TheList 5713

The List 5713     TGB

 

Good Saturday Morning     May 15

I hope that your weekend is off to a good start.

Regards,

Skip.

 

This day in Naval History May 15

 

1800 The frigate USS Essex, commanded by Capt. Edward Preble, arrives in Batavia, Java, to escort United States merchant ships. During her journey, she is the first U.S. Navy warship to cross the Equator and the first U.S. man-of-war to double the Cape of Good Hope.

 

1930 The streamlined submarine (V 5) is commissioned, then named Narwhal in Feb. 1931, and receives the hull number (SS 167) that July. During World War II, Narwhal participates in 15 war patrols, serving in the Pacific Theatre, earning 15 battle stars.

 

1939 A contract is issued to Curtiss-Wright for the XSB2C-1 dive bomber, thereby completing action on a 1938 design competition. Retired from the active Navy in 1947, SB2Cs continues to serve in the reserves until 1950.

 

1942 The first Naval Air Transport Service flight across the Pacific takes place.

 

1944 PBY-5 Catalina aircraft from (VP 63) and British escort vessels HMS Kilmarnock and HMS Blackfly sink German submarine U 731 off Tangiers.

 

1969 The pre-commissioned submarine Guitarro (SSN 665) accidentally sinks while moored at U.S. Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Calif. Due to the damage, her commissioning date is rescheduled to Sept. 1972.

 

Thanks to CHINFO

 

No CHINFO on the weekend

 

Today in History May 15

756		Abd-al-Rahman is proclaimed emir of Cordoba, Spain.
1213		King John submits to the Pope, offering to make England and Ireland papal fiefs. Pope Innocent III lifts the interdict of 1208.
1602		English navigator Bartholomew Gosnold discovers Cape Cod.
1614		An aristocratic uprising in France ends with the Treaty of St. Menehould.
1618		Johannes Kepler discovers his harmonics law.
1702		The War of Spanish Succession begins.
1730		Following the resignation of Lord Townshend, Robert Walpole becomes the sole minister in the English cabinet.
1768		By the Treaty of Versailles, France purchases Corsica from Genoa.
1795		Napoleon enters the Lombardian capital of Milan in triumph.
1820		The U.S. Congress designates the slave trade a form of piracy.
1849		Neapolitan troops enter Palermo, Sicily.
1862		The Union ironclad Monitor and the gunboat Galena fire on Confederate troops at the Battle of Drewry's Bluff, Virginia.
1864		At the Battle of New Market, Virginia Military Institute cadets repel a Union attack.
1886		Emily Dickinson dies in Amherst, Mass., where she had lived in seclusion for the previous 24 years.
1916		U.S. Marines land in Santo Domingo to quell civil disorder.
1918		Pfc. Henry Johnson and Pfc. Needham Roberts receive the Croix de Guerre for their services in World War I. They are the first Americans to win France's highest military medal.
1930		Ellen Church becomes the first airline stewardess.
1942		The United States begins rationing gasoline.
1958		Sputnik III is launched by the Soviet Union.
1963		The last Project Mercury space flight, carrying Gordon Cooper, is launched.
1968		U.S. Marines relieve army troops in Nhi Ha, South Vietnam after a fourteen-day battle.
1972		Gov. George Wallace is shot by Arthur Bremer in Laurel, Maryland.
1975		The merchant ship Mayaguez is recaptured from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge.
1988		Soviets forces begin their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

 

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Thanks to Carl

 

Good stuff here for any age. My recovery started with using a cane to make it to my gazebo at 60 steps away. Over the next weeks and months I made it to 20,000 steps in a day and added in portions of my normal work out that started at 1plus 30 minutes and light weights and now about 1 hour with many more reps and heavier weights. I have always included lots of stretching and Yoga positions to keep limber and help my martial arts training. Start slow and light and add reps before you add weight and it will make a world of difference no matter your age….Skip

 

(Logan always offers good common sense exercise advice!)

 

May 15, 2021

In this newsletter . . .

Physical Activity
Confirmation

Researchers at Harvard University and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found that even light physical activity increases longevity, and more so than previously suspected. Of course, ramping up workouts a bit may pay even greater dividends. Nevertheless, the researchers cited such small things as walking the dog or vacuuming the carpet as having a positive effect on your health, well-being, and longevity.

