To All,
Good Friday Morning December 4.
The power came back on last night. Some catching up from yesterday. More to come later
Regards
Skip.
This day in Naval History
Dec. 4
1918—President Woodrow Wilson sails aboard the transport George Washington for the Paris Peace Conference.
1943—TBF aircraft from USS Lexington (CV 16), USS Independence (CVL 22), and USS Yorktown (CV 10) attack Kwajalein Atoll and sink the Japanese vessels Asakaze Maru, Tateyama Maru, Takunan Maru, and Mikuni Maru.
1944—USS Flasher (SS 249) sinks Japanese destroyer Kishinami and damages a merchant ship in the South China Sea. Flasher is the only U.S. submarine to sink more than 100,000 tons of enemy shipping in World War II.
1950—While serving with VF-32 from USS Leyte (CV 32) during the Korean War, Lt. j.g. Thomas J. Hudner crash-lands his plane near the Chosin reservoir in an effort to rescue Ensign Jesse L. Brown, another VF-32 pilot whose plane had been shot down. Hudner is awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions.
1965—Gemini 7 is launched. The mission's command pilot is Air Force Maj. Frank F. Borman and the pilot is Lt. Cmdr. James A. Lovell. This flight consists of 206 orbits at an altitude of 327 km and lasts 13 days and 18 hours.
1998—USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) is commissioned at Philadelphia, PA. The ship is named in honor of the late Marine Corps Colonel Donald G. Cook, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam while held as prisoner for three years by the Viet Cong.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
•Trade press reported on the Defense Forum Washington 2020 and highlighted comments by CNO Adm. Mike Gilday, CMC Gen. David Berger and CJCS Gen. Mark Milley.
•National, local and trade press reported on the 2021 version of the NDAA, which faces a possible veto.
•Trade press reported on the formal nomination of Adm. John Aquilino to command USINDOPACOM.
Today in History
December 4
771 |
| With the death of his brother Carloman, Charlemagne becomes sole ruler of the Frankish Empire. |
1861 |
| The U.S. Senate, voting 36 to 0, expels Senator John C. Brekinridge of Kentucky because of his joining the Confederate Army. |
1861 |
| Queen Victoria of Britain forbids the export of gunpowder, firearms and all materials for their production. |
1862 |
| Winchester, Va., falls into Union hands, resulting in the capture of 145 Southern soldiers. |
1863 |
| Seven solid days of bombardment ends at Charleston, S.C. The Union fires some 1,307 rounds. |
1872 |
| The U.S. brigantine Marie Celeste is found adrift and deserted with its cargo intact, in the Atlantic Ocean between the Azores and Portugal. |
1900 |
| The French National Assembly, successor to the States-General, rejects Nationalist General Mercier's proposal to plan an invasion of England. |
1914 |
| The first Seaplane Unit formed by the German Navy officially comes into existence and begins operations from Zeebrugge, Belgium. |
1918 |
| France cancels trade treaties in order to compete in the postwar economic battles. |
1941 |
| Operation Taifun (Typhoon), which was launched by the German armies on October 2, 1941, as a prelude to taking Moscow, is halted because of freezing temperatures and lack of serviceable aircraft. |
1942 |
| U.S. planes make the first raids on Naples, Italy. |
1947 |
| Tennessee William's play A Streetcar Named Desire premieres on Broadway starring Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy. |
1950 |
| The University of Tennessee defies court rulings by rejecting five Negro applicants. |
1952 |
| The Grumman XS2F-1 makes its first flight. |
1959 |
| Peking pardons Pu Yi, ex-emperor of China and of the Japanese puppet-state of Manchukuo. |
1981 |
| President Ronald Reagan broadens the power of the CIA by allowing spying in the United States. |
1985 |
| Robert McFarland resigns as National Security Advisor. Admiral John Poindexter is named to succeed. |
1991 |
| The last American hostages held in Lebanon are released. |
1992 |
| US Pres. George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 troops to Somalia during the Somali Civil War. |
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This weekend we will remember the76th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. The following is an outstanding presentation from the Naval Historical and Heritage Command. Just about everything you always wanted to know about what happened.
