Good Tuesday Morning March 23 .
I hope that your week has started well.
Regards,
Skip.
Today in Naval History
March 23
1815
The sloop-of-war USS Hornet captures the brig sloop HMS Penguin after a 22 minute battle, with neither ship aware the War of 1812 is over.
1882
Secretary of the Navy William H. Hunt (Jan. 7, 1881 to April 16, 1882), creates the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) with General Order No. 292.
1917
USS New Mexico (BB 40) is launched. She is the first dreadnought with turboelectric drive.
1944
USS Tunny (SS 282) sinks the Japanese submarine I 42 off the Palau Islands.
1945
USS Haggard (DD 555) is damaged when she rams and sinks Japanese submarine RO 41 in the Philippine Sea. Also on this date, USS Spadefish (SS 411) attacks Japanese Sasebo-to-Ishigaki convoy SAI-05 in the East China Sea about 120 miles north-northwest of Amami O Shima and sinks transport Doryu Maru.
1953
During the Korean War, jet aircraft from USS Oriskany (CVA 34) stage a "lights out" program by attacking a water power site below the Fusen Reservoir, resulting in four cuts in the penstocks and damaging two buildings housing generators.
1965
Navy Lt. Cmdr. John W. Young is a pilot on Gemini III, the first 2-manned spacecraft, that completes three orbits in four hours, 53 minutes at an altitude of 224 km. He is joined by Air Force Lt. Col. Virgil Grissom, command pilot.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• National and international press reported about coordinated sanctions by the U.S. and allies against Chinese officials for human rights abuses.
• USNI News reported on the upcoming Fleet Battle Problem exercise.
• Military Times reported on mixed reactions of service members to recent command extremism stand-downs.
This date in World history
March 23
1657 France and England form an alliance against Spain.
1743 Handel's Messiah is performed for the first time in London.
1775 American revolutionary hero Patrick Henry, while addressing the House of Burgesses, declares "give me liberty, or give me death!"
1791 Etta Palm, a Dutch champion of woman's rights, sets up a group of women's clubs called the Confederation of the Friends of Truth.
1848 Hungary proclaims its independence of Austria.
1857 Elisha Otis installs the first modern passenger elevator in a public building, at the corner of Broome Street and Broadway in New York City.
1858 Eleazer A. Gardner of Philadelphia patents the cable street car, which runs on overhead cables.
1862 Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson faces his only defeat at the Battle of Kernstown, Va
1880 John Stevens of Neenah, Wis., patents the grain crushing mill. This mill allows flour production to increase by 70 percent.
1901 A group of U.S. Army soldiers, led by Brigadier General Frederick Funston, capture Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of the Philippine Insurrection of 1899.
1903 The Wright brothers obtain an airplane patent.
1909 Theodore Roosevelt begins an African safari sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic Society.
1909 British Lt. Ernest Shackleton finds the magnetic South Pole.
1917 Austrian Emperor Charles I makes a peace proposal to French President Poincare.
1920 Great Britain denounces the United States because of its delay in joining the League of Nations.
1921 Arthur G. Hamilton sets a new parachute record, safely jumping 24,400 feet.
1927 Captain Hawthorne Gray sets a new balloon record soaring to 28,510 feet.
1933 The Reichstag gives Adolf Hitler the power to rule by decree.
1942 The Japanese occupy the Anadaman Islands in the Indian Ocean.
1951 U.S. paratroopers descend from flying boxcars in a surprise attack in Korea.
1956 Pakistan becomes the first Islamic republic, although it is still within the British Commonwealth.
1967 Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. calls the Vietnam War the biggest obstacle to the civil rights movement.
