7600
Good Monday morning July 20 2026 .The Heat wave is still here and heating up
89 by 2 and staying into the 80s until 6 or so.
Sorry for the late arrival.
Regards,
skip
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Monday Morning Humor Thanks to Al and happy birthday to Patty
My wife, Patty, will celebrate her 81st birthday on Saturday, so this MMH is
dedicated to her.
Submitted by Mike Ryan:
Some of Patty’s musings…
· I talk to myself. There are times I need expert advice.
· “In Style” are the clothes that still fit.
· I don't need anger management. I need people to stop pissing me
off.
· My people skills are just fine. It's my tolerance for idiots that
needs work.
· The biggest lie I tell myself is, “I don't need to write that
down. I'll remember it.”
· “On time” is when I get there.
· Even duct tape can't fix stupid, but it sure does muffle the sound
· It would be wonderful if I could put myself in the dryer for ten
minutes, then come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller.
· Lately, I've noticed people my age are so much older than me.
· Growing old should have taken longer.
· Aging has slowed me down, but hasn't shut me up.
· I still haven't learned to act my age and hope I never will
· “One for the road” means peeing before I leave the house.
Submitted by Mark Logan:
At my age, it seems like this is a typical day. See attached .mp4 called
ATypicalDay
Submitted by Colleen Grosso:
Applicable quotes…
· "Old age comes at a bad time." (Ed Sullivan)
· "Inside every OLDer person is a younger person wondering what
happened." (Stevie Wonder)
· "Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you are
aboard, there is nothing you can do about it." (Golda Meir)
· "The older I get, the more clearly I remember things that never
happened. (Mark Twain)
· "I’m at that age where my back goes out more than I do." (Phyllis
Diller)
· "Nice to be here? At my age, it’s nice to be anywhere." (George
Burns)
· “You spend 90 percent of your adult life hoping for a long rest
and the last 10 percent trying to convince the Lord that you’re actually not
THAT tired.” (Princess Grace)
· “Old people shouldn’t eat health foods. They need all the
preservatives they can get.” (Bob Hope)
· "At my age, flowers scare me." (George Burns)
· "The years between 55 and 75 are the hardest. You are always being
asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down."
(T.S Elliot)
· "At age 20, we worry about what others think of us… at age 40, we
don’t care what they think of us… at age 60, we discover they haven’t been
thinking of us at all." (Ann Landers)
· "When I was young, I was called a rugged individualist. When I was
in my fifties, I was considered eccentric. Here I am doing and saying the
same things I did then, and I’m labeled senile." (Milton Berle)
· "The important thing to remember is that I’m probably going to
forget." (Martin Scorsese)
· "We don’t grow older, we grow riper." (Pablo Picasso)
· “It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to
everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” (Andy
Rooney)
· “The older I get, the better I used to be.” (Lee Trevino)
· "I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a lot more
as they get older, and then it dawned on me—they’re cramming for their final
exam." (George Carlin)
· "Everything seems to slow down with age, except the time it takes
cake and ice cream to reach your hips." (Elizabeth Taylor)
· "Grandchildren don’t make a woman feel old, it’s the knowledge
that she’s married to a grandfather that does." (Norman Vincent Peale)
· "When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look,
it’s a sure sign you’re getting old." (Mark Twain)
· "You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or
leaks." (Dennis Quaid)
· "Looking fifty is great — if you’re sixty." (Joan Rivers)
· "Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician." (Zsa
Zsa Gabor)
During a recent visit to her doctor, Patty asked him “How do you
determine whether or not an older person should be put in an old age home?”
“Well,” he said, “We fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a
teacup, and a bucket to the person and ask them to empty the bathtub.”
“Oh, I understand,” she said. “A normal person would use the bucket
because it is bigger than the spoon or the teacup.”
“No,” he said, “A normal person would pull the plug. Would you like a
bed near the window?”
Submitted by Skip Leonard:
Seniors are under attack and this is happening right here in our own
country! We must stop this immediately!
Have you noticed that stairs are getting steeper? Groceries are
heavier. And, everything is farther away. Yesterday I walked to the corner
and I was dumbfounded to discover how long our street had become!
And, you know, people are less considerate now, especially the young
ones. They speak in whispers all the time! If you ask them to speak up, they
just keep repeating themselves, endlessly mouthing the same silent message
until they're red in the face! What do they think I am, a lip reader?
I also think they are much younger than I was at the same age. On the
other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I ran into an old
friend the other day and she has aged so much that she didn't even recognize
me. I got to thinking about the poor dear while I was combing my hair this
morning, and in doing so, I glanced at my own reflection well, really
now-even mirrors are not made the way they used to be!
Another thing, everyone drives so fast these days! You're risking life
and limb if you happen to pull onto the freeway in front of them. All I can
say is, their brakes must wear out awfully fast, the way I see them screech
and swerve in my rear view mirror.
Clothing manufacturers are less civilized these days. Why else would
they suddenly start labeling a size 32 waisted pant as 40? Do they think no
one notices? The people who make bathroom scales are pulling the same prank.
Do they think I actually believe the number I see on that dial? Ha! I would
never let myself weigh that much! Just who do these people think they're
fooling?
I'd like to call up someone in authority to report what's going on--but
the telephone company is in on the conspiracy too: they've printed the phone
books in such small type that no one could ever find a number in there!
All I can do is pass along this warning: WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!
Unless something drastic happens pretty soon everyone will have to
suffer these awful indignities.
