The List 6081
Good Saturday Morning April 30.
I hope that you all have a great weekend.
Regards,
Skip.
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History April 30
1798 Congress establishes the Department of the Navy as a separate cabinet department. Previously, naval matters were under the cognizance of the War Department. Benjamin Stoddert is named as the first Secretary of the Navy.
1822 USS Alligator, commanded by Lt. W.W. McKean, captures the Colombian pirate schooner Ciehqua near the Windward Islands.
1942 USS Indiana (BB 58) is commissioned during World War II.
1944 USS Bang (SS 385) attacks a convoy engaged the previous night and sinks the Japanese merchant tanker Nittatsu Maru off the northwest of Luzon. Also on this date, USS Flasher (SS 249) sinks the Vichy French gunboat Tahure in the South China Sea off Cape Varella, French Indochina.
1945 USS Thomas (DE 102), USS Bostwick (DE 103), USS Coffman (DE 191) and frigate Natchez (PF 2) sink German submarine U 548 off the Virginia Capes.
1945 Navy patrol bombers PB4Y (VPB 103) and a PBY-5A Catalina aircraft flown by Lt. Fredrick G. Lake from VP 63 sink two German submarines off the coast of Brest, France.
2005 USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) conducts its second significant drug interdiction operation in the first month of its deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command area of responsibility, disrupting the smuggling of 4.6 metric tons of narcotics from the fishing vessel Salomon.
This day in World History
April 30
313 Licinius unifies the whole of the eastern Roman Empire under his own rule.
1250 King Louis IX of France is ransomed.
1527 Henry VIII of England and King Francis of France sign the Treaty of Westminster.
1563 All Jews are expelled from France by order of Charles VI.
1725 Spain withdraws from the Quadruple Alliance.
1789 George Washington is inaugurated as the first U.S. president.
1803 The United States doubles in size through the Louisiana Purchase, which was sold by France for $15 million.
1812 Louisiana is admitted into the Union as a state.
1849 Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian patriot and guerrilla leader, repulses a French attack on Rome.
1864 Work begins on the Dams along the Red River, which will allow Union General Nathaniel Banks' troops to sail over the rapids above Alexandria, Louisiana.
1930 The Soviet Union proposes a military alliance with France and Great Britain.
1931 The George Washington Bridge, linking New York City and New Jersey, opens.
1943 The British submarine HMS Seraph drops 'the man who never was,' a dead man the British planted with false invasion plans, into the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain.
1945 Adolf Hitler commits suicide in his bunker. Karl Donitz becomes his successor.
1968 U.S. Marines attack a division of North Vietnamese troops in the village of Dai Do.
1970 U.S. troops invade Cambodia to disrupt North Vietnamese Army base areas.
1972 The North Vietnamese launch an invasion of the South.
1973 President Richard Nixon announces the resignation of Harry Robbins Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, and other top aides.
1975 North Vietnamese troops enter the Independence Palace of South Vietnam in Saigon ending the Vietnam War.
1980 Terrorists seize the Iranian Embassy in London.
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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, 30 April 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 30 April 1967… Westy for the Hawks and MLK, Jr for the Doves…
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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Berlin Airlift: When American power was unstoppable
73rd anniversary marks saving of German city from Soviet strangulation
By Thomas V. DiBacco.
.
In this era of increasing diplomatic friction with Russia over Ukraine, it would be well to remember that April 30 marks the 73rd anniversary of the first, and most unbelievable, successes of American and Western foreign policy marking the beginning of the Cold War.
That was the first sign on April 30, 1949, that the Soviet Union started to ease its Berlin blockade of Western power access to the city by permitting limited canal traffic. A formal agreement ending the blockade came on May 4. It had been a 328-day siege, coming to an end thanks to the massive airlifting of supplies to the beleaguered city.
After World War II, Germany was divided into four temporary zones occupied by the United States, Great Britain, France and Soviet Union. Berlin was located 100 miles inside the eastern-located Soviet zone, and it, too, was divided into four zones, but essentially two as a result of Western powers merging their boundaries, a situation that also mirrored the larger geographical zones. Postwar agreements looked forward to a unified Germany, and Western powers initiated, first in 1947, an economic-aid program named after Secretary of State George Marshall and second in 1948, currency reform that would stabilize Germany's almost worthless existing monetary system.
The Soviets balked at both notions. Recognizing that West Berlin could produce only about a quarter of its food needs and even less of its energy requirements, they began on June 24, 1948, to block all rail, road and canal access from the west. The goal, of course, was to gain total control of the city because the Western powers, it was thought, would give up under such total blockage — or risk war. That was unlikely, given that the latter had only 22,600 troops in their Berlin section. The Soviets in their zone, on the other hand, numbered 1.5 million soldiers. Worse, at the start of the Soviet blockade, West Berliners had only 36 days of food supplies and 45 days of coal.
