Good Saturday Morning April 3.
Regards,
Skip.
This Day In Naval History – April 3
1797
Capt. Thomas Truxtun issues the first known American signal book using a numerary system entitled, Instructions, Signals, and Explanations, ordered for the United States Fleet.
1942
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, is named Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA) and also retains the title of Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC).
1943
USS Haddock (SS 231) sinks Japanese fleet tanker Arima Maru north of Palau, and USS Pickerel (SS 177) sinks Japanese submarine chaser Ch 1.
1944
USS Sanders (DE 40), tank landing ship (LST 127), and two infantry landing crafts occupy Mejit Island, Marshall Islands and defeat Japanese force.
1991
USS America (CV 66), along with USS Normandy (CG 60), and USS William V. Pratt (DDG 44) transit the Suez Canal en route to CONUS after providing support for Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
1992
The first five co-ed recruit companies from Recruit Training Command, Naval Training Center, Orlando, Fla., graduate. BRAC recommends closure the following year.
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This day in World History April 3
0628 In Persia, Kavadh sues for peace with the Byzantines.
1367 John of Gaunt and Edward the Black Prince win the Battle of Najera, in Spain.
1559 Philip II of Spain and Henry II of France sign the peace of Cateau-Cambresis, ending a long series of wars between the Hapsburg and Valois dynasties.
1860 The Pony Express connects St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California.
1862 Slavery is abolished in Washington, D.C.
1865 Union forces occupy the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
1882 The American outlaw Jesse James is shot in the back and killed by his cousin, Bob Ford.
1910 Alaska's Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America is climbed.
1920 F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre are married at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
1936 Bruno Hauptmann, killer of the Lindbergh baby, is executed.
1942 The Japanese begin their all-out assault on the U.S. and Filipino troops at Bataan.
1944 The U.S. Supreme Court rules that black citizens are eligible to vote in all elections, including primaries.
1948 President Harry Truman signs Marshall Plan. It will revive war-torn Europe.
1966 Three-thousand South Vietnamese Army troops lead a protest against the Ky regime in Saigon.
1972 Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States after a twenty-year absence.
1984 Coach John Thompson of Georgetown University becomes the first African-American coach to win an NCAA basketball tournament.
More on the Pony Express
1860 – The first Pony Express mail simultaneously leaves St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, carried by Henry Wallace riding west and John Roff riding east. During the 1,800-mile journey, the riders changed horses dozens of times, and on April 13 the westbound packet arrived in Sacramento, beating the eastbound packet's arrival in St. Joseph by two days. Operating on a semiweekly basis for nearly two years, the route followed a pioneer trail across the present-day states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada to California, carrying mail as well as some small freight for the young Wells Fargo Company. The Pony Express Company, a private enterprise, charged $5 for every half-ounce of mail. Although short-lived and unprofitable, the mail service captivated the American imagination and helped win federal aid for a more economical overland mail service. The Pony Express also contributed to the economy of the towns on its route and served the mail-service needs of the American West in the days before the telegraph or an efficient transcontinental railroad. Pony Express mail service was discontinued in October 1861.
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A couple from Robert. It will get your toe tapping
Good morning !!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIxBmyRQlwQ
Subject: Fwd: FW: The Fantastic Fifties & Sixties
This is great. I remember dancing to Rock around the clock in the 6th grade at Loring AFB in Maine skip
Enjoy, it will give U a warm & fuzzy feeling. Those were good times
Do you remember?
This is such a great video.... So, enjoy it. For those of you who experienced the iconic 1950's, a decade that will never be repeated. The cars are fantastic. The music was so wonderful, romantic, nostalgic, magical.... We were rich and did not know it! We were innocent and thought we were experienced. We were very fortunate to have lived in such an era. Enjoy the past as revealed here. Who knows what the future will bring? ps: The secret's out! They actually show where the gas filler is on a 56 Chevy! Turn up your speakers…:)
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Thanks to Barrel I lived on a couple of bases that had the B-36. They made a certain sound that was unmistakable with 6 turning and 4 burning and you did not even have to look up to know what it was. On open house days my buddies and I would always get there as soon as we could and head to the B-36. We would climb in and start cranking each other from the front to the back gunner station on the little track with what was like one of those things that mechanics have to roll under cars on their backs. It would not take to long before someone would come along kick us out. But what fun Then we would head to the fighters. F-102, F-86D, F-89 etc skip
B-36 Ride to Hell....
