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Good Tuesday morning August 4, 2026 .We are overcast and cool this morning and just back from an early Doctor visit. It is supposed to start clearing around 9 .and heating up again this morning to 76 by 10 and hit 87 around 2 and then start dropping off from there.
This is a Bubba Breakfast Friday in San Diego Same time and place.
Regards,
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director’s corner for all 100 H-Grams (99 is still in work)
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director’s corner for all 100 H-Grams
August 4
1790 The Revenue Cutter Service is established by Congress, authorizing the construction of 10 vessels to enforce federal tariff and trade laws and prevent smuggling. The service receives its present name, U.S. Coast Guard, in 1915 under an act of Congress that merges the Revenue Cutter Service with the Life-Saving Service, thereby providing the nation with a single maritime service dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws.
1846 During the Mexican-American War, Marines and Sailors led by Commodore Robert Stockton from the frigate USS Congress land to capture Santa Barbara, Calif.
1898 During the Spanish-American War, USS Monterey (BM 6) becomes the first monitor to cross the Pacific, reaching Manila Bay, Philippines, from San Francisco, Calif.
1939 USS Yorktown (CV 5) and USS Enterprise (CV 6) use hydraulic flush-deck catapults to launch SBC-3 and O3U-3 aircraft from flight and hangar deck catapults.
1943 Ensign Rosalie Thorne, USNR, becomes the first woman to be awarded the Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal. She scores 211 out of 240 to qualify.
1943 A radar-equipped Catalina PBY carries out predawn bombing of a submarine base and main Japanese camp area on Kiska. The Catalina also drops 92 empty beer bottles (for the disconcerting whistling effect they produce) on those targets. Also on this date, USS Finback (SS 230) sinks Japanese cargo ship Kaisho Maru in the Java Sea off the north coast of Java while USS Seadragon (SS 194) damages Japanese transport Kembu Maru east of Ponape.
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Today in World History: August 4
1265 King Henry III puts down a revolt of English barons lead by Simon de Montfort.
1578 A crusade against the Moors of Morocco is routed at the Battle of Alcazar-el-Kebir. King Sebastian of Portugal and 8,000 of his soldiers are killed.
1717 A friendship treaty is signed between France and Russia.
1789 The Constituent Assembly in France abolishes the privileges of nobility.
1790 The Revenue Cutter service, the parent service of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, is organized.
1864 Federal troops fail to capture Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island, one of the Confederate forts defending Mobile Bay.
1875 The first Convention of Colored Newspapermen is held in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1879 A law is passed in Germany making Alsace Lorraine a territory of the empire.
1914 Germany invades Belgium causing Great Britain to declare war on Germany.
1942 The British government charges that Mohandas Gandhi and his All-Indian Congress Party favor "appeasement" with Japan.
1944 RAF pilot T. D. Dean becomes the first pilot to destroy a V-1 buzz bomb when he tips the pilotless craft's wing, sending it off course.
1952 Helicopters from the U.S. Air Force Air Rescue Service land in Germany, completing the first transatlantic flight by helicopter in 51 hours and 55 minutes of flight time.
1964 The bodies of civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman & James E. Chaney, are discovered in an earthen Mississippi dam. At Meridian, Mississippi….
1964 The U.S.S. Maddox and Turner Joy exchange fire with North Vietnamese patrol boats.
1971 The U.S. launches the first satellite into lunar orbit from a manned spacecraft (Apollo 15).
1972 Arthur Bremer is sentenced to 63 years for shooting Alabama governor George Wallace, later reduced to 53 years.
1979 President Jimmy Carter establishes the Department of Energy. ( I read an article a few years ago that this department has really done nothing but suck our taxes into a giant hole.)
1988 The US Senate votes to give each Japanese-American who was interned during WWII $20,000 compensation and an apology.
2007 NASA launches the Phoenix spacecraft on a mission to Mars.
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
August 4
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
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..August 4.
Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady’s work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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/ )
By: Kipp Hanley
.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
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August 4
1790 The Revenue Cutter Service is established by Congress, authorizing the construction of 10 vessels to enforce federal tariff and trade laws and prevent smuggling. The service receives its present name, U.S. Coast Guard, in 1915 under an act of Congress that merges the Revenue Cutter Service with the Life-Saving Service, thereby providing the nation with a single maritime service dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws.
1846 During the Mexican-American War, Marines and Sailors led by Commodore Robert Stockton from the frigate USS Congress land to capture Santa Barbara, Calif.
1898 During the Spanish-American War, USS Monterey (BM 6) becomes the first monitor to cross the Pacific, reaching Manila Bay, Philippines, from San Francisco, Calif.
1939 USS Yorktown (CV 5) and USS Enterprise (CV 6) use hydraulic flush-deck catapults to launch SBC-3 and O3U-3 aircraft from flight and hangar deck catapults.
1943 Ensign Rosalie Thorne, USNR, becomes the first woman to be awarded the Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal. She scores 211 out of 240 to qualify.
1943 A radar-equipped Catalina PBY carries out predawn bombing of a submarine base and main Japanese camp area on Kiska. The Catalina also drops 92 empty beer bottles (for the disconcerting whistling effect they produce) on those targets. Also on this date, USS Finback (SS 230) sinks Japanese cargo ship Kaisho Maru in the Java Sea off the north coast of Java while USS Seadragon (SS 194) damages Japanese transport Kembu Maru east of Ponape.
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Today in World History: August 4
1265 King Henry III puts down a revolt of English barons lead by Simon de Montfort.
1578 A crusade against the Moors of Morocco is routed at the Battle of Alcazar-el-Kebir. King Sebastian of Portugal and 8,000 of his soldiers are killed.
1717 A friendship treaty is signed between France and Russia.
1789 The Constituent Assembly in France abolishes the privileges of nobility.
1790 The Revenue Cutter service, the parent service of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, is organized.
1864 Federal troops fail to capture Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island, one of the Confederate forts defending Mobile Bay.
1875 The first Convention of Colored Newspapermen is held in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1879 A law is passed in Germany making Alsace Lorraine a territory of the empire.
1914 Germany invades Belgium causing Great Britain to declare war on Germany.
1942 The British government charges that Mohandas Gandhi and his All-Indian Congress Party favor "appeasement" with Japan.
1944 RAF pilot T. D. Dean becomes the first pilot to destroy a V-1 buzz bomb when he tips the pilotless craft's wing, sending it off course.
1952 Helicopters from the U.S. Air Force Air Rescue Service land in Germany, completing the first transatlantic flight by helicopter in 51 hours and 55 minutes of flight time.
1964 The bodies of civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman & James E. Chaney, are discovered in an earthen Mississippi dam. At Meridian….
1964 The U.S.S. Maddox and Turner Joy exchange fire with North Vietnamese patrol boats.
1971 The U.S. launches the first satellite into lunar orbit from a manned spacecraft (Apollo 15).
1972 Arthur Bremer is sentenced to 63 years for shooting Alabama governor George Wallace, later reduced to 53 years.
1979 President Jimmy Carter establishes the Department of Energy. ( I read an article a few years ago that this department has really done nothing but suck our taxes into a giant hole.)
1988 The US Senate votes to give each Japanese-American who was interned during WWII $20,000 compensation and an apology.
2007 NASA launches the Phoenix spacecraft on a mission to Mars.
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Thanks to the ‘California Flyover
San Andreas Stress Levels Rise
A new study finds stress on parts of Southern California's San Andreas and San Jacinto fault system has climbed to its highest level in 1,000 years.
Scientists have long warned the San Andreas, the state's longest fault, could unleash "the Big One." A 2008 simulation modeled a magnitude 7.8 rupture with nearly two minutes of shaking, hundreds of deaths, and billions in damage.