Gen. Lucius D. Clay, head of the U.S. Occupation Zone, set forth both the dilemma and solution: "There is no practicability in maintaining our position in Berlin, and it must not be evaluated on that basis. We are convinced that our remaining in Berlin is essential to our prestige in Germany and in Europe. Whether for good or bad, it has become a symbol of the American intent."
Hence began the largest military-diplomatic relief effort in history, as impressive as the D-Day invasion in terms of its boldness and tenacity. Operation Vittles, as the airlift was dubbed by Americans, was meticulous in terms of its planning, calculations and results. Some 1,990 calories for each of the 2.2 million West Berliners were set as the minimum daily requirement, necessitating 1,534 tons per day in food and 3,475 tons of coal and gasoline for fuel and electricity. Although Soviet fighters boasted that they would challenge the airlift, the threat was hollow. Some 400 Western-supplied cargo planes — flying stacked above each other in a 20-mile wide air corridor — arrived every three minutes at first two, then three airfields in West Berlin. On Saturday, April 16, 1949, a day before the end of Lent, a record 1,398 planes landed in what was called the Easter Parade, averaging one every 61.8 seconds.
The daily food supplies varied from 640 tons of flour to 109 tons of meat and fish, from 19 tons of powdered milk to five tons of whole milk for children, the latter dubbing the planes "candy bombers" because of their always dependable supply of sweets.
And not only were supplies brought in, but manufactured goods made by West Berliners filled returning planes. Some 175,000 ill West Berliners, including young children, were also airlifted out during the period as a result of a severe winter. The total statistical accomplishments were breathtaking: From June 24, 1948, to May 12, 1949, when the Soviets capitulated and opened up all routes to the city, more than 278,000 flights had taken off, and 1,592,787 tons of supplies had been airlifted, equal to about 1,000 pounds per West Berliner. To make certain that sufficient surpluses were built up for West Berliners, air deliveries continued until Sept. 30, 1949. To be sure, there were losses during the airlift period. Seventeen American and eight British aircraft had crashed, with 70 resulting deaths. The pilots represented not only traditional occupation-zone powers, but also Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans.
As for Americans at home, the era of the airlift was no picnic. A railroad strike, demobilization problems, short supplies, and high prices made for public unrest. Still, a national poll on Sept. 15, 1948, indicated that 85 percent backed the airlift policy, with only 7 percent opposed and 8 percent undecided.
Thomas V. DiBacco is professor emeritus at American University.
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From the List archives
From Don
I saw where one of my 1971 Topgun instructors, Dave Bjerke, had the honor of ejecting from the 1st operational fleet Tomcat.
Thanks to Dave who responded to the note above
I think I was the second fleet F-14 pilot to eject from the F-14. We (VF-1) were on our way around the world on the Carl Vinson and stopped in Cubi, and Skip Giles and Roger McFillen were bouncing at night at Cubi and they ejected after their F-14 went out of control. We weren't sure what happened--the damn airplane just went out of control. A week or two later I was flying an F-14 with my RIO Jerry Kowlok on a day/VFR flight when we got a thump-bang and a fire light. Maybe 30 seconds later the airplane went out of control (the flight stick didn't work anymore) and we ejected. It was a beautiful sunny day and before long some guy (turned out he was a super-hero Navy diver rescue guy, whose chopper was right above me, but I didn't realize it because I was only semi-coherent at the time) was looking me in the face and asking me if I was okay. I had hit the canopy on the way out and was hurt, but I was alive. In fact, I am still alive at age 79, and grateful. As you know, the F-14 was a neat airplane--even if it did blow up once in a while.
Bjerke
I remember interviewing Dave after a spectacular accident on the USS Ranger. It was during an F-14 Rag class Carrier Qual and an F-14 was catapulting off the USS Ranger and did not get a full shot and Dave was waiting behind the JBD for his turn. He was talking to his RIO and as I remember he was telling him that he (the RIO)was having an exciting day with his first day Cat and Trap and had just had his first night trap and was about to get his first Night cat shot and as he was looking forward he saw the ejection and added to the rio that there goes his first cold Cat shot. The pilot of the F-14 had selected full burner in an attempt to save the aircraft and after the ejection the aircraft being light with fuel went below the level of the flight deck and then started a steep climb. Dave said he watched the plane climb straight up and still wings level watched it overhead flip over and head straight down toward the center of the flight deck. Dave said he watched it come and was going to reach for the face curtain and eject but decided against that and said f -it and sat there and watched it coming down. The rapid acceleration brought the nose of the F-14 up just enough so the plane impacted the water just ahead of the ship. Bear in mind that the afterburners were acting like a mini sun and had lit up the sky and as soon as the plane hit the water it was like someone had hit the off switch and it went dark. I was in Pri Fly when it happened and saw the whole thing. I was the OINC of the CQ det and got to write up the accident report.
