TheList 5939

The List 5939     TGB

Good Monday morning December 13. 

I hope you all had a great weekend.

Regards,

Skip

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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History

December 13

 

1775—The Continental Congress provides for the construction of five ships of 32 guns, five ships of 28 guns, and three ships of 24 guns at an estimated cost of $866,666. The ships are Hancock, Randolph, Raleigh, Warren, Washington, Congress, Effingham, Providence, Trumbull, Virginia, Boston, Delaware, and Montgomery.

1941—Cmdr. William A. Sullivan is designated the first Supervisor of Salvage.

1943—USS Osmond Ingram (DD 255), USS George E. Badger (DD 196), USS Clemson (DD 186), and FMs VC-19 from USS Bogue (CVE 9) sink German submarine U 172 west of the Canary Islands.

1943—USS Wainwright (DD 419) and British destroyer HMS Calpe sink German submarine U-593 150 miles northeast of Algiers.

1943—USS Sailfish (SS 192) sinks Japanese cargo ship Totai Maru east of Tokara Strait while PBY aircraft sink Tokiwa Maru in the Bismarck Sea. 

 

Today in World History December 13

1789		The National Guard is created in France.
1812		The last remnants of Napoleon Bonaparte's Grand Armeé reach the safety of Kovno, Poland, after the failed Russian campaign. Napoleon's costly retreat from Moscow
1814		General Andrew Jackson announces martial law in New Orleans, Louisiana, as British troops disembark at Lake Borne, 40 miles east of the city. The Battle of New Orleans
1862		The Battle of Fredericksburg ends with the bloody slaughter of onrushing Union troops at Marye's Heights. Maine's Colonel Chamberlain at Marye's Heights.
1902		The Committee of Imperial Defense holds its first meeting in London.
1908		The Dutch take two Venezuelan Coast Guard ships.
1937		The Japanese army occupies Nanking, China. Boeing's Trailblazing P-26 Peashooters.
1940		Adolf Hitler issues preparations for Operation Martita, the German invasion of Greece.
1941		British forces launch an offensive in Libya.
1945		France and Britain agree to quit Syria and Lebanon.
1951		After meeting with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, President Harry S Truman vows to purge all disloyal government workers.
1968		President Lyndon B. Johnson and Mexico's President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz meet on a bridge at El Paso, Texas, to officiate at ceremonies returning the long-disputed El Chamizal area to the Mexican side of the border.
1972		Astronaut Gene Cernan climbs into his lunar lander on the moon and prepares to lift off. He is the last man to set foot on the moon.
1973		Great Britain cuts the work week to three days to save energy.
1981		Polish labor leader Lech Walesa is arrested and the government decrees martial law, restricting civil rights and suspending operation of the independent trade union Solidarity.
1985		France sues the United States over the discovery of an AIDS serum.
2001		Terrorists attach the Parliament of India Sansad; 15 people are killed, including the terrorists
2003		Deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein captured; he is found hiding in near his home town of Tikrit.

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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post … For The List for Monday, 13 December 2021… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻

 

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…

From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 13 December 1966… From the "Pentagon Papers," a summary of Rolling Thunder ops for 1966… Ouch!!!

 

http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-13-december-1966-summary-of-1966-rolling-thunder-ops/

 

 

 

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 Robert

 The 71st Anniversary of the Korean War "Chosin Few".....The Tootsie Roll Marines 

 

On November 26, 1950, 10,000 men of the First Marine Division, along with elements of two Army regimental combat teams, a detachment of British Royal Marine commandos and some South Korean policemen were completely surrounded by over ten divisions of Chinese troops in rugged mountains near the Chosin Reservoir. Chairman Mao himself had ordered the Marines annihilated, and Chinese General Song Shi-Lun gave it his best shot, throwing human waves of his 120,000 soldiers against the heavily outnumbered allied forces. A massive cold front blew in from Siberia, and with it, the coldest winter in recorded Korean history. For the encircled allies at the Chosin Reservoir, daytime temperatures averaged five degrees below zero, while nights plunged to minus 35 and lower.

Jeep batteries froze and split. C-rations ran dangerously low and the cans were frozen solid. Fuel could not be spared to thaw them. If truck engines stopped, their fuel lines froze. Automatic weapons wouldn't cycle. Morphine syrettes had to be thawed in a medical corpsman's mouth before they could be injected. Precious bottles of blood plasma were frozen and useless. Resupply could only come by air, and that was spotty and erratic because of the foul weather.

High Command virtually wrote them off, believing their situation was hopeless. Washington braced for imminent news of slaughter and defeat. Retreat was hardly an option; not through that wall of Chinese troops. If the Marines defended, they would be wiped out So they formed a 12-mile long column and attacked.

There were 78 miles of narrow, crumbling, steeply-angled road and 100,000 Chinese soldiers between the Marines and the sea at Hungnam. Both sides fought savagely for every inch of it. The march out became one monstrous, moving battle.

