The List 6009 TGB
Good Saturday Morning February 19
I hope that you all have a wonderful start to your long weekend
No more football so here are some interesting articles to pass some time.
Regards,
Skip
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
February. 19
1900—President William McKinley signs an Executive Order placing Tutuila (Samoa) and nearby islands under the Navy Department.
1942—The Japanese attack Darwin, Australia in the largest attack by a foreign power on that country. USS Peary (DD 226), as well as an Army transport and freighter sink in the raid, as well as a number of Australian and British vessels.
1942—The overnight Battle of Badoeng Strait begins when the allied naval force (ABDA) commanded by Dutch Rear Adm. W.F.M. Doorman engaged the Japanese in an attempt to stop the invasion force in Bali. USS Stewart (DE 238) is damaged.
1945—Following pre-invasion naval gunfire and aerial bombardment, U.S. Marines land on Iwo Jima, securing the island on March 16. Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz describes the invasion, from which 27 Medals of Honor are given, as one "where uncommon valor was a common virtue."
This day in history
February 19
1408 The revolt of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, against King Henry IV, ends with his defeat and death at Bramham Moor.
1701 Philip V of Spain makes his ceremonial entry into Madrid.
1807 Vice President Aaron Burr is arrested in Alabama for treason. He is later found innocent.
1847 Rescuers finally reach the ill-fated Donner Party in the Sierras.
1861 Russian Tsar Alexander II abolishes serfdom.
1902 Smallpox vaccination becomes obligatory in France.
1903 The Austria-Hungary government decrees a mandatory two year military service.
1915 British and French warships begin their attacks on the Turkish forts at the mouth of the Dardenelles, in an abortive expedition to seize the straits of Gallipoli.
1917 American troops are recalled from the Mexican border.
1919 The First Pan African Congress meets in Paris, France.
1925 President Calvin Coolidge proposes the phasing out of inheritance tax.
1926 Dr. Lane of Princeton estimates the earth's age at one billion years.
1942 Port Darwin, on the northern coast of Australia, is bombed by the Japanese.
1944 The U.S. Eighth Air Force and Royal Air Force begin "Big Week," a series of heavy bomber attacks against German aircraft production facilities.
1965 Fourteen Vietnam War protesters are arrested for blocking the United Nations' doors in New York.
1966 Robert F. Kennedy suggests the United States offer the Vietcong a role in governing South Vietnam.
1976 Britain slashes welfare spending.
1981 The U.S. State Department calls El Salvador a "textbook case" of a Communist plot.
1987 New York Governor Mario Cuomo declares that he will not run for president in the next election.
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Thanks to Vern
We just got a call from Jennifer Vance (Ellie's daughter) and wanted to let you know the Ellie Vance passed last night about 2AM EST.
She hopes to be buried with Moon, but that may be months away.
Take Care,
Vern
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What the Marines did on Iwo Jima over70 years ago from
Seamus' "All Hands"
Also remember that having that island and airfields saved thousands of air
crew who were flying missions to Japan and used it as an emergency field.
The Marine invasion of Iwo Jima (1st US attack on the Japanese Home
Islands) began on February 19, 1945. It was known as Operation Detachment.
The Marines were charged with the mission of capturing the airfields on
the island which up until that time had harried U.S. bombing missions to
Tokyo. Once the bases were secured, they could then be used in the
impending invasion of the Japanese mainland.
B-24 Liberators flying from the Marianna's bombed the island for 74 days
prior to the invasion. Naval ships consisting of 6 battleships, 5 cruisers
and many destroyers of Task Force 54 provided a 3 day pre-landing
bombardment. Intelligence sources estimated that the island would fall in
a week's time. Unfortunately, no one knew at the time that island had been
heavily fortified. There were vast bunkers, hidden artillery and 11 miles
of interconnecting tunnels.
The battle produced some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific Campaign
of WWII. Besides the fortifications, the inhospitable terrain consisting
of volcanic ash made walking difficult and building foxholes for protection
impossible. Night raids by the Japanese and hand-to-hand combat were
common occurrences. The bunkers were connected to the tunnels in such a
way that even after the use of flamethrowers and grenades, the Japanese
soldiers were able to return to the bunkers and resume their fighting. The
Marines literally won the 8 square mile island, inch by bloody inch.
Of the approximate 20,000 Japanese troops on the island, less than 1,000
were taken prisoner. Most Japanese fought to the death or chose ritual
suicide instead of surrendering.
Of the 110,000 Marines and Navy Corpsman who took part in the battle, 6,821
were killed (this included over 300 Navy Corpsman) and 19,217 were wounded.
The number of American casualties were greater than the total Allied
casualties at the Battle of Normandy on D-Day.
On March 26, 1945, the island of Iwo Jima was declared secure ... 37 days
after the battle began. Henceforth, Iwo Jima would appear on the list in
Marine Corps history alongside such places as Belleau Woods, Chosin
Reservoir and Guadalcanal.