This week's Webpage of the Week is the "Pearl Harbor Attack" page (https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1941/pearl-harbor.html).
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Thanks to Tom
2021 NDAA - Final version
The 2021 NDAA has been released by the House/Senate Conference Committee, and the amendment we have been coordinating with Sen Feinstein and Sen Cornyn has been included! It will be voted on by the House and Senate on Monday and Tuesday and it appears headed for passage. To read the final version click on the link below it starts on page 821 (not counting the cover page and Table of Contents) and is titled:
"SEC. 750. STUDY ON THE INCIDENCE OF CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND MORTALITY AMONG MILITARY AVIATORS AND AVIATION SUPPORT PERSONNEL."
This is a major accomplishment – finally DoD will have to determine if and how those in military aviation have been effected by the toxins associated with exposure to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, the toxins associated with the flight deck and flight line operations (CONUS and OCONUS), and also determine if there was exposure to other potential carcinogens. The official "start date" for inclusion of aviators and those maintenance support personnel (includes catapult and arresting gear crew and those who maintained runways and, weapons storage areas and flight lines) is 28 Feb 1961, the official start date of the Vietnam War.
To all those who contacted your members of the Senate and House requesting they support the Senate amendment, thank you very, very much. Your letters and emails definitely made a difference.
But we're not done yet – as you know President Trump has threatened to veto the bill if it includes an amendment to rename the bases, ships, streets, etc. named for Confederate soldiers or battles. That language is included. He has also threatened a veto unless Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is removed or amended (not a part of the 2021 NDAA – belongs to a different Agency). Right now our contact in Sen Feinstein's office believes there is enough support for the 2021 NDAA to override any veto.
Friday morning the TEAM Coalition, comprised of 30+ VSO's, will be participating in a conference call with the Biden-Harris Transition Team, to discuss:
"…what are (y)our priorities, ideas, observations, and recommendations related to improving VA care and services related to toxic exposures?
Our focus is on the VA, so would be most interested in issues relating to that agency, as well as veterans, veterans' families, and veterans' caregivers. We are in listening mode right now, where we are engaging stakeholders across the country, to learn more about the challenges we will face. However, we also respect the fact that there is one government at a time. The President-elect's approach cannot start until after inauguration; once the President-elect takes office, we look forward to working together to implement key policy changes and reforms."
I will provide a summary, as appropriate, following the meeting and any other issues that result from the meeting/briefing. I think it is important to note that President-elect Biden believes his son, Beau's, brain cancer was a result of his exposure to Burn Pits during his time of Service in SWA.
Any questions please feel free to contact me directly.
https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20201207/CRPT-116hrpt617.pdf
Tom "Boot" Hill
"Stupid should hurt". Charlie Brown
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USNA-At-Large:
First Marine Corps Carrier-Capable F-35C Squadron Now Ready to Deploy
https://news.usni.org/2020/12/02/first-marine-corps-carrier-capable-f-35c-squadron-now-ready-to-deploy
(USNI NEWS 02 DEC 20) ... Gidget Fuentes
"The Marine Corps' first carrier-capable squadron of F-35C Lightning II jets reached initial operational capability on Tuesday, a key certification ahead of its first deployment on an aircraft carrier, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing officials announced."
Does anyone know why the Marines are using a tail-hook variant of the F-35, and being assigned to the big carriers? This looks like more of the poorly conceived changes to the USMC mission. First, during the Global War On Terror, the Pentagon used the Corps like just another mechanized infantry division, interchangeable with the Army's Armored and Infantry Divisions.
Second, the Pentagon began deemphasizing the amphib capability of the Corps, apparently assuming that the expeditionary units could be shuttled into the battlefield via helo and V-22. That totally ignores the military value of the transportation and logistics convenience provided by beachhead dominance, something impossible to achieve with airborne support alone. The Army learned the limits of this during Desert Storm, when its armored units outran their supply lines---especially fuel.
Then we learn that the new Commandant is reorganizing the Corps into some version of special operations units. The jury is still out on this concept, as we don't know how this impacts amphibious capabilities, but giving up a traditional, proven expertise for a "new idea" may do enormous damage. We should remember that except for Russia, our current adversaries all have long coastlines to defend. As Rommel learned with his Atlantic Wall in WWII, that is not as easy as it looks.