The Chinese used the ravines between ridges, protected from rifle fire, to marshal their forces between attacks. The Marines' 60-millimeter mortars, capable of delivering high, arcing fire over the ridgelines, breaking up those human waves, became perhaps the most valuable weapon the Marines had. But their supply of mortar rounds was quickly depleted. Emergency requests for resupply were sent by radio, using code words for specific items. The code for 60mm mortar ammo was "Tootsie Rolls"but the radio operator receiving that urgent request didn't have the Marines' code sheets. All he knew was that the request came from command authority, it was extremely urgent and there were tons of Tootsie Rolls at supply bases in Japan.

Tootsie Rolls had been issued with other rations to US troops since World War I, earning preferred status because they held up so well to heat, cold and rough handling compared to other candies.

Tearing through the clouds and fog, parachutes bearing pallet-loads of Tootsie Rolls descended on the Marines. After initial shocked reactions, the freezing, starving troops rejoiced. Frozen Tootsies were thawed in armpits, popped in mouths, and their sugar provided instant energy. For many, Tootsie Rolls were their only nourishment for days. The troops also learned they could use warmed Tootsie Rolls to plug bullet holes in fuel drums, gas tanks, cans and radiators, where they would freeze solid again, sealing the leaks.

Over two weeks of unspeakable misery, movement and murderous fighting, the 15,000-man column suffered 3,000 killed in action, 6,000 wounded and thousands of severe frostbite cases. But they reached the sea, demolishing several Chinese divisions in the process. Hundreds credited their very survival to Tootsie Rolls. Surviving Marines called themselves "The Chosin Few," and among themselves, another name: The Tootsie Roll Marines. Join me in sharing their story and some Tootsie Rolls.

 

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Thanks to Al

 

Monday Morning Humor--Christmas Is Coming

 

Eleven days until Christmas…

 

FROM THE DESK OF SANTA CLAUS:

     I regret to inform you that, effective immediately, I will no longer be able to serve the southern United States on Christmas Eve.  Due to the overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by North American Fairies and Elves Local 209.  I now serve only certain areas of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

     As part of the new and better contract, I also get longer breaks for milk and cookies, so keep that in mind.  However, I'm certain that your children will be in good hands with your local replacement, who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Claus.  His side of the family is from the South Pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the good 'ole boys and girls; however, there are a few differences between us.

     Differences such as:

        There is no danger of a Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Claus.  He has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker that reads: "These toys insured by Smith & Wesson."

        Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Claus prefers that children leave an RC cola and pork rinds [or a moon pie] on the fireplace. And Bubba doesn't smoke a pipe.  He dips a little snuff though, so please have an empty spit can handy.

        Bubba Claus' sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin' coon dogs instead of reindeer.  I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer one time, and Blitzen's head now overlooks Bubba's fireplace.

        You won't hear "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner & Blitzen ..." when Bubba Claus arrives. Instead, you'll hear, "On Earnhardt, on Wallace, on Martin and Labonte. On Rudd, on Jarrett, on Elliott and Petty"

        "Ho, ho, ho!" has been replaced by "Yee Haw!"

        As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Claus' sleigh does have a Yosemite Sam safety triangle on the back with the words "Back off".  Last I heard, it also had other decorations on the sleigh back as well. One is Chevy logo with lights that race through the letters.

        The usual Christmas movie classics such as "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life" will not be shown in your negotiated viewing area.  Instead, you'll see "Boss Hogg Saves Christmas" and "Smokey and the Bandit IV" featuring Burt Reynolds as Bubba Claus and dozens of state patrol cars crashing into each other.

        Bubba Claus doesn't wear a belt. If I were you, I'd make sure you, the wife, and the kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree.

        And finally, lovely Christmas songs have been sung about me like "Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer" and Bing Crosby's "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."  This year songs such as Mark Chesnutt's "Bubba Claus Shot the Jukebox" and Cledus T. Judd's "All I Want for Christmas Is My Woman and a Six Pack" will be played on all the AM radio stations in the South..

Sincerely Yours,

Santa Claus

Member of North American Fairies and Elves Local 209

 

 

Holiday puns:

         Santa Claus slides down the chimney because it soots him.

         One young boy calls him Santa Cause because he heard there was Noel.

         Helpers at the North Pole are called subordinate clauses.

         You really need to get spruced up to sell Christmas trees.

         At this time of year, crossing a setter and a pointer gives you a pointsetter.

         Santa only swims at the North Pool.

         The Pole Vault is where Santa keeps all the presents.

 

 

Christmas groaners…

Which of Santa's reindeers needs to mind his manners the most?     Rude"olph

What do you call the fear of getting stuck while sliding down a chimney?     Santa Claus-trophbia

What nationality is Santa Claus?     North Polish

What do you call a bunch of grandmasters of chess bragging about their games in a hotel lobby?     Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

What do you get when you cross an archer with a gift-wrapper?     Ribbonhood

Why was Santa's little helper depressed?     Because he had low elf esteem.

 

 

You might be...

An engineer if you look forward to Christmas so you can put the kids' toys together.

A car racing fan if your Christmas list begins with another set of BFG R1s and Pauter rods and your "significant other" knows what they are.

A man if Christmas shopping can be accomplished for 25 relatives, on December 24th, in 45 minutes.

 

 

Dear Santa,

     I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

     Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

     Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.

     Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always, MOM...!

