Good Thursday Morning April 1.
I hope that your week has been going well. Hard to believe that a quarter of the year has gone by already.
Regards,
Skip.
This Day In Naval History – April 1
1893
Navy General Order 409 establishes the rate of Chief Petty Officer.
1899
A landing party of 60 men from USS Philadelphia (C 4) and a force of 100 friendly natives join 62 men from HMS Porpoise and Royal Isle in Samoa to establish order over Samoan throne.
1943
USS Shad (SS 235) torpedoes and damages the Italian blockade runner Pietro Orseolo, shortly after the Italian ship reaches the Bay of Biscay and her escort of four German destroyers.
1945
Under heavy naval gunfire and aircraft support, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps troops begin the invasion of Okinawa, the last major amphibious assault of World War II.
1967 - Helicopter squadron HAL 3 activated at Vung Tau
1991
USS Marvin Shields (FF 1066) arrives at her home port of San Diego, Calif. She is the first West Coast ship to return to CONUS from Operation Desert Storm.
2007
The last US Navy T-2C Buckeye, assigned to VX-20, retires to Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• Trade press reported on air operations conducted by the Ike CSG in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
• National and trade press reported about the Pentagon's release of an updated policy regarding transgender military service.
• The Hill published an OpEd on the importance of a strong naval force by Rep. Luria
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This day in World history April 1
0408 Theodosius II succeeds to the throne of Constantinople.
1308 King Albert is murdered by his nephew John, because he refused his share of the Habsburg lands.
1486 Christopher Columbus convinces Queen Isabella to fund expedition to the West Indies.
1805 The state of Virginia passes a law requiring all freed slaves to leave the state, or risk either imprisonment or deportation.
1863 The Battle of Chancellorsville begins as Union General Joe Hooker starts his three-pronged attack against Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
1867 Reconstruction in the South begins with black voter registration.
1877 President Rutherford B. Hayes withdraws all Federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.
1898 The U.S. Navy under Commodore George Dewey defeats the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines.
1915 The British luxury liner Lusitania leaves New York Harbor for a voyage to Europe. A week later it would be torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat.
1927 Adolf Hitler holds his first Nazi meeting in Berlin.
1931 The Empire State Building opens in New York.
1934 The Philippine legislature accepts a U.S. proposal for independence.
1937 President Franklin Roosevelt signs an act of neutrality, keeping the United States out of World War II.
1944 The Messerschmitt Me 262, the first combat jet, makes its first flight.
1945 Martin Bormann, private secretary to Adolf Hitler, escapes the Führerbunker as the Red Army advances on Berlin.
1948 North Korea is established.
1950 Gwendolyn Brooks becomes the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for her book of poetry called Annie Allen.
1960 Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane is shot down over Russia.
1961 Fidel Castro announces there will be no more elections in Cuba.
1968 In the second day of battle, U.S. Marines, with the support of naval fire, continue their attack on a North Vietnamese Division at Dai Do. See the article below On Capt Jay Vargas and his Medal of Honor at the battle Of Dai Do
1970 Students from Kent State University riot in downtown Kent, Ohio, in protest of the American invasion of Cambodia.
1986 The Tass News Agency reports the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.
2011 Osama Bin Laden is killed in Abbottabad Pakistan by US Navy SEALS in Operation Neptune Spear.
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http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html
April Fools' Day: Origin and History
The uncertain origins of a foolish day
by David Johnson and Shmuel Ross
April Fools' Day, sometimes called All Fools' Day, is one of the most light-hearted days of the year. Its origins are uncertain. Some see it as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons, while others believe it stems from the adoption of a new calendar.
New Year's Day Moves
Ancient cultures, including those of the Romans and Hindus, celebrated New Year's Day on or around April 1. It closely follows the vernal equinox (March 20th or March 21st.) In medieval times, much of Europe celebrated March 25, the Feast of Annunciation, as the beginning of the new year.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar called for New Year's Day to be celebrated Jan. 1. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year's day to Jan. 1. According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on "fool's errands" or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventually, the practice spread throughout Europe.
Problems With This Explanation
There are at least two difficulties with this explanation. The first is that it doesn't fully account for the spread of April Fools' Day to other European countries. The Gregorian calendar was not adopted by England until 1752, for example, but April Fools' Day was already well established there by that point. The second is that we have no direct historical evidence for this explanation, only conjecture, and that conjecture appears to have been made more recently.
Constantine and Kugel
Another explanation of the origins of April Fools' Day was provided by Joseph Boskin, a professor of history at Boston University. He explained that the practice began during the reign of Constantine, when a group of court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor that they could do a better job of running the empire. Constantine, amused, allowed a jester named Kugel to be king for one day. Kugel passed an edict calling for absurdity on that day, and the custom became an annual event.
"In a way," explained Prof. Boskin, "it was a very serious day. In those times fools were really wise men. It was the role of jesters to put things in perspective with humor."
This explanation was brought to the public's attention in an Associated Press article printed by many newspapers in 1983. There was only one catch: Boskin made the whole thing up. It took a couple of weeks for the AP to realize that they'd been victims of an April Fools' joke themselves.
Spring Fever
It is worth noting that many different cultures have had days of foolishness around the start of April, give or take a couple of weeks. The Romans had a festival named Hilaria on March 25, rejoicing in the resurrection of Attis. The Hindu calendar has Holi, and the Jewish calendar has Purim. Perhaps there's something about the time of year, with its turn from winter to spring, that lends itself to lighthearted celebrations.