Fourth, what is the role of Marine aviators? Are they merely "fungible" personnel, who can be swapped out with Navy air crews at will? I always thought that the Marine aviators were the best at close air support---something highly valued by their ground units. For those who have tried to perform this task effectively, you know that mission is vastly different than hitting a stationary target, like a bridge or power plant. Drop altitudes, coordination with ground units, avoidance of "friendly kills," and ordnance selection---all are different. The Marines practice this (or used to), and the Navy does not. So why are Marines even flying the F-35C (the tailhook version)? Clearly, the VTOL/STOL "B" variant is their thing, versatile and usable on many different Navy air platforms.
Is this because either (1) the VTOL "B" variant is not working as promised; (2) the Marines have too many pilots; or (3) the Navy is running short of Naval Aviators for its tailhook squadrons?
Dick Nelson '64
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Cheers Nordo
POLITICIAN PROMISES
A politician visited a remote little rural village and asked the inhabitants what the government could do for them.
"We have two big needs," said the village elder.
"First, we have a hospital but no doctor."
The politician whipped out his cell phone, spoke for a while and then said, "I have sorted it out. A doctor will arrive here tomorrow.
What is your other need?"
"We have no cell phone reception in our village."
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This Day in U.S. Military History
A day-by-day digest of events regarding all services of the U.S. military. Click HOME from any page to use the Quick Navigation Calendar.
This Day in U S Military History
1619 – America's 1st Thanksgiving Day was held in Virginia when thirty-eight colonists arrive at Berkeley Hundred, Virginia. The group's charter proclaims that the day "be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."
1674 – Father Marquette built the 1st dwelling at what is now Chicago. Father Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary, established Michigan's earliest European settlements at Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace in 1668 and 1671. He lived among the Great Lakes Indians from 1666 to his death in 1675. During these nine years, Father Marquette mastered several native languages and helped Louis Jolliet map the Mississippi River.
1783 – Gen. George Washington said farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern in NYC. Nine days after the last British soldiers left American soil and truly ended the Revolution, George Washington invited the officers of the Continental Army to join him in the Long Room of Fraunces Tavern so he could say farewell. The best known account of this emotional leave-taking comes from the Memoirs of Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge, written in 1830 and now in the collection of Fraunces Tavern Museum. As Tallmadge recalled, "The time now drew near when General Washington intended to leave this part of the country for his beloved retreat at Mt. Vernon. On Tuesday the 4th of December it was made known to the officers then in New York that General Washington intended to commence his journey on that day. At 12 o'clock the officers repaired to Fraunces Tavern in Pearl Street where General Washington had appointed to meet them and to take his final leave of them. We had been assembled but a few moments when his excellency entered the room. His emotions were too strong to be concealed which seemed to be reciprocated by every officer present. After partaking of a slight refreshment in almost breathless silence the General filled his glass with wine and turning to the officers said, 'With a heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable.' After the officers had taken a glass of wine General Washington said 'I cannot come to each of you but shall feel obliged if each of you will come and take me by the hand.' General Knox being nearest to him turned to the Commander-in-chief who, suffused in tears, was incapable of utterance but grasped his hand when they embraced each other in silence. In the same affectionate manner every officer in the room marched up and parted with his general in chief. Such a scene of sorrow and weeping I had never before witnessed and fondly hope I may never be called to witness again." The officers escorted Washington from the tavern to the Whitehall wharf, where he boarded a barge that took him to Paulus Hook, (now Jersey City) New Jersey. Washington continued to Annapolis, where the Continental Congress was meeting, and resigned his commission. Washington's popularity was great at the end of the Revolution and he had been urged to seize control of the government and establish a military regime. Instead, he publicly bid farewell to his troops at Fraunces Tavern and resigned as commander-in-chief at Annapolis, thus ensuring that the new United States government would not be a military dictatorship. Washington returned to Mount Vernon, believing that December 1783 marked the end of his public life. Little did he realize that he would return to New York six years later to be sworn in as the nation's first president.
