Good Monday Morning 15 November
I hope that you all had a great weekend.
Regards,
Skip
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History
November 15
1836 Under the command of Lt. Henry H. Bell, the sloop-of-war Saint Louis conducts an exploratory expedition along the coast of Florida with four boats and 70 men.
1863 Fort Moultrie opens a heavy evening bombardment on Union Army positions at Cummings Point, S.C., which also results in the Union monitor Lehigh running aground. Still under Confederate fire in the morning, the monitor Nahant is able to release her. Five sailors from Lehigh receive Medals of Honor for their heroic line work that frees their ship.
1942 Navy SBDs (VS-10) and TBFs (VT-10), Marine Corps SBDs (VMSB-132), and Marine Corps and Army coast artillery and gunfire from USS Meade (DD 602) sink four Japanese transports off the northern coast of Guadalcanal.
1943 USS Crevalle (SS 291) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Kyokko Maru off San Antonio, Zambales province, Philippines.
1944 USS Frament (DE 677), while escorting captured Italian submarine Luigi Settembrini, collides with the sub 685 miles west of Gibraltar. Frament is damaged but Luigi Settembrini sinks. Frament rescues 14 survivors.
1944 USS Barbel (SS 316) attacks a Japanese convoy about 250 miles east of Tourane, French Indochina, sinks transports Misaki Maru and Sugiyama Maru, then escapes searches by minesweepers W.18 and W.20. USS Batfish (SS 310) sinks Japanese supply ship Kurasaki north-northwest of Cape Bolinao while USS Jack (SS 259) sinks transports Nichiel Maru and No.2 Yuzan Maru.
1960 The Polaris fleet ballistic missile weapon system becomes operational when USS George Washington (SSBN 598) gets underway with her principal armament of 16 Polaris A-1 missiles from NWS Charleston, SC.
1994 Cmdr. Donnie L. Cochran becomes the first African-American commanding officer of the Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
• CNO Adm. Mike Gilday participated in an on-field enlistment ceremony during the New England Patriots vs. Cleveland Browns NFL game.
• National and trade press continue to highlight the threat of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Trade and local press reported on the christening of the future USS New Jersey and USNS Apalachicola.
Today in History
November 15
1315 |
| Swiss soldiers ambush and slaughter invading Austrians in the battle of Morgarten. |
1533 |
| The explorer Francisco Pizarro enters Cuzco, Peru. |
1626 |
| The Pilgrim Fathers, who have settled in New Plymouth, buy out their London investors. |
1777 |
| The Articles of Confederation, instituting perpetual union of the United States of America, are adopted by Congress. |
1805 |
| Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and their party reach the mouth of the Columbia River, completing their trek to the Pacific. |
1806 |
| Explorer Zebulon Pike discovers the Colorado Peak that bears his name, despite the fact that he didn't climb it. |
1864 |
| Union Major General William T. Sherman's troops set fires that destroy much of Atlanta's industrial district prior to beginning Sherman's March to the Sea. |
1881 |
| The American Federation of Labor is founded. |
1909 |
| R. Metrot takes off in a Voisin biplane from Algiers, making the first manned flight in Africa. |
1917 |
| Kerensky flees and Bolsheviks take command in Moscow. |
1920 |
| Forty-one nations open the first League of Nations session in Geneva.. |
1922 |
| It is announced that Dr. Alexis Carrel has discovered white corpuscles. |
1930 |
| General strikes and riots paralyze Madrid, Spain. |
1937 |
| Eighteen lawsuits are brought against the Tennessee Valley Authority, calling for its dissolution. |
1942 |
|
|
1946 |
| The 17th Paris Air Show opens at the Grand Palais des Champs-Elysees. It is the first show of this kind since World War II. |
1952 |
| Newark Airport in New Jersey reopens after closing earlier in the year because of an increase in accidents. |
1957 |
| Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev asserts Soviet superiority in missiles, challenging the United States to a rocket-range shooting match. |
1960 |
| The first submarine with nuclear missiles, the USS George Washington, takes to sea from Charleston, South Carolina. |
1962 |
| Cuba threatens to down U.S. planes on reconnaissance flights over its territory. |
1963 |
| Argentina voids all foreign oil contracts. |
1965 |
| In the second day of combat, regiments of the 1st Cavalry Division battle on Landing Zones X-Ray against North Vietnamese forces in the Ia Drang Valley. |
1969 |
| A quarter of a million anti-Vietnam War demonstrators march in Washington, D.C. |
1976 |
| A Syrian peace force takes control of Beirut, Lebanon. |
1984 |
| Baby Fae dies 20 days after receiving a baboon heart transplant in Loma Linda, California. |
1985 |
| An Anglo-Irish Agreement is signed by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald. |
1988 |
| The Palestinian National Council proclaims an independent State of Palestine. |
1990 |
| The People's Republic of Bulgaria is replaced by a new republican government. |
2007 |
| Cyclone Sidr strikes Bangladesh, killing an estimated 5,000 people. |
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Dr. Rich
Good article!, I never knew this about B-52s ...
https://trib.al/yUypH7m?fbclid=IwAR1yHaLMKNDzeSEH4_z7YRu6yvnsq99xKsh-vvDIvRnvnu9uSPhToYMpd_w
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the … For The List for Monday, 15 November 2021… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 15 November 1966… "The highest kind of courage"…
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.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
More stuff I dinna know (I live in RATON, NM)!