Observances Around the World
April Fools' Day is observed throughout the Western world. Practices include sending someone on a "fool's errand," looking for things that don't exist; playing pranks; and trying to get people to believe ridiculous things.
The French call April 1 Poisson d'Avril, or "April Fish." French children sometimes tape a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates, crying "Poisson d'Avril" when the prank is discovered.
10 things you might not know about April Fools' Day
March 28, 2010|By Mark Jacob and Stephan Benzkofer
We're just a few days from April 1, a notorious time for hoaxes. We could have waited, but we figured you might not trust these 10 facts if they were printed on April Fools' Day. All indeed are true. Really. No kidding. We promise.
1 The origin of April Fools' Day may be lost to history. One theory centers on people confused by the transition to the Gregorian calendar, but even before that time, there were April Fools'-like hoaxes. In 1983, Boston University professor Joseph Boskin said the practice began when court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor Constantine that they could do a better job than he does, and Constantine made one of them king for a day. Many newspapers picked up Boskin's story — which was an April Fools' Day joke.
2 Ranked by the Museum of Hoaxes as the best April Fools' prank ever was a 1957 BBC report about Switzerland experiencing an early spaghetti harvest. The television show included video of peasants pulling spaghetti from trees and explained that a uniform length for the spaghetti had been achieved through expert cultivation. The BBC got hundreds of phone calls, with most callers asking serious questions, such as where could they buy spaghetti trees.
3 Oh, those Brits. Astronomer Patrick Moore told BBC Radio 2 on April 1, 1976, that the alignment of the planets Pluto and Jupiter would cause a temporary decrease in Earth's gravity at 9:47 a.m. If people jumped in the air at that time, Moore said, they would float for a short while. Indeed, many listeners called the station to say they had floated.
4 Most people know they need to read the Web with a healthy skepticism, but that doesn't mean hoaxes about the Internet don't catch the unwary. In 1994, PC Computing magazine wrote that Congress was considering a bill making it illegal to surf the Internet while drunk. The outcry was great enough that Sen. Edward Kennedy was forced to deny being the sponsor of the nonexistent legislation. In 1996, an e-mail, purportedly from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, informed people that the Internet would be shut down for a day for spring cleaning. The day that users were told to disconnect computers? April 1.
5 In 1997, newspaper readers found chaos on the comic pages. Billy from "Family Circus" was joking with Dilbert. The "Family Circus" mom sported a Dilbert boss-like pointy hairdo. What was going on? The Great Comic Switcheroo. Urged on by "Baby Blues" creators Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, more than 40 cartoonists swapped strips for the day. Among the other switches: Blondie and Garfield, and Shoe and Beetle Bailey.
6 Chicago's WXRT-FM 93.1 has a history of April Fools' hoaxes going back to the 1970s. In 1980, the station promoted the Mayor Jane Byrne April Fool Fest on Navy Pier. On a warm spring day, hundreds of people showed up at what was then a rather derelict padlocked Navy Pier to hear live music, despite the fact that some of the promised artists were dead. In 1998, the station announced it had been purchased by Playboy, was changing the call letters to XXXRT and was touting itself as True Adult Radio. Outraged listeners not only bombarded the station with calls, but also Playboy.
7 Chicago's downtown streets devolved into gantlets of tomfoolery in the 1880s and 1890s when armies of newsboys gathered to harass and taunt passers-by. In 1880, the Tribune reported that one ingenious youngster created a wooden apparatus that chalked the words "April Fool" when tapped lightly on a victim's back.
8 Australian businessman Dick Smith had long discussed his plans to tow an iceberg from Antarctica into Sydney Harbor so he could sell especially pure ice cubes to the public for 10 cents apiece. So when a barge towed a huge white object into the harbor on April 1, 1978, Sydney residents got excited. But then it rained, which dissolved the faux berg — a giant mound of firefighting foam and shaving cream that had been piled on sheets of white plastic.
9 On April 1, 1998, Burger King took out a full-page ad in USA Today to announce a fast-food breakthrough: the Left-handed Whopper. It featured the same ingredients as the regular Whopper, except the condiments were rotated 180 degrees. According to Burger King, thousands of customers requested the new burger, and others asked for a right-handed version.
10 Among the true things that have happened in April 1: The first speaker of the House was elected (1789); American forces landed on Okinawa (1945); the first U.S. weather satellite was launched (1960); and Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple (1976). Born on April 1, 1929, were Czech author Milan Kundera ("The Unbearable Lightness of Being") and University of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler ("The Unbearable Heaviness of Losing to Ohio State").
Mark Jacob is the Tribune's editor in charge of putting in commas. Stephan Benzkofer takes out commas for the Tribune.
Sources: museumofhoaxes.com, snopes.com, infoplease.com, The Independent of London, St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press, babyblues.com, WXRT-FM 93.1, and Tribune news services.
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Thanks to Marcus
PRC F-8 and EP-3 dogfight!
12 years ago an EP-3 bagged a PRC F-8 in the first air-to-air kill in a PRC/US dogfight. The EP-3 knocked down one of their best interceptor pilots
The EP-3 collision: 2001 and 201? - Asia Sentinel
R/Hawk.
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Thanks to Rabbit who says
Thought these might lighten the mood on the List.
