Good Friday Morning 19 November
I hope that you all have a great weekend
Regards,
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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History
November 19
Nov. 19
1813—Capt. David Porter, commander of the man-of-war Essex, claims the Marquesas Islands for the U.S. In the following weeks, he establishes a base to overhaul Essex and builds a fort.
1943—USS Nautilus (SS 168) enters Tarawa lagoon for the first submarine photograph reconnaissance mission. It is later damaged by friendly fire from USS Santa Fe (CL 60) and USS Ringgold (DD 500) off Tarawa because due to the mission, Nautilus presence was unknown to the vessels.
1943—USS Sculpin (SS 191) is damaged by the Japanese and abandoned by her crew. Forty-one Sailors are taken as POWs, 21 of whom are taken on Japanese carrier Chuyo that is later sunk by USS Sailfish (SS 192).
1944—USS Conklin (DE 439) and USS McCoy Reynolds (DE 440) sink the Japanese submarine I-37 100 miles west of Palaus.
1950 – X Corps First Marine Division commander, Major General O.P. Smith moved his units carefully northward toward the Chosin Reservoir.
1969—Navy astronauts Cmdr. Charles Conrad, Jr. and Cmdr. Alan L. Bean become the third and fourth men to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 12 mission.
Thanks to CHINFO
Executive Summary:
•CNO Adm. Mike Gilday released a message on Chief Petty Officer pinning.
•Trade press continued coverage of the Naval Submarine League Symposium.
•Trade press covered the delivery of the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul and the LCS combining gear fix.
This Day in History
November 19 | |||
1620 | The Pilgrims sight Cape Cod. | ||
1828 | In Vienna, Composer Franz Schubert dies of syphilis at age 31. | ||
1861 | Julia Ward Howe writes "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" while visiting Union troops near Washington. | ||
1863 | Lincoln delivers the "Gettysburg Address" at the dedication of the National Cemetery at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg. | ||
1885 | Bulgarians, led by Stefan Stambolov, repulse a larger Serbian invasion force at Slivinitza. | ||
1873 | James Reed and two accomplices rob the Watt Grayson family of $30,000 in the Choctaw Nation. | ||
1897 | The Great "City Fire" in London. | ||
1905 | 100 people drown in the English Channel as the steamer Hilda sinks. | ||
1911 | New York receives first Marconi wireless transmission from Italy. | ||
1915 | The Allies ask China to join the entente against the Central Powers. | ||
1923 | The Oklahoma State Senate ousts Governor Walton for anti-Ku Klux Klan measures. | ||
1926 | Leon Trotsky is expelled from the Politburo in the Soviet Union. | ||
1942 | Soviet forces take the offensive at Stalingrad. | ||
1949 | Prince Ranier III is crowned 30th Monarch of Monaco. | ||
1952 | Scandinavian Airlines opens a commercial route from Canada to Europe. | ||
1969 | Apollo 12 touches down on the moon. | ||
1973 | New York stock market takes sharpest drop in 19 years. | ||
1976 | Patty Hearst is released from prison on $1.5 million bail. | ||
1981 | U.S. Steel agrees to pay $6.3 million for Marathon Oil. | ||
1985 | US President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, meet for the first time. | ||
1985 | In the largest civil verdict in US history, Pennzoil wins $10.53 billion judgement against Texaco. | ||
1990 | Pop duo Milli Vanilli are stripped of their Grammy Award after it is learned they did not sing on their award-winning Girl You Know Its True album. | ||
1996 | Canada's Lt. Gen. Maurice Baril arrives in Africa to lead a multinational force policing Zaire. | ||
1998 | US House of Representatives begins impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton. | ||
2010 | New Zealand suffers its worst mining disaster since 1914 when the first of four explosions occurs at the Pike River Mine; 29 people are killed. | ||
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … For The List for Friday, 19 November 2021… 🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 19 November 1966… The case for intensifying the war (CJCS memo to SecDef, 8 Nov 1966)…
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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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Like Bob Hoover said .. keep flying it all the way through the crash landing .. which in this case was on a carrier!!
Great story … Thanks Todd !!
Capt E. Royce Williams – The Forgotten Hero
CAPT E. ROYCE WILLIAMS USN, Retired
"The Forgotten Hero of the Forgotten War"
The Korean War has become a footnote in history, the forgotten war between WWII and Vietnam. The involvement of U.S. forces was limited to a NATO "Police Action" to stop the communist expansion into Asia. Still, for the tens of thousands that served and lost their lives in the Korean War, it is anything but forgotten. U.S. Congress never declared war against Korea and the Soviets never officially entered the war. Nevertheless, the United States provided 88% of the United Nation's (UN) military personnel while the Soviet Union secretly supported the North Korean communist intention to overthrow their southern countrymen.
The memories of the Korean War still linger in the hearts of those who have served, including Naval Aviator, Captain E. Royce Williams, USN, Retired. For the first time in history, Soviet pilots secretly flew against NATO and U.S. forces. In an exhausting 35 minute dogfight against 7 Soviet MiGs, LT Williams then, became the only American Aviator to single-handedly shoot down 4 Russian MiGs in a single sortie. A record that most likely will never be broken. His heroic actions were kept classified for nearly fifty years. Post- Cold War, the Russian government confirmed the loss of the 4 MiG-15s and disclosed the names of the four pilots he shot down: Captain Belyakov, Captain Vandalov, Lieutenant Pakhomkin and Lieutenant Tarshinov. This is the account of LT Williams's heroic actions that are yet to be reviewed for the full honor and recognition he earned so many years ago.
