Good Monday Morning November 9, 2020.
I hope that you all had a great weekend.
Regards
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This day in Naval History
Nov. 9
1822 The brig Alligator, commanded by Lt. William H. Allen, recaptures several merchant ships from pirates off Matanzas, Cuba, but Allen dies in battle. Boats from Alligator capture all the pirate vessels except one schooner that manages to escape.
1863 During the Civil War, the side wheel steamer James Adger, commanded by Cmdr. Thomas H. Patterson, captures blockade runner Robert E. Lee off Cape Lookout, Shoals, N.C.
1921 USS Olympia (C 6) arrives at the Washington Navy Yard from France carrying the body of the Unknown Soldier of World War I for internment at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
1944 USS Barbero (SS 317) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks the merchant ship Shimotsu Maru about 250 miles west of Manila while USS Queenfish (SS 393) also attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks the gunboat Chojusan Maru about 50 miles west of Kyushu. Additionally on this date, USS Haddo (SS 255) sinks the Japanese tanker No.2 Hishu Maru in Mindoro Strait.
1950 Task Force 77 makes its first attack on the Yalu River bridges. In the first engagement between MIG-15 and F9F jets, Lt. Cmdr. William T. Amen, commanding officer of VF-111, based on board USS Philippine Sea (CV 47), shoots down a MiG and becomes the first Navy pilot to shoot down a jet aircraft.
1956 Secretary of the Navy Charles S. Thomas proposes the Polaris missile program to Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• Marine Corps Times covered CMC Gen. David Berger's message to the Corps ahead of its 245th birthday.
• National and trade press covered speculation about President-elect Joe Biden's national security policy.
• Regional media reported on upcoming exercises between USS Nimitz and INS Vikramaditya during exercise Malabar.
This Day in History
November 9
1799 Napoleon Bonaparte participates in a coup and declares himself dictator of France.
1848 The first U.S. Post Office in California opens in San Francisco at Clay and Pike streets. At the time there are only about 15,000 European settlers living in the state.
1900 Russia completes its occupation of Manchuria.
1906 President Theodore Roosevelt leaves Washington, D.C., for a 17-day trip to Panama and Puerto Rico, becoming the first president to make an official visit outside of the United States.
1914 The Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney wrecks the German cruiser Emden, forcing her to beach on a reef on North Keeling Island in the Indian Ocean.
1918 Germany is proclaimed a republic as the kaiser abdicates and flees to the Netherlands.
1935 Japanese troops invade Shanghai, China.
1938 Nazis kill 35 Jews, arrest thousands and destroy Jewish synagogues, homes and stores throughout Germany. The event becomes known as Kristallnacht, the night of the shattered glass.
1965 Roger Allen LaPorte, a 22-year-old former seminarian and a member of the Catholic worker movement, immolates himself at the United Nations in New York City in protest of the Vietnam War.
1965 Nine Northeastern states and parts of Canada go dark in the worst power failure in history, when a switch at a station near Niagara Falls fails.
1967 NASA launches Apollo 4 into orbit with the first successful test of a Saturn V rocket.
1972 Bones discovered by the Leakeys push human origins back 1 million years.
1983 Alfred Heineken, beer brewer from Amsterdam, is kidnapped and held for a ransom of more than $10 million.
1989 The Berlin Wall is opened after dividing the city for 28 years.
1993 Stari Most, a 427-year-old bridge in the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is destroyed, believed to be caused by artillery fire from Bosnian Croat forces.
1994 The chemical element Darmstadtium, a radioactive synthetic element, discovered by scientists in Darmstadt, Germany.
1998 Largest civil settlement in US history: 37 brokerage houses are ordered to pay $1.3 billion to NASDAQ investors to compensate for price fixing.
2007 German Bundestag passes controversial bill mandating storage of citizens' telecommunications traffic date for six months without probable cause.
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Thanks to Shadow for another great note
Those were the days
Dutch…
When you think about it… I firmly believe we all shared one of the most exciting, fulfilling and incredible lives than the other 99.9999% of the human race. We saw Mother Earth as few ever have… we saw beautiful skies like no others have… we traveled the world over. We were lucky enough to interface with magical machines and learned to master them! We knew the thrill of the catapult, the joy of an "OK Three Trap" and the concentration required to make a night trap at minimums. We saw the moon and stars at their most vivid best, experienced the awesome power of a level Five Boomer and witnessed incredible lightening at night from above it. Exhilarating low levels around mountain peaks, down in incredible canyons and the beautiful and incredible sentinels of Monument Valley as they burst from the desert floor. We saw skiers from above as they came down a mountain on fresh powder snow, leaving beautiful twisting trails behind them. I'll never forget the night I saw my wingman flying into the largest Harvest Moon I'll ever see and the incredible silhouette of his magnificent machine as it appeared to be suspended in space, like he was part of the moonscape itself. We saw the earth as few people have… incredible shorelines, marshes, limestone escarpments, incredible mountain ranges… great canyons around the world and the eerie but beautiful shadows of islands, cast upon the waters from a setting sun… and speaking of the sun… I dare say we have seen the most beautiful sunsets one could ever see from a vantage point that only us very few will ever experience.