Rabbit
1. The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi. 2. I thought I saw an eye - doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian. 3. She was only a whisky - maker, but he loved her still. 4. A rubber - band pistol was confiscated from an algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption. 5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery. 6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering. 7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart. 8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie. 9. A hole has been found in the nudist - camp wall. The police are looking into it. 10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. 11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization. 12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.' 13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me. 14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.' 15. The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large. 16. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran. 17. A backward poet writes inverse. 18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes. 19 . When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion. 20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine. 21. A vulture carrying two dead raccoons boards an airplane. The stewardess looks at him and says, 'I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.' 22. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says , 'Dam!' 23. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too. 24. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The other says , 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.' 25. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root - canal? His goal: transcend dental medication. 26. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did. |
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Great advice for all of us Thanks to Carl for passing it on…skip
(Good common sense fitness advice for "mature" people in an email newsletter!)
April 1, 2021
In this newsletter . . .
Fitness Longevity
A while ago, Scientific American* published an article suggesting that living longer doesn't necessarily mean living better. It's a lesson learned from the tiny roundworm called C. elegans, a common workhorse in basic biology lab work.
Here's the story.
Researchers gathered two groups of roundworms. One group was put on a calorie-restricted diet, the other not. What they found was they could extend the lifespan of the worms on a very low calorie diet. But the "health-span" — that is the period of worm fitness and health — was the same in both groups. In other words, the extended lifespan did not come with extended fitness and health. The longer-living worms spent the extended period of their lives in a diminished state — with less mobility and stress resistance.
Of course aging worms are not aging people. But if the findings do extend to people, as some scientists suspect, then life-extension efforts may not result in a better old age, just more years of frailty. How much life extension would any of us want if the added years were to be spent in a nursing home?
The challenge.
Jack LaLanne used to say he didn't care so much how long he lived (though he was active in his 90s and died at 96). What he most cared about was his quality of life while he lived. We can't all be Jack LaLanne, but there are lessons to be learned.
The purpose of following a fitness lifestyle evolves as we age. As young people who worked-out, our thrust may have been to develop great strength, or tremendous endurance, or even body perfection. To some extent, such objectives may remain as seniors; but to a much lesser degree, I would think. More important, our primary objective as we age should be to extend our health-span. That is, to stay as fit and healthy as possible for as long as possible.
Here is where resistance exercise comes in: free weights, machines, and/or resistance bands are the antidote to decrepitude. A primary culprit in old age is the withering of muscle that robs the elderly of strength and, eventually, their independence. While resistance training, along with some cardiovascular work and flexibility movements, preserve the quality of youth like nothing else.
Discover more about the miracle of resistance exercise here.
Stay healthy. Stay fit.
Logan
*Founded in 1845, Scientific American is the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. It is a leading source for science, technology information and policy for a general audience.
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Thanks to Dutch
Enemy number 1
China already controls all the sea lanes through the South China Sea and they directly threaten the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia, thanks to Obama's fecklessness - Dutch
Addressing, and strengthening, the weaknesses of the U.S. military
The Defense Department identifies the People's Republic of China as the No. 1 strategic competitor
By Brandon Weichert
The United States is going to lose the next major war. That's what the U.S. Navy's top enlisted sailor, Senior Chief Gunner's Mate Norman Mingo, assessed about the Navy's tactical capabilities. According to him, "The Navy is prepared for inspections, not war."
Norman Mingo's analysis is hardly unique these days.
In fact, across the United States armed forces there's a collection of disturbing reports indicating breakdowns in training, practices, standards and capabilities — all of which could result in America getting beaten by one of its great power rivals in war. The Department of Defense has rightly identified the People's Republic of China as the No. 1 near-peer strategic competitor that the United States will face in the years ahead. Already, China's seemingly inexorable rise has disrupted the international order. As China continues to exert its increased power and influence around the world, conflicts between itself and the existing superpower, the United States, are coming to the fore.
China's National People's Congress (NPC) recently announced Beijing's intention to increase China's defense spending by 6.8% and to focus their society and economy on becoming the dominant technology and economic power over the next decade. Beyond that, China's autocratic President Xi Jinping asserted that his military "must be prepared to respond to difficult situations." Mr. Xi further articulated China's need for "high-level strategic deterrence and a joint combat system."
China's threat to the United States and its allies is only increasing. This, at a time when the United States appears unable to respond to China's growing challenge.
"The United States does not have the qualifi cation to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength," crowed China's Politburo member, Yang Jiechi, to the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a recent, contentious summit between delegates from China and the United States in Alaska.
The U.S. military is at one of its weakest points in history.
America's armed forces are unable to adequately defeat terrorists or to extricate itself from Afghanistan — after 20 years. The U.S. military has not deterred either North Korea or Iran in their mad quest to acquire nuclear weapons with which to threaten their neighbors. Meanwhile, the Defense Department cannot contain either China or Russia. American forces are spread thin throughout the world, being pushed to their breaking point. Military suicides are up, too. There's much strain being placed on the military's equipment. Further, Congress refuses to do anything about this sad state of affairs.
This is what a spent force looks like.
tBut what happens if U.S. forces can't get close enough to where the fighting takes place?
Beijing has invested heavily in weapons systems that could prevent the United States military
Should a conflict erupt between the United States and China, it is believed that the first battles will be waged in the seas nearest to China's shores.
from using force against their territory in what's known as "Anti-Access/ Area-Denial" (A2/AD) capabilities. China's military has also developed a radical strategy for denying the Americans access to critical satellite constellations in what's known as "counterspace" capabilities. China also has long-range ballistic missiles capable of tracking and destroying US Navy aircraft carriers.