By the way the RIO was picked up without incident, the pilot had been rolled up in his parachute by the ship's bow wave and almost was lost. And we determined that the final checker on the F-14 was legally blind at night and did not see that the launch bar was not fully seated.
Skip,
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Thanks to Tom
View the Latest Edition of "This Week @NASA" (published April 22, 2022)
Folks-
IMPOSSIBLE week!
Haven't even watched this….but YOU do that for both of us!!
ENJOY! tom
AGENCYWIDE MESSAGE TO ALL NASA EMPLOYEES
Points of Contact: Brittany Brown, brittany.a.brown@nasa.gov and Andre Valentine, andre.valentine-1@nasa.gov, Office of Communications, NASA Headquarters
------------------------------------------------------------------------
View the Latest Edition of "This Week @NASA" (published April 22, 2022)
View the latest "This Week @NASA," produced by NASA Television, for features on agency news and activities. Stories in this program include:
• NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 Mission to the Space Station
• Options Under Review for Next Artemis I Wet Dress Rehearsal
• NASA Celebrates Earth Day with Live and Online Events
• X-59 Back in California Following Critical Ground Tests
• Cosmonauts Complete Spacewalk to Set Up Robotic Arm
To watch this episode, click on the image below:
To access this edition of "This Week @NASA," you may also visit:
----------------------------------------------------------------
This notice is being sent agencywide to all employees by NASA INC in the Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters.
Thomas E. Diegelman
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From nthe List archives
The US Navy Blue Angels - A Pictorial History | Fighter Sweep
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Thanks to Brett
Stratfor snippets - Malaysia, South Korea, Afghanistan, Turkey/Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong
Malaysia: Diplomat Says Country Will Consider Russian Requests for Semiconductors
What Happened: On April 23, Malaysian diplomat to Russia Bala Chandran Tharman said Malaysia would consider any Russian request for semiconductors, South China Morning Post reported April 29.
Why It Matters: Foreign owners of the semiconductors' intellectual property would have to approve any sales to Russia, so Malaysia's supposed willingness to make a deal with Russia does not necessarily mean that any sales will occur. Beyond semiconductors, Bala's statement shows that Malaysia will continue its current economic relationship with Russia, but the country is extremely unlikely to risk Western retaliation via sanctions.
Background: Malaysia is the assembly site for many major foreign companies, including Ford and Toyota, and technology companies like IBM also have offices there. Malaysia exports roughly $8.7 billion per annum in semiconductors.
South Korea: Two South Koreans Arrested for Spying for North Korea
What Happened: Two South Korean nationals were arrested after being paid in cryptocurrency to steal military secrets for North Korea, The Straits Times reported April 29.
Why It Matters: North Korea will continue using cryptocurrency to evade sanctions and recruit partisans, which means traditional policing and counterespionage will be less effective. In response, South Korea and the United States will likely put more emphasis on cybersecurity to counteract the evolving North Korean espionage strategy.
Background: A South Korean cryptocurrency executive named "Lee" met a suspected North Korean agent through an online cryptocurrency community in 2016 and was paid $600,000 in bitcoin since February 2021. Lee then recruited military officer "Captain B" and paid him $38,000 in bitcoin to take pictures of military equipment using a hidden camera in a watch. Lee also used a USB product called PoisonTap to give a third party remote access to a computer with military secrets.
Afghanistan: Chinese Company to Build Industrial Complex in Kabul
What Happened: The Beijing-Nangarhar Construction and Manufacturing Company signed a contract with Afghanistan's Taliban government to build a 650-acre industrial complex in Kabul's eastern district of Deh Sabz, The Khaama Press News Agency reported April 29.
Why It Matters: The planned project demonstrates China's commitment to investing in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August 2021 despite dire conditions and persistent instability in the country. The project will likely help test the potential for further investment projects in Afghanistan.
Background: The complex is China's first investment project in Afghanistan to be signed since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021, and it comes after months of China's demonstrated interest in investing in Afghanistan. This is reportedly the second-largest economic project undertaken under the Taliban government; last month, Taliban officials announced the construction of an extensive irrigation canal in northern Afghanistan.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia: Turkish President Visits Saudi Crown Prince in Jeddah
What Happened: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss economic relations and regional developments, Al Jazeera reported April 28.