Ah, back when engines were engines....
Aircraft Commander 1st Lt. Oliver Hildebrandt, Pilot 1st Lt. Walter Ross, and Co-pilot Captain Wilbur Evans, and a crew of thirteen took off from Carswell AFB in B-36B, 44-92035 of the 26th Bomb Squadron of the 7th Bomb Wing at 5:05 A.M. on November 22,1950. The planned 30-hour training mission consisted of air-to-air gunnery, bombing, simulated radar bombing, and navigational training.
Immediately after take-off, the #4 alternator would not stay in parallel with the other three alternators, so it was taken off-line and de-excited three minutes into the flight. About one minute after the #4 alternator was shut down, flames 8 to 12 feet long erupted from around the air plug of the number-one engine. The left scanner reported the flames to the pilot. Six minutes after take-off, the flight engineer shut down the number-one engine, feathered its propeller, and expended one of its Methyl bromide fire extinguishing bottles.
The mission continued on the power of the remaining five engines. 44-92035 cruised to the gunnery range on Matagorda Island at an altitude of 5,000 feet. It arrived at 7:00 A.M. and the gunners began practicing. Radar Observer S/Sgt. Ray Earl manned the tail turret. The charger for the right gun burned out, so he expended just half of his ammunition. Then the APG-3 radar for the tail turret started acting up, so S/Sgt. Earl secured the set.
Aircraft Commander 1st Lt. Oliver Hildebrandt noted that the vibration from firing the 20 mm cannons increased significantly during the fourth gunnery pass. Immediately afterward, radar operator Captain James Yeingst notified Hildebrandt that the APQ-24 radar set blew up and was smoking. Vibration from the firing of the guns was causing shorting between the internal components of the radar. Then the liaison transmitter failed as well.
The cannons in the left forward upper turret and the left rear upper turret stopped firing. The gunners attempted to retract the gun turrets, but the failed turrets would not retract. Gunner S/Sgt. Fred Boyd entered the turret bay, but other problems began to take precedence over the stuck turrets. Boyd was called out of the bay before he could manually crank the turret down.
At 7:31 A.M. the number-three engine suffered an internal failure. The torque pressure fell to zero. The manifold pressure dropped to atmospheric pressure. The fuel flow dropped off, and the flight engineer could not stabilize the engine speed. The pilot shut down the number-three engine and feathered its propeller. The B-36B had only one operating engine on the left wing, so the pilot aborted the remainder of the training mission and set course for Kelly Air Force Base.
Flight engineer Captain Samuel Baker retarded the spark, set the mixture controls to "normal", and set the engine RPM's to 2,500 to increase the power from the remaining engines. Unknown to Captain Baker, the vibration from the guns had disabled the electrical systems controlling the spark settings and fuel mixture. He immediately discovered that the turbo control knobs no longer affected the manifold pressure.
The B-36B could not maintain its airspeed on the power of the four remaining engines. It descended about 1,000 feet and its airspeed bled off to 135 miles per hour. The pilot called for more power. The flight engineer attempted to increase engine speed to 2,650 RPM and enrich the fuel mixture, but got no response from the engines except for severe backfiring. The fuel mixture indicators for all of the engines indicated lean. The second flight engineer, M/Sgt. Edward Farcas, checked the electrical fuse panel. Although the fuses appeared to be intact, he replaced the master turbo fuse and all of the individual turbo fuses. He noticed that the turbo-amplifiers and mixture amplifiers were all cooler than normal. He climbed into the bomb bay to check the aircraft power panels and fuses, but could not find any problem there.
