To All..
Good Thursday morning April 23, 2026. .I hope that your week is going well
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Regards,
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Go here to see the director’s corner for all 97 H-Grams
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
April 23
On This Day
1915 Lt. Patrick N. L. Bellinger, in the Burgess-Dunne AH-10 seaplane, establishes a United States altitude record for seaplanes by ascending to 10,000 feet over Pensacola, Fla.
1918 USS Stewart (DD 13) races to the spot where two seaplanes are dropping bombs on a submarine. Stewart drops two depth charges and the explosions bring oil to the surface and the sub is declared a kill at the time, but it survives to surrender at the end of World War I.
1943 USS Seawolf (SS-197) sinks Japanese Patrol Boat #39 off east central coast of Formosa, while the enemy warship is screening the towing of the wrecked Nisshin Maru.
1945 Navy Patrol Bomber PB4Y Liberators (VPB 109) employ Bat missiles against Japanese shipping off Balikpapan, Borneo in the first combat use of the only automatic homing missile to be used in World War II.
1945 USS Besugo (SS 321) sinks the German submarine U 183 in the Java Sea.
1953 After five UN personnel are wounded on the island of Tee-do, Korea, USS Henderson (DD 785) is sent to suppress gunfire and USS Owen (DD 536) evacuates the wounded to USS Manchester (CL 83).
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This day in World History
April 23
1348 The first English order of knighthood is founded.
1500 Pedro Cabral claims Brazil for Portugal.
1521 The Comuneros are crushed by royalist troops in Spain.
1661 Charles II is formally crowned king, returning the monarchy to Britain, albeit with greatly reduced powers.
1759 British forces seize Basse-Terre and Guadeloupe from France.
1789 President George Washington moves into Franklin House, New York.
1826 Missolonghi falls to Egyptian forces.
1856 Free Stater J.N. Mace in Westport, Kansas shoots pro-slavery sheriff Samuel Jones in the back.
1865 Union cavalry units continue to skirmish with Confederate forces in Henderson, North Carolina and Munford's Station, Alabama.
1895 Russia, France, and Germany force Japan to return the Liaodong peninsula to China.
1896 Motion pictures premiere in New York City.
1914 The Federals defeat Kansas City 9-1 in the first major league game to be played in Chicago's Weeghman Park, later renamed Wrigley Field.
1915 The ACA becomes the National Advisory Council on Aeronautics (NACA), the forerunner of NASA.
1920 The Turkish Grand National Assembly has first meeting in Ankara.
1924 The U.S. Senate passes the Soldiers' Bonus Bill.
1945 The Soviet Army fights its way into Berlin.
1950 Chiang Kai-shek evacuates Hainan, leaving mainland China to Mao Zedong and the communists.
1954 The Army-McCarthy hearings begin.
1966 President Lyndon Johnson publicly appeals for more nations to come to the aid of South Vietnam.
1969 Sirhan Sirhan is sentenced to death for killing Senator Robert Kennedy.
1971 The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 10, becoming the first mission to the Salyut 1 space station.
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April 23
Hello All,
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).
If you have any questions or comments about RTR/TFO, or have a question on my book, you may e-mail me directly at acrossthewing@protonmail.com. Thank you Dan
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 Thursday 23 April. ..
May 23: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=595
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
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend . 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
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A FUN REPEAT FOR Wednesday morning
Thanks to Dr. Rich
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Are you old enough to remember this ?????
"It was the number one song in 36 countries all over the world, it's been in
radio commercials, television commercials, it's been in sitcoms and it's
been in about a dozen motion pictures as well... but when Walt Disney
decided to use it in the Lion King, RCA Victor re-released it and it became
a world wide hit for the second time... and it also acquired a brand new
audience of five year old kids!”