1942 – Carlson's patrol during the Guadalcanal Campaign ends. Carlson's patrol, also known as The Long Patrol or Carlson's long patrol, was an operation by the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion under the command of Evans Carlson during the Guadalcanal Campaign against the Imperial Japanese Army beginning 6 November 1942. In the operation, the 2nd Raiders attacked forces under the command of Toshinari Shōji, which were escaping from an attempted encirclement in the Koli Point area on Guadalcanal and attempting to rejoin other Japanese army units on the opposite side of the U.S. Lunga perimeter. In a series of small unit engagements over 29 days, the 2nd Raiders killed almost 500 Japanese soldiers while suffering only 16 killed, although many were afflicted by disease. The raiders also captured a Japanese field gun that was delivering harassing fire on Henderson Field, the Allied airfield at Lunga Point on Guadalcanal.
1966 – A Viet Cong unit penetrates the 13-mile defense perimeter around Saigon's Tan Son Nhut airport and shells the field for over four hours. South Vietnamese and U.S. security guards finally drove off the attackers, killing 18 of them in the process. One U.S. RF-101 reconnaissance jet was badly damaged in the attack. The guerrillas returned that same night and resumed the attack, but security guards again repelled them, killing 11 more Viet Cong during the second battle.
1983 – Aircraft from USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and USS Independence (CV-62) launch strike against anti-aircraft positions in Lebanon that fired on U.S. aircraft. Two U.S. Navy planes shot down. This is a retaliatory measure for the bombing of the Beirut Marine Barracks in October.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
3 December
*WEICHT, ELLIS R.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company F, 142d Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. Place and date St. Hippolyte, France, 3 December 1944. Entered service at: Bedford, Pa. Birth: Clearville, Pa. G.O. No.: 58, 19 July 1945. Citation: For commanding an assault squad in Company F's attack against the strategically important Alsatian town of St. Hippolyte on 3 December 1944. He aggressively led his men down a winding street, clearing the houses of opposition as he advanced. Upon rounding a bend, the group was suddenly brought under the fire of 2 machineguns emplaced in the door and window of a house 100 yards distant. While his squad members took cover, Sgt. Weicht moved rapidly forward to a high rock wall and, fearlessly exposing himself to the enemy action, fired 2 clips of ammunition from his rifle. His fire proving ineffective, he entered a house opposite the enemy gun position, and, firing from a window, killed the 2 hostile gunners. Continuing the attack, the advance was again halted when two 20-mm. guns opened fire on the company. An artillery observer ordered friendly troops to evacuate the area and then directed artillery fire upon the gun positions. Sgt. Weicht remained in the shelled area and continued to fire on the hostile weapons. When the barrage lifted and the enemy soldiers attempted to remove their gun, he killed 2 crewmembers and forced the others to flee. Sgt. Weicht continued to lead his squad forward until he spotted a road block approximate 125 yards away. Moving to the second floor of a nearby house and firing from a window, he killed 3 and wounded several of the enemy. Instantly becoming a target for heavy and direct fire, he disregarded personal safety to continue his fire, with unusual effectiveness, until he was killed by a direct hit from an antitank gun.
