Good Saturday Morning April 23.
Rather large for today. No test at the end so pick and choose. Or save for a rainy day
Regards,
Skip.
Today in Naval History
On This Day April 24
1778
During the American Revolution, the Continental Navy sloop-of-war Ranger, commanded by John Paul Jones, captures the British sloop HMS Drake after an hours battle off Carrickfergus, Ireland.
1805
During the First Barbary War, the frigate Congress, commanded by John Rodgers, captures a Tripolitan gunboat, along with two prizes taken earlier by pirate ships off Tripoli.
1884
USS Bear leaves New York Naval Shipyard on its way to the Arctic as part of the Greely Relief Expedition. USS Thetis and USS Alert join USS Bear on the mission. On June 22, the relief ships rescue the remaining seven members of the 27-man Greely Expedition at Cape Sabine.
1906
Reburial Commemoration Ceremony for Capt. John Paul Jones is held at the Naval Academy. At the ceremony, President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a speech in honor of the legendary Revolutionary War naval captain.
1945
USS Frederick C. Davis (DE 136) is sunk by German submarine U 546, 570 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. In a combined effort, USS Pillsbury (DE 133), USS Flaherty (DE 135), USS Chatelain (DE 19), USS Neunzer (DE 150), USS Hubbard (DE 211), USS Keith (DE 241), USS Janssen (DE 396) and USS Varian (DE 798) sink U 546.
1981
USS San Francisco (SSN 711) is commissioned at Norfolk Naval Station, Va.
1999
USS Higgins (DDG 76) is commissioned at Port Everglades, Fla. A Flight I Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, she is named after Marine Col. William R. Higgins. He was part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon when he was captured in Feb. 1988 by a pro-Iranian group, held hostage and eventually killed in captivity by July 1990. USS Higgins home port is Naval Base San Diego.
CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• San Diego Union-Tribune reports that COVID-19 testing of USS Theodore Roosevelt's crew is complete with 840 positive cases.
• Multiple outlets reported on Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David H. Berger's message explaining his order to ban the Confederate flag from Marine Corps bases.
• Reuters reported on USS Barry's transit through the Taiwan Strait.
This day in World History
April 23
April 24
858 | St. Nicholas I begins his reign as Catholic Pope. | ||||
1519 | Envoys of Montezuma II attend the first Easter mass in Central America. | ||||
1547 | Charles V's troops defeat the Protestant League of Schmalkalden at the Battle of Muhlberg. | ||||
1558 | Mary, Queen of Scotland, marries the French dauphin, Francis. | ||||
1792 | Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle composes "La Marseillaise". It will become France's national anthem. | ||||
1800 | The Library of Congress is established in Washington, D.C. with a $5,000 allocation. | ||||
1805 | U.S. Marines attack and capture the town of Derna in Tripoli from the Barbary pirates. | ||||
1833 | A patent is granted for the first soda fountain. | ||||
1877 | Russia declares war on the Ottoman Empire. | ||||
1884 | Otto von Bismarck cables Cape Town, South Africa that it is now a German colony. | ||||
1898 | Spain declares war on United States, rejecting an ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba. | ||||
1915 | Turks of the Ottoman Empire begin massacring the Armenian minority in their country. | ||||
1916 | Irish nationalists launch the Easter Uprising against British occupation. | ||||
1944 | The first B-29 arrives in China, over the Hump of the Himalayas. | ||||
1948 | The Berlin airlift begins to relieve the surrounded city. | ||||
1953 | Winston Churchill is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. | ||||
1961 | President John Kennedy accepts "sole responsibility" for the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. | ||||
1968 | Leftist students take over Columbia University in protest over the Vietnam War. | ||||
1980 | A rescue attempt of the U.S. hostages held in Iran fails when a plane collides with a helicopter in the Iranian desert. | ||||
1981 | The IBM Personal Computer is introduced. | ||||
1989 | Thousands of Chinese students strike in Beijing for more democratic reforms. |
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Thanks to Barrel ……Great video.
Days gone by. I flew at Red Flag several times.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War— ... For The List for Saturday, 24 April 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
Operation Rolling Thunder 1965-68
LOOKING BACK FIFTY-FIVE YEARS to the Vietnam air war From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 24 April 1966 "Ed Rasimus' one paragraph explanation of why we were there."