Here is the original group that sang it.. The Tokens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eisG6Da8th8
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. Thanks to Interesting Facts
8 Heroes of American Tall Tales and Their True Origin Stories
You’ve read about them. You’ve sung about them. You’ve watched movies about them. For centuries, American folklore has sent our imaginations into overdrive with the tales of men who conquered the dangers of the wild terrain with their strength, wits, and superhuman gifts. Some were based on the archetype of a character, others were embellishments of real people, but all served to entertain and inspire by displaying abilities beyond the reach of normal mortals. Here are eight hyperbolized heroes who outlived the confines of their era to survive as legends for later generations to admire.
1of 8
Paul Bunyan
Few creations can match the prowess of Paul Bunyan, the titan of the North Woods who palled around with Babe the Blue Ox and was responsible for the formation of landmarks such as the Grand Canyon and the Great Lakes. For all the obvious hyperbole, the character may have been based on the real-life French Canadian lumberjacks Bon Jean and Fabian Fournier, the latter better known by the workers who traded tales at logging camps in the late 1800s.
Bunyan stories first appeared in print just after the turn of the century, but it was a marketing campaign by the Red River Lumber Company that introduced the behemoth woodsman to the masses during World War I. Collected stories soon appeared in book form, establishing a mythical mainstay that remains larger than life through the monuments in his honor that populate the northern landscape.
2 of 8
Davy Crockett
There's no question that Davy Crockett, a three-term U.S. congressman from Tennessee, was a real man, if not the "half horse, half alligator" he allegedly claimed to be. Regardless, the folksy, bear-hunting lawmaker with scant formal education was an anomaly among his well-bred peers and was already a celebrity by the time the first Davy Crockett's Almanack appeared in print in 1835.
The legend received another jolt when he was killed at the famed 1836 Battle of the Alamo, and by the 1840s, the Almanack was featuring more outlandish stories of its hero handily fighting off bears and alligators. Still, Crockett may well have faded into memory, were it not for his mid-1950s revival by way of the Disney TV series and movies that had children everywhere wearing coonskin caps and singing about the "king of the wild frontier."
3 of 8
Johnny Appleseed
The black sheep of the American folklore canon, Johnny Appleseed achieved immortality not through acts of cunning or bravery, but by way of his ragtag clothing and peaceful rapport with all living creatures as he scattered his wares across the land. Ironically, the man behind the myth — John Chapman — did display immense courage, fortitude, and resourcefulness by traipsing thousands of miles across the eastern wilderness and establishing orchards to aid settlers in the first half of the 1800s.
A zealous proponent of the Church of the New Jerusalem who had no permanent home and largely refused to sleep indoors, the eccentric Chapman was already famous by the time he died in 1845. But his fame lived on through the exaggerations that became associated with his memory via the written "recollections," poems, and children's stories that circulated in the decades afterward.
4 of 8
Mike Fink
Another flesh-and-blood man who saw his celebrity swell as the frontier mythos gained steam, Mike Fink earned renown as a keelboatman on the mighty Mississippi River in the early 1800s. Tall and powerful, he allegedly boasted he could "outrun, outshoot, throw down, drag out, and lick any man in the country," though his brashness and heavy-drinking ways may well have contributed to his death in 1823.
Five years later, the first Fink tale appeared in The Western Souvenir, giving rise to several decades' worth of stories that focused more on his reputation for practical jokes than shows of strength. While his legend dimmed by the end of the century, Fink also received a lifeline from Disney when he was presented as the arch-foe-turned-ally in 1956's Davy Crockett and the River Pirates.
5 of 8
Pecos Bill
The personification of the rough-and-tumble cowboy who tamed the Old West, Pecos Bill supposedly was raised by coyotes, single-handedly invented the modern methods of ranching, and could be seen riding a cyclone when not astride his bucking horse, the Widow-Maker. Such an indomitable character was no match for any enemy, though at least one account says the end came after he saw a Yankee dressed as a cowboy and laughed himself to death.
