The List 6046 TGB
Good Sunday Morning March 27 2022
I Hope that your weekend is going well.
Regards,
Skip
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
March 27
1794 President George Washington signs "An act to provide a naval armament" authorizing the construction of six frigates: United States, Constellation, Constitution, Chesapeake, Congress, and President.
1880 The sloop of war Constellation departs New York with food for famine victims in Ireland. To modify the sloop for the mission, her armament and some ballast are removed, and carpenters at the New York Navy Yard build bins on the lowest deck to carry a cargo of more than 2,500 barrels of potatoes and flour.
1944 USS Hake (SS 256) torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant tanker Yamamizu Maru about 75 miles south of Borneo. Also on this date, USS Rasher (SS 269) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks army cargo ship Nichinan Maru about 50 miles north of Bali.
1975 The evacuation by sea of Da Nang, Vietnam begins, a four-day effort by Military Sea Command ships that carry more than 30,000 refugees from Da Nang until March 30, when the North Vietnamese troops overrun the city and harbor.
2007 The last known female veteran of World War I, Charlotte Louise Berry Winters, dies at the age of 109. She enlisted in the Navy in 1917.
A bit of Admin
Note: The Kamala Harris article in yesterday's List turned out to be not true. Apparently the fact check was not very good. My thanks and apologies to all that provided the feedback.
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This Day in World History March 27
1350 While besieging Gibraltar, Alfonso XI of Castile dies of the black death.
1512 Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sights Florida.
1802 The Treaty of Amiens is signed, ending the French Revolutionary War.
1814 U.S. troops under Gen. Andrew Jackson inflict a crushing defeat on the Creek Indians at Horshoe Bend in Northern Alabama.
1836 The Mexican army massacres Texan rebels at Goliad.
1866 President Andrew Johnson vetoes the civil rights bill, which later becomes the 14th amendment.
1884 The first long-distance telephone call is made from Boston to New York.
1899 The Italian inventor G. Marconi achieves the first international radio transmission between England and France.
1900 The London Parliament passes the War Loan Act, which gives 35 million pounds to the Boer War cause.
1912 The first cherry blossom trees, a gift from Japan, are planted in Washington, D.C.
1933 Some 55,000 people stage a protest against Hitler in New York.
1941 Takeo Yoshikawa arrives in Oahu, Hawaii, to begin spying for Japan on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor.
1942 The British raid the Nazi submarine base at St. Nazaire, France.
1944 Thousands of Jews are murdered in Kaunas, Lithuania. The Gestapo shoots forty Jewish policemen in the Riga, Latvia ghetto.
1944 One thousand Jews leave Drancy, France for the Auschwitz concentration camp.
1945 General Dwight Eisenhower declares that the German defenses on the Western Front have been broken.
1952 Elements of the U.S. Eighth Army reach the 38th parallel in Korea, the original dividing line between the two Koreas.
1958 The United States announces a plan to explore space near the moon.
1976 Washington, D.C. opens its subway system.
1977 In aviation's worst disaster yet, 582 die when a KLM Pan Am 747 crashes.
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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 Sunday, 27 March 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 27 March 1967… Damn the SAMs, press on…
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
This is still a good one
Let's try to keep things in perspective ...
For many of us, this isn't far off our "timeline" … and we should pass along to our kids, grandkids … and even great grandkids for some …
Life is looking up a bit after watching this … eh? 😊
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Thanks to Ward and Dr. Rich
If you haven't seen it, a pretty revealing 13 minutes on the hazards of carrier ops………………..
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Thanks to Barrett and YP ...
Who'se afraid of the Big Focke-Wulf? Lots of 8th AF Viermots!
Piloten had to love the wide landing gear, FIREPOWER, visibility, and the intelligently simple engine controls. Evidently, performance fell off above 20k, don't remember if the Long Nose Dora solved that problem. But it ensured that the greatly improved, late model ME-109 Gustavs stuck around for high altitude bomber interecept.
YP, timbers shivvered!
On Mar 26, 2022, at 10:23 AM, Barrett Tillman wrote:
If this don't shiver yer timbers...
you don't have many timbers to shiver…
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Thanks to Dave R
Regret, Dupes. Please share far and wide.