Submitted by Peggy Yunghahn:
More of Patty’s musings…
· Eventually I have reached the point when I have stopped lying
about my age and start bragging about it. I love to hear them say: "You
don't look that old."
· The older I get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
Mostly, because I forgot why I was waiting in line in the first place.
· When I am dissatisfied and would like to go back to my youth, I
think of Algebra.
· Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
· "Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my
mouth!"
Have a happy birthday Patty.
Everyone else have a great week,
Al
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History July 20
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
July 20
1846 In the effort to negotiate a treaty with Japan, Commodore James Biddle
arrives with the ship of the line, USS Columbus, and the sloop of war, USS
Vincennes, at Edo (Yedo), Japan. These are the first U.S. warships to visit
Japan.
1861 During the Civil War, the wooden screw gunboat, USS Albatross,
commanded by Cmdr. G.A. Prentiss, recaptures the civilian schooner,
Enchantress, off Hatteras Inlet. She is previously captured by the
Confederate privateer, CSS Jefferson Davis, on July 6. Also on this date,
the wooden screw steamship, USS Mount Vernon, commanded by Oliver S.
Glisson, seizes the sloop, Wild Pigeon, on the Rappahannock River.
1942 Adm. William D. Leahy becomes Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief
of the Army and the Navy, the precursor to the post of Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. In Dec. 1944, Leahy is promoted to Fleet Admiral. Fleet
Adm. Leahy also dies on this date in 1959.
1945 USS Threadfin (SS 410) sinks the Japanese minesweeper (W 39) northwest
of Mokpo, Korea.
1960 In the first launch of the Polaris missile, USS George Washington (SSBN
598) successfully fires two operational Polaris missiles while submerged off
Florida.
1969 Former Navy pilot Neil Armstrong is the first man to set foot on the
moon, saying That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind."
Armstrong is Commander of Apollo 11, which during its 8 day mission lands on
the Sea of Tranquility. Michael Collins is the Command Module Pilot and
Edwin Buzz E. Aldrin Jr., is the Lunar Module Pilot.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in History
July 20
1402 Tamerlane's Mongols defeat the Ottoman Turks at Angora.
1588 The Spanish Armada sets sail from Corunna.
1715 The Riot Act goes into effect in England.
1864 Confederate General John Bell Hood attacks Union forces under General
William T. Sherman outside Atlanta.
1867 Imperial troops in Guizhou, China, kill 20,000 Miao rebels.
1881 Sioux chief Sitting Bull surrenders to the U.S. Army.
1917 Alexander Kerensky becomes the premier of Russia.
1942 The U.S. Army Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) begins its first
training class at Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
1944 Adolf Hitler is wounded in an assassination attempt by German Army
officers at Rastenburg.
1950 The U.S. Army's Task Force Smith is pushed back by superior North
Korean forces.
1951 King Abdullah of Jordan is assassinated.
1969 Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first men to walk on
the moon.
1976 The Viking spacecraft lands on Mars and begins taking soil samples
.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Rollingthunderremembered.com .
July 20
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).
.
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 Monday July 20
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
From the daily Rolling Thunder for this date
.
“ONE LAST ROLL” by CAPTAIN GERALD (JERRY) COFFEE…
“We toast our faithful comrades
Now fallen from the sky,
And gently caught by God’s own hand
To be with Him on High.
“To dwell among the soaring clouds
They knew so well before,
From dawn patrol and victory roll
At heaven’s very door.
“And, as we fly among them there,
We’re sure to hear their plea,
‘Take care my friend: Watch your six,
And do one more roll–just for me.’ “…
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
Thanks to This Day in History
At 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from
Earth, speaks these words to more than a billion people listening at home:
“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Stepping off
the lunar module Eagle, Armstrong became the first human to walk on the
surface of the moon.
The American effort to send astronauts to the moon has its origins in a
famous appeal President John F. Kennedy made to a special joint session of
Congress on May 25, 1961: “I believe this nation should commit itself to
achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon
and returning him safely to the Earth.” At the time, the United States was
still trailing the Soviet Union in space developments, and Cold War-era
America welcomed Kennedy’s bold proposal.
Did the US Go to the Moon to Beat the Soviets?
In 1966, after five years of work by an international team of scientists and
engineers, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
conducted the first unmanned Apollo mission, testing the structural
integrity of the proposed launch vehicle and spacecraft combination. Then,
on January 27, 1967, tragedy struck at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in
Cape Canaveral, Florida, when a fire broke out during a manned launch-pad
test of the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn rocket. Three astronauts were
killed in the fire.
Despite the setback, NASA and its thousands of workers forged ahead, and in
October 1968, Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, orbited Earth and
successfully tested many of the sophisticated systems needed to conduct a
moon journey and landing. In December of the same year, Apollo 8 took three
astronauts around the far side of the moon and orbited it 10 times before
returning, and in March 1969 Apollo 9 tested the lunar module for the first
time while in Earth orbit. Then in May, the three astronauts of Apollo 10
took the first complete Apollo spacecraft in 31 orbits around the moon in a
dry run for the scheduled July landing mission.
At 9:32 a.m. on July 16, with the world watching, Apollo 11 took off from
Kennedy Space Center with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin Jr., and
Michael Collins aboard. Armstrong, a 38-year-old research pilot, was the
commander of the mission. After traveling 240,000 miles in 76 hours, Apollo
11 entered a lunar orbit on July 19. The next day, at 1:46 p.m., the lunar
module Eagle, manned by Armstrong and Aldrin, separated from the command
module, where Collins remained. Two hours later, the Eagle began its descent
to the lunar surface, and at 4:18 p.m. the craft touched down on the
southwestern edge of the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong immediately radioed
to Mission Control in Houston, Texas, a famous message: “The Eagle has
landed.”