http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-24-april-1966-the-insider-view/
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 24
1862 – Flag Officer Farragut's fleet ran past Forts Jackson and St. Philip and engaged the defending Confederate flotilla. At 2:00 a.m., U.S.S. Hartford had shown Farragut's signal for the fleet to get underway in three divisions to steam through the breach in the obstructions which had been opened by U.S.S. Pinola and Itasca. A withering fire from the forts was answered by roaring broadsides from the ships. Hartford, grounded in the swift current near Fort St. Philip, was set afire by a Confederate fireraft. Farragut's leadership and the disciplined training of the crew saved the flagship. U.S.S. Varuna was rammed by two Confederate ships and sunk In( 7 MOH were awarded to crewmen) the ensuing melee, C.S.S. Warrior, Stonewall Jackson, General Lovell, and Breckinridge, tender Phoenix, steamers Star and Belle Algerine, and Louisiana gunboat General Quitman were destroyed. The armored ram C.S.S. Manassas was driven ashore by U.S.S. Mississippi and sunk. Steam tenders C.S.S. Landis and W. Burton surrendered; Resolute and Governor Moore were destroyed to prevent capture. "The destruction of the Navy at New Orleans," wrote Confederate Secretary of the Navy Mallory, "was a sad, sad blow . . . When the Union Navy passed the forts and disposed of the Confederate forces afloat, the fate of New Orleans was decided. Farragut had achieved a brilliant victory, one which gave true meaning to the Flag Officer's own words: "The great man in our country must not only plan but execute.
1865 – C.S.S. Webb, Lieutenant Read, dashed from the Red River under forced draft and entered the Mississippi at 8:30 at night in a heroic last-ditch effort to escape to sea. Before departing Alexandria, Louisiana, for his bold attempt, Read wrote Secretary Mallory: "I will have to stake everything upon speed and time." The sudden appearance of the white-painted Webb in the Mississippi caught the Union blockaders (a monitor and two ironclads) at the mouth of the Red River by surprise. She was initially identified as a Federal ship; this mistake in identification gave Read a lead in the dash downstream. A running battle ensued in which Webb shook off the three Union pursuers. As Read proceeded down the Mississippi, other blockading ships took up the chase but were outdistanced by the fast moving Webb, which some observers claimed was making 25 knots. While churning with the current toward New Orleans, Read paused at one point to cut the telegraph wires along the bank. This proved futile as word of his escape and approach passed southward where it generated considerable excitement and a flurry of messages between the Army and Navy commanders who alerted shore batteries and ships to intercept him. About 10 miles above New Orleans Read hoisted the United States flag at half mast in mourning for Lincoln's death and brought Webb's steam pressure up to maximum. He passed the city at about midnight, 24 April, going full speed. Federal gunboats opened on him, whereupon Read broke the Confederate flag. Three hits were scored, the spar torpedo rigged at the steamer's bow was damaged and had to be jettisoned, but the Webb continued on course toward the sea. Twenty-five miles below New Orleans Read's luck ran out, for here Webb encountered U.S.S. Richmond. Thus trapped between Richmond and pursuing gunboats, Read's audacious and well-executed plan came to an end. Webb was run aground and set on fire before her officers and men took to the swamps in an effort to escape. Read and his crew were apprehended within a few hours and taken under guard to New Orleans. They there suffered the indignity of being placed on public display but were subsequently paroled and ordered to their respective homes. Following the restoration of peace, Read became a pilot of the Southwest Pass, one of the mouths of the Mississippi River, and pursued that occupation until his death.
1945 – On Okinawa, Japanese forces defending the Shuri Line, in the south, begin tactical withdrawals. (24 of 82 days in the battle the worst is yet to come. Skip)
1948 – The Berlin airlift began to relieve the surrounded city.
1951 – U.S. Air Force Captain Joseph C. McConnell, 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, qualified as the sixth "double ace" (10 kills) of the war.
1971 – North Vietnamese troops hit Allied installations throughout South Vietnam. In the most devastating attack, the ammunition depot at Qui Nhon was blown up. On April 27, the aviation fuel tanks at Da Nang air base were attacked by communist gunners, resulting in explosions and a fire that destroyed a large proportion of the fuel stored there. In the following three days, 54 South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians were reported killed, and 185 wounded. The United States reported seven dead and 60 wounded.
1974 – Naval forces begin minesweeping operations in the Suez Canal Zone.