On November 18th, 1952, LT Williams participated in a 3 carrier major strike against the Hoeryong industrial complex very near the North Korea-Russian border. Expecting reprisal from the North Koreans, the U.S.S. Oriskany launched a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) into the blustery skies above the Sea of Japan. The Patrol was in the midst of a blizzard, where the cloud cover was at 400 feet and the visibility was terribly low. Division Leader, Lieutenant Claire Elwood and his wingman LTJG John Middletown with Section Leader, LT Royce Williams and his wingman LTJG David Rowlands served as CAP that day. Soon after the CAP was launched, the Combat Information Center (CIC) reported multiple bogeys approaching inbound, 80 miles north of Task Force 77.
The Combat Air Patrol finally broke through the clouds of the howling snowstorm at around 12,000 feet. As they advanced upward, Section Leader, LT Williams spotted seven contrails well above 50,000 feet. The bogeys were quickly identified and reported as MiG-15s. Moments later, the Flight Leader, reported a fuel pump warning light. The CIC ordered LT Elwood and his wingman, LTJG Middleton to return to CAP duty directly above the U.S.S. Oriskany. The defense of Task Force 77 was in the hands of LT Williams who took the Lead and LTJG Rowlands as his wingman. Although, the two F9F-5 Panthers were outnumbered and out classed on maneuverability and acceleration, they boldly continued the pursuit against the 7 MiGs. The MiGs came over them and reversed, presumably heading back to their base at Vladivostok. LT Williams continued to track and climb to 26,000 feet, when suddenly, the MiGs split into two groups to corner the F9Fs. One group of four MiGs came straight in firing from the 10 o'clock position, as the other 3 MiGs circled around to bracket them.
LT Williams turned sharply into the enemy and the 4 MiGs over shot, missing their targets. When they passed, LT Williams pulled a hard left turn and kicked in the rudder to get his sight on the number four MiG. After a short burst of fire, the MiG went down. His wingman, LTJG Rowlands, followed the plane as it dropped out of formation, leaving LT Williams alone against 6 Soviet adversaries. Complete chaos ensued… LT Williams was in the fight of his life, working at every moment to keep the MiGs off his tail. He utilized every Guns Defense possible as he reversed and jinked against the far superior aircraft, attempting to stay clear and keep the MiGs from locking down on his six o'clock position.
1 Down, 6 to Go! LT Williams immediately chased after the three remaining MiGs from the group, trying to maneuver with them. His Panther was no match to the Soviet MiGs far superior speed and rate of climb as they easily zoomed away. One MiG turned around, pointing back at him and quickly disappeared into the bright sun. Williams immediately noticed the other two MiGs had already made their turn and they were coming right at him in a diving attack. LT Williams swiftly turned into them as they fired out of range. As the lead MiG approached 2,000 feet, he quickly broke away to avoid the opposing fire. The other MiG followed right behind the lead, which gave Williams the opportunity to get him into his sights. He fired at the enemy until he disappeared underneath his wings. It was a presumed hit, since Williams didn't have the luxury to follow for confirmation.
5 Left! "Then the Fight was on. They were no longer in formation. They were flying to position themselves to attack me one at a time," Williams recalls. The opposing MiGs were determined to down the sole Grumman Panther. One of the MiGs came back around and LT Williams reversed to put his gun sights on him. As the MiG turned, he was able to fire at him. The blast was so abrupt, Lt. Williams had to maneuver violently to avoid swallowing the exploding MiG parts.
3 Down! "There was a lot of maneuvering, some shooting and mostly dodging going on," remembers Williams. During the 35 minute dog-fight, the MiGs would overshoot and occasionally they did not climb, which gave Williams the opportunity to track and fire at them. While LT Williams was tracking a smoking MiG to finish him off, he looked back and saw another MiG coming in. He put in a lot of rudder and kicked the airplane over to give the opposition a tough shot. LT Williams's luck was finally running out and the MiG hit him with a burst of fire from his 37mm cannon. He was hit in the wing section and accessory section of the Pratt and Whitney Jet engine. The relentless MiG came back around and settled on his tail to ensure the kill. LT Williams had to use both hands on the stick to maneuver properly, because he had lost two of his 3 controls, the ailerons and the rudder. The elevator still worked perfectly, so he could only porpoise to pull up and push over hard, similar to a pitch and tuck maneuver. He could see the bullets fly by him as the attacker shot away at him. Out of ammo and riddled with holes, LT Williams headed back home as he took to the cloud cover and they lost sight of each other in the snow storm.
Carrier Bound, Crash Course: LT Williams came out of the clouds at about 400 feet. At that point, he was flying too low to eject safely and the freezing waters of the Sea of Japan would have taken him within 15 minutes in his immersion suit. As the Panther drew closer for a troubled landing, the destroyers escorting Task Force 77, opened friendly fire on LT Williams mistaking him for an enemy aircraft. "Fortunately, I was low enough that they didn't have a chance to really aim, so nobody hit me," Williams explained. His Panther would stall below 170 knots (normal carrier approach speed is at 120 knots) which forced him to come in at 200 miles an hour for an inevitable crash landing. His immediate focus was to keep control of the aircraft and use alternate backup systems to lower the landing gear and tail hook. The U.S.S. Oriskany's Commanding Officer, Captain Courtney Shands was alerted and adjusted the carrier away from the wind to try and compensate for the F9F's out-of-control speed and inability to maneuver properly. Incredibly, LT Williams was able to land safely engaging the number 3 wire, which was much attributed to the sturdy construction of the Grumman aircraft. Miraculously, LT Williams was unscathed and confided, "I had God on my side."