Semper Fidelis,
Jade/Dave
Begin forwarded message:
From: Krulak, Charles C.
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2022 3:20 PM
To: waymor@bizec.rr.com;
Subject: Jim Webb article (WSJ)
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This brilliant article by Senator/Secretary of the Navy/superb Marine, Jim Webb is extremely well done and should drive action within the Pentagon and on the Hill. It has come at a very important time in our efforts and I am convinced it will have a significant impact going forward.
I salute Jim...who has been fighting this battle from the opening salvo.
I would ask that you share this with your friends. The more exposure this article gets, the better off we are. Again, this is an issue of National Security and the role of the Marine Corps in National Security. Once again, we need Congress to come to the assistance of THEIR Marine Corps.
Semper Fidelis,
cck
Force-Organization Changes in the U.S. Marine Corps Deserve Debate
Retired generals raise telling questions about the current commandant's radical new ideas.
By Jim Webb
March 25, 2022 12:30 pm ET
Listen to article
Length6 minutes
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Deference to senior command is a hard-wired tradition in elite military organizations, and nowhere is that tradition more honored than in the U.S. Marine Corps. But what happens if a policy coming from the top of the chain of command is insufficiently tested or intrinsically flawed? Where is it written that a subordinate or former commander can set aside deference and demand a second look?
For more than two years many of the Marine Corps' finest former leaders have struggled with this dilemma as they quietly discussed a series of fundamental changes ordered, and in some cases already implemented, by Gen. David Berger, the current commandant. Among Marines there are serious questions about the wisdom and long-term risk of dramatic reductions in force structure, weapon systems and manpower levels in units that would take steady casualties in most combat scenarios. And it is unclear to just about everyone with experience in military planning what formal review and coordination was required before Gen. Berger unilaterally announced a policy that would alter so many time-honored contributions of the Marine Corps.
The unique and irreplaceable mission of the Marine Corps is to provide a homogeneous, all-encompassing "force in readiness" that can go anywhere and fight anyone on any level short of nuclear war. The corps has fought many political battles to preserve that mission but never from within—until now.
Among other decisions, Gen. Berger's "Force Structure 2030" plan includes these provisions:
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• Elimination of three infantry battalions from the current 24, a 14% reduction in frontline combat strength.
• Reduction of each remaining battalion by 200 Marines, taking an additional 4,200 infantry Marines from the frontline combat capabilities.
• Elimination of two reserve-component infantry battalions of the present eight, a 25% reduction of combat strength.
• Elimination of 16 cannon artillery battalions, a 76% reduction, to be replaced by 14 rocket artillery battalions, for use in "successful naval campaigns."
• Elimination of all the tanks in the Marine Corps, even from the reserves.
• Elimination of three of the current 17 medium tilt-rotor squadrons, three of the eight heavy-lift helicopter squadrons, and "at least" two of the seven light attack helicopter squadrons, which were termed "unsuitable for maritime challenges."
After several unsuccessful attempts by retired senior officers to engage in a quiet dialogue with Gen. Berger, the gloves have now come off. The traditional deference has been replaced by a sense of duty to the Marine Corps and its vital role in our national security. Recently, 22 retired four-star Marine generals signed a nonpublic letter of concern to Gen. Berger, and many others have stated their support of the letter. A daily working group that includes 17 retired generals has been formed to communicate concerns to national leaders. One highly respected retired three-star general estimated to me that "the proportion of retired general officers who are gravely concerned about the direction of the Corps in the last two and a half years would be above 90 percent."
There is not much time to stop the potential damage to our national security. Questions should be raised. The law does not give the commandant of the Marine Corps carte blanche to make significant changes in force structure. Title 10 provides that the commandant perform his duties "subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of the Navy," and that the Navy secretary "has the authority necessary to conduct all affairs of the Department of the Navy including. . . . organizing," but "subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense." And the president retains ultimate authority as commander in chief.