Kelly Air Force Base had a cloud overcast at just 300 feet and the visibility was restricted to two miles. The weather at Bergstrom Air Force Base not as bad, with scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, broken clouds at 2,000 feet and 10 miles visibility. Carswell Air Force Base was clear with 10 miles visibility, but it was 155 miles farther away than Bergstrom. Air traffic control cleared all airspace below 4,000 feet ahead of the crippled B-36B. Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt was flying on instruments in thick clouds.
The poor weather at Kelly Air Force Base convinced Hildebrandt to change course from Kelly to Carswell Air Force Base, passing by Bergstrom Air Force Base on the way in case the airplane could not make it to Carswell. Bombardier Captain Robert Nelson made two attempts to salvo the 1,500 pounds of practice bombs in the rear bomb bay, but the bomb bay doors would not open by automatic or manual control, or emergency procedure.
There was no way to dump fuel to reduce the weight of the B-36B. The flight engineers resorted to holding down the switches used to prime the fuel system in an attempt to increase fuel flow to the engines. M/Sgt. Edward Farcas held down the prime switches for the number-two and number-four engines while Captain Baker held down the prime switch for the number-five engine and operated the flight engineer's panel. The configuration of the switches did not allow them to prime the number-five engine and the number-six engine at the same time.
The high power demand coupled with the lean fuel mixture made the cylinder head temperatures of the engines climb to 295 degrees C. Flight engineer Baker jockeyed the throttles, decreasing the throttle setting of the engine with the highest cylinder head temperature until another engine grew even hotter. The high temperature caused the gasoline/air mixture in the cylinders to detonate before the pistons reached top dead center, diminishing power and damaging the engines.
Despite the critical situation with the engines, Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt decided to continue past Bergstrom Air Force Base to Carswell. Bergstrom was overcast and its runway was only 6,000 feet long. Carswell offered a much longer runway. By the time the B-36B reached Cleburne , the backfiring on all engines increased in violence. The number-2, number-5, and number-6 engines were running at 70% power and the number-4 engine was producing only 20% power. The airspeed had dropped off to 130 miles per hour.
Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt attempted to restart the number-one engine, the one that had spouted flames on take-off, but fuel was not getting to its induction system. He tried to restart the number-three engine, but could not unfeather the propeller on that engine. As the bomber passed to the west of Cleburne , the right scanner reported dense white smoke, oil, and metal particles coming from the number-five engine.
After a short while the number-five engine lost power, and Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt feathered the propeller on that engine while still twenty-one miles from Carswell Air Force Base. The B-36B could not stay airborne on the power of the three remaining failing engines. It was flying at just 125 miles per hour, seven miles per hour above the stall speed, losing both altitude and airspeed. Howard McCullough and W. Boeten were flying Civil Aeronautics Authority DC-3 N342 near Cleburne . They were notified by Meacham Tower to be on the lookout for 44-92035. They spotted it about five miles south of Cleburne . They observed that the number-one and number-three propellers were feathered and the number-five engine was on fire. They turned to follow the descending bomber. Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt ordered the crew to bail out of the stricken bomber.
Bombardier Captain Robert Nelson had bailed out of airplanes on two previous occasions. He had crash landed twice and ditched once. He was the first man to bail out from the forward crew compartment. He suffered contusions of his lower spine when he landed.
Radar Operator Captain James Yeingst responded to stress with laughter and jokes. He was a bit giddy before the bailout. He was the second man to exit from the forward crew compartment. His parachute streamed after he pulled the rip cord. He passed Captain Nelson going down. Captain Yeingst's parachute mushroomed open just before he hit the ground, but he suffered fatal injuries.
Co-pilot Captain Wilbur Evans was the third man to exit from the forward crew compartment. He had bailed out of airplanes twice before and crash landed several times during WW-II. This time he broke both bones in his lower right leg when he landed.
