Good Thursday Morning
I am back. Thanks to everyone who sent cards, called me and sent email with good wishes. I have over 400 email in general to wade through. My bucket list on returning home was a long hot shower, a hot meal, and a long sleep in my own bed. I got more sleep Tuesday night than I Had in 9 days in the hospital. The doctor has threatened me that I can do no workout because my core is done. On 4 August I will see her again and she will Tell me what I can do.
Regards,
skip
July 23
1943 USS George E. Badger (DD 196) sinks German submarine (U 613), en route to mine waters off Jacksonville, Fla., south of the Azores.
1943 TBFs (VC 9) from USS Bogue (AVG 9) breaks up a rendezvous between German submarines (U 527) and (U 648) south of the Azores. U-527 sinks at while U-648 escapes.
1943 PB4Y aircraft from (VB 107) sinks German submarine (U 598) off Brazil.
1948 During the Arab-Israeli War, USS Putnum (DD 757) evacuates the U.N. team from Haifa, Israel and becomes first U.S. Navy ship to fly the U.N. flag.
1950 USS Boxer (CV 21) crosses the Pacific, bringing aircraft, troops, and supplies for the Korean War, arriving at Yokosuka, Japan.
1994 USNS Patuxent (T-AO-201) is launched at New Orleans, La. Operated by Military Sealift Command, Patuxent is the 15th ship in the Henry J. Kaiser-class of underway replenishment oilers.
2017 After a two-year restoration at historic Dry Dock 1 at Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston National Historical Park, America's oldest commissioned warship, USS Constitution is refloated. Since entering dry dock on May 18, 2015, ship restorers from the Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston, and teams of Constitution Sailors have worked to bring Old Ironsides back to her glory.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
•Trade press reported on CNO Adm. Mike Gilday's email to leadership detailing the damage to USS Bonhomme Richard.
•Local Norfolk media reported on the first in person listening session conducted by Task Force One Navy.
•Trade press also continued coverage of Sea Breeze 2020.
History July 23
1627 | Sir George Calvert arrives in Newfoundland to develop his land grant. | |
1637 | King Charles of England hands over the American colony of Massachusetts to Sir Ferdinando Gorges, one of the founders of the Council of New England. | |
1664 | Wealthy, non-church members in Massachusetts are given the right to vote. | |
1793 | The French garrison at Mainz, Germany, falls to the Prussians. | |
1803 | Irish patriots throughout the country rebel against Union with Great Britain. | |
1829 | William A. Burt patents his "typographer," an early typewriter. | |
1849 | German rebels in Baden capitulate to the Prussians. | |
1863 | Bill Anderson and his Confederate Bushwhackers gut the railway station at Renick, Missouri. | |
1865 | William Booth founds the Salvation Army. | |
1868 | The 14th Amendment is ratified, granting citizenship to African Americans. | |
1885 | Ulysses S. Grant dies of throat cancer at the age of 63. | |
1894 | Japanese troops take over the Korean imperial palace. | |
1903 | The Ford Motor Company sells its first automobile, the Model A. | |
1944 | Soviet troops take Lublin, Poland as the German army retreats. | |
1962 | The Geneva Conference on Laos forbids the United States to invade eastern Laos. | |
1995 | Two astronomers, Alan Hale in New Mexico and Thomas Bopp in Arizona, almost simultaneously discover a comet. |
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thanks to THE bear
Gentlemen... for your information... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
A new tale has been posted...
ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED… When Naval Aviation Roared… Tales of the Brave and Bold… #16…
COMMEMORATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIETNAM WAR (1961-1973)... and honoring the courageous Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers and air crewmen who carried the war to the heavily defended heartland of North Vietnam in the years of Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968)... GOOD MORNING. It's Monday, 20 July 2020, and Faithful Scribe has...
ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED… When Naval Aviation Roared… Tales of the Brave and Bold… #16…
July 20, 2020Bear Taylor
COMMEMORATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIETNAM WAR (1961-1973)… and honoring the courageous Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers and air crewmen who carried the war to the heavily defended heartland of North Vietnam in the years of Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968)…
GOOD MORNING. It's Monday, 20 July 2020, and Faithful Scribe has another tale to tell: An attack on the Dragon's Jaw — the bridge across the Song Ma River at Thanh Hoa, North Vietnam– that has escaped the notice of the great war historians, a tale of some importance. But first, a few of the head lines of news made fifty years ago this week (20-26 July 1970) when we were desperately looking for a way out of the wars in Southeast Asia– an exit with honor. Thirteen thousand brave Americans were to die while the politicians and diplomats stuck to a strategy called "Hope" through the years of 1970, 1971, 1972 and a bit of 1973…
HEADLINES. Egypt completed construction of the Aswan Dam in southern Egypt, a ten year, one billion dollar project. The damming of the Nile River created Lake Nasser… Six Arab Terrorists hijacked an Olympic Airways Boeing 727 with 53 passengers after takeoff from Beirut on a flight to Athens. They successfully forced the Greeks to release nine Arab prisoners in exchange for some of the passengers in Athens, and released the remaining passengers when the 727 landed at final destination in Cairo, Egypt… In St. Louis, the president of Continental Telephone Company, Peter J. Lucier, was murdered when a bomb, placed under his car below the driver's seat, exploded when the car was started... Cuba's Prime Minister Castro offered to resign when his economic strategy failed and Cuban debt to the Soviet Union exceeded two billion dollars. Castro continued in power for 38 more years until 2008, when his brother was handed the top job…
ON THE BATTLEFIELD. The 196th Infantry Brigade launched Operation ELK CANYON, which would continue through August in the mountains northwest of Saigon… On 16 July 1970 the 1st Marine Division launched Operation PICKENS FOREST in the mountains of Quang Nam Province, a battle that would continue through August… On 24 July the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and the ARVN 1st Division launched Operation CHICAGO PEAK in the Ashau Valley… The United States continued to reduce the number of troops in South Vietnam as the South Vietnamese took on more of the fighting. We would continue to lose about a hundred warriors to enemy guns every week. South Vietnamese losses–KIA–would average more than 400 per week through 1970 (1,711 in July 1970). Enemy losses (NVN+VC) for July = 6,138…
IN THE AIR WAR (20-26 July 1970). Four fixed wing aircraft and five heroic aviators were lost in Southeast Asia this week fifty years ago. 1LT James M. BUTLER, USAF, was killed when his OV-10A crashed on takeoff. He rests in peace at the National Cemetery in Barrancas, Pensacola… Capt. James W. REED, USAF, and 1LT Donald B. BLOODWORTH, USAF were killed when their Fast FAC F-4D, Falcon 12, went down on a Commando Hunt night armed recce mission while strafing trucks in Laos. They were listed as MIA until 1973, then KIA, Body Not Recovered, until the crash site was located and excavated in 1993. Remains of Captain BLOODWORTH were found, but not those of Major REED. Captain BLOODWORTH is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. Major REED is memorialized at Guernsey Memory Gardens, Cambridge, Ohio, and the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and remains "left behind."…. They are remembered here with admiration and respect… A note of interest for all to ponder: Two days before young Captain BLOODWORTH's last combat flight he was notified that his wife Tami had given birth to their first and only child, a son that the young and gallant warrior would never see or hold… Two more F-4 Phantoms were lost this week fifty years ago… A VF-92 F-4 embarked in USS AMERICA went down while on a patrol station over the Gulf of Tonkin. Both aviators were required to eject. The backseater was rescued, the pilot LT Paul Anthony GREGORY, USN, was not. He rests where he fell fifty years ago and is memorialized at Arlington National Cemetery and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu… The 433rd TFS lost an F-4D on a Commando Hunt mission in Laos on 26 July 1970. Both aviators were able to eject from the aircraft, however, LCOL Richard W. Pennington, the pilot, came down on the steep side of a karst mountain and was fatally injured. He was rescued by a valiant parachute jumper, but subsequently died of his wounds. Faithful Scribe has been unable to locate his place of interment. The backseater, Captain Raymond RIGEL, was more fortunate and was rescued to fly and fight again. …. Additional info https://www.vietnamairlosses.com
WHEN NAVAL AVIATION ROARED. Tale #16 from the awards file of CINCPACFLT as recorded by Faithful Scribe in 1985 when the records were available at the Naval Annex in Suitland, Maryland. On 17 June 1965 the "world famous Golden Dragons" of VA-192, embarked in USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31), at the direction of CINCPACFLT, conducted an evaluation of a new motion picture pod (MOPIX) to record the effectiveness of the Navy's participation in Operation Rolling Thunder. USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31), with Attack Carrier Air Wing 19 embarked, departed Alameda Naval Air Station on 21 April 1965 and returned on 13 January 1966. The ship spent 136 days on the line at Yankee Station and lost 17 aircraft, 14 in combat. Eight warrior-aviators perished and two were left behind as POWs. On 17 June the ship was in the middle of the second of five line periods. The target chosen for the Mopix pod camera evaluation was the Thanh Hoa bridge, the Dragon's Mouth, and the weapon chosen for the introduction of the pod to combat was the AGM-12B, Bullpup missile. The skipper of VA-192 took the mission.