But is that really so surprising? Nearly any movement at all that interrupts too much staring at an electronic device or couch slouching produces healthier outcomes. Still, I would have never guessed about vacuuming, though it does make sense when you think about it. Vacuuming a carpet gets us off the couch and gets us moving. Of course owning a dog benefits us in even more ways, both physically and mentally. It's something most have speculated, but now dog walking's rewards have entered into serious research.

I don't know anything at all about vacuum cleaners. Complete ignorance. On the other hand, I've always owned a dog. When my dog Steve passed, in 1999, I discovered another best friend, named Tyra. Both Steve and Tyra were high-energy animals and we ran or hiked together daily. Each animal became my constant companion. Tyra was an Australian Cattle Dog mix and her veterinarian once remarked, "Cattle Dog owners are usually in good shape. Their dogs keep them that way."

As I'm now in my 80s, I no longer run and my walking isn't nearly as brisk as it once was. Still, I get out there. Everyday. Even if it's a saunter. A few years ago my walking/hiking companion was B.B., a beautiful Australian Shepard. B.B. lived most of his life with my granddaughter in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. It was an idyllic life. He came to me as a senior but still loved to retrieve and go on hikes, though his pace had slowed. Now it coincided with my own.

If you hate cardio machines but need a nudge to get yourself outside regularly for running or brisk walks, becoming a dog owner might be just the ticket. Rescue shelters and humane societies have wonderful animals looking for lifetime homes. A new best friend can add joy – and maybe years – to your life.

Of course for a balanced fitness lifestyle you must add some resistance training and flexibility movements to the mix. Walking the dog (or vacuuming the carpet) shouldn't comprise your total fitness program. Weights or bands and some stretching are needed too, otherwise muscles wilt and bodies stiffen.

For more thoughts on Cardio, go here.

Resistance training facts are here.

And realistic tips on trimming a flabby waistline can be found here.

Senior total beginners, please, always start here.

Stay healthy. Stay fit.

Logan

Senior Exercise Central

 

 

 

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Thanks to Dr. Rich

 

 

https://1funny.com/man-dog-hummingbird/

 

 

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Thanks to Micro

 

The Singing Anesthesiologists - This one is just funny! Listen carefully to the words! These singers are all Anesthesiologists in Minnesota and they can really sing.      Click on:     https://www.youtube.com/embed/WOrjcLJ2IE0

 

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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, 15 May 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

 

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-68)

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 15 May 1966...

"Hand-held 35mm combat photography—LTJG Charles Nelson, VA164 excels"

 

http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-15-may-1966-photos/

 

 

Vietnam Air Losses

Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at:  https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.

 

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This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.

 

May 9, 1932

At McCook Field, Ohio, Captain Albert Francis Hegenberger, Air Corps, United States Army, flew the very first solo instrument approach and landing, using a system which he had developed. The Hegenberger system, which was adopted by both civil and military aviation authorities, used a series of non-directional radio beacons (NDB) and marker beacons on the ground, along with a radio-compass and other gyroscopic instruments and radio receivers aboard the aircraft, a Consolidated NY-2 biplane. Hegenberger is Founder Number 3827.

 

May 10, 1911

Lt. G.E.M. Kelly, flying Signal Corps Aeroplane No. 2 (a Curtiss Model D pusher) on his pilot qualification flight, is killed as he crashes into the ground on landing at Ft. Sam Houston, Tex. He was the first student pilot to lose his life in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. Kelly Field, later Kelly AFB, is named in his honor. Kelly is Founder Number 575.

 

May 11, 1927

Charles Lindbergh lands his new Ryan airplane, the "Spirit of St. Louis," in St. Louis after a record non-stop overnight flight from San Diego of 14 hours, 25 minutes.

 

May 12, 2005

Langley AFB, Va., receives its first combat-ready F/A-22 Raptor.

 

May 13, 1957

Three U.S. Air Force North American F-100 Super Sabres set a new world distance record for single-engine aircraft by covering the 6,710 mile-distance from London to Los Angeles in 14 hours and four minutes. The flight was accomplished using in-flight refueling.

