Good Thursday morning 10 June
I hope that your week has been going well
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Today in Naval History
June 10
On This Day
1854 The first formal graduation exercises are held at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. Previous classes graduated without a ceremony. Rear Adm. Thomas O. Selfridge and Rear Adm. Joseph N. Miller are two of the six graduates that year.
1944 USS Glennon (DD 620) capsizes and sinks that evening off the Normandy coast, killing 25 crew members, while USS Rich (DE 695), while rescuing USS Glennons crew, loses 90 crew members after striking two mines.
1896 Authorization is given for the first experimental ship model basin, which was under the supervision of Chief Constructor of the Navy, Capt. David W. Taylor. The basin, in Building 70 at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is used by the Navy to monitor new hull designs.
1944 USS Bangust (DE 739) sinks the Japanese submarine (RO 42), 70 miles northeast of Kwajalein, while USS Taylor (DD 468) sinks Japanese submarine RO 111, 210 miles north-northwest of Kavieng, New Ireland.
1945 USS Skate (SS 305) sinks Japanese submarine (I 122) in the Sea of Japan.
1952 USS Evansville (PF 70) is fired on by shore batteries in Songjin Harbor. She avoids damage by maneuvering while USS Endicott (DMS 35) and USS Thomason (DE 203) fire on and silence enemy guns.
1960 Helicopters from USS Yorktown (CVS 10) rescue 54 crewmen of British SS Shunlee, grounded on Pratus Reef in South China Sea.
1995 USS Firebolt (PC 10) is commissioned. The coastal patrol boat is the 10th of the Cyclone-class.
2006 USS Farragut (DDG 99) is commissioned at Mayport, Fla. The 49th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is the fifth Navy ship named for Adm. David Farragut.
2017 Littoral Combat Ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) is commissioned in a ceremony attended by nearly 2,500 guests at Pier 21 at the Port of Galveston, Texas. The ship is named after former United States Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona's 8th district.
This Day in History
1190 Frederick Barbarossa drowns in a river while leading an army of the Third Crusade.
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1692 Bridget Bishop is hanged in Salem, Mass., for witchcraft.
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1776 The Continental Congress appoints a committee to write a Declaration of Independence.
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1801 Tripoli declares war on the U.S. for refusing to pay tribute.
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1854 The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, holds its first graduation.
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1861 Dorothea Dix is appointed superintendent of female nurses for the Union army.
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1864 At the Battle of Brice's Crossroads in Mississippi, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest defeats the numerically superior Union troops.
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1898 U.S. Marines land in Cuba.
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1905 Japan and Russia agree to peace talks brokered by President Theodore Roosevelt.
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1909 An SOS signal is transmitted for the first time in an emergency when the Cunard liner SS Slavonia is wrecked off the Azores.
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1916 Mecca, under control of the Turks, falls to the Arabs during the Great Arab Revolt.
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1920 The Republican convention in Chicago endorses women's suffrage.
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1924 The Italian socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti is kidnapped and assassinated by Fascists in Rome.
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1925 Tennessee adopts a new biology text book denying the theory of evolution.
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1940 The Norwegian army capitulates to the Germans.
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1942 Germany razes the town of Lidice, Czechoslovakia and kills more than 1,300 citizens in retribution of the murder of Reinhard Heydrich.
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1943 The Allies begin bombing Germany around the clock.
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1944 The U.S. VII and V corps, advancing from Normandy's beaches, link up and begin moving inland.
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1948 The news that the sound barrier has been broken is finally released to the public by the U.S. Air Force. Chuck Yeager, piloting the rocket airplane X-1, exceeded the speed of sound on October 14, 1947.
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1963 Buddhist monk Ngo Quang Duc dies by self immolation in Saigon to protest persecution by the Diem government.
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1970 A 15-man group of special forces troops begin training for Operation Kingpin, a POW rescue mission in North Vietnam.
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1985 The Israeli army pulls out of Lebanon after 1,099 days of occupation.
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1999 Serb forces begin their withdrawal from Kosovo after signing an agreement with the NATO powers.
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Thanks to Dutch
unfortunately I cannot find a video of her speaking
Virginia mom who survived Maoist China eviscerates school board's critical race theory push
Xi Van Fleet said Cultural Revolution began when she was 6, pitted students against one another and their teachers
A Virginia mom who endured Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution before immigrating to the U.S. ripped a Virginia school board at a public meeting Tuesday over its stubborn support of the controversial critical race theory.
"I've been very alarmed by what's going on in our schools," Xi Van Fleet told the Loudoun County School Board members. "You are now teaching, training our children to be social justice warriors and to loathe our country and our history."
She likened CRT, which critics deride as a form of "neo-racism," to China's Cultural Revolution, a Mao-led purge that left between 500,000 and 20 million people dead from 1966 to 1976. The estimates vary greatly and many details have been shrouded in secrecy for decades.
Van Fleet, whose son graduated from Loudoun High School in 2015, shared some of her experience growing up in China's Sichuan province with Fox News exclusively Wednesday evening.
VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARD MEETING EXPLODES AS MEMBERS FACE BACKLASH FOR SUSPENSION OF TANNER CROSS
The Cultural Revolution began when she was 6 years old, she said, and immediately pitted students and teachers and against one another by hanging "Big Posters" and hallways and the cafeteria where students could write criticisms against anyone deemed ideological impure.
"One of the teachers was considered bourgeoisie because she liked to wear pretty clothes," Van Fleet said. "So the students attacked her and spit on her. She was covered with spit… and pretty soon it became violence."
To me, and to a lot of Chinese, it is heartbreaking that we escaped communism and now we experience communism here.
— Xi Van Fleet
Communist squads would raid homes and destroy any relics of China's past culture, history, governments or religion, she said.
"Everything that was considered 'old,' feudalist, a vase, Buddhas, everything was taken out and smashed," she said.
There were thought crimes, too.
"We were asked to report if we hear anything about someone saying anything showing that there's a lack of complete loyalty to Mao," she said. "There were people reporting their parents, and their parents ended up in jail."