We knew the thrill of adventure… and the smugness of taking off at sunrise as the nine to five drones down below were just awakening… bursting through a low cloud cover to be greeted by a magnificent rising sun framed by mountain peaks. I was often reminded of a Jack London quote I first read as a youth; "Tis the easiest thing in the world to live a placid and complacent life… but to do so... is to have never lived at all"! My friends, we didn't have that problem.
We have memories like no others… and in my mind I still reflect and say to myself, one of the greatest gifts I received from it all... was the other incredible human beings that shared the experience that I got to meet along the way! You were special… we were special!
We were blessed!
Shadow
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From the Birth of the Marines to the First Jet Fight by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
11/09/2010
This Week in American Military History:
Nov. 7, 1811: The Battle of Tippecanoe is fought between U.S. forces – composed of U.S. Army infantry, Kentucky volunteers, and Indiana militia all under the command of Indiana Gov. William Henry Harrison – and elements of Shawnee chief Tecumseh's American Indian confederation under the command of Tenskwatawa (Tecumseh's brother). The fighting, which takes place near present-day Battle Ground, Indiana, will be a victory for U.S. forces. And Harrison – destined to become a brig. gen. during the War of 1812 and ultimately president of the United States – will forever be known as "the hero of Tippecanoe."
Nov. 7, 1863: Union forces under the command of Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick decisively defeat Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Jubal Early in the Battle of Rappahannock Station (Va.). Though a "a complete and glorious victory" for the Union Army, Confederate Col. Walter Taylor will refer to the battle as "the saddest chapter in the history of this army … miserable, miserable management." In six months, Sedgwick will be shot and killed by a Confederate sharpshooter during the bloody Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.
Nov. 8, 1805: The U.S. Army's Corps of Discovery – best known as the Lewis and Clark expedition – led by Capt. (future governor of the Louisiana Territory) Meriwether Lewis and Capt. (future Brig. Gen. of Louisiana Territory militia and governor of the Missouri Territory) William Clark reach the Pacific Ocean. In his journal, Clark writes (unedited): "Great joy in camp we are in view of the Ocean this great Pacific Ocean which we been so long anxious to See. and the roaring or noise made by the waves braking on the rockey shores (as I Suppose) may be heard distinctly."
Nov. 8, 1942: U.S. and British forces begin landing in French North Africa, primarily Morocco and Algeria. Codenamed Torch, the operation is a huge success: Vichy French (Nazi collaborating) forces capitulate within two days, and the Allies establish a major foothold in Africa.
Nov. 8, 1950: U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Russell J. Brown, flying an F-86 Shooting Star, shoots down a North Korean MiG-15 fighter in history's first jet-to-jet combat. The dogfight, which lasts only 60 seconds, nearly kills Brown who barely manages to pull his shuddering aircraft out of a steep dive after the victory.
Nov. 10, 1775: Happy Birthday and Semper Fidelis to "the world's most exclusive gun club!" The Continental Congress authorizes the establishment of a force of American Marines for service on land and sea in the American War of Independence.
The legislation reads (unedited):
Resolved, That two Battalions of marines be raised, Consisting of one Colonel, two Lieutenant Colonels, two Majors, and other officers as usual in other regiments; and that they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that special care be taken, that no persons be appointed to office, or enlisted into said Battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so aquatinted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea when required: that they be enlisted and commissioned to serve for and during the present war between Great Britain and the colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress: that they be distinguished by the names of the first and second battalions of American Marines, and that they be considered as part of the number which the continental Army before Boston is ordered to consist of."
This directive heralds the birthday of the Continental (eventually, U.S.) Marine Corps. The first recruits to enlist – two weeks later – will be a motley mix of young adventurers and street toughs captained by the barkeep of a Philadelphia alehouse. Quickly whipped into a crack contingent of seagoing soldiers, the Marines will evolve into one of the world's premier military organizations, or – as rocker Ted Nugent says in a 2008 tribute to the Corps – "the world's most exclusive gun club."
Nov. 11, 1839: Virginia Military Institute opens its doors for the first time.
Nov. 11, 1865: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a surgeon contracted to the Union Army, becomes the first and only female recipient of the Medal of Honor. Walker receives the Medal for "meritorious service." But her award will be rescinded in 1917 when standards are stiffened and recipients have to have been engaged in "actual combat with an enemy." Nevertheless, Walker refuses to surrender the Medal, wearing it every day of her life until her death in 1919. Walker's award will be reinstated in 1977.
Nov. 11, 1918: World War I ends with the signing of the armistice between the Germans and the Allies on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month." Thus, Armistice Day, which in the United States will evolve into our present Veterans Day. In 1927, nine years after the war, Pres. Calvin Coolidge will issue a congressionally authorized proclamation calling for the display of U.S. flags on all government buildings to remember Armistice Day. In 1938, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt will sign a bill into law making Armistice Day an official holiday within the District of Columbia. In 1954, Congress will change the name to Veterans Day to honor all American servicemen and women from all eras, and Pres. (retired Gen.) Dwight D. Eisenhower will call on the entire nation to appropriately observe the day.
Nov. 12, 1912: Nearly three years to the day before Lt. Commander Henry Mustin becomes the first American to make a catapult launch from a ship underway (see last week), Lt. Theodore Gordon Ellyson makes the first successful aircraft catapult launch in Naval aviation history. He does so in a Curtiss A-3 launched from a stationary coal barge. Ellyson will rise to the rank of commander, receive the Navy Cross for service in World War I, and be killed in a plane crash in 1928.
