To All
Good Tuesday Morning August 18 2026. Had some doctor stuff this morning and got stuck for blood only for only 4 tubes this time. Then talked to my doctor about a few things Now it is list time.
Clear skies now and 81 going to 89 by 2 for a bit then dropping to 80 by 7 and then70 by midnight. Tomorrow it will hit 92.
Regards,
Skip
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
August 18
1918—The first naval railway gun, a 14-inch, 50 caliber, Mark IV Navy gun mounted on a railway carriage, became operational in St. Nazaire, France during World War I. The "rail guns" operated until the end of the war.
1838—The Exploring Expedition led by Lt. Charles Wilkes embarks on a world cruise.
1908—The first Navy Nurse Corps superintendent, Esther Voorhees Hasson, is appointed. Under her leadership, 19 additional nurses are recruited and trained for naval service during 1908.
1943—USS Philadelphia (CL 41) and USS Boise (CL 47) and four destroyers shell Gioia, Taura, and Palmi on the Italian mainland.
1966—The first ship-to-shore satellite radio message is sent from USS Annapolis (AGMR 1) in the South China Sea to Pacific Fleet Headquarters at Pearl Harbor.
1995—USS Tucson (SSN 770) is commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk. The Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine is the second to be named for the city in Arizona.
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Today in World History: August 18
1587 In the Roanoke Island colony, Ellinor and Ananias Dare become parents of a baby girl whom they name Virginia, the first English child born in what would become the United States.
1590 John White, the leader of 117 colonists sent in 1587 to Roanoke Island (North Carolina) to establish a colony, returns from a trip to England to find the settlement deserted. No trace of the settlers is ever found.
1698 After invading Denmark and capturing Sweden, Charles XII of Sweden forces Frederick IV of Denmark to sign the Peace of Travendal.
1759 The French fleet is destroyed by the British under "Old Dreadnought" Boscawen at the Battle of Lagos Bay.
1782 Poet and artist William Blake marries Catherine Sophia Boucher.
1862 Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart's headquarters is raided by Union troops of the 5th New York and 1st Michigan cavalries.
1864 Union General William T. Sherman sends General Judson Kilpatrick to raid Confederate lines of communication outside Atlanta. The raid is unsuccessful.
1870 Prussian forces defeat the French at the Battle of Gravelotte during the Franco-Prussian War.
1898 Adolph Ochs takes over the New York Times, saying his aim is to give "the news, all the news, in concise and attractive form, in language that is permissible in good society, and give it early, if not earlier, than it can be learned through any other medium."
1914 Germany declares war on Russia while President Woodrow Wilson issues his Proclamation of Neutrality.
1920 Tennessee becomes the thirty-sixth state to ratify the nineteenth amendment granting women's suffrage, completing the three-quarters necessary to put the amendment into effect.
1929 The first cross-country women's air derby begins. Louise McPhetridge Thaden wins first prize in the heavier-plane division, while Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie finishes first in the lighter-plane category.
1939 The film The Wizard of Oz opens in New York City.
1942 Japan sends a crack army to Guadalcanal to repulse the U.S. Marines fighting there.
1943 The Royal Air Force Bomber Command completes the first major strike against the German missile development facility at Peenemunde.
1963 James Meredith, the first African American to attend University of Mississippi, graduates.
1965 Operation Starlite marks the beginning of major U.S. ground combat operations in Vietnam.
1966 Australian troops repulse a Viet Cong attack at Long Tan.
1969 Two concert goers die at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in Bethel, New York, one from an overdose of heroin, the other from a burst appendix.
1973 Hank Aaron makes his 1,378 extra-base hit, surpassing Stan Musial's record.
1974 Luna 24, the USSR's final major lunar exploration mission, soft-lands on moon.
1979 Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini demands a "Saint War" against Kurds.