CDR Allen (Boot) HILL was not the first to guide a Bullpup into the Dragon's Jaw. In April and May of 1965, the first month's of Rolling Thunder, the Air Force launched five multi-aircraft missions against the vital bridge at Thanh Hoa. On missions flown on 4 and 5 April the Air Force targeted the bridge with both Bullpups and bombs, a total of 384 weapons, and left the bridge damaged, but serviceable. Historians Steven Coonts and Barrett Tillman write in their book, Dragon's Jaw, An Epic Story of Courage and Tenacity in Vietnam, that this barrage of air delivered ordnance left both approaches cratered, slabs of concrete in the bridge flooring blown out and "one or two spans to sag visibly." The Air Force lost six aircraft on the two missions. On 7 May the Air Force gave it another go, skipping the AGM-12B Bullpups and going with 28 F-105s loaded with 750-pound bombs, and supported by 36 other aircraft. Two more missions were flown by the Air Force against the bridge that day. The clouds of 750-pound bombs hit on, and all around the bridge, but when the day was done the Dragon's Jaw still spanned the Song Ma River. On 31 May the Air Force Thuds gave it another try, this time with just four F-105s dropping a total of 32 750-pounders. The bridge sustained "only moderate damage, although the bridge was briefly closed to road and rail traffic." More than three hundred tons of bombs and missiles delivered by the Air Force in April and May failed to break The Jaw. The Air Force was less than impressed with the AGM-12B– a 250 pound warhead– and was looking forward to delivery of 'Big Bullpup,' AGM-12C missile with a 970 pound war head that closed on the target at 1.8 IMN and could be fired from several miles away…
Quoted from page 86 of Dragon's Jaw: "Early Navy missions against the Dragon's Jaw were much smaller, more informal affairs than the Air Force strikes. The Navy launched its first strike against the bridge on June 17, 1965, from the USS MIDWAY and USS BON HOMME RICHARD. The bombers were A-4s from the Bonnie Dick, and the MiG CAP was composed of six F-4 Phantoms belonging to VF-21 aboard the Midway."
On that day the VF-21 fighters downed two MiG-17s 35 miles northwest of Thanh Hoa to dazzle the world with great news. Especially since they were Sparrow kills. Meanwhile, the Bonnie Dick bombers had a good day rendering the Dragon's Jaw "unserviceable." In addition, the VA-192 Golden Dragons pleased the bosses with the successful introduction of the MOPIX pod camera to record combat operations. Not quite like killing MiGs, but a notable achievement never-the-less.
CDR "Boot" HILL led a "small Alpha" of a dozen A-4s to conduct the ordered (by CINCPACFLT) evaluation of the camera pod developed at Naval Air Station, Pt. Mugu, under project officer LCDR Thomas FRIEDRICH, who was temporarily assigned to VA-192 for the evaluation flight. The mission required that the camera pod "obtain a photographic record of the Navy's effectiveness in combat." CDR HILL would fire the AGM-12 B and LCDR FRIEDRICH, flying an F-8E with the camera pod, would capture the launch, flight and impact of the Bullpup on the Thanh Hoa bridge. Both were recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross based on the results of the evaluation flight. The Citation for CDR HILL's DFC tells the story…
"For heroism and extraordinary achievement while attached to and serving with Attack Squadron ONE NINETY TWO on 17 June 1965. Commander HILL was assigned as an A-4C Bullpup 'B' strike pilot to launch from USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31) in an Air Wing strike on the extremely heavily defended Thanh Hoa railroad and highway bridge (Ho Chi Minh Birthday Bridge) located … in the Democratic Republic of North Vietnam. This mission was also to be the first strike filmed by the Pt. Mugu Mopix pod camera. The necessity of obtaining a photographic record of the Navy's combat effectiveness had received the highest priority from the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Exhibiting extraordinary skill and professionalism while under anti-aircraft fire, Commander HILL guided his Bullpup 'B' missile to a direct hit on the bridge. The impact was at the exact point selected from pre-strike photography which would inflict the greatest damage to the vital link in the enemy's transportation system. The spectacular results achieved received personal acclaim from Commander SEVENTH Fleet and the documentary film, dramatically showing the Navy's combat effectiveness, was later released to network television for nation-wide viewing. Additionally, since this was one of the first occasions on which Bullpup 'B' missiles were used (by the Navy) in a combat environment, Commander HILL's success clearly demonstrated the exceptional reliability and destructive capabilities of the weapon. The success acquired during an urgent and most demanding assignment was due to Commander HILL's extraordinary skill, initiative, bold action and his truly professional performance while in the face of great personal danger, which was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Naval Service."…
BITS OF RIBBON. In adddition to CDR HILL's DFC, LCDR FRIEDRICH and LTJG Neil B. TAYLOR were also recommended for DFCs. LCDR FRIEDRICH for operation of the pod camera, and LTJG TAYLOR for matching the direct hit of his leader CDR HILL, all on film… But the MiG killers of VF-21 and MIDWAY went one better. CDR Louis PAGE, LT John C. SMITH, LT Jack E.D. BATSON, Jr., and LCDR Robert B. DOREMUS were each awarded SILVER STAR medals for their 17 June 1965 MiG-17 kills. Three days later LT Charles HARTMAN, VA-25, flying a A-1H Spad downed a MiG-17 to earn the SILVER STAR the hard way– down a MiG jet while looking through a prop…. That's another story…
END NOTE. The Stephen Coonts and Barrett Tillman DRAGON's JAW story about the Thanh Hoa bridge is most highly recommended and belongs on your summer-shutin-while-avoiding-the-Wuhan Virus-reading list.
NEXT POST. Monday, 27 July 2020. Tale #17. ENTERPRISE and CAG-9 find and destroy a mobile SAM battalion in the mountains southwest of Hanoi on 7 June 1967.
Lest we forget… Bear
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"This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.