On the flight deck, the plane captain rushed to congratulate the Lieutenant and the badly damaged aircraft became an immediate specimen of interest. 263 perforations were circled and counted, ranging from a foot wide to minor cuts in the fuselage. The Grumman F9F-5 Panther that fought so valiantly was irrevocably damaged and they pushed it over the side into the ocean, to it's final resting place.
LT Williams headed to the Ready Room for debriefing, however the Intelligence Officer delayed the investigation, because he wanted to wait for the Flight Leader. In the meantime, the tension grew higher due to pressure from Washington, awaiting a full report on the incident. "They already knew there was some sort of rumble with the Soviets and they wanted the answers, right now!" Williams affirmed. The Intelligence Officer caved to Washington and sent out a "phony" report based upon the very limited information he received and the lack of details and understanding of the engagement. Williams was credited with a kill and a probable-damaged, LTJG Middleton was credited with a kill and William's wingman, Dave Rowlands was given a probable.
A week later, the U.S.S. Oriskany arrived in Yokosuka, Japan where LT Williams was ordered to see Vice Admiral Robert P. Briscoe, Commander Naval Forces Far East. Admiral Briscoe informed the Lieutenant that the United States has a new capability called the NSA, National Security Agency. They were covertly aboard the U.S.S. Helena, right off Vladivostok on their first mission. The NSA told Admiral Briscoe to tell that young man that he got at least three. They were able to follow the MiGs from take-off until the remnant MiGs came back. Admiral Briscoe warned Williams to never speak of the incident for fear of escalating the Korean conflict into World War III.
A month later, Admiral J.J. Clark and LT Williams met with President-elect Eisenhower in Seoul, Korea. Eisenhower specifically requested a debriefing with LT Williams to discuss "our planes versus theirs." The bold pilot found himself surrounded by Generals Omar Bradley and Mark Clark, Admiral Arthur Radford, the Secretary of Defense and many other dignitaries. Eisenhower took Williams by the elbow and led him to a nice, comfortable, over-stuffed chair. Then he sat at the edge of the chair and wrapped his arm around the young hero. "Well, young man, before we get down to business, don't you think we ought to have drink? Don't you think?" Eisenhower encouraged. "Yes, Sir," Williams agreed. "Well, we have bourbon and scotch, water and soda. My son John is the bartender. What would you like?" I said, "Bourbon and water, please." The President nudged, "We have awfully good scotch son." "Well Sir, I prefer bourbon and water." The President insisted, "Young man, we have great, great scotch." "Well Sir, the truth is I prefer bourbon and water." "Lieutenant! We've got the world's finest scotch," the President demanded. Williams said, "Mr. President, I drink bourbon and water." The President reluctantly conceded and turned to his son, "John, give him a bourbon and water." "Needless to say, I learned quickly from my experience. I should have taken the scotch. So, in honor of Ike, the next time I had the opportunity, I ordered scotch and it prevails to this day," Williams admitted with a great big grin.
Captain E. Royce Williams, USN Retired, flew over 220 missions mainly in Korea and Vietnam. He served our country for over thirty years and retired in 1980. Williams has not yet received the full recognition for his acts of valor that he gave in defense of our great nation over 63 years ago. We encourage all readers to reach out to our local politicians for support and join our plea for Captain Williams to be re-reviewed for recognition for his heroic acts that were above and beyond the call of duty on November 18th, 1952.
91 year old, Captain Royce Williams is featured in the upcoming series 'Heroes in History,' a collection of veteran stories, told by the heroes who lived through them…before they are lost forever. Please enjoy Captain Williams's amazing story
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This Day in U S Military History…..November 19
1620 – The Pilgrims reached Cape Cod. Mariner Bartholomew Gosnold (1572-1607) sailed the New England coast in 1602, naming things as he went. He gave the name 'Cape Cod' to the sandy, 105km/65mi-long peninsula that juts eastward from mainland Massachusetts into the Atlantic. When the Pilgrims first set foot in the New World in November 1620, it was at the site of Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod. They rested only long enough to draw up rules of governance (the Mayflower Compact) before setting sail westward in search of a more congenial place for their settlement, which they found at Plymouth. Later settlers stayed on the Cape, founding fishing villages along the coasts. The fishing industry drew boat builders and salt makers. Soon there were farmers working the cranberry bogs as well, and whaling ships bringing home rich cargoes of oil and whalebone.