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

 

 

Thought you might be interested in trying this Fruitcake Recipe:

        1 cup water

        1 cup sugar

        4 large eggs

        2 cups dried fruit

        1 teaspoon baking soda

        1 teaspoon salt

        1 cup brown sugar

        Lemon juice

        Nuts

        1 gallon whiskey

Sample the whiskey to check for quality.

Take a large bowl.

Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest quality.

Pour one level cup and drink.

Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 cup butter in a large, fluffy bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again.

Make sure the whiskey is still OK.   Cry another tup.

Turn off mixer.

Break 2 legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift 2 cups of salt.  Or something.  Who cares?

Check the whiskey.

Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.  Spoon.  Of sugar or something.  Whatever you can find.

Grease the oven.

Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Throw the bowl out of the window.

Check the whiskey again.

Go to bed.

Who the heck likes fruitcake anyway?

 

 

I Think Santa Claus is a Woman.

     I hate to be the one to defy sacred myth, but I believe he's a she.

     Think about it. Christmas is a big, organized, warm, fuzzy, nurturing, social deal, and I have a tough time believing a guy could possibly pull it all off!

     For starters, the vast majority of men don't even think about selecting gifts until Christmas Eve.  Once at the mall, they always seem surprised to find only Ronco products, socket wrench sets, and mood rings left on the shelves.  On this count alone, I'm convinced Santa is a woman.

     Surely, if he were a man, everyone in the universe would wake up Christmas morning to find a rotating musical Chia Pet under the tree, still in the bag.

     Another problem for a he-Santa would be getting there. First of all, there  would be no reindeer because they would all be dead, gutted and strapped on  to the rear bumper of the sleigh amid wide-eyed, desperate claims that buck  season had been extended.  Blitzen's rack would already be on the way to the taxidermist.

     Even if the male Santa did have reindeer, he'd still have transportation problems because he would inevitably get lost up there in the snow and clouds and then refuse to stop and ask for directions.

     Other reasons why Santa can't possibly be a man:

        Men can't pack a bag.

        Men would rather be dead than caught wearing red velvet.  Men would feel their masculinity is threatened...having to be seen with all those elves.

        Men don't answer their mail.

        Men would refuse to allow their physique to be described, even in jest, as anything remotely resembling a "bowlfull of jelly." Men aren't interested in stockings unless somebody's wearing them.  Having to do the Ho Ho Ho thing would seriously inhibit their ability to pick up women.

        Finally, being responsible for Christmas would require a commitment.

     I can buy the fact that other mythical holiday characters are men:

        Father Time shows up once a year unshaven and looking ominous. Definitely a guy.

        Cupid flies around carrying weapons.

        Uncle Sam is a politician who likes to point fingers.

     Any one of these individuals could pass the testosterone screening test.  But not St. Nick.  Not a chance.

 

 

     There are approximately two billion children (people under 18) in the world.  However, Since Santa does not visit children of Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or Buddhist (except maybe in Japan) religions, this reduces Santa's workload to about 15% of the total, or 378 million children (according to the population reference bureau).  At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per household, that comes to 108 million homes, presuming there is at least one good child in each.

     Santa has about 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming east to west (which seems logical) movement.  This works out to 967.7 visits per second.  This is to say that for each Christian household with a good child, Santa has around 1/1000th of a second to park the sleigh, hop out, jump down the chimney, fill the stocking, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left for him, get back up the chimney,

     Assuming that each of these 108 million stops is evenly distributed around the earth (which we know to be false, but will accept for the purposes of our calculations), we are now talking about 0.78 miles per household; a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting bathroom stops or breaks.  This means that Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second - 3,000 times the speed of sound.  For purposes of comparison, the fastest man made vehicle, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a pokey 27.4 miles per second.

     The payload of the sleigh adds another interesting element.  Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium sized Lego set (two pounds), the sleigh is carrying more than 500 thousand tons, not counting Santa himself.  On land, a conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds.  Even granting that "flying" reindeer can pull 10 times the normal amount, the job can't be done with 8, or even 9, of them.  Santa would need 360,000 of them.  This increases the payload, not counting the weight   of  600,000 Tons, travelling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance.  This would heat up the reindeer in the same fashion as a spacecraft re-entering the earth's atmosphere.  The lead pair of reindeer would absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of   energy per second each.  In short, they would burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them and creating deafening sonic booms in their wake.  The entire reindeer team would be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second,   or  Not that it matters, though, since Santa, as a result of accelerating from a dead stop to 650 miles per second in .001 seconds, would be subjected to acceleration forces of 17,000 G's.  A 250 pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to   the back of the sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force, instantly crushing his bones and organs and reducing him to a quivering blob of pink goo.

     Therefore, if Santa did exist, he's dead now.

 

 

     One particular Christmas season a long time ago, Santa was getting ready for his annual trip... but there were problems everywhere.

     Four of his elves got sick, and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the regular ones so Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule.

     Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her Mom was coming to visit. This stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven knows where. More stress.

     Then when he began to load the sleigh one of the boards cracked and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys.

     So, frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of coffee and a shot of whiskey. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered that the elves had hid the liquor and there was nothing to drink. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the coffee pot and it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the kitchen floor.

     He went to get the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw it was made from. Just then the doorbell rang and Santa mumbled on his way to the door. He opened the door and there was a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.