At 26 years old, she said, she finally made it out, traveling to the U.S. – where she immediately found freedoms she had never been able to enjoy before.
Xi Van Fleet, who survived Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution, speaking before the Loudoun County school board Tuesday. (LCPS)
"I felt like it's such a free country, meaning I have free access to all sorts of information – books on both sides of the issues," she said.
In the current political and cultural climate in the U.S., however, she said she felt some of that freedom eroding.
"I can't really just say what I mean, even though the other side can say whatever," she said. "To me, and to a lot of Chinese, it is heartbreaking that we escaped communism and now we experience communism here."
In her speech to the school board, which officials made her shorten to fit the one-minute limit, she drew direct parallels between what she saw back then in China and what she sees in the United States today.
"The Communist regime used the same critical theory to divide people," she said. "The only difference is they used class instead of race."
I just want Americans to know that their privilege is to be here living in America, that is just the biggest privilege.
— Xi Van Fleet
She said she witnessed students and teachers "turn against each other" during the pogrom and saw schools change their names "to be politically correct."
"We were taught to denounce our heritage, and Red Guards destroyed anything that is not communist…statues, books and anything else," she continued. "We were also encouraged to report on each other, just like the Student Equity Ambassador program and the bias reporting system."
"This is indeed the American version of the Chinese Cultural Revolution," she said. "The critical race theory has its roots in cultural Marxism. It should have no place in our school."
Her speech came 246 years after fellow Virginian Patrick Henry declared "Give me liberty or give me death" during the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond, 125 miles to the south of Loudoun.
"I just want Americans to know that their privilege is to be here living in America, that is just the biggest privilege," Van Fleet said over the phone Wednesday. "I do not think a lot of people understand. They are thinking they are doing the right thing, 'be against racism' sounds really good. But they are basically breaking the system that is against racism."
One of the teachers was considered bourgeoisie because she liked to wear pretty clothes. So the students attacked her and spit on her.
— Xi Van Fleet
The Loudoun County school board has doubled down on its embrace of left-wing policies, including CRT, in recent months.
Illustrating Van Fleet's point, a group of Loudoun County parents and teachers were accused of "racketeering" and intimidating conservative parents who raised questions about the radical proposals. Members of the "Anti-Racist Parents of Loudoun County" allegedly compiled a list of outspoken conservatives in their community in order to track, hack and "doxx" them – or even scare them into self-censorship, according to David Gordon, director of the Virginia Project, a Republican PAC.
Earlier this week, a judge ordered the district to reinstate suspended elementary school phys ed teacher Byron "Tanner" Cross after he was punished for speaking his mind during the public comment portion of a hearing on new transgender policies last month.
Cross declared that he wouldn't "affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it's against my religion. It's lying to a child, it's abuse to a child, and it's sinning against our God."
He was speaking out against a district policy proposal that would require teachers and other school staff to address "gender-expansive or transgender students" with their preferred name, pronouns and gender.
Ian Prior, the father of two students attending Loudoun schools, said Van Fleet's remarks to the school board "should serve as a stark warning" Wednesday.
"I think for a while now, school systems have really put this stuff in the schools right under our very noses, and we just weren't aware," he said. "When your kids go to school and you let them go through those doors, you're trusting the school system to do the job that they're' supposed to do…And it took a pandemic and all the information that parents could see with this distance learning to understand exactly what was going on."
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War— ... For The List for Thursday, 10 June 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)...
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 10 June 1966...
"The President's Daily Brief"...
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-10-june-1966-lbj-daily-brief/
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
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…….June 10
1942 – The carrier USS Wasp and battleship USS North Carolina accompanied by cruisers and destroyers pass through the canal to join the US Pacific Fleet after service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. There are now four American fleet aircraft carriers in the Pacific theater.
1943 – Operation Husky, Allied landing on Sicily. The landings took place in extremely strong wind conditions, which made the landings difficult but also ensured the element of surprise. Landings were made on the southern and eastern coasts of the island, with the British forces in the East and the Americans towards the West. Four airborne operations were carried out, landing during the night of the 9/10 July, as part of the invasion; two were British and two American. The American troops were the 82nd Airborne division, making their first combat parachute jump. The strong winds blew the dropping aircraft off course and scattered them widely; the result was that around half the US paratroops failed to make it to their rallying points. British glider-landed troops fared little better; only 12 out of 144 gliders landing on target, many landing in the sea. Nevertheless the scattered airborne troops maximised their opportunities, attacking patrols and creating confusion wherever possible. U.S. paratroopers jump into Australia on a military training exercise. …Gliders are un-powered heavier-than-air aircraft. …The sea landings, despite the weather, were carried out against little opposition, the Italian units stationed on the shoreline lacking equipment and transport. The British walked into the port of Syracuse virtually unopposed. Only in the American centre was a substantial counterattack made, in exactly the point where the US Airborne were supposed to have been. On the 11 July Patton ordered his reserve parachute regiments to drop and reinforce the centre. Unfortunately not every unit had been informed of the drop, and the transports, which arrived shortly after an Axis air raid, were fired on by their own side, losing 37 out of 144 planes by friendly fire. Map of central Mediterranean Sea, showing location of Syracuse on the island of Sicily. … The plans for the post-invasion battle had not been worked out in detail. Each Army was expected to advance towards its own objectives; boundaries between the two armies were fixed. In the first two days progress was excellent, capturing Vizzini in the west and Augusta in the east. Categories: Possible copyright violations … However resistance in the British sector then stiffened. Montgomery persuaded Alexander to shift the boundaries so that the British could by-pass the resistance and retain the key role of capturing Messina, while the Americans were given the role of protecting and supporting their flank. Patton sought a greater role for his army, and decided to try to capture the capital, Palermo. After dispatching a 'reconnaissance' toward the town of Agrigento which succeeded in capturing it, he persuaded Alexander to allow him to continue to advance. Alexander changed his mind and countermanded his orders, but Patton claimed the countermand was 'garbled in transmission', and by the time the position had been clarified Patton was at the gates of Palermo. Messina, Italy Strait of Messina, Italy. … (This article is about Palermo in Sicily. … Agrigento (formerly Girgenti) is the name of a town on the southern coast of Italy, capital of the province of Agrigento. …The fall of Palermo inspired a coup against Mussolini, and he was deposed from power. Although the removal of Italy from the war had been one of the long-term objectives of the Italian campaign, the suddenness of the move caught the Allies by surprise. Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. … After Patton's capture of Palermo, with the British still bogged down south of Messina, Alexander ordered a two-pronged attack on the city. Patton became obsessed with the idea of reaching Messina before the British, writing "This is a horse race in which the prestige of the US Army is at stake.". The Axis, now effectively under the command of German General Hans Hube, had prepared a strong defensive line, the 'Etna Line' around Messina, that would enable him to make a progressive retreat while evacuating large parts of his army to the mainland. Patton began his assault on the line at Troina, but it was a lynchpin of the defense and stubbornly held. Despite three 'end run' amphibious landings the Germans managed to keep the bulk of their forces beyond reach of capture, and maintain their evacuation plans. Elements of the US Third Infantry Division entered Messina just hours after the last axis troops boarded ship for Italy. However Patton had won his race to enter Messina first. The casualties on the Axis side totalled 29,000, with 140,000 captured. The capture of Biscari airfield also resulted in an atrocity when American troops killed seventy-three Prisoners of War, supposedly inspired by Patton. The US lost 2,237 killed and 6,544 wounded and captured; the British suffered 2,721 dead, and 10,122 wounded and captured. For many of the American forces this was their first time in combat. However the Axis successfully evacuated over 100,000 men and 10,000 vehicles from Sicily. No plan had been made by the Allies to prevent this. The Biscari massacre was a war crime committed by US American troops during World War II, where unarmed German and Italian prisoners of war were massacred at Biscari in 1943, as ordered by George S. Patton. … The invasion also had an impact on the Eastern front. One of the reasons why the Germans had to cancel their offensive near Kursk was that they decided to send units to Italy after they received news of the invasion. The Eastern Front was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. … Battle of Kursk Conflict World War II Date July 4, 1943 – July 22, 1943 Place Kursk, USSR Result Indecisive; generally considered a strategic German loss The Battle of Kursk was a significant battle on the Eastern Front of World War II. It remains the largest armored engagement of all time… Husky was the largest amphibious operation of World War II in terms of men landed on the beaches, and of frontage; it overshadowed even the later Normandy landings. Strategically, the Sicilian operation achieved the goals set out for it by Allied planners. Axis air and naval forces were driven from the island; the Mediterranean sea lanes were opened and Mussolini had been toppled from power. It opened the way to the invasion of Italy, which had not necessarily been seen as a follow-up to Operation Husky. The word amphibious or amphibian, when used alone, has several possible meanings in the English language. … Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. … The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies.
1944 – The U.S. VII and V corps, advancing from Normandy's Utah and Omaha beaches, respectively, linked-up and began moving inland. The Utah and Omaha beaches are linked up by an advance of the US 2nd Armored Division (part of 5th Corps). The US 101st Airborne Division continues to be engaged around Carentan.
1945 – On Okinawa, fighting continues on the Oroku Peninsula, where the forces of the US 6th Marine Division have reduced the Japanese pocket to about 2000 square yards. Heavy Japanese losses are recorded in nighttime counterattacks. Meanwhile, on the south of the island, the US 1st Marine Division suffers heavy losses in the successful capture of a hill west of the town of Yuza. The US 24th Corps forces, to the left, launches a major offensive against the last Japanese defensive line, the Yaeju-Dake Line. Japanese resistance is evidently weakening.
1945 – On Luzon, Japanese forces halt the advance of the US 37th Division near Orioung Pass.
1945 – In Frankfurt, Marshal Zhukov confers the Soviet Order of Victory on Field Marshal Montgomery and General Eisenhower. During the evening, in a message broadcast by Hamburg radio, Field Marshal Montgomery says that the German people must be taught that not only have they been defeated, but that they are guilty of beginning the war as they were guilty in 1914. He suggests parents read the message to their children and ensure that they understand it.
1948 – The news that the sound barrier has been broken is finally released to the public by the U.S. Air Force. Chuck Yeager, piloting the rocket airplane X-1, exceeded the speed of sound on October 14, 1947.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
ANDREWS, JOHN
Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1821, York County, Pennsylvania. Accredited to: Maryland. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Benicia in action against Korean forts on 9 and 10 June 1871. Stationed at the lead in passing the forts, Andrews stood on the gunwale on the Benicia's launch, lashed to the ridgerope. He remained unflinchingly in this dangerous position and gave his soundings with coolness and accuracy under a heavy fire.
LUKES, WILLIAM F.
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1846, Bohemia. Enlisted at: Tientsin, China. G.O. No.: 180, 10 October 1872. Citation: Served with Company D during the capture of the Korean forts, 9 and 10 June 1871. Fighting the enemy inside the fort, Lukes received a severe cut over the head.
MERTON, JAMES F.
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Birth: England. G.O. No.: 180, 10 October 1872. Citation: Landsman and member of Company D during the capture of the Korean forts, 9 and 10 June 1871, Merton was severely wounded in the arm while trying to force his way into the fort.
ROSE, GEORGE
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 28 February 1880, Stamford, Conn. Accredited to: Connecticut. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battles at Peking, China, 13, 20, 21 and 22 June 1900. Throughout this period, Rose distinguished himself by meritorious conduct. While stationed as a crewmember of the U.S.S. Newark, he was part of its landing force that went ashore off Taku, China. on 31 May 1900, he was in a party of 6 under John McCloy (MH) which took ammunition from the Newark to Tientsin. On 10 June 1900, he was one of a party that carried dispatches from LaFa to Yongstsum at night. On the 13th he was one of a few who fought off a large force of the enemy saving the Main baggage train from destruction. On the 20th and 21st he was engaged in heavy fighting against the Imperial Army being always in the first rank. On the 22d he showed gallantry in the capture of the Siku Arsenal. He volunteered to go to the nearby village which was occupied by the enemy to secure medical supplies urgently required. The party brought back the supplies carried by newly taken prisoners.