 

May 14, 1973

Skylab, the first U.S. space station, was launched. Skylab was launched using a modified Saturn V Moon rocket. Three crews of astronauts on Missions Skylab 2, Skylab 3, and Skylab 4 visited the Skylab to conduct research on the human body's adaptation to longer term trips to space and detailed Earth-resources observations among other projects. For more information about the Skylab and its missions check out its NASA mission page.

 

May 15, 1942

The first Ford-built B-24 Liberator long range heavy bomber came off the assembly line at the Willow Run Airplane Plant, just 160 days after the United States entered World War II. 6,971 B-24s more would follow, along with assembly kits for another 1,893, before production came to an end, 28 June 1945. Read more about the history and specs of the B-24.

 

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Thanks to Dr. Rich

"Here Kitty Kitty" ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBf_pAxBU7A

.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS

FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 15

THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

 

1918: Pilots in the Army Aviation Section (Signal Corps) started the government's first permanent airmail route from Washington to New York. (See 12 August 1918) (5) (18)

 

1930: Ellen Church, who was a registered nurse, became the first airline stewardess. She served sandwiches on a Boeing Air Transport flight between San Francisco and Cheyenne, Wyo., and rode in the jumpseat of a Boeing Model 80A. (8: May 90)

 

1938: Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes refused to export inert helium gas to Germany for use in Zeppelin airships, because the gas could be used for military purposes. (8)

 

1942: Interceptor and pursuit organizations of US AAF redesignated "fighter."

 

1948: Air Materiel Command asked Boeing to develop an American aerial fueling system, the flying boom to overcome problems with the British hose system used on B-29s. Among the deficiencies noted were slow rate of fuel flow, time-consuming contact procedures, excessive weight and space requirements, and relatively slow flying speeds during refueling. (18)

 

1951: KOREAN WAR. Through 16 May, communist forces launched the second phase of their spring offensive against Republic of Korea Corps in the east in a last attempt to drive UN forces from the Korean peninsula. FEAF day-time aerial attacks limited the enemy's tactical assaults to night. (28) The first personnel of the ANG's 136 FBW left the US for Japan. (History, 136th FBW, 1 Apr30 Jun 51, p. 2)

 

1952: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew 265 sorties against a vehicle repair factory at Tang-dong, north of Pyongyang, destroying at least 39 buildings and a power plant. 1Lt James H. Kasler, 335 FIS, destroyed two MiGs to become an ace. (28)

 

1956: The 309th Troop Carrier Group (TCG), with C-123 aircraft, deployed to Freux, France. This was the first time this plane appeared in Europe.

 

1959: MATS began using computer flight plans produced by the Joint Numerical Weather Prediction Unit at Suitland, Md. This test program became operational in the Air Weather Service on 14 December 1959. (2) The Air Force Ballistic Missile Division revised its plan to develop an operational rail mobile Minuteman system. (6)

 

1961: NASA Deputy Administrator Hugh L. Dryden revealed that the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., had simulated free flight speeds of almost 30,000 MPH. (24)

 

1963: LAST MERCURY FLIGHT. After 22-orbits around the earth, Maj L. Gordon Cooper ended a 34-hour, 20-minute flight in Mercury capsule Faith 7 before landing in the Pacific, 80 miles southeast of Midway Island. He was the first American to orbit for more than one day and the last pilot in the Mercury series. (8)

 

1964: Air Force Western Test Range activated and assigned to the National Range Division, and the Atlantic Missile Range became the Eastern Test Range. 1966: Nimbus II, the largest weather satellite yet, launched from Vandenberg AFB.

 

1968: US airmail service celebrated its 50th year at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

 

1973: Operation AUTHENTIC ASSISTANCE. A humanitarian action to Africa's drought-stricken Sahelian region began. In the next six months, the USAF airlifted 9,250 tons of food, seed, grain, medical supplies, and vehicles to Mauritania, Chad and Mali. (5) (21)

 