     The angel said, very cheerfully, "Merry Christmas Santa. Isn't it just a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Isn't it just a lovely tree? Where would you like me to stick it?"

     And thus began the tradition of sticking the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

     Just a thought, Santa may be challenged with inflation and the supply chain crisis this year.  Who knows what new tradition may come out of these.

 

 Have a great week,

Al

 

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note from Skip…Sir Francis Drake and I were good friends in School. I did the first report on Him in the Fifth grade and kept a copy along with some others. I also used an updated version in 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th as I was in a different school in each of those years. I learned early that there were no great writes just great re-writes. I did the same thing in the Navy and later. I did the same thing with others but he was the best.

This Day in U S Military History

1577 – English seaman Francis Drake sets out from Plymouth, England, with five ships and 164 men on a mission to raid Spanish holdings on the Pacific coast of the New World and explore the Pacific Ocean. Three years later, Drake's return to Plymouth marked the first circumnavigation of the earth by a British explorer. After crossing the Atlantic, Drake abandoned two of his ships in South America and then sailed into the Straits of Magellan with the remaining three. A series of devastating storms besieged his expedition in the treacherous straits, wrecking one ship and forcing another to return to England. Only The Golden Hind reached the Pacific Ocean, but Drake continued undaunted up the western coast of South America, raiding Spanish settlements and capturing a rich Spanish treasure ship. Drake then continued up the western coast of North America, searching for a possible northeast passage back to the Atlantic. Reaching as far north as present-day Washington before turning back, Drake paused near San Francisco Bay in June 1579 to repair his ship and prepare for a journey across the Pacific. Calling the land "Nova Albion," Drake claimed the territory for Queen Elizabeth I. In July, the expedition set off across the Pacific, visiting several islands before rounding Africa's Cape of Good Hope and returning to the Atlantic Ocean. On September 26, 1580, The Golden Hind returned to Plymouth, England, bearing treasure, spice, and valuable information about the world's great oceans. Drake was the first captain to sail his own ship all the way around the world–the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan had sailed three-fourths of the way around the globe earlier in the century but had been killed in the Philippines, leaving the Basque navigator Juan Sebastiýn de Elcano to complete the journey. In 1581, Queen Elizabeth I knighted Drake, the son of a tenant farmer, during a visit to his ship. The most renowned of the Elizabethan seamen, Sir Francis Drake later played a crucial role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

1887 – Corporal Alvin C. York of Wolf River Valley, Tennessee, was born. York was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism during World War I's Argonne Offensive. York was a reluctant soldier, but his frontier upbringing had made him an outstanding marksman.

1918 – In a landmark event, Woodrow Wilson arrives in France, becoming the first US President to travel outside the United States. He will also visit Britain and Italy, before returning to negotiate on behalf of the US, the peace treaties that end World War I.

1951 – U.S. Air Force George A. Davis, flying a F-86 Sabre jet out of the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, was credited with four aerial victories against MiG-15s, the largest number of kills by a single pilot in one day during the war. These victories made Davis the first "double ace" of the Korean War. A double ace has 10 enemy kills.

1952 – Transporting the Declaration of Indpendence and the Constitution, an armored Marine Corps personnel carrier made its way down Constitution Avenue, accompanied by two light tanks, four servicemen carrying submachine guns, and a motorcycle escort. A color guard, ceremonial troops, the Army Band, and the Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps were also part of the procession. Members of all the military branches lined the street. Inside the personnel carrier were six parchment documents. The records were in helium-filled glass cases packed inside wooden crates resting on mattresses. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were going to the National Archives. In 1926, $1 million was appropriated for a national archives building, and in 1930 President Hoover appointed an Advisory Committee for the National Archives to draw up specifications for the building. John Russell Pope was selected as architect, and a year later, ground was broken. By 1933, the cornerstone of the building had been put in place by President Herbert Hoover. Staff were working in the unfinished building by 1935. But despite this flurry of activity, the vault-like building did not house the founding documents that we call the "Charters of Freedom." The documents had been shuttled around to various buildings for various reasons. They started out in the Department of State, and as the capital moved from New York to Philadelphia to Washington, DC, these documents moved too. Eventually they were turned over to the Library of Congress. With exception of a short stay at Fort Knox during World War II, the Declaration and the Constitution remained at the Library of Congress from 1921 to 1952. The Bill of Rights had been given into the safekeeping of the National Archives in 1938. In 1952, the Library of Congress agreed to transfer the Declaration and the Constitution to the National Archives. The Bill of Rights would finally be in the company of the two other founding documents. With great pomp and ceremony, the six boxes were carried up the steps. The tall bronze doors—now used only on July 4—were opened, and the six sheets of parchment were carried into the Rotunda, where they remain today.

1966 – The 1st US bombing of Hanoi took place.
1969 – Arlo Guthrie released "Alice's Restaurant."
1969 – Raymond A. Spruance (83), US Admiral (Battle of Midway), died.
1972 – Astronaut Gene Cernan climbed into his Lunar Lander on the Moon and prepared to lift-off. He was the last man to set foot on the Moon.