1863 – President Abraham Lincoln delivers one of the most famous speeches in American history at the dedication of the military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Using just 272 words, Lincoln brilliantly and movingly articulated the meaning of the conflict for a war-weary public. For some time, Lincoln had been planning to make a public statement on the significance of the war and the struggle against slavery. In early November, he received an invitation to speak at the dedication of part of the Gettysburg battlefield, which was being transformed into a cemetery for the soldiers who had died in battle there from July 1 to 3, 1863. A popular myth suggests that Lincoln hastily scribbled his speech on the back of an envelope during his trip to Gettysburg, but he had actually begun crafting his words well before the trip. At the dedication, the crowd listened for two hours to Edward Everett before Lincoln approached the podium. His address lasted just two minutes, and many in the audience were still making themselves comfortable when he finished. Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
1969 – Navy astronauts CDR Charles Conrad Jr. and CDR Alan L. Bean are 3rd and 4th men to walk on the moon. They were part of Apollo 12 mission. CDR Richard F. Gordon, Jr., the Command Module Pilot, remained in lunar orbit. During the mission lasting 19 days, 4 hours, and 36 minutes, the astronauts recovered 243 lbs of lunar material. Recovery by HS-4 helicopters from USS Hornet (CVS-12). Conrad not a tremendously tall person; the one-meter jump down from the bottom rung of the ladder was a bit intimidating, but now it gave him a chance to set the tone for the mission. The time for historic phrases had past; now it was time to have fun. "Whoopie!" he said as he made the plunge. "Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me." Bean soon joined Conrad on the surface and they got busy deploying the scientific gear. As on Apollo 11, there was a TV camera, a seismometer, and a laser reflector. And they also had a more-sophisticated solar-wind analyzer and a number of other physics packages that made up the ALSEP (Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package) that had gotten bumped off Apollo 11. Most of the equipment, together with a central power station and transmitter, was stowed in two compact packages tucked away in the Descent Stage. Bean lifted them down with a pulley and attached them to the ends of a carrying bar – which would double as a radio antenna mast – in dumbbell fashion. The complete ALSEP weighed 250 pounds on Earth, but only about 40 pounds on the Moon, and Bean had no particular trouble hauling the load to the deployment site about one hundred fifty meters west of the LM. The two experiment packages tended to bounce up and down as he walked and that made gripping the bar a little difficult; but, generally, he and Conrad had very few problems with this first major set of tasks.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*MILLER, ANDREW
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company G, 377th Infantry, 95th Infantry Division. Place and date: From Woippy, France, through Metz to Kerprich Hemmersdorf, Germany, 1629 November 1944. Entered service at: Two Rivers, Wis. Birth: Manitowoc, Wis. G.O. No.: 74, 1 September 1945. Citation: For performing a series of heroic deeds from 1629 November 1944, during his company's relentless drive from Woippy, France, through Metz to Kerprich Hemmersdorf, Germany. As he led a rifle squad on 16 November at Woippy, a crossfire from enemy machineguns pinned down his unit. Ordering his men to remain under cover, he went forward alone, entered a building housing 1 of the guns and forced S Germans to surrender at bayonet point. He then took the second gun single-handedly by hurling grenades into the enemy position, killing 2, wounding 3 more, and taking 2 additional prisoners. At the outskirts of Metz the next day, when his platoon, confused by heavy explosions and the withdrawal of friendly tanks, retired, he fearlessly remained behind armed with an automatic rifle and exchanged bursts with a German machinegun until he silenced the enemy weapon. His quick action in covering his comrades gave the platoon time to regroup and carry on the fight. On 19 November S/Sgt. Miller led an attack on large enemy barracks. Covered by his squad, he crawled to a barracks window, climbed in and captured 6 riflemen occupying the room. His men, and then the entire company, followed through the window, scoured the building, and took 75 prisoners. S/Sgt. Miller volunteered, with 3 comrades, to capture Gestapo officers who were preventing the surrender of German troops in another building. He ran a gauntlet of machinegun fire and was lifted through a window. Inside, he found himself covered by a machine pistol, but he persuaded the 4 Gestapo agents confronting him to surrender. Early the next morning, when strong hostile forces punished his company with heavy fire, S/Sgt. Miller assumed the task of destroying a well-placed machinegun. He was knocked down by a rifle grenade as he climbed an open stairway in a house, but pressed on with a bazooka to find an advantageous spot from which to launch his rocket. He discovered that he could fire only from the roof, a position where he would draw tremendous enemy fire. Facing the risk, he moved into the open, coolly took aim and scored a direct hit on the hostile emplacement, wreaking such havoc that the enemy troops became completely demoralized and began surrendering by the score. The following day, in Metz, he captured 12 more prisoners and silenced an enemy machinegun after volunteering for a hazardous mission in advance of his company's position. On 29 November, as Company G climbed a hill overlooking Kerprich Hemmersdorf, enemy fire pinned the unit to the ground. S/Sgt. Miller, on his own initiative, pressed ahead with his squad past the company's leading element to meet the surprise resistance. His men stood up and advanced deliberately, firing as they went. Inspired by S/Sgt. Miller's leadership, the platoon followed, and then another platoon arose and grimly closed with the Germans. The enemy action was smothered, but at the cost of S/Sgt. Miller's life. His tenacious devotion to the attack, his gallant choice to expose himself to enemy action rather than endanger his men, his limitless bravery, assured the success of Company G.
*RIVERS, RUBEN
Citation: For extraordinary heroism in action during the 15-19 November 1944, toward Guebling, France. Though severely wounded in the leg, Sergeant Rivers refused medical treatment and evacuation, took command of another tank, and advanced with his company in Guebling the next day. Repeatedly refusing evacuation, Sergeant Rivers continued to direct his tank's fire at enemy positions through the morning of 19 November 1944. At dawn, Company A's tanks began to advance towards Bougaktroff, but were stopped by enemy fire. Sergeant Rivers, joined by another tank, opened fire on the enemy tanks, covering company A as they withdrew. While doing so, Sergeant River's tank was hit, killing him and wounding the crew. Staff Sergeant Rivers' fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his unit and exemplify the highest traditions of military service.