The risk involved in a restructuring of this scale should have required full consideration and debate in such Pentagon offices as the Defense Resources Board, then a formal approval by the defense secretary before being sent to the White House for further review, and then extensive oversight hearings in Congress.
Few of our most serious members of Congress would have simply nodded and funded a program with almost irreversible long-term consequences. Gen. Berger's announcement came during the Covid restrictions, when much of Congress had gone remote, and serious examination and oversight was extremely difficult. Added to that was the chaos that existed in the Pentagon during the 2020 campaign year and the inevitable postelection turbulence.
New ideas, even if they are bad ideas, have a way of gaining media attention. Predictably, some commentators have dismissed the concerns of the Marine Corps retired community as coming from a bunch of graybeards whose minds are still focused on yesterday's wars. Such comments do no justice to the long tradition of combat innovation that has always marked the Marine Corps, from amphibious doctrine to helicopter usage to the techniques of close-air support.
If Gen. Berger's new ideas were well thought out and tested, we would be seeing 90% of retired generals enthusiastically supporting them instead of expressing concern. But the realities of brutal combat and the wide array of global challenges the Marine Corps faces daily argue strongly against a doctrinal experiment that might look good in a computerized war game at Quantico.
Twenty-two four-star generals deserve to be listened to. For the good of the country, let's hope they will be.
Mr. Webb was a Marine infantry officer in Vietnam, Navy secretary (1987-88) and a U.S. senator from Virginia (2007-13). He is the Distinguished Fellow at Notre Dame's International Security Center.
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From the List archives
From: "Joe Tranchini"
Subject: 3/26/1945 : Iwo Jima
Lest we forget...
From: Steve
On March 26th,1945, Iwo Jima was declared "secured." The Marines handed the island over to the Army so the Army Air Corps could use the air fields. Then many of the Marines sailed off to another conflict on Okinawa.
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General Schmidt received the good news that the 5th Marine Division had snuffed out the final enemy cave-in The Gorge on the evening ofD+34. But even as the corps commander prepared his announcement declaring the end of organized resistance on Iwo Jima, a very well-organized enemy force emerged from northern caves and infiltrated down the length of the island. This final spasm of Japanese opposition still reflected the influence of Kuribayashi's tactical discipline. The300-man force took all night to move into position around the island's now vulnerable rear base area, the tents occupied by freshly arrived Army pilots of VII Fighter Command, adjacent to Airfield No. 1. The counterattacking force achieved total surprise, falling on the sleeping pilots out of the darkness with swords, grenades, and automatic weapons.
The fighting was as vicious and bloody as any that occurred in Iwo Jima's many arenas.
The surviving pilots and members
of the 5th Pioneer Battalion improvised a skirmish line and launched a counterattack of their own. Seabees and elements of the redeploying 28th Marines joined the fray. There were few suicides among the Japanese; most died in place, grateful to strike one final blow for the Emperor. Sunrise revealed the awful carnage: 300 dead Japanese; more than 100 slain pilots, Seabees, and pioneers; and another 200 American wounded. It was a grotesque closing chapter to five continuous weeks of savagery.
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February 19th was the start of the invasion of Iwo. For the Marines and sailors who assaulted Iwo, every one of the 36 continuous days of that battle seemed nearly that long.
About 77,000 US Marines from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions converged on tiny Iwo Jima in late February. LtGen Tadamichi Kuribayashi had fortified Iwo Jima for a full year before the invasion, and had an estimated 22,000 troops dug in under the island. US forces began bombing Iwo in June 1944, 8 full months before the invasion. Naval bombardments then shelled the island mercilessly around the clock for four consecutive days prior to the invasion.
Iwo set a number of "firsts":
It was the longest concentrated bombardment of any target in the history of mankind up to that date.
It was the largest total tonnage of bombs and artillery ever delivered on a single target to that date.
It was the largest armada of ships ever assembled for an invasion up to that date (about 700 ships).
It was the largest number of invaders to ever invade any island up to that date (each of those new records was broken by the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945).
It was the first (and last) time Seabees accompanied Marines in the first waves of a beach invasion (they swore they'd never do THAT again!).
It was the first and last time any Marine unit landed on D-Day and served an entire campaign without being relieved by another unit.