Apollo 11: They Almost Forgot the American Flag
At 10:39 p.m., five hours ahead of the original schedule, Armstrong opened
the hatch of the lunar module. As he made his way down the lunar module’s
ladder, a television camera attached to the craft recorded his progress and
beamed the signal back to Earth, where hundreds of millions watched in great
anticipation. At 10:56 p.m., Armstrong spoke his famous quote, which he
later contended was slightly garbled by his microphone and meant to be
“that’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” He then
planted his left foot on the gray, powdery surface, took a cautious step
forward, and humanity had walked on the moon.
“Buzz” Aldrin joined him on the moon’s surface at 11:11 p.m., and together
they took photographs of the terrain, planted a U.S. flag, ran a few simple
scientific tests, and spoke with President Richard M. Nixon via Houston. By
1:11 a.m. on July 21, both astronauts were back in the lunar module and the
hatch was closed. The two men slept that night on the surface of the moon,
and at 1:54 p.m. the Eagle began its ascent back to the command module.
Among the items left on the surface of the moon was a plaque that read:
“Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon–July 1969
A.D–We came in peace for all mankind.”
At 5:35 p.m., Armstrong and Aldrin successfully docked and rejoined Collins,
and at 12:56 a.m. on July 22 Apollo 11 began its journey home, safely
splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:51 p.m. on July 24.
There would be five more successful lunar landing missions, and one
unplanned lunar swing-by, Apollo 13. The last men to walk on the moon,
astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of the Apollo 17 mission, left
the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. The Apollo program was a costly and
labor-intensive endeavor, involving an estimated 400,000 engineers,
technicians, and scientists, and costing $24 billion (close to $100 billion
in today’s dollars). The expense was justified by Kennedy’s 1961 mandate to
beat the Soviets to the moon, and after the feat was accomplished ongoing
missions lost their viability.
Apollo 11
5 Terrifying Moments During the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Mission
The astronaut crew had to troubleshoot a series of problems throughout the
historic 1969 flight.
This historic exchange on July 20, 1969 marked the end of a perilous journey
to the lunar surface, but a multitude of threats still faced the pair of
NASA astronauts during their surface operations—while Command Module Pilot
Michael Collins looked down alone, orbiting high above the lunar landscape.
And, despite arriving in one piece, the expert touchdown was by no means
certain. Below are five of the scariest moments during Apollo 11.
1. Missing the Mark on Touch-Down Amid Multiple Alarms
Apollo 11 Lunar Module
NASA
After arriving in lunar orbit and later separating from the Command Module
to begin their landing sequence, Armstrong and Aldrin had little idea that
their moon landing plans had already been modified by an overlooked effect
of Newtonian physics.
A couple of hours earlier, as the spidery Lunar Module “Eagle” undocked from
the Command Module “Columbia,” residual pressure inside the tunnel that
connected the two spacecraft before undocking wasn’t sufficiently vented,
causing Eagle to get an additional boost as it separated.
It was slight, but at around nine minutes before touchdown, Armstrong
realized they were going to overshoot their landing site, estimating they’d
miss by approximately three miles (which was a close educated guess, they
actually missed by four). As the moon is littered with boulders and craters,
the planned landing site was chosen as it was comparatively smooth. So with
the modified flight plan, the duo had to find another suitable place to
safely touch down.
As if that wasn’t enough drama, the Eagle’s computer had been distracting
them with program alarms throughout their descent. Radio communications with
Mission Control were also patchy. The recurring alarm was being triggered by
the onboard landing computer that was warning of an overload. Fortunately,
as the alarm was intermittent, Mission Control deemed the risk of computer
overload low and green-lit the landing.
As the minutes ticked down, and the pair watched the lunar surface getting
closer by the second, another problem became clear: they were burning more
fuel than calculated. Due to their overshot landing, they were nearly
running on empty so there was even more urgency to find a landing spot.
“You never [want to] go under the ‘Dead Man’s Curve,’” Flight Controller
Steve Bales later recalled in an interview. “It was an altitude [where] you
just don't have enough time to do an abort before you had crashed …
Essentially, you're a dead man.”
With only 30 seconds of fuel left in the tank, Armstrong guided the Eagle
softly down onto its impromptu landing site that, moments later, would
become “Tranquility Base”—the first (temporary) human outpost on the moon.
2. Post-Landing Explosion?
Apollo 11 Mission Operations Control Room
As the adrenaline ebbed and the astronauts carried out their post-landing
tasks, another problem was brewing. Although it had been shut down, sensors
were detecting a pressure build-up in the landing engine fuel line. This
could mean only one thing: ice had accumulated in the line, plugging it, and
the backed-up fuel vapor was getting heated by the hot engine.
Discussions between NASA and Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, the
company that oversaw the Lunar Module’s development, deemed this increase in
pressure a hazard that may trigger a deadly explosion if not remedied. So
they drew up plans to vent the syste “We all felt that the consequences of
an explosion, even of the relatively small amount of fuel remaining in that
short section of line, was unpredictable and unacceptable,” wrote aerospace
engineer and “Father of the Lunar Module” Thomas J. Kelly in his book 2001
book, Moon Lander.