The first published Pecos Bill stories appeared around World War I from the hand of Edward O'Reilly, who insisted he heard the outlandish tales as a child, though historians have since thrown that claim into doubt. Whatever his origin, Pecos Bill's adventures are more than wild enough to earn him a distinguished place in the tall-tale pantheon.
6 of 8
John Henry
One of the few Black heroes of American folklore, John Henry was said to be the strongest steel driver toiling on the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in the 1870s. When a steam-powered drill was introduced, Henry took it as a challenge to demonstrate man's superiority over machine, winning the duel but working himself to death in the process.
As with other legends, historians have sought to uncover the source of the tale, with some claiming to have pinpointed a real John Henry and others determining that he was a composite of the anonymous hands who undertook the backbreaking labor. Regardless, his story struck a chord with audiences through the printed page and screen, and especially through the African American blues tradition that gave rise to work songs like "The Ballad of John Henry."
7 of 8
Old Stormalong
A Bunyanesque character for the seafaring set, Old Stormalong stood 30 feet tall, according to some accounts, tangled with the Kraken of Norse mythology, and commanded a ship so large it had hinged masts to avoid colliding with the moon. It's unknown who — if anybody — served as the model for the character, whose origins trace back to North Atlantic sea shanties of the 1830s and '40s. While those early work songs presented "Old Stormy" as more of an everyman sailor, it was Frank Shay's Here's Audacity! American Legendary Heroes (1930) that brought him to life as a titanic superman of the surf, clearing the decks for his inclusion among the famous outsized figures of the genre.
8 of 8
Big Mose
As opposed to his rural counterparts, Big Mose was a hero of urban origins: A firefighter in New York City's Bowery district, he supposedly stood 8 feet tall, boasted hands the size of Virginia hams, and uprooted streetcars and lampposts with ease. Once again, this was a character inspired by a legitimate person, a volunteer fireman, printer, and brawler named Moses Humphreys. And while the oral recounts were codified through the works of Ned Buntline, the Mose legend took root through a series of wildly popular stage plays in the 1840s and '50s. Big Mose may not be as well known today as Davy Crockett and Johnny Appleseed, but his myth was every bit as formidable as the others’ during his pre-Civil War heyday.
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. WHY GRANDPA ROBBINS CARRIES A GUN...
A world history lesson...lest we forget.
The quintessential reason why Grandpa Scott carries a gun. Please take time to read this and pay particular attention to "A Little Gun History" about half way down.
Why Carry a Gun?
My old Grandpa said to me, "Son, there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps and usually it's when he becomes too old to take a whipping.
I don't carry a gun to kill people; I carry a gun to keep from being killed.
I don't carry a gun because I'm evil; I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the World.
I don't carry a gun because I hate the government; I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.
I don't carry a gun because I'm angry; I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.
I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone; I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.
I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man; I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.
I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate; I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.
I don't carry a gun because I love it; I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.
Police protection is an oxymoron: Free citizens must protect themselves because police do not protect you from crime; they just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.
Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take a whoopin'!
A LITTLE GUN HISTORY...
PLEASE DON'T THINK FOR A MOMENT, THAT THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN IN OUR COUNTRY ALSO !!!
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In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control: From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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In 1911, Turkey established gun control: From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated
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Germany established gun control in 1938: From 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
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China established gun control in 1935: From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Guatemala established gun control in 1964: From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Uganda established gun control in 1970: From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Cambodia established gun control in 1956: From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated
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56 million defenseless people were rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control.
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You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.
Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun control laws adversely affect only the law abiding citizens
With guns, we are 'citizens'; without them, we are 'subjects'.
During WW II, the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!
Gun owners in the USA are the largest armed forces in the World!
If you value your freedom, please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends.
Thanks to Mike
WHY GRANDPA ROBBINS CARRIES A GUN...
Something to think about!
Thank goodness we don't live in LA, SF, Chicago, NYC, DC - we currently live in states where police are respected and supported! Pay attention to the section on gun history.
