Good Monday Morning 22 November
I hope that you all had a great weekend
Regards,
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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History
November 22
1863—During the Civil War, the screw steam gunboat Aroostook captures schooner Eureka off Galveston, TX, which had been bound for Havana with a cargo of cotton. Also on this date, the side-wheel gunboat Jacob Bell transports and supports a troop landing at St. George's Island, MD, where some 30 Confederates, some of whom were blockade runners, are captured.
1943—USS Frazier's (DD 607) bow is badly damaged when she intentionally rams and eventually sinks Japanese submarine I-35 off Tarawa in tandem with USS Meade (DD 602). No injuries or casualties are suffered and two days later Frazier sails for repairs at Pearl Harbor.
1944—USS Besugo (SS 321) sinks the Japanese landing ship T-151 off the northern tip of Palawan while USS Guavina (SS 362) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Dowa Maru northwest of Borneo.
2017—A Navy C-2A Greyhound crashes in the Philippine Sea while enroute to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Search and rescue efforts recover eight Sailors and continue for two days. Three Sailors lose their lives in the crash.
Today in History
November 22 | ||
1220 | After promising to go to the aid of the Fifth Crusade within nine months, Frederick II is crowned emperor by Pope Honorius III. | |
1542 | New laws are passed in Spain giving Indians in America protection against enslavement. | |
1757 | The Austrian army defeats the Prussians at Breslau in the Seven Years War. | |
1847 | In New York, the Astor Place Opera House, the city's first operatic theater, is opened. | |
1902 | A fire causes considerable damage to the unfinished Williamsburg bridge in New York. | |
1915 | The Anglo-Indian army, led by British General Sir Charles Townshend, attacks a larger Turkish force under General Nur-ud-Din at Ctesiphon, Iraq, but is repulsed. | |
1919 | A Labor conference committee in the United States urges an eight-hour workday and a 48-hour week. | |
1928 | British King George is confined to bed with a congested lung; the queen is to take over duties. | |
1935 | Pan Am inaugurates the first transpacific airmail service from San Francisco to Manila. | |
1936 | 1,200 soldiers are killed in a battle between the Japanese and Mongolians in China. | |
1942 | Soviet troops complete the encirclement of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad. | |
1948 | Ho Chi Minh's Democratic Republic of Vietnam requests admittance to the UN. | |
1963 | Lee Harvey Oswald assassinates President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president. | |
1964 | Almost 40,000 people pay tribute to John F. Kennedy at Arlington Cemetery on the first anniversary of his death. | |
1973 | Great Britain announces a plan for moderate Protestants and Catholics to share power in Northern Ireland. | |
1980 | Eighteen Communist Party secretaries in 49 provinces are ousted from Poland. | |
1982 | President Ronald Reagan calls for defense-pact deployment of the MX missile. | |
1986 | Justice Department finds memo in Lt. Col. Oliver North's office on the transfer of $12 million to Contras of Nicaragua from Iranian arms sale. | |
1988 | First prototype of B-2 Spirit strategic stealth bomber unveiled for public viewing. | |
1989 | Lebanese President Rene Moawad killed when a bomb explodes near his motorcade in West Beirut. | |
1990 | Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher confirms the end of her premiership by withdrawing from the leadership election of the Conservative Party. | |
1995 | The first feature-length film created entirely with computer generated imagery - Toy Story - premiers. | |
2004 | The Orange Revolution, protesting a primary election believed to have been rigged, begins in the Ukraine. On Dec 26 Ukraine's Supreme Court orders a revote.. | |
2005 | Angela Merkel becomes the first woman ever to be Chancellor of Germany; the former research scientist had previously been the first secretary-general of the Christian Democratic Union. | |
2008 | Hamas and Israel begin a cease-fire following eight days of violence and 150 deaths. | |
1963 |
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … For The List for Monday, 22 November 2021… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
November is National U.S.Aircraft Carrier Month… OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968) From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 22 November 1966… The six combat cruises and 600-days of combat by USS Bon Homme Richard…
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 Al
Monday Morning Thoughts for Thanksgiving
Here are my perennial favorites for Thanksgiving…
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water! She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?"
You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."
He said ... "Then I thank you from my heart."
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Many years later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.
Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.
Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.
He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words...
"Paid in full with one glass of milk"
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.
I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes... I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.
Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me. "Hello Barry, how are you today?"
"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good."
"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"
"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
"Good. Anything I can help you with?"
"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."
"Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr. Miller.
"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."
"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"
"All I got's my prize marble here."
"Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller.
"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."
"I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" the store owner asked.
"Not zackley but almost."
"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble," Mr. Miller told the boy.
"Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store."
I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.
Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the e casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. "Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size...they came to pay their debt. We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world, but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho..."
With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath. It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!