And it was the only time in Marine Corps history when the number of invading casualties exceeded the number of defending casualties. More than 19,000 Marines were wounded on Iwo, and 6,821 died there. As such, it remains the costliest battle in Marine Corps history.
One-third of all Marines killed during WWII died on Iwo Jima.
All but about 200 Japanese defenders died on Iwo.
Marine LtGen Harry Schmidt and LtGen H. M. Smith led Task Force 56. It made up V Corps, composed of the 3rd MarDiv (MGen Erskine), 4th MarDiv (MGen Clifton Cates), and 5th MarDiv (MGen Rockey). The 5th Division had been formed expressly for the battle of Iwo Jima. It was disbanded following the battle.
Among the participants were names of distinction:
· Son of the sitting Commandant LtCol AA Vandergriff Jr (3/24)
· Future Commandant 1stLt Robert E Cushman, Jr (2/9)
· Future Commandant Clifton Cates (CG 4thMarDiv)
· Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal
· LtGen "Howlin' Mad" Smith
· And the first enlisted Marine Medal of Honor recipient of WWII, "Manila John" Basilone. Basilone had received his MOH from Chesty Puller for action on Guadalcanal. He was KIA on Iwo.
The invasion planners felt confident the battle would take 7-10 days. It took 36. LtGen Kuribayashi's body has never been found.
The final two Japanese defenders surrendered 4 years after the battle. In January of 1949, two Japanese soldiers surrendered themselves to the occupying US Army garrison on Iwo. They had hidden in the 11 miles of tunnels and bunkers under Iwo, successfully raiding the Army supplies for food and water at night.
They had found a Stars and Stripes newspaper which showed pictures of GIs celebrating New Year's Eve in downtown Tokyo, 1948-49, and knew Japan had lost the war.
They reported in full uniforms, well fed, and surrendered clean, fully-functional weapons.
Iwo Jima stands as an icon for every Marine who has earned the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor since 1945. The men who fought there are true heroes to our nation and our Corps. We can never thank them enough for what they went through for us on that small patch of hell. I've stopped often today and thought about them.
THANK YOU, Marines. Because of what you did, I grew up a safe, healthy kid in comfort and freedom speaking English instead of Japanese.
Semper Fidelis.
Next week on April 1, 1945 the Battle of Okinawa begins.
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Thanks to Robert
SALUTE TO VETERANS
From a fellow Vietnam veteran. Amen brothers and sisters. Been there - Done that. Friday blessings all.
We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure.
We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.
We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew.
We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.
We found new friends and a new family.
We became brothers and sisters regardless of color, race, or creed.
We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times.
We didn't get enough sleep.
We smoked and drank too much.
We picked up both good and bad habits.
We worked hard and played harder.
We didn't earn a great wage.
We experienced the happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events.
We didn't know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again.
We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all.
We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.
Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn't.
Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn't.
Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare.
We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can't fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical.
We participated in time-honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie.
We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all.
We have dealt with victory and tragedy.
We have celebrated and mourned.
We lost a few along the way.
When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new and some of us never came home at all.
We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.
We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don't experience, and few will understand.
We speak highly of our own branch of service and poke fun at the other branches.
We know, however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat.
Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.
It has no monetary value, but at the same time, it is a priceless gift.
People see a Veteran and thank them for their service.
When we see each other, we give that little upwards head nod, or a slight smile, knowing that we have shared and experienced things that most people have not.
So, from myself to the rest of the Veterans out there, I commend and thank you for all that you have done and sacrificed for your country.
Try to remember the good times and make peace with the bad times.
Share your stories.
But most importantly, stand tall and proud, for you have earned the right to be called a Veteran.
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This Day in U S Military History… March 27.