1970 Mafia boss Carlo Gambino is arrested for plotting to steal $3 million.
1972 The United States calls a halt to the peace talks on Vietnam being held in Paris.
1981 U.S. Supreme Court upholds a law making statutory rape a crime for men but not women.
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Thanks to NHHC
The Medal of Honor
The Navy and Marine Corps' Medal of Honor is our country's oldest continuously awarded decoration, even though its appearance and award criteria has changed since it was created for enlisted men by Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles on 16 December 1861. Legislation in 1915 made naval officers eligible for the award.
Although originally awarded for both combat and non-combat heroism, the Medal of Honor today is presented for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty.
The design of our highest military decoration is rooted in the Civil War. The central motif is an allegory in which Columbia, in the form of the goddess Minerva uses the shield of the republic to put down the figure of Discord, plainly a reference to the unfolding split in our nation. The design is encircled by 34 stars, representing the states of the Union at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War.
The Curator Branch of NHHC holds several Medals of Honor in its collections. Visit the Curator page for information on artifact documentation, preservation, and loans.
Additional Resources
The Navy Medal of Honor (an overview of the history of the medal)
Extraordinary Bravery: Lieutenant Weedon Osborne and the Battle of Belleau Wood
H-Gram 023-2: U.S. Navy Personnel Awarded the Medal of Honor During World War I
H-Gram 015: "Take Her Down!"— Commander Howard Gilmore and USS Growler (SS-215)
Surface Warrior – Remembering Ernest Evans
Medal of Honor Recipient Fireman 2nd Class Telesforo Trinidad
Navy Medal of Honor Recipients at Iwo Jima
The Warrior of Kāneʻohe: Pearl Harbor's First Medal of Honor Recipient
Honoring Harvey C. Barnum, Jr, Medal of Honor Recipient
A Matter of Honor – History of the Medal of Honor
The History of Medal of Honor Recipient, Thomas J. Hudner (infographic)
The History of Medal of Honor Recipient, Michael A. Monsoor (infographic)
Medal of Honor Recipients
The following pages list Medal of Honor recipients by time period and conflict; in some cases, citations are also provided.
1861–1898
Civil War, 1861–1865
Interim period, 1866–1871
Korea, 1871
Interim period, 1871–1898
Spanish-American War, 1898
1899–1916
Philippine Insurrection, 1899–1906
Boxer Rebellion, 1900
Interim period, 1901–1910
Action Against Philippine Outlaws, 1911
Mexican Campaign 1914
Haiti, 1915
Interim period, 1915–1916
Dominican Campaign, 1916
1917–1940
World War I, 1917–1918
Second Haitian Campaign, 1919
Second Nicaraguan Campaign, 1926–1933
Interim period, 1920–1940
1941–2000
World War II, 1941–1945
Korean Conflict, 1950–1953
Vietnam War, 1964–1975
Post-2000
Global War on Terrorism
For more information on recipients from all services, please consult the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
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Thanks to Doug via Bill A. …
Love the story of using him when interrogating prisoners!!
Here is a re-post on Bubba. We got him in Laos after his mom tramped on a land mine. He was only two days old, but I had him in my jungle jacket wrapped in a towel and when we were extracted we fed him milk and got him on his way. He did well because he got much larger than an Asian Tiger usually grew to.
His weakness was real beer (He had two cans a day) which he slurped down, went to a corner of the hooch, rolled on his back, showed his junk and snored like the last day!
If the bubster wanted to get in your bunk with you, you just rolled over and dealt with it. It's such a shame so many tigers were killed over there because most were killed for sport and not in human defense. When we cycled out the question was what the hell do with Bubba??? He couldn't survive because he only knew SOG, SF,Seals etc.
Here is where we got creative. We had access to things normal military didn't. So we got creative and a phone call went to a research zoo in Sidney Australia and were asked if they wanted a free tiger. When the lady at the other end realized we were for real she pissed her pants and said yes, but how do we get him?