*BELCHER, TED
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Plei Djerang, Republic of Vietnam, 19 November 1966. Entered service at: Huntington, W . Va. Born: 21 July 1924, Accoville, W . Va. Citation: Distinguishing himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life. Sgt. Belcher's unit was engaged in a search and destroy mission with Company B, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, the Battalion Reconnaissance Platoon and a special forces company of civilian irregular defense group personnel. As a squad leader of the 2d Platoon of Company C, Sgt. Belcher was leading his men when they encountered a bunker complex. The reconnaissance platoon, located a few hundred meters northwest of Company C, received a heavy volume of fire from well camouflaged snipers. As the 2d Platoon moved forward to assist the unit under attack, Sgt. Belcher and his squad, advancing only a short distance through the dense jungle terrain, met heavy and accurate automatic weapons and sniper fire. Sgt. Belcher and his squad were momentarily stopped by the deadly volume of enemy fire. He quickly gave the order to return fire and resume the advance toward the enemy. As he moved up with his men, a hand grenade landed in the midst of the sergeant's squad. Instantly realizing the immediate danger to his men, Sgt. Belcher, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, lunged forward, covering the grenade with his body. Absorbing the grenade blast at the cost of his life, he saved his comrades from becoming casualties. Sgt. Belcher's profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
*WATTERS, CHARLES JOSEPH
Rank and organization: Chaplain (Maj.), U .S. Army, Company A, 173d Support Battalion, 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Near Dak To Province, Republic of Vietnam, 19 November 1967. Entered service at: Fort Dix, N.J. Born: 17 January 1927, Jersey City, N.J. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Chaplain Watters distinguished himself during an assault in the vicinity of Dak To. Chaplain Watters was moving with one of the companies when it engaged a heavily armed enemy battalion. As the battle raged and the casualties mounted, Chaplain Watters, with complete disregard for his safety, rushed forward to the line of contact. Unarmed and completely exposed, he moved among, as well as in front of the advancing troops, giving aid to the wounded, assisting in their evacuation, giving words of encouragement, and administering the last rites to the dying. When a wounded paratrooper was standing in shock in front of the assaulting forces, Chaplain Watters ran forward, picked the man up on his shoulders and carried him to safety. As the troopers battled to the first enemy entrenchment, Chaplain Watters ran through the intense enemy fire to the front of the entrenchment to aid a fallen comrade. A short time later, the paratroopers pulled back in preparation for a second assault. Chaplain Watters exposed himself to both friendly and enemy fire between the 2 forces in order to recover 2 wounded soldiers. Later, when the battalion was forced to pull back into a perimeter, Chaplain Watters noticed that several wounded soldiers were Lying outside the newly formed perimeter. Without hesitation and ignoring attempts to restrain him, Chaplain Watters left the perimeter three times in the face of small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire to carry and to assist the injured troopers to safety. Satisfied that all of the wounded were inside the perimeter, he began aiding the medics–applying field bandages to open wounds, obtaining and serving food and water, giving spiritual and mental strength and comfort. During his ministering, he moved out to the perimeter from position to position redistributing food and water, and tending to the needs of his men. Chaplain Watters was giving aid to the wounded when he himself was mortally wounded. Chaplain Watters' unyielding perseverance and selfless devotion to his comrades was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 19, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
19 November
1915: First squadron cross-country flight of the Army's Aviation Section of the Signal Corps undertaken by six Curtiss JN-3s of the 1st Aero Squadron. They flew 439 miles from Fort Sill to Fort Sam Houston.
1932: National monument to Wilbur and Orville Wright dedicated near Kitty Hawk. (24)
1945: PACUSAN DREAMBOAT. Through 20 November, Col Clarence S. Irvine and Lt Col G. R. Stanley flew the Pacusan Dreamboat B-29 to a nonstop, nonrefueled distance record of 7,916 miles by flying from Guam to Washington DC in 35 hours 5 minutes. (9) (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. In the first massed light bomber attack, 50 B-26s from Japan dropped incendiary bombs on Musan, N. Korea, on the Tumen River border with China. The attack destroyed 75 percent of the town's barracks area. (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR. The 49th and 58th Fighter-Bomber Wings, using 179 aircraft in two separate strikes, attacked a troop and supply concentration at Kanggye. (28) Capt James Slade Nash, flying a North American F-86D Sabre, set a FAI speed record of 698.505 MPH at Salton Sea. (9) (24)
1957: Maj Gen Donald Keirn selected to lead the ANP (aircraft nuclear powered) project, an integrated Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and DoD atomic project. (24)
1961: Through 20 November, Mrs. Constance Wolf in her 363.99-mile flight from Texas to near Boley, Okla., set 15 world records for women balloonists, including an endurance record of 40 hours 13 minutes and an altitude record of 13,000 feet. (24)
1964: SECDEF Robert McNamara announced that all first generation missiles would be phased out by June 1965 under Project Added Effort. (1)
1969: APOLLO XII/SECOND MOON LANDING. Astronauts Charles (Pete) Conrad, Jr., and Alan L. Bean, flew the module to the surface and landed at the Ocean of Storms about 600 feet from Surveyor III. (26) (See 14 November for full details).