The final Thursday in November holiday is from 1863, when Lincoln, after listing many good reasons to give thanks said:
"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."
Some may think Thanksgiving was to honor our Indian hosts at Plymouth. Others may think it not PC to celebrate Thanksgiving since we took that land the Indians occupied and made the USA. They're wrong. Lincoln recognized the gifts we had in America and, simply, wanted to celebrate these gifts from God.
I am thankful:
For the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight, because she is home with me, and not out with someone else.
For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato, because he is home with me and not out at the bars.
For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes because it means she is at home, not on the streets.
For the taxes I pay because it means I am employed.
For the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
For my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine
For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
For all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.
For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.
For my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
For the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear.
For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.
For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard.
For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive.
And finally, for too much e-mail because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.
The atheist's most embarrassing moment: When he feels extremely thankful for something, but can't think who to thank for it.
Turn on your speakers and enjoy! http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1796513126
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.
Something For Stevie (Author unknown)
I tried not to be biased in hiring a handicapped person, but his placement counselor assured me that he would be a good, reliable busboy. I had never had a mentally handicapped employee, and I wasn't sure I wanted one. I wasn't sure how my customers would react to Stevie. He was short, a little dumpy, and had the smooth facial features and thick-tongued speech of Down syndrome.
I wasn't worried about most of my trucker customers because truckers don't generally care who buses tables as long as the meat loaf platter is good and the pies are homemade.
The four-wheeler drivers were the ones who concerned me; the mouthy college kids traveling to school; the yuppie snobs who secretly polish their silverware with their napkins for fear of catching some dreaded "truck stop germ;" the pairs of white-shirted business men on expense accounts who think every truck stop waitress wants to be flirted with.
I knew those people would be uncomfortable around Stevie so I closely watched him for the first few weeks. I shouldn't have worried. After the first week, Stevie had my staff wrapped around his stubby little finger, and within a month my truck regulars had adopted him as their official truck stop mascot. After that, I really didn't care what the rest of the customers thought of him.
He was like a 21-year-old in blue jeans and Nikes, eager to laugh and eager to please, but fierce in his attention to his duties. Every salt and pepper shaker was exactly in its place, not a bread crumb or coffee spill was visible when Stevie got done with the table. Our only problem was convincing him to wait to clean a table until after the customers were finished. He would hover in the background, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, scanning the dining room until a table was empty. Then he would scurry to the empty table and carefully bus the dishes and glasses onto a cart and meticulously wipe the table up with a practiced flourish of his rag. If he thought a customer was watching, his brow would pucker with added concentration. He took pride in doing his job exactly right, and you had to love how hard he tried to please each and every person he met.
Over time, we learned that he lived with his mother, a widow who was disabled after repeated surgeries for cancer. They lived on their Social Security benefits in public housing two miles from the truck stop. Their social worker, who stopped to check on him every so often, admitted they had fallen between the cracks. Money was tight, and what I paid him was probably the difference between them being able to live together and Stevie being sent to a group home.
That's why the restaurant was a gloomy place that morning last August, the first morning in three years that Stevie had missed work. He was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester getting a new valve or something put in his heart. His social worker said that people with Down syndrome often had heart problems at an early age so this wasn't unexpected, and there was a good chance he would come through the surgery in good shape and be back at work in a few months.
A ripple of excitement ran through the staff later that morning when word came that he was out of surgery, in recovery and doing fine. Frannie, my head waitress, let out a war whoop and did a little dance in the aisle when she heard the good news. Belle Ringer, one of our regular trucker customers, stared at the sight of the 50-year-old grandmother of four doing a victory shimmy beside his table. Frannie blushed, smoothed her apron and shot Belle Ringer a withering look.
He grinned. "OK, Frannie, what was that all about?" he asked.
"We just got word that Stevie is out of surgery and going to be okay."
"I was wondering where he was. I had a new joke to tell him. What was the surgery about?"
Frannie quickly told Belle Ringer and the other two drivers sitting at his booth about Stevie's surgery, then sighed. "Yeah, I'm glad he is going to be OK," she said, "but I don't know how he and his mom are going to handle all the bills. From what I hear, they're barely getting by as it is."
Belle Ringer nodded thoughtfully, and Frannie hurried off to wait on the rest of her tables. Since I hadn't had time to round up a busboy to replace Stevie and really didn't want to replace him, the girls were busing their own tables that day until we decided what to do.
After the morning rush, Frannie walked into my office. She had a couple of paper napkins in her hand a funny look on her face.
"What's up?" I asked.
"I didn't get that table where Belle Ringer and his friends were sitting cleared off after they left, and Pony Pete and Tony Tipper were sitting there when I got back to clean it off," she said. "This was folded and tucked under a coffee cup," She handed the napkin to me, and three twenty-dollar bills fell onto my desk when I opened it. On the outside, in big, bold letters, was printed "Something for Stevie".