1975: MAYAGUEZ INCIDENT: Cambodian Communists seized the USS Mayaguez on 12 May in the Gulf of Siam near Koh Tang Island. Afterwards, MAC used 16 C-141s on 30 sorties to airlift 1,165 Marines and 121 tons of cargo from the Philippines and Okinawa to Utapao AB, Thailand. The ARRS sent HH-53 helicopters to fly the Marines to Koh Tang Island and to the USS Holt, and later picked them up. In the operation, hostile fire damaged six helicopters and wounded two airmen. MAC then supported the later redeployment with 14 C-141 and 1 C-5 mission. (2) (18) MACKAY TROPHY. During efforts to rescue the crew of the USS Mayaquez, Maj Robert W. Undorf received the trophy for conspicuous gallantry, initiative, and resourcefulness. This was the last major operation in Southeast Asia. (21)

 

1977: SECDEF Brown directed the Air Force to develop the extended range ALCM-B rather than the ALCM-A due to a significant cost savings.

 

1983: The comparative flyoff between the F-16XL and F-15 in a dual-fighter role ended at Edwards AFB. (3)

 

1993: The 178 FG, Ohio ANG, was the last unit in the U.S. armed forces to fly the A-7. The unit honored the Corsair II during a "SLUF [i.e., Short, Little Ugly Flyer] Salute" at Springfield, Ohio. (2Lt Carol Thompson, "The Buckeye Guard Gives A Grand SLUF Salute," National Guard, August 1993, pp 20-22.)

 

1996: The eleventh operational B-2 Spirit bomber arrived at Whiteman AFB for duty with the 509 BW to mark another important milestone in the B-2 program. It was the first Block 20 series aircraft to arrive at Whiteman. The aircraft featured improvements in avionics, GPS-aided munitions, and terrain following software. The earlier Block 10 aircraft were retrofitted with those upgrades later. (AFNEWS Article 960484, May 96)

 

 

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Thanks to Mike

 

A B-17 Pilot Reflects On His Europe Missions

 

Truly Worth the 30 min to watch it! 

https://video.kbtc.org/video/full-focus-the-303rd/

 

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Thanks to Glen

 

Unusual footage of an aircraft, that I had never seen up close.

Glenn

Very likely the most expensive aircraft crash in history w/ no fatalities.

Ralph

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zZFD1KAl64

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This day in American Military History  May 15

 

Murcuralia; the Festival of Mercury, Patron of the Signal Corps:  Mercury, was a Roman messenger god whose attributes were mainly borrowed from the Greek god Hermes although there are myths regarding Mercury that are distinctly Roman. He was also a god of trade, thieves, and travel. The name is closely related to merx, mercari, and merces which respectively mean merchandise, to trade, and wages. For good luck, on the Ides of May (May 15th) which was considered his birthday, the merchants of Rome would use laurel boughs to sprinkle their merchandise, their ships, and their heads with water from a fountain at Porta Capena known as aqua Mercurii. They also offered prayers to Mercury for forgiveness of past and future perjuries, for profit, and the continued ability to cheat customers!

1602 – Bartholomew Gosnold, an English lawyer, explorer, and privateer who was instrumental in founding the Virginia Company of London, and Jamestown in colonial America led the first recorded European expedition to Cape Cod. He is considered by Preservation Virginia (formerly known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) to be the "prime mover of the colonization of Virginia".

 

1756 – The Seven Years War, a global conflict known in America as the French and Indian War, officially begins when England declares war on France. However, fighting and skirmishes between England and France had been going on in North America for years. In the early 1750s, French expansion into the Ohio River valley repeatedly brought France into armed conflict with the British colonies. In 1756–the first official year of fighting in the Seven Years War–the British suffered a series of defeats against the French and their broad network of Native American alliances. However, in 1757, British Prime Minister William Pitt (the older) recognized the potential of imperial expansion that would come out of victory against the French and borrowed heavily to fund an expanded war effort. Pitt financed Prussia's struggle against France and her allies in Europe and reimbursed the colonies for the raising of armies in North America. By 1760, the French had been expelled from Canada, and by 1763 all of France's allies in Europe had either made a separate peace with Prussia or had been defeated. In addition, Spanish attempts to aid France in the Americas had failed, and France also suffered defeats against British forces in India. The Seven Years War ended with the signing of the treaties of Hubertusburg and Paris in February 1763. In the Treaty of Paris, France lost all claims to Canada and gave Louisiana to Spain, while Britain received Spanish Florida, Upper Canada, and various French holdings overseas. The treaty ensured the colonial and maritime supremacy of Britain and strengthened the 13 American colonies by removing their European rivals to the north and the south. Fifteen years later, French bitterness over the loss of most of their colonial empire contributed to their intervention in the American Revolution on the side of the Patriots.

