, providing a pungent umami to even the blandest of meals.
Roman Desserts
Sweet-toothed Romans, especially those with money to spend, could indulge in a variety of desserts. Baked goods such as honey cakes and fruit tarts were common, as were homemade sweets known as dulcia domestica, which included stuffed dates. One common dessert eaten throughout Roman society was libum, a type of honey cheesecake. Libum wasn’t only a tasty treat; it was traditionally made as an offering to the household gods, after which it could be enjoyed by all the family.
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From the archives….I thought about this when I was on my trip last year
Thanks to Dr.Rich……I was scared just reading it
Man played dead, lived to tell about grizzly bear attack ...
GREYBULL — He resides in Buffalo, New York, but the victim in last week’s grizzly bear attack near Meeteetse may be more familiar with Wyoming’s high country than just about any other adventurer who hails from the Cowboy State.
Barry Olson, a 1971 graduate of Greybull High School, has been coming back to Wyoming every summer for more years than he can count, spending four to seven weeks at a time in his personal quest to reach the top of every 13,000-foot peak in the state.
He estimates there are “35 to 36” of them in all, and Francs Peak, a 13,158-foot summit southeast of Yellowstone National Park, was his 33rd conquest. He’d gone up Sunday, June 26, and was on his way back down Monday, June 27, when the attack occurred.
It was about 2 p.m. He was crossing into Meadow Creek Basin, at an elevation of about 12,000 feet.
“I was going down, over the ridge, and couldn’t see that far ahead,” said Olson. “We just happened to cross paths — I was going down, he was coming up.”
When their eyes met, only about 15 yards separated them.
“I took one small step away from him, but then he started to move toward me,” Olson recounted. “I tried to get to my bear spray — it had been clipped on my shoulder — but they move so damn fast. He was on me before I could even get to it.”
What followed was 30 to 60 seconds of sheer terror.
“They say the bear attacked me five times, but I’d almost call it like one attack,” he said. “After it got me the first time, bit me and shook me around, I tried to go for my bear spray again because he paused. But it was only a pause of a couple seconds. Then it was on top of me again. After that, I just played dead.”
The fifth and last time, “the bear had me 3 or 4 feet off the ground, flipped me over and dumped me on the ground,” he said. “Then … he just left.”
Olson was badly injured, but never lost consciousness.
In hindsight, he’s thankful for two things: One, it happened early in the day. “That would be my advice to others: Climb early, so if something happens, you’ve got some light to work with,” he said.
The other was the personal locator beacon that he’s made a habit of carrying for the past 15 years. “They’re supposed to take the search out of search and rescue — and they work,” he said.
Several hours after he activated the beacon, help arrived. A helicopter from Sublette County landed on the scene and whisked him to a ranch on the Wood River, where he was picked up again and flown to a hospital in Billings, Montana.
Olson said he sustained significant muscular wounds to both thighs and the triceps of his left arm.
“I’m luckier than hell, to be honest,” he said.
He was discharged Friday, spent several days recuperating in Greybull (where his elderly mother Dawn Olson still resides), and on July 4 headed to Cody where he is staying with a friend.
The dressing on his wounds must be changed three times a week and he expects to have a skin graft on one of his legs in a couple of weeks.
Olson isn’t looking too far ahead. First and foremost, his focus will be on healing.
He was hoping that this would be the year he finished his climbing quest, but that’s no longer going to be feasible.
“It’s a possibility down the road, but I promised my daughter that I wouldn’t climb a mountain for at least a year,” he said. “So I’m going to stay off mountains for a year, at least. But … this may be it for me.”