Before the instructions could be relayed to Armstrong and Aldrin, however,
the ice plug thawed, the gas was released, and the problem remedied itself.
3. Dangers of Moon Dust
NASA
BUZZ ALDRIN'S BOOTPRINT FROM THE APOLLO 11 MISSION, ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS
TAKEN ON THE MOON.
Even though the ground beneath Tranquility Base had the appearance of being
free from any boulders that may have damaged the Lunar Module as it touched
down, before Apollo 11, scientists couldn’t be absolutely sure that
Armstrong and Aldrin would land on stable ground. What if the stuff acted
like quicksand? There was also the possibility that the fluffy accumulations
of moon dust covered jagged shards of rock that could cause injuries to
moonwalkers or to the lander itself.
Although previous robotic missions, such as the Surveyor landers, were
designed to study the lunar surface as a prelude to planning later Apollo
missions, it wasn’t until Armstrong’s “one small step” crunched into the
grey powder that NASA was sure the surface was safe for extravehicular
activity (EVA).
Apollo 11: Handmade Parts
While this may be a minor point in the annals of the Apollo Program, lunar
dust is no joke. Created over billions of years by meteorite impacts, the
moon lacks processes that would erode these minuscule particles into
smoother shapes. Apollo astronauts found the abrasive dust to be more than a
nuisance.
Later missions after Apollo 11 featured longer EVAs, and there are reports
about these tiny shards of rock permeating Lunar Module interiors, coating
helmet visors, jamming zippers and even penetrating layers of protective
spacesuit material.
“All of the astronauts complained of the problems with dust,” said Brian
O’Brien, a Rice University professor from 1963 to 1968 who built radiation
and dust experiments for the Apollo missions. “The very access to the moon
stirs up dust. And the walking of an astronaut or the movement of a rover
stirs up dust. The dust will travel ballistically, because there’s no
atmosphere, and it will stick to anything and everything.”
4. Alien Infections?
Apollo 11 Quarantine
NASA
PRESIDENT NIXON VISITING THE APOLLO 11 ASTRONAUTS, WHO WERE CONFINED TO THE
MOBILE QUARANTINE FACILITY.
Though scientists are now acutely aware of the impacts of space radiation
and dust on astronaut health, in those pioneering days of 1969, there was
some degree of trial and error.
By 1969, only landed a handful of robotic landers had touched down on the
lunar surface. And while these landers confirmed that the moon’s surface was
rocky, dusty, covered in craters and devoid of complex life forms, some
precautions for possible infection by alien microbes had to be taken—but
only after the Apollo astronauts became infected by these hypothetical space
germs.
After risking their lives for the advancement of humanity, Armstrong, Aldrin
and Collins had the dubious pleasure of being stuck in planetary protection
quarantine on their return, just in case a deadly space-borne plague had
hitched a ride with them.
As soon as their re-entry capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July
24, the trio was transferred to a mobile quarantine facility inside which
they were transported to NASA Lunar Receiving Laboratory at Johnson Space
Center where they had access to a larger quarantine facility until their
release on August 10, 1969.
5. Alternate Reality: A President’s Announcement of Mission Failure
Probably the most terrifying moment of the Apollo 11 landing, however,
didn’t actually happen.
A speech, prepared for then-President Richard Nixon in the event of mission
failure, was released to the public 30 years later, detailing the White
House’s response should the unthinkable have happened. Any number of things
could have gone wrong during that pioneering mission, so, to prepare, the
president was ready to address the nation when it became obvious the mission
was lost.
The text ends on a poignant note: “For every human being who looks up at the
moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another
world that is forever mankind.”
The “In Event of Moon Disaster” speech was never read but was instead filed
away as a reminder that space exploration is a dangerous endeavor that has
claimed the lives of many brave explorers since the beginning of the space
age. Meanwhile, the men of Apollo 11 became the first humans to set foot—and
survive—on an alien world.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
. From the archives
Thanks to Dr. Rich
Men Are Just Happier People!
What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The
garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is
just another snack. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt
to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have
to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress - $5,000. Tux rental - $100. People
never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut,
blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are
over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own
jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If
someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your
underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Two pairs of shoes are more than
enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to
see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original
color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to
shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes - one
color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You
can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice
concerning growing a mustache... You can do Christmas shopping for 25
relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier!
NICKNAMES
· If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other
Laura, Kate and Sarah.
· If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each
other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.
EATING OUT
· When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even
though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and
none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, outcome the pocket calculators.
MONEY
· A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
· A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS
· A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving
cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
· The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man
would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
ARGUMENTS
· A woman has the last word in any argument.
· Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
FUTURE
· A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
· A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
MARRIAGE
· A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
· A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
DRESSING UP
· A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash,
answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
· A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
NATURAL
· Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
· Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
OFFSPRING
· Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about
dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret
fears and hopes and dreams.
· A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people
remembering the same thing!
Confession: I'll buy an item that's substantially reduced even if I don't
need it, too.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Interesting Facts
The Golden Gate Bridge was almost painted black and yellow.