Nov. 12, 1942: The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal – pitting U.S. and Australian forces against the Japanese – opens, which will not only result in heavy losses for the Japanese, but will effectively turn the enemy's prosecution of the war from offense to defense.
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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/.
Nov. 8, 1950
Air Force 1st Lt. Russell J. Brown, 16th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing, was credited with shooting down a Russian-built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 15 jet fighter near the Yalu River while flying a Lockheed F-80C-10-LO Shooting Star. This may have been the very first time that a jet fighter had been shot down by another jet fighter.
Nov. 9, 1949
President Harry S. Truman certified $10.5 million for five U.S. Air Force projects, the major one being over $7.5 million for modifications of 700 North American T-6 trainers.
Nov. 10, 1917
A Navy "flying bomb" manufactured by the Curtiss Co. arrived for testing at the Sperry Flying Field at Copiague on Long Island, N.Y. Designers intended the flying bomb (also called an aerial torpedo) for automatic operation carrying 1,000 pounds of explosive, with a range of 50 miles and a top speed of 90 mph. In addition to this specially designed aircraft, N-9s received conversions for automatic operations as flying bombs that closely resembled subsequent guided missiles.
Nov. 11, 1924
Lt. Dixie Kiefer completed a successful night catapult launch in a UO-1 observation biplane from the battleship California (BB 44) at anchor at San Diego. Searchlights trained about 1,000 yards ahead aided the launch.
Nov. 12, 1921
Over Long Beach, California, two JN-4 Jennies conducted the first in-flight refueling when Lt. Wesley May crawled along the wing of one aircraft to the other with a five-gallon can of gasoline strapped to his back, then emptied it into the gas tank.
Nov. 13, 1957
A Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, piloted by Gen. Curtis LeMay, set a new distance nonstop record, flying 6,350 miles from Westover AFB, Massachusetts, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The KC-135's return trip set a new speed record, Buenos Aires to Washington, D.C., over 5,200 miles in 11 hours, 5 minutes.
Nov. 14, 1910
Civilian exhibition stunt pilot Eugene B. Ely made the first takeoff from a ship flying a 50 hp Curtiss plane. Ely flew from an 83-foot slanted wooden platform built onto the bow of Birmingham (Cruiser No. 2) at anchor off Old Point Comfort, Hampton Roads, Va. Despite light rain and fog, the pilot elected to continue with the flight. As he left the platform, the plane settled slowly and touched the water, but rose again and landed about 2½ miles away on Willoughby Spit. The aircraft sustained slight splinter damage to the propeller tips.
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This Day in U S Military History
November 9
1620 – Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower sight land at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
1780 – In the Battle of Fishdam Ford a force of British and Loyalist troops fail in a surprise attack against the South Carolina Patriot militia under Brigadier General Thomas Sumter. The Battle of Fishdam Ford was an attempted surprise attack by British forces under the command of Major James Wemyss against an encampment of Patriot militia around 1 am, late in the American Revolutionary War. Wemyss was wounded and captured in the attack, which failed because of heightened security in Sumter's camp and because Wemyss did not wait until dawn to begin the attack.
1861 – Gunboats of Flag Officer Du Pont's force took possession of Beaufort, South Carolina, and, by blocking the mouth of Broad River, cut off this communication link between Charleston and Savannah. Major General Robert E. Lee wrote Confederate Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin regarding the effects of the Union Navy's victory at Port Royal: "The enemy having complete possession of the water and inland navigation, commands all the islands on the coast and threatens both Savannah and Charleston, and can come in his boats, within 4 miles of this place [Lee's headquarters, Coosawhatchie, South Carolina]. His sloops of war and large steamers can come up Broad River to Mackay's Point, the mouth of the Pocotaligo, and his gunboats can ascend some distance up the Coosawhatchie and Tulifinny. We have no guns that can resist their batteries, and have no resources but to prepare to meet them in the field."
1862 – General US Grant issued orders to bar Jews from serving under him. The order was quickly rescinded.
1989 – East German officials today opened the Berlin Wall, allowing travel from East to West Berlin. The following day, celebrating Germans began to tear the wall down. One of the ugliest and most infamous symbols of the Cold War was soon reduced to rubble that was quickly snatched up by souvenir hunters. The East German action followed a decision by Hungarian officials a few weeks earlier to open the border between Hungary and Austria. This effectively ended the purpose of the Berlin Wall, since East German citizens could now circumvent it by going through Hungary, into Austria, and thence into West Germany. The decision to open the wall was also a reflection of the immense political changes taking place in East Germany, where the old communist leadership was rapidly losing power and the populace was demanding free elections and movement toward a free market system. The action also had an impact on President George Bush and his advisors. After watching television coverage of the delirious German crowds demolishing the wall, many in the Bush administration became more convinced than ever that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's statements about desiring a new relationship with the West must be taken more seriously. Unlike 1956 and
1968, when Soviet forces ruthlessly crushed protests in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, respectively, Gorbachev actually encouraged the East German action. As such, the destruction of the Berlin Wall was one of the most significant actions leading to the end of the Cold War.