The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either.
SWITZERLAND ISSUES A GUN TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD!
SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT ISSUES AND TRAINS EVERY ADULT IN THE USE OF A RIFLE
SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!
IT'S A NO BRAINER! DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL law abiding CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.
I'm a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment!
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Thanks to Barrett
The massive compilation does not seem to include totals. Found this AI segment:
According to the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA), approximately
2,165 to 2,202 U.S. helicopter pilots
were killed during the Vietnam War, with total deaths including crew members exceeding 4,800 to 5,000. Over 40,000 helicopter pilots served in the conflict, and over 10% of all U.S. combat deaths occurred during helicopter operations.
- Total Pilot Deaths: The VHPA database specifically identifies 2,165 pilot deaths, with a broader estimate of 2,202.
- Total Crew Deaths: Including non-pilot crew members (gunners/crew chiefs), nearly 5,000 rotary-wing personnel died.
- Helicopter Losses: Nearly 5,000 to over 5,600 U.S. helicopters were destroyed or lost during the war.
- Service Branch: The majority of pilots killed were in the U.S. Army, totaling 1,882 (86% of the total pilots killed).
Barrett
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Thanks to 1440
Good morning. It's Thursday, April 23, and we're covering the new Michael Jackson biopic, tonight's NFL draft, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers
🇺🇸 Civics Thursday: The US government's relationship with Native American tribes, shaped by treaties, wars, and forced removals, is unlike any other in American history. This week for Civics Thursday, we explore how it developed, including a surprising link to the US Constitution and the tribes' unique legal status.
Need To Know
It's Close to Midnight
The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael,” has its box office debut this weekend, projecting a $65M-$70M US opening. If so, it will mark the top domestic opening for a musical biopic in US history, not accounting for inflation.
The film, backed by the Jackson estate, depicts the late singer’s rise to fame from a member of the Jackson 5 in the 1960s to becoming the King of Pop. While earlier screenplays covered child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson, the final cut does not. Parts of the film were reshot last year after Jackson’s estate realized a settlement with accuser Jordan Chandler prohibited any depiction of him in a movie (see story here; see survey of US perceptions here).
Michael Jackson holds the record for the bestselling album of all time, with the 1982 release of “Thriller.” The adult version of Jackson is played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson (see family members).
A Smoke-Free Generation
The United Kingdom passed a bill this week to phase out the sale of tobacco nationwide. Anyone born after 2008 will be permanently barred from purchasing cigarettes, vapes, or heated tobacco when the bill becomes law next week, pending royal assent.
Roughly 64,000 people die each year in England alone from tobacco-related causes. The cost to the UK healthcare system of smoking-related illnesses, including cancer and heart disease, amounts to around $4B annually. In addition to prohibiting vendors from selling tobacco to future generations, the bill requires smoke-free premises—including playgrounds, hospitals, and outside schools—to also become vape-free. A study found the new bill could reduce smoking prevalence in young people to below 5% by the late 2040s. See UK smoking trends here (w/graphs).
Smoking is one of the world’s leading causes of death, linked to more than 7 million deaths annually. Learn about the history of the deadly habit here.
NFL Draft Countdown
The NFL draft kicks off tonight at 8 pm ET in Pittsburgh, marking the first time the event has been held in Steelers Country since 1947.
The Las Vegas Raiders are anticipated to select Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick. Mendoza led the Hoosiers to their first College Football Playoff title earlier this year after winning the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Meanwhile, the Steelers face uncertainty as the team awaits veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers' decision on a 22nd season, all while holding 12 picks—the most of any team since the seven-round draft format began in 1994. The draft ends Saturday with the Denver Broncos making the final, 257th pick, dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant.”
Teams have eight minutes to make their first-round selections this year—a high-pressure process that has led to mix-ups between similarly named players and even missed picks.