"Pony Pete asked me what that was all about," she said, "so I told him about Stevie and his mom and everything, and Pete looked at Tony and Tony looked at Pete, and they ended up giving me this." She handed me another paper napkin that had "Something For Stevie" scrawled on its outside. Two $50 bills were tucked within its folds. Frannie looked at me with wet, shiny eyes, shook her head and said simply "truckers."
That was three months ago. Today is Thanksgiving, the first day Stevie is supposed to be back to work. His placement worker said he's been counting the days until the doctor said he could work, and it didn't matter at all that it was a holiday. He called 10 times in the past week, making sure we knew he was coming, fearful that we had forgotten him or that his job was in jeopardy.
I arranged to have his mother bring him to work, met them in the parking lot, and invited them both to celebrate his day back. Stevie was thinner and paler, but couldn't stop grinning as he pushed through the doors and headed for the back room where his apron and busing cart were waiting.
"Hold up there, Stevie, not so fast," I said. I took him and his mother by their arms.
"Work can wait for a minute. To celebrate your coming back, breakfast for you and your mother is on me." I led them toward a large corner booth at the rear of the room. I could feel and hear the rest of the staff following behind as we marched through the dining room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw booth after booth of grinning truckers empty and join the procession. We stopped in front of the big table. Its surface was covered with coffee cups, saucers and dinner plates, all sitting slightly crooked on dozens of folded paper napkins.
"First thing you have to do, Stevie, is clean up this mess," I said. I tried to sound stern.
Stevie looked at me, and then at his mother, then pulled out one of the napkins. It had "Something for Stevie" printed on the outside. As he picked it up, two $10 bills fell onto the table. Stevie stared at the money, then at all the napkins peeking from beneath the tableware, each with his name printed or scrawled on it.
I turned to his mother. "There's more than $10,000 in cash and checks on that table, all from truckers and trucking companies that heard about your problems. Happy Thanksgiving."
Well, it got real noisy about that time, with everybody hollering and shouting, and there were a few tears, as well. But you know what's funny? While everybody else was busy shaking hands and hugging each other, Stevie, with a big, big smile on his face, was busy clearing all the cups and dishes from the table.
Best worker I ever hired.
Wishing you much for which to be thankful,
Al
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This Day in U S Military History
22 November
1718– Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard, is killed off North Carolina's Outer Banks during a bloody battle with a British navy force sent from Virginia. Believed to be a native of England, Edward Teach likely began his pirating career in 1713, when he became a crewman aboard a Caribbean sloop commanded by pirate Benjamin Hornigold. In 1717, after Hornigold accepted an offer of general amnesty by the British crown and retired as a pirate, Teach took over a captured 26-gun French merchantman, increased its armament to 40 guns, and renamed it the Queen Anne's Revenge. During the next six months, the Queen Anne's Revenge served as the flagship of a pirate fleet featuring up to four vessels and more than 200 men. Teach became the most infamous pirate of his day, winning the popular name of Blackbeard for his long, dark beard, which he was said to light on fire during battles to intimidate his enemies. Blackbeard's pirate forces terrorized the Caribbean and the southern coast of North America and were notorious for their cruelty. In May 1718, the Queen Anne's Revenge and another vessel were shipwrecked, forcing Blackbeard to desert a third ship and most of his men because of a lack of supplies. With the single remaining ship, Blackbeard sailed to Bath in North Carolina and met with Governor Charles Eden. Eden agreed to pardon Blackbeard in exchange for a share of his sizable booty. At the request of North Carolina planters, Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia dispatched a British naval force under Lieutenant Robert Maynard to North Carolina to deal with Blackbeard. On November 22, Blackbeard's forces were defeated and he was killed in a bloody battle of Ocracoke Island. Legend has it that Blackbeard, who captured more than 30 ships in his brief pirating career, received five musket-ball wounds and 20 sword lacerations before dying.
1906– The "S-O-S" (SOS) distress signal was adopted at the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in Berlin. Considerable discussion ensued and finally SOS was adopted. The thinking was that three dots, three dashes and three dots could not be misinterpreted. It was to be sent together as one string.
1910– Amy Elizabeth Thorpe, a Minnesota-born British spy known as "Cynthia" was born in Minneapolis. She has been described as World War II`s "Mata Hari." Family and friends called her Betty. William Stephenson, who ran Great Britain's World War II intelligence activities in the Western Hemisphere, would one day give her a code name–"Cynthia." She reputedly was one of the most successful spies in history.
1935– Pan Am inaugurated the first transpacific airmail service, San Francisco to Manila. The Pan Am China Clipper under Captain Ed Musick took off from Alameda Point bound for the Philippines. It was the company's first trans-Pacific flight. The plane was a 25-ton Martin M-130 flying boat with a wingspan of 130 feet, and was the largest aircraft in world service.