According to a 2020 report, U.S. Navy shipyards are unable to meet the Navy's demand for building at least three Virginiaclass submarines per year. In any war with China, most strategists believe that submarines will play a decisive role. Yet, the Navy does not have enough of them nor can the Navy build enough submarines.
It's not only the Navy that is struggling. The Air Force has sunk more than $1 trillion over a decade on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter which continues to prove that it was not worthy of the massive investment. The Army can't win the ground wars it fights anymore. The newly formed Space Force, which was intended to prevent a space Pearl Harbor, has yet to develop effective countermeasures for protecting America's satellites — or for threatening the satellites of America's enemies.
The Biden administration must quickly address these wellknown weaknesses of the U.S. military. Mr.
Biden's team must work with Congress to strengthen those weaknesses at all costs. America cannot wait to address these glaring military weaknesses. After all, weakness is provocative whereas strength deters. The more enfeebled America appears to its rivals, the more likely that war will begin — and the more likely it is that U.S. forces will be defeated.
Great powers like the United States don't stay great if their rivals think America can be beaten. Why else would China act as they've been? Let's not find out if China is right.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
Thursday, 1 April 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
ROLLING THUNDER JOURNAL post for 1 April 1966...
From the archives of http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com
"Unity of Command—or Not"...
http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/subject-rolling-thunder-remembered-1-april-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 April 1
1945 – On Okinawa, American forces launch Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa. Two corps of the US 10th Army (General Buckner) land in the area of Hagushi, in the southwest of the island. US Task Force 51 (Admiral Turner) provides the 1,200 transports and landing ships including seven Coast Guard-manned transports, 29 LSTs, the cutters Bibb and Woodbine, and 12 LCI(L)s, with over 450,000 Army and Marine Corps personnel embarked. The troops landed are from US 3rd Amphibious Corps (Geiger) with US 6th and 1st Marine Divisions, on the left or northern flank, and 24th Corps (Hodge) with US 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions, on the right or southern flank. On land, US forces encounter almost no resistance on the first day and establish a beachhead three miles deep and nine miles wide. (Okinawa is 70 miles long and a maximum of 10 miles wide.) Kadena and Yontan airfields are captured. Japanese forces on the island, consisting of the 130,000 troops of the Japanese 32nd Army (General Ushijima), are entrenched in concealed positions and caves, mostly to the south of the American landing area along the Shuri Line. (There are also 450,000 civilians on the island.) At sea, US TF58 and TF54 as well as the British Pacific Fleet conduct air and naval bombardments. Japanese conventional and Kamikaze air strikes hit the battleship USS West Virginia, and the carrier, HMS Indomitable, along with eight other ships.
It will take 82 brutal days to secure the Island…skip
1952 – Air Force Colonel Francis S. Gabreski, flying his F-86 Sabre "Gabby" out of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, became the eighth ace of the Korean War and the third ranking U.S. ace of all time. Colonel Gabreski achieved a total of 37.5 aerial victories, including five in Korea. Air Force F-86 Sabres scored their second greatest victory of the war, shooting down 10 MiGs confirmed with two others probable.
1954 – U.S. Air Force Academy was founded in Colorado. President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill authorizing the establishment of an Air Force Academy, similar to West Point and Annapolis. On July 11, 1955, the first class was sworn in at Lowry Air Force Base. The academy moved to a permanent site near Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1958.
My dad was stationed at Lowry for a few months and I got to tour the AF Acadamy with my class. I remember going into a lab where they were experimenting with lasers. Very cool. Also went to Colorado Springs and saw the new academy under construction. The church was being built and was very impressive…..Skip
1972 – Following three days of the heaviest artillery and rocket bombardment of the war, between 12,000 and 15,000 soldiers of Hanoi's 304th Division–supported by tanks, artillery, and antiaircraft units equipped with surface-to-air missiles–sweep across the Demilitarized Zone. They routed the South Vietnamese 3rd Division and drove them toward their rear bases. This attack was the opening move of the North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive (later called the "Easter Offensive"), a massive invasion by North Vietnamese forces designed to strike the blow that would win them the war. The attacking force included 14 infantry divisions and 26 separate regiments, with more than 120,000 troops and approximately 1,200 tanks and other armored vehicles. The main North Vietnamese objectives, in addition to Quang Tri in the north, were Kontum in the Central Highlands, and An Loc farther to the south. North Vietnam had a number of objectives in launching the offensive: impressing the communist world and its own people with its determination; capitalizing on U.S. antiwar sentiment and possibly hurting President Richard Nixon's chances for re-election; proving that "Vietnamization" was a failure; damaging the South Vietnamese forces and government stability; gaining as much territory as possible before a possible truce; and accelerating negotiations on their own terms. Initially, the South Vietnamese defenders were almost overwhelmed, particularly in the northernmost provinces, where they abandoned their positions in Quang Tri and fled south in the face of the enemy onslaught. At Kontum and An Loc, the South Vietnamese were more successful in defending against the attacks, but only after weeks of bitter fighting. Although the South Vietnamese suffered heavy casualties, they managed to hold their own with the aid of U.S. advisors and American airpower. Fighting continued all over South Vietnam into the summer months, but eventually the South Vietnamese forces prevailed against the invaders and retook Quang Tri in September. With the communist invasion blunted, President Nixon declared that the South Vietnamese victory proved the viability of his Vietnamization program, instituted in 1969 to increase the combat capability of the South Vietnamese armed forces.