Thanks to YP
Add to 14 November Naval History
USS Jack (SS 259) attacks a Japanese convoy off Cape Padaran, French Indochina and sinks the freighter Hinaga Maru, while USS Raton (SS 270) attacks a Japanese convoy off the northwest coast of Luzon and sinks the merchant tanker No.5 Unkai Maru. Lastly, USS Ray (SS 271) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.7 65 miles northwest of Cape Bolinao.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Dale
Found this and thought the List may enjoy:
Sukhoi Checkmate Fighter
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Mike
Original Top Gun Trivia
Ward Carrol gives a whole bunch of cool trivia...(13 minute video)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Preparing for Thanksgiving
Top 10 Reasons College Students Are Looking Forward to Thanksgiving Break
You'll know that your turkey is a Butterball rather than a Grade E yet semi-edible fur ball.
Your mother will not be serving your mashed potatoes and stuffing with an ice cream scooper.
Pumpkin pie is a great alternative to green Jello.
After your eighth glass of cider, your emergency dash to the bathroom will not be delayed by having to line the seat with toilet paper.
Clean underwear, comfortable bed, access to a car, bedroom larger than a 12x14 cell... OK, even if it is for only four days.
To eat your meals the only trek you'll have to make is from the couch to the kitchen, rather than the dorm to the dining hall...in below freezing weather.
Instead of listening to "when I first started teaching here..." you can be entertained by "when your mother was your age..." and "during the Depression we weren't lucky enough to have brussels sprouts. Hell, all we could afford was the sprout!"
You can eat your corn steamed with butter rather than popped in your microwave
You'll know the hair in the shower drain is your own.
You won't be eating your Thanksgiving meal off a tray!
The pro football team had just finished their daily practice session when a large turkey came strutting onto the field. While the players gazed in amazement, the turkey walked up to the head coach and demanded a tryout.
Everyone stared in silence as the turkey caught pass after pass and ran right through the defensive line. When the turkey returned to the sidelines, the coach shouted, "You're terrific!!! Sign up for the season, and I'll see to it that you get a huge bonus."
"Forget the bonus," the turkey said, "All I want to know is, does the season go past Thanksgiving Day?"
Excerpts from a book called "Then Some Other Things Happened", a collection of short pieces about history written by eighth graders and compiled by Bill Lawrence, a teacher and columnist. (Note that the spelling was not corrected.)
The Pilgrams were a bunch of English wonderers who wanted to worship as they wanted to. They excaped the Church of England and came over here because they heard that American churches were different.
The May Flower was the ship with which they came in. It didn't have a bathroom on board so there was quite an oder. Priscillia Mullins was the captain.
First the Pilgrams had gone to Holland but left when their children started developing customs there. After a stopover at Williamsbug when a large storm blew them off course they landed on a big, slimey rock in Massatusetts. They spent the winter there.
Before they got off the ship even they drew up an agreement for the people of Plymouth to agree on the voting for governors and congressmen. They kept this hid in the May Flower Compact. Lord Delaware was elected the first governor of Plymouth Rock.
A friendly Indian named Rhone Oak showed the Pilgrams how to plant corn by putting it in the ground. Rhone Oak had been the first Indian to come to America and always wanted a beer. He traveled around with Miles Standy and translated language. He knew enough English to interupt.
Another interupter for the white man was Squanto, who was called that because he was so short. Squanto drew up a declaration to give the settlers freedom of goverment in the new land. The Pilgrams gave the Indians thanks for all this and that's what started Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrams then appointed Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Abraham Lincoln later pronounced it and gave it to them and it soon became a national holiday all around the world.
These people always wore old shoes with a big buckel on the top of them. The men wore pants that only came a little ways past the knees and the girls wore funny bonets.
But if these people wouldn't had of come to America the United States wouldn't be like it is today.
One year at Thanksgiving, my mom went to my sister's house for the traditional feast. Knowing how gullible my sister is, my mom decided to play a trick. She told my sister that she needed something from the store.
When my sister left, my mom took the turkey out of the oven, removed the stuffing, stuffed a Cornish hen, and inserted it into the turkey, and re-stuffed the turkey. She then placed the bird(s) back in the oven.
When it was time for dinner, my sister pulled the turkey out of the oven and proceeded to remove the stuffing. When her serving spoon hit something, she reached in and pulled out the little bird. With a look of total shock on her face, my mother exclaimed, "Patricia, you've cooked a pregnant bird!"
At the reality of this horrifying news, my sister started to cry. It took the family two hours to convince her that turkeys lay eggs!
Yep................SHE'S BLONDE!
Submitted by Skip Leonard:
You can have Halloween, New Year's, Christmas, Fourth of July, Easter, Hanukkah and any day dedicated to presidents. You can stack them all up on one side, and the turkey and I will stand on the other. I'll take Thanksgiving.
It is, to me, exactly what a holiday should be. For one thing, there are no gifts. You never have to worry about what to get someone for Thanksgiving or how much to spend. There are no lectures about "greed" or "commercialization" or how we're "forgetting the spirit" of Thanksgiving. No way. The spirit of Thanksgiving is eating. Who could forget that?