1943– On the Tarawa Atoll, there is heavy fighting. The American marines are advancing. On Makin Atoll, the American infantry occupy most of Butaritari by nightfall. On Abimama Atoll, there are American landings.
1952 – Captain Cecil G. Foster of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing became the 23rd ace of the Korean War.
1953 – A great boon to ocean navigation for aircraft surface vessels was the completion of four new LORAN stations in the Far East. The stations were built at Mikayo Jima, Ryuku Islands; Bataan and Cantanduanes Islands, Philippines; and Anguar, Palau Island in the Carolinas chain. Now replaced by the more accurate LORAN-C network, these stations on sparsely-populated, remote and typhoon-battered islands.
1963– President John F. Kennedy is assassinated during a visit to Dallas, Texas. His death caused intense mourning in the United States and brought Vice President Lyndon Johnson to the presidency. Kennedy's untimely death also left future generations with a great many "what if" questions concerning the subsequent history of the Cold War. In the years since Kennedy's death, a number of supporters argued that had he lived he would have done much to bring the Cold War to a close. Some have suggested that he would have sharply curtailed military spending and brought the arms race under control. The most persistent claim, which served as the centerpiece of Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK, is that Kennedy would have withdrawn U.S. troops from Vietnam after being re-elected in 1964. Stone went on to charge that right-wing militants in the U.S. government coordinated the assassination plot. It is difficult to say what Kennedy would have done had he not been killed in November 1963, but the arguments raised by Stone and others do not seem supported by the available evidence. During his brief presidency, Kennedy consistently requested higher military spending, asking for billions in increased funding. After the humiliating defeat at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, his administration approved Operation Mongoose, a CIA program that involved plots to destabilize the communist government in Cuba. There was even discussion about assassinating Cuban leader Fidel Castro. In Vietnam, Kennedy increased the number of U.S. advisers from around 1,500 when he took office, to more than 16,000 by the time of his death. His administration also participated in the planning of the coup that ultimately overthrew South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, who was murdered by his own military just three weeks prior to Kennedy's assassination. If Kennedy was going to become less of a cold warrior after 1964, there was little to suggest this change prior to November 22, 1963.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*BONNYMAN, ALEXANDER, JR.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. Born: 2 May 1910, Atlanta, Ga. Accredited to: New Mexico. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of the 2d Battalion Shore Party, 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division, during the assault against enemy Japanese-held Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, 20-22 November 1943. Acting on his own initiative when assault troops were pinned down at the far end of Betio Pier by the overwhelming fire of Japanese shore batteries, 1st Lt. Bonnyman repeatedly defied the blasting fury of the enemy bombardment to organize and lead the besieged men over the long, open pier to the beach and then, voluntarily obtaining flame throwers and demolitions, organized his pioneer shore party into assault demolitionists and directed the blowing of several hostile installations before the close of D-day. Determined to effect an opening in the enemy's strongly organized defense line the following day, he voluntarily crawled approximately 40 yards forward of our lines and placed demolitions in the entrance of a large Japanese emplacement as the initial move in his planned attack against the heavily garrisoned, bombproof installation which was stubbornly resisting despite the destruction early in the action of a large number of Japanese who had been inflicting heavy casualties on our forces and holding up our advance. Withdrawing only to replenish his ammunition, he led his men in a renewed assault, fearlessly exposing himself to the merciless slash of hostile fire as he stormed the formidable bastion, directed the placement of demolition charges in both entrances and seized the top of the bombproof position, flushing more than 100 of the enemy who were instantly cut down, and effecting the annihilation of approximately 150 troops inside the emplacement. Assailed by additional Japanese after he had gained his objective, he made a heroic stand on the edge of the structure, defending his strategic position with indomitable determination in the face of the desperate charge and killing 3 of the enemy before he fell, mortally wounded. By his dauntless fighting spirit, unrelenting aggressiveness and forceful leadership throughout 3 days of unremitting, violent battle, 1st Lt. Bonnyman had inspired his men to heroic effort, enabling them to beat off the counterattack and break the back of hostile resistance in that sector for an immediate gain of 400 yards with no further casualties to our forces in this zone. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
SHOUP, DAVID MONROE
Rank and organization: Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps, commanding officer of all Marine Corps troops on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, and Gilbert Islands, from 20 to 22 November 1943. Entered service at: Indiana. Born: 30 December 1904, Tippecanoe, Ind. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of all Marine Corps troops in action against enemy Japanese forces on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, from 20 to 22 November 1943. Although severely shocked by an exploding enemy shell soon after landing at the pier and suffering from a serious, painful leg wound which had become infected, Col. Shoup fearlessly exposed himself to the terrific and relentless artillery, machinegun, and rifle fire from hostile shore emplacements. Rallying his hesitant troops by his own inspiring heroism, he gallantly led them across the fringing reefs to charge the heavily fortified island and reinforce our hard-pressed, thinly held lines. Upon arrival on shore, he assumed command of all landed troops and, working without rest under constant, withering enemy fire during the next 2 days, conducted smashing attacks against unbelievably strong and fanatically defended Japanese positions despite innumerable obstacles and heavy casualties. By his brilliant leadership daring tactics, and selfless devotion to duty, Col. Shoup was largely responsible for the final decisive defeat of the enemy, and his indomitable fighting spirit reflects great credit upon the U.S. Naval Service .