2003 – In the wave of intelligence information fueling the raids on remaining Baath Party members connected to insurgency, Saddam Hussein himself was captured on a farm near Tikrit in Operation Red Dawn. The operation was conducted by the United States Army's 4th Infantry Division and members of Task Force 121. Saddam was captured in a hole below a two-room mud shack. When he was captured only a Styrofoam square and a rug were between Saddam and U.S. forces. Major General Raymond Odierno commented, "he was caught like a rat." Intelligence on Saddam's whereabouts came from information obtained from his family members and former bodyguards.

2013 – Warships of the United States and China confront each other in international waters within the South China Sea. The American warship, guided missile cruiser, USS Cowpens, — which U.S. officials say was in international waters — was approached by a Chinese Navy ship. The smaller vessel peeled off from a group of Chinese Navy ships that included the carrier Liaoning. The Chinese ship failed to stop, despite radio warning from the Cowpens that it was getting too close. The Cowpens commanding officer then issued orders for an "all stop" when the other ship was less than 500 yards off its bow. The Chinese ship proceeded past the Cowpens.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

MAYNARD, GEORGE H.
Rank and organization: Private, Company D, 13th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date. At Fredericksburg, Va., 13 December 1862. Entered service at:——. Born 2 February 1836, Waltham, Mass. Date of issue: 1898. Citation: A wounded and helpless comrade, having been left on the skirmish line, this soldier voluntarily returned to the front under a severe fire and carried the wounded man to a place of safety.

PALMER, JOHN G.
Rank and organization. Corporal, Company F, 21st Connecticut Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg, Va., 13 December 1862. Entered service at: Montville, Conn. Birth. Montville, Conn. Date of issue. 30 October 1896. Citation: First of 6 men who volunteered to assist gunner of a battery upon which the enemy was concentrating its fire, and fought with the battery until the close of the engagement. His commanding officer felt he would never see this man alive again.

PETTY, PHILIP
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company A, 136th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg, Va., 13 December 1862. Entered service at: Tioga County, Pa. Born: 7 May 1840, England. Date of issue: 21 August 1893. Citation: Took up the colors as they fell out of the hands of the wounded color bearer and carried them forward in the charge.

QUAY, MATTHEW S.
Rank and organization: Colonel, 134th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg, Va., 13 December 1862. Entered service at: Beaver County, Pa. Born: 30 September 1833, Dilkburg, Pa. Date of issue: 9 July 1888. Citation: Although out of service, he voluntarily resumed duty on the eve of battle and took a conspicuous part in the charge on the heights.

SCHUBERT, MARTIN
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 26th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg, Va., 13 December 1862. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Germany. Date of issue. 1 September 1893. Citation. Relinquished a furlough granted for wounds, entered the battle, where he picked up the colors after several bearers had been killed or wounded, and carried them until himself again wounded.

SHIEL (SHIELDS), JOHN
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company E, 90th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg, Va., 13 December 1862. Entered service at: Cressonville, Pa. Birth: ——. Date of issue: 21 January 1897. Citation: Carried a dangerously wounded comrade into the Union lines, thereby preventing his capture by the enemy.

TANNER, CHARLES B.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, Company H, 1st Delaware Infantry. Place and date: At Antietam, Md., 17 September 1862. Entered service at: Wilmington, Del. Birth: Pennsylvania. Date of issue: 13 December 1889. Citation: Carried off the regimental colors, which had fallen within 20 yards of the enemy's lines, the color guard of 9 men having all been killed or wounded; was himself 3 times wounded.

WOODWARD, EVAN M.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant and Adjutant, 2d Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg, Va., 13 December 1862. Entered service at: ——. Born: 11 March 1838, Philadelphia, Pa. Date of issue: 14 December 1894. Citation: Advanced between the lines, demanded and received the surrender of the 19th Georgia Infantry and captured their battle flag.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 13, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

13 December

1924: The NM-1, an all-metal airplane, flew at the Naval Aircraft Factory. It was designed and built to develop metal construction for naval airplanes and was intended for Marine Corps expeditionary use.

1927: Col Charles A. Lindbergh began a goodwill flight to Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. (24)

1933: President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented the first Air Mail Flyer's Medal of Honor to Maj Bryan Freeburg. (24)

1941: In an executive order, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the Secretary of War to take control of any civilian airline needed for the war effort. Contracts with the airlines permitted the purchase of aircraft and airline services. (18)

1943: Under perfect conditions for radar bombing (interpreted as ugly weather), 710 bombers from Eighth Air Force attacked Kiel, Germany. (4)

1948: Col Edward P. Eagan flew 20,559 miles around the world from New York and back, in a record 147 hours 15 minutes. (9)

1951: KOREAN WAR. 29 F-86s encountered 75 MiG-15s over Sinanju. In a wild melee, the F-86 pilots shot down 9 MiGs, giving USAF pilots a total of 14 aerial victories for the day. (28)

1956: Maj Arnold I. Beck soared to a simulated altitude of 198,770 feet, the highest on record, in an Air Research and Development Command altitude chamber at Dayton. (16) (24)

1958: Gordo, a one-pound squirrel monkey, survived a flight to a height of 300 miles in a Jupiter missile nose cone. The nose cone returned and landed in the Atlantic Ocean some 1,700 miles southeast of the Cape Canaveral launching site; however, Gordo died before the nose cone could be recovered. (24)