Feeling fatigued? It could be your liver. Dealing with bloating or digestive discomfort? Look at your liver. Metabolism feel off? Yep … possibly your liver. This one organ handles over 500 essential functions every day, and in a world full of processed foods, drinking, and daily stressors, it’s constantly working overtime—often without much support.
Dose is designed to change that. This clinically-backed liquid supplement supports your body’s natural detoxification processes with ingredients like turmeric, milk thistle, ginger, and dandelion root—all in a simple 2oz shot. No pills, no prep—just a fast, effective way to support your liver at its foundation.
Did we mention it tastes like delicious orange juice? 1440 readers can take advantage of up to 35% off sitewide through April 30, plus free shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
In The Know
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Churchill Downs strikes $85M deal to buy intellectual property rights for Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, bringing the first two legs of the Triple Crown under the same company (| Does horse racing have a future?
Science & Technology
> Scientists identify new doorway coronaviruses can use to infect human cells, a discovery that may guide the development of future vaccines and antivirals)
> Bees appear greener as humidity rises, possibly because the increased moisture causes their exoskeletons to swell
> Robot ping-pong player created by Sony's AI research team becomes the first to attain expert-level performance in a competitive physical sport, marking major gains in rapid decision making and precision
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.1%, Dow +0.7%, Nasdaq +1.6%), with S&P 500, Nasdaq finishing at record levels
> Lululemon Athletica names former Nike executive Heidi O’Neill its new CEO, will take over Sept. 8; former CEO Calvin McDonald left the company in January (More) | Microsoft's LinkedIn names veteran executive Dan Shapero its new CEO
> Spirit Airlines reportedly nearing deal for $500M bailout from the Trump administration as it seeks to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy (More) |
Politics & World Affairs
> Iran strikes three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, capturing two of them; President Donald Trump says US-Iran peace talks could begin as soon as tomorrow | Pentagon announces Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his post; no explanation given for the departure as of this writing
> Rep. David Scott (D, GA-13) dies at age 80, the fourth House Democrat to die in Congress since last year (More)
> Nearly half of Americans, 152.3 million people, live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, new study finds (In-Depth
> The Great Baby Race
Smithsonian | Jordan Friedman. In 1926, a Toronto bachelor and prankster died, leaving his fortune as a prize: Whoever had the most babies over the next 10 years would inherit a significant portion of his estate.
This week, we took a deep dive into the relationship between the US government and Native American tribes. Here are some of the most interesting resources we found:
The Iroquois Confederacy's political structure, with its separation of powers and representative governance, may have directly influenced the framers of the US Constitution
There are 575 federally recognized tribes in the US, a legal status that determines access to land, resources, and sovereignty (Watch).
> Explore the rest of the resources we discovered with our topic page about US-Native American relations.
Four former US presidents share optimism about the country.
Clickbait: Plants can “hear” rain coming.
Historybook: English playwright William Shakespeare dies (1616); Hollywood legend and diplomat Shirley Temple born (1928); American punk rock band Ramones releases first album (1976); The first video is uploaded on YouTube (2005).
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
- William Shakespeare, in "Hamlet"
Behind the Name. In 1440, the printing press sparked a knowledge revolution. We carry that spirit forward, cutting through the noise and algorithm-driven feeds, to bring fact-driven knowledge to everyone.