I don't want to reference Air America, but we flew the bubster to his new home and I got off the airplane with him walking beside me like a dog on a leash. They all went nuts when he walked to the lady and heeled by her side looking at her for instructions. He must have had a very good time and life there because he sired tons of babies. When I was back in Sidney in 87 I saw a bronze plaque telling about the SF Tiger that came to them in 1969 and made lotsa great baby tigers. That part of my life is gone like Bubba who lasted to '85, but every time I hear a Tiger make those special noises my head and heart goes back to a tiny little baby we found in Laos in 1968. God I miss him!
BTW the Bubster never lived in a cage. He was always shown love from a bunch of very dangerous men who's hearts melted when they met him. To discipline him you grabbed a handful of hair and flesh on his shoulder and simply said no. He never retaliated he just complied. When I said he never lived in a cage the decision about the zoo where he ended up was a research zoo that was very excited because of gene diversity. It also had the new concept of no animals in cages. People were the ones in cages or behind glass.
It took a bit for him to get back to being a tiger, but after he figured out the male female thing nature took it's course and he was off to the races and made a ton of tiger babies who are in zoos around the world. God Bless … to my knowledge he was the only SF tiger in the history books.
A interesting side note is that SF and MAC V were in many ways involved with the CIA. The coats and ties back in Langley, VA couldn't understand how our intel was so accurate. Picture a NVA prisoner strapped into a chair and questioned. Also picture the prisoner telling us in multiple languages to go F**K ourselves. So a hood goes back on and the prisoner was told to spill the beans or we were going to feed the zip to our tiger. They all laughed their asses off and said we were crazy. Enter the bubster and have his head about two feet from the prisoner, pull the hood off at the same time I would pinch the back of Bubbas neck. He roared in the dinks face with his extremely nasty tiger breath and the prisoner pissed his pants or worse while he sang like the Mormon tabernacle choir.
God I miss that stuff. BTW our intel was so accurate the pencil necks were amazed and never found out why!
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Monday Morning Humor--March Madness Thanks to Al
Fill in your favorite NCAA team where appropriate…
What does the average Iowa player get on his SAT's? Drool.
What do you get when you put 32 Alabama cheerleaders in one room? A full set of teeth.
How do you get a GA Tech cheerleader into your dorm room? Grease her hips and push hard.
How do you get a Michigan State graduate off your porch? Pay him for the pizza.
Why do the Auburn cheerleaders wear bibs? To keep the tobacco juice off their uniforms.
Why do they no longer serve ice at Wisconsin basketball games? The senior who knew the recipe graduated.
Why is the Indiana basketball team like a possum? Because they play dead at home, and get killed on the road.
What are the longest three years of a Michigan basketball player's life? His freshman year.
How many Ohio State freshmen does it take to change a light bulb? None...That's a sophomore course at OSU.
Why did Tennessee choose orange as their team color? You can wear it to the game on Saturday, hunting on Sunday, and picking up trash the rest of the week.
The odds of filling out a perfect NCAA bracket are greater than one in 9 quintillion. And even greater if you picked Illinois.
Q. How many NCAA basketball players does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Only one, but he gets money, a car, and three college credit hours for it!
The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health and had proceeded to give an oral quiz to the freshman class. Speaking specifically about manic depression, the instructor asked, "How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next?"
A young man in the rear of the room raised his hand and answered, "A basketball coach?"
More fill in your favorite NCAA team where appropriate…
Q: Why did John Calipari (Kentucky coach) cross the road?
A: To hit up the ATM so he could pay another 6'11" forward.
Q: What did the Butler fan do after his team won the NCAA Championship?
A: Shut off his Xbox.
Q: What's the first thing a Wyoming fan does before they fill out their NCAA Tournament bracket?
A: Drive 150 miles to the nearest pen store.
Q: Why doesn't BYU want to be this year's Cinderella team?
A: Because the school considers the movie to be pornography.
Q: How many Harvard players does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: One—to hold it in place while the world revolves around him.
Q: How do you keep Duke Blue Devils out of your yard?
A: Put up goal posts.