1982 Pete Rose sets record with his 13,941st plate appearance.
1987 Ohio nurse Donald Harvey sentenced to triple life terms for poisoning 24 patients.
1988 Republican Convention in New Orleans nominate the George H.W. Bush-Dan Quayle ticket.
1991 A group of hard-line communist leaders unhappy with the drift toward the collapse of the Soviet Union seize control of the government in Moscow and place President Mikhail S. Gorbachev under house arrest
1992 Dennis Rader, the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) killer receives 10 consecutive life sentences. He had terrorized Wichita, Kansas, murdering 10 people between 1974 and 1991.
1993 Historic Kapelbrug (chapel bridge) in Luzern, Switzerland, burns, destroying 147 of its decorative paintings. It was built in 1365.
2010 Edelmiro Cavazos, mayor of Santiago, Nuevo Leon, is found handcuffed, blindfolded and dead following his abduction three days earlier. He had championed crackdowns on organized crime and police corruption.
2011 Gold hits a record price of $1,826 per ounce.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
Skip… For The List for Tuesday, 18 August 2026… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 18 August 1968…
LBJ: “…they are moving men and supplies South to kill your boys, my boys, our boys…”
Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for Friday, August 18
Friday, August 18th: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=750
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear’s Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip. Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady’s work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
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Thanks to Carl
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend last week and I forgot to forward. The site works, find anyone you knew in “search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
A decades-long project to pair faces with the names etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is now complete.
With assistance from hundreds of volunteers across the nation, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) has created the Wall of Faces, a website featuring at least one photo of each of the 58,281 servicemembers who died in the Vietnam War.
“The Wall of Faces tells … stories through photos and remembrances left by both friends and family members,” Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF, said in a press release announcing the milestone. “We couldn’t have done this without the tenacious work of a small army of volunteers across the country. Their ingenuity, commitment and dedication are tremendous.”
Vietnam Veterans Memorial founder and former VVMF president Jan Scruggs wasn’t initially confident VVMF could assemble and curate all the photos. A joint project with FedEx and Kinko’s in 2001 resulted in thousands of new images, but there was no expectation of getting everyone’s image, said VVMF Director of Outreach Tim Tetz.
Years later, VVMF began planning for an Education Center at The Wall. One of the cornerstone displays, Tetz said, would be images of fallen servicemembers featured on their birthday.
“For this reason, we needed to make a greater effort to find the photos, so in the late 2000s, our effort was revitalized to expand our collection,” Tetz said. “… Even though the Education Center project was cancelled, we realized there was a use for these photos at our traveling memorial, The Wall That Heals, and in other museums, events, and forums throughout the nation.”
Janna Hoehn, a Hawaii resident and volunteer, was also instrumental in the Wall of Faces’ efforts. Hoehn began researching names of veterans from Hawaii more than a decade ago and helped gather photos from every resident of her home state of California. Eventually, she assembled a network of volunteers across the nation to help bring this project to fruition.
“The person who got the ball over the goal line was Janna Hoehn and her dozens of volunteers across America,” Scruggs said. “… She is both charming and serious. Each volunteer was willing to work year after year. There was nothing easy about this outcome. It involved detective work and commitment.”
The VVMF is asking the public to continue providing high-quality images, and stories, about those who perished during the war. Submission details are available at this link as well as on servicemembers’ profile pages at the Wall of Faces, where you can find information on submitting individual remembrances. You can also contact VVMF at (202) 393-0900 or vvmf@vvmf.org.
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Thanks to Peter via Ken ...
World Famous North Island "I" Bar History:
Bachelor Officers Quarters, Building "I", was constructed as part of the original construction of Rockwell Field. Rockwell Field was the first permanent Army airfield in the United States named in honor of an Army pilot killed in 1912. Joint tenancy by the Army and the Navy from 1913 to the mid -30s ended by presidential executive order of Franklin Roosevelt in 1939. Prior to WW I, the Army sought the talents of renowned architect, Albert Kahn, famous for his "Spanish Colonial Revival" Style, to lay-out a basic field plan and start construction. Work stopped at the end of WWI with few structures completed. The old hangars 501, 502 and 503 along Quentin Roosevelt Blvd were part of the original construction. Additionally, Flag Officer quarters T, U and V on the southwest side of the runway were part of the original WWI construction. In 1932, the firm of Meed and Requa, funded by the Emergency Rehabilitation act of 1932, picked up on Kahn's theme with their "Mission and Spanish Revival" style and started the construction of Bachelor Officer Quarters, Building "I" and the Officers' closed Mess, building 515, located on the corner of Quentin Roosevelt Blvd and East "F" Street. Part of the Officers' Quarters was an Aviators' Bar located in Building "I." The Building "I" complex included a swimming pool, tennis courts, snack bar and adjacent garages. Note: these buildings and associated infrastructure were identical to the BOQ structures on March AFB.