1978: JONESTOWN SUICIDES. After murdering Cong. Leo J. Ryan and four others, members of Jim Jones' Peoples Temple Church committed mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. Answering a State Department request, on 28 November MAC sent a C-130 and two C-141s with graves registration teams, medics, and cargo to Georgetown, Guyana. Three ARRS HH-53s then flew 911 bodies on 30 sorties from Jonestown to Georgetown, where 9 C-141s flew the bodies to a mortuary at Dover AFB. Altogether, MAC flew 59 C-141 and C-130 support missions through 22 December in response to this tragedy. (2) (21)
1980: USAFE completed the conversion of its tactical fighter squadrons to F-15C/D models. (16)
1984: Two MAC C-141s delivered six motor vehicles and small arms ammunition to the US Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, after drug dealers threatened the safety of American personnel in Colombia. (16)
1997: Operation PHOENIX SCORPION I. To augment Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, the US deployed additional forces to Southwest Asia and the Indian Ocean to answer Iraq's continued intransigence over UN inspections of weapons of mass destruction sites. Over the Pacific, AMC established an air bridge and airlift support to deploy B-52s and KC-10s to Diego Garcia. Over the Atlantic, AMC provided airlift and refueling support to deliver an Air Expeditionary Force with F-15s, F-16s, B-1s, and KC-135s to Shaikh Isa, Bahrain, a partial Patriot battery to Shaikh Isa, and F-117s to Al Jabar, Kuwait. Iraq's apparent willingness to resume the inspection program ended the deployment on 24 November and within days most forces had returned home. To close the deployment, AMC flew 51 airlift and 208 tanker missions, delivering over 3,000 short tons of cargo and 7.4 million pounds of fuel. Reserve C-5, C-141, and KC-10 units and personnel supported the Phoenix Scorpion buildup by flying 82 sorties and 529.6 hours. The reserve units also provided backfill support to active duty forces, flying an additional 130 sorties and 530.7 hours. (22) (33)
1998: NASA Dryden test pilot James L. Barrilleaux flew a Lockheed Martin ER-2 (looks like a modified U-2) to an altitude of 20,479 meters (90,096 ft) above Edwards AFB, establishing a new official world altitude record for medium weight aircraft in horizontal flight without payload. (3)
2007: WAR ON TERRORISM. Air Mobility Command passed a major milestone when one of its aircraft flew the command's one millionth sortie since 11 September 2001. A C-17 mission flown from McChord AFB, Wash., to Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, flew the landmark flight. (AMC Historical Highlights, 2007)
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World News for 19 November thanks to Military Periscope
USA—2 Iranians Charged With Election Interference Dept. Of Justice | 11/19/2021 The U.S. Justice Dept. has charged two Iranians with a disinformation and threat campaign intended to influence the 2020 elections. On Thursday, prosecutors unsealed indictments against Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi, 24, and Sajjad Kashian, 27, for their efforts to undermine voter confidence and sow doubt ahead of last year's elections, the department said in a release. The suspects obtained confidential voter information from at least one state election website, sent threatening messages to voters and disseminated a video purporting to show election system vulnerabilities. They also attempted to illicitly access voting websites in several states and accessed a U.S. media company's network without authorization. Prosecutors said that "Kazemi and Kashian were part of a coordinated conspiracy" by Iran to "undermine faith and confidence in the U.S. presidential election." The men have been charged with multiple counts of fraud, intimidation and threats, which carry maximum sentences together of 11 years in prison. Kazemi has also been charged with hacking-related crimes, which could lead to a 15-year sentence.
USA—Army May Acquire Ex-RAF Sentinel Jets U.K. Defence Journal | 11/19/2021 Retired British Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft may get a second life with the U.S. Army, reports the U.K. Defence Journal. The five Sentinel R1 aircraft, based on the Bombardier Global Express business jet, were retired earlier this year, noted the War Zone website. The jets were to be sold for scrap or parts and had been designated by the British Defense Ministry as "not for reuse." In an apparent reversal, the ministry has accepted a joint bid from Raytheon and Bombardier for the aircraft, said a source involved in the scrapping of the jets. The ultimate end customer was believed to be the U.S. Army. Work was underway to make the jets flyable again so they can be moved to the U.S. This work does not involve mission systems, the source said. The aircraft are likely to receive new mission systems once in the U.S., where they could be adopted for a variety of missions, said analysts.
USA—New Arctic Security Center To Be Based In Anchorage Dept. Of Defense | 11/19/2021 The Dept. of Defense has announced a permanent location for a new regional center focused on the Arctic. Anchorage, Alaska, was identified as the only candidate city to host the new Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, the Pentagon said in a press release on Wednesday. The department will work through the Dept. of the Air Force Strategic Basing Process to select a final site in Anchorage. The center will be the Pentagon's sixth regional center for security studies, noted Air Force magazine. Other centers are focused on Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Near East/South Asia and the Western Hemisphere. The centers conduct focused research to support the office of the undersecretary of defense for policy and to cultivate communities of practice. The international academic centers support bilateral and multilateral research and training with the objective of building strong relationships with international security leaders, reported the Military Times. The Ted Stevens Center will be tasked with advancing Arctic awareness; advancing DoD Arctic priorities; reinforcing the rules-based order in the Arctic; and addressing the effect of climate change in the region. Its establishment comes as China and Russia have both expanded their activity in the region in recent years as a warming climate has enabled increasing access.