Navigator Captain Horace Stewart had previously tried to get off flying status because he felt that the B-36 was too dangerous. It is reported that during the hour before bailout, he was tense, nervous, and chain-smoking. He was the fourth man to bail out from the forward crew compartment. He pulled his rip cord right as he exited the forward escape hatch on the left side of the fuselage. His parachute opened and pulled him toward the number three propeller. His head hit the downward pointing blade of the propeller, killing him instantly.
Radio Operator Cpl. Paul Myers followed Captain Stewart out the escape hatch. Myers landed with minor injuries. Flight Engineer M/Sgt. Edward Farcas jumped head first through the exit hatch of the forward crew compartment right after Cpl. Myers. His parachute did not open when he pulled the rip cord. He pulled the parachute out of its pack with his hands and landed with only minor injuries.
Radar Mechanic Robert Gianerakis and Flight Engineer Captain Samuel Baker were the next to escape from the forward compartment. Both landed with only minor injuries. Radio Operator Sgt. Armando Villareal bailed out after Captain Baker. Villareal did not trust his parachute to open, so he pulled the rip cord while he was still in the forward crew compartment. He held his parachute in his arms as he jumped feet first through the escape hatch. Despite his unorthodox method of escape, he landed with only minor injuries.
Pilot 1st Lt. Walter Ross was the next to last to leave the forward compartment. He landed with only minor injuries. Gunner S/Sgt. Andrew Byrne and Radar Observer S/Sgt. Ray Earl were the first two crew members to bail out of the rear crew compartment. Both landed with only minor injuries. Gunner Cpl. Calvin Martin was the third man to exit the rear crew compartment. He was swinging under his parachute as he hit the ground. He broke his right ankle as he landed. He fell backward onto a rock, fracturing his third lumbar vertebra and compressing his tailbone. Gunner S/Sgt. Ronald Williams followed Cpl. Martin out the rear escape hatch. He landed with only minor injuries. Gunner S/Sgt. Fred Boyd was the last man to exit the rear crew compartment. He called to Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt over the intercom to let him know that everyone had escaped from the aft compartment. When he turned back to the exit hatch, it had fallen shut. He had to open the hatch again to make his escape. He broke the fibula of his left leg when he landed farther to the north than the other crew members.
After S/Sgt. Boyd reported that all other crew members had bailed out of the rear compartment, Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt set the autopilot and jumped clear when the bomber was less than 1,000 feet above the ground. He and nine other crew members escaped from the B-36B with only minor injuries. When McCullough and Boeten in DC-3, N342 saw the parachutes of the escaping crew members, they announced the bail-out on the emergency frequency of 121.25 megacycles.
Each report of Emergency Parachute Jump indicates that the incident occurred 20 miles south southeast of Carswell Air Force Base. The descent of the B-36B was witnessed by Mr. Buck Bell and his wife, who lived about 5 to 7 miles southwest of Crowley, Texas. Mr. Bell saw the crew members parachuting from the bomber, but did not see it hit the ground about one mile north of his house. Mr. James Bandy and his wife were on the road to Cleburne about 4 miles from their house on Route 1 near Joshua when they spotted the B-36B trailing smoke, flying in a nose-high attitude. They saw it hit the ground in a level attitude, raising a cloud of dust.
The B-36B descended straight ahead in a nose-high attitude for a mile after Aircraft Commander Hildebrandt bailed out. It stalled, pitched nose down, and impacted in a terraced field on Les Armstrong's Dairy, 14 miles south of Carswell Air Force Base, 2 miles west of the South leg FTW range, and six miles west of Crowley at 9:50 in the morning. The forward crew compartment separated and folded underneath the rest of the fuselage. The tail section broke off, and the rear crew compartment came away from the mid-fuselage as the wreckage slid 850 feet along the ground and twisted to the right.
The rear sections of the airplane remained largely intact. The elevation at the crash site was approximately 700 feet. Mr. W. Doggett witnessed the bail-out and crash from his home on Route 1 near Joshua. The B-36B impacted about 2-1/2 miles north of his house. He drove to the crash site in his pickup truck and helped the surviving crew members to regroup.