BOQ, Building "I" and the "I" Bar were reserved for senior officers. By the mid-'60s, it had become a general pilots hang-out of unremarkable appearance with bare plaster walls and ceilings. In 1969, the bar was refurbished in the present "Sailing Ship" motif. Much of the original squadron patches and placards remain today. From the beginning of the "I" Bar, the piano was the center of attention...Doc Eugene Moyle was a regular at the keyboard assisted ably by Butch Bucciarelli. Later, Capt C.C Smith, CO of the USS Enterprise was a hit. Captain Smith became VADM C.C. Smith, Commander Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet.
In 1956, the "I" Bar was the location for the founding meeting of the Tailhook Association. The Tailhook Association is a U.S. , supporting the interests of sea-based aviation The term, Tailhook refers to the hook underneath the tail of the aircraft that catches the arresting wire suspended across the flight deck in order to stop the landing plane quickly.
The Association was formed by NAS North Island (now Naval Base Coronado)based active-duty Naval Aviators , eventually growing into a national organization headquartered in San Diego, California . During the Vietnam War , the annual Tailhook reunion and symposium provided opportunities for aircrews from the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets to exchange information about events and tactics in Southeast Asia. The discussions continue today to exchange information on lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I" Bar model aircraft collection: In 1969, one of the lady patrons asked if she could display one of her son's model aircraft. This started a collection of 225 models representing 220 distinct aircraft types. This is the most complete collection of U.S. Naval aircraft models to be seen outside a major museum. With the dedication and persistent work by Capt Bob Young, USN (Ret) and CDR Brad Bradford, USN (Ret), the model aircraft collection developed into the collection it is today.
Key to the success of the "I" Bar has been its outstanding and understanding Bartenders. The first was Walter Simmons, SDS (Ret), a Pearl Harbor survivor. There have been eight bartenders since Walter. They are Jan, Villa, Sherrie, Karen, Diane, Ernie and Tess. The current bartender Debbi is the pride of Naval Aviation and the "I" Bar.
Over the years there have been a number of patrons who have help to keep the spirit of the "I" Bar going. Some are, 2E Bates, Diz Laird (WW II Fighter Ace), Bob Young, and Brad Bradford. Former Commanders of the Naval Air Forces Pacific Fleet, VADM Mike Bowman, RADM Lyle Bull and his son RADM Del Bull, RADM Scotty Walker, RADM Don Baird, Ted Sexton, Bob "Bubbles" Nordgren, "Bullet" Bob Canepa, Greg Labuda, Evan Piritz, John Boyd, Butch Bucciarelli, Doc Moyle, and hundreds of active duty and retired flag officers, Squadron Commanding Officers, and Commanding Officers of North Island home ported Aircraft Carriers, and many more have lent their support to ensure its continued popularity.
The "I" Bar at Naval Air Station North Island is an outstanding and unique national historical resource and a rich Naval historical site.
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
6 Famous Foods Invented by Accident
The culinary world is full of happy mistakes. Whether thanks to unusual weather or broken machinery, some foods that are now commonplace were invented by complete chance. Snack on these six facts about tasty accidental treats.
1 of 6
Chocolate Chip Cookies
As the co-proprietor of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, Ruth Graves Wakefield was known for baking delectable desserts for her guests. One night in 1930, Wakefield was baking a popular Colonial-era recipe for Butter Drop Do cookies and decided to improvise by adding chocolate. Realizing she had run out of baker’s chocolate, she chopped up a block of Nestlé chocolate gifted to her by a representative from the Nestlé company. Instead of the chocolate dispersing while baking and creating a solid chocolate cookie, it remained in the form of gooey globs. The result was a hit with her guests, and Wakefield dubbed her new invention the “Chocolate Crunch Cookie.”