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This Day in U S Military History…….April 23
Feast Day of St. George, Patron Saint of Armor and Cavalry: The story and history of Saint George. Saint George was born in Cappadocia, at the close of the third century, of Christian parents. In early youth he chose a soldier’s life, and soon obtained the favor of Diocletian, who advanced him to the grade of tribune. When, however, the emperor began to persecute the Christians, George rebuked him at once sternly and openly for his cruelty, and threw up his commission. He was in consequence subjected to a lengthened series of torments, and finally beheaded. There was something so inspiriting in the defiant cheerfulness of the young soldier, that every Christian felt a personal share in this triumph of Christian fortitude; and as years rolled on St. George became a type of successful combat against evil, the slayer of the dragon, the darling theme of camp song and story, until “so thick a shade his very glory round him made” that his real lineaments became hard to trace. Even beyond the circle of Christendom he was held in honor, and invading Saracens taught themselves to except from desecration the image of him they hailed as the “White-horsed Knight.” The devotion to St. George is one of the most ancient and widely spread in the Church. In the East, a church of St. George is ascribed to Constantine, and his name is invoked in the most ancient liturgies; whilst in the West, Malta, Barcelona, Valencia, Arragon, Genoa, and England have chosen him as their patron.
1945 – Less than two weeks after taking over as president after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman gives a tongue-lashing to Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov. The incident indicated that Truman was determined to take a “tougher” stance with the Soviets than his predecessor had. When Roosevelt died of a massive stroke on April 12, 1945, Harry S. Truman took over as president. Truman was overwhelmed by the responsibilities so suddenly thrust upon him and, particularly in terms of foreign policy, the new president was uncertain about his approach. Roosevelt had kept his vice-president in the dark about most diplomatic decisions, not even informing Truman about the secret program to develop an atomic bomb. Truman had to learn quickly, however. The approaching end of World War II meant that momentous decisions about the postwar world needed to be made quickly. The primary issue Truman faced was how to deal with the Soviet Union. Just weeks before his death, Roosevelt met with Russian leader Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at Yalta to discuss the postwar situation. Agreements made during the meeting left the Soviets in de facto control of Eastern Europe in exchange for Soviet promises to hold “democratic” elections in Poland. Some officials in the U.S. government were appalled at these decisions, believing that Roosevelt was too “soft” on the Soviets and naive in his belief that Stalin would cooperate with the West after the war. Truman gravitated to this same point of view, partially because of his desire to appear decisive, but also because of his long-standing animosity toward the Soviets. On April 23, 1945, Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov arrived at the White House for a meeting with the new president. Truman immediately lashed out at Molotov, “in words of one syllable,” as the president later recalled. As Molotov listened incredulously, Truman charged that the Soviets were breaking their agreements and that Stalin needed to keep his word. At the end of Truman’s tirade, Molotov indignantly declared that he had never been talked to in such a manner. Truman, not to be outdone, replied that if Molotov had kept his promises, he would not need to be talked to like that. Molotov stormed out of the meeting. Truman was delighted with his own performance, telling one friend that he gave the Soviet official “the straight one-two to the jaw.” The president was convinced that a tough stance was the only way to deal with the communists, a policy that came to dominate America’s early Cold War policies toward the Soviets.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BEEBE, WILLIAM S.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Ordnance Department, U.S. Army. Place and date: At Cane River Crossing, La., 23 April 1864. Entered service at: Thompson, Conn. Born: 14 February 1841, Ithaca, N.Y. Date of issue: 30 June 1897. Citation: Voluntarily led a successful assault on a fortified position.
AYERS, JAMES F.
Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sappa Creek, Kans., 23 April 1875. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Collinstown, Va. Date of issue: 16 November 1876. Citation: Rapid pursuit, gallantry, energy, and enterprise in an engagement with Indians.
DAWSON, MICHAEL
Rank and organization: Trumpeter, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sappa Creek, Kans., 23 April 1875. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Boston, Mass. Date of issue: 16 November 1876. Citation: Gallantry in action.
GARDINER, PETER W.
Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date. At Sappa Creek, Kans., 23 April 1875. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Carlisle, N.Y. Date of issue: 16 November 1876. Citation: With 5 other men he waded in mud and water up the creek to a position directly behind an entrenched Cheyenne position, who were using natural bank pits to good advantage against the main column. This surprise attack from the enemy rear broke their resistance.