1980 – An ill-fated military operation to rescue the 52 American hostages held in Tehran ends with eight U.S. servicemen dead and no hostages rescued. With the Iran Hostage Crisis stretching into its sixth month and all diplomatic appeals to the Iranian government ending in failure, President Jimmy Carter ordered the military mission as a last ditch attempt to save the hostages. During the operation, three of eight helicopters failed, crippling the crucial airborne plans. The mission was then canceled at the staging area in Iran, but during the withdrawal one of the retreating helicopters collided with one of six C-130 transport planes, killing eight soldiers and injuring five. The next day, a somber Jimmy Carter gave a press conference in which he took full responsibility for the tragedy. The hostages were not released for another 270 days. On November 4, 1979, the crisis began when militant Iranian students, outraged that the U.S. government had allowed the ousted shah of Iran to travel to the U.S. for medical treatment, seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran's political and religious leader, took over the hostage situation and agreed to release non-U.S. captives and female and minority Americans, citing these groups as among the people oppressed by the U.S. government. The remaining 52 captives remained at the mercy of the Ayatollah for the next 14 months. President Carter was unable to diplomatically resolve the crisis, and the April 1980 hostage attempt ended in disaster. Three months later, the former shah died of cancer in Egypt, but the crisis continued. In November, Carter lost the presidential election to Republican Ronald Reagan, and soon after, with the assistance of Algerian intermediaries, successful negotiations began between the United States and Iran. On the day of Reagan's inauguration, January 20, 1981, the United States freed almost $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and the 52 hostages were released after 444 days. The next day, Jimmy Carter flew to West Germany to greet the Americans on their way home.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
TRUESDELL, DONALD LEROY (Name officially changed to Truesdale )
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps. Place and date: Vicinity Constancia, near Coco River, northern Nicaragua, 24 April 1932. Entered service at: South Carolina. Born: 8 August 1906, Lugoff, S.C. Citation: Cpl. Truesdale was second in command of a Guardia Nacional Patrol in active operations against armed bandit forces in the vicinity of Constancia, near Coco River, northern Nicaragua, on 24 April 1932. While the patrol was in formation on the trail searching for a bandit group with which contact had just previously been made, a rifle grenade fell from its carrier and struck a rock, igniting the detonator. Several men close to the grenade at the time were in danger. Cpl. Truesdale, who was several yards away, could easily have sought cover and safety for himself. Knowing full well the grenade would explode within 2 or 3 seconds, he rushed for the grenade, grasped it in his right hand, and attempted to throw it away from the patrol. The grenade exploded in his hand, blowing it off and inflicting serious multiple wounds about his body. Cpl. Truesdale, in taking the full shock of the explosion himself, saved the members of the patrol from loss of life or serious injury.
*NELSON, WILLIAM L .
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. Place and date: At Djebel Dardys, Northwest of Sedjenane, Tunisia, 24 April 1943. Entered service at: Middletown, Del. Birth: Dover, Del. G.O. No.: 85, 17 December 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict. On the morning of 24 April 1943, Sgt. Nelson led his section of heavy mortars to a forward position where he placed his guns and men. Under intense enemy artillery, mortar, and small-arms fire, he advanced alone to a chosen observation position from which he directed the laying of a concentrated mortar barrage which successfully halted an initial enemy counterattack. Although mortally wounded in the accomplishment of his mission, and with his duty clearly completed, Sgt. Nelson crawled to a still more advanced observation point and continued to direct the fire of his section. Dying of handgrenade wounds and only 50 yards from the enemy, Sgt. Nelson encouraged his section to continue their fire and by doing so they took a heavy toll of enemy lives. The skill which Sgt. Nelson displayed in this engagement, his courage, and self-sacrificing devotion to duty and heroism resulting in the loss of his life, was a priceless inspiration to our Armed Forces and were in keeping with the highest tradition of the U.S. Army.
*SQUIRES, JOHN C .
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Private First Class), U.S. Army, Company A, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Padiglione, Italy, 23-24 April 1944. Entered service at: Louisville, Ky. Birth: Louisville, Ky. G.O. No.: 78, 2 October 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. At the start of his company's attack on strongly held enemy positions in and around Spaccasassi Creek, near Padiglione, Italy, on the night of 23-24 April 1944, Pfc. Squires, platoon messenger, participating in his first offensive action, braved intense artillery, mortar, and antitank gun fire in order to investigate the effects of an antitank mine explosion on the leading platoon. Despite shells which burst close to him, Pfc. Squires made his way 50 yards forward to the advance element, noted the situation, reconnoitered a new route of advance and informed his platoon leader of the casualties sustained and the alternate route. Acting without orders, he rounded up stragglers, organized a group of lost men into a squad and led them forward. When the platoon reached Spaccasassi Creek and established an outpost, Pfc. Squires, knowing that almost all of the noncommissioned officers were casualties, placed 8 men in position of his own volition, disregarding enemy machinegun, machine-pistol, and grenade fire which covered the creek draw. When his platoon had been reduced to 14 men, he brought up reinforcements twice. On each trip he went through barbed wire and across an enemy minefield, under intense artillery and mortar fire. Three times in the early morning the outpost was counterattacked. Each time Pfc. Squires ignored withering enemy automatic fire and grenades which struck all around him, and fired hundreds of rounds of rifle, Browning automatic rifle, and captured German Spandau machinegun ammunition at the enemy, inflicting numerous casualties and materially aiding in repulsing the attacks. Following these fights, he moved 50 yards to the south end of the outpost and engaged 21 German soldiers in individual machinegun duels at point-blank range, forcing all 21 enemy to surrender and capturing 13 more Spandau guns. Learning the function of this weapon by questioning a German officer prisoner, he placed the captured guns in position and instructed other members of his platoon in their operation. The next night when the Germans attacked the outpost again he killed 3 and wounded more Germans with captured potato-masher grenades and fire from his Spandau gun. Pfc. Squires was killed in a subsequent action.