The tasty treat grew in popularity after it was advertised on an episode of The Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air radio show, and Wakefield later included the cookie in her 1936 cookbook, Toll House Tried and True Recipes. Wakefield went on to strike a deal with Nestlé, providing them with the rights to the recipe in exchange for a lifetime of free chocolate, and the recipe first appeared on the back of Nestlé packaging in 1939.
2 of 6
Corn Flakes
John H. Kellogg may be best known for his patented Corn Flakes — the dry, flaked cereal that transformed breakfast tables around the world — but Kellogg’s original intention had less to do with creating a delicious cereal and more with living a healthy lifestyle free of sin. Kellogg was a doctor, nutritionist, and health advocate who became superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, a popular health resort in Michigan, in 1876. While there, Kellogg experimented with various foods to promote wellness for his guests.
Kellogg believed that simple, bland foods would improve digestion and also help steer people away from carnal sins, an ideal he called “biological living.” One day, Kellogg was working on a new kind of wheat meal that had been rolled out and forgotten overnight. Instead of loaves of bread when baked, it produced thin flakes that proved popular with guests. John’s brother, William Keith Kellogg, saw an opportunity to broadly market the product by adding sugar to make the flakes more flavorful, and went on to found the Kellogg Company. A former patient of John Kellogg’s, C.W. Post, was also inspired by this accidental invention, and created Grape Nuts.
3 of 6
Slushies
In the late 1950s, Omar Knedlik was operating a Dairy Queen in Coffeyville, Kansas, and his machinery kept breaking down. After the restaurant’s soda fountain malfunctioned, Knedlik decided to store bottles of soda in the freezer to keep them cool, only to find that they were partially frozen when removed. Despite the unexpected texture, customers loved the slushy treat that Knedlik had inadvertently created and asked for more. He conceived of a machine that utilized an air-conditioning unit from a car to produce the same slushed effect.
The drink grew so much in popularity that Knedlik held a competition to name the product, and the winning entry was “ICEE.” In 1965, 7-Eleven convenience stores began installing Knedlik’s machine and rebranded the product as the Slurpee — their ad director thought it reflected the sound made when sucking the product through a straw.
4 of 6
Worcestershire Sauce
It may be a tough name to say out loud, but the invention of Worcestershire sauce was an easy, albeit accidental process — one that just took a little time. The savory condiment was created in Worcester, England, in 1835, when a former governor of India known as Lord Sandys was looking for sauces that reminded him of his favorite flavors from the Asian subcontinent. He asked drugstore owners John Lea and William Perrins to come up with a product. The owners tested a fish-and-vegetable mixture that produced a strong odor, leading them to store the sauce in the cellar of their store — which they then forgot about.
Two years later, the owners rediscovered the sauce while cleaning the basement. In that time, it had fermented and obtained an appealing flavor, which eventually became popular as a condiment throughout the United Kingdom. Named after the town where it was invented, Worcestershire sauce was first exported to America in 1839.
5 of 6
Nachos
The origins of nachos can be traced back to the border town of Piedra Negas, Texas, where the dish was invented in the early 1940s in a frantic effort to please customers. Ignacio Anaya, who went by the nickname Nacho, was the maître d’hôtel of the Victory Club when a group of women arrived at the eatery outside of business hours, after the cooks had gone home. Not wanting the customers to leave, Anaya ran to the kitchen and gathered up a few ingredients that he had lying around — fried tortilla chips, colby cheese, and jalapeños — which he combined and baked until the cheese melted. The diners loved the concoction and requested seconds, so the restaurant added it to the menu. Capitalizing on the local success of his new snack food, Anaya even went on to open his own restaurant.