1975 – More than half of South Vietnam's territory is now controlled by the North. Communist forces begin the envelopment of Saigon, coming in from the south, threatening Highway 4, Saigon's connection ot the Mekong Delta.
1982 – The U.S. transferred the Canal Zone to Panama.
2001 – A US Navy EP-3 surveillance plane with 24 aboard collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea and was forced to land on China's Hainan island. The fighter jet crashed. Chinese pilot Wang Wei parachuted out of his F-8 jet but had not been found. Zhao Yu, a 2nd pilot, later blamed the US plane banked and hit Wei's plane.
2002 – A SF Court of Appeals ordered the US government to pay out millions of dollars in retroactive disability benefits to Vietnam veterans with prostate cancer, who were exposed to Agent Orange.
2002 – Eight Army soldiers and two Air Force pararescuers are killed when an Army MH-47 Special Forces Chinook helicopter crashes in the southern Philippines, in the ocean waters just off the coast of the south-central city of Dumaguete.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BEIKIRCH, GARY B.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Place and date: Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 1 April 1970. Entered service at: Buffalo, N.Y. Born: 29 August 1947, Rochester, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Beikirch, medical aidman, Detachment B-24, Company B, distinguished himself during the defense of Camp Dak Seang. The allied defenders suffered a number of casualties as a result of an intense, devastating attack launched by the enemy from well-concealed positions surrounding the camp. Sgt. Beikirch, with complete disregard for his personal safety, moved unhesitatingly through the withering enemy fire to his fallen comrades, applied first aid to their wounds and assisted them to the medical aid station. When informed that a seriously injured American officer was lying in an exposed position, Sgt. Beikirch ran immediately through the hail of fire. Although he was wounded seriously by fragments from an exploding enemy mortar shell, Sgt. Beikirch carried the officer to a medical aid station. Ignoring his own serious injuries, Sgt. Beikirch left the relative safety of the medical bunker to search for and evacuate other men who had been injured. He was again wounded as he dragged a critically injured Vietnamese soldier to the medical bunker while simultaneously applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to sustain his life. Sgt. Beikirch again refused treatment and continued his search for other casualties until he collapsed. Only then did he permit himself to be treated. Sgt. Beikirch's complete devotion to the welfare of his comrades, at the risk of his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
LEMON, PETER C.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company E, 2d Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. place and date: Tay Ninh province, Republic of Vietnam, 1 April 1970. Entered service at: Tawas City, Mich. Born: 5 June 1950, Toronto, Canada. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Lemon (then Sp4c.), Company E, distinguished himself while serving as an assistant machine gunner during the defense of Fire Support Base Illingworth. When the base came under heavy enemy attack, Sgt. Lemon engaged a numerically superior enemy with machine gun and rifle fire from his defensive position until both weapons malfunctioned. He then used hand grenades to fend off the intensified enemy attack launched in his direction. After eliminating all but 1 of the enemy soldiers in the immediate vicinity, he pursued and disposed of the remaining soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Despite fragment wounds from an exploding grenade, Sgt. Lemon regained his position, carried a more seriously wounded comrade to an aid station, and, as he returned, was wounded a second time by enemy fire. Disregarding his personal injuries, he moved to his position through a hail of small arms and grenade fire. Sgt. Lemon immediately realized that the defensive sector was in danger of being overrun by the enemy and unhesitatingly assaulted the enemy soldiers by throwing hand grenades and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. He was wounded yet a third time, but his determined efforts successfully drove the enemy from the position. Securing an operable machine gun, Sgt. Lemon stood atop an embankment fully exposed to enemy fire, and placed effective fire upon the enemy until he collapsed from his multiple wounds and exhaustion. After regaining consciousness at the aid station, he refused medical evacuation until his more seriously wounded comrades had been evacuated. Sgt. Lemon's gallantry and extraordinary heroism, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for April 1, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1 April
1918: American Aviation Headquarters opened in Rome, Italy, and a definite agreement made with the Italians for training of American pilots. (24)
1941: The US and Mexico signed an agreement providing for reciprocal transit of military aircraft through the territory of the two countries. (24)
1942: Air Corps Proving Ground became Proving Ground Command with its main base at Eglin Field.