WILSON, HAROLD E.
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Company G, 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Korea, 23-24 April 1951. Entered service at: Birmingham, Ala. Born: S December 1921, Birmingham, Ala. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as platoon sergeant of a rifle platoon attached to Company G, in action against enemy aggressor forces on the night of 23-24 April 1951. When the company outpost was overrun by the enemy while his platoon, firing from hastily constructed foxholes, was engaged in resisting the brunt of a fierce mortar, machine gun, grenade, and small-arms attack launched by hostile forces from high ground under cover of darkness, T/Sgt. Wilson braved intense fire to assist the survivors back into the line and to direct the treatment of casualties. Although twice wounded by gunfire, in the right arm and the left leg, he refused medical aid for himself and continued to move about among his men, shouting words of encouragement. After receiving further wounds in the head and shoulder as the attack increased in intensity, he again insisted upon remaining with his unit. Unable to use either arm to fire, and with mounting casualties among our forces, he resupplied his men with rifles and ammunition taken from the wounded. Personally reporting to his company commander on several occasions, he requested and received additional assistance when the enemy attack became even more fierce and, after placing the reinforcements in strategic positions in the line, directed effective fire until blown off his feet by the bursting of a hostile mortar round in his face. Dazed and suffering from concussion, he still refused medical aid and, despite weakness from loss of blood, moved from foxhole to foxhole, directing fire, resupplying ammunition, rendering first aid, and encouraging his men. By his heroic actions in the face of almost certain death, when the unit's ability to hold the disadvantageous position was doubtful, he instilled confidence in his troops, inspiring them to rally repeatedly and turn back the furious assaults. At dawn, after the final attack had been repulsed, he personally accounted for each man in his platoon before walking unassisted l/2 mile to the aid station where he submitted to treatment. His outstanding courage, initiative, and skilled leadership in the face of overwhelming odds were contributing factors in the success of his company's mission and reflect the highest credit upon T/Sgt. Wilson and the U.S. Naval Service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for April 24, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
24 April
1909: The first aerial motion picture was shot while Wilbur Wright flew his Wright Biplane over Centocelle, Italy. (20)
1929: Flying a Bellanca CH monoplane, Miss Elinor Smith, a 17-year-old, set a women's solo duration record of 26 hours 21 minutes 32 seconds at Roosevelt, Long Island. (20) (24)
1943: First class of women pilots graduated from US AAF flight training. 1945: MEDAL OF HONOR. In his fighter-bomber, Lt Raymond L. Knight of Twelfth Air Force flew several low-level strafing missions in Italy's northern Po Valley. He destroyed 14 enemy aircraft and wrecked 10 others on the ground. In his final attack, Knight's plane was damaged so badly it was virtually inoperable. Realizing his unit's critical need for aircraft, he tried to return to base. He crashed and died in the Apennines Mountains. Knight earned the medal for his actions and sacrifice. (4)
1946: At Philadelphia, Winged Cargo Incorporated inaugurated the first glider commercial freight service. The company employed a DC-3 towing a Waco glider and made Miami its first stop. Other stops included Havana, Cuba, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. On separate pickups, a 3 ARS H-5 helicopter rescued the pilot first, then the navigator of a downed B-26 near Chorwon, about 15 miles north of the 38th parallel. The navigator, suffering a broken leg, had been captured by two enemy soldiers, but he managed to seize a gun from one enemy soldier, causing them to run for cover. Friendly fighters kept them pinned down, while the helicopter made the pickup. (28)
1958: The USAF increased the Atlas force to nine squadrons. (6)
1962: The USAF used an orbiting satellite for the first time to transmit TV photographs from Camp Parks, Calif., to Westford, Mass. (4)
1967: AIRFIELD STRIKE. Eight F-105s attacked Hoa Lac Airfield, a North Vietnam MiG base. This first authorized attack against an occupied North Vietnamese air base under the restrictions imposed on US air power destroyed approximately 14 MiGs on the ground. (17)
1975: FIRST WOMEN IN MISSILE COMPETITIONS. Through 2 May, the first female technicians actively participated in SAC's eighth missile competition. A1C Jeanine A. Sousley competed with the 308 SMW's reentry vehicle maintenance team, while Sgt Jo A. Williamson competed with the 321 SMW's electronic laboratory maintenance team. The 381 SMW from McConnell AFB won the Blanchard Trophy. (1) (6)