July 19, 1989
United Airlines Capt. Alfred C. Haynes and his crew received the 1989 Lt. Gen. Harold L. George Civilian Airmanship Award for their actions in the crash of a DC-10 at the Sioux City Gateway Airport, Iowa, on July 19, 1989. Read about the accident HERE.
July 20, 1969
Astronaut Neil Armstrong spoke the immortal words: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."
July 21, 1998
Retired Navy Rear Adm. Alan B. Shepard, NASA Astronaut and Daedalian Life Member, died on this date. The Naval Academy graduate logged more than 8,000 hours flying time – 3,700 of which was in jet aircraft. He was one of the Mercury astronauts named by NASA in April 1959, and holds the distinction of being the first American to journey into space. View his NASA biography HERE.
July 22, 1978
Capt. Holden C. Richardson, Daedalian Founder Member #13115 and Naval Aviator No. 13, was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. He was the first naval aviation engineering officer so honored.
July 23, 1983
The National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio, enshrined the Navy's only World War I ace, David S. Ingalls. He was honored for his service during that war, in the Naval Air Transport Service during World War II, and for his postwar role in commercial aviation. Ingalls was Daedalian Founder Member #3603.
July 24, 1950
The first rocket launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida, took place. Bumper 8 was a two-stage rocket consisting of a captured German V-2 ballistic missile as the first stage and a WAC Corporal sounding rocket as the upper, second, stage. The rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 3 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and followed a ballistic trajectory over the Joint Long Range Proving Ground. This was a low-angle atmospheric flight. The WAC Corporal reached an altitude of 10 miles and traveled 200 miles downrange.
July 25, 1943
A flight of eight P-47s, accompanied by two B-24s and one C-87, departed Presque Isle, Maine, on a transatlantic crossing to Prestwick, Scotland. One Thunderbolt was lost in a landing accident at Greenland while a second developed engine trouble en route and headed back to Iceland. This was the only such flight attempted by fighter aircraft during World War II. The pilots were from the 2nd Ferrying Group and included Capt. Barry Goldwater, a future Arizona senator, 1964 presidential candidate and Daedalian Life Member.
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Thanks to Carl
Senate Approves New Agent Orange Presumptive Diseases, Tees Up House Showdown
22 Jul 2020
Military.com | By Patricia Kime
The Senate overwhelmingly approved an addition to its defense policy bill to expand the Department of Veterans Affairs' list of diseases considered related to exposure to Agent Orange, adding bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinsonism.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 23, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1908: Thomas S. Baldwin delivered the Army's first airship and hydrogen plant to Fort Myer. (18)
1914: Special Order 171 appointed a board of visitors at the North Island Aviation School to examine candidates for the new aviation mechanician rating. (24)
1918: The Director of the Army Air Service ordered every flying field in the United States to have an air ambulance. This was based on the February 1918 efforts of Maj Nelson E. Driver, a medical officer, and Captain William C. Ocker, Commander of Flight Training at Gerstner Field, Louisiana, to modify the rear cockpit seat of a JN-4 Jenny to accommodate a patient in a semireclining position. (18)
1936: The Navy awarded a contract to Consolidated for the XPB2Y-1 four-engine flying boat. (24) 1940: Radar used for the first time in shooting down an enemy bomber.
1948: MATS deployed men and equipment to establish an Airlift Task Force in Germany to relieve Berlin. Maj Gen William H. Tunner commanded the Task Force operations under USAFE's operational control. (16) (24)
1951: Lockheed flew the first production model of L-1049 Super Constellation.
1956: At Edwards AFB, Lt Col Frank K. (Pete) Everest flew the Bell X-2 at a record speed of Mach 2.87, over 1,900 MPH. (3) (9)
1958: The Boeing Vertol VZ-2A Tiltwing research aircraft successfully transitioned from vertical to horizontal flight and back for the first time. (20)
1959: A Boeing 707 flew the first commercial flight from New York to Moscow. The 8-hour, 54- minute flight time broke the record for the 5,090-mile flight of 11 hours 6 minutes made a few days earlier by a Russian TU-114. (24) At Vandenberg AFB, construction began on the first Atlas E coffin-type launcher. (6)
1966: MACKAY TROPHY. The YF-12A Test Force received the trophy from General John P. McConnell, CSAF, at Edwards AFB for flights on 1 May 1965 that set 9 world speed and altitude records. (3)
1970: McDonnell-Douglas DC-10, first wide-bodied trijet transport, rolled out at Long Beach.
1971: Hughes Aircraft Company received a contract to build 2,000 Maverick air-to-surface missiles for F-4Es and A-7Ds. (12)
1972: Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1) launched from Western Test Range. As the first US civilian satellite to be flown, it acquired synoptic, multispectral repetitive images for three months and derive data on agriculture and forestry resources, minerals, and land resources. The satellite also represented the first step in merging space and remote sensing technology to manage earth resources more efficiently.
1987: At Sacramento, Aerojet General conducted the first full-duration firing of a Titan IV first stage engine. During the test, the engine burned for 200 seconds and generated 500,000 pounds of thrust.