Twenty-seven Medal of Honor medals were awarded for actions during the
battle. Of these, 14 were awarded posthumously. Marines earned 22 of the
medals, Navy Corpsman earned 4 and a Naval officer from the USS LCI won the
other. Of the total number of Medal of Honor medals awarded to Marines in
WWII, 27% of those were awarded to the Marines who fought on Iwo Jima.
By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of
the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which
only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served
on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue. Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz, U.S. Navy
a note from Skip.
It was a long time about reading about the battle of Iwo Jima until I heard about what happened after the battle and after the Island was declared secure. Even before the battle had ended the first B-29s and Mustangs started landing at Iwo. They had been shot up over Japan or had other aircraft problems that would not allow them to return to their bases. On March 26 100s of Japanese troops assaulted the unarmed aircrew sleeping in tents ."They used swords and bayonets to keep the noise low when the island was supposed to be secure. 55 aircrew were killed and 156 Japanese were killed before it was under control. Total Americans killed in the battle of Iwo Jima was 6821
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Thanks to Cowboy
F-14 Reunion - April 28 - May 1, 2022 Garden City, NY
Got a LinkedIn note from Mark Swaney who wanted you to add this F-14 Reunion notice to TheList. Long Island's Air and Space Museum is at Garden City. USS Intrepid is tied-up at NY City harbor which would be visited.
Details here:
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: Americans, Fear and War
Thoughts in and around geopolitics
By: George Friedman
February 18, 2022
We are living in a time when war appears imminent, but for many of us, this isn't our first rodeo. I grew up during a time when war seemed to be stalking us. Americans had experienced Pearl Harbor, which brought them into a war that caught them by surprise, even if it wasn't all that surprising. Still, we lived in America, the central feature on the North American landmass, surrounded by oceans that convinced us that we were apart from the world. At the time, war seemed an elective activity; we didn't think the choice would be taken from us, first by Japan, a nation we thought little about and held in little regard, and then by Hitler, a man many regarded as both vile and comical. We had lived in an illusion of safety until suddenly we were plunged into a reality most of us didn't know was there. We recovered with extraordinary speed and invented a war machine that crushed our enemies.
Pearl Harbor left a deep scar on the American soul. The nation could no longer convince itself that the rest of the world was at a safe distance or that it lacked the will to act maliciously. That was never the case, of course, and World War II taught us as much. A new American spirit emerged from the war, though. It consisted of awareness that we were a part of the whole, and vulnerable to it. Most of all, we believed entirely in what we now know to be true: that other nations were working to secure our downfall and that they would act at the time of their choosing, without warning, and with great and ruthless wit. We no longer had the right to dismiss any foreign power as benign.
This transformed our culture. We survived by constructing a war machine that had saved us from the horrors of Europe and Japan. The war years were seen not as an aberration but as the permanent condition in which we lived. From a nation in which wars against indigenous peoples or against neighboring Mexicans never posed an existential threat, we turned into a nation that was constantly on alert for the unexpected that was sure to come.
It's hard to imagine how we would have coped with the fear embedded in us had there been no enemy after World War II, but one presented itself immediately in the Soviet Union. It was a nation to be feared and loathed. It was ruled by a monster, Josef Stalin, a mass murderer who had starved Ukrainians to death to sell grain to industrialize Russia. It was the definition of terror, reminding us of Hitler's Germany. It had occupied European countries and executed a reign of terror meant to subjugate them.
In some ways, war was inevitable, but it took on an entirely different complexion. Just as Hitler had his ideological allies, so too did Russia. Both were built on waging wars or revolutions designed to spread their power. When North Korea invaded South Korea, we went to war without hesitation. The war against communism raged in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe until the Soviet Union collapsed. We saw the entire planet as one potential theater, and waged wars large and small accordingly.
But the real danger was nuclear annihilation. Though nukes were developed as a weapon against Japan, the U.S. kept them in anticipation of further wars, which seemed inevitable after the Soviets successfully tested their first device.
And if war was to come, as policymakers in Washington seemed to think, then nuclear weapons made for a perfect surprise attack. A strike could come at any time. We embraced our own nuclear power not as an instrument of war but as a deterrent to war. Growing up in New York, I recall regular tests of the siren warning systems. It always happened at noon so that we would all know there was no attack. I remember a little girl in fourth grade becoming hysterical at the sound. No one teased her. We were children, but we knew death might come for us at any moment. After all, we practiced for it.
The Vietnam War marked the beginning of a transition of a nation prepared for war at any time to one that was devoted to avoiding wars. So whereas there was once the belief that war lurks in the shadows, and permanent vigilance and readiness to sacrifice were the only way to save our nation, there was now the idea that the only threat to peace was our nation.
