To All
. Good Wednesday morning May 13 We are overcast most of the day and cool with a high of 70. We are forecast to get clear skies for the rest of the week with highs in the low 70s.. Late start today after a very early appointment with my foot doctor who is really great. .Then home and picked up my wife’s car and headed to the gas station with not much gas indicated and put in 100 dollars worth of gas. On the way home I tried to call her and no phone so I could not stop and pick up the Walmart order.so back home to get the phone and back to Walmart and then home launching the list a bit after 11
Regards,
Skip
HAGD
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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/
May 13
1846 Congress declares war against Mexico. Commodore David Conner is responsible for the landing of the Army at Vera Cruz. In April 1847, Commodore Matthew C. Perry relieves Conner. On Feb. 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed ending hostilities.
1908 The Navy Nurse Corps is established by Public Law No. 115, though nurses have been volunteering onboard Navy ships prior to the Civil War.
1908 The Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, later called Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, is authorized for the enlargement and dredging of the Pearl Harbor channel and locks to admit the largest ships as it becomes a coaling station for the U.S. Navy.
1944 USS Francis M. Robinson (DE 220) sinks Japanese submarine RO 501 (ex-German U 1124) en route to Japan on her maiden voyage, 400 miles south-southwest of the Azores.
1964 The first all nuclear-powered task group, USS Enterprise (CVAN 65), USS Long Beach (CGN 9) and USS Bainbridge (DLGN 25), is organized and deploys to the Sixth Fleet. The task group departs in July and circumnavigates the globe without refueling, returning that October.
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Today in World History: May 13
1607 English colonists land near the James River in Virginia.
1648 Margaret Jones of Plymouth is found guilty of witchcraft and is sentenced to be hanged.
1779 The War of Bavarian Succession ends.
1846 The United States declares war on Mexico after fighting has already begun.
1861 Britain declares its neutrality in the American Civil War.
1864 The Battle of Resaca commences as Union General William T. Sherman fights towards Atlanta.
1888 Slavery is abolished in Brazil.
1912 The Royal Flying Corps is established in England.
1913 Igor Sikorsky flies the first four-engine aircraft.
1944 Allied forces in Italy break through the German Gustav Line into the Liri Valley.
1958 French troops take control of Algiers
1968 Peace talks between the United States and North Vietnam begin in Paris.
1981 Pope John Paul II survives an assassination attempt.
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May 13
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 Wednesday May 13 ..
May 13: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1134
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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Thanks to Andrew
Another note in history I never knew about
Here's an article on the sub we talked about today:
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/02/02/51089/
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
Elephants are matriarchal.
Unlike gorillas, wild turkeys, and many other male-dominant species, elephants are matriarchal. The leader of each herd (the group is also sometimes known as a memory) tends to be the oldest and largest female around. She has a lot of responsibility — a herd can consist of anywhere from eight to 100 elephants, and include many calves that the entire group looks after. Elephants aren’t the only matriarchal species, though. Lemurs, meerkats, spotted hyenas, orcas, and many other animals are also led by females; killer whales, in fact, stay with their mothers their entire lives.
Even so, patriarchies are far more common. Of the 76 nonhuman mammals analyzed in one study, the vast majority were led by males. Whether a species is matriarchal or patriarchal depends on a variety of factors, including physical strength, longevity, and the social bonds they form with one another. Female hyenas are stronger than their male counterparts, for instance, whereas “elephant females are born to leadership” in part because they’re better at remembering the location of water and other vital resources, according to Cynthia Moss of Amboseli Trust for Elephants.
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From the archives
Thanks to Andrew
Another note in history I never knew about
Here's an article on the sub we talked about today:
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/02/02/51089/
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Thanks to Mike
If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's a famous erudite comic who once said: "I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates".
His mind sees things differently from the way most of us do. Here are some more of his gems……..
1 - I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
2 - Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.
3 - Half the people you know are below average.
4 - 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5 - 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
6 - A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
7 - A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
8 - If you want the rainbow, you have got to put up with the rain.
9 - All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.
10 - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
11 - I almost had a psychic girlfriend... But she left me before we met.
12 - OK, so what's the speed of dark?
13 - How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
14 - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
15 - Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
16 - When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
17 - Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.
18 - Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.
19 - I intend to live forever... So far, so good.
20 - If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
21 - Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
22 - What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
23 - My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
24 - Why do psychics have to ask you for your name.