*LORING, CHARLES J., JR.
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Air Force, 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing. Place and date: Near Sniper Ridge, North Korea, 22 November 1952. Entered service at: Portland, Maine. Born: 2 October 1918, Portland, Maine. Citation: Maj. Loring distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While leading a night of 4 F-80 type aircraft on a close support mission, Maj. Loring was briefed by a controller to dive-bomb enemy gun positions which were harassing friendly ground troops. After verifying the location of the target, Maj. Loring rolled into his dive bomb run. Throughout the run, extremely accurate ground fire was directed on his aircraft. Disregarding the accuracy and intensity of the ground fire, Maj. Loring aggressively continued to press the attack until his aircraft was hit. At approximately 4,000 feet, he deliberately altered his course and aimed his diving aircraft at active gun emplacements concentrated on a ridge northwest of the briefed target, turned his aircraft 45 degrees to the left, pulled up in a deliberate, controlled maneuver, and elected to sacrifice his life by diving his aircraft directly into the midst of the enemy emplacements. His selfless and heroic action completely destroyed the enemy gun emplacement and eliminated a dangerous threat to United Nations ground forces. Maj. Loring's noble spirit, superlative courage, and conspicuous self-sacrifice in inflicting maximum damage on the enemy exemplified valor of the highest degree and his actions were in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Air Force.
STONE, JAMES L.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company E 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Near Sokkogae, Korea, 21 and 22 November 1951. Entered service at: Houston Tex. Born: 27 December 1922, Pine Bluff, Ark. G.O. No.: 82, 20 October 1953. Citation: 1st Lt. Stone, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When his platoon, holding a vital outpost position, was attacked by overwhelming Chinese forces, 1st Lt. Stone stood erect and exposed to the terrific enemy fire calmly directed his men in the defense. A defensive flame-thrower failing to function, he personally moved to its location, further exposing himself, and personally repaired the weapon. Throughout a second attack, 1st Lt. Stone; though painfully wounded, personally carried the only remaining light machine gun from place to place in the position in order to bring fire upon the Chinese advancing from 2 directions. Throughout he continued to encourage and direct his depleted platoon in its hopeless defense. Although again wounded, he continued the fight with his carbine, still exposing himself as an example to his men. When this final overwhelming assault swept over the platoon's position his voice could still be heard faintly urging his men to carry on, until he lost consciousness. Only because of this officer's driving spirit and heroic action was the platoon emboldened to make its brave but hopeless last ditch stand.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 22, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
22 November
1909: The Wright Company incorporated with $1,000,000 in capital stock to make flying machines. (12)
1935: A Pan Am Airways pilot, Capt Edwin C. Musick, began the first transpacific airmail flight in a Martin 130 China Clipper. He flew from San Francisco to Manila, via Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island, and Guam. (21)
1944: RAID ON MOROTAI. Japanese aircraft staged through bases on Halmahera Island and attacked FEAF installations on Morotai. The raid resulted in 2 killed and 15 injured with 15 aircraft destroyed and 8 damaged. This attack was one of 82 conducted against the Morotai bases between 15 September and 1 February 1945. (17)
1949: The USN announced that the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket had surpassed the speed of sound at Muroc. (9) (24)
Note from Skip..When I was 11 we were stationed at Loring AFB and the first time I went to the O Club I remember seeing a large plaque on the wall with Major Loring's picture and the citation for his Medal of Honor. It was very sobering to read what he did then and I always wondered how he had the courage to do it.