 

 

1864 – Students from the Virginia Military Institute take part in the Battle of New Market, part of the multipronged Union offensive in the spring of 1864 designed to take Virginia out of the war. Central to this campaign was Ulysses S. Grant's epic struggle with Robert E. Lee around Richmond. Union General Franz Sigel had been sent to apply pressure on a key agricultural region, the Shenandoah Valley. He marched south out of Winchester in early May to neutralize the valley, which was always a threat to the North. The Shenandoah was not only a breadbasket that supplied Southern armies, it also led to the Potomac north of Washington. The Confederates had used the valley very effectively in 1862, when Stonewall Jackson kept three Federal armies occupied while keeping pressure off of Richmond. But the Confederates were hard pressed to offer any opposition to Sigel's 6,500 troops. Lee was struggling against Grant and was badly outnumbered. He instructed John Breckinridge to drive Sigel from the valley but could offer him little in the way of troops to do the job. Breckinridge mustered a force of regular troops and militia units and pulled together 5,300 men. They included 247 cadets from the nearby Virginia Military Institute, some of the boys just 15 years old. On May 15, Breckinridge attacked Sigel's troops at New Market. Sigel fell back a half mile, reformed his lines, and began to shell the Confederate center. It was at this juncture that Breckinridge reluctantly sent the VMI cadets into battle. The young students were part of an attack that captured two Yankee guns. Ten of the cadets were killed and 48 were wounded, but Sigel suffered a humiliating defeat and began to withdraw from the valley. The courage of the VMI cadets at the Battle of New Market became legendary, and the pressure was temporarily off of the Rebels in the Shenandoah Valley. Breckinridge was able to send part of his force east to reinforce Lee.

 

 

1918 – The U.S. Post Office and the U.S. Army began regularly scheduled airmail service between Washington and New York through Philadelphia. Lieutenant George L. Boyle, an inexperienced young army pilot, was chosen to make the first flight from Washington. Even with a route map stitched to his breeches, Boyle lost his way and flew south rather than north. The second leg of the Washington–Philadelphia–New York flight, however, took off and arrived in New York on schedule–without the Washington mail. The distance of the route was 218 miles, and one round trip per day was made six days a week. Army Air Service pilots flew the route until August 10, 1918, when the Post Office Department took over the entire operation with its own planes and pilots.

 

1945 – On Okinawa, American troops secure Chocolate Drop Hill after fighting in the interconnecting tunnels. Elements of the 1st Marine Division, part of US 3rd Amphibious Corps, capture Wana Ridge. Elements of the US 6th Marine Division, part of the same corps, begin mopping up operations in the Japanese held caves of the Horseshoe and Half Moon positions. They use flame-throwers and hollow-charge weapons and seal off some Japanese troops. Japanese forces counterattack on the Horseshoe position suffering an estimated 200 killed. To the east, the US 7th and 96th Divisions, of US 24th Corps, continue to be engaged in the capture of Yonabaru.

1945 – On Mindanao, the US 31st Division, part of US 10th Corps, advances northward and occupies positions near the town of Malaybalay and encounter Japanese artillery fire. Other units advance north of Davao and resist nighttime counterattacks.

 

1951 – After the quick rout of two South Korean divisions by an attack of some 120,000 Communist Chinese troops, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, supported by intense and accurate 105mm howitzer fire from Wyoming's 300th Armored Field Artillery Battalion stemmed the enemy assault long enough for American positions to stabilize. For its determined resistance in the Battle of Soyang the 300th was awarded a Distinguished (now known as a Presidential) Unit Citation.

1952 – Air Force First Lieutenant James H. Kasler, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, became the war's 15th ace after downing two MiGs for a total of five kills.