1960: Cmdr Leroy Heath (USN) piloted an A3J-1 Vigilante to a world weight and height record, when he ascended to 91,450.8 feet with a 1,000 kilogram (2,200 pounds) payload. (24)

1962: In a joint US and Canadian test, two Canadian Black Brant III sounding rockets, fired from Wallops Station, lifted 100-pound payloads to a height of 61 miles. (24) Project STARGAZER. For two days, Capt Joseph A. Kittinger, Jr., and William C. White, a Navy civilian astronomer, flew the USAF's Stargazer balloon to 82,000 feet in an 18-hour, 30- minute flight above southwestern New Mexico. A telescope on top of the gondola provided White one of the clearest celestial views ever seen by an astronomer. (9)

1965: Four USAF officers completed the longest space cabin test yet, spending 68 days in a simulator. This included 56 days at altitude in a 30-foot long, 9-foot in diameter cabin, breathing an atmosphere of 70 percent oxygen and 30 percent helium.

1966: A Minuteman II launched from Vandenberg AFB carried the first Minuteman Emergency Rocket Communications System into space for testing and evaluation. (6)

1971: Vandenberg AFB conducted the 95th and final Minuteman I operational test (Phase II) launch.

1973: General Dynamics rolled out the YF-16 at its plant in Fort Worth. (3)

1982: MAC aircraft airlifted tents, blankets, medical supplies, and generators into the Yemen Arab Republic after a major earthquake. (16)

2001: President George W. Bush informed Russia that the US would withdraw from the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty to develop and implement a missile defense system. (21)

2005: An F/A-22 Raptor, flying at supersonic speed over the range at Edwards AFB, dropped its first 1,000-pound guided JDAM. (AIMPOINTS, "Supersonic Raptor Drops First Guided Bomb," 13 December 2005)

 

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World News for 13 December thanks to Military Periscope

USA—AI Struggles With Data Limitations In Air Force Test  Defense One | 12/13/2021 Air Force testing of new artificial intelligence (AI) targeting algorithms has demonstrated the shortfalls of the technology, reports Defense One. During recent trials of an experimental target recognition AI program, it achieved 90 percent accuracy when fed data from a sensor looking for a single surface-to-air missile (SAM) from an oblique angle, Maj. Gen. Daniel Simpson, assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, said last week. However, its accuracy dropped to 25 percent when it was fed data from another sensor that looked for several surface-to-air missile systems at a near vertical angle. At the same time, the algorithm remained confident that it was right 90 percent of the time, making it "confidently wrong," said Simpson. The problem arises when an algorithm is fed too much of one type of data from a unique vantage point and not enough from other vantages, distances or conditions. The AI then optimizes for the dominant set of data making it "brittle," or unable to generalize or adapt to conditions outside this narrow set of assumptions. The military may be limited in obtaining a wide set of such data on adversary weapons, potentially limiting the value of such AI systems. The service is now looking at developing "synthetic training data," where real data are used to artificially generate pictures or video to be used to train an algorithm. 

 

USA—Air Force Details Policy For Unvaccinated Personnel Air Force Magazine | 12/13/2021 Dept. of the Air Force personnel who refuse to be vaccinated and do not receive an exemption will be separated under a new policy, reports Air Force magazine. According to a memo issued by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on Dec. 7, airmen and guardians who do not receive a medical, administrative or religious exemption for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine requirement will have five days to start the vaccination process, file an appeal or request to separate or retire. If an appeal, separation or retirement request is denied, the five-day period to begin the vaccination process will restart. Personnel who continue to refuse to be vaccinated will then "be subject to the initiation of administrative discharge," the memo says. Personnel who are separated over their refusal to take the vaccine will not be eligible for involuntary separation pay and will be required to repay unearned special or incentive pay. The policy applies to active-duty, reserve and Guard personnel. The department set a deadline of Nov. 2 for all active-duty personnel to be vaccinated, with all reserve and Guard personnel to be vaccinated by Dec. 2. As of Dec. 7, 1,060 active-duty, 1,314 National Guard and 860 reserve personnel had refused to be vaccinated, reported the Air Force. Another 4,261 personnel across the department failed to start the vaccination process, while 10,560 personnel had a request for a religious exemption in progress. The department has issued 2,222 medical exemptions and 2,521 administrative exemptions to date. 

 

United Kingdom—Assange Cleared For Extradition To U.S. British Broadcasting Corp. | 12/13/2021 The U.K. High Court has ruled that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to the U.S., reports BBC News. On Friday, the U.S. won its appeal against a ruling by a London District Court judge on Jan. 4 that Assange could not be extradited due to concerns about his mental health and the likelihood he would commit suicide in a U.S. prison, noted CNBC. The High Court determined that U.S. pledges that Assange would not be held in highly restrictive conditions unless he committed an act in the future that merited them were sufficient. The U.S. wants prosecute Assange over the release of hundreds of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011 on Wikileaks. He has been indicted on 18 counts related to those releases. Assange is expected to appeal the decision. 