1952: KOREAN WAR/MEDAL OF HONOR. While leading a flight of four F-80s against enemy gun positions in Korea, Maj Charles J. Loring deliberately crashed his damaged aircraft into enemy gun emplacements. For that sacrifice, he earned the Medal of Honor. (26) (28) KOREAN WAR. A 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron pilot, 1Lt Cecil G. Foster, scored his fifth MiG kill in MiG Alley to add his name to the list of aces. (28)
1961: Lt Col Robert B. Robinson (USMC) set a world record in a McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II, by flying 1,605 MPH over a l5- and 35-kilometer course at Edwards AFB. (9)
1966: The 321 SMW at Grand Forks became the first complete Minuteman II wing, when it received its last flight of missiles. (6)
1972: The first B-52 Stratofortress to be lost to enemy action fell prey to a surface-to-air missile over North Vietnam. The aircraft made it back to Thailand, where the crew ejected safely. (16)
1976: The USAF accepted its last F-111F at the General Dynamics plant in Fort Worth. (12)
1978: A C-141 flew six medical specialists from Boston, Mass., to Algiers, Algeria, to aid the critically ill President of Algeria. (16)
1982: President Reagan decided to deploy the M-X in the "Dense Pack" closely spaced basing mode at Francis E. Warren AFB. (1) (6) Davis-Monthan AFB placed Titan II site 570-9, the first to be inactivated, in caretaker status. (6)
1988: At Palmdale, Northrop unveiled the B-2 Stealth Bomber. (20)
1989: The Space Shuttle Discovery launched at night (the fourth time in our space program's history) to place a satellite (probably a signals intelligence) in orbit. This flight, the fifth dedicated to the DoD, ended at Edwards AFB after 5 days six minutes and 46 seconds in space. (8: Feb 90) In a 5-hour, 48-minute test flight, Northrop's B-2A bomber continued its flight control and systems checkout. (8: Feb 90)
2000: Lockheed Martin's X-35A completed its concept demonstrator flight test program. Company test pilot Tom Morgenfeld (Great F-8 pilot) flew the aircraft back to Lockheed's facility at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale. The aircraft flew 27 sorties for 27.4 flight hours at Edwards. (3) The AFFTC at Edwards AFB began flight testing the Bell Textron CV-22 tilt-rotor air vehicle. It was the Air Force version of the MV-22 Osprey.
2002: The second X-45A UCAV, nicknamed Red, successfully achieved all objectives in its first flight, a 30-minute sortie above Edwards AFB. (3)
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World News for 19 November thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Plans Made For Summit with African Leaders Al Jazeera | 11/22/2021 President Joe Biden plans to host a summit for African leaders to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the continent, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Biden planned to host the "U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit," with the goal of driving high-level diplomacy and engagement to transform relationships and make effective engagement possible. Blinken made his remarks at the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, noted Deutsche Welle. The secretary of state also said that the U.S. would overhaul its approach to relations with the continent and planned to treat Africa as a major geopolitical power. He warned against infrastructure deals with "strings" attached, an oblique reference to China, and against democratic backsliding. Blinken is on his first trip to Africa since taking office. He is the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit the continent. On Thursday, Blinken visited Kenya, where he called for an unconditional cease-fire in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region and the return to civilian government in Sudan. He then traveled to Nigeria to meet President Muhammadu Buhari for talks on domestic and regional security, democratic backsliding in West Africa and the government's response to anti-police protests in 2020. The agenda also covered U.S. support for the Nigerian military. Blinken emphasized that such support would be conducted in a way that respected human rights.
USA—Navy Assessing Los Angeles-Class Subs For Further Service Breaking Defense | 11/22/2021 The U.S. Navy is looking into extending the service lives of some of its Los Angeles-class attack submarines to boost force levels, reports Breaking Defense. The service is systematically evaluating each of the boats still in service to see whether they can be kept in service an additional two to three years, Rear Adm. Doug Perry, director of undersea warfare requirements, said on Thursday at the Naval Submarine League annual symposium in Arlington, Va. In a recent case, Perry approved a three-year extension for USS Alexandria (SSN-757). Each submarine will be assessed on an individual basis, the admiral said. The service-life extensions may be partially enabled by backlogs that have left some submarines waiting in dock for maintenance for years. During that period, the subs reactors are not being used, potentially simplifying service-life extensions. The Navy has also approved plans to refuel five Los Angeles-class subs to extend their lives by at least 10 years. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine has been identified as the best yard to perform that work. The service-life extensions are anticipated to improve force projections by 20 percent compared to other recent forecasts, Perry said.
USA—Marines End Crisis Response Missions In Africa Stars And Stripes | 11/22/2021 The Marine Corps has quietly reshaped its approach towards preparing for crises in Africa and the Middle East, reports Stars & Stripes. Following the 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, the service established the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC) and SPMAGTF-CR-Africa Command. Each unit had around 2,000 command, air combat, logistics and ground combat personnel, including V-22 tiltrotor detachments. SPMAGTF-CR-CC was based out of Djibouti, while SPMAGTF-CR-AFRICOM was stationed at Moron Air Base in Spain. Both units were not replaced after their last rotation. The last rotation of the SPMAGTF-CR-CC concluded in October, a Marine spokesman said. The Marine Corps previously announced in June that it was also ending rotations of a Southern Command SPMAGTF. The Marine Corps has shifted to a new crisis response approach that combines its airlift capabilities with Army ground forces. In Djibouti, this involves the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161, including six V-22s and two KC-130 tanker aircraft, that was deployed to Djibouti in September and reached full operational capability in October. The aviation units are supporting their main customer, Air Force battlefield rescue and recovery missions, as well as the East Africa Response Force made up of personnel from the Army National Guard 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The SPMAGTF-CR-AFRICOM was replaced by a tiltrotor squadron that supports the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Italy.