2001 – Northern Alliance forces, under the command of Dostum and Ustad Atta Mohammed Noor, overcame resistance crossing the Pul-i-Imam Bukhri bridge, and seized the city of Mazar e Sharif's main military base and airport. U.S. Special Forces Operational Detachment A-595, CIA paramilitary officers and United States Air Force Combat Control Team[137][138][139] on horseback and with close air support, took part in the push into Mazari Sharif. After a bloody 90-minute battle, Taliban forces withdrew after holding the city since 1998, triggering celebrations. The fall of the city was a "body blow" to the Taliban and ultimately proved to be a "major shock",[141] since the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) had originally believed that the city would remain in Taliban hands well into the following year and any potential battle would require "a very slow advance". Following rumors that Mullah Dadullah was headed to recapture the city with as many as 8,000 fighters, a thousand American 10th Mountain Division personnel were airlifted into the city, providing the first solid position from which Kabul and Kandahar could be reached.[144][145] While prior military flights had to be launched from Uzbekistan or aircraft carriers in the Arabian Sea, the Americans now had an airport that allowed them to fly more sorties for resupply missions and humanitarian aid. These missions allowed shipments of humanitarian aid to be immediately shipped to Afghans facing starvation on the northern plain. American-backed forces began immediately broadcasting from Radio Mazar-i-Sharif, the former Taliban Voice of Sharia channel, including an address from former President Rabbani.
2001 – The Battle of Mazar-e Sharif may also mark the last use of hoseback mounted tactics by US troops. US Special Forces operators, blending modern and ancient, rode with Northern Alliance allies while using modern communications to direct air support.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*SIJAN, LANCE P.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 4th Allied POW Wing, Pilot of an F-4C aircraft. Place and date: North Vietnam, 9 November 1967. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 13 April 1942, Milwaukee, Wis. Citation: While on a flight over North Vietnam, Capt. Sijan ejected from his disabled aircraft and successfully evaded capture for more than 6 weeks. During this time, he was seriously injured and suffered from shock and extreme weight loss due to lack of food. After being captured by North Vietnamese soldiers, Capt. Sijan was taken to a holding point for subsequent transfer to a prisoner of war camp. In his emaciated and crippled condition, he overpowered 1 of his guards and crawled into the jungle, only to be recaptured after several hours. He was then transferred to another prison camp where he was kept in solitary confinement and interrogated at length. During interrogation, he was severely tortured; however, he did not divulge any information to his captors. Capt. Sijan lapsed into delirium and was placed in the care of another prisoner. During his intermittent periods of consciousness until his death, he never complained of his physical condition and, on several occasions, spoke of future escape attempts. Capt. Sijan's extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at the cost of his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed Forces.
TAYLOR, JAMES ALLEN
Rank and organization: Captain (then 1st Lt.), U.S. Army, Troop B, 1st Cavalry, Americal Division. Place and date: West of Que Son, Republic of Vietnam, 9 November 1967. Entered service at: San Francisco, Calif. Born: 31 December 1937, Arcata, Calif. Citation: Capt. Taylor, Armor, was serving as executive officer of Troop B, 1st Squadron. His troop was engaged in an attack on a fortified position west of Que Son when it came under intense enemy recoilless rifle, mortar, and automatic weapons fire from an enemy strong point located immediately to its front. One armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit immediately by recoilless rifle fire and all 5 crewmembers were wounded. Aware that the stricken vehicle was in grave danger of exploding, Capt. Taylor rushed forward and personally extracted the wounded to safety despite the hail of enemy fire and exploding ammunition. Within minutes a second armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit by multiple recoilless rifle rounds. Despite the continuing intense enemy fire, Capt. Taylor moved forward on foot to rescue the wounded men from the burning vehicle and personally removed all the crewmen to the safety of a nearby dike. Moments later the vehicle exploded. As he was returning to his vehicle, a bursting mortar round painfully wounded Capt. Taylor, yet he valiantly returned to his vehicle to relocate the medical evacuation landing zone to an area closer to the front lines. As he was moving his vehicle, it came under machinegun fire from an enemy position not 50 yards away. Capt. Taylor engaged the position with his machinegun, killing the 3-man crew. Upon arrival at the new evacuation site, still another vehicle was struck. Once again Capt. Taylor rushed forward and pulled the wounded from the vehicle, loaded them aboard his vehicle, and returned them safely to the evacuation site. His actions of unsurpassed valor were a source of inspiration to his entire troop, contributed significantly to the success of the overall assault on the enemy position, and were directly responsible for saving the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military profession and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army
YOUNG, GERALD O.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 37th ARS Da Nang AFB, Republic of Vietnam. Place and date: Khesanh, 9 November 1967. Entered service at: Colorado Springs, Colo. Born: 9 May 1930, Chicago, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Young distinguished himself while serving as a helicopter rescue crew commander. Capt. Young was flying escort for another helicopter attempting the night rescue of an Army ground reconnaissance team in imminent danger of death or capture. Previous attempts had resulted in the loss of 2 helicopters to hostile ground fire. The endangered team was positioned on the side of a steep slope which required unusual airmanship on the part of Capt. Young to effect pickup. Heavy automatic weapons fire from the surrounding enemy severely damaged 1 rescue helicopter, but it was able to extract 3 of the team. The commander of this aircraft recommended to Capt. Young that further rescue attempts be abandoned because it was not possible to suppress the concentrated fire from enemy automatic weapons. With full knowledge of the danger involved, and the fact that supporting helicopter gunships were low on fuel and ordnance, Capt. Young hovered under intense fire until the remaining survivors were aboard. As he maneuvered the aircraft for takeoff, the enemy appeared at point-blank range and raked the aircraft with automatic weapons fire. The aircraft crashed, inverted, and burst into flames. Capt. Young escaped through a window of the burning aircraft. Disregarding serious burns, Capt. Young aided one of the wounded men and attempted to lead the hostile forces away from his position. Later, despite intense pain from his burns, he declined to accept rescue because he had observed hostile forces setting up automatic weapons positions to entrap any rescue aircraft. For more than 17 hours he evaded the enemy until rescue aircraft could be brought into the area. Through his extraordinary heroism, aggressiveness, and concern for his fellow man, Capt. Young reflected the highest credit upon himself, the U.S. Air Force, and the Armed Forces of his country.