USA—Sanctions On 11 Burundian Officials Lifted U.S. State Department | 11/19/2021 The U.S. has decided to end sanctions on Burundian officials, citing the reform efforts by the new government there, reports the U.S. State Dept. On Thursday, President Biden revoked an executive order that sanctioned 11 people. The measures were imposed in November 2015 following violence after disputed elections that gave President Pierre Nkurunziza a controversial third term. Burundi held largely peaceful elections in May 2020 that brought President Evariste Ndayishimiye to power. Nkurunziza died in June 2020. The lifting of the sanctions recognizes Ndayishimiye's reform efforts in several sectors over the last year, the department said.
USA—Sub Force Holds Stand Down After Undersea Collision Navy Times | 11/19/2021 The head of U.S. Naval Submarine Forces has ordered a navigation standdown for its fleet after USS Connecticut collided with an undersea mount in the South China Sea last month, reports the Navy Times. On Wednesday, Vice Adm. William Houston, commander Naval Submarine Forces (NAVSUBFOR), and Rear Adm. Jeffrey Jablon, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet submarine forces, issued a joint message ordering a navigational standdown, reported USNI News. The standdown will not involve halting all submarine activities, said NAVSUBFOR officials. Instead, crews will review procedures for navigational planning, operations, risk management and best practices. They will also absorb lessons learned from the Connecticut accident, the service said. The standdown is a "near-term" event, but officials did not provide a timeline for when it might be completed. On Oct. 2, the Connecticut struck an undersea mount while submerged in the South China Sea. The sub's commander, executive officer and chief of the boat were all relieved of duty over the incident.
United Kingdom—Government To Extend Ban On Hamas To Political Wing Guardian | 11/19/2021 The British Home Minister Priti Patel says she is seeking to extend a ban on Palestinian militant group Hamas, reports the Guardian (U.K.). On Friday, Patel announced plans to seek parliamentary approval next week to list Hamas under the Terrorism Act, penalizing support for the group with 14 years in prison. The move would outlaw expressing support for the group, flying their flag or arranging meetings for the group. Previously, such restrictions only applied to the Izz Ad Din Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.
United Kingdom—Police Identify Suspect In Liverpool Bombing British Broadcasting Corp. | 11/19/2021 British police have identified the bomber in the explosion outside a women's hospital in Liverpool earlier this month, reports BBC News. Iraq-born Emad Al Swealmeen, a convert to Christianity, was killed on Sunday when his improvised explosive device detonated in a taxi outside of the hospital. An unintentional detonation was being considered, police said. The device contained ball bearings and could have caused significant injury or death had it gone off under different circumstances. A member of his tribe in Jordan said that Swealmeen was Jordanian but born in Iraq. He had a history of mental illness, the tribesman said. His family had settled in the United Arab Emirates in 1996. Swealmeen left for Syria 12 years ago before moving to Turkey. He reportedly arrived in the U.K. in 2014 and sought asylum, in which he claimed to be Syrian. The claim was rejected in 2015 but he re-applied earlier this year, authorities said.
France—Paris, Berlin Slam Moscow For Leaking Diplomatic Letters Reuters | 11/19/2021 The French and German governments say Russia broke with diplomatic protocol when it published confidential correspondence regarding the conflict in Ukraine, reports Reuters. On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a series of diplomatic letters with French and German officials in an effort to show that its stance on talks about the conflict in eastern Ukraine had been misrepresented. French and German officials previously said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov refused to attend a Normandy format meeting with his French, German and Ukrainian counterparts. Moscow said that the published letters proved that Lavrov had not been available for such a meeting. Two European diplomats said that the release of the letters was intended to sow confusion but had backfired because it revealed that Moscow was trying to block the process by demanding various preconditions that would make any meeting impossible.
Poland—Migrants Returned To Border Hours After Encampments Cleared, Officials Say Reuters | 11/19/2021 Polish border authorities say that Belarus began trucking migrants back to the frontier after clearing camps along the border hours earlier, reports Reuters. On Thursday, Belarusian authorities cleared the main camps where migrants had congregated, unable to cross into Poland, and moved them to a large warehouse. On Friday, Polish authorities accused Belarus of sending hundreds of migrants back to the border overnight and forcing them to try and cross. Around 500 people were involved in the attempt, a border guard spokeswoman said. Separately, 430 Iraqis arrived in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan on Thursday after leaving Belarus on the first such flight since summer. About 7,000 migrants, mostly Iraqi Kurds, remain in Belarus, a Belarusian official told Agence France-Presse. Polish and European authorities accuse Belarus of flying migrants in from the Middle East and forcing them to try and cross into Poland and the European Union as part of a strategy to destabilize Europe.
Turkey—Israelis Detained On Espionage Charges Released Haaretz | 11/19/2021 Turkey has released an Israeli couple that was arrested last week on suspicion of espionage, reports Haaretz (Israel). Natalie and Mordi Oknin were arrested last week after taking pictures of the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, which previously served as the residence of the Turkish president. A Turkish national who was with them at the time was also arrested, reported Al Jazeera (Qatar). All three were suspected of political and military espionage. On Thursday, the Oknins were freed by Ankara and returned to Israel. A Turkish court granted their appeal for release on Wednesday. Diplomatic talks between Israel and Turkey contributed to the couple's release. Israel made no immediate reciprocal move although it is likely to in the future, said a diplomatic source. The Israeli prime minister, president and foreign minister thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his cooperation on the issue. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was scheduled to speak with Erdogan on Thursday. The call would be the first conversation between the heads of state of Israel and Turkey since 2013.