HORNADAY, SIMPSON
Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sappa Creek, Kans., 23 April 1875. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Hendricks County, Ind. Date of issue: 16 November 1876. Citation: With 5 other men he waded in mud and water up the creek to a position directly behind an entrenched Cheyenne position, who were using natural bank pits to good advantage against the main column. This surprise attack from the enemy rear broke their resistance.
KELLY, JOHN J. H.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company I, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Upper Wichita, Tex., 9 September 1874. Entered service at. ——. Birth: Schuyler County, 111. Date of issue: 23 April 1875. Citation: Gallantry in action.
KELLY, THOMAS
Rank and organization: Private, Company I, 5th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Upper Wichita, Tex., 9 September 1874. Entered service at:——. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 23 April 1875. Citation: Gallantry in action.
LOWTHERS, JAMES
Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sappa Creek, Kans., 23 April 1875. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Boston, Mass. Date of issue: 16 November 1876. Citation: With S other men he waded in mud and water up the creek to a position directly behind an entrenched Cheyenne position, who were using natural bank pits to good advantage against the main column. This surprise attack from the enemy rear broke their resistance.
PLATTEN, FR EDERICK
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sappa Creek, Kans., 23 April 1875. Entered service at:——. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 16 November 1876. Citation: With S other men he waded in mud and water up the creek to a position directly behind an entrenched Cheyenne position, who were using natural bank pits to good advantage against the main column. This surprise attack from the enemy rear broke their resistance.
ROBBINS, MARCUS M.
Rank and organization: Private, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sappa Creek, Kans., 23 April 1875. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Elba, Wis. Date of issue: 16 November 1876. Citation: With 5 other men he waded in mud and water up the creek to a position directly behind an entrenched Cheyenne position, who were using natural bank pits to good advantage against the main column. This surprise attack from the enemy rear broke their resistance.
SCHNITZER, JOHN
Rank and organization: Wagoner, Troop G, 4th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Horseshoe Canyon, N. Mex., 23 April 1882. Entered service at:——. Birth: Bavaria. Date of issue: 17 August 1896. Citation: Assisted, under a heavy fire, to rescue a wounded comrade.
TEA, RICHARD L.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company H, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Sappa Creek, Kans., 23 April 1875. Entered servlce at:——. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Date of issue: 16 November 1876. Citation: With 5 other men he waded in mud and water up the creek to a position directly behind an entrenched Cheyenne position, who were using natural bank pits to good advantage against the main column. This surprise attack from the enemy rear broke their resistance.
WILDER, WILBER E.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 4th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Horseshoe Canyon, N. Mex., 23 April 1882. Entered service at: Detroit, Mich. Birth: Atlas, Mich. Date of issue: 17 August 1896. Citation: Assisted, under a heavy fire, to rescue a wounded comrade.
LYLE, ALEXANDER GORDON
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Commander (Dental Corps), U.S. Navy. Born: 12 November 1889, Gloucester, Mass. Appointed from: Massachusetts. Other Navy award: Legion of Merit. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with the 5th Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps. Under heavy shellfire, on 23 April 1918, on the French Front, Lt. Comdr. Lyle rushed to the assistance of Cpl. Thomas Regan, who was seriously wounded, and administered such effective surgical aid while bombardment was still continuing, as to save the life of Cpl. Regan.
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Thanks to NHHC
This disaster was kept secret for many years.