 

United Kingdom—Queen Elizabeth Wraps Up Maiden Deployment U.K. Ministry Of Defense | 12/13/2021 The Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier has returned home after her first operational deployment, reports the U.K. Ministry of Defense. On Dec. 9, HMS Queen Elizabeth returned to Portsmouth after seven months at sea. As part of Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG-21), the Queen Elizabeth sailed 49,000 nautical miles (90,750 km) through the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The strike group included the frigate Richmond, Daring-class destroyers Defender and Diamond, the U.S. destroyer The Sullivans, the Dutch frigate Evertsen and an unnamed submarine. Queen Elizabeth carried F-35B fighters from Royal Air Force 617 Squadron and U.S. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211); Wildcat helicopters from Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton; and Merlin helicopters from RNAS Culdrose. The air wing racked up 4,723 flight hours during the deployment. One F-35B was lost in an accident in the Mediterranean in November. 

 

United Kingdom—G-7 Ministers Promise Harsh Consequences If Russia Further Invades Ukraine Guardian | 12/13/2021 Foreign ministers from the Group of 7 wealthy nations have warned of "massive consequences" should Russia escalate hostilities against Ukraine, reports the Guardian (U.K.). After a meeting in Liverpool, England, ministers expressed "unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." They also praised Ukrainian restraint as Russia has massed troops near its border. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that all forms of economic sanctions were possible if Russia further invades Ukraine. On Sunday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would not be allowed to operate in the event of further Russian aggression, echoing an earlier pledge by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Meanwhile, the European Union is expected to agree to implement sanctions against Russia's Wagner Group private military company on Monday, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The measures are expected to target the mercenary firm, three associated individuals and eight others.  

 

Greece—U.S. Outlines Potential Deal For New Frigates U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency | 12/13/2021 The U.S. State Dept. has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale with Greece for multimission frigates, reports the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The proposed deal covers four Multimission Surface Combatants (MMSCs), based on the Freedom-class littoral combat ship, and associated equipment for US$6.9 billion. The possible sale also includes five COMBATSS-21 combat management systems; five Mk 41 vertical launch systems (VLS); 200 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2 missiles; five Mk 49 guided-missile launcher systems; 32 Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (ASROC) missiles (VLA); 16 7.62-mm M240B machine guns with ammunition; and 32 Mk 54 all-up round lightweight torpedoes.  In additional, the proposal includes TRS-4D radars; Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMM); CAMM-Extended Range (CAMM-ER) missiles; RGM-184B Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) and launchers; Mk 46 lightweight torpedo upgrades to the Mk 54 configuration; 76-mm Oto Strales gun with ordnance; fire-control radar; gun computer system; 20-mm NARWHAL gun system; .50-caliber M2A1 machine gun; SLQ-25 Nixie surface ship torpedo defense system; Sylena Mk 2 decoy launching system with CANTO torpedo countermeasure; and Elta electronic warfare suite with counter-uncrewed aerial system capability. The possible deal also covers Compact Low-Frequency Active Passive Variable Depth Sonar-2 (CAPTAS-2); Low-Frequency Active Towed Sonar (LFATS); SQQ-89; AN/ARC-210 (RT-2036(C)) radios; identification-friend-or-foe (IFF) equipment; infrared search-and-track/EO director; naval laser warning system; chemical, biological and radiological threat detectors; and 23-foot (7-m) rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs); and associated support and spares. Greece is seeking to buy up to four new frigates as part of a fleet renewal program, noted Defense News. In September, France announced the possible sale of three FDI-type frigates from Naval Group to Greece for 3 billion euros (US$3.4 billion). That sale has not moved forward to date. 

 

Poland—British Combat Engineers Head To Border With Belarus U.K. Ministry Of Defense | 12/13/2021 The U.K. is sending a detachment of combat engineers to Poland's border with Belarus in response to the ongoing migrant crisis, reports the U.K. Ministry of Defense. The 140 specialists from the 32 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, are scheduled to be on station from the end of December until April 2022. The engineers will support Polish troops with engineering tasks along the border, including infrastructure support, repairing access roads and providing planning support. London previously deployed a reconnaissance unit to Poland to identify ways that the U.K. could provide support. A similar reconnaissance team has now been sent to Lithuania to determine what British assistance might be provided there. Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have seen significant pressure along their borders in what has been called a hybrid warfare tactic by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko in retaliation for European Union sanctions, noted Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Meanwhile, Estonia has deployed 100 support troops to Poland and Czechia has approved the deployment of 150 troops to assist Polish forces. 

 

 

Japan—Frigate Mikuma Launched In Nagasaki Naval News | 12/13/2021 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has launched a new frigate at its shipyard in Nagasaki, reports the Naval News. On Friday, the Mikuma, the fourth ship in the Mogami class, was put into the water during a ceremony. Outfitting will follow, ahead of her scheduled delivery to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in late 2022. Commissioning is scheduled to follow in early 2023. The JMSDF plans to acquire 22 Mogami-class frigates, which are being built by MHI and Mitsui E&S in Okayama. 

 

South Korea—Vice Chief To Take Over Top Navy Post Yonhap | 12/13/2021 The South Korean government has nominated the next head of the navy, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Friday, the South Korean Ministry of Defense announced that Vice Adm. Kim Jung Soo, the vice chief of naval operations, had been chosen to serve as the head of the navy. Kim is expected to be officially appointed to the post after Cabinet deliberations scheduled for Tuesday. He will be promoted to the rank of admiral for the job. He will succeed Adm. Boo Suk Jong in the top naval post. Boo has held the job since April 2020. Kim joined the navy in 1987 and has commanded Maritime Task Flotilla Seven and served as deputy chief of naval operations for planning and management. One of the new navy leader's key jobs will be continuing to push for the acquisition of a light aircraft carrier by 2033. That project remains in the early stages of design and development. 