There is some truth to that, only insofar as the best way to prevent a war is by acting first. The doctrine of preemption has not taken root in our minds likely because preemption does not prevent war but frequently left us losers. I would argue that the nuclear balance, meticulously managed, is the path any pacifist should demand. Nuclear brinksmanship never led to war, and for humans, the absence of war is an extraordinary thing.
We are now facing a potential conflict in Ukraine. The American president claims daily that the Russians are prepared to invade Ukraine, but if it does, the U.S. will not defend Ukraine but destroy Russia's financial system instead. The simplistic sense of security from a distance is gone. The sense that our enemies might strike us at any moment is missing. The post-Cold War belief that war is over and replaced by a universal desire to buy investment houses is gone. Being able to screw with the enemy's investment house is an illusory form of deterrence, but at least gives the illusion of action without cost.
The bottom line is that we are not a nation prepared for war. We are exhausted by the preemptive war and contemptuous of the nuclear balance. It is all very well for American culture to move beyond war, but it is to be hoped that our fellow humans feel the same way. At the same time, we can take comfort in the rage of our fathers, 10 minutes after they heard about Pearl Harbor. As Leon Trotsky said, you may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.
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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 Saturday, 19 February 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 19 February 1967… LBJ weighs his options and sticks with "gradual escalation"…
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 Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: Latest on the Ukraine-Russia Crisis, Canada Moves to Quell Protests
Ottawa is targeting the demonstrators' financial backers.
By: GPF Staff
February 18, 2022
Austin's powers. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will hold a phone call with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Friday. They previously spoke on Feb. 12 about the buildup of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border. On Friday, Austin announced during a visit to Warsaw that Washington is ready to sell 250 Abrams tanks to Poland. He said the deal will strengthen Poland's defenses amid increasing tensions with Russia. The agreement, worth about $6 billion, was originally announced last summer but kept getting postponed.
Ballistic missile drills. Russia on Saturday will carry out ballistic and cruise missile drills personally supervised by President Vladimir Putin. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who was in Moscow on Friday for talks with Putin, will also be in attendance for the exercises.
Canada tries to quell protests. Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said banks and other financial institutions have begun freezing accounts belonging to people linked to the protests in Ottawa against COVID-19 containment measures. The government initiated the move by enforcing a law, originally targeting terrorist financing, that requires crowdfunding websites and payment providers to register with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Center of Canada or face having their accounts frozen. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to face public backlash against his approach to the protesters. In response to the government invoking emergency powers to quell the demonstrations, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said it plans to sue the federal government. On Monday, Canada's Parliament will vote on whether to give the government the power to enforce the Emergency Act, which was invoked for the first time earlier this week. The Conservative Party and Bloc Quebecois are expected to vote down the declaration and are seeking support from the National Democratic Party.
Security deal. Ukraine, Britain and Poland signed a new security deal on Thursday. The pact aims to strengthen cooperation in cybersecurity, energy security and countering disinformation.
Stability on the Korean Peninsula. The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and China held talks by phone on Friday over the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. The Korean envoy urged Beijing to play a "constructive" role on the North Korea nuclear issue, while the Chinese envoy emphasized the need to continue diplomatic efforts and strengthen communications to resolve the impasse.
China's digital development. As part of its effort to bridge the gap between its eastern and western regions, China approved a plan to construct eight national computing hubs and 10 national data center clusters. The project is meant to support China's digital development. The country's data centers are currently concentrated in the east, but the shortage of land and energy in this area could limit further development of the centers, according to an official from the National Development and Reform Commission.
Energy woes. Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to increase natural gas supplies to Rome if necessary, according to the Russian ambassador to Italy. Italy imports approximately 40 percent of its gas from Moscow through long-term contracts with state-controlled firm ENI. Meanwhile, in France, the government said it would allocate 2.1 billion euros ($2.4 billion) to support utility company EDF as it struggles to cope with declining nuclear energy production and the squeeze of price caps.
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Thanks to John
A PERSONAL HISTORY OF AN IWO JIMA MARINE
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
GUEST COLUMNIST| DANIEL F. KIRK
On Feb. 19, think of Wimpy Jones and his fellow Marine heroes
For we who have the privilege of wearing the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor insignia of the U.S. Marine Corps, Iwo Jima will always be a special place. This is where 5,931 Marines died in the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history. It has been called "the most expensive real estate ever purchased."
Less than a lifetime ago, it was here the Marines first set foot on the Japanese homeland. Today, Feb. 19, 2021, begins the 76th anniversary of the 36 day battle. It was said of the Marines on Iwo Jima, "Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue." Of the 80 Medals of Honor awarded to Marines in World War II, 22 were on Iwo Jima, 5 in one day.
I was on Iwo Jima on the 50th anniversary of the battle. I met Charles Lindbergh, a Marine flamethrower operator and member of the original flag-raising team. I met Sam Billison, president of the Navaho Code-Talkers Association.
I also met Robert "Wimpy" Jones, a 19-year-old Marine judo instructor in 1945. Though he is now deceased, I believe he would want me to share his stories.