25 - If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
26 - A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
27 - Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
28 - “The best kind of friend is the kind you sit with, never say a word and walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you ever had.
29 - To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
30 - The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
31 - The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
32 - The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it.
33 - Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film.
34 - If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
And the all-time favorite:
35 - If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?
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Thanks to Dr.Rich
Thanks to Ed ...
“44 hours” …
Operation Enduring Freedom opened with the longest bombing missions ever flown. Fascinating!
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Documents/2016/December%202016/1216hours.pdf
"When Spirit of America finally landed (back in USA), it had been operating more than 70 hours without an engine shutdown."
And…
I found this while reading bio of Paul Tibbets' grandson, General Paul W Tibbets IV.
509th Composite Group which Tibbets commanded and bombed Japan in 1945, is now 509 Bomb Wing commanded by his grandson, operating B-2’s …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/509th_Bomb_Wing
via
Tibbets' grandson Paul W. Tibbets IV graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989, and in April 2006 became commander of the 393rd Bomb Squadron, flying the B-2 Spirit at Whiteman AFB, Missouri.
The squadron was one of the two operational squadrons that had formed part of the 509th Composite Group when Tibbets commanded it.
Paul Tibbets IV was promoted to brigadier general in 2014, and became Deputy Director for Nuclear Operations at the Global Operations Directorate of the United States Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. As such, he was responsible for America's strategic nuclear forces. On 5 June 2015, he assumed command of the 509th Bomb Wing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Tibbets
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From the archives
Thanks to Carl
Special Forces Soldiers Reveal First Details of Battle With Russian Mercenaries in Syria
Here's how the grueling 2018 firefight went down according to the soldiers who endured it.
MAY 11, 2023| KEVIN MAURER
The exact casualty count for the Feb. 7 fight is unclear, but sources have estimated between 100 and 300 Russian and pro-Syrian fighters were killed or wounded in the battle. Russian officials claim only five Russian citizens died, but audio recordings of Wagner Group soldiers suggest hundreds of mercenaries were killed. One Wagner Group veteran confirmed the Apache attack in the recordings, describing it as “a fucking merry-go-round with heavy-caliber machine guns.”
“To make it short, we’ve had our fucking asses kicked,” one Wagner Group veteran says in a recording. “They tore us to pieces. … They beat our asses like we were little pieces of shit.”
Nine of the 10 tanks were destroyed, as well as all six artillery pieces. The Special Forces team destroyed the lone surviving tank a few days later.
“We did not sustain a single injury,” Chauncey says. “We didn’t sustain a single death. I mean, guys were dinged up. Guys had PTSD from that battle, but everyone made it home.”
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Thanks to Thomas W.Smith
This Week in American Military History:
May 15, 1862: U.S. Marine Corporal John F. Mackie participates in an action against Confederate forces at Drewry's Bluff, Virginia, for which he will become the first Marine in history to receive the Medal of Honor.
According to his citation, “As enemy shellfire raked the deck of his ship, Corporal Mackie fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits on shore, and when ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, manned the weapon with skill and courage.”
May 15, 1963: Astronaut, fighter pilot, and U.S. Air Force Maj. Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper Jr., piloting "Faith 7," becomes the first American to spend an entire day in space, and the first man to sleep in space.
A former U.S. Marine private who ultimately was commissioned an Army second lieutenant, Cooper will retire an Air Force colonel.
May 18, 1775: Future turncoat Col. Benedict Arnold leads a successful surprise attack against a British fort and the adjacent shipyards at St.
Johns, Canada. Among Arnold’s prizes is the British sloop HMS George which he renames “Enterprise,” the first of eight so-named American Navy ships.
May 18, 1863: Union Army forces under the command of Maj. Gen. Ulysses S.
Grant move against the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Vastly outnumbered Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton fall back on prepared defenses. Pemberton’s army is quickly surrounded. Grant strikes Pemberton’s positions the following day hoping to destroy his army before it is properly positioned. Losses are heavy among the ranks of the assault forces. The siege of Vicksburg has begun.
May 21, 1881: Clara Barton, the Civil War’s famous “angel of the battlefield,” founds the American Red Cross.
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Thanks to YP ( I did two winters at Loring AFB Maine only a few miles from the Canadian border and snow came in October and was still around in April. I can relate to this one….skip)
Michigan
August 12
Moved to our new home in Michigan. It is so wonderful here; Lake Michigan is magnificent. Can hardly wait to see snow on the trees.