*DEFRANZO, ARTHUR F.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Vaubadon, France, 10 June 1944. Entered service at: Saugus, Mass. Birth: Saugus, Mass. G.O. No.: 1, 4 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, on 10 June 1944, near Vaubadon, France. As scouts were advancing across an open field, the enemy suddenly opened fire with several machineguns and hit 1 of the men. S/Sgt. DeFranzo courageously moved out in the open to the aid of the wounded scout and was himself wounded but brought the man to safety. Refusing aid, S/Sgt. DeFranzo reentered the open field and led the advance upon the enemy. There were always at least 2 machineguns bringing unrelenting fire upon him, but S/Sgt. DeFranzo kept going forward, firing into the enemy and 1 by 1 the enemy emplacements became silent. While advancing he was again wounded, but continued on until he was within 100 yards of the enemy position and even as he fell, he kept firing his rifle and waving his men forward. When his company came up behind him, S/Sgt. DeFranzo, despite his many severe wounds, suddenly raised himself and once more moved forward in the lead of his men until he was again hit by enemy fire. In a final gesture of indomitable courage, he threw several grenades at the enemy machinegun position and completely destroyed the gun. In this action, S/Sgt. DeFranzo lost his life, but by bearing the brunt of the enemy fire in leading the attack, he prevented a delay in the assault which would have been of considerable benefit to the foe, and he made possible his company's advance with a minimum of casualties. The extraordinary heroism and magnificent devotion to duty displayed by S/Sgt. DeFranzo was a great inspiration to all about him, and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the armed forces.
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EHLERS, WALTER D.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and dare: Near Goville, France, 9-10 June 1944. Entered service at: Manhattan, Kans. Birth: Junction City, Kans. G.O. No.: 91, 19 December 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 9-10 June 1944, near Goville, France. S/Sgt. Ehlers, always acting as the spearhead of the attack, repeatedly led his men against heavily defended enemy strong points exposing himself to deadly hostile fire whenever the situation required heroic and courageous leadership. Without waiting for an order, S/Sgt. Ehlers, far ahead of his men, led his squad against a strongly defended enemy strong point, personally killing 4 of an enemy patrol who attacked him en route. Then crawling forward under withering machinegun fire, he pounced upon the guncrew and put it out of action. Turning his attention to 2 mortars protected by the crossfire of 2 machineguns, S/Sgt. Ehlers led his men through this hail of bullets to kill or put to flight the enemy of the mortar section, killing 3 men himself. After mopping up the mortar positions, he again advanced on a machinegun, his progress effectively covered by his squad. When he was almost on top of the gun he leaped to his feet and, although greatly outnumbered, he knocked out the position single-handed. The next day, having advanced deep into enemy territory, the platoon of which S/Sgt. Ehlers was a member, finding itself in an untenable position as the enemy brought increased mortar, machinegun, and small arms fire to bear on it, was ordered to withdraw. S/Sgt. Ehlers, after his squad had covered the withdrawal of the remainder of the platoon, stood up and by continuous fire at the semicircle of enemy placements, diverted the bulk of the heavy hostile fire on himself, thus permitting the members of his own squad to withdraw. At this point, though wounded himself, he carried his wounded automatic rifleman to safety and then returned fearlessly over the shell-swept field to retrieve the automatic rifle which he was unable to carry previously. After having his wound treated, he refused to be evacuated, and returned to lead his squad. The intrepid leadership, indomitable courage, and fearless aggressiveness displayed by S/Sgt. Ehlers in the face of overwhelming enemy forces serve as an inspiration to others.
McCOOL, RICHARD MILES,
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. LSC(L)(3) 122. Place and date: Off Okinawa, 10 and 11 June 1945. Entered service at: Oklahoma. Born: 4 January 1922, Tishomingo, Okla. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. LSC(L)(3) 122 during operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Ryukyu chain, 10 and 11 June 1945. Sharply vigilant during hostile air raids against Allied ships on radar picket duty off Okinawa on 10 June, Lt. McCool aided materially in evacuating all survivors from a sinking destroyer which had sustained mortal damage under the devastating attacks. When his own craft was attacked simultaneously by 2 of the enemy's suicide squadron early in the evening of 11 June, he instantly hurled the full power of his gun batteries against the plunging aircraft, shooting down the first and damaging the second before it crashed his station in the conning tower and engulfed the immediate area in a mass of flames. Although suffering from shrapnel wounds and painful burns, he rallied his concussion-shocked crew and initiated vigorous firefighting measures and then proceeded to the rescue of several trapped in a blazing compartment, subsequently carrying 1 man to safety despite the excruciating pain of additional severe burns. Unmindful of all personal danger, he continued his efforts without respite until aid arrived from other ships and he was evacuated. By his staunch leadership, capable direction, and indomitable determination throughout the crisis, Lt. McCool saved the lives of many who otherwise might have perished and contributed materially to the saving of his ship for further combat service. His valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of extreme peril sustains and enhances the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*ABRELL, CHARLES G.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company E, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Hangnyong, Korea, 10 June 1951. Entered service at: Terre Haute, Ind. Born: 12 August 1931, Terre Haute, Ind. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a fire team leader in Company E, in action against enemy aggressor forces. While advancing with his platoon in an attack against well-concealed and heavily fortified enemy hill positions, Cpl. Abrell voluntarily rushed forward through the assaulting squad which was pinned down by a hail of intense and accurate automatic-weapons fire from a hostile bunker situated on commanding ground. Although previously wounded by enemy hand grenade fragments, he proceeded to carry out a bold, single-handed attack against the bunker, exhorting his comrades to follow him. Sustaining 2 additional wounds as he stormed toward the emplacement, he resolutely pulled the pin from a grenade clutched in his hand and hurled himself bodily into the bunker with the live missile still in his grasp. Fatally wounded in the resulting explosion which killed the entire enemy guncrew within the stronghold, Cpl. Abrell, by his valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death, served to inspire all his comrades and contributed directly to the success of his platoon in attaining its objective. His superb courage and heroic initiative sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*SHIELDS, MARVIN G.