1836 – a disastrous setback for the Texans resisting Santa Anna's dictatorial regime, the Mexican army defeats and executes 417 Texas revolutionaries at Goliad. Long accustomed to enjoying considerable autonomy from their Mexican rulers, many Anglo Texan settlers reacted with alarm when Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna proclaimed himself dictator of Mexico in 1835. Santa Anna immediately imposed martial law and attempted to disarm the Texans. Yet, this move merely fed the flames of Texan resistance. In November 1853, Texan leaders proclaimed their resistance to Santa Anna's dictatorship, though they stopped short of calling for independence. The next month, the Texans managed to defeat 800 Mexican soldiers stationed in San Antonio. However, the rebel leaders remained deeply divided over what to do next, making them vulnerable to Santa Anna's ruthless determination to suppress dissension. While the Texas rebels dallied, Santa Anna moved decisively. In mid-February he led a massive Mexican army across the Rio Grande, and after a 13-day siege of the Alamo, crushed the rebels in San Antonio. Meanwhile, to the south, Santa Ann's chief lieutenant, General Urrea, moved to destroy another faction of the rebel army attempting to defend the town of Goliad. Disagreements among the Texans had led to a division of the rebel forces. James W. Fannin was left with only slightly more than 300 Texans to protect Goliad, a position the rebels needed in order to maintain their supply routes to the Gulf Coast. As Urrea's much larger 1400-man army approached, Fannin acted with indecision, wondering if he should go to the aid of the besieged men at the Alamo. Belatedly, Fannin attempted to fall back from the approaching Mexican army, but his retreat order came too late. On March 19, Urrea surrounded the small column of rebel soldiers on an open prairie, where they were trapped without food, water, or cover. After repulsing one Mexican assault, Fannin realized there was no chance of escape. Rather than see his force annihilated, Fannin surrendered. Apparently, some among the Texans who surrendered believed they would be treated as prisoners of war. Santa Anna, however, had clearly stated several months before that he considered the rebels to be traitors who would be given no quarter. In obedience to Santa Anna's orders, on this day in 1836 Urrea ordered his men to open fire on Fannin and his soldiers, along with about 100 other captured Texans. More than 400 men were executed that day at Goliad. Ironically, rather than serving to crush the Texas rebellion, the Goliad Massacre helped inspire and unify the Texans. Now determined to break completely from Mexico, the Texas revolutionaries began to yell "Remember Goliad!" along with the more famous battle cry, "Remember the Alamo!" Less than a month later, Texan forces under General Sam Houston dealt a stunning blow to Santa Anna's army in the Battle of San Jacinto, and Texas won its independence.
1899 – Emilio Aguinaldo leads Filipino forces for the only time during the Philippine–American War at the Battle of Marilao River. The Battle of Marilao River was fought in Marilao, Bulacan, Philippines, during the Philippine–American War. It was one of the most celebrated river crossings of the whole war, wherein American forces crossed the Marilao River, which was 80 yards wide and too deep to ford, while under Filipino fire from the opposite bank. The American official account had admitted that Aguinaldo acted with a great sense of military strategy, averting disastrous routs while succeeding to sustain heavy damage on the enemy (that is, the Americans). The losses in the American drive to Malolos, the account also stated, had proved the Filipinos' effective fighting quality.
1942 – All RAF aircraft and the remainder of Chennault's American volunteer air force are withdrawn from Burma.
1943 – US began an assault on Fondouk-pass, Tunisia.1945 – General Dwight D. Eisenhower told reporters in Paris that German defenses on the Western Front had been broken.
1943 – Battle of the Komandorski Islands – In the Aleutian Islands the battle begins when United States Navy forces intercept Japanese attempting to reinforce a garrison at Kiska. The Battle of the Komandorski Islands was a naval battle between American and Japanese forces in the North Pacific area of the Pacific Ocean, south of the Soviet Komandorski Islands. It is considered one of the most unusual naval engagements of World War II being one of the few entirely between surface vessels–neither force had submarine or air escort.
1945 – Iwo Jima was occupied, after 22,000 Japanese and 6,000 US killed.
1945 – The last German V2 rocket lands southeast of London at Orpington. The V2 campaign has killed over 2700 British civilians and injured 6500. As well as the 1115 launched at British targets, a further 2050 were aimed at Antwerp, Brussels and Liege.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
ALLEN, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company I, 23d U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Turret Mountain, Ariz., 27 March 1873. Entered service at: Lansingburg, N.Y. Birth: Brightstown, N.Y. Date of issue: 12 April 1875. Citation: Gallantry in action.