 

1963 – Gordon Cooper is launched into space aboard Faith 7 on the longest American space mission to that date. Faith 7 was the capstone of Project Mercury, the NASA program that put the first American into space in 1961 and the first astronaut into orbit in 1962. Cooper completed 22 orbits of the earth and spent 34 hours in space. He was the first American astronaut to spend more than a day in space. On the afternoon of May 16, Faith 7 landed safely in the Pacific Ocean, four miles from the recovery ship Kearsarge. Cooper was honored by parades in Hawaii and Washington, D.C., where he addressed a joint session of Congress, and in New York City, where he was greeted by a massive ticker-tape crowd. Later Shawnee, Oklahoma–Cooper's hometown–celebrated the return of the sixth Mercury astronaut from space.

 

1967 – U.S. forces just south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) come under heavy fire as Marine positions between Dong Ha and Con Thien are pounded by North Vietnamese artillery. At the same time, more than 100 Americans were killed or wounded during heavy fighting along the DMZ. On May 17 and 18, the Con Thien base was shelled heavily. Dong Ha, Gio Linh, Cam Lo, and Camp Carroll were also bombarded. On May 18, a force of 5,500 U.S. and South Vietnamese troops invaded the southeastern section of the DMZ to smash a communist build up in the area and to deny the use of the zone as an infiltration route into South Vietnam. On May 19, the U.S. State Department said the offensive in the DMZ was "purely a defensive measure" against a "considerable buildup of North Vietnam troops." The North Vietnamese government on May 21 called the invasion of the zone "a brazen provocation" that "abolished the buffer character of the DMZ as provided by the Geneva agreements."

 

1975 – Merchant ship U.S. Mayaguez was recaptured from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge. Some 200 Marines stormed the island of Koh Tang to rescue the crew of the Mayaguez, but the crew had been moved. The Marines fought all day against the Khmer Rouge and escaped by helicopter in the evening. Three comrades were left behind and later died under the Khmer Rouge. The crew was freed about the same time that the Marine assault began.

 

 

Medal of Honor Citation for Actions Taken This Day

 

LEONARD, PATRICK
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 2d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Little Blue, Nebr., 15 May 1870. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 22 June 1870. Second award. Citation: Gallantry in action.

THOMPSON, GEORGE W.
Rank and organization: Private, Company C, 2d U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Little Blue, Nebr., 15 May 1870. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Victory, N.Y. Date of issue: 22 June 1870. Citation: Gallantry in action.

JOHNSON, HENRY AKA WILLIAM HENRY JOHNSON
Rank and Organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company: Company C, 369th Infantry Regiment Division: 93d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, Born: 1897, Alexandria, Virginia, Departed: Yes (07/05/1929), Entered Service At: Albany, New York, G.O. Number: , Date of Issue: 06/02/2015, Accredited To: ,Place and Date: Northwest of Saint Menehoul, France, 15 May 1918. Citation: Private Henry Johnson distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a member of Company C, 369th Infantry Regiment, 93d Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces on May 15, 1918, during combat operations against the enemy on the front lines of the Western Front in France. In the early morning hours, Private Johnson and another soldier were on sentry duty at a forward outpost when they received a surprise attack from a German raiding party consisting of at least 12 soldiers. While under intense enemy fire and despite receiving significant wounds, Private Johnson mounted a brave retaliation, resulting in several enemy casualties. When his fellow soldier was badly wounded and being carried away by the enemy, Private Johnson exposed himself to grave danger by advancing from his position to engage the two enemy captors in hand-to-hand combat. Wielding only a knife and gravely wounded himself, Private Johnson continued fighting, defeating the two captors and rescuing the wounded soldier. Displaying great courage, he continued to hold back the larger enemy force until the defeated enemy retreated leaving behind a large cache of weapons and equipment and providing valuable intelligence. Without Private Johnson's quick actions and continued fighting, even in the face of almost certain death, the enemy might have succeeded in capturing prisoners and the outpost, without abandoning valuable intelligence. Private Johnson's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company C, 369th Infantry Regiment, 93d Infantry Division and the United States Army.