It would be an entirely different person who popularized nachos on a national level, however. Frank Liberto took Anaya’s concept and changed the delivery process so that the cheese “sauce” didn’t need to be refrigerated. Liberto’s version of nachos was introduced at a Texas Rangers game in 1976, and today nachos are a staple at sporting arenas across the country.
6 of 6
Popsicles
Frank Epperson may not be a household name, but he’s responsible for coming up with a universally beloved summertime treat when he was just 11 years old: the Popsicle. In 1905, Epperson absentmindedly left his cup of soda with a stirring stick on the porch overnight, during which temperatures dropped below freezing. The weather was a rarity in the Oakland area, where Epperson lived, but those unusual temperatures paid off. The next day, Epperson discovered his drink had frozen over and transformed into a delicious treat, which he dubbed the “Epsicle.”
Epperson brought the idea to his schoolmates, who loved the frozen treat, and he later introduced it to his own children. They referred to the treat as “Pop’s ‘sicle,” a name that Epperson patented in 1923. That same year, Epperson extended his sales beyond his hometown by selling the Popsicle at Neptune Beach in the San Francisco area, and it soon grew in popularity. So the next time you find yourself cooling down with a Popsicle on a hot summer day, you can thank Frank.
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A great story from Billy
“Woody” Keeble fought in WWII and Korea and became a US Army legend...
Born on May 16, 1917, in Waubay, South Dakota, Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Keeble, attended Wahpeton Indian School, excelled in sports, and as an outstanding amateur baseball pitcher was on his way to a spot on the Chicago White Sox when he was called up for World War II.
Serving with the famed North Dakota 164th Infantry Regiment, Keeble landed on Guadalcanal in October 1942, and as part of the US Army's Americal Division he fought alongside the 1st Marine Division.
Respected as a fearless warrior who never backed down and always put his fellow soldiers first, Keeble earned the reputation as an expert BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) gunner and deadly-accurate grenade thrower.
During the bloody battle for Guadalcanal, the 25-year-old soldier, described as a "gentle giant” by his family and friends, frequently fought in terrifying, night-long, hand-to-hand engagements against the well-trained, oftentimes fanatical Japanese defenders.
"The safest place to be was right next to Woody,” one of his buddies said of the formidable, six-foot-two, 235-pound Sioux Indian.
Keeble went on to fight at Bougainville, Leyte, Cebu, and Mindanao, and after the war returned to South Dakota. Discharged from the Army, he married, started a family and became a teacher. But his fighting days were far from over.
In 1951, with the Korean War raging and the 164th reactivated, Keeble volunteered to fight in Korea. "Somebody has to teach these kids how to fight," he told one of his officers before heading to the front lines.
From October 15-20, 1951, Master Sergeant Keeble, serving as an acting platoon leader with the 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, became a US Army legend.
Wounded multiple times during the six days of almost nonstop fighting, Keeble led his men against overwhelming Chinese forces, attacked and destroyed enemy machine gun bunkers and refused to be evacuated for his injuries.
On the final day of the fighting near Sangsan-ni, Korea, Keeble, pinned down by enemy fire, crawled towards a hostile machine gun emplacement, threw a grenade inside, and with his rifle finished off the remaining gun crew.
With his men watching in amazement, the enraged master sergeant then moved to a second bunker, destroyed it, and despite a withering barrage of bullets and grenades now descending upon him, the lone American attacked and destroyed a third emplacement.
“There were so many grenades coming down on Woody,” a member of his platoon later recalled, "that it looked like a flock of blackbirds.” For his "extraordinary courage, selfless service, and devotion to duty,” Keeble was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Keeble survived the war, recovered from his wounds, and was discharged from the Army. He returned home, became an active member of his local VFW, and died on January 28, 1982, at the age of 64.
Postscript:
On March 3, 2008, nearly 60 years after his heroic actions in Korea and 26 years after his death, Keeble’s DSC was reviewed by Congress and upgraded to the Medal of Honor, making him the first full-blooded Sioux Indian to earn the nation's highest award for valor. During his army career he also received two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, and four Purple Hearts.