1980: Operation EVENING LIGHT/EAGLE CLAW. An attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran failed after mechanical difficulties caused some Navy RH-53 helicopter crews to turn back. An RH-53 and an Air Force HC-130 also crashed together in a sandstorm, killing eight servicemen. (21)
1990: The USAF accepted its first British Aerospace C-29A Combat Flight Inspection Aircraft from LTV's Sierra Research Division at the Company's plant at Buffalo, N.Y. The C-29 would help the USAF inspect and calibrate its air traffic control and landing facilities, replacing CT-39s and C-140s used for that mission. (8: Jul 90) Boeing's Condor, an unmanned autonomous aircraft, completed eight test flights as part of a high altitude, long-endurance technology effort under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The aircraft had a wing span larger than the Boeing 747. (8: Jul 90) HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE. On the 35th Space Shuttle flight, the Discovery lifted off with a crew of five. Astronaut Steven Hawley released the telescope the next day. (20) AMERICAN
1992: MACKAY TROPHY. Two Peruvian fighters attacked and heavily damaged an USAF C-130 Hercules in international airspace. Captain Pete B. Eunice, a 310 MAS pilot, still managed a safe landing. For that effort, the C-130 crew earned the 1992 Mackay Trophy. (16) (18)
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Thanks to Shadow
Wonder how much trouble these two got into over the years … we'll never know. http://blackshadowaviation.com
I can't help but note… Black has never mentioned his last hurrah before he retired… His collateral duty while the Group Commander at MATSG Cecil Field; was an F-18 Flight Instructor at VFA-106. At his request to "Spock", the 106 C.O., just before he retired... was to take a Weapon's Det of Students to Fallon. In the course of the Det, he is leading a four plane into the break for landing one afternoon. Had a hell of a cross wind. He lands and as he's rolling out, he notices in his mirrors that Dash Two is drifting dangerously close to the edge of the runway, not handling the crosswind well at all. In fact, he then departs the runway and he ejects at ground level! Black is watching the whole thing in the mirrors… as he clears the runway, he switches over to the VFA-106 Squadron Common and reports, "Lead is in and up… but you better send the meat wagon out, Dash Two just punched out leaving the runway". Without another word, Black switches over to ground control and taxi's back to the line. He said it in a very calm and assertive way and at first, those in the Ready Room were confused… didn't know whether it was a joke or if the Colonel was pulling their leg or he was serious? They tried to call him back for clarification, but Black had switched frequencies and wasn't there. As some debated and commented on the radio call, all stopped as they heard the sirens… "Holy shit, he wasn't kidding"! Just another legend about the man!
But it didn't end there… as the Det was coming to an end, Black calls Spock back at Cecil and and asked… since it was the last good deal he would have as a Naval Aviator… would Spock mind if he took "The Great Circle Route" coming home… as he'd like to stop and see some Bubba's on the way. Spock said no problem, don't need the airplane immediately. Black then calls me and gives me his planned itinerary. He'd start with Portland International to see his Mom… tie the plane down at the ANG. Then down to MCAS El Toro, where he'd been the C.O. of VMFA-531… followed by Yuma, where he'd been an F-4 Instructor and later the X.O. of MAWTUPAC. Then over to Hill AFB to visit some Air Force Bubba's. He called me from there after he arrived at Hill the next morning after his first two stops and said he was gonna refuel at Tinker and then head over to MCAS Cherry Point and MCAS Beaufort... weather permitting, as there was a big front ahead of him.
A couple of hours after I talked to him, Spock calls me and asks… "Shadow, you have any idea where Colonel Lucas is? We'd kinda like to get our airplane back. He said he was gonna take the Great Circle Route coming home, I just thought he was joking". I told him I'd talked to Black that morning and he was heading to Cherry Point or Beaufort… and planned to refuel at Tinker and suggested he call Tinker Ops and see if he was still there? Spock thought that was a good idea and hung up. An hour later, Spock calls me back, said he'd gotten in touch with Black and then says, "You're not gonna believe this one! When I called Base ops at Tinker, a woman answered the phone. I told her I was looking for a Marine Colonel, flying a Navy F-18 and he might be wearing a green or blue flight suit. She said, they had no brevity code on a Colonel arriving, however, there was a young Navy pilot flying an F-18 there. She then opined that he was probably the most handsome pilot she'd ever seen in her life and all the ladies in the office were going gaga! That was no Colonel; he's way too young"! Spock then says to her… "That's him"! ...We didn't call him the "Boy Colonel" for no reason!