Q: If West Virginia Mountaineer fans get divorced, are they still brother and sister?
A: Yes.
Q: What's more delusional than a Notre Dame football fan?
A: A Notre Dame basketball fan who think they match up well against Kentucky.
Q: What do UNC players and NC State players have in common?
A: They both have never taken a class at UNC.
Q: How many VCU players does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: None, downtown Richmond looks better in the dark.
Q: Why is there a Texas school in the tournament called "Steve Austin"?
A: Because Stone Cold said so.
Q: Why do Gonzaga fans only play 14 holes of golf?
A: Because they can't make it to the Final Four.
I can understand why basketball shorts keep getting longer and longer. If I had knees like some of those guys I'd want to hide them too. It's obvious why Villanova lost. Their shorts were too long and their shots were too wide.
Basketball is America's favorite "running" sport. Number two is avoiding child support payments.
College basketball exists out of necessity. If there was no basketball, it would be necessary for the players to attend class.
I can remember the old days of basketball -- when they shot the ball up at the basket, not down into it.
March Madness describes the mood of everyone who's already working on their income tax.
The Final Four: sounds like the number of dollars left in my bank account.
The first rule of watching basketball on TV: Watch only the last two minutes. Nothing much happens until then, and they only last a half hour.
The most popular winter sports are ice skating, skiing, and jumping up and yelling, "That was a foul, Whistle-Breath!"
There were three basketball players, one each from IU, Notre Dame, and Purdue, standing on a burning roof in Indianapolis. The fire department came with a blanket and yelled to the Notre Dame player to jump. He jumped and they moved it to the right. He hit the sidewalk with a splat.
They then called to the IU player to jump. He said that he wouldn't jump. They said they liked IU better than Notre Dame. So he jumped and the fire department moved the blanket to the left. The IU player hit with a splat on the sidewalk. Then they called to the Purdue player to jump. He said that he wouldn't jump.
The fire department said they hated IU and Notre Dame.
He yelled back and said, "Lay the blanket down, and then I'll jump!"
St. Peter and Satan were having an argument one day about basketball. Satan proposed a game to be played on neutral grounds between a select team from the heavenly host and his own hand-picked boys.
"Very well," said the gatekeeper of Heaven. "But you realize, I hope, that we've got all the good players and the best coaches."
"I know, and that's all right," Satan answered unperturbed. "We've got all the refs."
The coach says to the ref, "Is a penalty for thinking."
The ref says, "No."
The coach says, "Well, I think you're an idiot, then."
Trivia Quiz:
A--Why was basketball invented?
It was invented to give the kids in the inventor's neighborhood a fun game to play.
The inventor was ordered to come up with a game for a gym class.
At a family gathering, the inventor came up with the game to entertain his nephews.
The inventor was brainstorming for a sporting goods company to come up with new products or games to sell.
B--What country was the inventor of basketball born in?
Russia
Canada
USA
Germany
C--Why was the 10-foot height selected for the height of the basket?
The basket was put at the edge of an elevated running track which was 10 foot high.
The tallest height that could be reached by the inventor's ladder to retrieve made basketball shots was 10 foot high.
A pole used to support a tent was used to hold up the basket and it just happened to be 10 foot high.
The barn that was used for a backboard had a hook that made the basket hang at the 10 foot height.
D--When was the actual basketball "ball" invented?
1895
1905
1929
1945
E--When and who played the first college basketball game?
1896 - University of Iowa vs. University of Chicago
1910 - Harvard vs. Yale
1921 - University of North Carolina vs. University of Kentucky
1929 - Saratoga Boys College vs. Drew State University
F--Who is the only coach in the University of Kansas men's basketball history to own a losing record?
John Wooden, famed UCLA basketball coach
James Naismith, the inventor of basketball
Larry Brown, Detroit Piston's basketball coach
Vince Lombardi, famed Green Bay Packer football coach
G--When and where was the first college game where a three point shot was made?