The Golden Gate Bridge is the most recognizable part of San Francisco’s
misty skyline, not least because of its vibrant orange color, but the iconic
structure was almost painted an entirely different hue. The idea of
connecting parts of California’s Marin County with San Francisco via a
bridge dates back to 1869, but plans for the architectural wonder didn’t
take shape until 1916. Despite a hefty $35 million bill amid the Great
Depression, the bridge project broke (underwater) ground in 1933. When it
came time to choose a paint color two years into the build — a necessity to
prevent rust on the steel caused by the underlying salt water — there was no
obvious choice. The U.S. Navy recommended a black-and-yellow-striped design
intended to increase visibility for ships and airplanes operating in foggy
weather. Architect Irving Morrow rejected the idea (along with the commonly
used gray and silver), settling on the vivid “International Orange” after
seeing the bridge primed in a vermillion hue and believing the color would
complement the surrounding landscape while providing high visibility. The
bridge officially opened on May 27, 1937, painted in its gleaming new hue.
Exactly how the Golden Gate maintains its iconic glow is something of a
maintenance marvel that’s shrouded in myth. Popular theories suggest that
the 1.7-mile overpass is entirely repainted from end to end annually, or
just once every seven years, but in fact caretakers continuously have paint
brushes in hand. Crews note areas of the bridge where paint has worn away,
then spot-paint sections as needed. The work is tedious, requiring high
climbs atop the structure’s 746-foot towers and its underbelly, which sits
just 200 feet above the bay. Workers use specialized equipment and brushes
to remove old paint, prime the underlying steel, and lacquer on the standout
shade. The bridge has only been fully repainted one time — beginning in 1968
— to remove its failing, original lead-based paint; the task took 27 years
and wasn’t finished until 1995.
The Golden Gate Bridge isn’t named for its color.
While the Golden Gate Bridge does seem to shimmer in the California sun, it
wasn’t named for its vibrant paint job. The moniker actually refers to the
Golden Gate Strait, the underlying waterway connecting the San Francisco Bay
to the Pacific Ocean. Captain and explorer John C. Frémont came up with the
name in 1846, inspired by the similarities between the 377-foot-deep channel
and Istanbul’s Golden Horn harbor. Incidentally, Frémont — who later held
political office in California, ran as the nation’s first Republican
presidential candidate in 1856 (losing to James Buchanan), and served as a
Union general in the Civil War — has been timelessly memorialized on street
signs and city designations, including a bridge bearing his own name in
Portland, Oregon.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in U S Military History…….July 20
1953 – U.S. Air Force Major Stephen L. Bettinger qualified as the 40th and
last ace of the Korean War. Because he was shot down during this engagement
and subsequently captured, he was not officially credited with his fifth
victory until after his repatriation.
1960 – In first launch of Polaris missile, USS George Washington (SSBN 598)
successfully fires 2 operational Polaris missiles while submerged off
Florida.
1969 – At 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles
from Earth, speaks these words to more than a billion people listening at
home: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” A moment
later, he stepped off the lunar landing module Eagle and became the first
human to walk on the surface of the moon. The American effort to send
astronauts to the moon has its origins in a famous appeal President John F.
Kennedy made to a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: “I
believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this
decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to
Earth.” At the time, the United States was still trailing the Soviet Union
in space developments, and Cold War-era America welcomed Kennedy’s bold
proposal. In 1966, after five years of work by an international team of
scientists and engineers, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) conducted the first unmanned Apollo mission, testing the structural
integrity of the proposed launch vehicle and spacecraft combination. Then,
on January 27, 1967, tragedy struck at Kennedy Space Center in Cape
Canaveral, Florida, when a fire broke out during a manned launch-pad test of
the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn rocket. Three astronauts were killed in the
fire. Despite the setback, NASA and its thousands of employees forged ahead,
and in October 1968, Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, orbited
Earth and successfully tested many of the sophisticated systems needed to
conduct a moon journey and landing. In December of the same year, Apollo 8
took three astronauts to the dark side of the moon and back, and in March
1969 Apollo 9 tested the lunar module for the first time while in Earth
orbit. Then in May, the three astronauts of Apollo 10 took the first
complete Apollo spacecraft around the moon in a dry run for the scheduled
July landing mission. At 9:32 a.m. on July 16, with the world watching,
Apollo 11 took off from Kennedy Space Center with astronauts Neil Armstrong,
Edwin Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins aboard. Armstrong, a 38-year-old
civilian research pilot, was the commander of the mission. After traveling
240,000 miles in 76 hours, Apollo 11 entered into a lunar orbit on July 19.
The next day, at 1:46 p.m., the lunar module Eagle, manned by Armstrong and
Aldrin, separated from the command module, where Collins remained. Two hours
later, the Eagle began its descent to the lunar surface, and at 4:18 p.m.
the craft touched down on the southwestern edge of the Sea of Tranquility.
Armstrong immediately radioed to Mission Control in Houston, Texas, a famous
message: “The Eagle has landed.” At 10:39 p.m., five hours ahead of the
original schedule, Armstrong opened the hatch of the lunar module. As he
made his way down the lunar module’s ladder, a television camera attached to
the craft recorded his progress and beamed the signal back to Earth, where
hundreds of millions watched in great anticipation. At 10:56 p.m., Armstrong
spoke his famous quote, which he later contended was slightly garbled by his
microphone and meant to be “that’s one small step for a man, one giant leap
for mankind.” He then planted his left foot on the gray, powdery surface,
took a cautious step forward, and humanity had walked on the moon. “Buzz”
Aldrin joined him on the moon’s surface at 11:11 p.m., and together they
took photographs of the terrain, planted a U.S. flag, ran a few simple
scientific tests, and spoke with President Richard M. Nixon via Houston. By
1:11 a.m. on July 21, both astronauts were back in the lunar module and the
hatch was closed. The two men slept that night on the surface of the moon,
and at 1:54 p.m. the Eagle began its ascent back to the command module.