Rank and organization: Construction Mechanic Third Class, U.S. Navy, Seabee Team 1104. Place and date: Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam, 10 June 1965. Entered service at: Seattle, Wash. Born: 30 December 1939, Port Townsend, Wash. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Although wounded when the compound of Detachment A342, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, came under intense fire from an estimated reinforced Viet Cong regiment employing machineguns, heavy weapons and small arms, Shields continued to resupply his fellow Americans who needed ammunition and to return the enemy fire for a period of approximately 3 hours, at which time the Viet Cong launched a massive attack at close range with flame-throwers, hand grenades and small-arms fire. Wounded a second time during this attack, Shields nevertheless assisted in carrying a more critically wounded man to safety, and then resumed firing at the enemy for 4 more hours. When the commander asked for a volunteer to accompany him in an attempt to knock out an enemy machinegun emplacement which was endangering the lives of all personnel in the compound because of the accuracy of its fire, Shields unhesitatingly volunteered for this extremely hazardous mission. Proceeding toward their objective with a 3.5-inch rocket launcher, they succeeded in destroying the enemy machinegun emplacement, thus undoubtedly saving the lives of many of their fellow servicemen in the compound. Shields was mortally wounded by hostile fire while returning to his defensive position. His heroic initiative and great personal valor in the face of intense enemy fire sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
WILLIAMS, CHARLES Q.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant (then 2d Lt.), U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group. Place and date: Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam, 9 to 10 June 1965. Entered service at: Fort Jackson, S.C. Born: 17 September 1933, Charleston, S.C. G.O. No.: 30, 5 July 1966. Citation: 1st Lt. Williams distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while defending the Special Forces Camp against a violent attack by hostile forces that lasted for 14 hours. 1st Lt. Williams was serving as executive officer of a Special Forces Detachment when an estimated Vietcong reinforced regiment struck the camp and threatened to overrun it and the adjacent district headquarters. He awoke personnel, organized them, determined the source of the insurgents' main effort and led the troops to their defensive positions on the south and west walls. Then, after running to the District Headquarters to establish communications, he found that there was no radio operational with which to communicate with his commanding officer in another compound. To reach the other compound, he traveled through darkness but was halted in this effort by a combination of shrapnel in his right leg and the increase of the Vietcong gunfire. Ignoring his wound, he returned to the district headquarters and directed the defense against the first assault. As the insurgents attempted to scale the walls and as some of the Vietnamese defenders began to retreat, he dashed through a barrage of gunfire, succeeded in rallying these defenders, and led them back to their positions. Although wounded in the thigh and left leg during this gallant action, he returned to his position and, upon being told that communications were reestablished and that his commanding officer was seriously wounded, 1st Lt. Williams took charge of actions in both compounds. Then, in an attempt to reach the communications bunker, he sustained wounds in the stomach and right arm from grenade fragments. As the defensive positions on the walls had been held for hours and casualties were mounting, he ordered the consolidation of the American personnel from both compounds to establish a defense in the district building. After radio contact was made with a friendly air controller, he disregarded his wounds and directed the defense from the District building, using descending flares as reference points to adjust air strikes. By his courage, he inspired his team to hold out against the insurgent force that was closing in on them and throwing grenades into the windows of the building. As daylight arrived and the Vietcong continued to besiege the stronghold, firing a machinegun directly south of the district building, he was determined to eliminate this menace that threatened the lives of his men. Taking a 3.5 rocket launcher and a volunteer to load it, he worked his way across open terrain, reached the berm south of the district headquarters, and took aim at the Vietcong machinegun 150 meters away. Although the sight was faulty, he succeeded in hitting the machinegun. While he and the loader were trying to return to the district headquarters, they were both wounded. With a fourth wound, this time in the right arm and leg, and realizing he was unable to carry his wounded comrade back to the district building, 1st Lt. Williams pulled him to a covered position and then made his way back to the district building where he sought the help of others who went out and evacuated the injured soldier. Although seriously wounded and tired, he continued to direct the air strikes closer to the defensive position. As morning turned to afternoon and the Vietcong pressed their effort with direct recoilless rifle fire into the building, he ordered the evacuation of the seriously wounded to the safety of the communications bunker. When informed that helicopters would attempt to land as the hostile gunfire had abated, he led his team from the building to the artillery position, making certain of the timely evacuation of the wounded from the communications area, and then on to the pickup point. Despite resurgent Vietcong gunfire, he directed the rapid evacuation of all personnel. Throughout the long battle, he was undaunted by the vicious Vietcong assault and inspired the defenders in decimating the determined insurgents. 1st Lt. Williams' extraordinary heroism, are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 10, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
10 June
1908: The Aeronautical Society, first of its kind, formed in New York. The society later obtained Morris Park Airfield for its use. (24)
1909: President William H. Taft presented Aero Club of America medals to Orville and Wilbur Wright at the White House. (24)
1943: The US AAF and RAF initiated the Combined Bomber Offensive against Germany. In that offensive, Eighth Air Force attacked enemy industrial targets by day, while the RAF hit enemy cities by night. (21)
1948: The USAF confirmed that Capt Chuck Yeager had repeatedly attained supersonic speeds in the Bell X-1 (formerly XS-1). (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. The airfield at Chunchon, some 50 miles northeast of Seoul and 10 miles south of the 38th parallel opened to cargo traffic, adding to 315 AD's ability to meet the growing demand for airdrop capability. (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Through 11 June, 8 B-29s from the 19th Bombardment Group attacked the rail bridge at Kwaksan, N. Korea. Enemy MiGs, operating in conjunction with radar-controlled searchlights and flak, destroyed two B-29s and badly damaged a third. This new development in the enemy's air defense system prompted Far East Air Forces to improve electronic countermeasures to jam and confuse enemy radar. (28)
1960: The US Army reported that a Nike-Hercules had shot down a Corporal in the first known instance of one guided missile intercepting another. (16) (24)
1963: The two-seat F-105F, designed as a mission trainer and combat fighter-bomber, flew for the first time.