1975
1980
1986
1991
H--What is the most common mascot for colleges?
Tiger
Bulldogs
Eagle
Knights
I--How many NCAA men's basketball championships did UCLA win from1964 to 1975?
5
7
9
10
J--Which of the following men's basketball programs had the winningest record in the decade of the 1990s?
Duke
Kentucky
Kansas
Arizona
Trivia Quiz Answers
A2--The inventor was ordered to come up with a game for a gym class. James Naismith was ordered by Dr. Luther Gulick, who was the head of the physical education at Springfield College, to create an indoor game within 14 days that would provide an athletic distraction for a rowdy class of 18 young men through the miserable New England winter.
B2--Canada. James Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario Canada in 1891. He was a physical education teacher at Springfield College in Springfield Massachusetts (1890 to 1895) when he invented the indoor game of basketball. In 1892 the first formal rules were devised. Players used a soccer ball to dribble up and down the court. Points were earned by landing the ball in a peach basket.
C1--The basket was put at the edge of an elevated running track which was 10-foot high. The first peach baskets were attached to the edge of an elevated running track that happened to be 10 feet off the floor. That 10-foot height has lasted for over 113 years even with the dramatic increase in athleticism of today's basketball player.
D3--1929. G. L. Pierce was granted U.S. Patent #1,718,305 on June 25, 1929 for the "basketball".
E1--1896 - University of Iowa vs. University of Chicago. On January 18, 1896, the University of Iowa played student athletes from the University of Chicago in a basketball game. The University of Chicago won the game 15 to 12.
F2--James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. He coached at the University of Kansas from 1898 to 1907 ending his basketball coaching career there with a record of 55 wins and 60 losses.
G2--1980. On November 29, 1980, Western Carolina's Ronnie Carr scored the first three pointer in college basketball history. Western Carolina was playing Middle Tennessee State at Reid Gym in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The Southern Conference took the leadership role in introducing the three point field goal by testing the experimental rule that had not yet been adopted by any other conferences.
H3--Eagle. 74 colleges and universities claim the Eagle as their mascot. The tiger is the second most common mascot, then the Bulldogs third, followed by Knights in fourth.
I4--10. UCLA men's basketball team dominated that 12 year period under their legendary Coach John Wooden. 1966 was the only year that UCLA failed to make the final four during that 12 year period. The University of Texas-El Paso beat the University of Kentucky in the 1966 championship game. In 1974 North Carolina State University defeated the Marquette to win the national title. UCLA and the University of Kansas were the other two teams making the final four that year.
J3--Kansas. The University of Kansas won 82.7% of their games during the 1990's (286 wins vs. 60 losses). Kentucky was 2nd at 81.7% (282 wins vs. 63 losses), Arizona was 3rd at 79.3% (256 wins vs. 67 losses), Duke was actually the 5th winningest program at 77.7% (271 wins vs. 78 losses) behind the College of Charleston who achieved a 78.3% (222 wins vs. 62 losses) winning percentage in the 1990's.
I hope your March Madness picks won and have a great week,
Al
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Thanks to NHHC
On March 23, 1945, U.S. Navy landing craft, Task Unit 122.5.1, took part in the crossing of the Rhine River at Oppenheim, Germany. LCVPs (landing craft, vehicle, personnel) and LCMs (landing craft, medium) ferried 4,000–4,500 troops from Gen. George G. Patton's Third Army. Navy landing craft had been moved from the Atlantic seaboard to the Rhine. This colossal riverine exploit was the prelude to the final overwhelming assault on Nazi Germany that would end World War II in Europe. The Army expressed its sincere gratitude to the Navy for its help in crossing the Rhine. The Third Army's official report stated, "…the Navy again demonstrated its ability to be the most useful and effective in a crossing operation…. Soon after the naval craft hit the water, they poured over such a continual stream of troops, vehicles, and tank destroyers in the early crucial hours that the enemy artillery was silenced, and further ferrying and bridging was able to proceed without interference." For more, read Operation Plunder: Crossing the Rhine, an essay by NHHC intern Rachael A. Beath, at NHHC's website.