 

New Caledonia—Final Referendum Favors Remaining Part Of France Politico Europe | 12/13/2021 The French Pacific territory of New Caledonia has voted against independence in a third and final referendum under a 1998 agreement, reports Politico Europe.  On Sunday, 96.5 percent of voters approved of remaining part of France, although independence supporters boycotted, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic prevented a fair vote. Turnout was 44 percent. The two previous referendums had turnouts of 57 and 53 percent, with 56.7 percent voting in favor of remaining part of France in November 2018 and 53.5 percent in October 2020. In 1998, France agreed that New Caledonia could hold up to three referenda in response to demands by local advocates for independence. French Minister for Overseas Territories Sebastien Lecornu will hold meetings with local leaders to respond to questions that have arisen as a result of the decision. Another referendum is anticipated by June 2023, which will determine how New Caledonians want to move forward, reported France 24. 

 

Australia—Deal Inked For K9 Howitzers Yonhap | 12/13/2021 Australia has finalized a deal with South Korean firm Hanwha Defense for self-propelled howitzers, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul). On Monday, Australia signed the US$788 million contract for 30 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers and 15 K10 ammunition resupply vehicles during a ceremony in Canberra. The systems are to be built at a new facility in Geelong in southeastern Australia, with work slated to begin on the factory in the second quarter of 2022. Deliveries of the vehicles, to be known as the AS9 Huntsman in Australian service, are expected to conclude by 2027. Separately, the Australian Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) and South Korean Defense Program Acquisition Administration (DAPA) signed a memorandum of understanding on developing "different weapon systems based on the interoperability of the howitzers," said a DAPA spokesman. Australia is the eighth customer for the K9. 

 

Burma—Arakan Army Warns Of Renewed Violence Amid Growing Military Presence Burma News International | 12/13/2021 Rakhine militants in western Burma say that fighting with government forces could resume due to an increased military presence in the region, reports Burma News International On Dec. 10, the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) said that Burmese troops were increasing their activity in Rakhine state, including preventing locals from sleeping in monasteries and transporting food. Junta forces were traveling from village to village under a variety of pretexts, with troops frequently changing their positions. Burmese military personnel have also questioned locals, increasing tensions. The Arakan Army warned residents in the state to use caution if they must interact with soldiers. The previous Burmese government reached a truce with the AA in late 2020.  Tensions have simmered since the military overthrew the civilian government in February, despite the AA maintaining an ambiguous position toward the junta.  

 

Lebanon—Attack At Hamas Funeral Kills At Least 3 Times of Israel | 12/13/2021 At least three people have been killed at the funeral of a Palestinian militant in Lebanon, reports the Times of Israel. On Friday, a weapons depot maintained by Hamas outside the city of Tyre exploded, killing one militant. The cause of the explosion is under investigation but was believed to be linked to a fire at the site. Hamas denied storing arms at the site. During the slain man's funeral on Sunday, members of rival group Fatah opened fire on the procession in the Burj Al Shemali refugee camp, according to Hamas. The Hamas-linked Al Resalah news outlet reported that four people were killed in the clashes, citing Lebanese medical sources. Agence France-Presse reported that three Hamas members were killed.  Another six people were reported wounded in the incident. 

 

Ethiopia—TPLF Appears To Retake Strategic Town In Amhara Reuters | 12/13/2021 Locals say Tigrayan rebel forces have recaptured the strategic town of Lalibela in the Amhara region, reports Reuters. On Sunday, residents said that members of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) had begun patrolling the town after Amhara militiamen loyal to the government in Addis Ababa left the day before. No shots were fired in the retaking, said locals. The move comes less than two weeks after the central government said it had regained control of the town, noted Agence France-Presse. The TPLF first seized Lalibela in August. Military sources told Al Jazeera (Qatar) that the Ethiopian military has shifted its focus toward the TPLF stronghold of Waldia southeast of Lalibela. 

 

Nigeria—Navy Commissions Numerous Vessels Defence Web | 12/13/2021 The Nigerian navy has commissioned a large number of new ships and boats into service, reports Defence Web (Africa). The ceremony took place on Dec. 9 at the Naval Dockyard in Lagos. The third Andoni-class seaward defense boat, Oji, was commissioned and the keels for the fourth and fifth boats were laid during the event. The navy also commissioned the Damen FCS 4008 patrol vessels Kano and Ikenne; two Aresa 1700 inshore patrol boats; four Manta Mk II fast patrol craft; the FPB 110 fast patrol boats Sokota and Aba; the FPB 72 Mk II fast patrol boat Osun; and dozens of rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs). The Aresa patrol boats were delivered to Nigeria from Spain in September. The Manta Mk II patrol craft, built by Malaysia's Northern Shipyard, were delivered at the beginning of 2021. A Leonardo AW139 helicopter was also inducted during the ceremony. The new vessels will be deployed for surveillance and patrol duties in Nigeria's territorial waters.