*COURTNEY, HENRY ALEXIUS, JR.
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 6 January 1916, Duluth, Minn. Appointed from: Minnesota. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of the 2d Battalion, 22d Marines, 6th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa Shima in the Ryukyu Islands, 14 and 15 May 1945. Ordered to hold for the night in static defense behind Sugar Loaf Hill after leading the forward elements of his command in a prolonged fire fight, Maj. Courtney weighed the effect of a hostile night counterattack against the tactical value of an immediate marine assault, resolved to initiate the assault, and promptly obtained permission to advance and seize the forward slope of the hill. Quickly explaining the situation to his small remaining force, he declared his personal intention of moving forward and then proceeded on his way, boldly blasting nearby cave positions and neutralizing enemy guns as he went. Inspired by his courage, every man followed without hesitation, and together the intrepid marines braved a terrific concentration of Japanese gunfire to skirt the hill on the right and reach the reverse slope. Temporarily halting, Maj. Courtney sent guides to the rear for more ammunition and possible replacements. Subsequently reinforced by 26 men and an LVT load of grenades, he determined to storm the crest of the hill and crush any planned counterattack before it could gain sufficient momentum to effect a breakthrough. Leading his men by example rather than by command, he pushed ahead with unrelenting aggressiveness, hurling grenades into cave openings on the slope with devastating effect. Upon reaching the crest and observing large numbers of Japanese forming for action less than 100 yards away, he instantly attacked, waged a furious battle and succeeded in killing many of the enemy and in forcing the remainder to take cover in the caves. Determined to hold, he ordered his men to dig in and, coolly disregarding the continuous hail of flying enemy shrapnel to rally his weary troops, tirelessly aided casualties and assigned his men to more advantageous positions. Although instantly killed by a hostile mortar burst while moving among his men, Maj. Courtney, by his astute military acumen, indomitable leadership and decisive action in the face of overwhelming odds, had contributed essentially to the success of the Okinawa campaign. His great personal valor throughout sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

 

KETTLES, CHARLES S.
Rank: Major, Organization: U.S. Army, Company: 176th Assault Helicopter Company, Division: 14th Combat Aviation Battalion, Task Force Oregon, Born: January 9, 1930, Ypsitanti, Michigan, Departed: No, Entered Service At: , G.O. Number: , Date of Issue: 07/18/2016, Accredited To: , Place and Date: Near Duc Pho, Republic of Vietnam, May 15, 1967. Citation: On 15 May 1967, Major Kettles, upon learning that an airborne infantry unit had suffered casualties during an intense firefight with the enemy, immediately volunteered to lead a flight of six UH-1D helicopters to carry reinforcements to the embattled force and to evacuate wounded personnel. Enemy small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire raked the landing zone, inflicting heavy damage to the helicopters; however, Major Kettles refused to depart until all helicopters were loaded to capacity. He then returned to the battlefield, with full knowledge of the intense enemy fire awaiting his arrival, to bring more reinforcements, landing in the midst of enemy mortar and automatic weapons fire that seriously wounded his gunner and severely damaged his aircraft. Upon departing, Major Kettles was advised by another helicopter crew that he had fuel streaming out of his aircraft. Despite the risk posed by the leaking fuel, he nursed the damaged aircraft back to base. Later that day, the Infantry Battalion Commander requested immediate, emergency extraction of the remaining 40 troops, including four members of Major Kettles' unit who were stranded when their helicopter was destroyed by enemy fire. With only one flyable UH-1 helicopter remaining, Major Kettles volunteered to return to the deadly landing zone for a third time, leading a flight of six evacuation helicopters, five of which were from the 161st Aviation Company. During the extraction, Major Kettles was informed by the last helicopter that all personnel were onboard, and departed the landing zone accordingly. Army gunships supporting the evacuation also departed the area. Once airborne, Major Kettles was advised that eight troops had been unable to reach the evacuation helicopters due to the intense enemy fire. With complete disregard for his own safety, Major Kettles passed the lead to another helicopter and returned to the landing zone to rescue the remaining troops. Without gunship, artillery, or tactical aircraft support, the enemy concentrated all firepower on his lone aircraft, which was immediately damaged by a mortar round that shattered both front windshields and the chin bubble and was further raked by small arms and machine gun fire. Despite the intense enemy fire, Major Kettles maintained control of the aircraft and situation, allowing time for the remaining eight soldiers to board the aircraft. In spite of the severe damage to his helicopter, Major Kettles once more skillfully guided his heavily damaged aircraft to safety. Without his courageous actions and superior flying skills, the last group of soldiers and his crew would never have made it off the battlefield. Major Kettles' selfless acts of repeated valor and determination are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

 

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Thanks to Mugs

 

No idea where WHAM 1180 is, but Bob Lonsberry has nailed it!
Mugs

This is a truth that is becoming more evident daily.  Logically stated.