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ROLLING THUNDER Thanks to the Bear
Tuesday, 23 March 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🤩
LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War—23 March 1966...
From the archives of Peter Fey's rollingthunderremembered.com "Fleeing Forward"
http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/subject-rolling-thunder-remembered-23-march-1966/
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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This Day in U S Military History
23 March
1839 – 1st recorded use of "OK" [oll korrect] was in Boston's Morning Post.
1945 – On Luzon, San Fernando is taken by US 1st Corps with help from Filipino guerrillas.
1951 – Operation TOMAHAWK, the second airborne operation of the war and the largest in one day, involved 120 C-119s and C-46s, escorted by sixteen F-51s. The 314th TCG and the 437th TCW air transports flew from Taegu to Munsan-ni, an area behind enemy lines some twenty miles northwest of Seoul, and dropped the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team and two Ranger companies-more than 3,400 men and 220 tons of equipment and supplies. Fifth Air Force fighters and light bombers had largely eliminated enemy opposition. UN forces advanced quickly to the Imjin River, capturing 127 communist prisoners. Some of the prisoners waved safe-conduct leaflets that FEAF aircraft had dropped during the airborne operation. Helicopters evacuated only sixty-eight injured personnel from the drop zone. One C-119, possibly hit by enemy bullets, caught fire and crashed on the way back.
1965 – America's first two-person space flight began as Gemini 3 blasted off from Cape Kennedy with astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young aboard. Gemini 3 completed 3 orbits in 4 hours., 53 minutes at an altitude of 224 km. Recovery was by helicopters from USS Intrepid (CVS-11).
2003 – In the 5th day of Operation Iraqi Freedom US-led warplanes and helicopters attacked Republican Guard units defending Baghdad while ground troops advanced to within 50 miles of the Iraqi capital. Pres. Bush put a $75 billion price tag on a down payment for the war. The 507th Maintenance Company was ambushed after it made a wrong turn into Nasiriya; 11 soldiers were killed, seven were captured. US and Iraqi officials say that Iraqi troops have halted an advance by US forces up the Euphrates river, engaging them in battle near the city of Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad. Iraqi state television says that an official of Iraq's ruling Baath party has been killed in the fighting.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
PURLING, ANDREW B.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, 2d Maine Cavalry. Place and date: At Evergreen, Ala., 23 March 1865. Entered service at: Maine. Birth: Cranberry Isles, Maine. Date of issue: 10 September 1897. Citation: Advanced alone in the darkness beyond the picket line, came upon 3 of the enemy, fired upon them (his fire being returned), wounded 2, and captured the whole party.
CARTER, EDWARD A., JR.
Rank: Staff Sergeant. Citation: For extraordinary heroism in action on 23 March 1945, near Speyer, Germany. When the tank on which he was riding received heavy bazooka and small arms fire, Sergeant Carter voluntarily attempted to lead a three-man group across an open field. Within a short time, two of his men were killed and the third seriously wounded. Continuing on alone, he was wounded five times and finally forced to take cover. As eight enemy riflemen attempted to capture him, Sergeant Carter killed six of them and captured the remaining two. He then crossed the field using as a shield his two prisoners from which he obtained valuable information concerning the disposition of enemy troops. Staff Sergeant Carter's extraordinary heroism was an inspiration to the officers and men of the Seventh Army Infantry Company Number 1 (Provisional) and exemplify the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.