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From the archives
Thanks to Dr. Rich for forwarding this one. This is another good video from Ward Carroll. I was an F-14 instructor for a couple of years and this was not one of my favorite flights. I was ok when I was in the front seat but when we switched and I was in the back it was a different story. A couple were very interesting. We never spun one but did have a compressor stall and lost one engine during one of the flights when I was in the back. The only thing you could do was maintain your “God”voice and not ever yell at the student. Entertainment value was high….skip
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This Day in U S Military History…….July 12
1862 – President Abraham Lincoln signs into law a measure calling for the awarding of a U.S. Army Medal of Honor, in the name of Congress, “to such noncommissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities during the present insurrection.” The previous December, Lincoln had approved a provision creating a U.S. Navy Medal of Valor, which was the basis of the Army Medal of Honor created by Congress in July 1862. The first U.S. Army soldiers to receive what would become the nation’s highest military honor were six members of a Union raiding party who in 1862 penetrated deep into Confederate territory to destroy bridges and railroad tracks between Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Atlanta, Georgia. In 1863, the Medal of Honor was made a permanent military decoration available to all members, including commissioned officers, of the U.S. military. It is conferred upon those who have distinguished themselves in actual combat at risk of life beyond the call of duty. Since its creation, during the Civil War, almost 3,400 men and one woman have received the Medal of Honor for heroic actions in U.S. military conflict. The Web site for the US Army Center of Military History:
1943 – Off Kolombangara, Admiral Ainsworth’s Task Force (3 cruisers and 10 destroyers) encounter a Japanese squadron (1 cruiser and 9 destroyers) under the command of Admiral Izaki. The Japanese cruiser obliterated by the radar-directed gunfire of the American cruisers but the Japanese sink one destroyer and damage two cruisers with torpedo attacks.
1950 – In a series of desperate battles, the 21st Infantry Regiment fought delaying actions from Chonui to Chochiwon. Not only did the two under strength rifle battalions of the “Gimlet” Regiment delay two of the best North Korean People’s Army divisions, but they turned in the best battle performance of U.S. troops in the war to that date.
1950 – The first Distinguished Service Cross of the Korean War was awarded posthumously to Colonel Robert R. Martin who single-handedly attacked an enemy tank with a rocket launcher. Martin had just arrived in Korean and had been commander of the battered 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division for one day when he was killed in action on July 8.
1950 – Photographs of seven American soldiers found shot through the head by the communists shocked the world.
1967 – The Newark Riot of 1967 began with the arrest of a cab driver named John Smith, who allegedly drove around a double-parked police car at the corner of 7th St. and 15th Avenue. He was subsequently stopped, interrogated, arrested and transported to the 4th precinct headquarters, during which time he was severely beaten by the arresting officers. As news of the arrest spread, a crowd began to assemble in front of the precinct house, located directly across from a high-rise public housing project. When the police allowed a small group of civil rights leaders to visit the prisoner, they demanded that Mr. Smith be taken to a hospital. Emerging from the building, these civil rights leaders begged the crowd to stay calm, but they were shouted down. Rumor spread that John Smith had died in police custody, despite the fact he had been taken out the back entrance and transported to a local hospital. Soon a volley of bricks and bottles was launched at the precinct house and police stormed out to confront the assembly. As the crowd dispersed they began to break into stores on the nearby commercial thoroughfares. Eventually violence spread from the predominantly black neighborhoods of Newark’s Central Ward to Downtown Newark, and the New Jersey State Police were mobilized. Within 48 hours, National Guard troops entered the city. With the arrival of these troops the level of violence intensified. At the conclusion of six days of rioting 23 people lay dead, 725 people were injured and close to 1500 people had been arrested.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BALDWIN, FRANK D.
Rank and organization: Captain, Company D, 19th Michigan Infantry; First Lieutenant, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Peach Tree Creek, Ga., 12 July 1864. Entered service at: Constantine, Mich. Birth: Michigan. Date of issue: 3 December 1891. Second award. Citation: Led his company in a countercharge at Peach Tree Creek, Ga., 12 July 1864, under a galling fire ahead of his own men, and singly entered the enemy’s line, capturing and bringing back 2 commissioned officers, fully armed, besides a guidon of a Georgia regiment.
WRAY, WILLIAM J.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company K, 1st Veteran Reserve Corps. Place and date: At Fort Stevens, D.C., 12 July 1864. Entered service at:——. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Date of issue: 15 December 1892. Citation: Rallied the company at a critical moment during a change of position under fire.