The new research flags Cajon Pass, where the two faults meet near San Bernardino, as a place a joint rupture could damage aqueducts and cut water supplies. San Diego State geologist Patrick Abbott said the faults are at critical stress levels.
Researchers stress it's not a prediction. "It could go another 100 years. It could be tomorrow," Caltech seismologist Lucy Jones said, urging residents to retrofit homes, stock emergency supplies, and "drop, cover, hold on."
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Thanks to the Daily Signal
The consequences of “an ongoing invasion” from military-aged men into Spain played out in real time on Thursday, as Tony Kinnett covered on “The Tony Kinnett Cast.”
Men were streaming past gates and into the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla, which border Morocco. By Friday, blood was in the streets, while invaders were breaking off parts of gravesites to attack citizens and police. Cars were also on fire.
Kinnett spoke to how “thousands of military-aged men, not packs of desperate women and children, not the elderly, military-aged men… are streaming over the border into the country and… invading people’s homes in Spanish territory.”
There was even footage of one man confirming he was under investigation for murder in Morocco, which contradicts claims that such individuals are seeking “economic opportunity” and “a better life.”
“It’s not over,” Kinnett shared at the start of Friday’s broadcast, in light of claims many had returned to Morocco. “Now if there is an invasion that is over… usually you do not see people continuing to do the invading,” he added as men climbed over fences.
Kinnett likened the invasion to the open borders under President Joe Biden.
“Just one administration ago, you saw under Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas… the same kinds of mass migration into the country,” Kinnett reminded, about which Mayorkas couldn’t even be truthful.
President Donald Trump has called out the risks of unfettered immigration, while Democrats have been “insane,” Kinnett said.
The situation was so dire it necessitated leaders from Ceuta, on left and right, calling on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for assistance.
When Sánchez “finally” addressed the situation on Thursday, he claimed that “the government of Spain is fully committed to providing an immediate response to the situation” and were “mobilizing all necessary resources, working with Moroccan and international authorities, and preparing the necessary measures to restore normalcy as soon as possible.”
Kinnett also noted Sánchez had previously defended open borders as “compassion” and “empathy.”
As Kinnett pointed out on Friday, the prime minister “was heckled immediately” in Spain.
On Friday, Sánchez “for the first time” acknowledged that “what has happened is an attack on Spain’s territorial integrity” and “deserves our most resounding and energetic condemnation.”
Kinnett noted it was “an interesting line” that Sánchez said “the government of Spain stands with the autonomous city,” with Ceuta being Spanish territory, given federal law still applies there. But he’s saying autonomous as though this is somehow some extra nicety that he’s laying around. Maybe, maybe the socialists have a point that really these territories should be ceded to Morocco.”
The situation in Spain has become so bad that European neighbors could ignore it no longer and have tightened borders.
“As a result… it should be very clear here that other nations in Europe have responded by reinforcing their borders,” Kinnett said, despite how there is free travel between the European Union countries. This includes the leaders of Italy, Austria, and even France, “because of this migrant crisis.”
Daily Signal
The Daily Signal depends on the support of readers like you.
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The California Flyover
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2026
Good Morning! On this day in 1985, California Angels first baseman Rod Carew lined an opposite-field single off Minnesota's Frank Viola at Anaheim Stadium to become just the 16th player in major league history to reach 3,000 hits.
California's famous coastal summer fog seems to have taken the season off. As we report below in Central California, this year's El Niño is getting the blame for the missing "Fogust."
Fog, sunshine, mountain snow or something else—
Anaheim ☀️ 87°/68° | Bakersfield ☀️ 106°/77° | Death Valley ☀️ 118°/89° | Eureka ⛅ 68°/53° | Fresno ☀️ 103°/70° | Huntington Beach ☀️ 76°/67° | Lake Tahoe ☀️ 81°/56° | Los Angeles ☀️ 85°/67° | Palm Springs ☀️ 109°/83° | Redding ☀️ 106°/69° | Riverside ☀️ 96°/66° | Sacramento ☀️ 97°/60° | San Diego ☀️ 75°/69° | San Francisco ⛅ 66°/57° | San Jose ☀️ 93°/60° | San Luis Obispo ☀️ 73°/54°
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Lawmakers Return to Tackle Five Deals
California lawmakers have returned to Sacramento with less than a month to strike or kill several high-stakes deals before they adjourn Aug. 31.