*PAGE, JOHN U. D.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, X Corps Artillery, while attached to the 52d Transportation Truck Battalion. Place and date: Near Chosin Reservoir, Korea, 29 November to 10 December 1950. Entered service at: St. Paul, Minn. Born: 8 February 1904, Malahi Island, Luzon, Philippine Islands. G.O. No.: 21, 25 April 1957. Citation: Lt. Col. Page, a member of X Corps Artillery, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in a series of exploits. On 29 November, Lt. Col. Page left X Corps Headquarters at Hamhung with the mission of establishing traffic control on the main supply route to 1st Marine Division positions and those of some Army elements on the Chosin Reservoir plateau. Having completed his mission Lt. Col. Page was free to return to the safety of Hamhung but chose to remain on the plateau to aid an isolated signal station, thus being cut off with elements of the marine division. After rescuing his jeep driver by breaking up an ambush near a destroyed bridge Lt. Col. Page reached the lines of a surrounded marine garrison at Koto-ri. He then voluntarily developed and trained a reserve force of assorted army troops trapped with the marines. By exemplary leadership and tireless devotion he made an effective tactical unit available. In order that casualties might be evacuated, an airstrip was improvised on frozen ground partly outside of the Koto-ri defense perimeter which was continually under enemy attack. During 2 such attacks, Lt. Col. Page exposed himself on the airstrip to direct fire on the enemy, and twice mounted the rear deck of a tank, manning the machine gun on the turret to drive the enemy back into a no man's land. On 3 December while being flown low over enemy lines in a light observation plane, Lt. Col. Page dropped handgrenades on Chinese positions and sprayed foxholes with automatic fire from his carbine. After 10 days of constant fighting the marine and army units in the vicinity of the Chosin Reservoir had succeeded in gathering at the edge of the plateau and Lt. Col. Page was flown to Hamhung to arrange for artillery support of the beleaguered troops attempting to break out. Again Lt. Col. Page refused an opportunity to remain in safety and returned to give every assistance to his comrades. As the column slowly moved south Lt. Col. Page joined the rear guard. When it neared the entrance to a narrow pass it came under frequent attacks on both flanks. Mounting an abandoned tank Lt. Col. Page manned the machine gun, braved heavy return fire, and covered the passing vehicles until the danger diminished. Later when another attack threatened his section of the convoy, then in the middle of the pass, Lt. Col. Page took a machine gun to the hillside and delivered effective counterfire, remaining exposed while men and vehicles passed through the ambuscade. On the night of 10 December the convoy reached the bottom of the pass but was halted by a strong enemy force at the front and on both flanks. Deadly small-arms fire poured into the column. Realizing the danger to the column as it lay motionless, Lt. Col. Page fought his way to the head of the column and plunged forward into the heart of the hostile position. His intrepid action so surprised the enemy that their ranks became disordered and suffered heavy casualties. Heedless of his safety, as he had been throughout the preceding 10 days, Lt. Col. Page remained forward, fiercely engaging the enemy single-handed until mortally wounded. By his valiant and aggressive spirit Lt. Col. Page enabled friendly forces to stand off the enemy. His outstanding courage, unswerving devotion to duty, and supreme self-sacrifice reflect great credit upon Lt. Col. Page and are in the highest tradition of the military service.
*HOLCOMB, JOHN NOBLE
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 2d Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Near Quan Loi, Republic of Vietnam, 3 December 1968. Entered service at: Corvallis, Oreg. Born: 11 June 1946, Baker, Oreg. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Holcomb distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader in Company D during a combat assault mission. Sgt. Holcomb's company assault had landed by helicopter and deployed into a hasty defensive position to organize for a reconnaissance-in-force mission when it was attacked from 3 sides by an estimated battalion-size enemy force. Sgt. Holcomb's squad was directly in the path of the main enemy attack. With complete disregard for the heavy fire, Sgt. Holcomb moved among his men giving encouragement and directing fire on the assaulting enemy. When his machine gunner was knocked out, Sgt. Holcomb seized the weapon, ran to a forward edge of the position, and placed withering fire on the enemy. His gallant actions caused the enemy to withdraw. Sgt. Holcomb treated and carried his wounded to a position of safety and reorganized his defensive sector despite a raging grass fire ignited by the incoming enemy mortar and rocket rounds. When the enemy assaulted the position a second time, Sgt. Holcomb again manned the forward machine gun, devastating the enemy attack and forcing the enemy to again break contact and withdraw. During the enemy withdrawal an enemy rocket hit Sgt. Holcomb's position, destroying his machine gun and severely wounding him. Despite his painful wounds, Sgt. Holcomb crawled through the grass fire and exploding mortar and rocket rounds to move the members of his squad, everyone of whom had been wounded, to more secure positions. Although grievously wounded and sustained solely by his indomitable will and courage, Sgt. Holcomb as the last surviving leader of his platoon organized his men to repel the enemy, crawled to the platoon radio and reported the third enemy assault on his position. His report brought friendly supporting fires on the charging enemy and broke the enemy attack. Sgt. Holcomb's inspiring leadership, fighting spirit, in action at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