1995: To ease economic suffering in Byelorussia, a 433 AW C-5 Galaxy airlifted in 28 pallets of medical supplies, blankets, clothes, furniture, and a military ambulance. (16)
1999: Through 27 July, the Space Shuttle Columbia flew a mission to deploy a new satellite, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory to watch X-rays from high-energy regions of the universe. In the mission, Col Eileen Collins, the first female pilot of a space shuttle, became the first female commander of a space shuttle mission. (21)
2004: Congressman Jerry F. Costello (D-Ill.) announced that the 932 AW at Scott AFB would receive three new C-40Cs, the military version of the Boeing 737, and three modern C-9C Nightingales. The C-9Cs were transferred from Andrews AFB to replace the three C-9As at Scott.
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This Day in US Military History
23 July
1940 – German bombers began the "Blitz," the all-night air raids on London.
1940 – The British Purchasing Mission in the United States reaches agreement that it will be allowed to buy up 40 percent of the United States' production of aircraft.
1942 – US Secretary of State Hull urges the formation of an international peace keeping organization by the United Nations after the war.
1943 – Americans occupy Trapani and Marsala. On the north coast, US forces reach Termini Imerese.
1944 – Elements of the US 4th Corps (part of US 5th Army) penetrate the outskirts of Pisa but are only able to occupy the area south of the Arno River.
1944 – On Guam, American marines on the northern beachhead reach Point Adelup. On the southern beachhead, the marines cross the neck of the Orote Peninsula, thereby cutting off the main Japanese airfield on the island.
1944 – Elements of the 3dMarDiv completed the occupation of Cabras Island, Tinian, Marianas.
1947 – First Navy all jet squadron (VF-17A) receives its first aircraft (FH).
1956 – The Bell X-2 rocket plane set a world aircraft speed record of 3,050 kph.
1958 – USS Nautilus (SSN-571) departs Pearl Harbor for first submerged transit of North Pole.
1973 – Eddie Rickenbacker, World War I flying ace, died in Zurich, Switzerland at the age of 82. Known as a race-car driver before World War I, he became America's premier flying ace during the war and returned home to a hero's welcome. Declining offers from the aviation industry and even Hollywood, Rickenbacker decided to lend his name to a car company, although he played a negligible role in the company's management and eventually resigned his position there. Without his high-flying name behind the product, Rickenbacker Motors crashed and burned. Later he and several associates bought Eastern Airlines in 1938 and guided it to become one of the most profitable airlines in the postwar era.
Congressional Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
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EUBANKS, RAY E.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 503d Parachute Infantry. Place and date: At Noemfoor Island, Dutch New Guinea, 23 July 1944. Entered service at: LaGrange, N.C. Born: 6 February 1922, Snow Hill, N.C. G.O. No.: 20, 29 March 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty at Noemfoor Island, Dutch New Guinea, 23 July 1944. While moving to the relief of a platoon isolated by the enemy, his company encountered a strong enemy position supported by machinegun, rifle, and mortar fire. Sgt. Eubanks was ordered to make an attack with 1 squad to neutralize the enemy by fire in order to assist the advance of his company. He maneuvered his squad to within 30 yards of the enemy where heavy fire checked his advance. Directing his men to maintain their fire, he and 2 scouts worked their way forward up a shallow depression to within 25 yards of the enemy. Directing the scouts to remain in place, Sgt. Eubanks armed himself with an automatic rifle and worked himself forward over terrain swept by intense fire to within 15 yards of the enemy position when he opened fire with telling effect. The enemy, having located his position, concentrated their fire with the result that he was wounded and a bullet rendered his rifle useless. In spite of his painful wounds he immediately charged the enemy and using his weapon as a club killed 4 of the enemy before he was himself again hit and killed. Sgt. Eubanks' heroic action, courage, and example in leadership so inspired his men that their advance was successful. They killed 45 of the enemy and drove the remainder from the position, thus effecting the relief of our beleaguered troops
*LUCAS, ANDRE C.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 2d Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. place and date: Fire Support Base Ripcord, Republic of Vietnam, 1 to 23 July 1970. Entered service at: West point, N.Y. Born: 2 October 1930, Washington D.C. Citation: Lt. Col. Lucas distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism while serving as the commanding officer of the 2d Battalion. Although the fire base was constantly subjected to heavy attacks by a numerically superior enemy force throughout this period, Lt. Col. Lucas, forsaking his own safety, performed numerous acts of extraordinary valor in directing the defense of the allied position. On 1 occasion, he flew in a helicopter at treetop level above an entrenched enemy directing the fire of 1 of his companies for over 3 hours. Even though his helicopter was heavily damaged by enemy fire, he remained in an exposed position until the company expended its supply of grenades. He then transferred to another helicopter, dropped critically needed grenades to the troops, and resumed his perilous mission of directing fire on the enemy. These courageous actions by Lt. Col. Lucas prevented the company from being encircled and destroyed by a larger enemy force. On another occasion, Lt. Col. Lucas attempted to rescue a crewman trapped in a burning helicopter. As the flames in the. aircraft spread, and enemy fire became intense, Lt. Col. Lucas ordered all members of the rescue party to safety. Then, at great personal risk, he continued the rescue effort amid concentrated enemy mortar fire, intense heat, and exploding ammunition until the aircraft was completely engulfed in flames. Lt. Col. Lucas was mortally wounded while directing the successful withdrawal of his battalion from the fire base. His actions throughout this extended period inspired his men to heroic efforts, and were instrumental in saving the lives of many of his fellow soldiers while inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Lt. Col. Lucas' conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action, at the cost of his own 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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This day in world news for 23 July thanks to Military Periscope