At the center is wildfire legislation that fire survivors and insurers say could shift utilities' wildfire costs onto insurance policyholders. Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders won't detail the plan, saying only the current system "is not working" for survivors, utility customers, or insurance policyholders.
Lawmakers will also weigh the COMPETE Act, which would let Californians sue single companies for monopolizing a market. The California Chamber of Commerce warns it would expose businesses to sweeping new liability, while labor and consumer groups back it as a curb on corporate monopolies.
Los Angeles County, meanwhile, is pushing to limit childhood sex-abuse lawsuits that have cost it billions. Still unsettled is how to spend the state's main climate fund and whether to grant special environmental relief for the tech-backed California Forever development in Solano County.
San Andreas Stress Levels Rise
A new study finds stress on parts of Southern California's San Andreas and San Jacinto fault system has climbed to its highest level in 1,000 years.
Scientists have long warned the San Andreas, the state's longest fault, could unleash "the Big One." A 2008 simulation modeled a magnitude 7.8 rupture with nearly two minutes of shaking, hundreds of deaths, and billions in damage.
The new research flags Cajon Pass, where the two faults meet near San Bernardino, as a place a joint rupture could damage aqueducts and cut water supplies. San Diego State geologist Patrick Abbott said the faults are at critical stress levels.
Researchers stress it's not a prediction. "It could go another 100 years. It could be tomorrow," Caltech seismologist Lucy Jones said, urging residents to retrofit homes, stock emergency supplies, and "drop, cover, hold on."
New Law Expands Missing-Person DNA Search
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law letting California's Missing Persons DNA Program use its DNA database to identify any unidentified person, living or dead, not just the deceased.
Until now, the state Department of Justice program, created in 2001, could use its DNA database only to identify unidentified deceased remains. AB 2018 expands it to all unidentified people and drops a "high-risk" label that Assemblymember James Ramos, D-San Bernardino, said had slowed some cold cases.
Ramos called the measure a "modernization" and said it is urgent given the disproportionate number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons in the state.
The bipartisan measure, which cleared the Legislature unanimously, also keeps relatives' DNA on file longer in case more remains surface. Attorney General Rob Bonta said the change is ultimately about families: "No family should know the prolonged uncertainty of waiting for answers."
➤ Foster City: A massive apartment fire that broke out Sunday at 815 Sea Spray Lane continued burning Monday. About 60 people were displaced, four firefighters suffered minor injuries, and the cause remains under investigation.
➤ Lake Tahoe: When a horse bucked its rider and became stranded at 7,200 feet during the Tevis Cup endurance ride, a Butte County sheriff's helicopter crew sedated the animal and airlifted it to safety. The horse was later loaded into a trailer and taken home.
➤ Trinity Alps: Eight hikers, including two children, were found safe after getting lost on an overgrown trail in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. Search crews located the group at the Goldfield trailhead after they spent a night in the backcountry.
➤ Vallejo: Police responded to an illegal sideshow involving more than 100 cars early Sunday near Georgia Street and Columbus Parkway after some participants threw fireworks at patrol units. The crowd dispersed by 3 a.m. Police say they've recorded about six sideshows this year.
➤ Central Coast: This year's missing "Fogust" is tied to El Niño. Warmer ocean water has weakened the cooling that fuels the coast's summer fog, bringing more sunshine but unusually high humidity. Santa Barbara is experiencing its fourth-most humid summer since records began in 1937.
➤ San Joaquin Valley: Nearly 150 farmworkers are being monitored in three counties after arriving from an Arizona measles outbreak area, though no cases have been identified.