Four minutes after the crash, McCullough and Boeten in DC-3, N342 reported that two Navy aircraft were circling the wreckage. The wreckage smoldered for about eight minutes before a fire broke out in the number-six engine. The 15,000 gallons of remaining fuel consumed the forward fuselage and wings. The civilians and crew members were driven away from the crash site by exploding ammunition and the knowledge of the presence of 1,500 pounds of bombs aboard the airplane.
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Thanks to Richard W
From: Jimmy
Subject: Friend Living in China
Looking at these two cruisers (one American, the other Chinese) its not hard to see which one was
built in China. I had lunch today with a friend who flies for China Air and has been living there for
the past 10 years. Listening to his experiences, and what it's like living in China was interesting and
thought worth passing on.
The first thing he mentioned was how noticeable it was when flying into America of how run-down
and old everything looked. He said it was very noticeable when coming from China and was often
talked about by the crews of just how run-down America is.
I told him I'd recently seen on the internet a video of all the construction going on in China and said
in the past 3 years China had poured more concrete then was poured in America in the past century.
He's mentioned as an American pilot flying for China Air, they have to take an annual class which is
basically about not bad-mouthing the government, and that you could be fired whether on company
property or not for saying anything derogatory about the government. I told him it was getting that
way here in America too.
He said the Chinese people as a whole are very proud and nationalistic, and that they love their country
and it's history. That they don't want a war with the United States, but they want to beat the shit out of
us economically! They feel that they can produce anything we can, and do it better and cheaper. They
want to become the worlds exporter of all goods (which pretty much they are already) as evidenced by
the fact that in every 5 days ... a new Billionaire is emerging in China. I said billionaire, not millionaire!
They'll soon pass us up in the next couple of years.
Anyway, he's coming up on retirement age in a few years and plans on staying in China. He says he sees
a lot of stuff on the news of what's going on over here and has no wish to ever live here again. Sad huh!
His wife's Chinese and they have a nice condo and no way does he feel he could have the quality of life
as they do over there ... even it being communist! He said you just don't talk politics, and you're probably
better off by not doing so anyway.
Cheers & Aloha,
Jimmy
A Chinese Attack on Taiwan Is Getting Closer (yahoo.com)
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A bit of USMC background
Thanks to Shadow and Lon
Folks,
Got this from Lon Getlin this P.M. Lon and I went through the F-4 RAG together. What I didn't know until recently was he had a "Grunt Tour" in Vietnam like I had, before reporting to Flight Training… and ironically he didn't know I had a Grunt Tour either. I guess we both were so focused on our new world of flying, we didn't notice. Anyway… he was a cool dude and well liked. Lon and I both correspond with Lancer and a short time ago he told me about his brother who was killed up by the DMZ on Operation Prairie III. In another quirk of fate, I was on the same Operation with 1/4 while his brother was in 1/9. Prairie III was multi-battalion operation. And a really tough fight. We were near Gio Linh and 1/9 was west of us near Con Thien. Our first night in the field we took over 500 rounds of incoming artillery from NVA 152 Battery located just north of the DMZ, directly on the border. It was the longest night of my life. Found out what living on a bullseye was like… bad juju! All of our company's were in constant contact with the NVA for over a week. It was tough sledding, lost a lot of fine men on that operation, Lon's brother was one of them.
For those that don't know… the Grunt Marine Corps has a very special symbiotic relationship between our Officers and Enlisted men. Unlike in an aviation squadron, where unless you were assigned to the Maintenance Department as your collateral duty; you had very little interaction between Officers and Enlisted unless they worked for you. You might recognize a face here and there, but seldom knew their names or background. In the Grunts, it was a totally different experience… you ate together, you slept next to each other… hell you even pissed and shit near each other… and you shared the same miserable existence together. You knew everyone's name in your platoon or company. And in the end… we often bled together too.