USA—CNO Provides Details Of Damage To Bonhomme Richard Amphib Defense News | 07/23/2020 The U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship that caught fire last week suffered damage to 11 of its 14 decks, reports Defense News. Adm. Michael Gilday, the chief of naval operations, said the July 12 fire caused extensive damage to the Bonhomme Richard in a letter to admirals and master chiefs that was obtained by the newspaper. Explosions and sustained temperatures of 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit (650 degrees Celsius) severely damaged the ship, with 11 of the 14 decks experiencing fire and water damage, he said. The island is nearly gutted, as are sections of some decks below that nearly encompass the entire length and breadth of the vessel. The flight deck is warped or bulging in areas. There were two main factors that contributed to the severity of the blaze, the admiral said. The first was wind that fueled the fire, since the vehicle storage area where it began leads to the well deck, which opens to the air at the stern. The second was a series of explosions, some intense, that enabled the fire to spread, including up elevator shafts, engine exhaust stacks and through berthing and other compartments where combustible materials were present. Gilday's assessment does not address whether the ship can be repaired and whether the service is willing to invest the necessary funds.
USA—Large-Scale Army Training Resumes Military.Com | 07/23/2020 The U.S. Army has restarted brigade-level combat training that was suspended due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports Military.com. Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, who oversees operations, plans and training as the Army's G3/5/7, announced the move on Wednesday during an Association of the U.S. Army Noon Report webinar. The Army is confident of its protocols to limit the spread of the virus and has resumed large-scale force rotations at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., and the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., he said. Rotations to the two centers were halted in March during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. Units complete a series of checks at their home stations and again once they arrive at the training centers, the general said. Additional testing capability and capacity have been implemented to support the safety of the soldiers. Cases among the military, dependents and Defense Dept. civilians increased 41 percent in June, noted the website.
USA—Reagan Carrier Trains With Australian, Japanese Ships In Philippine Sea Navy Newsstand | 07/23/2020 Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and Royal Australian Navy ships are wrapping up an exercise with a U.S. carrier strike group in the Philippine Sea, reports the Navy NewsStand. The training began on July 19 and was scheduled to conclude on July 23. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group included the cruiser Antietam and the destroyer Mustin. The Australian task force comprised the amphibious ship Canberra, destroyer Hobart, ANZAC-class frigates Stuart and Arunta and the replenishment ship Sirius. Japan sent the destroyer Teruzuki for the exercise. The trilateral drills come ahead of the large-scale Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in Hawaii, noted the Australian Defense Dept. The training covered replenishment at sea, aviation, maritime and communications operations in an all-domain combat environment, said the Navy. "Maintaining security and safety at sea requires navies to be able to cooperate seamlessly. The combined tasking between our navies demonstrates a high degree of interoperability and capability between Australia, the U.S. and Japan," said Commodore Michael Harris, commander of the Australian Joint Task Group.
USA—Dept. Of The Air Force Unveils Arctic Strategy Dept. Of Defense | 07/23/2020 The Dept. of the Air Force has released a new strategy for Air Force and Space Force operations in the Arctic, reports the Dept. of Defense. The Arctic Strategy unveiled on Tuesday lays out four priorities, including increased vigilance for enhanced deterrence and defense; projecting power through credible combat forces; cooperating with new and existing partners; and preparing for Arctic operations. The Space Force is charged with working with partners to address common goals in space and the Arctic; developing new technologies and modernizing assets to ensure access and freedom to operate in space; and developing capabilities to predict and mitigate environmental disturbances unique to the Arctic, reported Space News. The Air Force and Space Force control 79 percent of U.S. military assets in the Arctic region, noted Air Force magazine. These assets include critical strategic early warning radars, space situational awareness assets and satellite command-and-control facilities. The strategy is needed due to increasing Russian and Chinese activity in the region, since both nations have been expanding their economic and military activity in the Arctic, said Air Force Secretary Barbara Barret.