Secondly, it comes with football. What other holiday does that? New Year's Day? But at least with Thanksgiving, you don't have a hangover. Also, there is no "right" place to go on Thanksgiving except home. There is no church or synagogue. No graves that must be visited. No trekking out to watch fireworks. You just sit on the couch, or sit at the table, and you laugh and eat and laugh and burp and ta-da you are credited with knowing the "true meaning" of the holiday.
Also, it comes with a parade. Did I mention the dressing? Not the turkey dressing. The human dressing. There isn't any! Oh, sure, maybe you put on a nice pair of pants. Maybe. But who really dresses up for Thanksgiving? You can celebrate in a sweatshirt. Can you say that about New Year's Eve? Not unless you're a lonely, pathetic loser. And Thanksgiving doesn't require some smarty-pants history known only by your geeky cousin from Baltimore. Uh-uh. There's no quoting Lincoln or Washington. No reading from the Declaration of Independence. What do you need to know about Thanksgiving? The Pilgrims and the Indians had dinner.
Pass the gravy. Thanksgiving never moves. It is always on a Thursday, strategically placed so that you might as well take off Friday as well, since Saturday and Sunday are next, and, while you're at it, maybe half of Wednesday just to pick up everyone from the airport. Thanksgiving gets you half a week off. What does Labor Day get you? Monday?
And there is no shopping on Thanksgiving, unlike Memorial Day or Presidents Day. Sure, there are Thanksgiving sales, but you do them on FRIDAY! How cool is that? Also, there are no masks. You don't beg for candy from strangers. And nobody eggs your house.
Have I mentioned stuffing? There is no more celebratory food short of dessert than stuffing. Be honest. When you were young, you couldn't get enough of it, right? Maybe you hated cranberry sauce, but all kids loved stuffing. It was everything great about bread and pudding and hot, mushy food wrapped into one. Tell me you don't still feel that. Tell me there's anything better than a meal that goes all night, that doesn't have an event tied to it, that doesn't come with a bill at the end.
Tell me there's anything better than only having to catch up with your aunts, uncles and cousins to feel like you did the holiday proud. Tell me there's anything easier than passing plates. Tell me there's any better place to appreciate what you have than in a kitchen filled with good smells. Tell me there's a better invention than "the kids' table."
And what holiday not only condones but pretty much expects you to fall asleep on the couch?
So let's sum up. No costumes, no presents, no services, no tuxedoes, no time limit, no guilt trips, and all the food, naps and football you want. I'll take Thanksgiving. After all, no one tries to sit on the turkey's lap and ask for an Xbox.
Thanksgiving Groaners
What did the turkey say to the turkey hunter?
"Quack, quack, quack!"
Why did they let the turkey join the band?
Because he had the drumsticks.
Why was the turkey arrested?
The police suspected it of fowl play.
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims.
What sound does a space turkey make?
Hubble, hubble, hubble.
If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for?
Their ages.
Why shouldn't you take turkeys to church?
Because they use fowl language.
For all you M.C. Hammer fans, try Can't Stuff This at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlitbJKaYy0
Have a great week,
Al
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in U S Military History November 15
1806 – Approaching the Colorado foothills of the Rocky Mountains during his second exploratory expedition, Lieutenant Zebulon Pike spots a distant mountain peak that looks "like a small blue cloud." The mountain was later named Pike's Peak in his honor. Pike's explorations of the newly acquired Louisiana Territory of the United States began before the nation's first western explorers, Lewis and Clark, had returned from their own expedition up the Missouri River. Pike was more of a professional military man than either Lewis or Clark, and he was a smart man who had taught himself Spanish, French, mathematics, and elementary science. When the governor of Louisiana Territory requested a military expedition to explore the headwaters of the Mississippi, General James Wilkinson picked Pike to lead it. Although Pike's first western expedition was only moderately successful, Wilkinson picked him to lead a second mission in July 1806 to explore the headwaters of the Red and Arkansas Rivers. This route took Pike across present-day Kansas and into the high plains region that would later become the state of Colorado. When Pike first saw the peak that would later bear his name, he grossly underestimated its height and its distance, never having seen mountains the size of the Rockies. He told his men they should be able to walk to the peak, climb it, and return before dinner. Pike and his men struggled through snow and sub-zero temperatures before finally taking shelter in a cave for the night, without even having reached the base of the towering mountain. Pike later pronounced the peak impossible to scale. The remainder of Pike's expedition was equally trying. After attempting for several months to locate the Red River, Pike and his men became hopelessly lost. A troop of Spanish soldiers saved the mission when they arrested Pike and his men. The soldiers escorted them to Santa Fe, thus providing Pike with an invaluable tour of that strategically important region, courtesy of the Spanish military. After returning to the United States, Pike wrote a poorly organized account of his expedition that won him some fame, but little money. Still, in recognition of his bravery and leadership during the western expeditions, the army appointed him a brigadier general during the War of 1812. He was killed in an explosion during the April 1813 assault on Toronto.