October 14
Michigan is the most beautiful place on earth. The leaves are turning shades of red and orange. Went for a drive through the forest near Lake Michigan and saw some deer. They are so graceful. Certainly, they are the most wonderful animals on earth. Saw the sunset over the lake. This must be paradise. I love it here.
November 11
Deer season will start soon. I can't imagine anyone wanting to kill such a gorgeous creature. Hope it will snow soon. I love it here more each day!
December 1
5:00 PM. It's starting to snow. The first of the season and the first one we've seen in years. The wife and I took our hot buttered rums and sat by the picture window, watching the snow flakes drift down, clinging to the trees and covering the ground. It was soooo beautiful!
December 2
Woke up to find everything blanketed with white. It looked like a perfect picture postcard. We went outside and had a snowball fight (I won). Later, I shoveled snow for the first time in years and loved it. I did both our driveway and our sidewalk. Later, a city snowplow came along and accidentally covered up our driveway with compacted snow from the street. The driver smiled and waved. I waved back and shoveled it again. What a beautiful place. I love Michigan.
December 8
It snowed an additional 5 inches last night and the temperature has dropped to around 11 degrees. Several limbs on the trees and shrubs snapped due to the weight of the snow. I shoveled our driveway again. Shortly afterwards the snowplow came by and did his trick again. Much of the snow is now brownish gray.
December 12
Warmed up enough during the day to create some slush which soon became ice when the temperature dropped again. Bought studded snow tires for the car. Fell on my ass in the driveway, shoveling after the snowplow came
through (for the third time that day). $145.00 to the chiropractor, but nothing was broken. More snow and ice expected.
December 13
More snow fell last night. I've got blisters on my hands from shoveling. I think the snow-plow hides around the curve and waits until I'm done shoveling the driveway. Asshole!
December 25
Merry Christmas. More snow. If I ever get my hands on that son-of-a-bitch who drives the snow-plow, I swear I'll kill the bastard. Don't know why they don't use more salt on the roads to melt the damn ice.
December 27
More snow fell last night. Been inside for three days except for shoveling out the driveway after that snow-plow goes through every time. Can't go anywhere, car's stuck in a mountain of white. The weatherman says to expect another 10" snow again tonight. Do you know how many shovels full of snow 10" is?
December 28
The weatherman had his head up his ass - we got 24" of snow this time. At this rate, it won't melt before the summer. The snow-plow got stuck in the road and that bastard came to the door and asked to borrow my shovel.
After I told him I had broken six shovels already, shoveling all the snow he pushed into the driveway, I broke my last one over his head. I couldn't find my ice ax to finish him off - it was buried under a snowdrift!
December 29
2 degrees outside. More snow. Not a tree or shrub on our property that hasn't been damaged. Power was off most of the night. Tried to keep from freezing to death with candles and a kerosene heater, which tipped over and nearly burned the house down. I managed to put the flames out, but suffered 2nd degree burns on my hands and lost all my eyelashes and eyebrows. On the way home from the emergency room, I slid on the ice trying to miss a deer and almost put the car in Lake Michigan. Totaled the car anyway against an iceberg - yes, an iceberg in Lake Michigan shoreline! I should have hit the damn deer and taken my chances. Those damn beasts should be killed. Wish the hunters had killed them ALL last November.
January 4
Damn snow it keeps coming down. Have to put on all the clothes we own just to get to the mailbox. Power still off. Toilet froze and part of the roof has started to cave in. Tried to take a piss outside and ended up with a dicksicle.
January 7
Sixteen more inches of snow, sleet, ice and who knows what else fell last night. I wounded the snowplow driver with the ice ax, but he got away. Wife left me. Car won't start. I think I'm going snow blind. I can't move my toes. Haven't seen the sun in weeks. More now predicted. Wind chill MINUS 22 degrees.
January 8
Moved back to Houston. I can't imagine why anyone in their right mind would ever live in that God-forsaken state of Michigan.
Thanks to YP ... “Gypsy Captain”
I commuted to Chicago from DFW for my first Captain’s job, because I was going to get shot for insubordination as a copiloto. Delta did not fly direct to ORD, so I had to ride thru ATL or buy a discounted ticket on Braniff.
I was going to be a VERY junior Captain without a schedule, on call for a certain period of time; then had to go home the same way. The Base had a lot of commuters and they were NOT understanding, and woe be he…
But it was good to be the King. I shared a flophouse with a couple of other gypsies I rarely saw; shared an ancient VW with a friend that flew for American, and learned a lot about Chicago.