WHITE, KYLE J.
Rank and Organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and Date: November 9, 2007, Aranas, Afghanistan. Born: March 27, 1987. Departed: No. Entered Service At: Seattle, Washington. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 05/13/2014. Accredited To: Washington. Citation: Specialist Kyle J. White distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a radio telephone operator with Company C, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade, during combat operations against an armed enemy in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on November 9, 2007. On that day, Specialist White and his comrades were returning to Bella Outpost from a shura with Aranas Village elders. As the soldiers traversed a narrow path surrounded by mountainous, rocky terrain, they were ambushed by enemy forces from elevated positions. Pinned against a steep mountain face, Specialist White and his fellow soldiers were completely exposed to enemy fire. Specialist White returned fire and was briefly knocked unconscious when a rocket-propelled grenade impacted near him. When he regained consciousness, another round impacted near him, embedding small pieces of shrapnel in his face. Shaking off his wounds, Specialist White noticed one of his comrades lying wounded nearby. Without hesitation, Specialist White exposed himself to enemy fire in order to reach the soldier and provide medical aid. After applying a tourniquet, Specialist White moved to an injured Marine, similarly providing aid and comfort until the Marine succumbed to his wounds. Specialist White then returned to the soldier and discovered that he had been wounded again. Applying his own belt as an additional tourniquet, Specialist White was able to stem the flow of blood and save the soldier's life. Noticing that his and the other soldier's radios were inoperative, Specialist White exposed himself to enemy fire yet again in order to secure a radio from a deceased comrade. He then provided information and updates to friendly forces, allowing precision airstrikes to stifle the enemy's attack and ultimately permitting medical evacuation aircraft to rescue him, his fellow soldiers, Marines and Afghan Army soldiers. Specialist Kyle J. White's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company C, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade and the United States Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 9, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
9 November
1918: The 155th Night BMS became the last American unit assigned to the armies before the end of World War I. (24)
1930: Capt Roy W. Ammel of Chicago, flying a Lockheed Sirius, the "Blue Flash," powered by a Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine, began the first solo nonstop flight from New York to the Panama Canal Zone. On the flight, Ammel flew 2,700 miles in 24 hours 35 minutes. (21)
1935: The US Navy flew the first mass seaplane flight from Honolulu to French Frigate Shoal, flying 759 miles nonstop in 6 hours 10 minutes. (24)
1944: MEDAL OF HONOR. 1Lt Donald J. Gott and 2Lt William E. Metzger's B-17 received several bad flak hits while flying in a group formation. With only one engine operable, the pilots jettisoned the bombs and made for Allied territory. The rest of the crew parachuted, leaving the pilots and the radio operator, who was too injured to jump, to try a crash landing. As Gott banked into a final landing approach at about 100 feet, the fire from three engines reached the fuel tank and the bomber exploded and crashed, killing all three occupants. Gott and Metzger received Medals of Honor for their action. (4)
1950: KOREAN WAR. In the Navy's first encounter with MiGs in the Korean War, Lt Cmdr W. T. Amen became the first Navy pilot in history to shoot down a jet aircraft. [After the breakup of the Soviet Union, historians found evidence that this event may also be the first jet-to-jet aerial victory. See 8 November 1950.] (16) (24) A 91 SRS gunner, Sgt Harry J. Levene, scored the first B-29 jet victory in the war by destroying an attacking MiG-15. The RB-29 limped back to Japan, where five crewmen died in the crash landing. (28)
1951: KOREAN WAR. A C-47 landed on the beach of Paengnyong-do Island off the southwest coast of North Korea and rescued 11 crewmen of a downed B-29. The 19 BG attacked marshalling yards at Hwang-ju, Kowon, and Yangdok; the Saamcham Airfield; and a barracks area. In other night attacks, 98 BW B-29s bombed Taechon Airfield, flew five close support sorties and a leaflet sortie, and struck Hungnam. (28)
1956: SUEZ CRISIS: Through December, C-121s, C-124s, and other aircraft moved over 1,500 members of the UN peacekeeping force and some 170 tons of cargo to the Middle East. (18)
1959: The USAF awarded Dyna Soar development contracts to Boeing and Martin. (12)
1960: The US Post Office demonstrated a new use for the ECHO I satellite. It sent a "speed mail" letter from Washington DC to Newark by bouncing a microwave beam off the satellite. (24)
1961: Maj Robert M. White attained 4,093 MPH (Mach 6.04) in the X-15A-2 while flying at full throttle at 101,600 feet in altitude above Edwards AFB. (3) (9)
1962: At NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, in the first full-duration, full-thrust, static firing test of a Saturn C-1 stage I, the booster produced 1.5 million pounds of thrust. (24)
1964: Vandenberg AFB launched the last Minuteman I (Model A) operational test missile. (6)
1966: A F-111A fighter-bomber achieved a first for American aircraft by flying faster than the speed of sound for 15 minutes at a constant ground clearance of less than 1,000 feet. (16)