Eventually. Spock got his plane back. A couple of weeks later, Black and I take a nostalgia tour back to our roots, first stopping in Alabama to visit John Verdi, then on to Meridian, where we first met and then down to Pensacola where it all began. First night in Pensacola we ate at McGuire's Pub and Steak House… as a young hard body asks what we'd like to drink… I said coffee and Black said he'd like a beer. She starts to leave and then turns back and says to Black… "I'm sorry, but I need to see some I.D. in order to serve the beer". Black laughs and takes out his I.D. She then apologizes and said that in the low light of the restaurant, he looked so young! The guy was a full Colonel in the Marine Corps and gets carded for a beer! True story!
I could go on… my partner was a living legend! Then there was the time he took his squadron (531) on a TransPac to K-Bay from El Toro and did a FireEx on arrival, before landing. That night he hits the O'Club where he'd evidently impressed the Retired Navy Chief and Club manager back when Black was stationed there. Seems the Chief gave Black his own barstool back in the day and upon being transferred he promised if Black ever came back… the bar stool would be waiting for him, along with a case of "Primo" beer. Now in the intervening years… the "Primo Brewery" went out of business, bought out by some other brand. But upon seeing Black for the first time in over a decade… the Chief says, "Wait Black, don't sit down"! He goes in the back room and the reefer and comes back with Black's personal bar stool and a case of "Primo" beer! Gotta love a guy that instills that kind of loyalty!
I know you Navy guys had some legends… but my Marine Corps had more than their fair share… and Black is one of them!
Shad
On Apr 22, 2021, at 9:27 AM, Richard Sugden, MD <rsugden@tetondata.com> wrote:
Thanks to Black ...
Rich,
Re the F-14 accident where the back seater ejected ....SEE BELOW
I thought you might get a kick out of this from a former F-8 mate who had a tour at Meridian.
~~~~~~
This reminds me of VT-9 at NAS McCain Field, Meridian, MS — we were giving jet fam flights in T-2 Buckeyes, to student flight surgeons from Pensacola class…
One of our Instructors overheard two of them talking about the convenient handle between their knees, to hold onto during a loop — for all future flights, we pinned their seats and made damned sure they weren't going to touch either ejection handle (the instructor would use command eject from the front seat if any ejection was required - in that case the command would be "Sit up and smile Doc!")
S/F,
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Thanks to Todd S. ...
F-14 Passenger Ejects
"I'VE LOST MY RIO"
by Lt. Geoff Vickers
My squadron and air wing were detached to NAS Fallon, Nevada, for strike training. Most of us attended lectures all day, but I was tasked with giving the battle-group-air-warfare commander an orientation flight in the F-14D. As skipper of the cruiser in charge of the battle group's air defenses, he had been spending time with the air wing to better understand how we conduct our missions. He had observed a number of the strike events through the tactical-air-combat-training system (TACTS) replays, and he had flown with the E-2C and EA-6B squadrons. He was proud that the Prowler guys hadn't been able to make him sick.
My job was to demonstrate the Tomcat's performance and tactical capabilities. Though this flight was my first without a qualified radar-intercept officer (RIO) in the back seat, I had flown with a number of aviators who had very little Tomcat experience.
The Captain arrived at the squadron a half-hour before the brief to receive his cockpit-orientation lecture and ejection-seat checkout. Once in the ready room, we briefed the flight with our wingman. I covered the administrative and tactical procedures in accordance with our squadron's standard-operating procedures (SOP).
I told the Captain that after the G-awareness maneuver, we would do a quick inverted check to verify cockpit security. Looking back, I should have recognized his anxiety when he mocked me and said, "Just a quick inverted check?" then laughed. I didn't realize hanging upside down with nothing but glass and 11,000 feet of air separating you from the desert floor might not be the most comfortable situation in the world for a surface-warfare officer.
I continued the brief and told the captain we would do a performance demo and a couple of intercepts, followed by tanking from an S-3. I told him if, at any point, he felt uncomfortable, we would stop whatever we were doing, roll wings level, and take it easy. I was determined to avoid the temptation to intentionally make him sick and uncomfortable.
The start, taxi, and takeoff were normal. We joined with our lead and did the standard clean-and-dry checks. We pressed into the working area and assumed a defensive combat-spread formation in preparation for the G-warm. I told him what was happening, and he seemed to remember the sequence of events from the brief. After we completed the checks, I asked him, "Are you ready for the inverted check? Do you have everything stowed?" All set" was the last thing I heard him say.
I checked the airspeed and confirmed it was above the 300 knots recommended to do the check, and I rolled the aircraft inverted. I decided not to really put on a lot of negative G and unloaded to about .3 to .5 negative G's-just enough to make anything float that wasn't stowed properly. If he was uncomfortable in such a benign maneuver, it would be better to find out then, rather than when we were racing toward the earth during a radar-missile defense.
As I started to push on the stick, I heard a loud pop, followed by a roar. The cockpit filled with smoke, and we suddenly lost cabin pressure. I first thought a catastrophic environmental-control system (ECS) had failed. I said to myself, "This is new. I've never even heard of something like this happening."