Wimpy was asked to give a self-defense class on the ship deck the night before the invasion. "Let's say a Jap has you down and he's choking you: You can hit him in the throat with straight fingers. If he has his hands around your throat, you can put your fingers in his ears — all the way in, and he will release. If you are on your back, grab a handful of sand and hit him in the face."
Wimpy said each landing craft had an American flag. Imagine waves of boats with an American flag on their backs, each carrying 19-year-old, on average, kids steeled by the Depression. On the hospital ship after the battle, a Marine said to Wimpy, "You're the guy who gave the class! It was just like you said, the Jap was choking me. I hit him in the face with a handful of sand, he pulled off and I shot him."
In commemoration, Wimpy brought 2,000 American flags to the anniversary, one for each returning veteran. One Marine invited an Iwo Jima veteran to go with him to the reunion. His friend said, "I can't go, but when you do, would you see if you can find my legs?"
Wimpy told the story about "little Johnny." "He couldn't have been more than 14 years old — I don't know how he got into the Marine Corps. He followed me around like a little puppy. I jumped in a hole and Johnny jumped in the hole. I told him, 'Johnny, don't look up, even if you hear somebody speaking English — the Japanese know English.' "Johnny heard somebody speaking English, he looked up, and got shot through the head. Johnny fell on top of me crying, 'Mama, Mama.' I was lying on my back holding Johnny when the Japanese soldier who shot him put his weapon right on my forehead.
I was waiting for him to shoot me. He heard Johnny crying for his mama, and he pulled his weapon off my forehead and let me live.
"I've never told anyone else that story in 50 years — not even my wife," Wimpy said. "When my kids would wake up crying at night, I would pick them up, and they would cry 'Mama,' I thought of Johnny. A few years ago, I followed a Japanese speaker to the podium. He handed me microphone, pointing it at my head, and I flashed back. I froze and could not say a word."
Then Wimpy got very quiet: "I'm only going to say this once. I killed five people: one with my hands, one with a bayonet, I shot one, one with a grenade, and one with a flamethrower. The guy I hit with the flamethrower jumped on my back while he was on fire."
I spoke with one Marine Navy Cross winner who saw Wimpy fight. "All I want to know is, did (Wimpy) ever get the Medal of Honor?" "He did everything I did if not more, except all the witnesses in his unit were killed."
Wimpy got me a photograph of the flag raising signed, "To Dan Kirk, Semper Fi, Joe Rosenthal" (original photographer). Then Wimpy said the nicest thing any Marine could hear: "I would have liked to have served with you in combat".
On Feb. 19, think of Wimpy Jones and his fellow Marine heroes.
Dan Kirk, Captain, Marines 1973-77, lives in Kennesaw.
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From the List archives. A first hand account of what it was like
Thanks to the F-8 Crusader Association Net
F8U] #4164: Splush
BT
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[Splush]
Recently Bull Durham highlighted the book "Bloody Sixteen" by Peter Fey. The book is an excellent read, as it does a good job in describing the Carrier Wing Sixteen aircraft losses during the Vietnam War. One of those losses was mine, which he treats briefly. Here's the rest of the story, a chapter from my memoirs which I have titled "SPLUSH:"
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SPLUSH!
Chapter 13
The day of September 8, 1967 started like most any of the previous days of combat operations flying from the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA 34) in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. However, for me, it didn't turn out like all the previous days operating from Yankee Station. Yankee Station is what the Navy called the carrier operating area off the coast of North Vietnam, close to the 38th parallel on the map. There was also Dixie Station, which was off the coast of Northern South Vietnam. Our air wing operating tempo, OPTEMPO as it was called, had moved from major "Alfa" strikes of twenty to thirty aircraft down to small flights of six to eight aircraft composed of four to six attack aircraft, accompanied by two fighter aircraft. The task of the attack aircraft was to drop bombs and fire rockets at ground targets identified for the specific mission. The fighter aircraft were to protect the attack aircraft from enemy fighters. This shift in OPTEMPO was a welcome relief from the previous Alfa strike operations in which we often flew into the teeth of enemy anti-aircraft fire from their Surface to Air Missiles (SAMS) and/or 57-millimeter anti-aircraft guns.
The flight schedule for that day had me and my wingman, Al Aston, flying escort for a flight of four Skyhawk (A4D) attack aircraft on a mission to a target area in the Northeast sector of North Vietnam, just a few miles from the boarder of China. VA-164 MAGICSTONE attack squadron flight leader briefed us, prior to the mission, about the primary target and, also specified an alternate target in the event the weather prohibited attacking the primary target. We were to rendezvous the flight directly above, or "overhead," the aircraft carrier and proceed as a coordinated group to the target. I was assigned the mission of TARCAP (target air combat patrol) and ARMED RECCE (armed reconnaissance) and I planned to expend four (4) Zuni air to ground missiles at the designated target.