4 December
DAVIS, RAYMOND G.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps commanding officer, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Vicinity Hagaru-ri, Korea, 1 through 4 December 1950. Entered service at: Atlanta, Ga. Born: 13 January 1915, Fitzgerald, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Although keenly aware that the operation involved breaking through a surrounding enemy and advancing 8 miles along primitive icy trails in the bitter cold with every passage disputed by a savage and determined foe, Lt. Col. Davis boldly led his battalion into the attack in a daring attempt to relieve a beleaguered rifle company and to seize, hold, and defend a vital mountain pass controlling the only route available for 2 marine regiments in danger of being cut off by numerically superior hostile forces during their re-deployment to the port of Hungnam. When the battalion immediately encountered strong opposition from entrenched enemy forces commanding high ground in the path of the advance, he promptly spearheaded his unit in a fierce attack up the steep, ice-covered slopes in the face of withering fire and, personally leading the assault groups in a hand-to-hand encounter, drove the hostile troops from their positions, rested his men, and reconnoitered the area under enemy fire to determine the best route for continuing the mission. Always in the thick of the fighting Lt. Col. Davis led his battalion over 3 successive ridges in the deep snow in continuous attacks against the enemy and, constantly inspiring and encouraging his men throughout the night, brought his unit to a point within 1,500 yards of the surrounded rifle company by daybreak. Although knocked to the ground when a shell fragment struck his helmet and 2 bullets pierced his clothing, he arose and fought his way forward at the head of his men until he reached the isolated marines. On the following morning, he bravely led his battalion in securing the vital mountain pass from a strongly entrenched and numerically superior hostile force, carrying all his wounded with him, including 22 litter cases and numerous ambulatory patients. Despite repeated savage and heavy assaults by the enemy, he stubbornly held the vital terrain until the 2 regiments of the division had deployed through the pass and, on the morning of 4 December, led his battalion into Hagaru-ri intact. By his superb leadership, outstanding courage, and brilliant tactical ability, Lt. Col. Davis was directly instrumental in saving the beleaguered rifle company from complete annihilation and enabled the 2 marine regiments to escape possible destruction. His valiant devotion to duty and unyielding fighting spirit in the face of almost insurmountable odds enhance and sustain the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
HUDNER, THOMAS JEROME, JR.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant (J.G.) U.S. Navy, pilot in Fighter Squadron 32, attached to U.S.S. Leyte. Place and date: Chosin Reservoir area of Korea, 4 December 1950. Entered service at: Fall River, Mass. Born: 31 August 1924, Fall River, Mass. Citation. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a pilot in Fighter Squadron 32, while attempting to rescue a squadron mate whose plane struck by antiaircraft fire and trailing smoke, was forced down behind enemy lines. Quickly maneuvering to circle the downed pilot and protect him from enemy troops infesting the area, Lt. (J.G.) Hudner risked his life to save the injured flier who was trapped alive in the burning wreckage. Fully aware of the extreme danger in landing on the rough mountainous terrain and the scant hope of escape or survival in subzero temperature, he put his plane down skillfully in a deliberate wheels-up landing in the presence of enemy troops. With his bare hands, he packed the fuselage with snow to keep the flames away from the pilot and struggled to pull him free. Unsuccessful in this, he returned to his crashed aircraft and radioed other airborne planes, requesting that a helicopter be dispatched with an ax and fire extinguisher. He then remained on the spot despite the continuing danger from enemy action and, with the assistance of the rescue pilot, renewed a desperate but unavailing battle against time, cold, and flames. Lt. (J.G.) Hudner's exceptionally valiant action and selfless devotion to a shipmate sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
McGINNIS, ROSS ANDREW
United States Army. Citation. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an M2 .50-caliber Machine Gunner, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 December 2006.That afternoon his platoon was conducting combat control operations in an effort to reduce and control sectarian violence in the area. While Private McGinnis was manning the M2 .50-caliber Machine Gun, a fragmentation grenade thrown by an insurgent fell through the gunner's hatch into the vehicle. Reacting quickly, he yelled "grenade," allowing all four members of his crew to prepare for the grenade's blast. Then, rather than leaping from the gunner's hatch to safety, Private McGinnis made the courageous decision to protect his crew. In a selfless act of bravery, in which he was mortally wounded, Private McGinnis covered the live grenade, pinning it between his body and the vehicle and absorbing most of the explosion. Private McGinnis' gallant action directly saved four men from certain serious injury or death. Private First Class McGinnis' extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 3/4, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
3 December
1915: Lt Richard C. Saufley reached 11,975 feet over Pensacola, Fla., in a Curtiss AH-14 to set an American altitude record for hydro-airplanes. (24)
1937: Maj Alexander P. de Seversky flew from New York, N. Y., to Havana, Cuba, and set a new record of 5 hours 3 minutes 5 seconds. (24) Jacqueline Cochran flew from New York, N. Y., to Miami, Fla., in 4 hours 12 minutes to set another record.