Time compression turned the next few seconds into an eternity. I knew the first thing I had to do was to roll the jet upright and assess the situation. About three seconds after the first indication of a problem, I had the jet upright and knew exactly what had happened. transmitted, "Lion 52. Emergency, my RIO just ejected."
I was yelling into the mic, thinking I would have to make all the calls in the blind. I never would have thought I easily could communicate with all the noise of flying at 320 knots without a canopy. As I turned the jet to try and get a visual of my wayward passenger, Desert Control asked,"Understand your wingman ejected?" "Negative, my RIO ejected. I'm still flying the plane." "OK. Understand your RIO ejected. You're flying the plane, and you're OK?"
I almost said I was far from OK, but I just told them I was all right, except I was flying a convertible. I was relieved to see a good parachute below me, and I passed this info to Desert Control. Very quickly after the emergency call, an FA-18 pilot from the Naval Strike and Air-Warfare Center, who also was in the area, announced he would take over as the on-scene commander of the search-and-rescue (SAR) effort.
I told my wingman to pass the location of the Captain because I could not change any of my displays. Once my wingman started to pass the location, I started dumping gas and put the needle on the nose back to NAS Fallon.
One of our air-wing SH-60s was in the area and responded, along with the station's UH-1N. The Captain was recovered almost immediately and transported to the local hospital for treatment and evaluation. The only F-14D boldface procedures for a canopy problem include placing the canopy handle in "boost close" position and then moving the command eject lever to "pilot." Obviously, the canopy already was gone, so that lever action didn't apply, and, if the command-eject lever wasn't already in "pilot," as briefed, I also would have been ejected.
I slowed the aircraft and lowered my seat because that's what I remembered from the rest of the steps in the checklist. However, after sitting at eye-level with my multi-function display for about 30 seconds, I thought it would be more prudent to see outside, so I raised my seat. Slowing the aircraft had little affect on the windblast, but, as long as I leaned forward, the wind hit only my shoulders. Because it was very cold at altitude, I decided to return quickly to base, but I needed to watch my airspeed since the ejection had occurred.
The PCL says to fly less than 200 knots and 15,000 feet and to complete a controllability check for the loss of the canopy, but I never pulled out my PCL to reference it. I figured with the way my day was going, I'd probably just drop my PCL down an intake and complicate my problems. In retrospect, I should have requested my wingman break out his checklist and talk me through the steps. Though this practice of having a wingman assist is common in single-seat communities, Tomcat crews tend to forget this coordination technique is a viable option.
I did consider the controllability check, and I directed my wingman to check for damage to the vertical stabilizers-she found none. The faster I got on deck, the faster I would get warm. I slowed to approach speed in 10-knot increments at about 3,000 feet AGL and had no problems handling the jet. As I approached the field, I was surprised at how quiet it got. The noise was only slightly louder than the normal ECS roar in the Tomcat. I'll admit I felt silly saying the landing checklist over the ICS when no one else was in the cockpit, but I didn't want to risk breaking my standard habit patterns.
The landing was uneventful, and, when I pulled back into the line, I was surprised to find how many people had come out to see the spectacle. The magnitude of the situation finally set in when my skipper gave me a hug after I got out of the jet.
The Captain and I were very fortunate: All of the ejection and aviation-life-support-systems (ALSS) equipment functioned as expected. Our PR1 had taken the time to properly fit the captain, using components from three different sets of flight gear. This action caused a problem after the mishap-getting everyone's gear replaced-but it renewed my faith in our escape systems. A 48-year-old man ejected from the jet when it was inverted, at negative .5 G's, at 320 knots, and the only injuries he had were two minor cuts to his face.
After talking to the Captain at the O'Club later that night, I realized I better could have briefed elements of the flight. Though I covered all of the details, I didn't fully consider his perspective. He said he didn't know where to put his hands. Consequently, he just left them in loosely clenched fists on his lap, about two inches away from the ejection handle. It never occurred to me that someone would not know what to do with his hands. Obviously, I fly with the stick and throttle in my hands 95 percent of the flight, but I failed to consider his situation.
The mishap board surmised that, during the inverted maneuver, he must have flinched when he slightly rose out of the seat and pulled the ejection handle. Now, before any brief, I try to place myself in the other person's shoes (even if they are black shoes) and imagine what the flight will be like for him. Whether it is the person who never has flown a tactical aircraft before or just the nugget pilot who never has flown with NVGs, remembering what it was like when I was unfamiliar with the environment will prevent this type of mishap from recurring.
Contributed by Scott Ruby & Jim "Mugs" Morgan VFP-63
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Thanks to Denny
I received this from my friend Tom Cleaver. He recommended "Navigation Error" in the link below. It really is a great read. Can you put this out on the Bubbas or "the List"?