1864 – Union General William T. Sherman begins his expedition across Georgia by torching the industrial section of Atlanta and pulling away from his supply lines. For the next six weeks, Sherman's army destroyed most of Georgia before capturing the Confederate seaport of Savannah, Georgia. Sherman captured Atlanta in early September after a long summer campaign. He recognized that he was vulnerable in the city, however, as his supply lines stretched all the way from Nashville, Tennessee. Confederate raiders such as Nathan Bedford Forrest threatened to cut his lines, and Sherman had to commit thousands of troops to protect the railroads and rivers that carried provisions for his massive army. Sherman split his army, keeping 60,000 men and sending the rest back to Nashville with General George Thomas to deal with the remnants of General John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee, the force Sherman had defeated to take Atlanta. After hearing that President Lincoln had won reelection on November 8, Sherman ordered 2,500 light wagons loaded with supplies. Doctors checked each soldier for illness or injuries, and those who were deemed unfit were sent to Nashville. Sherman wrote to his general in chief, Ulysses S. Grant, that if he could march through Georgia it would be "proof positive that the North can prevail." He told Grant that he would not send couriers back, but to "trust the Richmond papers to keep you well advised." Sherman loaded the surplus supplies on trains and shipped them back to Nashville. On November 15, the army began to move, burning the industrial section of Atlanta before they left. One witness reported "immense and raging fires lighting up whole heavens … huge waves of fire roll up into the sky; presently the skeleton of great warehouses stand out in relief against sheets of roaring, blazing, furious flames." Sherman's famous destruction of Georgia had begun.
1906 – Curtis E. Le May, air force general and VP candidate, was born. Curtis Emerson Le May graduated from Ohio State University in 1928. He received his pilots wings at the Air Corps Flying School in 1929, the beginning of a thirty-eight year military career from a pilot in the elite First Pursuit Croup to Chief of Staff United States Air Force. "Curt" Le May was respected throughout his service for his vision, high order of discipline, and the professionalism he demanded of himself and his commands. From fighter pilot to bombardment pilot in the mid-1930's, he pioneered and became a leading expert in aerial celestial navigation. He proved his thesis on the 1938 B-17 Goodwill Flight to South America and the intercept of the ocean liner Rex, 800 miles off the U.S. coast in 1940. As Commander of the 305th Bombardment Group in England in 1942 and later as Commander of the 3rd Air Division, he developed the novel tactic of low altitude, non-evasive bombing. This was to become a major technique of World War II strategic air operations. In 1944, he assumed command of the struggling 20th Air Force B-29 operations in China. Later in 1945, he moved to the Marianas Islands in the Pacific to lead the 21st Air Force B-29's in low altitude operations in the final air assault on Japan. After the war, he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development and then Commander U.S. Air Forces in Europe where he organized the historic Berlin Airlift in 1947, employing air power for humanitarism. He led the Strategic Air Command from 1948 to 1957, when he became Vice Chief and then Chief of Staff of the Air Force in 1961. He led the Air Force through its transformation into an all jet force of great mobility, missiles, and high professionalism. General Le May retired from active service in 1965.
1960 – The first submarine with nuclear missiles, the USS George Washington, took to sea from Charleston, South Carolina.
2006 – The battle of Turki began after Lt. Col. Andrew Poppas, commander of the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, a unit of the 82nd Airborne Division, and other soldiers flew over the area on a reconnaissance mission on November 12. From the helicopters, they spotted a white car covered by shrubbery and a hole in the ground that appeared to be a hiding place. The colonel dropped off an eight-man team and later sent other soldiers to sweep the area. Gunfire erupted on November 15 when C Troop paratroopers ran into an ambush near the village of Turki. Several insurgents feigned surrender to lure American troops out of their up-armored humvees and onto the ground. This tactic would be repeated to draw in members from A and B Troops in other locations. Officers said that in this battle, unlike the vast majority of engagements in Diyala, insurgents stood and fought, even deploying a platoon-sized unit that showed remarkable discipline and that one captain said was in "perfect military formation." Insurgents throughout Iraq usually avoid direct confrontation with the Americans, preferring to use hit-and-run tactics and melting away at the sight of American armored vehicles. The insurgents had built a labyrinth network of trenches in the farmland, with sleeping areas and significant weapons caches. Two anti-aircraft guns had been hidden away. The fighting eventually became so intense that the Americans called in airstrikes, provided by both helicopter gunships and F16s. American commanders said they called in 12 hours of airstrikes while soldiers shot their way through a reed-strewn network of canals in extremely close combat. The fighting lasted for more than 40 hours. High level terrorist leaders were thought to have been present. The stiff resistance from insurgent fighters was believed to have given these leaders time to escape. In the end the 5th Squadron managed to destroy the insurgent trench system established in the area. Six insurgent weapons caches were also uncovered during the battle. The caches included more than 400,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition, 15,000 rounds of heavy machine gun ammunition, five mortar bipods, three heavy machine guns, three anti-tank weapons, two recoilless rifles and numerous mortar rounds, grenades, flares and other artillery rounds. But many more insurgent training camps remain in the area. An American captain and a lieutenant, both West Point graduates, were killed in the battle along with 72 insurgents and 20 insurgents were captured.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BONG, RICHARD 1. (Air Mission)
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Over Borneo and Leyte, 10 October to 15 November 1944. Entered service at: Poplar, Wis. Birth: Poplar, Wis. G.O. No.: 90, 8 December 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in the Southwest Pacific area from 10 October to 15 November 1944. Though assigned to duty as gunnery instructor and neither required nor expected to perform combat duty, Maj. Bong voluntarily and at his own urgent request engaged in repeated combat missions, including unusually hazardous sorties over Balikpapan, Borneo, and in the Leyte area of the Philippines. His aggressiveness and daring resulted in his shooting down 8 enemy airplanes during this period.