I was catapulted of the carrier deck in an assigned Crusader (F8C) and proceeded to a rendezvous position directly above the location of the aircraft carrier. As I awaited the arrival of my wingman I was told he would not be launching due to mechanical problems with his assigned aircraft. I immediately looked for the attack group and found they were already proceeding to the target area. I tried to join them as quickly as possible to be with them before they arrived at the coast of North Vietnam. As I approached the coast I heard the typical communications of aircraft on such a raid. I crossed the coast, becoming "feet dry," a term meaning flying over land.
I saw the primary target ahead, but could not see the attack aircraft anywhere in the vicinity. I called the flight leader and asked where he was; he replied the flight was over the target. I told him I was in the vicinity of the target but did not have the flight in sight. He then told me the flight was attacking the alternate target. Wow! What a surprise! It was clear to me I needed to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible. I immediately headed South toward the gulf to get "feet wet" quickly to avoid possibly engaging enemy aircraft. The attack group, after completing their mission, proceeded back to the ship without me seeing them at any time.
As I was crossing the North Vietnamese coast heading South, I searched for a target of opportunity I might hit with the 5-inch rockets. We were seldom loaded with 5-inch rockets, but this particular mission specified the unusual arms load. Normally the F8C Crusader was loaded with the heat seeking air to air Sidewinder (AIM-9D) missiles, an excellent weapon designed to shoot down enemy planes. I had the-5 inch rockets and Sidewinders too, but I wanted to find a suitable target for the rockets. I spotted what appeared to be a radar site on the coast of Ile Danh Do La, or Dollar Island, as we called a small island near the coast of North Vietnam.
I armed the rockets and rolled into a dive, lined up the target in my site as I dove from about ten thousand feet altitude. Shortly after I fired the rockets, as I was pulling up off the target, I heard a loud thump and a jolt that shook the airplane. Apparently, the North Vietnamese radar site had an AAA battery nearby that fired at my airplane as I crossed over the area. I continued to head South over water while climbing to above ten thousand feet altitude. The aircraft had lost all electrical power, but still responded to the flight controls and the engine continued running. Without proper electrical power, the aircraft navigation instruments and radios would not function. I thought I had an alternative electrical supply because the Crusader was equipped with a deployable emergency electrical generator: a ram air turbine or RAT. I pulled the handle to deploy the RAT, but to my disappointment the electrical power was not restored by the RAT -- the "dirty rat." In climbing off the target I checked the engine instruments and found that I could only attain %93 of power.
Well, here I was without navigation aids and without a radio to let the ship know my situation. The loss of the radio was not an immediate problem, but added difficulty to my circumstances later. Good weather favored my return to the vicinity of the aircraft carrier since I could navigate visually without complication of clouds or haze diminishing visibility. The most pressing problem was, without electrical power, the trim tab control on the flight control stick was not functioning, leaving me with excessive pressure on the control stick to maintain level flight. As I continued on my return to the ship, with the plane seeming to lose power, I judged I might need to eject from the aircraft. Therefore, I removed my knee pad from my left leg to ensure the metal instrument would not interfere with an ejection, nor become an object of injury. Additionally, since there was excessive pressure required to move the flight control stick, I knew I would not be able to eject using the normal method of raising both hands above my head to pull down on the face curtain. I, therefore, reached down below my legs just loosening the alternate ejection seat firing handle to make sure it would not bind when trying to pull it up, should I need to eject.
With the ship in sight, I started planning to make an approach for landing. Of concern at this point was the total amount of fuel remaining. The arresting cable, we called it the wire, would be set for the normal landing weight of my aircraft. If my aircraft weight was above the expected weight the arresting wire could break. Such a situation would be catastrophic to the men and equipment on the deck. Not knowing exactly how much fuel I had, but suspecting that the duration of the flight left me with an excess, I decided to make the plane lighter as well as attract the attention of the ship. I continued descending, maneuvering to clear an area to the port side of the ship in an attempt to eject the Sidewinders as unguided rockets with the emergency switch designed for such a contingency. Surprisingly, without normal electrical power the missiles ejected from the rails and splashed in the water visible from the ship. The Zuni rockets would not fire which added to my aircraft weight on landing. Interestingly, my assigned wingman, Al, was on the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) platform near the landing area. Al told me later he saw the missiles hit the water. He said his thought at the time was somebody's going to be in big trouble with the ship's captain and the Air Wing Commander by launching something into the water so close to the ship.
I hoped someone on the ship would see the missile splashes and tell the Air Boss in the control tower to keep me in sight, however, it didn't happen, compounding my problems in the latter stages of my approach. I continued in a descent to line up astern of the ship for a straight-in approach. I picked up visual sight of the meat ball, which is the primary aide to keep on the proper glide path for landing. The meat mall is a light projected out in space from the landing area and is the primary aid for the pilot to land safely. Once the meat ball is in sight, the pilot keeps it centered between a set of datum lights to stay on the proper glide slope to land in the optimum location in the landing area. With the meat ball centered the tail hook of the aircraft should engage the third, or number three wire, of the four wires on deck.