Among the items left on the surface of the moon was a plaque that read:
“Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon–July 1969 A.D–We
came in peace for all mankind.” At 5:35 p.m., Armstrong and Aldrin
successfully docked and rejoined Collins, and at 12:56 a.m. on July 22
Apollo 11 began its journey home, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean
at 12:51 p.m. on July 24. There would be five more successful lunar landing
missions, and one unplanned lunar swing-by, Apollo 13. The last men to walk
on the moon, astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of the Apollo 17
mission, left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. The Apollo program was
a costly and labor intensive endeavor, involving an estimated 400,000
engineers, technicians, and scientists, and costing $24 billion (close to
$100 billion in today’s dollars). The expense was justified by Kennedy’s
1961 mandate to beat the Soviets to the moon, and after the feat was
accomplished ongoing missions lost their viability.
1976 – On the seventh anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, the Viking
1 lander, an unmanned U.S. planetary probe, becomes the first spacecraft to
successfully land on the surface of Mars. Viking 1 was launched on August
20, 1975, and arrived at Mars on June 19, 1976. The first month of its orbit
was devoted to imaging the surface to find appropriate landing sites. On
July 20, 1976, the Viking 1 lander separated from the orbiter, touched down
on the Chryse Planitia region of Mars, and sent back the first close-up
photographs of the rust-colored Martian surface. In September 1976, Viking
2–launched only three weeks after Viking 1–entered into orbit around Mars,
where it assisted Viking 1 in imaging the surface and also sent down a
lander. During the dual Viking missions, the two orbiters imaged the entire
surface of Mars at a resolution of 150 to 300 meters, and the two landers
sent back more than 1,400 images of the planet’s surface.
1999 – After 38 years at the bottom of the Atlantic, astronaut Gus Grissom’s
“Liberty Bell Seven” Mercury capsule was lifted to the surface.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
CROSIER, WILLIAM H. H.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company G, 149th New York Infantry. Place
and date: At Peach Tree Creek, Ga., 20 July 1864. Entered service at:
Skaneateles, N.Y. Birth: Skaneateles, N.Y. Date of issue: 12 January 1892.
Citation: Severely wounded and ambushed by the enemy, he stripped the colors
from the staff and brought them back into the line.
HAPEMAN, DOUGLAS
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, 104th Illinois Infantry. Place
and date: At Peach Tree Creek, Ga., 20 July 1864. Entered service at:
Ottawa, Ill. Born: 15 January 1839, Ephratah, Fulton County, N.Y. Date of
issue: 5 April 1898. Citation: With conspicuous coolness and bravery rallied
his men under a severe attack, re-formed the broken ranks, and repulsed the
attack.
SHANES, JOHN
Rank and organization: Private, Company K, 14th West Virginia Infantry.
Place and date: At Carters Farm, Va., 20 July 1864. Entered service at:——.
Birth: Monomgalis County, W.Va. Date of issue: 31 January 1896. Citation:
Charged upon a Confederate fieldpiece in advance of his comrades and by his
individual exertions silenced the piece.
PENN, ROBERT
Rank and organization: Fireman First Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 10 October
1872, City Point, Va. Accredited to: Virginia. G.O. No.: 501, 14 December
1898. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Iowa off Santiago de Cuba, 20 July 1898.
Performing his duty at the risk of serious scalding at the time of the
blowing out of the manhole gasket on board the vessel, Penn hauled the fire
while standing on a board thrown across a coal bucket 1 foot above the
boiling water which was still blowing from the boiler.
*COLLIER, GILBERT G.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Cpl.), U.S. Army, Company F, 223d
Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Tutayon,
Korea, 19-20 July 1953. Entered service at: Tichnor Ark. Born: 30 December
1930, Hunter, Ark. G.O. No.: 3, 12 January 1955. Citation: Sgt. Collier, a
member of Company F, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and
indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the
enemy. Sgt. Collier was pointman and assistant leader of a combat patrol
committed to make contact with the enemy. As the patrol moved forward
through the darkness, he and his commanding officer slipped and fell from a
steep, 60-foot cliff and were injured. Incapacitated by a badly sprained
ankle which prevented immediate movement, the officer ordered the patrol to
return to the safety of friendly lines. Although suffering from a painful
back injury, Sgt. Collier elected to remain with his leader, and before
daylight they managed to crawl back up and over the mountainous terrain to
the opposite valley where they concealed themselves in the brush until
nightfall, then edged toward their company positions. Shortly after leaving
the daylight retreat they were ambushed and, in the ensuing fire fight, Sgt.
Collier killed 2 hostile soldiers, received painful wounds, and was
separated from his companion. Then, ammunition expended, he closed in
hand-to-hand combat with 4 attacking hostile infantrymen, killing, wounding,
and routing the foe with his bayonet. He was mortally wounded during this
action, but made a valiant attempt to reach and assist his leader in a
desperate effort to save his comrade’s life without regard for his own
personal safety. Sgt. Collier’s unflinching courage, consummate devotion to
duty, and gallant self-sacrifice reflect lasting glory upon himself and
uphold the noble traditions of the military service.
*LIBBY, GEORGE D.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 3d Engineer Combat
Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Taejon, Korea, 20
July 1950. Entered service at: Waterbury, Conn. Birth: Bridgton, Maine. G.O.
No.: 62, 2 August 1951. Citation: Sgt. Libby distinguished himself by
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in
action. While breaking through an enemy encirclement, the vehicle in which
he was riding approached an enemy roadblock and encountered devastating fire
which disabled the truck, killing or wounding all the passengers except Sgt.