1945: The 412th Fighter Group became US Army Air Force's first jet fighter unit when it received the first operational P-80 at March Field, Calif. This aircraft, however, was the group's second jet as the Lockheed delivered the XP-80 on 14 November 1944. (4)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Enemy jets made their first air-ground attack of the war, bombing and strafing United Nations ground positions near Chorwon, almost sixty miles northeast of Seoul. (28) First B-36's to visit North Africa arrived at Sidi Slimane, Morocco. The six bombers from the 11th Bombardment Wing at Carswell AFB, Tex., made the flight nonstop. (1)
1952: The USAF accepted its first two Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks. (12)
1956: The U. S. Navy commissioned the USS Gyatt, the world's first known guided-missile-launching destroyer, in Boston, Mass., with Terrier missiles as its principal weapon. (24)
1957: Col Archie Blood led 16 F-100D Super Sabres on a 3,850-mile flight from Tokyo, Japan, to Honolulu, Hawaii, in 6 hours 21 minutes to set an unofficial record. (24)
1959: PROJECTs BOOMTOWN and SLIDE RULE. To enhance the reconnaissance abilities of the Nationalist Chinese Air Force, Pacific Air Forces delivered four RF-101A Voodoo aircraft to them under the auspices of BOOMTOWN. Under SLIDE RULE, the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron conducted and completed the training of the pilots and maintenance personnel by 11December. (17)
1960: The 567th Strategic Missile Squadron at Fairchild AFB, Wash., received the first Atlas E missile. (6)
1963: President Lyndon B. Johnson designated National Air and Space Administration and other facilities at Cape Canaveral as the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
1965: Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara directed the Air Force and General Dynamics to develop a F-111 for reconnaissance, the RF-111A. (5) (16)
1968: Maj William J. Knight received the 1968 Harmon International Aviator's Trophy for flights in the X-15A-2. (16)
1973: Pioneer 10 became the first space vehicle to fly near Jupiter. (21)
1987: The last three remaining O-2As in the Air Force inventory made their last flight from Edwards AFB, Calif., to Kelly AFB, Tex., for retirement.
1988: After a one-year trial program, the Air Force decided to continue its policy of assigning mixed male/female crews to 24-hour missile duty. (NY Times, 5 Dec 88, p B8).