BALDONADO, JOE R.
Rank and Organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company B, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment. Place and Date: November 15, 1950. Kangdong, Korea. Born: August 28, 1930, Colorado. Departed: Yes (11/25/1950). Entered Service At: Santa Clara, CA. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: . Citation: Baldonado distinguished himself on Nov. 25, 1950, while serving as a machine-gunner in the vicinity of Kangdong, Korea. Baldonado's platoon was occupying Hill 171 when the enemy attacked, attempting to take their position. Baldonado held an exposed position, cutting down wave after wave of enemy troops even as they targeted attacks on his position. During the final assault by the enemy, a grenade landed near Baldanado's gun, killing him instantly. His remains still have not been found.
*JORDAN, MACK A.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company K 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Kumsong, Korea, 15 November 1951. Entered service at: Collins, Miss Born: 8 December 1928, Collins, Miss. G.O. No.: 3, 8 January 1953 Citation: Pfc. Jordan, a member of Company K, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. As a squad leader of the 3d Platoon, he was participating in a night attack on key terrain against a fanatical hostile force when the advance was halted by intense small-arms and automatic-weapons fire and a vicious barrage of handgrenades. Upon orders for the platoon to withdraw and reorganize, Pfc. Jordan voluntarily remained behind to provide covering fire. Crawling toward an enemy machine gun emplacement, he threw 3 grenades and neutralized the gun. He then rushed the position delivering a devastating hail of fire, killing several of the enemy and forcing the remainder to fall back to new positions. He courageously attempted to move forward to silence another machine gun but, before he could leave his position, the ruthless foe hurled explosives down the hill and in the ensuing blast both legs were severed. Despite mortal wounds, he continued to deliver deadly fire and held off the assailants until the platoon returned. Pfc. Jordan's unflinching courage and gallant self-sacrifice reflect lasting glory upon himself and uphold the noble traditions of the infantry and the military service.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 15, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
15 November
1921: Capt Dale Mabry commanded the flight of the largest semirigid airship in existence to date, the airship Roma, during its initial flight at Langley Field. (24)
1939: The first night nonstop airmail pickups in history were made on the Pittsburg-Philadelphia route.
1940: The US Navy began air operations from Bermuda as an outgrowth of an earlier destroyer-bases deal between the US and Britain (See 2 September). (24)
1942: Lts Harold Comstock and Roger Dyar set a new speed record for planes when their P-47s power-dived at 725 MPH from 35,000 feet over an east coast base. (24) First women entered US AAF flight training. The Army designated the Women's Flying Training Detachment at the Houston Municipal Airport as the 319th Army Air Force Flying Training Detachment.
1946: OPERATIONS MOUNTAIN GOAT AND ALISO CANYON. TAC used P-80 jets for the first time to provide close air support to ground forces in joint Army-Navy-Air Force exercises at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Six tactical groups flew 3,337 sorties, while troop carrier groups moved 1,052 people and 245,370 pounds of cargo to and from the maneuver area. (24)
1949: The Ryan Aeronautical Company released data on the first air-to-air missile, the XAAM-A-1 Firebird, a 10-foot, rocket-powered projectile. (24)
1955: Exercise SAGEBRUSH. The largest joint exercise since World War II to date, started to test USAF and Army capabilities to perform combat missions. (16) (24)
1960: The first submarine equipped with Polaris missiles, the USS George Washington, left Charleston for stations within some 1,200 miles of Soviet targets. It carried 16 missiles. (24) NASA pilot Scott Crossfield flew the North American X-15 research aircraft with the XLR-99 "Big Engine" for the first time at Edwards AFB. He reached Mach 2.51 and an altitude of 81,200 feet at a 50 percent power setting. (24)
1961: The USAF activated 2d Advanced Echelon, Thirteenth Air Force, in Saigon, Vietnam. This event signaled the official entry of the USAF into the Vietnam War. (21)
1965: Through 17 November, Jack L. Martin and four others flew a Boeing 707/320C around the world from Honolulu, Hawaii. They returned in 62 hours 27 minutes and average 420.75 MPH for the flight. (9)
1966: The USAF selected Hughes Aircraft Company and North American Aviation Corporation to start contract definition phase of the Maverick (AGM-65A) air-to-surface missile program. (12)
1967: Maj Michael J. Adams died in an X-15 crash. He was the first fatality in the program since its inception in 1959. (16) (26)
1968: COMMANDO HUNT. The USAF launched Commando Hunt, an extensive interdiction campaign in Laos, to partially offset the bombing halt imposed on the 1 November. Concentrated in the "Barrel Roll" and "Steel Tiger" areas, Commando Hunt drastically increased the sorties flown in Southeast Asia from 4,764 tactical and 273 B-52 sorties in October to 12,821 tactical and 661 B-52 sorties in November. (17)
1973: Arab nations friendly to Egypt cut off the supply of oil to the nations supporting Israel in the October War. The action significantly affected PACAF, which received almost 90 percent of its fuel from the Mideast. PACAF imposed restrictions on JP-4 fueled aircraft and ceased all sorties except combat missions, Medevacs, and other essential missions. (17)
1974: Vandenberg AFB launched a Delta rocket with three satellites on board: a US weather satellite, the amateur radio operator's satellite OSCAR 7, and Spain's first satellite, INTASAT 1. (7)
1976: First high-speed anti-radiation missile successfully fired from a manned aircraft. (12)
1985: Through 18 November, MAC C-130s airlifted 50 tons of relief supplies and 32 tons of fuel for US Army search and rescue helicopters to Colombia after a volcano erupted there. (16) (18)