According to Russell Hawkins, Keeble's stepson who accepted the MOH on behalf of the late master sergeant, Keeble had 83 grenade fragments removed from his body after Korea. "You could tell that the wounds bothered him sometimes,” Hawkins said, "but he never complained.”
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Thanks to P our poet Laurate
A recent email string led to a limerick challenge flung down about topics mentioned: Portland’s weirdness, and hose clamps.
Piece of Pecan Pie:
YP
On Jul 25, 2023, at 12:54 PM, Stephanie wrote:
There was once a woman from Portland…
On 25 Jul 2023, at 6:39 pm, John Tillman wrote:
The first ad shows the universal hose clamp binding hoses of various diameters. I knew a young woman in Portland who wore one around her neck.
On Jul 25, 2023, at 4:04 PM, Jack Woodul wrote:
There once was a woman from Portland
Who found the city a wild druggy sportland
The hose clamp round her neck
Saved her from cervical wreck
During cocaine sneezing in Snortland
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This Day in U S Military History…….18 August
1942 – Marines left Makin Island after destroying a seaplane base, two radio stations, a supply warehouse, and killing about 100 Japanese soldiers.
1942 – On Guadalcanal, Japanese reinforcements are landed at Taivu and a detachment of 1,000 troops under the leadership of Colonel Ichiki starts towards the American position. The Japanese believe there are only 3,000 Americans on the Island. There are actually 10,000 and the airstrip is now ready to receive aircraft.
1951 – The Battle of Bloody Ridge began. During the battle, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and its attached units sustained 326 killed in action, 2,032 wounded and 414 missing. The enemy’s dead totaled 1,389. The 15th Field Artillery Battalion set a record of 14,425 rounds fired in a 24-hour period.
1965 – After a deserter from the First Vietcong Regiment had revealed that an attack was imminent against the U.S. base at Chu Lai, the Marines launch Operation Starlite in the Van Tuong peninsula in Quang Ngai Province. In this, the first major U.S. ground battle of the Vietnam War, 5,500 Marines destroyed a Viet Cong stronghold, scoring a resounding victory. During the operation, which lasted six days, ground forces, artillery from Chu Lai, close air support, and naval gunfire combined to kill nearly 700 Vietcong soldiers. U.S. losses included 45 Marines dead and more than 200 wounded.
1966 – First ship-to-shore satellite radio message sent from USS Annapolis in South China Sea to Pacific Fleet Headquarters at Pearl Harbor.
1968 – The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong launch a limited offensive in the south with 19 separate attacks throughout South Vietnam. In the heaviest fighting in three months, Communist troops attacked key positions along the Cambodian border in Tay Ninh and Binh Long provinces, northwest of Saigon. In Tay Ninh, 600 Viet Cong, supported by elements of two North Vietnamese divisions, attacked the provincial capital, capturing several government installations. U.S. reinforcements from the Twenty-fifth Infantry Division were rushed to the scene and after a day of house-to-house fighting expelled the communists from the city.
1976 – Two U.S. Army officers were killed in Korea’s demilitarized zone as a group of North Korean soldiers wielding axes and metal pikes attacked U.S. and South Korean soldiers. Major Arthur G. Bonifas was attacked and beaten to death by North Korean soldiers as he attempted to cut down a poplar tree in the DMZ.
1998 – In Kenya FBI agents, acting on a tip from Mohammed Saddiq Odeh, raided The Hilltop Hotel in Nairobi and confiscated 175 pounds of TNT. The room was reported to have been occupied by 2 Palestinians, a Saudi and an Egyptian from Aug 3 to Aug 7.