1967: Saturn V completed its first test by launching Apollo IV. The 36-story high rocket performed without a flaw. MEDAL OF HONOR. An ARRS member, Capt Gerald O. Young, earned the Medal of Honor as an HH-3 pilot in a combat rescue mission near Khe Sanh, Vietnam. Despite intense ground fire that damaged one HH-3, Captain Young and his crew (Capt Ralph Bower, SSgt Eugene L Clay, and Sgt Larry W. Maysey) tried to rescue the remaining reconnaissance team. Wounded with second and third degree burns over one-fourth of his body, Young prevented the capture of the survivors. Some 17 hours after the crash and six miles from the crash site, Young finally escaped the North Vietnamese and signaled for a pick up. Clay and Maysey received an Air Force Cross posthumously, while Young received the Medal of Honor. (18) (21) MEDAL OF HONOR. Ejecting from his F-4C Phantom over North Vietnam, Capt Lance P. Sijan successfully evaded capture for more than six weeks. Enemy forces captured him, but the severely weakened and injured Sijan managed to escape. After his recapture and torture, he contracted pneumonia and died. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously. (21)
1988: A 709 MAS C-5 flew a mobile dental clinic and two ambulances to Niamey, Niger, on a humanitarian mission. (26)
1989: Over Edwards AFB, the NB-52D carried Pegasus, an air-launched space booster, on its first captive-carry flight. The flight examined the vehicle's guidance, navigation, control, and tele-metry systems. (8: Jan 90)
2006: SECEF Michael W. Wynne announced the selection of Boeing to provide 141 HH-47 helicopters as the new Combat Search and Rescue Replacement Vehicle (CSAR-X). The Air Force planned to replace HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters with the HH-47s. (Pentagon Press Release, "Air Force Selects Developer for Combat Search and Rescue Replacement Vehicle," 9 Nov 2006) The Air Force activated the first MQ-9 Reaper unit, the 42d Attack Squadron, at Creech AFB. The single-engine, propeller-driven Reaper (formerly the Predator B) could carry 3,000 pounds of bombs and missiles, while remaining airborne for 24 hours. The smaller MQ-1 Predator carried 500 pounds of weaponry. (USAF Aimpoints, "First Reaper Squadron Stands Up," 9 Nov 2006)
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World News for 9 November thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Biden Projected As Next President ABC News | 11/09/2020 Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden is projected to win the U.S. presidential election, reports ABC News. On Saturday, most media outlets, including ABC News and Fox, projected Biden as the winner after returns showed that the former vice president had won the battleground state of Pennsylvania. As of Monday, Biden had secured 279 electoral votes, crossing the 270-vote threshold needed to clinch victory, according election monitor FiveThirtyEight. Several states, including Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, have yet to be formally called but they are not expected to affect the outcome of the election. Lawyers from the Trump campaign have promised to mount legal challenges in several states, including Arizona, reported the Wall Street Journal. President Trump has yet to concede and claims that he lost due to unsubstantiated claims of fraud, including barriers to poll observers, votes cast illegally and absentee ballots received after election day, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told Fox News on Sunday. Biden faces several foreign policy challenges once he is inaugurated in January, including China and rebuilding relations damaged by Trump's abrasive approach to allies. On Sunday, the Taliban said it expected Biden to maintain a withdrawal agreement reached with the U.S. in February, reported Agence France-Presse. On Monday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk that he did not expect Biden to maintain Trump's laser focus on meeting the 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) target for defense spending, reported Reuters.
USA—Esper Prepares Resignation Letter Nbc News | 11/09/2020 Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has written a letter of resignation following last week's presidential election, reports NBC News. Such letters are often written by Cabinet members during a transition to allow the president to decide whether to replace them for a second term. Defense officials said Esper prepared the letter because he is one of the Cabinet officials expected to be pushed out after the election should President Trump win. Meanwhile, the secretary has been working with Congress on legislation to rename military bases named after Confederate leaders. Last week, Esper provided a written framework to Dept. of Defense officials for renaming such bases as well as ships and street names on military installations, the news service said. The framework would ban naming installations after individuals who betrayed the U.S. or committed felonies, requiring them to instead honor soldiers who meet specific criteria, such as earning a Silver Star or Medal of Honor or reaching the rank of general. Language requiring the bases to be renamed could be included in the National Defense Authorization Act that is expected to be passed in the coming weeks.
USA—Space Force Holds 1st International Training Exercise United Press International | 11/09/2020 The U.S. Space Force has completed its first training exercise with allies, reports United Press International. The second phase of the Schriever Wargame was held in late October and ran for two days, the news service reported on Nov. 5. That phase consisted of the Captstone Coalition Council. The first phase, a deep dive into the substance of the drill, was held in September. The exercise was conducted virtually over the Battlefield Information Exploitation and Collection System due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The training was designed to explore critical space issues, such as the military utility of new space systems; finding solutions to common problems; and advancing space support in doctrine. Japan and Germany took part in the drill in addition to the typical participants from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and U.S., reported Breaking Defense. Their inclusion was part of a broader effort by Space Command to bring allies and partners into its operations, Gen. James Dickinson, the SPACECOM chief, said last week.