I lasted six months until I was advised to get a cigarette lighter. Howcum? To heat your car keys in the coming Ice Age!
Not this kid! I bid for and got a Captain job in N’Orlens with similar circumstances, but I had commuted there before to fly DC-8 copilot and Delta flew there directly.
Now all I had to worry about was Sugar Bowl, Mardi Gras, fog, and seat availability.
Lots of stories: the commuter car got stolen from the ORD employee parking lot; my $200 dollar N’Orlens commuter car, which was a 1969 Chrysler New Yorker that burned almost as much oil as petrol, also got stolen from the employee parking lot after I got a bid back to DFW, and it was waiting for some new commuter Foo’ to buy it.
In my 30 years with Grits, I commuted:
1: N’Orlens twice
2. Chicago
3. JFK
4. LAX
We all knew wot we were, just dicking around for the best price.
But the doorknob did not hit me in the hiney on the way oot the door when Grits offered to buy out the top 500 captains.
I was 56 years old and NEVER missed it for a microsecond. First 25 years were wonderful( the last five were getting sketchy
And that was WAY before all this DEI and Woke chit.
My 60’s were a kickass great decade!
It’s been a blessed life!
YP
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This Day in U S Military History…….May 13 .
1865 – The last battle of the Civil War, fought near the Rio Grande River, ends in a Confederate victory. Soon after, word arrives of the surrender of the Confederate armies in the east and these men give themselves up to Union forces on June 2nd. The Civil War is officially over at the cost of more than 600,000 dead.
1943 – US forces now outnumber the Japanese defenders on Attu Island by 4 to 1. However, the Americans are unable to extend their front beyond the landing areas. Bad weather and the terrain hinder progress.
1944 – Forces of the US 5th Army continue to attack. The Polish 2nd Corps suffers heavy losses in unsuccessful attacks against the German 1st Parachute Division holding Cassino. The French Expeditionary Corps, however, captures Castelforte as well as Monte Maio and advance to the Liri River at Sant’Appollinaire. The US 2nd Corps and British 13th Corps make limited advances during the day.
1944 – An American escort destroyer sinks the Japanese submarine I-501 (formerly U-1224) off the Azores. The submarine had been presented to the Japanese by the German Kriegsmarine.
1945 – On Okinawa, fierce fighting continues along the Shuri Line. The US 6th Marine Division suffers heavy losses but completes the capture of Dakeshi Ridge. On the east coast, elements of the US 96th Division penetrate the strip east of the Shuri line and take part of Conical Hill.
1972 – Seventeen U.S. helicopters land 1,000 South Vietnamese marines and their six U.S. advisors behind North Vietnamese lines southeast of Quang Tri City in the first South Vietnamese counterattack since the beginning of the communist Nguyen Hue Offensive. The marines reportedly killed more than 300 North Vietnamese before returning to South Vietnamese-controlled territory the next day. Farther to the south, North Vietnamese tanks and troops continued their attacks in the Kontum area. On May 1, North Vietnamese troops had captured Quang Tri City, the first provincial capital taken during their ongoing offensive. The fall of the city effectively gave the North Vietnamese control of the entire province of Quang Tri. Farther south along the coast, three districts of Binh Dinh Province also fell, leaving about one-third of that province under communist control. These attacks were part of the North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive (later called the “Easter Offensive”), a massive invasion by North Vietnamese forces on March 30 to strike the blow that would win them the war. The attacking force included 14 infantry divisions and 26 separate regiments, with more than 120,000 troops and approximately 1,200 tanks and other armored vehicles. The main North Vietnamese objectives, in addition to Quang Tri in the north and Kontum in the Central Highlands, included An Loc farther to the south. The situation at Quang Tri would not be rectified until President Nguyen Van Thieu relieved the I Corps commander and replaced him with Maj. Gen. Ngo Quang Truong, whom Gen. Bruce Palmer, Jr., later described as “probably the best field commander in South Vietnam.” Truong effectively stopped the ongoing rout of South Vietnamese forces, established a stubborn defense, and eventually launched a successful counterattack against the North Vietnamese, retaking Quang Tri in September.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BADDERS, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Chief Machinist’s Mate, U.S. Navy. Place and date: At sea following sinking of the U.S.S. Squalus, 13 May 1939. Entered service at: Indianapolis, Ind. Born: 16 September 1900, Harrisburg, Ill. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross, Navy-Marine Corps Medal. Citation: For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the rescue and salvage operations following the sinking of the U.S.S. Squalus on 13 May 1939. During the rescue operations, Badders, as senior member of the rescue chamber crew, made the last extremely hazardous trip of the rescue chamber to attempt to rescue any possible survivors in the flooded after portion of the Squalus. He was fully aware of the great danger involved in that if he and his assistant became incapacitated, there was no way in which either could be rescued. During the salvage operations, Badders made important and difficult dives under the most hazardous conditions. His outstanding performance of duty contributed much to the success of the operations and characterizes conduct far above and beyond the ordinary call of duty.