Best,
Denny
Begin forwarded message:
From: Thomas Cleaver <tcinla1311@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: A book recommendation
Date: April 7, 2021 at 11:59:24 PM MST
To: Thomas Cleaver <tcinla1311@sbcglobal.net>
Here's a recommendation for a good WW2 historical novel/what if. It does a good job of slipping the "rubber history" into an actual historical event in such a way that you believe it really could have been, the author has done his research so well. I know how hard this is to do, having written "Trinity," about how the Buffalo Soldiers prevented the German commando raid on the Manhattan Project with my screenwriting partner, and having people tell us they thought we'd discovered something real through the 50 Year Rule.
The author is my good friend (and member of this list), Ed Furey. It's self-published up at Amazon, available as a POD paperback or as a Kindle. Do beware that with self-publication there's always a copy editing problem for typos and "wrong words" and Amazon's system doesn't allow for post-editing, but they're nothing to drag you from the story.
The title is "Navigation Error." I'll quote from the blurb on the back cover:
"May 1943: the Battle of the Atlantic has suddenly turned against the Germans. Allied aircraft with a new and undetectable radar are driving the U-boats from the Atlantic. Then, after battling a U-boat in the Bay of Biscay, an American Navy Liberator with a top-secret radar onboard, lands by mistake in neutral Ireland.
When the Germans discover the plane is in Ireland, a desperate Admiral Doenitz agrees to a plan. A Luftwaffe test pilot, who has flown captured Liberators, will be sent to steal the lightly-guarded plane. Only with possession of the radar can countermeasures be devised.
The Germans aren't the only plotters. The head of the Irish secret service sees the plane as a way to trap the last German agent in Ireland, an old enemy from The Troubles. The British don't understand why the Irish have not returned the plane and don't trust diplomacy. Laurence Olivier, a Navy pilot on leave to film "Henry V" in Ireland, is recruited as the "cover" for their plan.
But there's another plotter none of the sides expects: the plane's pilot, accused of desertion. Together with his Irish girlfriend - who knows a lot about planes - he sets out to redeem his honor.
And there's a lethal joker in the deck that none suspect exists."
I won't go into detail, other than to say I am technically and historically quite familiar with what's in the story and I was sucked in without running across any "uh-oh's". As a writer of dramatic fiction, the characters are all good, with the actual historical people done accurately. It's a cracking thriller that would make a movie this crowd on this list would go see. I like it well enough to put my imprimatur on it to all of you.
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Thanks to Dutch
Do your part
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Thanks to Dick ...
On December 31, 1899, the passenger steamer SS Warrimoo was quietly knifing its way through the waters of the mid-Pacific on its way from Vancouver to Australia. The navigator had just finished working out a celestial computation of their exact position and brought Captain John DS. Phillips, the result. The Warrimoo's position was LAT 0º 31' N and LONG 179 30' W.
"Know what this means?" First Mate Payton broke in, "We're only a few miles from the intersection of the Equator and the International Date Line". Captain Phillips was prankish enough to take full advantage of the opportunity for achieving the navigational freak of a lifetime. He called his navigators to the bridge to check & double check the ship's position. He changed course slightly so as to bear directly on his mark. Then he adjusted the engine speed. The calm weather & clear night worked in his favor. At mid-night the SS Warrimoo lay on the Equator at exactly the point where it crossed the International Date Line! The consequences of this bizarre position were many:
The forward section (bow) of the ship was in the Southern Hemisphere & in the middle of summer.
The aft (stern) was in the Northern Hemisphere & in the middle of winter.
The date in the aft part of the ship was 31 December 1899.
In the bow (forward) part it was 1 January 1900.
This ship was therefore not only in:
Two different days,
Two different months,
Two different years,
Two different seasons
But in two different centuries - all at the same time.
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Thanks to Barrel
I don't often if ever recommend something on streaming BUT "Spitfire" The Plane That Saved The World on Netflix is an absolute MUST see! Superb photography!=
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Whose dog is this?
Thanks to Billy ...and Dr. Rich
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Thanks to Bill
Fwd: Statistics on Doctors
Doctors
(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.
(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.
(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171
Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept. of
Health and Human Services.
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Now think about this:
Guns
(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000.
(Yes, that's 80 million) (2016 data)
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .0000188
Statistics courtesy of FBI
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So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.
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Remember, 'Guns don't kill people, doctors do.'
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FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN,
BUT
Almost everyone has at least one doctor.
This means you are over 9,000 times more likely to be killed by a doctor as by a gun owner!!!
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Please alert your friends to this alarming threat.
We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!!!!!
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Out of concern for the public at large, we withheld the statistics on
lawyers
for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical attention!
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