➤ Central Valley: A crowdsourced map lets residents see where automated license plate reader cameras are located across Fresno, Madera, Merced, and Visalia. The map comes as Flock Safety's surveillance technology expands nationwide, fueling an ongoing debate over crime prevention and privacy.
➤ Central Coast: The Trump administration is reviewing the California Coastal Commission, with public comments open through Aug. 22 after federal officials said the state has interfered with federal priorities.
➤ Los Angeles: President Trump will visit Los Angeles today for a Republican National Committee fundraiser, where the White House says his remarks are expected to include criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom. He is scheduled to appear at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes before traveling to Las Vegas.
➤ West Covina: A 24-year-old woman survived Saturday's mass shooting at a Twin Falls, Idaho, In-N-Out, where she was helping train staff. She fled without her phone, leaving her family frantic for word. Three people were killed and seven wounded before the gunman killed himself.
➤ Venice: A woman drove onto the Venice Beach Pier before leading police on a short chase that ended after authorities say she drove into officers. She was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.
➤ Boyle Heights: More than 300 residents have sued Lineage Logistics, alleging a June warehouse fire exposed them to hazardous smoke and ammonia and led to ongoing pest infestations. The company says cleanup is underway, with more than 63% of the destroyed food removed.
➤ La Jolla: Video captured a San Diego lifeguard fighting through pounding El Niño-fueled surf to pull a man trapped against the rocks to safety. San Diego lifeguards have made nearly 3,900 rescues since June 1 amid relentless swells, strong rip currents and crowded beaches.
➤ The San Francisco Giants traded three-time batting champion Luis Arraez to the Phillies yesterday in the biggest move of a deadline-day selloff. Arraez is hitting .324 this season, second-best in the majors, and goes to Philadelphia along with reliever Caleb Kilian.
➤ Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Angels traded starting pitcher Jose Soriano to the Blue Jays for three prospects, headlined by top shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala. Soriano is under team control through 2028.
➤ USC and Notre Dame announced a four-game football series from 2030 to 2034, ending a four-year hiatus in one of college football's oldest rivalries.
➤ Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he "passionately" disagrees with the narrative that his team is ruining baseball after acquiring Tarik Skubal from the Tigers over the weekend. Skubal is scheduled to make his Dodgers debut today against the Cubs.
➤ Stanford junior Jay Leng won the 124th Western Amateur golf tournament, beating Vanderbilt's Michael Riebe 5 and 4 in the championship match. Past winners of the tournament include Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
➤ Santa Cruz ranks as the nation's least affordable rental market, with an hourly wage of about $81 needed to afford a modest apartment. Local officials cite decades of underbuilding and a persistent housing shortage.
➤ Auburn engineer Beau's Satyress project went viral with renderings of "Three-Halves," a 7-foot horned centaur robot pairing a humanoid torso with a four-legged base. Designed for wildfire and disaster work, it would be operated with a gaming controller. Beau hopes to have it standing by year's end.
➤ One cyclist mapped a viral 50-mile loop through San Jose that links all six of the city's Costco warehouses. It begins on The Alameda and follows parts of the Coyote Creek Trail. One rider even downed a Costco hot dog at every stop.
➤ A black bear beat the Southern California heat by taking a dip in a backyard spa in La Crescenta-Montrose. The bear lounged for less than five minutes before wandering off, marking the latest in a string of bear sightings near the San Gabriel foothills.
➤ Kansas Crawford of Redding, who has twirled baton since age 2, will represent Team USA at the world championship in Paris beginning Aug. 5. The Foothill High School feature twirler trains in Sacramento, continuing a family tradition.
➤ The Real Reason Skin Starts To Thin After 50 (It’s Not What You Think) Remember when bruises faded fast and skin bounced back? New research shows a particular deficiency impacts strength and dark spots too—and you don’t have to accept paper-thin, discolored skin as the “new normal.” Unfortunately, most people don’t know that thinning, aging skin is often caused by this.