France—Government Seeks To Reduce Forces In W. Africa Agence France-Presse | 11/09/2020 Paris is mulling personnel cuts to its counterinsurgency mission in Africa's Sahel region, reports Agence France-Presse. During a recent visit to Mali, the epicenter of Operation Barkhane, French Defense Minister Florence Parly said that the end of the year was a "natural point to assess" progress. Military sources told AFP that the changes were expected to include reductions of several hundred troops from its current 5,100-strong mission, with the hope that additional European forces will fill the gap. Over the summer, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to restructure the mission. French, partner and local forces have achieved significant gains, particularly against Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), said Operation Barkhane commander Gen. Marc Conruyt. Other groups, including Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), remain threats, he said. Local partner forces have also not been able to maintain control of areas once they are liberated from militants.
Germany—Bundestag Approves Funds For Tranche 4 Eurofighters Defense-Aerospace | 11/09/2020 The German Bundestag's budget committee has approved funding for the purchase of new Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to replace earlier models, reports defense-aerospace.com. On Nov. 5, the committee approved 5.5 billion euros (US$6.5 billion) for the acquisition of 38 Typhoon Tranche 4 jets, spare parts, ground equipment and special tools, the German Ministry of Defense said in a release. The new aircraft will be used to replace the Tranche 1 jets that have been in service since 2003. These Typhoons are only capable of air-to-air operations and require obsolete parts that are difficult to acquire. The advanced Tranche 4 aircraft will be equipped with a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with air-to-air and air-to-ground modes. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2025 and conclude in 2030.
Germany—Defense Minister Labels Beijing 'Systemic Challenge,' Seeks To Boost Influence In Asia South China Morning Post | 11/09/2020 Germany is seeking to increase its influence in Asia amid growing concern about China, reports the South China Morning Post. During a virtual conference on Nov. 5, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp Karrenbauer called China a "systemic challenge" in the Indo-Pacific and called for greater cooperation in the region. China remains a critical trading partner and will be needed to solve global challenges, such as climate change, but its efforts to undermine the rules-and values-based international order must be challenged, she said. Karrenbauer cited the parallels between Russia's illegal seizure of Crimea and China's actions in the South China Sea as driving Germany's changing view of the region. Greater cooperation is needed between like-minded countries in the region, she said, and pledged to boost cooperation with Australia. Last week, the German government announced that it would deploy a frigate to the Indian Ocean and army officers with the Australian navy in 2021 as part of efforts to increase its presence in the region.
Austria—Vienna Anti-Terror Chief Suspended Over Intel Failures British Broadcasting Corp. | 11/09/2020 The head of the anti-terrorism agency in Vienna has been suspended over intelligence failures before last week's terror attack in the Austrian capital, reports BBC News. On Friday, Vienna police announced that Erich Zwettler, the head of the Office for Protection of the Constitution and Anti-Terrorism, had been suspended at his own request, reported Agence France-Presse. Zwettler's suspension comes after additional intelligence failures were revealed. Authorities have confirmed that intelligence provided by Slovakia in July, where the attacker had attempted to buy ammunition, had been mishandled, reported Reuters. Officials also said that the terrorist had met two individuals from Germany who were also under investigation.
Russia—Soldiers Kills 3 At Voronezh Airbase Tass | 11/09/2020 A Russian soldier has killed three people at an airfield in Russia's southwestern Voronezh region, reports the Tass news agency (Moscow). On Monday, the private attacked an officer who arrived as part of an inspection at the Baltimore airfield, part of the Zhukovsky-Gagarin Air Force Academy, killing him and stealing his firearm, according to a statement from the Russian Investigative Committee cited by the Sputnik news agency (Moscow). He then opened fire on several more people, killing two and critically wounding a third. Police later detained the soldier outside of the base, said a source in the regional emergency services. Attacks on officers by enlisted personnel are not uncommon in Russia and are often attributed to a culture of hazing in the military, noted Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Azerbaijan—Military Seizes Strategic Town In Nagorno-Karabkah, Aliyev Says New York Times | 11/09/2020 The president of Azerbaijan says his forces have captured the strategic city of Shusha in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, reports the New York Times. On Sunday, President Ilham Aliyev announced that Azerbaijani forces were in control of the city, which overlooks the regional capital, Stepanakert. The ethnic Armenian government in Nagorno-Karabakh denied that Shusha had been captured and said heavy fighting was continuing. Capturing Shusha would also give Azerbaijani forces control of the Lachin Corridor, the main road connecting Nagorno-Karabkah to Armenia. On Monday, the regional defense ministry said that 44 casualties had been recorded, raising the total death toll to 1,221 since Sept. 27, reported Reuters. The actual toll is believed to be much higher. Azerbaijan has not released any casualty figures.