2002 – Operation Mountain Sweep was the first for the 82nd Airborne Division since its arrival in Afghanistan. The troopers of the 82nd joined with Army Rangers and other coalition special operations forces to mount five combat air assault missions. Combat engineers, aviation assets and civil affairs detachments also took part in the operation. Mountain Sweep continued Operation Mountain Lion in searching out al Qaeda and Taliban forces and information about the terrorist organizations. The troops discovered five separate weapons caches and two caches of Taliban documents. The operation took place mainly around the villages of Dormat and Narizah, south of the cities of Khowst and Gardez. The troopers found an anti-aircraft artillery gun, two 82mm mortars and ammunition, a recoilless rifle, rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, machines guns and thousands of small arms rounds. Coalition forces detained 10 persons during the operation. The 229th, serving as the aviation arm for Task Force Shark, conducted 14 helicopter missions in support of the operation. More than 2,000 Coalition forces, consisting of seven infantry companies, combat engineers and elements of three aviation battalions, took part in the operation, completing Operation Mountain Sweep in the former al Qaeda and Taliban areas of Southeastern Afghanistan on August 26.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
TAYLOR, JOSEPH
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 7th Rhode Island Infantry. Place and date: At Weldon Railroad, Va., 18 August 1864. Entered service at: Burrillville, R.I. Birth: England. Date of issue: 20 July 1897. Citation: While acting as an orderly to a general officer on the field and alone, encountered a picket of 3 of the enemy and compelled their surrender.
*CHELI, RALPH (Air Mission)
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Near Wewak, New Guinea, 18 August 1943. Entered service at: Brooklyn, N.Y. Birth: San Francisco, Calif. G.O. No.: 72, 28 October 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy. While Maj. Cheli was leading his squadron in a dive to attack the heavily defended Dagua Airdrome, intercepting enemy aircraft centered their fire on his plane, causing it to burst into flames while still 2 miles from the objective. His speed would have enabled him to gain necessary altitude to parachute to safety, but this action would have resulted in his formation becoming disorganized and exposed to the enemy. Although a crash was inevitable, he courageously elected to continue leading the attack in his blazing plane. From a minimum altitude, the squadron made a devastating bombing and strafing attack on the target. The mission completed, Maj. Cheli instructed his wingman to lead the formation and crashed into the sea.
*THOMASON, CLYDE
Rank and organization: sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 23 May 1914, Atlanta, Ga. Accredited to: Georgia. Citation: For conspicuous heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty during the Marine Raider Expedition against the Japanese-held island of Makin on 17-18 August 1942. Leading the advance element of the assault echelon, Sgt. Thomason disposed his men with keen judgment and discrimination and, by his exemplary leadership and great personal valor, exhorted them to like fearless efforts. On 1 occasion, he dauntlessly walked up to a house which concealed an enemy Japanese sniper, forced in the door and shot the man before he could resist. Later in the action, while leading an assault on an enemy position, he gallantly gave his life in the service of his country. His courage and loyal devotion to duty in the face of grave peril were in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
O’MALLEY, ROBERT E.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Cpl.), U .S. Marine Corps, Company 1, 3d Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division (Rein). Place and date: Near An Cu’ong 2, South Vietnam, 18 August 1965. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: 3 June 1943, New York, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the communist (Viet Cong) forces at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While leading his squad in the assault against a strongly entrenched enemy force, his unit came under intense small-arms fire. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Sgt. O’Malley raced across an open rice paddy to a trench line where the enemy forces were located. Jumping into the trench, he attacked the Viet Cong with his rifle and grenades, and singly killed 8 of the enemy. He then led his squad to the assistance of an adjacent marine unit which was suffering heavy casualties. Continuing to press forward, he reloaded his weapon and fired with telling effect into the enemy emplacement. He personally assisted in the evacuation of several wounded marines, and again regrouping the remnants of his squad, he returned to the point of the heaviest fighting. Ordered to an evacuation point by an officer, Sgt. O’Malley gathered his besieged and badly wounded squad, and boldly led them under fire to a helicopter for withdrawal. Although 3 times wounded in this encounter, and facing imminent death from a fanatic and determined enemy, he steadfastly refused evacuation and continued to cover his squad’s boarding of the helicopters while, from an exposed position, he delivered fire against the enemy until his wounded men were evacuated. Only then, with his last mission accomplished, did he permit himself to be removed from the battlefield. By his valor, leadership, and courageous efforts in behalf of his comrades, he served as an inspiration to all who observed him, and reflected the highest credit upon the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