2000: At Edwards AFB, the X-32A began field carrier landing practice to demonstrate its flying and handling qualities for low-speed aircraft carrier approaches. Cmdr Philip "Rowdy" Yates, the lead test pilot for the Boeing JSF program, flew the first approaches to a simulated aircraft carrier deck outlined on a runway and equipped with a shipboard-type Fresnel lens. (3)
2002: An AFFTC team flew a NKC-135E Stratotanker, with NASA researchers, and 42 astrobiologists from seven countries on board, from Edwards AFB to Spain to collect data on the Leonid meteor shower. The NKC-135E had special instrumentation and 11 quartz-crystal windows to facilitate the observations. NASA's DC-8 Airborne Laboratory aircraft also flew missions with the NKC-135E. (3) Dana Purifoy flew NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's Active Aeroelastic Wing F/A-18 made its first checkout flight at Edwards AFB. The Navy fighter had lightweight flexible wings to study improved aircraft roll control by means of aerodynamically induced wing twist. In other words, the F/A-18 used a high-tech version of the Wright Brothers' wing-warping principle. NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards, and Boeing sponsored Aeroelastic Wing program. (3)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
World News for 15 November thanks to Military Periscope
USA…Modernizing Public Shipyards USNI News | 11/15/2021 The Navy has awarded initial contracts for companies to compete for work to upgrade two of its four public shipyards, reports USNI News. On Nov. 10, the Navy awarded firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award construction contracts to Bechtel National, Reston, Va.; Dragados/Hawaiian Dredging/Orion, Honolulu, Hawaii; ECC Infrastructure, Burlingame, Calif.; Kiewei-Alberici, Vancouver, Wash.; and TPC-NAN, Sylmar, Calif., reported the Dept. of Defense. Each company received a $2 million deal to satisfy a minimum guarantee. The firms will next compete for various contracts to modernize the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Wash. That work has a maximum combined value of $8 billion. Work on the projects is expected to be completed by November 2029. The contracts are the first step in the Navy's $21 billion Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization (SIOP) project to upgrade its four public shipyards in Pearl Harbor, Puget Sound, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Va., and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Maine.
USA—Space Force Buys More GPS Satellites Space News | 11/15/2021 U.S. Space Force has ordered another three Global Positioning System satellites, reports Space News. On Oct. 22, Space Force exercised an option for the three GPS IIIF satellites included in a 2018 agreement with Lockheed Martin that covered up to 22 satellites with a maximum value of $7.2 billion, a Lockheed spokesperson said on Nov. 11. The contract option, worth $737 million, covers space vehicles 15, 16 and 17 in the GPS III family. Lockheed is completing an initial batch of 10 GPS III satellites and transitioning production to the more advanced GPS IIIF configuration. Five GPS III satellites are in orbit, three are awaiting launch and two are in production. The GPS IIIF variant features more advanced anti-jamming capabilities, an upgraded nuclear detonation detection system, improved search-and-rescue payload and laser retroreflector array for improved geolocation accuracy. GPS IIIF satellites beginning with space vehicle 13 are being built on the LM2100 bus featuring new cybersecurity capabilities and more powerful electronics. It can also be outfitted with the augmentation system port interface that allows satellites to be refueled and serviced in orbit.
United Kingdom—3 Arrested After Liverpool Car Blast Guardian | 11/15/2021 Counterterrorism police have arrested three people after a car explosion in Liverpool, reports the Guardian (U.K.). On Sunday, a taxi arrived at the Liverpool Women's hospital during a moment of silence in honor of Remembrance Day before exploding, said police. The driver locked the passenger in the car after noting suspicious activity and escaped the blast. He was in the hospital in stable condition. The passenger died in the explosion. Three men, ages 29, 26 and 21, were later arrested in connection with the attack, counterterrorism police said. The investigation into the incident is continuing.
France—Increased Space, Cybersecurity Cooperation Pledged With U.S. White House | 11/15/2021 The French and U.S. governments have agreed to expand cooperation on space and cybersecurity issues, reports the White House. Last week, President Emmanuel Macron met with Vice President Kamala Harris in Paris on Nov. 10, the White House said in a release. The allies agreed to establish a comprehensive dialogue on space to strengthen civil, commercial and national security cooperation in the domain. A regular bilateral dialogue is planned to ensure a whole-of-government approach to space cooperation. The cooperation is intended to meet foreign policy goals in areas such as climate change; expanding the frontiers of space; expanding the quality of and access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education; cooperating on norms, guidelines, principles and rules to promote sustainability of outer space and the security of space activities; and enabling a sustainable space economy that benefits humanity. Harris also announced that the U.S. would join the Space Climate Observatory (SCO) and work with the French National Center for Space Studies to finalize the SCO charter. In cybersecurity, Harris said that the U.S. would support the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace, a voluntary commitment to work internationally to advance cybersecurity while preserving the open, interoperable, secure and reliable internet. The U.S. also committed to working with France, the private sector and civil society to promote norms of responsible behavior, including working with like-minded countries to attribute and hold accountable states engaging in destructive, disruptive and destabilizing cyber activity.