1967: Project TURN KEY. The USAF completed a $52 million airbase at Tuy Hoa, Vietnam, in one year. It was the first base to be designed and built completely under Air Force supervision. (16) Operation CREEK DIPPER. Through 11 June, during the 7-Day War between Israel and neighboring Arab states, MAC, TAC, and USAFE aircraft and aircrews evacuated 816 people from Jordan to Iran. (18)
1969: AFSC gave the number one X-15 rocket-powered, manned research aircraft to the Smithsonian Institution for display. (16) SECDEF Melvin Laird cancelled the USAF's MOL program. (16) PROJECT MISTY BRONCO. The USAF approved the arming of OV-10s in SEA to provide an immediate strike presence to ground forces. The Misty Bronco concept test ran from April to June. (17)
1974: Northrop's YF-17 achieved Mach 1.1 at Edwards AFB without using its afterburner. This was the first time a US aircraft had reached this speed in level flight. (3)
1975: A memorandum of understanding between the US and Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway selected General Dynamics' F-16 for European production. (12)
1982: FAIR FORCE ONE. Capt Kelly S. C. Hamilton, then SAC's only female aircraft commander, joined copilot 1Lt Linda Martin, navigators Capt Cathy Bacon and 1Lt Diane Oswald, and boom operator Sgt Jackie Hale on a 5-hour KC-135 training sortie from Castle AFB. Thus, SAC's first all-female crew, nick-named "Fair Force One," made a historic flight. An all female ground crew prepared the aircraft for its flight. (1)
1989: Capt Jacquelyn S. Parker became the first female pilot to graduate the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB. (16)
1997: MACKAY TROPHY. Lt Col Frank J. Kisner and his MC-130 crew from the 352d Special Operations Group evacuated 56 people, including 30 U. S. citizens, from Brazzaville, Congo, after an outbreak of civil strife. For this outstanding flight of the year, Kisner and his crew earned the trophy. (21)
1998: Through 8 July, to support President William J. Clinton's 9-day trip to China, AMC flew 33 C-5, 2 C-141, and 7 KC-135 missions. In this first trip to China by a US President since 1989, President Clinton met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Beijing on 27 June in a summit meeting before visiting Shanghai and Xian, China's ancient capital. (22)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. NATO suspended airstrikes against Yugoslavia after its president agreed on 9 June to withdraw Serb forces from Kosovo. That capitulation made ALLIED FORCE the first war won by airpower alone. Then through 8 July AMC airlifters deployed Task Force Falcon and elements of Task Force Hawk to Macedonia to help constitute the US military part of the Kosovo multinational peacekeeping force. (21) (22)
2001: To support flood relief efforts in Houston, a C-17 from Charleston AFB flew 25 federal relief workers and 15 tons of relief supplies from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Ellington Field. (22)
2002: For the B-1 Block E Computer Upgrade Test Program, a B-1B crew from the Edwards AFB AFFTC passed a third milestone in two months by delivering three different weapons against four targets in a single, 20-second bomb pass. The crew released a GPS-guided GBU-31 JDAM, MK-82 500-pound gravity weapon, and two CBU-105 WCMDs. Each weapon struck its designated target, which were placed from 300 to 4,000 feet apart. (3)
2005: The Air Force Research Lab at Edwards AFB fired a hybrid rocket motor, using a rubberized fuel and liquid oxygen. The low-cost small launch vehicle developed 23,000 pounds of thrust, and was part of the joint DARPA and USAF Falcon Satellite Launch Vehicle program. (3)
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World News for 10 June thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Biden Makes 1st Foreign Trip To Europe Nbc News | 06/10/2021 President Joe Biden has arrived in Europe for his first foreign trip since he took office in January, reports NBC News. Biden departed from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on Wednesday and arrived at RAF Mildenhall in the U.K., reported NPR News. He was scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday for talks on bilateral issues including climate, trade and Northern Ireland. Biden is set to attend the G7 summit on June 11 and June 12 in Cornwall. Those talks are expected to cover the recovery from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including helping poorer countries. During the summit, he will hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders on the sidelines and is expected to try to mend relationships with several leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, that were damaged during the Trump administration. On June 13, Biden is expected to wrap up proceedings at the G7 summit and meet Queen Elizabeth II before heading to Brussels for a NATO summit the following day and a private meeting with Turkish President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan, reported Reuters. He will attend a U.S.-E.U. summit on June 15, the first since 2014. The summit will cover steel and aluminum tariffs put in place by the Trump administration as well as a tariff dispute over subsidies to Boeing and Airbus. The agenda is also expected to include 5G security, emerging technology and developing standards and regulations for technology. Biden's next stop will be Geneva for his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16. Those talks are expected to cover contentious issues such as ransomware attacks, human-rights violations, election interference and aggression toward Ukraine. No deliverables are expected, but it will allow Biden to set out U.S. expectations from Russia and the consequences if certain activities continue, officials said. The broad goals of the trip are to demonstrate the renewed commitment of the U.S. to its allies and partners under the new administration and the "capacity of democracies to both meet the challenges and deter the threats of this new age," Biden said in a Washington Post op-ed ahead of the trip.
USA—Multiship Amphib Deal May Be Deferred As Navy Reviews Force Structure USNI News | 06/10/2021 A handshake agreement with Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to buy four amphibious warships as part of a single contract may be in jeopardy, reports USNI News. The agreement covers the purchase of three San Antonio-class landing platform docks and one America-class amphibious assault ship, acting Navy acquisition chief Jay Stefany told the Senate Armed Services Committee seapower subcommittee on Tuesday as reported by Defense News. Stefany was responding to a question from Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) about the status of the multiyear procurement deal and why advanced procurement funding expecting for the LPDs was not included in the fiscal 2022 budget request. Huntington Ingalls Industries builds amphibious ships in Mississippi. Congress included the authority for the Navy to pursue a multiship amphibious ship buy in the fiscal 2021 defense authorization bill. That authority expires at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. The multiship agreement has been sent to Navy Dept. leadership for a final decision, Stefany said. There are indications that the Navy is seeking to defer a decision on the multiship buy pending the completion of a Navy force structure assessment as part of the fiscal 2023 budget planning process.