➤ The first deaths have been reported in the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak, with two victims confirmed in Michigan.
➤ New Yorkers can finally camp overnight in Central Park, but scoring a free spot means winning a coveted citywide lottery.
California's San Andreas Fault marks the boundary where two of Earth's major tectonic plates slowly grind past each other.
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This Day in U S Military History…….4 August
1790 – Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton’s proposal to build ten cutters to protect the new nation’s revenue (Stat. L. 145, 175). Alternately known as the system of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service would officially be named the Revenue Cutter Service (12 Stat. L., 639) in 1863. The cutters were placed under the control of the Treasury Department. This date marks the officially recognized birthday of the Coast Guard.
1918 – America’s second highest-scoring ace, Frank Luke, begins his short but distinguished career. He downs 14 observation balloons and four aircraft in a few weeks. He is forced down behind German lines in late September, and refusing to surrender, will be shot.
1949 – Congress approved Public Law 207, which revised, codified and enacted into law title 14 of the United Stated Code. This set forth for the first time a clear, concise statutory statement of the duties and functions of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Act confirmed that the Coast Guard was a branch of the armed forces of the United States, confirmed it in its general functions of marine safety, maritime law enforcement, and military readiness to operate as a service in the Navy upon declaration of war or when the president directs.
And so it began
1964 – At 8 p.m., the destroyers USS Maddox and USS C. Turner Joy, operating in the Gulf of Tonkin, intercept radio messages from the North Vietnamese that give Captain John Herrick of the Maddox the “impression” that Communist patrol boats are planning an attack against the American ships, prompting him to call for air support from the carrier USS Ticonderoga. Eight Crusader jets soon appeared overhead, but in the darkness, neither the pilots nor the ship crews saw any enemy craft. However, about 10 p.m. sonar operators reported torpedoes approaching. The U.S. destroyers maneuvered to avoid the torpedoes and began to fire at the North Vietnamese patrol boats. When the action ended about two hours later, U.S. officers reported sinking two, or possibly three of the North Vietnamese boats, but no American was sure of ever having seen any enemy boats nor any enemy gunfire. Captain Herrick immediately communicated his doubts to his superiors and urged a “thorough reconnaissance in daylight.” Shortly thereafter, he informed Admiral U. S. Grant Sharp, commander of the Pacific Fleet, that the blips on the radar scope were apparently “freak weather effects” while the report of torpedoes in the water were probably due to “overeager” radar operators. Because of the time difference, it was only 9:20 a.m. in Washington when the Pentagon received the initial report of a potential attack on the U.S. destroyers. When a more detailed report was received at 11 a.m. there was still a lot of uncertainty as to just what had transpired. President Johnson, convinced that the second attack had taken place, ordered the Joint Chiefs of Staff to select targets for possible retaliatory air strikes. At a National Security Council meeting, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, and McGeorge Bundy, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, recommended to the president that the reprisal strikes be ordered. Johnson was cautious at first, but in a follow-up meeting in the afternoon, he gave the order to execute the reprisal, code-named Pierce Arrow. The President then met with 16 Congressional leaders to inform them of the second unprovoked attack and that he had ordered reprisal attacks. He also told them he planned to ask for a Congressional resolution to support his actions. At 11:20 p.m., McNamara was informed by Admiral Sharp that the aircraft were on their way to the targets and at 11:26, President Johnson appeared on national television and announced that the reprisal raids were underway in response to unprovoked attacks on U.S. warships. He assured the viewing audience that, “We still seek no wider war.” However, these incidents proved to be only the opening moves in an escalation that would eventually see more than 500,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*WILSON, ROBERT LEE
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 24 May 1921, Centralia, Ill. Accredited to: Illinois. Citation For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, 2d Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces at Tinian Island, Marianas Group, on 4 August 1944. As 1 of a group of marines advancing through heavy underbrush to neutralize isolated points of resistance, Pfc. Wilson daringly preceded his companions toward a pile of rocks where Japanese troops were supposed to be hiding. Fully aware of the danger involved, he was moving forward while the remainder of the squad, armed with automatic rifles, closed together in the rear when an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the group. Quick to act, Pfc. Wilson cried a warning to the men and unhesitatingly threw himself on the grenade, heroically sacrificing his own life that the others might live and fulfill their mission. His exceptional valor, his courageous loyalty and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave peril reflect the highest credit upon Pfc. Wilson and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for August 4 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
4 August
1908: With Thomas S. Baldwin at the controls and Glenn H. Curtiss as the engineer, Signal Corps Airship No. 1 made its first test ascent, a 7-minute flight, above Fort Myer. (24)
1910: Elmo N. Pickerill made the first plane-to-ground-to-plane radiotelegraphic communication in the US while flying a Curtiss pusher from Mineola to Manhattan Beach and back. (21) (24)
1921: Lt John A. Macready, at the request of the entomologist at Cleveland, flew the first aerial insecticide application flight.