CRANDALL, ORSON L.
Rank and organization: Chief Boatswain’s Mate, U.S. Navy. Place and date: At sea following sinking of U.S.S. Squalus, 13 May 1939. Born: 2 February 1903, St. Joseph, Mo. Entered service at: Connecticut. Citation: For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession as a master diver throughout the rescue and salvage operations following the sinking of the U.S.S. Squalus on 23 May 1939. His leadership and devotion to duty in directing diving operations and in making important and difficult dives under the most hazardous conditions characterize conduct far above and beyond the ordinary call of duty.
DUNAGAN, KERN W.
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, Americal Division. Place and date: Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, 13 May 1969. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: 20 February 1934, Superior, Ariz. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Maj. (then Capt.) Dunagan distinguished himself during the period May 13 and 14, 1969, while serving as commanding officer, Company A. On May 13, 1969, Maj. Dunagan was leading an attack to relieve pressure on the battalion’s forward support base when his company came under intense fire from a well-entrenched enemy battalion. Despite continuous hostile fire from a numerically superior force, Maj. Dunagan repeatedly and fearlessly exposed himself in order to locate enemy positions, direct friendly supporting artillery, and position the men of his company. In the early evening, while directing an element of his unit into perimeter guard, he was seriously wounded during an enemy mortar attack, but he refused to leave the battlefield and continued to supervise the evacuation of dead and wounded and to lead his command in the difficult task of disengaging from an aggressive enemy. In spite of painful wounds and extreme fatigue, Maj. Dunagan risked heavy fire on 2 occasions to rescue critically wounded men. He was again seriously wounded. Undaunted, he continued to display outstanding courage, professional competence, and leadership and successfully extricated his command from its untenable position on the evening of May 14. Having maneuvered his command into contact with an adjacent friendly unit, he learned that a 6-man party from his company was under fire and had not reached the new perimeter. Maj. Dunagan unhesitatingly went back and searched for his men. Finding 1 soldier critically wounded, Maj. Dunagan, ignoring his wounds, lifted the man to his shoulders and carried him to the comparative safety of the friendly perimeter. Before permitting himself to be evacuated, he insured all of his wounded received emergency treatment and were removed from the area. Throughout the engagement, Maj. Dunagan’s actions gave great inspiration to his men and were directly responsible for saving the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. Maj. Dunagan’s extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty, are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*OLSON, KENNETH L.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Light). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 13 May 1968. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: 26 May 1945, Willmar, Minn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Olson distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a team leader with Company A. Sp4c. Olson was participating in a mission to reinforce a reconnaissance platoon which was heavily engaged with a well-entrenched Viet Cong force. When his platoon moved into the area of contact and had overrun the first line of enemy bunkers, Sp4c. Olson and a fellow soldier moved forward of the platoon to investigate another suspected line of bunkers. As the 2 men advanced they were pinned down by intense automatic weapons fire from an enemy position 10 meters to their front. With complete disregard for his safety, Sp4c. Olson exposed himself and hurled a hand grenade into the Viet Cong position. Failing to silence the hostile fire, he again exposed himself to the intense fire in preparation to assault the enemy position. As he prepared to hurl the grenade, he was wounded, causing him to drop the activated device within his own position. Realizing that it would explode immediately, Sp4c. Olson threw himself upon the grenade and pulled it in to his body to take the full force of the explosion. By this unselfish action Sp4c. Olson sacrificed his own life to save the lives of his fellow comrades-in-arms. His extraordinary heroism inspired his fellow soldiers to renew their efforts and totally defeat the enemy force. Sp4c. Olson’s profound courage and intrepidity were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*WINDER, DAVID F.