USA—No Further B-1B Fleet Reductions Until B-21s Enter Service Air Force Magazine | 06/10/2021 The Air Force does not plan to retire additional B-1B bombers until the new B-21 Raider is ready for operations, reports Air Force magazine. Lt. Gen. David Nahom, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, told a House Armed Services Committee panel on Tuesday that the remaining 45 B-1Bs will remain in service until sufficient B-21s are ready to replace them. In February, Air Force Global Strike Command announced plans to retire 17 B-1Bs in fiscal 2021. The aircraft to be withdrawn are the oldest and most difficult to maintain, which could improve availability for the rest of the fleet, Nahom said. Separately, Lt. Gen. Clinton Hinote, deputy chief of staff for strategy, integration and requirements, told the panel that the Air Force cannot get the B-21 fast enough. The first two Raiders are in production, with the first slated to roll out in early 2022. Flight-testing is anticipated in mid-2022 following extensive ground tests. The second aircraft will be a ground test vehicle.
USA—Acting Navy Secretary Says Tough Choices To Be Made On Major Acquisition Programs Defense News | 06/10/2021 A recent memo by acting Navy Secretary Thomas Harker warns that the service will need to move forward with only one of its three major modernization programs due to budget limitations, reports Defense News. The Navy will not have the funds to move forward with three of its priorities -- the DDG(X) destroyer program; the SSN(X) attack submarine; or the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter aircraft program -- in the fiscal 2023 budget cycle. The service will need to pick one to be fully funded and cut back in other areas, said Harker. The DDG(X) program calls for the development of a new destroyer with a new hull with the integrated power system from the Zumwalt-class destroyers and Aegis Baseline 10 combat system. Plans called for the new ships to start entering service in fiscal 2028. Under current plans, construction of the new SSN(X) attack submarine would begin in 2031. The new design would focus on a heavier armament and increased stealth to combat new undersea threats. The NGAD program is expected to field a new fighter in the 2030s as the Navy's Super Hornet fleet reaches the end of its service life. Delays to the program could result in a fighter gap or require additional Super Hornet purchases. The programs not selected for full funding would be re-phased after an assessment of their operational, financial and technical risk, said the memo. Separately, the nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missile program was identified as a target for cancellation. The memo also called on the service to seek savings in other programs where possible, reported USNI News. The memo maintained full support for the Navy's highest priority program, the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine.
United Kingdom—F-35 Lands On Prince Of Wales Carrier For 1st Time Royal Navy Press Release | 06/10/2021 For the first time, a fighter jet has touched down on the Royal Navy's second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, reports the service. The F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing stealth fighter landed on HMS Prince of Wales as part of sea acceptance trials off the south coast of England, the Royal Navy said in a release on Wednesday. Shortly after the landing, the F-35B made the first takeoff from the carrier. Three army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters were already on the carrier for integration testing. As part of the sea trials, the navy will evaluate the ability of the Prince of Wales to launch and recover aircraft and maintain near-continuous air operations.
France—Aid To CAR Suspended Over Russian Disinformation Campaign Radio France Internationale | 06/10/2021 France has suspended financial support and military cooperation with the Central African Republic, reports Radio France International. On Tuesday, Paris announced the suspension of about 10 million euros (US$12.18 million) in aid used to pay public salaries, reported Reuters. The decision follows a massive Russian disinformation campaign that has resulted in numerous anti-France protests, reported Agence France-Presse. While Russia is the origin of the campaign, French officials consider the CAR to be complicit. Additionally, France says that CAR officials have reneged on political commitments, including pledges by President Faustin-Archange Touadera to open dialogue with the opposition, which rejected the results of the election in December. Instead, the government has detained many opposition figures and prevented others from leaving the country. In April, France recalled five military advisers, though about 100 soldiers remain as part of the European Union's EUTM-RCA training mission.
Russia—Consensus Reached With U.S. On Recent Ransomware Attacks Tass | 06/10/2021 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Russia and the U.S. have reached a consensus on the recent cyberattacks on American firms JBS and Colonial Pipeline, reports Russia's Tass news agency. The sides reached a consensus on both ransomware attacks, although the U.S. had some initial objections, Lavrov said on Wednesday. The U.S. government believes that both attacks were carried out by criminal organizations in Russia. The consensus could help develop bilateral dialogue, the minister said. Lavrov indicated that Russia would continue to push for cooperation on cyber issues and said that he hoped the issue would be discussed when President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin meet in Geneva on June 16.
Armenia—Alleged Azerbaijani Spies Arrested Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | 06/10/2021 The Armenian National Security Service says it has arrested two men who had allegedly been spying for Azerbaijan, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The men, one of whom was a former military officer, were said to have been recruited by Azerbaijani secret services while in Turkey, the National Security Service said on Monday. The spies allegedly passed classified data on military personnel in Armenia and the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region to Baku. One allegedly passed information about Armenian troops and equipment in Nagorno-Karabakh during the war there last year.
China—Stealthy Fighter Jet Mockup Seen At Wuhan Facility Defense News | 06/10/2021 A new photo appears to show a mockup of a stealth fighter jet at a Chinese naval testing facility, reports Defense News. The image, which surfaced recently, shows what appears to be a stealthy fighter aircraft at China's dedicated naval research and testing facility in Wuhan, Hubei province. The mockup is likely an FC-31 jet, although that has not been confirmed. The mockup appears to have internal weapon bays, stealth shaping, low-observable intakes and a robust tricycle landing gear, the latter of which suggests it may be configured for carrier use, reported Popular Mechanics. The Wuhan facility is believed to host equipment for electromagnetic spectrum testing of Chinese military weapon systems. Mockups of other platforms that later entered service have previously been seen at the site. The FC-31 first appeared in 2012 as a privately funded venture intended for export. No sales were made, though it was rumored that the type had been selected for development into a carrier-borne jet. In 2016, an FC-31 with a significantly modified airframe began flight trials.