1925: The MacMillan polar expedition started with Lt Cmdr Richard E. Byrd’s assistance and Loening amphibians. (24)
1944: Operation APHRODITE. Eighth Air Force launched radio-controlled B-17 drones, carrying 20,000 pounds of TNT, against V-1 rocket sites in Pas de Calais, France. (4) (21)
1950: KOREAN WAR. B-29 attacked key bridges above the 38th parallel to start FEAF “Interdiction Campaign No. 1.” (28)
1953: A B-47 Stratojet set a nonstop distance record for jets in making a 4,450-mile flight from Fairford, England, to MacDill AFB, in 9 hours 53 minutes.
1955: China released the crewmen of a Special Operations B-29, “The Stardust 40.” They were captured on 13 January 1953 and were held longer than any other prisoners of war in the Korean War. (21)
1960: Pilot Joseph A. Walker flew the X-15 to an unofficial world speed record of 2,196 MPH.
1964: North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked US destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. On 7 August, Congress authorized President Johnson to use all measures to assist South Vietnam. That decision led to a buildup of airpower in the region. (See 5 August)
1964: First US air strikes against North Vietnam.
1970: From Vandenberg AFB, the Minuteman Emergency Rocket Communication System (ERCS) completed its first operational test launch. (6) AFRES aircrews airlifted 73 handicapped children from Corpus Christi, Texas, after Hurricane Celia destroyed the Texas Department of Mental Health and Retardation School. (16) (26)
1977: The last T-33 Shooting Star left the AFFTC at Edwards AFB for retirement at Davis-Monthan AFB; however, active USAF units continued to fly the T-33 until the mid-80s. The 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Mich., actively flew the T-33s until the unit inactivated on 1 October 1985. In addition other Air Defense Tactical Air Command units at Minot and McChord continued to fly F-106s and T-33s for a few more years. (16) (26)
1982: The first KC-135R (number 61-0293) with the new CFM-56 engines made its first flight. (1) The NF-16 Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) aircraft made its first flight. (16)
2000: The AFFTC at Edwards AFB completed the GBU-27A/B enhanced guided bomb unit’s flight test evaluation for the F-117, just two months after its first captive-carry flight. (3)
2002: The last B-1 departed from the 184th Bomb Wing, Kansas ANG. The unit officially became an air refueling wing on 16 September 2002. (32)
2007: PHOENIX MARS LANDER. NASA launched this lander to study Mars on a Delta II booster from Space Launch Complex 17-A at Cape Canaveral, Fla. After a 422 million-mile journey, the Phoenix spacecraft landed in the arctic region of northern Mars on 25 May 2008. The lander tried to answer questions about the Martian arctic’s ability to support life. A 920th Rescue Wing (Air Force Reserves) HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter conducted pre- and post-flight operations to clear the launch path, while the 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., provided mission support. (AFNEWS, “Air Force Supports Launch of NASA Mission to Mars,” 6 Aug 2007.)
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