NATO—Alliance Unlikely To Name China An Adversary, Top Officer Says Defense News | 11/22/2021 The head of the NATO military committee says that the alliance will not identify China as an adversary in its next strategy document, reports Defense News. China will not be classified as an adversary in part because it is too far from the alliance's geographic bounds, said Dutch Adm. Rob Bauer. "I would say it is unlikely at the moment that China changes from a 'challenge' to an 'adversary' in the strategic concept," he told reporters at the NATO Defense College in Rome. Concern is growing in the political realm because Beijing poses an increasing challenge to the rules-based order. China also poses a challenge in the cyber and space realms, while its armed forces are continuing to expand without being part of any arms control regime, the admiral said. China's demonstrated ability to fly hypersonic weapons over both poles is a new concern because Western defense systems are not oriented to deal with such threats, said Bauer.
Norway—1st Poseidon Patrol Aircraft Delivered In Seattle Boeing | 11/22/2021 Norway has taken delivery of the first of five maritime patrol aircraft ordered from Boeing, reports the defense firm. The P-8 Poseidon was handed over to the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency on Thursday in Seattle, Wash., Boeing said in release. Norway has ordered five P-8s to replace its aging P-3 Orion and DA20 Jet Falcon surveillance planes. The Norwegian aircraft is the 142nd P-8 to be delivered. The balance of the Norwegian order is expected to be delivered in 2022.
Lithuania—Taiwanese Representative Office Opens Doors Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs | 11/22/2021 Taiwan has established a new official mission in Lithuania, reports the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On Nov. 18, the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania began operations in Vilnius, the ministry said in a release. The office will be led by Eric Huang, the current Taiwanese chief of mission in Latvia. The office will cover the ministry's work in Lithuania, including consular affairs as well as promoting relations between Taiwan and Lithuania and serving and protecting Taiwanese citizens there. The office is the first to use the name "Taiwan." Previous missions in the U.S. and in Europe use "Taipei" to avoid upsetting the Chinese government, noted Reuters. On Friday, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council condemned the opening of the office as undermining the one-China principle and accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan of "separatist acts on the international stage," reported the state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN). Lithuania had only itself to blame for the situation and would "have to pay for what it did," said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Poland—British Missile Frontrunner For Air Defense Program Defence24 | 11/22/2021 Defense Minister Mariusz Balszczak has indicated that the British offering for Poland's Narew air defense program is likely to be selected, reports Defence 24 (Poland). The Polish Armament Inspectorate has completed its evaluation and found the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) to be the best choice, Balszczak said during a visit to the Bemowo Piskie base in northeastern Poland with British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. During the visit, the sides signed an agreement to cooperate and share technology to develop the Narew system, said a release from the British Defense Ministry. The Narew program is designed to replace the Soviet-era Neva-SC surface-to-air missile system for short-range air defense (SHORAD) missions. It is slated to be fielded by the air force's 3rd Air Defense Missile Brigade and four army air defense regiments. It may also be used by some coastal units of the navy. Contracts for the Narew program are expected to be finalized by 2023, with a initial live-fire test launch following in 2026. The Narew is expected to be integrated with the U.S. Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) that is being procured through the Wisla program alongside Patriot missiles. The CAMM has previously completed initial integration work with the IBCS.
China—July Hypersonic Test Demonstrated New Technologies Financial Times | 11/22/2021 A Chinese hypersonic weapon test this summer showed off a previously unknown technological capability, reports the Financial Times (U.K.). The July test involved a sophisticated midflight maneuver in which it fired a missile as it approached its target at a speed of at least Mach 5. The hypersonic glide vehicle launched the missile in the atmosphere while flying over the South China Sea, said people familiar with the intelligence on the event. Experts believe that the second projectile could be an air-to-air missile or countermeasure against air defense systems. Officials at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are still evaluating the data to determine how the vehicle was able to launch a projectile while traveling at hypersonic speed.
Philippines—Resupply Mission On The Way To Ayungin Shoal Philippine News Agency | 11/22/2021 The Philippines has again dispatched ships to resupply troops on the Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the Spratly Islands after Chinese coast guard vessels prevented the mission last week, reports the state-run Philippine News Agency. On Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that two ships had departed Oyster Bay in Palawan and would arrive at the Ayungin Shoal on Tuesday morning. The secretary said that the Chinese ambassador in Manila had assured him that the ships would not be impeded. China had asked that the resupply vessels not be escorted by naval ships. A navy maritime patrol aircraft will monitor the vessels as they near Ayungin, he said.