By tradition… Marine Corps Officers defer to their troops when it comes to chow, mail call and liberty. The men go first, Officers last. Know you Navy guys will find that hard to believe… but thats the way it was in the Grunts. The interaction and relationships were closer and far more personal. The troops relied on the Officers for leadership and the Officers relied on the men to win the fight. And they both risked their lives for each other. Many an Officer owed his life to an Enlisted Marine and Vice Versa. Anyway… you form bonds within the ranks that we seldom did in aviation.
Since leaving the Corps, Lon has devoted much of his life to remembering those who served and retained an unabiding desire to do something for those who served in the lower ranks. He finally set up a Foundation to help those who served and the offspring of the same. Lon is personally successful… his whole motivation is altruistic… this is a real Foundation, engaged in honorable work. I would encourage any of you with the means… to contact Lon and make a donation if you can spare it. I know he would appreciate it… and put it to a good cause.
All the Best, Shadow
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Semper Fi to the Marines, families, and friends of the "Flaming I"!
For everyone of us who have a deep, personal, and painful connection to this day in history, 30 March has been a day of reverence and sad remembrance. But for the first time in all these years, this particular 30 March—and for every 30 March in the future—there can be genuine cause for joy, celebration and satisfaction.
Today, you see, and on this day every year in the future, 100% of the contributions to the Getlin's Corner Foundation will be sent to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to fund our scholarships to the kids of enlisted Marines and Corpsmen who served with Marine units. The check I sent today was for $69,600!
Allow me to remind you of why GCF was founded in the first place, because it certainly was not solely because I lost my brother on that terrible day. There are three reasons why I felt so strongly that our foundation must exist flourish forevermore:
To memorialize one of the truly iconic battles in the history of the Marine Corps, with it's five Silver Stars, four Navy Crosses, and the Medal of Honor
To honor the men who fought in it, and particularly those who perished as a result of it
To help the families of enlisted Marines and Corpsmen afford educations for their children.
I would like to thank each of you who have donated over the past year. It has never been my intention or even my hope that you were the folks who would ensure the financial stability of Getlin's Corner Foundation. That goal must come from traditional, non-profit activities like fund raisers and sponsorships. But it has been my hope that every Marine who was in the battle on that day or a member of the company at that time would feel enough connection to our purpose and mission that he would want to be a part of the effort. The foundation is, after all, in recognition of each of you. That hasn't happened yet, but 2021brings new opportunity for all of us to become a part of the effort. So jump on board, 'cause it's a fun ride!
For the current year, my efforts will focus will be two fronts: raising money and gaining recognition in the Marine Corps community that we exist. The second goal of "spreading the word" was not at all a focus in our first year, because I wanted to ensure that we could raise money before I promoted scholarships that could not be funded. As a result, we have not had many kids apply for Getlin's Corner Scholarships for the 2021 award period. I don't know the exact count yet, but when the scholarships are awarded in early May, I will publish the recipients on our web page. I do know of one applicant, however, and that young lady is the granddaughter of an I 3/9 Marine. If she qualifies through the underwriting process, she will receive a $5,000/year scholarship as the grandchild of an India 3/9 Marine who was in the company between 1 January and 1 April 1967. That is pretty damn cool!
I want to make special mention of the great relationship our foundation has with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and of the great support and guidance they have provided us over the past year. I want to particularly thank retired Marine Colonel Steve Peterson, who is the Executive VP of Operations for the MCSF and my go-to guy on everything we are doing. I won't go into all he has done for our foundation, but I will tell you all that he has been invaluable to our success. When the Covid crisis is behind us, I will be traveling out to MCSF's Headquarters to meet Steve and his team, and one of the things we will be discussing is how we might take advantage of our relationship to grow GCF, because, after all, we serve the same communities of Marines and Corpsmen.
I will close with good news/bad news information.
The good news—and it truly is wonderful and long-overdue—is that one of your fellow Flaming I Marines has been recommended for one of the Nation's highest decorations for valor, and that recommendation is currently working its way through the system, actively supported by none other than your own Butch Neal. Nobody can say with any certainty when the recommendation will be approved or what will be the final result, but whatever this great Marines receives, I hope you will all join me to see him receive his medal wherever it may be presented!