STANLEY, EBEN
Rank and organization: Private, Company A, 5th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Near Turret Mountain, Ariz., 25 and 27 March 1873. Entered service at. ——. Birth: Decatur County, lowa. Date of issue: 12 April 1875. Citation: Gallantry in action.
GREELY, ADOLPHUS W.
Rank and organization: Major General, U.S. Army, retired. Place and date: —-. Entered service at: Louisiana. Born: 27 March 1844, Newburyport, Mass. G.O. No.: 3, W.D., 1935. Act of Congress, 21 March 1935. Citation: For his life of splendid public service, begun on 27 March 1844, having enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army on 26 July 1861, and by successive promotions was commissioned as major general 10 February 1906, and retired by operation of law on his 64th birthday.
CHARETTE, WILLIAM R.
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman Third Class, U.S. Navy Medical Corpsman serving with a marine rifle company. Place and date: Korea, 27 March 1953. Entered service at: Ludington, Michigan. Birth: Ludington, Mich. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy aggressor forces during the early morning hours. Participating in a fierce encounter with a cleverly concealed and well-entrenched enemy force occupying positions on a vital and bitterly contested outpost far in advance of the main line of resistance, HC3c. Charette repeatedly and unhesitatingly moved about through a murderous barrage of hostile small-arms and mortar fire to render assistance to his wounded comrades. When an enemy grenade landed within a few feet of a marine he was attending, he immediately threw himself upon the stricken man and absorbed the entire concussion of the deadly missile with his body. Although sustaining painful facial wounds, and undergoing shock from the intensity of the blast which ripped the helmet and medical aid kit from his person, HC3c. Charette resourcefully improvised emergency bandages by tearing off part of his clothing, and gallantly continued to administer medical aid to the wounded in his own unit and to those in adjacent platoon areas as well. Observing a seriously wounded comrade whose armored vest had been torn from his body by the blast from an exploding shell, he selflessly removed his own battle vest and placed it upon the helpless man although fully aware of the added jeopardy to himself. Moving to the side of another casualty who was suffering excruciating pain from a serious leg wound, HC3c. Charette stood upright in the trench line and exposed himself to a deadly hail of enemy fire in order to lend more effective aid to the victim and to alleviate his anguish while being removed to a position of safety. By his indomitable courage and inspiring efforts in behalf of his wounded comrades, HC3c. Charette was directly responsible for saving many lives. His great personal valor reflects the highest credit upon himself and enhances the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*HAMMOND, FRANCIS C.
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman, U.S. Navy, attached as a medical corpsman to 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Korea, 26-27 March 1953. Entered service at: Alexandria, Va. Birth: Alexandria, Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a HC serving with the 1st Marine Division in action against enemy aggressor forces on the night of 26-27 March 1953. After reaching an intermediate objective during a counterattack against a heavily entrenched and numerically superior hostile force occupying ground on a bitterly contested outpost far in advance of the main line of resistance. HC Hammond's platoon was subjected to a murderous barrage of hostile mortar and artillery fire, followed by a vicious assault by onrushing enemy troops. Resolutely advancing through the veritable curtain of fire to aid his stricken comrades, HC Hammond moved among the stalwart garrison of marines and, although critically wounded himself, valiantly continued to administer aid to the other wounded throughout an exhausting 4-hour period. When the unit was ordered to withdraw, he skillfully directed the evacuation of casualties and remained in the fire-swept area to assist the corpsmen of the relieving unit until he was struck by a round of enemy mortar fire and fell, mortally wounded. By his exceptional fortitude, inspiring initiative and self-sacrificing efforts, HC Hammond undoubtedly saved the lives of many marines. His great personal valor in the face of overwhelming odds enhances and sustains the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 27, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
27 March