CONNOR, JOHN
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wichita River, Tex., 12 July 1870. Entered service at:——. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 25 August 1870. Citation: Gallantry in action.
ELDRIDGE, GEORGE H.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Wichita River, Tex., 12 July 1870. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Sacketts Harbor, N.Y. Date of issue: 25 August 1870. Citation: Gallantry in action.
MITCHELL, JOSEPH
Rank and organization: Gunner’s Mate First Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 27 November 1876, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, 12 July 1900, Mitchell distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.
STANLEY, ROBERT HENRY
Rank and organization: Hospital Apprentice, U.S. Navy. Place and date: China, 13, 20, 21, and 22 June 1900. Entered service: Aboard U.S.S. Vermont. Born: 2 May 1881, Brooklyn N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in volunteering and carrying messages under fire at Peking, China, 12 July 1900.
*HARMON, ROY W.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 362d Infantry, 91st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Casaglia, Italy, 12 July 1944. Entered service at: Pixley, Calif. Birth: Talala, Okla. G.O. No.: 83, 2 October 1945. Citation: He was an acting squad leader when heavy machinegun fire from enemy positions, well dug in on commanding ground and camouflaged by haystacks, stopped his company’s advance and pinned down 1 platoon where it was exposed to almost certain annihilation. Ordered to rescue the beleaguered platoon by neutralizing the German automatic fire, he led his squad forward along a draw to the right of the trapped unit against 3 key positions which poured murderous fire into his helpless comrades. When within range, his squad fired tracer bullets in an attempt to set fire to the 3 haystacks which were strung out in a loose line directly to the front, 75, 150, and 250 yards away. Realizing that this attack was ineffective, Sgt. Harmon ordered his squad to hold their position and voluntarily began a 1-man assault. Carrying white phosphorus grenades and a submachine gun, he skillfully took advantage of what little cover the terrain afforded and crept to within 25 yards of the first position. He set the haystack afire with a grenade, and when 2 of the enemy attempted to flee from the inferno, he killed them with his submachine gun. Crawling toward the second machinegun emplacement, he attracted fire and was wounded; but he continued to advance and destroyed the position with hand grenades, killing the occupants. He then attacked the third machinegun, running to a small knoll, then crawling over ground which offered no concealment or cover. About halfway to his objective, he was again wounded. But he struggled ahead until within 20 yards of the machinegun nest, where he raised himself to his knees to throw a grenade. He was knocked down by direct enemy fire. With a final, magnificent effort, he again arose, hurled the grenade and fell dead, riddled by bullets. His missile fired the third position, destroying it. Sgt. Harmon’s extraordinary heroism, gallantry, and self-sacrifice saved a platoon from being wiped out, and made it possible for his company to advance against powerful enemy resistance.