USA—B-52 Re-Engining Program Moves Into New Phase Breaking Defense | 07/23/2020 The Air Force effort to find a replacement engine for the B-52 bomber has entered its next stage after the period in which bids could be submitted ended, reports Breaking Defense. On Wednesday, the window to submit formal proposals for the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) closed. Bidding opened on May 19 when the Air Force released its request for proposals (RFP) for the program. Pratt & Whitney, GE Aviation and Rolls-Royce were expected to submit bids after receiving contracts in 2019 to develop digital engine designs for the program. The companies also participated in a study with Boeing on how to integrate their engines into the bomber. Pratt & Whitney is offering its PW800 business jet engine, while Rolls-Royce has proposed its F130 engine. GE Aviation has indicated that it will offer two potential powerplants: the CF34-10 and the Passport. The CF34-10 has racked up some 31 million flight hours, while the Passport, which made its first flight in 2015, offers newer technology. The Air Force expects to award a contract in the fourth quarter of 2021 for an initial quantity of 16 to 64 engines to install on a prototype aircraft and serve as spares. Up to 608 engines as well as spares and services could be procured under a production contract. New commercial engines are intended to reduce maintenance and sustainment costs for the B-52, which is expected to remain in service until 2050.
Mexico—Navy Implicated In Forced Disappearances, Agrees To Pay Reparations Agence France-Presse | 07/23/2020 The Mexican navy has been implicated in the disappearances of 27 people in northern Mexico in 2018, reports Agence France-Presse. On Tuesday, the National Human-Rights Commission said that the navy was implicated in the suspected detention and forced disappearances of the victims in the northeastern Tamaulipas state. The commission, which is an independent government entity, said it was able to prove the navy's likely involvement in the disappearances. The navy has agreed to pay the reparations to complainants and their families, the service said in a statement on social media. The bodies of 12 of the missing people have been discovered, some in clandestine burials, the commission said. The agency has asked the government to increase its efforts to locate the remaining 15 bodies. It was not immediately clear why the victims were killed. Their varied backgrounds suggested they might have been taken for interrogation, a human-rights campaigner said.
Cyprus—Lebanese National Suspected Of Laundering Money For Hezbollah Extradited To U.S. The National | 07/23/2020 Cyprus has extradited to the U.S. a Lebanese national accused of laundering money for Hezbollah, reports the National (Abu Dhabi). Ghassan Diab was arrested in Cyprus in March 2019 after arriving from Beirut, Lebanon. A Cypriot court approved his extradition in September 2019. He arrived in on Miami on July 17 to face charges in a Florida court of conspiracy to launder over US$100,000, unlicensed transmission of currency over US$100,000 and unlawful use of a two-way communications device to further the commission of money laundering, according to a U.S. Justice Dept. release. Diab allegedly worked with his brother-in-law, Mohammad Ahmad Ammar, and a third Hezbollah operative, Hassan Mohsen Mansour, to launder money from a drug-smuggling hub in Colombia. Ammar was extradited to the U.S. on similar charges in 2016 and has been convicted, reported the Voice of America News. Mansour was arrested in Paris in 2016. The charges against Diab were originally announced by state prosecutors in Florida in October 2016. In recent months, U.S. law enforcement agencies have increased their efforts against Hezbollah and its financial networks.
Russia—2nd Admiral Gorshkov-Class Frigate Enters Service Russian Ministry of Defense | 07/23/2020 The Russian navy has commissioned its second Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate, reports the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Admiral Kasatonov formally entered service during a ceremony on the Neva River in St. Petersburg, the ministry said on Tuesday. The ship has been under construction since November 2009 when it was laid down at the Severnaya Verf shipyard, Navy Recognition previously reported. She was launched on Dec. 12, 2014. Three more frigates of the class are currently under construction at Severnaya Verf.
China—1st Solo Mission To Mars On Its Way Space.Com | 07/23/2020 China has launched its first independent scientific mission to Mars, reports Space.com. On Thursday, the Tianwen-1 mission was launched on a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island. After launch, the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. said the mission had reached its predetermined orbit, reported CNBC. The Tianwen-1 consists of an orbiter and a combination lander/rover. It is scheduled to reach Mars by February 2021, with the lander/rover touching down two to three months later. According to an article published by the mission's team in Nature Astronomy, the solar-powered rover is equipped with a multispectral camera, terrain camera, Mars-rover subsurface exploration radar, surface composition detector, magnetic field detector and meteorology monitor. The rover is expected to study its surroundings in detail for about 90 Martian days, which are about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. The orbiter will fall into a polar elliptical orbit between 165 miles (265 km) and 7,460 miles (12,000 km) from the planet's surface. It will relay data from the rover back to Earth and perform its own research with two cameras, Mars-orbiting subsurface exploration radar, mineralogy spectrometer, magnetometer, ion and neutral particle analyzer and an energetic particle analyzer. This is China's second attempt to send a mission to Mars following the failed Phobos-Grunt mission in November 2011.