1909: The Aero Club of America entered an agreement and became the Aviation Section of the Automobile Club of America. (24)
1916: 1st Aero Squadron aircraft started carrying mail and dispatches for the Mexican Punitive Expedition. (18)
1941: The US and Great Britain signed the 2 September 1940 Base-Lease Agreement to give the US rights to eight air and naval bases in the British Atlantic and Caribbean possessions in return for US destroyers. (24)
1942: The US War and Navy Departments announced the Navy's command over anti-submarine warfare off America's East and West coasts with authority over Army air patrol units. (5)
1945: Gen Carl Spaatz sent Eighth Air Force against Berlin to destroy the Luftwaffe. Spaatz realized the enemy would defend Berlin, so he sent bombers over the city with P-51 Mustang escorts. General Galland of the Luftwaffe later said, "Whenever our fighters appeared, the Americans hurled themselves at them. Nowhere were we safe from them." (4) To close Japan's Shimonoseki Strait to shipping, the XXI Bomber Command sent 105 B-29s to drop mines. Most of the planes carried 12,000-pound loads. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Upon learning that Chinese troops had captured a downed U.S. pilot near Pyoksong, Korea, a helicopter crew made several low passes that enabled him to escape. While one helicopter crewman fired a rifle at the Chinese soldiers, others lowered a hoist to rescue the pilot. (28)
1956: SECDEF Charles E. Wilson made E.V. Murphree the "unpaid Czar" of the US missile program. Murphee helped to direct and coordinate "activities connected with research, development, engineering, and production of guided missiles, particularly ballistic missiles." (24)
1958: A KC-135 Stratotanker completed the first nonstop flight from Castle AFB to Wellington, New Zealand, and covered the approximate 6,000-mile distance in 15 hours. (9)
1977: Through 30 March, after two Boeing 747 airliners with 643 passengers crashed at Tenerife, Canary Islands, a C-130 from USAFE flew medical personnel there and then airlifted 56 survivors to Las Palmas, Canary Islands. A MAC C-141 later airlifted the survivors to various locations in the US for treatment. (21)
1989: Through April, MAC dispatched 7 C-5 and 4 C-141 missions to fly equipment, cargo, and passengers to Valdez, Alaska, to assist in oil spill cleanup efforts after an oil tanker ran aground. One C-5 carried two Navy oil skimmers to Elmendorf AFB. (16) (18)
1997: An Air Mobility Command C-141 crew from Scott AFB flew the first US aircraft through the new Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace over the North Atlantic from Gander, Newfoundland, to Stuttgart, Germany. The RVSM cut vertical separations between aircraft from 2,000 to 1,000 feet at altitudes between 33,000 and 37,000 feet in an effort to deal with the tremendous growth in air traffic. (22)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. Enemy ground fire brought down an F-117 in Yugoslovia. It was the first combat loss of the stealth fighter. An A-10 pilot, Capt John A. Cherrey, located the downed pilot for rescue efforts. Cherrey later received the Silver Star for his actions. (21) Operation ALLIED FORCE/DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS. Four KC-135 aircrew members—Capt Clifton G. Janney, Maj Kevin Torres, Capt Russell O'Dell, and SSgt Matthew DellaLucca—from the 6 AREFW at MacDill AFB risked their lives to air refuel two A-10s, which had nearly run out of fuel. On 16 August 2000, Gen Charles T. Robertson, Jr., AMC commander, awarded the DFC to the crewmembers. (22) Operation ALLIED FORCE. About 100 ANG volunteers and two EC-130 Commando Solo aircraft from Pennsylvania's 193rd Special Operations Wing deployed to Germany to support this operation. (32)
2004: NASA's X-43A unmanned aircraft became the first jet to break Maj William J. Knight's X-15 record of 4,520 MPH. While the X-1, Skyrocket, X-2, and X-15 were rocket-powered, the X-43 featured an advanced scramjet engine, which allowed it to cruise at 4,780 mph (Mach 6.83) for 11 seconds at 95,000 feet. (http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0217c.shtml) 2006: An RQ-4A Global Hawk, designated N-1, took off from Edwards AFB on a one-way sortie to NAS Patuxent River. The Navy acquired N-1 through the Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration Program for long-range patrol and reconnaissance. Before the flight, AFFTC received a military airworthiness certificate for N-1. It was the first time an UAV was certified safe for flight in national airspace. (3)
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