1945: BATTLE OF OKINAWA. The Tenth Army's main landing occurred at Okinawa's Hagushi beaches. The Marine III Amphibious Corps landed on the left, and quickly overran Yontan airfield. The Army's XXIV Corps captured Kadena airfield and then turned right and met the main Japanese defensive line, called the Machinato Line. Twentieth Air Force bombers, operating from the Marianas, devoted about 75 percent of their April effort to bombing airfields on Kyushu and Shikoku Islands to diminish the Kamikaze threat. (17)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force Sabre pilots destroyed ten MiGs while losing one F-86. In the battle, Col Francis S. Gabreski, the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing Commander, destroyed a MiG to become the eighth jet ace of the war. (28)
1954: Lt Cmdr Francis X. Brady (USN) caught some strong tail winds and set a transcontinental speed record for jets in an F9F-8 Cougar. He flew the 2,438 miles from San Diego to Brooklyn, N.Y., in 3 hours 45 minutes 30 seconds. (9) (24)
1958: SAC activated its first ICBM squadron, the 576 SMS, for the Atlas missile at Cooke AFB (renamed Vandenberg on 4 October 1958). It had two "soft" launch complexes, one with three gantries and the other with three above ground coffin launchers, for the Atlas D. (6) (12)
1960: From Cape Canaveral the TIROS I, the first picture-taking weather-reconnaissance satellite, launched on a Thor-Able rocket into an orbit expected to last for 50 to 100 years. In the 78-day life of its instruments, the TIROS transmitted almost 23,000 pictures. (21) (24) SAC activated its first Atlas E squadron, the 567 SMS, at Fairchild AFB. (6)
1961: SAC activated its first Atlas F squadrons, the 550 SMS at Schilling AFB, Kans., and 551 SMS at Lincoln AFB, Nebr. (6)
1962: The USAF made the Air Weather Service the single manager for aerial sampling aircraft. (18)
1965: SAC took its last Titan I missiles off alert with the 569 SMS at Mountain Home AFB to complete the operational phaseout of this weapon system. (6)
1966: The last of 14 operational centers comprising the BUIC II dispersed, automatic weapons control system completed for ADC. SAC activated its last Minuteman squadron, the 564 SMS, at Malmstrom AFB. (1) (6)
1968: President Johnson halted the bombing of N. Vietnam above 20 degrees north latitude, changing the bombing line to north of 19 degrees, effective 4 April. He expected North Vietnam to act in good faith and de-escalate. The N. Vietnamese, however, used the halt period for restoration and reconstruction, the reinforcement of air defenses, and the movement of more material and troops to the south. (17)
1970: OCTAVE CHANUTE AWARD. Maj Jerauld R. Gentry received this Award for outstanding achievements as the Air Force's X-24 Lifting Body project officer. (3) SAC placed the command and control of all strategic missiles under Fifteenth Air Force. (16) AFSC combined the Air Force Western Test Range at Vandenberg AFB and two aerospace test wings to form the Space and Missile Test Center under the Space and Missile Organization (SAMSO). (16)
1972: PACAF inactivated the 20 SOS, and its UH-1N helicopter gunships were shipped back to the U.S. (17)
1976: USAFE activated the 527th Tactical Fighter Aggressor Squadron at RAF Alconbury to conduct dissimilar air combat tactics training for fighter and reconnaissance aircrews. (26)
1983: Through 8 April, a MAC C-130 airlifted 34 tons of shelters, medical supplies, generators, and floodlights from Panama to Southwestern Colombia to aid earthquake victims. (16) Through 1 May, the Air Force transferred 31 SAC units and four bases to AFSPACE, which assumed control over missile warning and space surveillance systems. (16) (26)
1985: The Minuteman Integrated Life Extension Program (Rivet Mile) began at the 341 SMW at Malmstrom AFB. (1)
1992: A 437 AW C-141 Starlifter from Charleston AFB dropped 115 barrels of helicopter aviation fuel to a floating American-Russian ice station in Antarctica. The drop allowed the $9 million joint scientific effort to continue its efforts. The C-141 flew 7,000 miles from Charleston AFB to Howard AFB and on to Punta Arenas, Chile, before flying 1,200 nautical miles to the ice flow. A KC-135R from SAC's 340 AREFW at Altus AFB accompanied the Starlifter and provided two refuelings (16) (18)
1997: At Langley AFB, Gen Richard E. Hawley, the ACC Commander, announced the initial operational capability of the 509 BW's B-2A Spirit at Whiteman AFB after earlier, successful tests of the JDAM and the GPS-Aided Munition (GAM). (21) The USAF transferred all operational C-130s from ACC to Air Mobility Command, except for the 314 AW and its C-130 schoolhouse. Those units went to Air Education and Training Command (AETC). (21) The 375 AW at Scott AFB regained control of C-21 flying operations in the US, when the USAF consolidated 8 C-21 units at various bases into two airlift squadrons and one wing. The reorganization standardized C-21 operations with the 458 AS operating from Scott and the 457 AS from Andrews AFB. Each squadron had three airlift flights based at other USAF installations in the US. (22)
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World News for 1 April thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Defense Dept. Unveils New Policies Enabling Transgender People To Serve National Public Radio | 04/01/2021 The Defense Dept. has released new guidelines that will allow transgender Americans to serve, undoing rules implemented by the previous administration, reports NPR News. On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced new policies that allow "access to the military in one's self-identified gender provided all appropriate standards are met." The policies permit servicemembers to transition while in uniform; prevent involuntary discharge solely on the basis of gender identity; and medical treatment and clinical support for those struggling with gender identity issues. The policies will go into effect on April 30. The Defense Dept. statement indicated that servicemembers would be held to the fitness, uniform and grooming standards of the gender that they identify as. President Biden signed an executive order repealing the Trump administration's ban on transgender servicemembers in January and ordered the Pentagon and Dept. of Homeland Security to begin the process of allowing transgender people to serve openly.
USA—Boeing Wins Contract For Another 11 P-8 Patrol Aircraft Dept. of Defense Office of Inspector General | 04/01/2021 The Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Boeing a contract for additional maritime patrol aircraft for the U.S. Navy and Australian air force, reports the Defense Dept. The $1.6 billion contract modification covers nine P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the U.S. Navy and two for Australia, said a Pentagon release on Wednesday. The award brings the total number of U.S. P-8s under contract to 128 and the Australian total to 14, said a Boeing release. Work under the contract is scheduled to conclude in September 2024.