FITZMAURICE, MICHAEL JOHN
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Troop D, 2d Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Khe Sanh, Republic of Vietnam, 23 March 1971. Entered service at: Jamestown, N. Dak. Born: 9 March 1950, Jamestown, N. Dak . Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Fitzmaurice, 3d Platoon, Troop D, distinguished himself at Khe Sanh. Sp4c. Fitzmaurice and 3 fellow soldiers were occupying a bunker when a company of North Vietnamese sappers infiltrated the area. At the onset of the attack Sp4c. Fitzmaurice observed 3 explosive charges which had been thrown into the bunker by the enemy. Realizing the imminent danger to his comrades, and with complete disregard for his personal safety, he hurled 2 of the charges out of the bunker. He then threw his flak vest and himself over the remaining charge. By this courageous act he absorbed the blast and shielded his fellow-soldiers. Although suffering from serious multiple wounds and partial loss of sight, he charged out of the bunker, and engaged the enemy until his rifle was damaged by the blast of an enemy hand grenade. While in search of another weapon, Sp4c. Fitzmaurice encountered and overcame an enemy sapper in hand-to-hand combat. Having obtained another weapon, he returned to his original fighting position and inflicted additional casualties on the attacking enemy. Although seriously wounded, Sp4c. Fitzmaurice refused to be medically evacuated, preferring to remain at his post. Sp4c. Fitzmaurice's extraordinary heroism in action at the risk of his life contributed significantly to the successful defense of the position and resulted in saving the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers. These acts of heroism go above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect great credit on Sp4c. Fitzmaurice and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 23, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
23 March
1903: First patent on the Wright Brothers' airplane, based on their 1902 glider, filed in America. It was not issued until 22 May 1906. (12)
1921: Lt A. G. Hamilton parachuted from 23,700 feet at Chanute Field. (24)
1951: Operation TOMAHAWK. In the Korean War's second airborne operation, and the largest to date in one day, 120 USAF transports dropped more than 3,400 troops and 220 tons of materiel behind enemy lines at Munsan-ni, Korea. (21)
1958: The US Navy accomplished the first underwater test firing of a dummy Polaris missile, using a pop-up launcher, near San Clemente Island, off Los Angeles. (16)
1959: TAC started its DEW Line Extension (Eastern) supply mission, when a C-130 made the first ski-equipped landing on Dye 2 Station on Greenland's west coast near the Arctic Circle. (11)
1964: The GAM-72A Quail missile made its first operational test flight (nicknamed Shotgun) at Eglin AFB. (6)
1965: GEMINI III. The US manned space program's second phase began. In the "Molly Brown,"launched by an Air Force Atlas missile from the Air Force Eastern Test Range at Patrick AFB, Fla., astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and John Young (USN) orbited Earth three times. They achieved the first two-man flight, first manual orbit change, and first reentry control by an astronaut. The astronauts returned to earth after 4 hours 53 minutes in space. Grissom also became the first man to go into space a second time. (4) (21) SECDEF Robert McNamara approved development of the SRAM. (6)
1970: The first A-7D trainer went to the 310 TFTS at Luke AFB, Ariz. (5)
1977: Contractors completed the Minuteman integrated program of modifications on Wing VI at Grand Forks AFB. (6)
1978: Capt Sandra M. Scott, KC-135 pilot with the 904 AREFS at Mather AFB, Calif., was the first female pilot to perform SAC alert duty. (1) (8)
1979: NASA brought space shuttle orbiter 102 from Edwards AFB to Cape Canaveral. (5) 1983: B-1A No. 2 (modified for the B-1B effort) flew its first flight at Edwards AFB to begin the flight test program. (3) (12)
1999: An AFFTC test team successfully released an AGM-154 JSOW for the USAF the first time at the Edwards AFB Precision Impact Range Area. The weapon impacted well within its boundaries. (The Navy received the weapon in 1998) (3)
2005: The USAF received its last and seventeenth E-8C Joint STARS aircraft. All E-8Cs were assigned to the blended ANG/USAF 116th Air Control Wing (ACW) at Robins AFB, Ga. (32)
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World News for 23 March thanks to Military Periscope
Please see attachment
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