The bad news in all of this is that it will certainly require a change to the foundation's website and logo to reflect the honor that will be bestowed. That'll cost some money, but it may also elevate the Battle of Getlin's Corner to an entirely different level in Marine Corps combat history, and that can be helpful to our fundraising efforts.
So Semper Fi to you all. Stay safe, and thanks once again to all of you have have supported Getlin's Corner Foundation.
Lon
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Take a look at these ... amazing!!
Thanks to David via John ...
This gentleman is truly remarkable!
What's this car made from??
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the BEar
Saturday, 3 April 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
ROLLING THUNDER JOURNAL post of 3 April 1966...
From the archives of http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com
"Operation Popeye—altering Mother Nature's plans"
http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-3-april-1966-half-a-century-ago/
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 3
1942 – The Japanese infantry stage a major offensive against Allied troops in Bataan, the peninsula guarding Manila Bay of the Philippine Islands. The invasion of the Japanese 14th Army, which began in December 1941 and was led by General Masaharu Homma, had already forced General Douglas MacArthur's troops from Manila, the Philippine capital, into Bataan, in part because of poor strategizing on MacArthur's part. By March, after MacArthur had left for Australia on President Roosevelt's orders and been replaced by Major General Edward P. King Jr., the American Luzon Force and its Filipino allies were half-starved and suffering from malnutrition, malaria, beriberi, dysentery, and hookworm. Homma, helped by reinforcements and an increase in artillery and aircraft activity, took advantage of the U.S. and Filipinos' weakened condition. The Japanese attack signaled the beginning of the end and would result, six days later, in the surrender of the largest number of U.S. troops in U.S. military history.
1945 – On Okinawa, Marines of the III Amphibious Corps continued to make good progress all along their front, clearing Zampa Misaki and seizing the Katchin Peninsula, thus effectively cutting the island in two. By this date (D+2), III AC elements had reached objectives thought originally to require 11 days to take. In Kamikaze attacks by Japanese planes, one escort carrier and other ships are hit. American artillery spotter planes begin operating from Kadena airfield.
1946 – Lt. General Masaharu Homma, the Japanese commander responsible for the Bataan Death March, was executed outside Manila in the Philippines.
1972 – The United States prepares hundreds of B-52s and fighter-bombers for possible air strikes to blunt the recently launched North Vietnamese invasion. The aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk was sent from the Philippines to join the carriers already off the coast of Vietnam and provide additional air support. 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 reasons for 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 defenders 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.
1981 – The Osborne 1, the first successful portable computer, is unveiled at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco.
1996 – Ronald H. Brown, the U.S. secretary of commerce, is killed along with 32 other Americans when their U.S. Air Force plane crashes into a mountain near Dubrovnik, Croatia. Brown was leading a delegation of business executives to the former Yugoslavia to explore business opportunities that might help rebuild the war-torn region. Brown, born in Washington, D.C., in 1941, grew up in New York City's Harlem neighborhood, where he worked as a welfare caseworker before joining the U.S. Army. After holding positions in the National Urban League, an advocacy group for the renewal of inner cities, he became a member of the U.S. Supreme Court bar and served as chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee. In 1989, he was elected chairman of the Democratic Party National Committee, becoming the first African American to hold the top position in a major political party in the United States. As chairman, Brown played a pivotal role in securing the 1992 election of Bill Clinton, the first Democratic president in 12 years. In 1993, Clinton appointed Brown to be the first African American secretary of commerce, a position he held until his death in 1996.
2003 – In the 16th day of Operation Iraqi Freedom US Marines and infantry moved with surprising speed toward Baghdad. Central Command said there was "increasing evidence" that Saddam Hussein's regime had lost control of its fighting forces. US troop casualty totaled: 51 dead, 16 missing and 7 captured. A power blackout in Baghdad coincided with heavy artillery fire. US forces attacked Saddam Int'l. Airport.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BLICKENSDERFER, MILTON
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company E, 126th Ohio Infantry. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 3 April 1865. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Lancaster, Pa. Date of issue: 10 May 1865. Citation: Capture of flag.