USA—Lawmakers Seek To Fill Vacant Pentagon Posts Faster Politico | 04/01/2021 A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pressuring the Biden administration to quickly fill the remaining top posts at the Pentagon, reports Politico. The Senate has confirmed two Biden picks so far: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. Colin Kahl has been nominated for the undersecretary of defense for policy, but has run into Republican opposition, which has slowed the process. Lawmakers, including Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), told the news site that they want the administration to fill the remaining posts with more urgency, noting that acting personnel cannot provide the same stability as confirmed secretaries. A major hole is the lack of nominees for the military service secretaries, lawmakers said. The Pentagon says that it has filled 100 posts that do not require Senate confirmation. A Pentagon spokesman said that the administration is focused on selecting the proper people to fill the posts. Analysts said that the nomination process is in line with historical trends, noting that the process has continued to take more time since the Kennedy administration in the 1960s.
USA—Tyndall AFB To Host 3 F-35 Squadrons Air Force News Service | 04/01/2021 The Air Force has formally named Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., as the home for three new F-35 squadrons, reports the Air Force News Service. On Monday, the service issued a record of decision establishing Tyndall as an official location for three F-35 squadrons, reported Air Force magazine. In 2018, the Air Force proposed Tyndall as an F-35 base in light of a redesign optimizing it for F-35A operations after it was damaged during Hurricane Michael. On March 19, the service announced that it would abandon plans to station four F-35 squadrons at the base, noted the Air Force Times. Each squadron will consist of 24 jets and will fall under the 325th Fighter Wing. The initial F-35s are scheduled to arrive in September 2023.
Germany—Rheinmetall, Diehl, Hensoldt Team For Air Defense Program Rheinmetall Defence | 04/01/2021 Rheinmetall Electronics, Hensoldt and Diehl Defence have signed an agreement to work together for Germany's short-range air defense program, reports Rheinmetall. The companies have agreed to form an Arbeitsgemeinschaft (ARGE) to submit a tender for the Bundeswehr's future short-range and very short-range air defense system, dubbed LVS NNbS. The partnership plans to offer a low-risk, German solution for the LVS NNbS program that can be quickly fielded through existing commercial components. The ARGE NNbS concept involves proven systems and subsystems, including components already in German service, said Rheinmetall.
Turkey—Police Arrest 26 Defense Industry Personnel On Espionage Charges Ahval News | 04/01/2021 Turkish police arrested more than two dozen former defense industry employees on charges of espionage and belonging to a group that the Turkish government blames for the 2016 coup attempt, reports the Ahval News. On Tuesday, warrants were issued for 26 people in five Turkish provinces, reported Oda TV (Turkey). The suspects were said to be connected to Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has long lived in exile in the U.S., who President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blames for the attempt to overthrow him. An anti-terror court later released seven of the suspects, ruling for the arrest of 19, reported Defense News. Those arrested include 16 former employees of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI; four former employees of defense electronics firm Aselsan; two former employees of military software company Havelsan; two former employees of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK); one former employee of missile-maker Roketsan; and one former employee of the government defense procurement agency, the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) (formerly the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, SSM). Turkish intelligence and police said the suspects had been under surveillance since 2020 on suspicion of influencing defense programs and contracts in exchange for bribes. The prosecutor's office said they had shared confidential data and information about project resources, pricing, technical specifications and contractual progress to foreign defense companies. No specific programs were named. At least 120,000 people have been fired for alleged links to Gulen and thousands have been arrested since 2016.
South Korea—Defense Committee Approves Purchase Of More Attack Helicopters Yonhap | 04/01/2021 A South Korean defense committee has approved a project to acquire three dozen new attack helicopters, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). The defense project promotion committee has authorized plans to acquire 36 attack aircraft from a foreign supplier by 2028 under a US$2.1 billion budget, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said on Wednesday. This is the second phase of a program in which South Korea acquired 36 AH-64E Apache choppers from 2012 to 2021. The approval enables DAPA to begin the process to select a helicopter and contractor, an agency official said. Separately, the committee approved plans to develop a domestic minesweeping helicopter based on the indigenous Marineon aircraft. The US$750 million project is expected to begin next year and run through 2030.
Taiwan—Military To Buy Enhanced Patriot Interceptors Central News Agency | 04/01/2021 The Taiwanese military has decided to buy advanced interceptors for its Patriot air and missile defense systems, reports the Central News Agency (Taipei). A Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND) report made public on Wednesday said that the military had elected to purchase PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors for delivery in 2025 and 2026. The new missiles are expected to be fielded by the end of 2026, the ministry said. The report did not disclose the cost of the purchase. The PAC-3 MSE provides more maneuverability, improving performance against fast, sophisticated ballistic and cruise missiles, according to the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. Taiwan upgraded its PAC-2 air defense systems to the PAC-3 configuration and procured new PAC-3 systems, all of which were delivered by 2017 and have since been fielded.
Australia—Defense Dept. Looking To Accelerate Missile Program With U.S. Bloomberg News | 04/01/2021 Australia is working with the U.S. to accelerate a guided-missile program, reports Bloomberg News. On Wednesday, Defense Minister Peter Dutton said that Australia was working closely with partners in the U.S. to rapidly advance a US$761 million project to create a sovereign guided-missile program. In November, Australia and the U.S. finalized an agreement to develop and test long-range hypersonic cruise missiles under the 15-year Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE) program. The U.S. has been discussing deploying medium-range missiles with its allies in Asia to help counter China's growing nuclear arsenal, the Nikkei Asian Review reported in August.