Sri Lanka—Former Police Chief Charged With Negligence In 2019 Bombings Press Trust Of India | 11/22/2021 Sri Lanka's former police chief has been charged with negligence in connection to the 2019 Easter bombings that killed almost 270 people, reports the Press Trust of India. On Monday, Pujith Jayasundera was charged with 985 counts of criminal negligence in the Sri Lankan High Court. The former police chief pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors accuse Jayasundera of ignoring intelligence warnings of an imminent attack prior to the April 2019 blasts, which targeted churches and luxury hotels around the country. Former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando faces similar charges, reported Reuters. The trial for the 24 accused of involvement in the attacks is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
Iran—IRGC Seizes Tanker On Charges Of Smuggling Diesel Voice Of America News | 11/22/2021 The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has seized an oil tanker smuggling diesel, reports the Voice of America News. On Saturday, IRGC troops stopped the tanker in the Persian Gulf and detained all 11 crewmembers, reported Arab media. The ship's country of origin and nationalities of the crew were not immediately clear. Officials said the ship was in Iranian territorial waters and smuggling diesel when it was detained, reported the semi-official Fars news agency (Tehran). Tehran has previously seized other vessels using similar justifications. IRGC Col. Ahmed Hajian said that 150,000 liters of diesel was discovered on board the ship, which had illegally entered Iranian waters. Analysts noted that it was unlikely that regional countries would be trying to smuggle diesel into Iran. Typically, it is Tehran that is attempting to offload diesel. Iran is known to smuggle diesel and other fuel oil products to places like Syria and Yemen.
United Arab Emirates—Work Halted At Suspected Chinese Facility Near Abu Dhabi Wall Street Journal | 11/22/2021 Construction of a controversial Chinese military base in the United Arab Emirates has stopped after intervention by the U.S., reports the Wall Street Journal. During the spring, U.S. intelligence identified the construction of what was believed to be a military facility at Khalifa port, about 50 miles (80 km) north of Abu Dhabi, said unidentified sources. China's Cosco shipping conglomerate built and operates a commercial container terminal there. Construction at the site was recently halted after U.S. officials intervened, said the sources. The sources said that Emirati officials appeared to be unaware of the Chinese plans for the site. A U.A.E. embassy spokesman said that the Emirates had no agreement with China to host a military facility of any kind. The sources declined to provide any information on the type of facility being constructed. Beijing is seeking to gain a wider foothold in the region where rivalry with the U.S. is taking on greater importance, said analysts.
Syria—Russian Troops Begin Patrolling Line Separating Them From U.S. Forces Reuters | 11/22/2021 Russian forces have begun patrols of a demarcation line separating them from U.S. troops in eastern Syria, reports Russian media cited by Reuters. Russian troops began patrols along the frontier between the western zone, controlled by Russian forces, and the eastern zone, controlled by the U.S.-led coalition, reported the Tass news agency (Moscow) on Monday. Russian forces have not previously patrolled the area. There were concerns that ISIS sleeper cells could be there, said a military spokesman. Russia also wants to demonstrate its presence, the spokesman said.
Sudan—Agreement Reached To Resume Political Transition Sudan Tribune | 11/22/2021 Sudan's ousted civilian leader and the military junta have signed an agreement to return to the previously agreed political transition process, reports the Sudan Tribune (Paris). On Sunday, army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok signed the accord to return to the democratic transition that was underway prior to the Oct. 25 coup. The document calls for constitutional amendments to open political participation to all parties except for the dissolved National Congress Party of ousted leader Omar Bashir. Hamdok said that the agreement would halt violence. At least 40 people have been killed by security forces during protests over the last month, reported Al Arabiya (Dubai). The coalition of the Forces for Freedom and Changes (FFC), which played a major role in protests that ousted Bashir in 2019, announced that it opposes the deal, rejecting the participation of those involved in the October coup. Another Sundanese civil society organization, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), called the deal "treasonous," reported the Washington Post.
Somalia—Prominent Journalist Killed In Mogadishu Blast Reuters | 11/22/2021 A prominent Somali journalist has been killed in a militant bombing, reports Reuters. On Saturday, an Al-Shabaab suicide bomber set off his explosives, killing himself and Radio Mogadishu director Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled, who was known for his coverage of the terrorist group. Four people were injured in the blast, including the director of Somali National Television and a driver, reported Al Jazeera (Qatar). Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that Guled had "committed crimes against Islam" and was involved in the killing of members of the group. Guled was a noted critic of the Al-Qaida-linked group and had done several interviews with detained Al-Shabaab fighters, reported the BBC News.
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