 

BRILLIANT!

In early January 2020, Bob Lonsberry, a Rochester talk radio personality on WHAM 1180 AM, said this in response to Biden's " Income inequality speech":

Two Americas

The Democrats are right, there are two Americas.

The America that works, and the America that doesn't.

The America that contributes, and the America that doesn't.

It's not the haves and the have nots, it's the dos and the don'ts.

Some people do their duty as Americans, obey the law, support themselves, contribute to society, and others don't. That's the divide in America.
It's not about income inequality, it's about civic irresponsibility.

It's about a political party that preaches hatred, greed and victimization in order to win elective office.

It's about a political party that loves power more than it loves its country. That's not invective, that's truth, and it's about time someone said it.

The politics of envy was on proud display a couple weeks ago when President Biden pledged the rest of his term to fighting "income inequality." He noted that some people make more than other people, that some people have higher incomes than others, and he says that's not just.

That is the rationale of thievery. The other guy has it, you want it, Biden will take it for you. Vote Democrat.

That is the philosophy that produced Detroit. It is the electoral philosophy that is destroying America .

It conceals a fundamental deviation from American values and common sense because it ends up not benefiting the people who support it, but a betrayal.
The Democrats have not empowered their followers; they have enslaved them in a culture of dependence and entitlement, of victim-hood and anger instead of ability and hope.

The president's premise – that you reduce income inequality by debasing the successful – seeks to deny the successful the consequences of their choices and spare the unsuccessful the consequences of their choices. Because, by and large, income variations in society is a result of different choices leading to different consequences. Those who choose wisely and responsibly have a far greater likelihood of success, while those who choose foolishly and irresponsibly have a far greater likelihood of failure. Success and failure usually manifest themselves in personal and family income.

You choose to drop out of high school or to skip college – and you are apt to have a different outcome than someone who gets a diploma and pushes on with purposeful education and/or employment.

You have your children out of wedlock and life is apt to take one course; you have them within a marriage and life is apt to take another course.

Most often in life our destination is determined by the course we take.

My doctor, for example, makes far more than I do. There is significant income inequality between us. Our lives have had an inequality of outcome, but, our lives also have had an inequality of effort. While my doctor went to college and then devoted his young adulthood to medical school and residency, I chose another avenue.

He made a choice, I made a choice, and our choices led us to different outcomes. His outcome pays a lot better than mine. Does that mean he cheated and Joe Biden needs to take away his wealth? No, it means we are both free men in a free society where free choices lead to different outcomes.
It is not inequality Joe Biden intends to take away, it is freedom. The freedom to succeed and the freedom to fail. There is no true option for success if there is no true option for failure. The pursuit of happiness means a whole lot less when you face the punitive hand of government if your pursuit brings you more happiness than the other guy. Even if the other guy sat on his arse and did nothing. Even if the other guy made a lifetime's worth of asinine and shortsighted decisions.

President Biden and the Democrats preach equality of outcome as a right, while completely ignoring inequality of effort. The simple Law of the Harvest – as ye sow, so shall ye reap – is sometimes applied as, "The harder you work, the more you get." Biden would turn that upside down. Those who achieve are to be punished as enemies of society and those who fail are to be rewarded as wards of society.

Entitlement will replace effort as the key to upward mobility in American society if President Biden Barack gets his way. He seeks a lowest common denominator society in which the government besieges the successful and productive to foster equality through mediocrity. He and his party speak of two Americas, and their grip on power is based on using the votes of one to sap the productivity of the other. America is not divided by the differences in our outcomes, it is divided by the differences in our efforts. It is a false philosophy to say one man's success comes about unavoidably as the result of another man's victimization.

What Biden offered was not a solution, but a separatism. He fomented division and strife, pitted one set of Americans against another for his own political benefit. That's what socialists offer. Marxist class warfare wrapped up with a bow.

Two Americas, coming closer each day to proving the truth to Lincoln's maxim that a house divided against itself cannot stand.