1989: The Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft reentered the atmosphere over Sri Lanka. Astronauts of the April 1984 Challenger Space Shuttle mission had captured, repaired, and relaunched this satellite. (8: Feb 90) 1998: The Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif., completed the final flight test sortie for the B-1B Offensive Radar System program. (3)
1999: The 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, Calif., decided to end a mission that used three EC-18B Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA). (3)
2001: Lockheed Martin delivered the USAF's first C-130J-30 to the 143d Airlift Wing (Air National Guard) at Quonset State Airport, R. I. The C-130s with the "J-30" suffix had a longer fuselage than the standard "J" model. It could carry 128 combat troops and 8 standard 463L pallets rather than 92 troops and 6 pallets. (22) Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. The EC-135C Big Crow and deployed support personnel returned to Edwards AFB, Calif. The aircraft flew 15 electronic combat missions from Thumrait, Oman, to disrupt Taliban/al Qaeda communications and perform psychological operations. (3)
2004: After a two-year hiatus to install the laser weapon's beam control system, the YAL-1A Airborne Laser aircraft made its first flight above Edwards AFB, Calif., as part of a series to recertify the jet's airworthiness. A cabin pressure leak terminated the sortie ahead of schedule. (3)
2005: Dick Rutan, an XCOR Aerospace test pilot, completed the world's first point-to-point flight by a rocket-powered aircraft. The 10-mile flight, from Mojave to California City Airport, was flown in the company's EZRocket, a kit-built LongEZ sport aircraft powered by two of its 400 pound thrust reusable liquid rocket engines that can be shut down and reignited in flight. The unique aircraft also carried a load of regular US Postal Service mail. (3)
4 December
1918: Through 22 December, Maj Albert D. Smith led four Curtiss JN-4s on the Army's first transcontinental trip from San Diego, Calif., to Jacksonville, Fla. Smith's plane was the only one to complete the trip. (9) (20)
1942: Ninth Air Force sent 24 B-24s to attack ships at the Naples docks in the first US Army Air Forces air strike against mainland Italy in World War II. (4)
1945: A Transworld Airlines Lockheed Constellation set a 12-hour, 57-minute record in its first flight from Washington DC to Paris, France. (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. MiG-15s shot down one of the three USAF RB-45 Tornado reconnaissance aircraft in the theater. This event was the first successful jet bomber interception in airpower history. (28)
1957: The USAF announced that BOMARC missile sites would be built at Dow AFB, Maine, Otis AFB, Mass., Suffolk AFB, N. Y., and McGuire AFB, N. J. (24)
1959: The National Air and Space Administration tested the Mercury capsule's escape system by sending a Rhesus monkey from Wallops Island, Va., on a 55-mile, 13-minute flight into space and returning it alive. (24)
1961: The USAF launched a Blue Scout rocket from Point Arguello, Calif., to 27,600 miles in altitude to measure low-energy protons emitted by the sun. (24)
1965: GEMINI VI and VII. Through 18 December, Frank Borman (USAF) and James A. Lovell, Jr. (US Navy) orbited earth on a 330-hour, 35-minute flight. Launched from Cape Kennedy, Fla., the astronauts set records for longest space flight, longest flight for a two-man vehicle, most orbits (206), most time in space, and greatest distance on one flight (5,129,000 miles). The hookup with Gemini VI astronauts Walter Schirra, Jr. (US Navy) and Thomas P. Stafford (USAF) gave us the first US space rendezvous and the first space-to-space voice communications, making it one of the most successful missions to date. Gemini VI returned on 16 December to end its 26-hour, 1-minute flight. (7) (9)
1972: The last EB-66 Destroyer left USAFE for Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. (16)
1975: Vandenberg AFB, Calif., launched the last Titan II in support of ballistic missile defense tests. (6)
1979: Lockheed-Georgia delivered the first stretched C-141B from Marietta to the Military Airlift Command's 443d Military Airlift Wing at Altus AFB, Okla. This program lengthened all 270 C-141As by 23.3 feet and modified them for air refueling. (2) (12)
1986: The Air Force Council approved the Tactical Air Command's suggestion to expand the A-10 Thunderbolt II's role from close air support missions to forward air control functions. (16)
1989: The Navy successfully launched the fourth Trident II (D5) test missile from the USS Tennessee off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Fla. (8: Feb 90)
1996: An F-16 Fighting Falcon soared into history above Hill AFB, Utah, by logging its five millionth hour of flying time. To commemorate the event, the 388th Fighter Wing (the first wing to get the F-16) flew an aerial performance flight. Captain Kurt Gallegos of the West Coast F-16 Demonstration Team flew the Falcon. (AFNEWS Article 961255, 11 Dec 96) Major Mike Brill, a 419th Fighter Wing pilot, also received an award at that ceremony for having more F-16 hours (3,700) than any pilot in the world. (AFNEWS Article 961256, 11 Dec 96) 1998: Through 15 December, astronauts on the Space Shuttle Endeavour completed the first International Space Station assembly mission. They attached the Unity, the first US module, to the Russia's Zarya module. The crew also launched MightySat I, a USAF experiment to evaluate composite materials, advanced solar cells, and other technology. (21)
2000: At Edwards AFB, Calif., the Boeing X-32A Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstrator successfully completed low-speed approach aircraft carrier variant tests, one of three main goals for the JSF flight test program. (AFNEWS Article 001795, 5 Dec 00)
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