Burma—Ruling NLD Expected To Win Another Mandate Reuters | 11/09/2020 The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) is projected to remain in power following this weekend's legislative elections, reports Reuters. Unofficial results from Sunday's vote indicated that the NLD had secured the 322 seats needed for a majority in the Assembly of the Union, said a party spokesman. The national electoral body was expected to announce a final count on Monday. There are 315 of 425 seats being contested in the lower house and 161 of 217 in the upper house. The military, which ruled the country to prior to 2015, retains a quarter of the seats in both houses under the constitution. The NLD is the party of democratic activist Aung San Suu Kyi, who led the party to massive victory in Burma's first democratic elections in 2015. Most members of the Mulsim-majority Rohingya ethnic group were unable to vote, because the government does not consider most of them to be citizens. Voting was canceled in many areas affected by conflict. About half of polling sites were closed in the western Rakhine state, where the Arakan Army (AA) has been fighting government troops, reported the Myanmar Times. Despite the restrictions, the Arakan National Party (ANP), which is unaffiliated with the AA, won eight seats in the national legislature and seven seats in the local Parliament.
India—Another Round Of Border Talks With China Sees Little Progress Press Trust Of India | 11/09/2020 The Indian and Chinese militaries have held another round of inconclusive talks to resolve an ongoing standoff along their disputed Himalayan border, reports the Press Trust of India. On Friday, representatives from the Indian army and People's Liberation Army (PLA) held the eighth round of talks in Chushul in eastern Ladakh, on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control. The discussions, which lasted for 11 hours, broadly covered the disengagement of troops from specific friction areas and called for detailed discussions in the next round of talks, which could take place as soon as this week, sources said. In a joint statement on Sunday, both parties pledged further dialogue and to continue to exercise restraint. The sides also agreed to implement an unspecified consensus. Indian sources said that New Delhi maintained its position that Chinese troops should withdraw first. Defense chief Gen. Bipin Rawat said that India would not accept any changes to the Line of Actual Control, which marks the border with China.
Iraq—11 Killed In Assault At Baghdad Security Post Reuters | 11/09/2020 Gunmen have killed 11 people and wounded eight in an attack in western Baghdad, reports Reuters. On Monday, attackers in four vehicles attacked a security post in Al-Radhwaniya with guns and grenades, said security and medical sources. The post was staffed by members of a Sunni militia group, the sources said. A security source told Agence France-Presse that ISIS was responsible. Army and police forces have launched an operation to pursue the attackers.
Israel—Magen Corvette Handed Over In Germany Israel Defense Force | 11/09/2020 The Israeli navy has taken delivery of its first Sa'ar 6 corvette at a shipyard in Germany, reports the Israel Defense Forces. In late October, the Israeli flag officially replaced the German flag aboard the Magen, the IDF said last week. The Magen is the first of four Sa'ar 6-class corvettes Israel ordered in 2013, noted Defense News. The vessels are being built at the Thyssenkrupp Marine System shipyard in Kiel. The ships are intended to increase the Israeli navy's ability to protect offshore infrastructure, including natural gas facilities. The corvettes will be armed with Barak 8 surface-to-air missiles; the Adir multimission radar, the Israeli variant of the ELM-2248 MF-STAR; C-Dome, the naval version of the Iron Dome missile defense system; 76-mm main gun; and Typhoon remote weapon stations, reported Jane's. The Magen is scheduled to arrive in Haifa in December. She will then be equipped with her mostly Israeli-made weapon systems. The remaining ships in the class will be delivered in 2021: the Oz in July; Atzmaut in September; and Nitzhahon in November.
Ethiopia—Latest Round Of Talks On Nile Dam End Without Progress Al Jazeera | 11/09/2020 The latest meeting between representatives of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile River have failed to reach an agreement, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). The foreign and water ministers from the three countries met virtually last week to discuss a new approach for negotiations, reported Radio Dabanga (Sudan). The sides were unable to reach agreements on issues such as the basis for upcoming negotiations and the timeframe, according to Ethiopian officials. Egypt opposed a Sudanese proposal supported by Ethiopia to increase the role of African Union experts, said Sudanese Irrigation Minister Yasser Abbas. Ethiopia said that it would work with the chair of the A.U. executive council and South Africa's foreign minister to "consult on next steps."
Ethiopia—Intel, Security Pact Reached With Israel Ethiopian News Agency | 11/09/2020 Ethiopia and Israel have agreed to cooperate in intelligence and security, reports the state-run Ethiopian News Agency. On Nov. 5, Demelash Gebremichael, the director-general of Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), met with Israeli Deputy Public Security Minister Gadi Yevarkan to discuss cooperation. The sides agreed to work together on counterterrorism in the Horn of Africa; information-sharing; and technology transfer and capacity building. The cooperation accord will be implemented shortly, said the NISS.
Ivory Coast—Police Arrest Opposition Leader Who Announced Parallel Government British Broadcasting Corp. | 11/09/2020 Ivorian police have arrested opposition leader and former Prime Minister Pascal Affi Nguessan after he announced the creation of a parallel government following elections late last month, reports BBC News. Nguessan's arrest on Saturday was revealed by members of his Ivorian Popular Front and has not yet been confirmed by authorities, reported Agence France-Presse. His wife confirmed the detention to Reuters but said that she did not know his whereabouts. Prosecutors said that they were investigating charges of insurrection, murder and terrorism after Nguessan and other opposition figures announced the creation of a "council of national transition." President Alassane Ouattara was re-elected to a third term on Oct. 31 despite a constitutional two-term limit. Ouattara said that constitutional changes in 2016 allowed him to run again. Opposition parties boycotted the polls. At least 40 people have been killed in political violence in Ivory Coast since August.
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