*REASONER, FRANK S.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: near Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, 12 July 1965. Entered service at: Kellogg, Idaho. Born: 16 September 1937, Spokane, Wash. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. The reconnaissance patrol led by 1st Lt. Reasoner had deeply penetrated heavily controlled enemy territory when it came under extremely heavy fire from an estimated 50 to 100 Viet Cong insurgents. Accompanying the advance party and the point that consisted of 5 men, he immediately deployed his men for an assault after the Viet Cong had opened fire from numerous concealed positions. Boldly shouting encouragement, and virtually isolated from the main body, he organized a base of fire for an assault on the enemy positions. The slashing fury of the Viet Cong machinegun and automatic weapons fire made it impossible for the main body to move forward. Repeatedly exposing himself to the devastating attack he skillfully provided covering fire, killing at least 2 Viet Cong and effectively silencing an automatic weapons position in a valiant attempt to effect evacuation of a wounded man. As casualties began to mount his radio operator was wounded and 1st Lt. Reasoner immediately moved to his side and tended his wounds. When the radio operator was hit a second time while attempting to reach a covered position, 1st Lt. Reasoner courageously running to his aid through the grazing machinegun fire fell mortally wounded. His indomitable fighting spirit, valiant leadership and unflinching devotion to duty provided the inspiration that was to enable the patrol to complete its mission without further casualties. In the face of almost certain death he gallantly gave his life in the service of his country. His actions upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 12, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
12 July
1915: A board of officers at San Diego adopted aviation mechanic examination requirements. (24)
1940: Pan American’s Alaskan Clipper, a Sikorsky S-42B, made the first flight from the US to Alaska (Seattle to Juneau). (24)
1942: The Curtiss-Wright Corporation delivered the first C–46 Commando to the Army Air Forces. The C-46 was developed from the unproven commercial aircraft design, the CW-20, which first flew in March 1940. Deliveries of AAF C-46s began in July 1942 for the Air Transport Command and Troop Carrier Command. During World War II, the USAAF accepted 3,144 C-46s for hauling cargo and personnel and for towing gliders. Of this total, 1,410 were C-46Ds. The C-46 gained its greatest fame during WWII transporting war materials over the "Hump" from India to China. C-46 flights on the treacherous air route over the Himalayas (seen here) began in May 1943.
1944: Operation MALLERY MAJOR. The US Tactical Force launched this operation in perfect weather to destroy bridges over the Po River, on the Italian front. (4)
1950: The 91 SRW at Barksdale AFB received SAC’s first RB-50 (number 47-123), a “B-model” configured for reconnaissance. (1) KOREAN WAR. Four MATS airplanes flew from the US to Japan with 58 3.5-inch bazookas and shaped charges to use against North Korean tanks. North Korean fighters shot down a B-29, a B-26, and an L-4 for their first aerial victories.
The 92 BG, flying from its first mission from Yokota AB, bombed the Seoul marshalling yards. (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR/Operation PRESSURE PUMP. Through 12 July, B-29s flew 71 effective sorties, over 50 against the Pyongyang supply area. (28)
1955: The Air Force issued its operational requirement for the Atlas and Titan ICBMs. (6)
1957: The USAF cancelled the Navaho program. The Navaho provided technologies for other missiles: the Atlas and Thor used a modified Navaho booster, and the Hound Dog, Polaris, and Minuteman missiles used its inertial guidance system. (6)
1961: Midas III, a 3,500-pound infrared missile-scanning satellite went into a near-circular polar orbit from Point Arguello, Calif. With a "kick-in-the-apogee" technique, scientists maneuvered it from an elliptical orbit into a high circular orbit. It was the heaviest object orbited by the US to date.
1966: After launching from a B-52, Milt Thompson flew the M2-F2 Lifting Body for the first time. (3)
1968: Last USN flying boat SP-5B, the Martin Marlin, was formally retired from active service to the Smithsonian Institute.
1978: The USAF retired its last Boeing KC-97L Stratofreighter to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center at Davis-Monthan AFB. (16) (26)
1980: The McDonnell-Douglas KC-10 tanker-cargo aircraft made its first flight. (16)
1981: TAC retired the last CH-21B in the Air Force inventory. (11)
1990: The USAF received the 59th and last F-117A Stealth Fighter from Lockheed. (16) (26)
1997: From Edwards AFB, a Northrop Grumman crew launched a BQM-74 Chukar jet-propelled drone RPV to test its new JATO unit. It was designed as a high speed aerial target and has been used as a decoy over hostile territory. (3)
2002: Operation NOBLE EAGLE. The 119th Fighter Squadron (New Jersey ANG) became the first unit in the DoD to fly one thousand missions for this operation. Major Yarko Sos flew the mission in an F-16C fighter. (32)
2007: The 341st Space Wing removed the first Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from a launch facility near Brady, Mont., to begin missile deactivation activities at Malmstrom AFB, Mont. The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review called for the removal of 50 Minuteman III missiles and closure of five missile alert facilities belonging to the 564th Missile Squadron. (AFNEWS, “Missile Deactivation Begins at Malmstrom, 13 Jul 2007.)
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