Libby. Taking cover in a ditch Sgt. Libby engaged the enemy and despite the
heavy fire crossed the road twice to administer aid to his wounded comrades.
He then hailed a passing M-5 artillery tractor and helped the wounded
aboard. The enemy directed intense small-arms fire at the driver, and Sgt.
Libby, realizing that no one else could operate the vehicle, placed himself
between the driver and the enemy thereby shielding him while he returned the
fire. During this action he received several wounds in the arms and body.
Continuing through the town the tractor made frequent stops and Sgt. Libby
helped more wounded aboard. Refusing first aid, he continued to shield the
driver and return the fire of the enemy when another roadblock was
encountered. Sgt. Libby received additional wounds but held his position
until he lost consciousness. Sgt. Libby’s sustained, heroic actions enabled
his comrades to reach friendly lines. His dauntless courage and gallant
self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself and uphold the
esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 20, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT
ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE
INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
20 July
1918: The 148th Aero Squadron began operations with the RAF in the field
from Capelle Airdrome, near Dunkirk. (24)
1937: First shoulder sleeve insignia authorized for an independent American
air unit, General Headquarters Air Force. (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force F-80s shot down two enemy aircraft for the
last aerial victories until November, a sign that UN forces had attained air
superiority. (28)
1953: The Martin B-57A first flew at Baltimore. It was our version of the
English Electric Canberra twin-jet bomber. (12)
1955: The NB-36H, with an atomic reactor, made its first flight without
activating the reactor. The plane carried the reactor aboard for structural
and systems feasibility studies. (24)
1956: The Navy commissioned the USS Thetis Bay, the first helicopter assault
carrier, at San Francisco. (24)
1960: A 6511th Parachute Test Group C-130 dropped 40,500 pounds of cargo by
parachute to set a new world record. The group, which belonged to the ARDC,
broke an earlier record of 35,000 pounds. (24) The USS George Washington
became the first sub to launch a Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris missile while
submerged. It flew from a point 30 miles off Cape Canaveral 1,150 miles away
down the Atlantic Missile Range. Two hours later, the sub launched a second
missile. (16)
1961: The first Titan I equipped with rocket decoys launched from Cape
Canaveral. It released 10 decoys over the Atlantic, which allowed downrange
tracking stations to practice in distinguishing between decoys and real
reentry vehicles. (6)
1962: The US Weather Bureau transmitted photos made by TIROS V of cloud
formations west of Australia to Australia. This effort was the first
transmission of TIROS photos for foreign weather analysis. (24)
1963: Operation FARM GATE/MACKAY TROPHY: Under hostile fire, Capt Warren P.
Tomsett flew his C-47, the “Extol Pink,” of the 1st Air Commando Wing to
evacuate wounded soldiers from Loc Ninh, Laos. Tomsett and his crew (Capt
John R. Ordemann, Capt Donald R. Mack, TSgt Edsol P. Inlow, and SSgts Jack
E. Morgan and Frank C. Barrett) later received the Mackay Trophy for 1963.
(21) The Air Force launched its 100th Agena missile. The United Technology
Center successfully fired the Titan III-C’d solid fuel rocket motor. (5)
1964: NASA’s SERT I (Space Electric Rocket Test) marked the first operation
in space of an electric rocket engine.
1966: OPERATION TALLY HO. During early 1966, USAF aircraft flew over 3,000
sorties per month. With lines of communication cut or disrupted, harassed
day and night, the enemy concentrated on infiltration through the
demilitarized zone. This gave birth to Operation Tally Ho, which scheduled
2,600 sorties a month above the demilitarized zone against the enemy. (17)
1968: Exercise GUARD STRIKE II. The largest joint Army and ANG field
training exercise ever staged to this date within the CONUS began. (16)
1969: APOLLO XI/FIRST MAN ON THE MOON. Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., flew the lunar module Eagle to the Sea of
Tranquility, where Armstrong took the first step on the moon. (26) (See 16
July for full details of mission)
1970: Electronics System Division at Hanscom Field turned over the Compass
Link photo relay system to the AFCS. Compass Link used three ground stations
and two satellites to transmit exposed film from SEA to the Pentagon via
electronic signals and laser beams. (26)
1973: Dr. Malcom R. Currie, Director of Defense and Engineering, asked the
USAF to develop an ALCM, from the SCAD program. (6)
1974: Alexander Kartevelli, who designed the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, the
X-12 Rainbow, the F-84, and F-105, died at age 77. The Thunderbirds made
their first public demonstration with T-38 aircraft at the International Air
Show in Everett, Washington. (11)
1982: The F-16E/XL made its first flight at Edwards AFB. (16)
1987: General Dynamics delivered the first of eight F-16C/Ds to Turkey from
its Fort Worth plant. The next 152 F-16s would be built in Turkey under a
special licensing agreement.