With the meat ball in sight I continued a straight-in approach on the glide path. The straight in approach was normally interpreted by the Air Boss that the aircraft has no radio and may have mechanical problems. I lowered the landing gear and the tail hook, noting in this condition, the aircraft did not have enough power to maintain level flight, but had sufficient power to keep on the proper glide slope. As I got closer to the ship, an A4D Skyhawk flew in front of me while making a turning approach to the landing area. The A4D was only a couple hundred feet in front of me, so I adjusted my flight path to be slightly below his, but to be as close as possible to the proper glide path. We continued down the glide path together when the A4D received a wave off signal and leveled out to fly past the ship. I was relieved to see I could proceed unabated to make my landing. However, it seems things don't always work out just like one might like. This was one of those times! Remember, the arresting wires are supposed to be set for the weight of the aircraft, and, in this case, the setting had to be changed from the A4D to the much heavier setting of the F8C. Because I was so close to the A4, in fact just slightly below his jet wash, there was not an adequate amount of time to re-set for the weight of my aircraft. I was very close to the ship at this point when given a Wave Off. The wave off was signaled to me by the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) flashing the wave off Lights on a panel near the meat ball. The wave off is a mandatory signal and must be responded to without question, as a matter of safety. I pushed the throttle forward for full power but the engine response was not adequate to clear the landing area. The aircraft touched down in the landing area just past all the wires.
Now, here I was after a "Bolter", which is a touchdown in the landing area without catching any of the wires; so, I added power to go around for another try. Yep, I was on a Bolter and trying to climb out to an altitude of 1000 feet to attempt another pass. I still had to maneuver around the jet wash of the A4D in front of me while making a gentle climbing turn to the downwind leg. The A4D, by the way, didn't have radios either. I was able to turn the aircraft downwind but could only reach an altitude of 300 feet., but I maintained an airspeed of 140 knots. As I looked at the ship from abeam, I evaluated my chances of intercepting the glide slope to make an approach from this low altitude. Although I had the throttle fully forward to full power (92%) the aircraft was losing airspeed as I tried to maintain level flight. It was essential to maintain the minimum altitude of 250 feet, but the airspeed continued to deteriorate to the point when I felt the slight shudder sensation of a pre-stall. This was my signal that I could no longer stay with the plane in an attempt to land on the ship.
Holding the stick with my right hand, remember I couldn't trim out the force on the stick to keep it from nosing over, I pulled the alternate firing handle with my left hand initiating the ejection sequence. As the seat fired, I remember seeing the empty cockpit with the long ejection seat barrel extending above the cockpit and seeing the plane nosing over rapidly. I tumbled slightly in the air and looked up to see the parachute had opened successfully. My thought was, "wow that worked, what do I do next -- oh yeah, deploy the seat pan." Underneath the seat pan was a life raft with various survival gear, which, once released by pulling a small handle on the left side of the seat, would drop down about six to eight feet on a lanyard. As I reached for the handle, I looked down saying to myself -- too late. Splush!!
This is where the wonderful training of the Navy paid off. All of us Naval Aviators who flew from aircraft carriers trained for possible ejection by joining the "Oh My Ass Club", The club was joined by pulling a face curtain to be fired up a railing about 15 feet on a simulated ejection seat. With my ejection from the aircraft the following actions took little conscious thought. As I entered the water, I continued to reach for the handle, deploying the seat pan with my left hand. I then used both hands to simultaneously remove the quick release fittings on my harness. As I surfaced, I threw the fittings away from me, leaving me clear of the parachute. I don't remember pulling the toggles on the Mae West to inflate it, but I must have because I was floating just fine with my head above water. I checked the lanyard to the seat pan, it was still attached satisfactorily. I do remember there was a lot of jet fuel in water where I landed. Apparently, I was very close to where the plane hit the water. The water wasn't noticeably cold and the waves were not very high providing little trouble in the water.
Now I thought somebody would come pick me up -- for surely, they saw me eject from the plane. I was right; as I looked around I saw a large bow wake in front of the plane guard destroyer. During all carrier operations a plane guard destroyer was always on station nearby with the duty of picking up downed airmen, as necessary. Additionally, we always had a helicopter airborne tasked with the same mission. Seeing the bow wake and smoke pouring from the stack of the plane guard destroyer pointed straight at me, I said to myself, "come on helo!" Part of my concern was I had a friend who was sucked into the intakes of a destroyer trying to rescue him -- so I was hoping for the Plane Guard Helicopter, "Helo". Sure enough, the Helo beat the destroyer to the scene above me. Immediately dropping a swimmer in the water next to me, he checked to see if I was free of the parachute. The Helo hoisted me and the swimmer into the copter and we proceeded to the flight deck of the carrier.