In the early hours of April 28, 1944, 75 years ago, nine German S-boats attacked a U.S. Navy LST convoy in the English Channel participating in Exercise Tiger—an Allied rehearsal for the upcoming Invasion of Normandy—killing more than 700 Sailors and Soldiers. LST-507 and LST-531 were sunk. LST-289 was damaged. German S-boats were high-speed torpedo boats capable of operating at speeds of 34–36 knots, and they sometimes patrolled the channel at night. On the morning of April 28, the German torpedo boats managed to evade the Allied patrols, attack the convoy, and escape using smoke and high speed. The exercise was so secret that casualty information was not released until after the invasion. To learn more, read the oral history by Lt. Eugene E. Eckstam and Slapton Sands: The Cover-up that Never Was at NHHC’s website. Next week, we’ll share a new essay that combines what we know about Exercise Tiger with an analysis of German naval documents seized by U.S. forces at the end of World War II. These sources reveal underlying causes of the disaster as well as how Allied commanders managed to eliminate the S-boat threat in the English Channel just a week into Operation Neptune, the Normandy invasion.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for April 23, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1912: Lt Col Charles B. Winder, Ohio National Guard, became the first Army-trained Guardsman to qualify as a pilot (FAI pilot certificate No. 130). (24)
1915: Over Pensacola Bay, Lt Patrick N. L. Bellinger set an American altitude record of 10,000 feet for seaplanes in a Burgess-Dunne AH-10. (24) The NACA held its first meeting in Secretary of War Lindley M. Garrison’s office. Brig Gen George P. Scriven, Chief Signal Officer, elected temporary chairman.
1919: Under Special Order 95, Brig Gen William “Billy” Mitchell, Lt Col Lewis H. Brereton, Lt Col John W. Reynolds, Maj Melvin A. Hall, Maj Carl A. Spaatz, and Capt Reed M. Chambers were rated Military Aviators for distinguished service in World War I with 75 percent flying pay. (24)
1924: Ward T. Van Orman won the National Balloon Race at San Antonio. He landed at Rochester, Minn., after covering 1,725.22 kilometers, or 1,070 miles. (24)
1945: In Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateers, Patrol Bombing Squadron 109 launched two Bat missiles against enemy shipping in Balikpapan Harbor, Borneo. This was the first combat employment of the only automatic homing missile used in World War II. (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Far East Air Forces flew some 340 close air support sorties, one of the highest daily totals prior to 1953. The 336 FIS began operating from Suwon AB, S. Korea, so that its F-86s could operate for longer periods in MiG Alley near the Yalu River. Through 26 April, Far East Air Forces flew over 1,000 combat sorties daily, inflicting enemy casualties and destroying supplies needed to sustain the offensive. (28)
1956: The Douglas C-133 Globemaster first flown. (3) (12)
1958: From Cape Canaveral, a Thor-Vanguard reentry vehicle carried a mouse to obtain data on how space flight affected animals.
1959: A B-52 fired the first North American GAM-77 Hound Dog missile at Eglin AFB. The supersonic air-launched missile was designed to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target several hundred miles away. (6) (12) Launched from Cape Canaveral, a Thor missile struck a target area over 1,500 miles away. (24)
1962: NASA’s Ranger IV, a lunar satellite, failed to achieve its planned parking orbit around the moon. NASA believed the satellite crashed on the moon’s dark side on 26 April. (24)
1964: The DoD renamed the A-11 as the YF-12A, a fighter-interceptor that did not enter the USAF inventory. The USAF later accepted a reconnaissance variant, the SR-71 Blackbird. (4)
1965: The 1501 ATW at Travis AFB received the first operational C-141 Starlifter (63-8075). (12)
1970: A C-130 dropped 16 million leaflets over North Korea in the first FOCUS TRUTH mission since November 1968. These PACAF missions depended on rare southeast winds to ensure the proper distribution of leaflets. (17)
1979: The first B-52G modified for the ALCM program arrived for testing at Edwards AFB. (3)
1980: CLOUD CHORUS. Through 24 April, PACAF E-3A AWACS aircraft participated in this NATO exercise for the first time. The exercise occurred at Ramstein AB. (16)
1981: The 416 BMW, Griffiss AFB, received SAC's first operational ALCM. (6)
1991: SECAF Donald B. Rice announced the winner of the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition. He selected the Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics F-22 with the Pratt and Whitney F-119 engine. (20)
1998: A test team from Edwards AFB successfully dropped the first Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser Sensor-Fused Weapon from a B-52. (3)
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