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 13 May 1970. Entered service at: Columbus, Ohio. Born: 10 August 1946, Edinboro, Pa. Citation: Pfc. Winder distinguished himself while serving in the Republic of Vietnam as a senior medical aidman with Company A. After moving through freshly cut rice paddies in search of a suspected company-size enemy force, the unit started a thorough search of the area. Suddenly they were engaged with intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fire by a well entrenched enemy force. Several friendly soldiers fell wounded in the initial contact and the unit was pinned down. Responding instantly to the cries of his wounded comrades, Pfc. Winder began maneuvering across approximately 100 meters of open, bullet-swept terrain toward the nearest casualty. Unarmed and crawling most of the distance, he was wounded by enemy fire before reaching his comrades. Despite his wounds and with great effort, Pfc. Winder reached the first casualty and administered medical aid. As he continued to crawl across the open terrain toward a second wounded soldier he was forced to stop when wounded a second time. Aroused by the cries of an injured comrade for aid, Pfc. Winder’s great determination and sense of duty impelled him to move forward once again, despite his wounds, in a courageous attempt to reach and assist the injured man. After struggling to within 10 meters of the man, Pfc. Winder was mortally wounded. His dedication and sacrifice inspired his unit to initiate an aggressive counterassault which led to the defeat of the enemy. Pfc. Winder’s conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 13 THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
May 13
1908: First radio reception on a balloon in the US received while flying from Fort Myer, Va., to Woodwardville, Md. (24)
1911: Lts Henry H. Arnold and Thomas DeWitt Milling completed their training at Simms Station, Dayton, to become the first Army pilots to graduate from the Wright School. (4)
1940: Igor Sikorsky flew his VS-300 (Vought-Sikorsky) helicopter in its first free flight. Earlier flights were tethered. (21)
1941: In a mass flight over the Pacific, 21 B-17s took off from Hamilton Field, and landed on 14 Mayat Hickam Field 13 hours 10 minutes later. (21) 1942: The first US bombardment squadron, the 15th, sent to England without aircraft. It flew the first US AAF operations over Western Europe on 4 July against enemy airfields in the Netherlands.
1948: The first US built two-stage rocket, the Bumper-WAC, launched from White Sands. (6)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force F-86 Sabres destroyed five MiG-15s in aerial combat. In the morning 12 F-86s attacked targets in Sinuiju, Sinuiju Airfield, and Uiju Airfield in northwestern Korea. In early afternoon, Sabres hit the marshaling yards at Kunu-ri, and, in late afternoon, bombed Sinuiju with 1000-pound bombs. Unfortunately, Col Walker M. Mahurin, the 4 FIG Commander who had led all three missions, was shot down and captured. (28)
1957: Three USAF F-100C Super Sabres set a distance record for single-engine jet aircraft by flying 6,710 miles from London, England, to Los Angeles in 14 hours 5 minutes. (24) 1958: Trans World Airlines hired the first black stewardess. (8)
1962: Project FIELD GLASS. Through 7 June, an F-100 detachment of the 510 TFS from Clark AB deployed to Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, in response to an increasing threat on the Laotian border. On 16 May, the rest of the 510 TFS deployed to Takhli. On 7 June, a TDY F-100 squadron from Cannon AFB, N. Mex., replaced the 510TFS. (17)
1967: For the second time, the 8 TFW’s pilots shot down seven MiGs in a single day’s action over North Vietnam. (16)
1968: The DoD called up three more ANG and six more AFRES units with 22,000 people to extended active duty to augment regular Air Force units involved in the Vietnam War. (16) (21)
1976: TYPHOON OLGA. Through 1 June, after Typhoon Olga hit the Philippines, ARRS helicopters saved 734 flood victims. (2)
1985: The AFFTC at Edwards AFB completed its evaluation of the KC-135R Stratotanker under minimum interval takeoff conditions. The improved tanker demonstrated an ability to take off at 12-second intervals. (16)
1995: The 931 AREFG at McConnell AFB became the first KC-135 associate unit to fly an operational mission with an all-reserve crew. The aircraft refueled a B-2 Bomber during one of its flight tests. Previously, the reserve crews flew on active duty aircraft. (16) (18)
2004: The final C-141 airdrop of paratroopers took place at Fort Benning, Ga. Army Private Jason Stewart, a native of Chandler, Ariz., became last paratrooper to jump from a C-141, when he jumped from C-141C (No. 65-0229) of the 452 AMW (AFRC) at March ARB, Calif. (22)
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