North Korea—Report Says Fishing Boats Being Pushed Out By Chinese Vessels Guardian | 07/23/2020 A new report says that illegal Chinese fishing in North Korean waters is forcing North Korean fishermen into other waters and leading to the "ghost boats" that have washed up on shore in Japan, reports the Guardian (U.K.). About 900 Chinese vessels illegally fished in North Korean waters in 2017 and 700 in 2018, according to an article by the Global Fishing Watch non-profit organization published in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday. In 2017 and 2018, the Chinese ships are estimated to have caught more than 160,000 metric tons of squid, valued at more than US$440 million. The illegal Chinese fishing was likely a breach of U.N. sanctions that prohibit Pyongyang from earning foreign currency through various activities, including providing fishing licenses to foreign vessels. A U.N. report in March said that North Korea earned up to US$120 million from the sale of fishing licenses. The pressure from Chinese vessels forced North Korean fishermen further from shore and into Russian and Japanese waters, for which their small vessels were ill-equipped. Nearly 600 North Korean "ghost ships" have washed up in Japan over the last five years, some containing the bodies of their crew. It is the largest known case of illegal fishing originating from fishing ships from one country operating in another country's waters, said scientists. The report relied on multiple satellite technologies to analyze marine traffic, reported CNN.
Afghanistan—Suicide Attack On Army Convoy Revenge For Airstrikes On Civilians, Taliban Says TOLONews | 07/23/2020 The Taliban has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack earlier this week that it said was retaliation for "Afghan air force airstrikes on civilians," reports the Tolo News (Afghanistan). On Monday afternoon, a suicide car bomber attacked an army convoy in the Sayed Abed district in the central Maidan Wardak province, west of Kabul. Eight soldiers were killed and nine wounded in bombing.
Afghanistan—Civilians Killed In Airstrikes Targeting Taliban Leaders In Herat Province Al Jazeera | 07/23/2020 Locals say civilians were killed in Afghan air force air attacks in the western Herat province, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). On Wednesday, Afghan forces conducted at least two airstrikes in the Adraskan district, killing 45 people, including at least eight civilians, said district Gov. Ali Ahmad Faqir Yar. It was not immediately clear how many of the remaining fatalities were Taliban or civilians. A Taliban spokesman said that the attacks killed eight civilians and wounded 12, denying reports of Taliban casualties. Residents said that as many as 20 civilians were injured in the attacks. On Thursday, acting Defense Minister Asadullah Khalid said that the strikes had killed six Taliban commanders, reported the Tolo News (Kabul). Khalid denied reports of civilian casualties. Witnesses told Tolo News that the strikes hit a wedding.
Israel—Soldier Killed In Vehicle Accident In Disputed Mount Dov Region Times of Israel | 07/23/2020 An Israeli soldier has been killed and another injured in a vehicle accident in a disputed area near the Lebanese border, reports the Times of Israel. On Wednesday, a military vehicle flipped over in the Mount Dov region, also known as Shebaa Farms, the borders of which are disputed by Israel, Lebanon and Syria, reported Naharnet (Lebanon) A lieutenant in the vehicle was injured and taken to a local hospital in moderate condition, said the Israel Defense Forces. An investigation into the incident has been launched. The accident came amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, after the terrorist group accused Israel of killing a Hezbollah member in an airstrike outside of Damascus on Monday. Israel has increased its presence along the northern border in anticipation of possible retaliation.
Somalia—U.S. Airstrikes Kill 7 ISIS Militants In North Africa Command | 07/23/2020 A U.S. Africa Command airstrike in Somalia has killed at least seven Islamic State militants, reports the command. On Tuesday, AFRICOM air forces attacked militants who were assaulting Somali and partner forces operating in a remote location near the town of Timirshe in northern Somalia, reported the Stars and Stripes. U.S. troops were in the area on an advise-and-assist mission with the threatened forces, the command said. No civilians were killed or injured in the strikes, said AFRICOM.
Ethiopia—GERD Reservoir Reaches Initial Targets, PM Says British Broadcasting Corp. | 07/23/2020 Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile River has already reached its initial filling target, reports BBC News. The milestone means that enough water has accumulated for Ethiopia to begin testing the first two turbines in the dam, reported Agence France-Presse. The target for the first year was 1.3 trillion gallons (49 million cubic m) of water, well short of its total capacity of 19.5 trillion gallons (74 billion cubic m). The dam was filled largely through the natural inflow of water during the start of the rainy season, officials said. The GERD has been a source of tension with Egypt and Sudan, downriver countries that depend on Nile River water. On Tuesday, the African Union hosted a virtual meeting to try and help resolve the dispute. Egyptian officials said future negotiations would focus on "developing a binding legal agreement on the rules for filling and operating" the dam.
Sudan—Dozens Die In Latest Tribal Violence In S. Kordofan Radio Dabanga | 07/23/2020 Dozens of people have reportedly been killed in tribal fighting in Kadugli, the capital of the South Kordofan province in southern Sudan, reports Radio Dabanga (Khartoum). Fighting on Tuesday lasted for most of the day and was concentrated in the Kabla and Merta residential districts. The violence was triggered by the killing of two individuals on Monday by unknown gunmen in the Saraf Ed Dei area north of Kadugli. No casualty figures were immediately available. According to one witness report, at least four people were killed early Tuesday morning. The parties involved in the fighting were not identified. Past violence has included tribal groups and attacks on civilians by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Members of the Forces for Freedom and Change political group demanded that the government fire the acting military governor due to his failure to address growing violence in South Kordofan. The activists also warned that firm measures were needed to prevent the security situation from further deteriorating and harming the peace process. .
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