Belarus—Lukashenko Threatens To Cut Off E.U. Gas Supplies CNBC | 11/15/2021 President Alexander Lukashenko has threatened to cut the flow of Russian natural gas through Belarus amid a growing crisis with the European Union, reports CNBC. In a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Lukashenko reportedly said that Belarus could cut off deliveries through the Yamal-Europe pipeline from Russia. Russian natural gas imports are a key component of European energy supplies. Around 20 percent of that natural gas passes through Belarus, primarily through the Yamal-Europe pipeline, noted the Washington Post. Moscow maintains that it is not involved with the dispute. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called last week for Putin to use his influence over Lukashenko to end the standoff without apparent effect. Meanwhile, E.U. officials are scheduled to meet this week to discuss possible new sanctions on Belarus. The U.S. may follow with additional measures, said E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Tensions have risen since Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, claimed victory in elections in 2020 that were widely seen as fraudulent. In response to E.U. support for the Belarusian opposition and sanctions, Lukashenko has organized the transport of migrants fleeing conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa to its borders with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Analysts played down Lukashenko's threat, noting that Russia relies on Belarusian pipelines to meet European contracts. Shutting the pipelines would harm Gazprom's long-term market position. Experts also noted that cutting gas flows would cost Belarus around US$300 million annually, a figure it can ill afford as sanctions bite.
Indonesia—Government Recommits To KF-X Fighter Program Yonhap | 11/15/2021 The Indonesian government says it will stand by its financial commitment to the KF-X joint fighter project with South Korea, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Thursday, Jakarta reaffirmed that it would shoulder 20 percent of the expected US$7.4 billion development cost, the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. The government also agreed to make 30 percent of its total payments in kind. South Korean officials visited the Indonesian capital last week to discuss the project. Jakarta stopped making payments for the KF-X program in 2017 and currently owes US$677 million. The DAPA did not specify a plan or timeline for Indonesia to make its overdue payments but said the commitment to remain in the KF-X project represented a major outcome for the talks. Meanwhile, Indonesia is expected to increase its contingent of engineers in South Korea for the program to 100 by the end of the year in another sign of its commitment, the DAPA said.
Philippines—Military Teams Inspect Surplus S. Korean Equipment Philippine Daily Inquirer | 11/15/2021 A team of Philippine defense and military officials is in South Korea to inspect surplus military equipment to be donated by Seoul, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Two weeks ago, the team traveled to South Korea to conduct a visual inspection of the systems, security officials said. The planned donation includes 22 Kooryong multiple launch rocket systems from for the Philippine army and marine corps as well as associated equipment and ammunition. The decommissioned Pohang-class corvette Andong was inspected by Philippine navy representatives and found to be in good condition. Seoul previously donated another Pohang-class frigate, the Chungju, now renamed Conrado Yap, to Manila in 2019. The equipment donation was announced publicly in 2019 and the Philippines is expected to take control of the equipment in the next few months.
Burma—U.S. Journalist Freed After Receiving 11-Year Sentence Cable News Network | 11/15/2021 A military court in Burma has sentenced an American journalist to more than a decade in prison as part of the junta's broader crackdown on the media, reports CNN. On Friday, Danny Fenster was sentenced to 11 years in prison, reported the New York Times. Fenster was charged with visa breaches, unlawful association with an illegal group and incitement. The incitement charge stems from a Burmese law criminalizing the publication or circulation of comments that cause fear or spread false news. The charges were based on allegations that Fenster was working for the banned Myanmar Now media outlet following the military coup in February. Fenster resigned from Myanmar Now in July 2020 and had been working for the outlet Frontier Myanmar since. Fenster was arrested on May 24 at the airport as he was trying to leave for the United States. He has been held without bail in the Insein Prison. The junta has detained some 100 journalists since seizing power. Around 47 remain imprisoned. On Monday, Fenster was freed and on a flight out of the country, reported the Guardian (U.K.), citing Frontier Myanmar. Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said that he had negotiated Fenster's release during meetings with Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the Burmese military government.
India—S-400 Air Defense System Deliveries Underway Tass | 11/15/2021 Russia's arms export agency says it has begun delivering new air defense systems to India, reports the Tass news agency (Moscow). On Monday, Alexander Mikheyev, the head of Rosoboronexport, said that Russia had begun deliveries of the equipment for the first of five S-400 regiments ordered by India in 2018 ahead of schedule. Delivery of the first regimental set is slated to be completed by the end of the year. Indian personnel have completed training on the system, said Mikheyev.