*PAUL, JOE C.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company H, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines (Rein), 3d Marine Division (Rein). Place and date: near Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam, 18 August 1965. Entered service at: Dayton, Ohio. Born: 23 April 1946, Williamsburg, Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. In violent battle, L/Cpl. Paul’s platoon sustained 5 casualties as it was temporarily pinned down, by devastating mortar, recoilless rifle, automatic weapons, and rifle fire delivered by insurgent communist (Viet Cong) forces in well entrenched positions. The wounded marines were unable to move from their perilously exposed positions forward of the remainder of their platoon, and were suddenly subjected to a barrage of white phosphorous rifle grenades. L/Cpl. Paul, fully aware that his tactics would almost certainly result in serious injury or death to himself, chose to disregard his safety and boldly dashed across the fire-swept rice paddies, placed himself between his wounded comrades and the enemy, and delivered effective suppressive fire with his automatic weapon in order to divert the attack long enough to allow the casualties to be evacuated. Although critically wounded during the course of the battle, he resolutely remained in his exposed position and continued to fire his rifle until he collapsed and was evacuated. By his fortitude and gallant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain death, he saved the lives of several of his fellow marines. His heroic action served to inspire all who observed him and reflect the highest credit upon himself, the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the cause of freedom.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for 18 August, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
18 August
1910: At Fort Sam Houston, Cpl Glen Madole and Oliver G. Simmons, the Army’s first civilian aircraft mechanic, added wheels to Signal Corps Airplane No. 1. This effort produced a tricycle landing gear that eliminated the need for launching rails and catapults. (21)
1911: CHICAGO AIR MEET. Phillip O. Parmalee established a new American altitude record of 10,837 feet. (24)
1926: First contract let for a metal-clad airship. (24)
1941: President Roosevelt announced agreements to let Pan American Airways ferry warplanes from the US to British forces in the Middle East via West Africa. (24)
1948: The Berlin Airlift corridor equipped with flight aids to ensure winter airlift operations. (4)
1951: KOREAN WAR/Operation STRANGLE. FEAF began this operation against N. Korean railroads. (28)
1956: Last class in Air Force to fly piston-engined T-6 aircraft graduated at Barstow AB, Fla. The Air Force used various versions of the T-6 to polish pilot skills since 1941.
1965: The first Minuteman II launch from an operationally configured silo at Vandenberg AFB succeeded. (6)
1977: The USAF accepted its first F-16B from General Dynamics at Fort Worth. (12)
1978: At McConnell AFB, A1C Tina M. Ponzer (381 SMW) became SAC’s first enlisted female to perform Titan II alert duty. (1) (6)
1987: The 308 SMW's inactivation at Little Rock AFB officially ended SAC's Titan II missile program.
1992: Operation SOUTHERN WATCH Begins. The operation restricted Iraqi flights south of 32 degrees north latitude. AMC airlifted US forces to Saudi Arabia to support the operation. The command also deployed tankers to refuel fighters flying combat air patrols. (16) (18)
1993: The McDonnell Douglas “Delta Clipper Experimental” (DC-X), a subscale, single-stage-to-orbit prototype completed a 60-second flight over White Sands Missile Range. The 42-foot-tall craft took off vertically, hovered at 150 feet, moved laterally 350 feet, and landed tail down. (20)
1999: Operation AVID RESPONSE. After a devastating earthquake rocked western Turkey, AMC began its support of this international relief effort. A C-5 from the 436 AW at Dover AFB left the US for Istanbul with a 70-person search and rescue team. The team, with 5 search and rescue dogs, 56,000 pounds of equipment, and three vehicles, set up operations in nearby Izmit. Two KC-10s from the 305 AMW at McGuire AFB refueled the C-5 during its nonstop flight to Turkey. By 10 September, when the AVID RESPONSE task force at Topel NAS, Turkey, disbanded, AMC aircraft had flown 20 missions to support the earthquake relief effort. (22)
2005: The 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB became the first unit to achieve initial operational capability with the JASSM cruise missile. (AFNEWS Article, “Dyess AFB Demonstrates B-1B’s Upgrades, Combat Capabilities,”
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