1999: During a two-hour flight, Col Clyde D. Moore II flew F-22 No. 1 over
Mach 1.5 without afterburners for a sustained period to meet a “super
cruise” test milestone. (3)
2001: During his “Mission X” flight, Maj Arthur Tomassetti (USMC) took off
from Edwards AFB in the X-35B at 100 knots in STOVL mode, converted to
conventional flight at about 180 knots, accelerated to Mach 1.05 at 25,000
feet. He then returned to Edwards and converted to the STOVL mode to
complete a vertical landing. This marked the first time that either of the
JSF demonstrators had achieved both extremes of speed during a single
flight. (3)
2002: Through 2 August, five C-5s flew 23 combat missions from a forward
operating location to Kandahar to redeploy more than 780 troops and 1,350
short tons of equipment from Canada’s Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry
Regiment. The five C-5 aircraft, with three crews each from Travis AFB and
Dover AFB and a C-5 leadership package with a seventh aircrew and 44
maintenance personnel, operated from the same forward operating location as
the 782d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. A 31-person Tanker Airlift Control
Element from the 615th Air Mobility Operations Group supported the C-5s at
Kandahar. This redeployment demonstrated that the USAF’s largest jet
transport aircraft could successfully operate at a remote, austere airfield.
(22)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Brett
FAMOUS FLIGHTS
THE MARTIN B-10 BOMBER and the 1934 ALASKA FLIGHT (Part I)
by Jeffery S. Underwood
(Published in, The USAF: A Complete History, 2006)
The first modern bomber delivered in large quantities, the Martin B-10
bomber incorporated numerous technological advances, and it greatly
influenced the development of air power doctrine during the interwar years.
Nevertheless, the B-10 remains largely forgotten, overshadowed by the more
famous Boeing B 17.
Aircraft design and construction underwent a revolution toward
the end of the 1920s as all-metal monoplanes replaced the wood and fabric
biplanes. At its new factory near Baltimore, Maryland, the Glenn L. Martin
Company took the lead in bomber design with its all-metal Model 123. Built
as a private venture, the Model 123’s advanced elements included a monocoque
fuselage, a streamlined midwing with the twin-engines fitted into the
leading edges rather than placed into nacelles, and a retractable
undercarriage. To carry its bomb load internally, the aircraft had a deep
belly, which gave it a whale-like appearance.
On 19 July 1934, Lt. Col. Henry “Hap” Arnold, who later commanded the AAF in
World War II, successfully led a flight of 10 YB-10s from Washington, D.C.,
to Fairbanks, Alaska, and back. For this round-trip flight of 7,360 miles,
much of it over uncharted territory, Arnold won the 1934 Mackay Trophy.
Besides demonstrating the reliability and speed of the B 10, the Alaska
flight proved that the AAC could rapidly move its modern aircraft to defend
any part of North America.
Part 2
Arnold’s team departed Washington the following morning--their first stop,
Wright Field. On the next leg, two aircraft developed engine trouble and
returned to Dayton. After quick repairs, they caught up with the others at
Minneapolis. The remainder of the journey to Fairbanks was marked by smooth
airplane performance and warm welcomes at every landing place. On 22 July,
Arnold decided to lay-over one day so that the mechanics could accomplish
required periodic checks and maintenance on the bombers. The publicity
portion of the mission tried Arnold’s patience. “I am getting good willed to
death,” Hap complained. He could not wait to reach the wilderness areas of
Fairbanks. “When we get out of the entertainment area, we will all be much
better off. The people are all wonderfully hospitable, too much so but I
guess that is all in the game.”
The radios that were installed at Wright Field worked tremendously.
According to Arnold they had a “wonderfully big range.” In fact, this
Alaska flight was the first Air Corps long-distance mission that maintained
continual contact with ground stations along their entire route of flight,
even deep into Canada--a tribute to the equipment and the logistic planning.
Moreover, the B-10s made the journey from Whitehorse to Fairbanks in four
and one-half hours. The same journey took two weeks by boat and one month
overland. The harsh terrain and lack of improved roads only emphasized the
practical aspects of air travel in the Yukon. The expedition staged sporadic
photo operations out of Fairbanks and Anchorage for the next two weeks, even
finding an opportunity to stop off in Juneau to accept a totem pole from the
mayor of the city.
THE MARTIN B-10 BOMBER and the 1934 ALASKA FLIGHT (Part III)
by Dik Daso
(Published in, Hap Arnold and the Evolution of American Airpower, 2000)
The only glitch in the mission occurred on a flight out of
Anchorage. A member of the photo team, not one of the regular crew, took off
and both engines quit soon after takeoff and he landed in Cooks Inlet. The
pilot had mishandled the fuel control switches and had cut the fuel to the
engines. The decision to allow a pilot from outside of the mission team to
fly the B-10 was one which Arnold certainly regretted and took
responsibility for. Nowhere in Arnold’s correspondence did he ever lay blame
for the accident, not even upon the inexperienced pilot.
Through superhuman diligence, the ditched B-10 rejoined the rest
of the contingent at Fairbanks one week later. The mechanics had not only
saved Arnold’s reputation after he had made an unwise decision but had also
saved the Air Corps considerable embarrassment. To Arnold, those young men
were heroes in many ways.
After one month's preparation, Arnold had taken his planes 8,000
miles, in constant radio contact with the ground, with only one major
foul-up, and no aircraft losses along the way. Although the round-trip
distance to Alaska was 7,360 miles, aerial mapping missions were flown while
deployed there and a continuation of the flight westward to March Field and
then back east. The total mileage flown on the mission, according to
Arnold’s trip diary, was 18,010 flight miles at an average speed of 168
miles per hour. The success of the mission earned Arnold the Distinguished
Flying Cross (DFC) and a second Mackay Trophy. It also proved that
long-range bombers could threaten once impenetrable and isolated territorial
boundaries, both those of potential enemies and those of the United States.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SkipsList" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to skipslist+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/skipslist/00aa01dd186f%240b0f2000%24212d6000%24%40san.rr.com.