Georgia—Maple Arch Drills Kick Off At Tbilisi Training Center Agenda | 11/19/2021 Georgia is hosting this year's multinational Maple Arch exercise, reports the Agenda (Georgia). The opening ceremony was held on Wednesday at the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) outside Tbilisi, the capital. The nine-day multinational command training, under Canadian mentorship, is designed to bolster interoperability among the participants. About 350 troops from Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland and Ukraine will develop staff-level command-post/computer-assisted exercise routines during the event. Turkish forces are also taking part in the training, according to the Anadolu Agency (Ankara). The exercise is also designed to help non-NATO countries bring their standards for planning and conducting peacekeeping operations closer to those of the alliance, the Georgian Defense Ministry said. This is the first time that Georgia has hosted the annual Maple Arch exercise, the ministry said. Georgian forces have taken part in the drills since 2018.
Philippines—Mitsubishi Launches 2nd Multirole Vessel For Coast Guard Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 11/19/2021 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in Japan says it has launched the second of two large multirole response vessels (MRRVs) ordered by the Philippine coast guard. On Thursday, the MRRV was launched at Mitsubishi's Shimonoseki shipyard in the southern Yamaguchi prefecture, the shipbuilder said in a release. The multirole vessels, measuring 318 feet (97 m) in length, will be the largest ships in the Philippine coast guard, noted the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The design, based on the Kunigami class in Japanese coast guard service, is capable of severe weather operations, search-and-rescue, law enforcement and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The Philippine ships are equipped with secure communications, an aft helicopter deck, high-speed rubber boats and an uncrewed underwater vehicle. The lead ship is scheduled to depart for Manila in March, with delivery and christening anticipated in May 2022 following outfitting and testing. The second vessel is due to sail for the Philippines in May 2022 and will be handed over and christened in September 2022.
Singapore—Annual Joint Drill With Indonesia Wraps Up Singapore Ministry Of Defense | 11/19/2021 The Singapore and Indonesian armies have just completed an annual bilateral exercise in Singapore, reports the Singapore Ministry of Defense. Exercise Safkar Indopura took place from Nov. 11 to Nov. 18. Personnel from the headquarters of the 3rd Singapore Infantry Brigade and the 5th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment, and Indonesian troops from the 15th Infantry Brigade from Military Area Command III (KODAM III) took part in the training. The exercise included professional exchanges, live-firing and urban operation tactical drills to strengthen interpersonal bonds and deepen mutual understanding. The drills culminated with a field training exercise on Thursday at the Murai Urban Training Facility, with Indonesian and Singapore personnel executing a combined company-level urban assault. This was the 33rd iteration of Exercise Safkar Indopura since it was first held in 1989.
Yemen—Houthis Admit Massive Losses In Fighting Around Marib Agence France-Presse | 11/19/2021 Houthi rebels in Yemen say they have lost almost 15,000 fighters in recent fighting near Marib, reports Agence France-Presse. On Thursday, the rebel movement issued a rare statement acknowledging that 14,700 fighters had been killed in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes and ground clashes since mid-June. A second source confirmed the losses. The Houthis launched an offensive to take the strategic city of Marib in February. It previously refrained from acknowledging any major losses. The Saudi-led coalition has reported killing an estimated 3,800 Houthi fighters in airstrikes in the region.
Israel—Agreement Inked With Emirati Firm To Develop USVs Israel Aerospace Industries | 11/19/2021 Israel Aerospace Industries has signed a strategic deal with Edge Group in the United Arab Emirates to jointly develop an uncrewed surface vessel (USV), reports the Israeli defense firm. On Thursday, the two companies signed the agreement to jointly design a series of 56-foot (17-m) USVs for a range of military and commercial applications. Edge Group will use its Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) entity to design the platform; integrate the control systems and payload; and develop the concept of operations. IAI will develop the autonomous control systems and integrate mission payloads with the control system units based on mission requirements. The USV is expected to carry advanced sensors, including sonars and imaging systems, that are integrated into a unified command-and-control system. It will also be able to operate remotely, semi-autonomously or autonomously. The uncrewed vehicle will be able to perform military missions such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; border and littoral zone patrol; maritime security operations; mine detection and sweeping; anti-submarine warfare; and deploying vertical-takeoff and landing vehicles. Potential commercial applications include oceanography; pollution monitoring; oil and gas exploration; transportation of liquids and materials; search-and-rescue; firefighting; and first response.
Uganda—5 Suspects In Kampala Attacks Killed In Raids Agence France-Presse | 11/19/2021 Ugandan security forces have killed five suspects and arrested 21 others following a deadly bombing in Kampala, reports Agence France-Presse. On Thursday, police killed four suspects in the western Ntoroko district as they were crossing back into neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, said a police spokesman. The suspects were linked to a senior commander of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), reported the Voice of America News. Sheikh Abas Muhamed Kirevu, a local imam, was killed while resisting arrest in Kampala, said police. His wife was reportedly arrested in the raid. Sheikh Kirevu was served as a recruiter for the ADF, police told the New Vision (Kampala). Another 21 people, including operatives, coordinators and financiers, were arrested in Kampala and the Luwero and Ntoroko districts, said authorities. Police said they are looking for Sheikh Sulaiman Nsubuga, who they say is a recruiter and coordinator for the group, reported the Daily Monitor (Kampala).
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