Philippines—Military Identifies Illegal Construction In EEZ In S. China Sea Philippine News Agency | 04/01/2021 A Philippine military patrol has detected new manmade structures in the disputed Spratly Islands within Manila's exclusive economic zone, reports the state-run Philippine News Agency. During a maritime patrol on Tuesday, the military discovered illegal structures on the Union (Pagkakaisa) Banks, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the Philippine military chief, said on Thursday. "The laws of the sea gives the Philippines indisputable and exclusive rights over the area. These constructions and other activities, economic or otherwise, are prejudicial to peace, good order, and security of our territorial waters," the general said. The Union Banks are west of the Whitsun (Juan Felipe) Reef, where about 220 Chinese fishing vessels have amassed since March 7, and about 120 nm (230 km) west of the Philippine coast. Manila maintains that those vessels were crewed by Chinese maritime militia and were not engaged in fishing. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Philippine counterpart, Hermogenes Esperon, discussed the ongoing standoff by phone on Wednesday, reported Reuters.
India—Police Officer Killed In Attack On BJP Leader's House Free Press Kashmir | 04/01/2021 A police officer has been killed in an attack on the residence of a district leader of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir, reports the Free Press Kashmir. On Thursday, gunmen opened fire on a guard post at the residence of Anwar Ahmad in the Nowgam area of Srinagar, said police. Ahmad is the district general secretary for the BJP in the Baramulla municipality of Jammu and Kashmir and in charge of Kupwara district. The politician was not present during the attack, reported the Hindu (Chennai). A police officer guarding the residence was shot during the encounter. He later succumbed to his wounds in the hospital. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the assault.
India—Navy Plans To Lease Of Utility Helos Amid Stalled Procurement Project The Print | 04/01/2021 The Indian navy plans to lease new utility helicopters for its warships as part of efforts to replace aging Chetak aircraft, reports the Print (New Delhi). After plans to buy 111 utility helicopters stalled, the service decided to lease new helicopters for two years to meet immediate requirements. The helicopters are expected to be employed for missions including search-and-rescue, casualty evacuation and low-intensity maritime security operations. The navy launched a market research effort in October involving more than a dozen Indian and international firms, defense industry sources said. After receiving responses, the navy is now putting together a detailed request for information that will soon be sent to original equipment manufacturers. The program will involve new-build helicopters and is expected to include significant investment in maintenance and repair facilities. Airbus, offering its AS 565MBe Panther helicopter, is considered the front-runner for both the lease and procurement programs, although navy sources say that it is too early to speculate.
Saudi Arabia—3rd Al Jubail-Class Corvette Launched In Spain Navantia | 04/01/2021 Spanish shipuilder Navantia says it has launched the third of five corvettes ordered by the Saudi navy. On Sunday, the Hail was floated at Navantia's shipyard in San Fernando, the shipbuilder said in a release. The launch ceremony originally scheduled for Tuesday was canceled due to anticipated strong winds. The Hail is slated for delivery in December 2022. In November 2018, Saudi Arabia ordered five Al Jubail-class (Avante 2200) corvettes under the Sarawat naval program, reported the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The fifth and final ship is due for delivery in 2024.
Ethiopia—30 Killed In Attack In Oromia Region Reuters | 04/01/2021 At least 30 civilians have been killed in an attack in western Ethiopia, reports Reuters. On Tuesday, unknown assailants attacked a village in the West Wollega zone in the Oromia region, said a witness. The victims were members of the Amhara community, he said. At least 15 people were injured in the assault. One resident of the Babo-Gembel district told Agence France-Presse that the attackers forced civilians to gather in a group before shooting them. Local officials blamed the attack on a splinter group of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), known as OLF Shane or the Oromo Liberation Army. The OLF denied involvement in the attack. The Oromo and Amhara are Ethiopia's largest and second-largest ethnic groups, respectively. Intercommunal violence is common.
Democratic Republic of the Congo—ICC Rejects Appeal By Convicted Warlord Voice Of America News | 04/01/2021 The International Criminal Court has dismissed an appeal by a former Congolese warlord, upholding his convictions for rape, murder and crimes against humanity, reports the Voice of America News. On Tuesday, the court in The Hague rejected claims by lawyers representing Bosco Ntaganda that legal errors had affected the outcome of his case. The judges rejected the appeal in its entirety, which had alleged significant legal errors throughout the trial, reported Reuters. Ntaganda was a leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots, a militant group active in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of Congo during ethnic conflict there in 2002 and 2003. In 2019, he was found guilty of 18 counts of war crimes that included murder, rape, sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers. The 47-year-old was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In March, the ICC also ordered US$30 million in reparations for Ntaganda's victims.
Democratic Republic of the Congo—25 Killed In Another ADF Attack In Beni Agence France-Presse | 04/01/2021 At least 25 people have been killed in a militant attack in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, reports Agence France-Presse. On Tuesday, militants attacked the village of Beu Manyama-Moliso near Beni, the largest city in the northeastern North Kivu province, said Gov. Carly Nzanzu. Militants in the region often conduct night raids on villages, burning houses and killing residents to prevent collaboration with security forces or secure supplies, said analysts. Congolese soldiers responded to the attack, killing at least two assailants, said Nzanzu. A member of a local association of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) for the attack.
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