BRANT, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, Company B, 1st New Jersey Veteran Battalion. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 3 April 1865. Entered service at:——. Birth: Elizabeth, N.J. Date of issue: 10 May 1865. Citation: Capture of battle flag of 46th North Carolina (C.S.A.).
BRIGGS, ELIJAH A.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company B, 2d Connecticut Heavy Artillery. Place and date: At Petersburg, Va., 3 April 1865. Entered service at: Salisbury, Conn. Birth: Salisbury, Conn. Date of issue: 10 May 1865. Citation: Capture of battle flag.
*WETZEL, WALTER C.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 13th Infantry, 8th Infantry Division. Place and date: Birken, Germany, 3 April 1945. Entered service at: Roseville, Mich. Birth: Huntington, W. Va. G.O. No.: 21, 26 February 1946. Citation: Pfc. Wetzel, an acting squad leader with the Antitank Company of the 13th Infantry, was guarding his platoon's command post in a house at Birken, Germany, during the early morning hours of 3 April 1945, when he detected strong enemy forces moving in to attack. He ran into the house, alerted the occupants and immediately began defending the post against heavy automatic weapons fire coming from the hostile troops. Under cover of darkness the Germans forced their way close to the building where they hurled grenades, 2 of which landed in the room where Pfc. Wetzel and the others had taken up firing positions. Shouting a warning to his fellow soldiers, Pfc. Wetzel threw himself on the grenades and, as they exploded, absorbed their entire blast, suffering wounds from which he died. The supreme gallantry of Pfc. Wetzel saved his comrades from death or serious injury and made it possible for them to continue the defense of the command post and break the power of a dangerous local counterthrust by the enemy. His unhesitating sacrifice of his life was in keeping with the U.S. Army's highest traditions of bravery and heroism.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for April 3, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
3 April
1939: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Public Law 18, or the National Defense Act of 1940. In that act, Congress authorized the Air Corps to expand to 48,000 personnel and 6,000 airplanes with a $300 million budget. It also authorized the training of Black pilots. (21)
1944: The Mediterranean Allied Air Force dispatched 375 B-17s and B-24s on the first heavy air attack against Budapest, Hungary. (4) (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. A service test YH-19 helicopter assigned to the 3d Air Rescue Squadron picked up a downed F-51 pilot southeast of Pyongyang, receiving small arms fire during the sortie. (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR/ACE. In aerial combat, Capt Robert H. Moore, 336th Fighter-Interceptor, destroyed his fifth MiG to become an ace. (28)
1965: The first nuclear power system to be tested in space, the SNAP 10A, was successfully launched into orbit aboard an Atlas-Agena spacecraft. PAUL DOUMER BRIDGE. The first attempt to destroy the highway/rail bridge over the Song Ma River, a key feature of the supply line to the south, occurred, but the bridge remained standing until the US declared a bombing halt in 1968. The bridge became a symbol of North Vietnamese resistance, and remained a challenge to US fighter crews until May 1972. (17)
1967: CURTAIN RAISER. Through 7 April, SAC held its first missile combat competition. The 351 SMW at Whiteman AFB won the Blanchard Trophy for the best missile unit. (1) (6)
1969: Alvin Marks flew a Cessna 210 around the world from Sacramento and back. He completed the 23,356-mile journey in 13 days 8 hours 41 minutes. (9)
1979: TYPHOON MELI: Through 5 April, 2 C-141 Starlifter aircraft flew 21 tons of relief supplies from Howard AFB and Andersen AFB to Nandi IAP, Fiji Islands, after the typhoon battered the islands. (16) (18)
1996: A 76 AS CT-43 transport crashed near Dubrovnik, Croatia, and killed 35 people, including Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown. Brown was on an economic development mission to the former Yugoslavia. (26)
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