North Korea—N. Korean Government Focused On Internal Affairs, Economy, Says Defense Minister Yonhap | 06/10/2021 North Korea appears to be focused on internal issues instead of military activity in response to the recent lifting of limits on South Korea's missile development, according to South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook, as reported by the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Wednesday, Suh told lawmakers that Pyongyang seemed to be focusing on internal matters after being asked if there had been any unusual North Korean military activity following the government's condemnation of the U.S. decision to lift limits on South Korean missile development. Earlier this week, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un called for new programs to stabilize the economy and improve living conditions during a meeting with top officials, reported the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The consultative meeting was the first to be held under Kim, according to a South Korean Unification Ministry official. The third plenary session this year of the Worker's Party of Korea Central Committee is scheduled for this month. Such meetings are typically held only once or twice a year.
Burma—12 Killed In Military Plane Crash Near Mandalay Irrawaddy | 06/10/2021 At least 12 people have been killed in a military aircraft crash in central Burma, reports the Irrawaddy (Burma). On Thursday, the plane crashed while landing at Anisakhan Airport in Pyin Oo Lwin, outside of Mandalay. The passengers were returning from Naypyitaw, the capital. Two monks onboard were due to attend a ceremony at a new monastery in the capital region, reported Reuters. Two monks, five passengers and five soldiers were killed. One sergeant and the child of a civilian survived the crash, reported the military-run Myawady Television. There were no reports of casualties on the ground. The type of aircraft involved in the crash was not immediately known.
Burma—Government Levels Corruption Charges Against Aung San Suu Kyi Cable News Network | 06/10/2021 The military junta in Burma has filed corruption charges against Aung San Suu Kyi, whose government it overthrew in February, reports CNN. The new charges follow an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission, which found that she "misused her authority" in renting land and a building for the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation headquarters, where she served as chairperson, reported the government-run Global New Light of Myanmar. Authorities also said that she illegally accepted bribes amounting to US$600,000 in cash and gold. If found guilty, she could face up to 15 years in prison. Her lawyer called the bribery and corruption charges "groundless" and said that they were politically motivated. Aung San Suu Kyi was previously charged with improperly importing handheld radios, violating the government's curfew measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 and violating the Official Secrets Act. Three other former officials were also charged with corruption on Wednesday, said the Global New Light.
Syria—Russian Soldier Killed In Roadside Bombing In Hasakah Tass | 06/10/2021 A Russian soldier has been killed and three others wounded in an explosion in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province, reports the Tass news agency (Moscow). On Wednesday, the troops were inspecting a military police patrol route when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The blast occurred in the village of Al Asadiyah, in a buffer zone between Syrian and Turkish troops, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (U.K.). The three wounded soldiers were taken to a medical facility for treatment. Their wounds were not life-threatening, said the ministry.
Ethiopia—U.N. Report Says Famine Underway In Tigray Reuters | 06/10/2021 About 350,000 people in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region are living in famine conditions, according to a U.N. document cited by Reuters. The internal U.N. document dated June 7 says that "350,000 people across Tigray [are] believed to be in IPC 5 famine conditions." The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) grades food security on a five-point scale, with five being the most severe and indicating an ongoing famine. The U.N. analysis comes from the notes of a meeting on the situation in Tigray of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), which includes leaders from 18 U.N. and non-U.N. agencies. Millions more in the embattled Tigray region need "food and agriculture/livelihoods support" to avert a potential larger famine, it said. On Thursday, Ethiopian officials denied that there was a famine, saying that there was no shortage of food but that the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) was attacking humanitarian personnel and trucks with food. Tigray has seen sustained fighting since November, when the Ethiopian government launched an operation to oust the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
Mali—Goita Reassures ECOWAS On Return To Civilian Rule Agence France-Presse | 06/10/2021 The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it has received assurances from Mali's new president that a planned democratic transition will proceed, reports Agence France-Presse. On Wednesday, senior ECOWAS officials visited Bamako, the capital, a day after Col. Assimi Goita was sworn in as president. Following meetings with Malian officials, ECOWAS Commission President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou said that the 15-nation bloc had received assurances from Goita and Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga on several key points. Brou did not provide further details. Many observers expressed concern over Mali's democracy after military coups in August 2020 and last month. Goita has publicly stated that he intends to hold promised elections in February. ECOWAS has suspended Mali's membership from the bloc because of the coup, a step also taken by the African Union.
Nicaragua—4 More Opposition Figures Arrested British Broadcasting Corp. | 06/10/2021 The Nicaraguan government has arrested another four opposition figures, including two potential candidates in presidential elections scheduled for November, reports BBC News. On Tuesday, possible presidential candidates Felix Maradiaga, an academic and political activist, and Juan Sebastian Chamorro, an economist, were arrested along with Jose Adan Aguerri, an economist and the head of the Committee on Economic Integration, and sociologist and opposition activist Violeta Granera. They are the latest opposition figures to be detained by the government. Opposition candidate Christiana Chamorro was arrested on June 3 and Arturo Cruz was placed under house arrest on June 5, reported CNN. Both are running against President Daniel Ortega, who is seeking a fifth term in office. All those arrested except Christiana Chamorro have been accused of acting against the independence, sovereignty and self-determination of Nicaragua and planning terrorist acts with foreign assistance. The suspects were detained under a controversial treason law passed in December that allows the government to ban candidates from running for office if they are deemed to be traitors to Nicaragua. The government claims the law is intended to protect Nicaragua from the U.S. and plots to overthrow Ortega. The opposition decried the law as a plot to keep them from running in the election. Chamorro was charged with money laundering and mismanagement of the Violeta Barrios foundation that she chairs. Following the arrests, Julie Chung, acting assistant secretary for the U.S. State Dept.'s Bureau of Western Hemispheric Affairs called for the release of the detainees and an international response.
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