I stepped out of the Helo, declined the corpsmen's offer to put me in a stretcher and was greeted by the Carrier Air Wing Commander (CAG) himself. One of the corpsmen escorted me down a few ladders to Sickbay. I was later admonished for not getting in one of those wire stretchers on board ship, but I had seen them maneuvering down those steep ladders with others and decided, not for me! In sickbay, the Doc checked me over and I was treated for a laceration. Other than some muscle aches I otherwise suffered no other apparent problems and was back flying the very next day. In those days we didn't have cell phones, WIFI or email, but I was permitted to get a two-line telegraph note off to my wife telling her I had ejected and was okay, so she could ignore any false rumors that might circulate back home, as was sometimes prone to occur.
---Donald Baker
3 February 2020
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Thanks to Harry and Dr.Rich….
USN carrier flight deck personnel use a complex system of hand signals that turn the most dangerous place on earth into graceful technical ballet of professionalism and precision.
Flight Deck Choreography
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This Day in U S Military History
19 February
1847 – The first group of rescuers, troops from Fort Suttler commanded by Col John C. Fremont, reaches the Donner Party.
1859 – Daniel E. Sickles, NY congressman, was acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity. This was the 1st time this defense was successfully used. Sickles had shot and killed Philip Barton Key, son of Francis Scott Key, author of "Star Spangled Banner." He shot Key, the DC district attorney, in Lafayette Square for having an affair with his wife. Sickles pleaded temporary insanity and the sanctity of a man's home and beat the murder rap.
1862 – Trial run of two-gun ironclad U.S.S. Monitor in New York harbor. Chief Engineer Alban C. Stimers, USN, reported on the various difficulties that were presented during the trial run of Monitor and concluded that her speed would be approximately 6 knots, "though Captain Ericsson feels confident of 8."
1942 – Port Darwin, on the northern coast of Australia, was bombed by about 150 Japanese warplanes. General George C. Kenney, who pioneered aerial warfare strategy and tactics in the Pacific theater, ordered 3,000 parafrag bombs to be sent to Australia, where he thought they might come in handy against the Japanese. Darwin was virtually leveled by 64 bombing raids over 21 months.
1943 – On Guadalcanal American reinforcements arrive as part of the buildup for the next offensive move to the Russell Islands. These islands are now reported abandoned by the Japanese.
1944 – The U.S. Eighth Air Force and Royal Air Force began "Big Week," a series of heavy bomber attacks against German aircraft production facilities.
1944 – The Anzio beachhead becomes stabilized. Neither sides plans significant attacks at this time. To the south, there is a lull in the fighting along the Gustav Line.
1944 – Fighting continues on Engebi in the Eniwetok Atoll. Americans land on Eniwetok in regimental strength. There is heavy Japanese resistance, in spite of massive preparatory bombardments.
1945 – On Iwo Jima, 2 divisions of the US 5th Amphibious Corps are landed in Operation Detachment. Before the landing the bombardment groups already deployed are joined by 2 battleships, several cruisers and destroyers from US Task Force 58. The initial assault forces are from US 4th and 5th Marine Divisions with 3rd Marines in reserve. They are carried transported by TF53 (Admiral Hill) and land on the southeast of the island. About 30,000 men go ashore on the first day. The Japanese garrison of about 21,000 troops, commanded by General Kuribayashi, have prepared exceptionally elaborate and tough defenses so that the eight square miles of the island is completely fortified. The Americans realize that the island is well defended since it is part of metropolitan Japan. However, the island is strategically important because it is within fighter range of Tokyo. By controlling the airfields here, American B-29 bombers flying from the Mariana Islands can be escorted. Coast Guard units that participated in this bloody campaign included the Coast Guard-manned USS Bayfield, Callaway, 14 LSTs and the PC-469. Three of the LSTs were struck by enemy shore fire: LST-792, LST-758, and LST-760.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*COLE, DARRELL SAMUEL
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 20 July 1920, Flat River, Mo. Entered service at. Esther, Mo. other Navy award: Bronze Star Medal. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as leader of a Machinegun Section of Company B, 1st Battalion, 23d Marines, 4th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Assailed by a tremendous volume of small-arms, mortar and artillery fire as he advanced with 1 squad of his section in the initial assault wave, Sgt. Cole boldly led his men up the sloping beach toward Airfield No. 1 despite the blanketing curtain of flying shrapnel and, personally destroying with hand grenades 2 hostile emplacements which menaced the progress of his unit, continued to move forward until a merciless barrage of fire emanating from 3 Japanese pillboxes halted the advance. Instantly placing his 1 remaining machinegun in action, he delivered a shattering fusillade and succeeded in silencing the nearest and most threatening emplacement before his weapon jammed and the enemy, reopening fire with knee mortars and grenades, pinned down his unit for the second time. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation and evolving a daring plan of counterattack, Sgt. Cole, armed solely with a pistol and 1 grenade, coolly advanced alone to the hostile pillboxes. Hurling his 1 grenade at the enemy in sudden, swift attack, he quickly withdrew, returned to his own lines for additional grenades and again advanced, attacked, and withdrew. With enemy guns still active, he ran the gauntlet of slashing fire a third time to complete the total destruction of the Japanese strong point and the annihilation of the defending garrison in this final assault. Although instantly killed by an enemy grenade as he returned to his squad, Sgt. Cole had eliminated a formidable Japanese position, thereby enabling his company to storm the remaining fortifications, continue the advance, and seize the objective. By his dauntless initiative, unfaltering courage, and indomitable determination during a critical period of action, Sgt. Cole served as an inspiration to his comrades, and his stouthearted leadership in the face of almost certain death sustained and enhanced the highest tradition of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
ZABITOSKY, FRED WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class (then S/Sgt.), U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 19 February 1968. Entered service at: Trenton, N.J. Born: 27 October 1942, Trenton, N.J. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sfc. Zabitosky, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving as an assistant team leader of a 9-man Special Forces long-range reconnaissance patrol. Sfc. Zabitosky's patrol was operating deep within enemy-controlled territory when they were attacked by a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army unit. Sfc. Zabitosky rallied his team members, deployed them into defensive positions, and, exposing himself to concentrated enemy automatic weapons fire, directed their return fire. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sfc. Zabitosky ordered his patrol to move to a landing zone for helicopter extraction while he covered their withdrawal with rifle fire and grenades. Rejoining the patrol under increasing enemy pressure, he positioned each man in a tight perimeter defense and continually moved from man to man, encouraging them and controlling their defensive fire. Mainly due to his example, the outnumbered patrol maintained its precarious position until the arrival of tactical air support and a helicopter extraction team. As the rescue helicopters arrived, the determined North Vietnamese pressed their attack. Sfc. Zabitosky repeatedly exposed himself to their fire to adjust suppressive helicopter gunship fire around the landing zone. After boarding 1 of the rescue helicopters, he positioned himself in the door delivering fire on the enemy as the ship took off. The helicopter was engulfed in a hail of bullets and Sfc. Zabitosky was thrown from the craft as it spun out of control and crashed. Recovering consciousness, he ignored his extremely painful injuries and moved to the flaming wreckage. Heedless of the danger of exploding ordnance and fuel, he pulled the severely wounded pilot from the searing blaze and made repeated attempts to rescue his patrol members but was driven back by the intense heat. Despite his serious burns and crushed ribs, he carried and dragged the unconscious pilot through a curtain of enemy fire to within 10 feet of a hovering rescue helicopter before collapsing. Sfc. Zabitosky's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 19, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
19 February
1934: Following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 6591, Secretary of War George Dern ordered the Army Air Corps to start flying domestic airmail. (21)
1936: Brig Gen William "Billy" Mitchell died at Doctor's Hospital, New York City. He was buried in Milwaukee, Wis. (24)
1945: The Marine V Amphibious Corps landed on Iwo Jima with air and sea support. After being secured on 26 March, the island's three airfields supported B-29 emergency landings and other fighter operations. (21)
1952: KOREAN WAR. The communists flew approximately 389 MiG-15 sorties, the largest aerial effort to date. In aerial combat, USAF pilots destroyed three enemy aircraft. (28)
1960: The Air Force fired the three-stage Exos composite rocket. (24)
1962: At Edwards AFB, Calif., Maj Walter F. Daniel flew the T-38 Talon to four time-to-climb records: 1.86 miles in 35.62 seconds; 3.72 miles in 51.429 seconds; 5.58 miles in 64.76 seconds; and 7.44 miles in 95.74 seconds. (3) (24)
1965: A B-57B dropped the first bombs from a jet in Vietnam. (5)
1977: An assistant Secretary of Defense stopped the selection process on the Strategic Air Command's Advanced Tanker/Cargo Aircraft pending a reassessment by the Carter Administration. After consultations with the President, Secretary of Defense Harold Brown approved the acquisition of 12-20 ATCA aircraft. (1)
1985: A 319th Bombardment B-52 from Grand Forks AFB, N. Dak., launched the first Air Launched Cruise Missile for a flight test over the Beaufort Sea, north of Canada. The missile flew into Canada for 4 1/2-hours, from the MacKenzie River Delta to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and east to Primrose Lake Air Weapons Range, Cold Lake, Alberta, where it made a parachuteassisted landing. (1)
1988: Through 22 February, C-141 Starlifters from the 60th Military Airlift Wing flew 50 tons of construction materials and electrical equipment to the Marshall Islands following Typhoon Roy. (16)
1993: A student assigned to the 64th Fighter Training Wing flew the new T-1A Jayhawk trainer on its first schoolhouse sortie. (16) (26)
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