Afghanistan—3 Killed In Kabul Explosion Khaama Press | 11/15/2021 Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a mostly Shi'ite neighborhood in Kabul, reports the Khaama Press (Kabul). On Saturday, an explosion struck the Dasht-e-Barchi suburb, killing three and injuring six others. ISIS-K claimed that it planted explosives on a minivan and that the blast had killed 20 people. A Taliban spokesman said that one civilian was killed and three injured after a car caught fire. Taliban sources later confirmed that the attack involved use of a magnetic explosive device, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Afghanistan—Taliban Shows Off U.S. Equipment During Parade Reuters | 11/15/2021 The Taliban displayed some of the U.S.-made equipment captured from Afghan government forces during a parade over the weekend, reports Reuters. The parade on Sunday in Kabul marked the graduation of 250 newly trained troops, said a defense ministry spokesman. M117 armored vehicles and soldiers carrying M4 rifles were observed. Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters flew overhead. The new Taliban military has begun wearing conventional uniforms instead of traditional Afghan clothing typically worn by its fighters in an attempt to show that it is transforming into a regular standing army.
Yemen—Militias Pull Out Of Parts Of Hodeidah Arab News | 11/15/2021 Pro-government forces in Yemen's western Hodeidah province have withdrawn from several areas, including parts of the port city of Hodeidah, reports the Arab News (Riyadh). On Friday, the Joint Forces, a coalition of the Giants Brigades, National Resistance and Tehama Resistance militia groups, said it withdrew from parts of Hodeidah included in a truce under the U.N.-brokered Stockholm agreement. The withdrawn forces would be redeployed to more important fronts, said a Joint Forces statement. The Stockholm agreement, which was reached in December 2018, constrained the militias and prevented them from taking control of Hodeidah, the statement said. Local military officers told the newspaper that on Nov. 10 they had received orders to pull out of Hodeidah within 24 hours. Convoys were seen leaving the Al-Houk, Hays, Attuhayta and Bait Al-Fakih districts, the Kilo 16 sector and Sanaa Street in Hodeidah city. Houthi fighters soon retook those areas abandoned by the Joint Forces. Fighting was reported following the pullout in Al Faza, south of the city, reported Reuters. Representatives from the U.N. and Saudi-led coalition said that they had not been previously informed of the withdrawal.
Israel—IAI Unveils New EW System Capable Of Disrupting Multiple Threats Israel Aerospace Industries | 11/15/2021 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has announced a new family of advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems. The Scorpius family of EW systems is capable of simultaneously targeting several threats across multiple frequencies and directions, IAI said in a release last week. The Scorpius is based on active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology providing a multibeam capability that can scan a region for targets and employ narrowly focused beams to interfere with various threats across the electromagnetic spectrum. The system can be used against uncrewed aerial vehicles, ships, missiles, communication links, low probability of intercept radars and other targets, according to IAI. There are five variants, including the Scorpius-G ground-based system, Scorpius-N naval system, Scorpius-SJ standoff aerial jammer, Scorpius-SP self-protection pod and Scorpius-T training system.
Sudan—7 Killed After Security Forces Fire On Protesters Sudan Tribune | 11/15/2021 Seven people have died after security forces cracked down on anti-coup demonstrations in Sudan, reports the Sudan Tribune (Paris). On Saturday, thousands of people participated in rallies across the country, including the cities of Atbara, Port Sudan and Wad Madani, the central state of North Kordofan and the eastern state of Kassala, reported France 24. In Khartoum and Omdurman, Sudan's two largest cities, police attacked protesters and civilians assisting them. The death toll increased to seven on Sunday when two more succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained during the demonstrations, according to the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors (CCSD). The group said that 215 people were injured in protests in Khartoum on Nov. 12. Data from other places around the country was difficult to obtain due to internet cuts, said the CCSD. Police told Reuters that the crackdown was spurred by attacks on security personnel that wounded 39. Separately, security forces on Sunday arrested Al Jazeera's Khartoum bureau chief at his home.
Nigeria—General Killed In Fighting With ISWAP In Northeast Premium Times | 11/15/2021 Four soldiers, including a general, have been killed in fighting with militants in northeastern Nigeria, reports the Premium Times (Abuja). On Saturday, army forces encountered Islamic State-West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in the Askira Uba local government area in Borno state, said an army release. Several ISWAP fighters and four soldiers, including Brig. Gen. Dzarma Zirkusu were killed, the army said. Separately, the Punch (Lagos) reported that 12 soldiers, including several senior officers, were killed in the attack. During the counterattack, military jets destroyed nine gun trucks and an armored personnel carrier that had been stolen by the militants, reported Turkey's Anadolu Agency.
Ecuador—Dozens Killed In Latest Prison Violence British Broadcasting Corp. | 11/15/2021 Dozens of prisoners have died in gang-related clashes at a jail in Ecuador, reports the BBC News. On Friday evening, violence erupted at the Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil. At least 68 people were killed and 25 wounded. Further clashes were reported on Saturday, leading to soldiers in armored vehicles to be deployed outside the prison. Police said that they have regained control of the facility. Tactical units who raided the facility found guns, bladed weapons and explosives. Fighting began as a territorial dispute after a gang leader was released early, authorities said. About 300 prisoners have died in gang-related violence in jails so far this year, including 119 killed at the Litoral Penitentiary in September.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.