Why It Matters: Erdogan's visit is designed to improve economic ties and secure defense deals. This is part of Turkey's recent efforts to reach out to regional rivals like the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Egypt as it seeks to improve the country's struggling economy.
Background: Saudi Arabia-Turkey relations have improved since Turkey transferred the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's assassination to Saudi Arabia. The countries' ties have been strained since they backed different factions of the Arab Spring revolutions in the 2010s.
Hong Kong: Lee's Election Manifesto Focuses on Economic Integration With China
What Happened: John Lee, Hong Kong's former security chief and sole candidate for the region's May 8 chief executive election, released his election manifesto on April 29, Reuters reported the same day. The manifesto focused on economic integration with the mainland (especially through the Greater Bay Area initiative), making Hong Kong a cultural and economic gateway for the world to access China, creating a loyal populace, and aligning Hong Kong's policies with China's national development plans.
Why It Matters: Based on Lee's manifesto, Hong Kong will become more intentional about integrating with the mainland economy, which will accelerate the continued erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy. Since he announced his candidacy on April 6, Lee has pledged to improve "public stability" by empowering the government and raising the national consciousness of the youth. Nonetheless, his manifesto was light on details for these more controversial points.
Background: The manifesto mentioned aligning with China's 14th Five-Year Plan on development, deepening yuan-denominated transactions and experimenting with China's Digital Currency Electronic Payment. Lee also pledged to expand local implementation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, the basis for Hong Kong's National Security Law.
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This Day in U S Military History…….April 30
1803 – During the early moments of the nineteenth century, the United States government wheeled and dealed its way into what is generally regarded as the "greatest land bargain" in the nation's history, the Louisiana Purchase. The deal, which was dated April 30, 1803, though it was in fact signed on May 2, had been in the works since the spring of 1802. It was then that President Thomas Jefferson had learned of Spain's decision to quietly transfer Spanish Louisiana to the French; fearful of the strategic and commercial implications of the Spanish swap, Jefferson ordered Robert Livingston, the U.S. minister in Paris, to broker a deal with the French either for a slice of land on the lower Mississippi or a "guarantee" of unmolested transport for U.S. ships. Negotiations dragged on for months, but took a crucial turn when Spanish and U.S. trade relations collapsed in the fall of 1802. With Spain now barring American merchant ships from transferring goods at the port in New Orleans, Jefferson set his sights on purchasing a far larger chunk of land. In early 1803, James Monroe headed to Paris to broker Jefferson's deal. With France teetering on the brink of war with Great Britain, and mindful not only of the fiscal repercussions of such a conflict, but of the possibility of a renewed U.S.-English alliance, Napoleon's negotiators acceded to a deal to sell the whole of Louisiana. All told, the Louisiana Purchase cost the U.S. $15 million: $11.25 million was earmarked for the land deal, while the remaining $3.75 million covered France's outstanding debts to America. Thus, for the prime price of 3 cents an acre, the United States bought 828,000-square miles of land, which effectively doubled the size of the young nation.
1943 – As part of a deception plan for the invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky), the British submarine Seraph releases a corpse into the sea off the Spanish port of Huelva hoping it will be picked up and the papers carried passed on to the Germans. The body purports to be that of a Major Martin of the Royal Marines and he is carrying letters from General Nye, Vice-Chief of the British General Staff, and Admiral Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations, to Eisenhower, Alexander and Cunningham referring to Allied plans for an invasion of Greece. The Germans do receive the information and it contributes to their lack of appreciation of the true Allied strategy.
1944 – US Task Force 58 (Admiral Mitscher) raids the Japanese base at Truk for a second day. Over the two days, the Japanese lose 93 aircraft out of a total 104 while the Americans lose 35 planes. Meanwhile, American Admiral Oldendorf leads a force of 9 cruisers and 8 destroyers to bombard targets in the Sawatan Islands, southeast of Truk.
1945 – On Okinawa, Japanese counterattacks and infiltration attempts along the Shuri Line area are defeated. There is heavy fighting in the Maeda and Kochi Ridge positions. The US 1st Marine and 77th Divisions replace the US 27th and 96th Divisions in the line.
This battle started on 1 April and goes for 82 days
1975 – By dawn, communist forces move into Saigon, where they meet only sporadic resistance. The South Vietnamese forces had collapsed under the rapid advancement of the North Vietnamese. The most recent fighting had begun in December 1974, when the North Vietnamese had launched a major attack against the lightly defended province of Phuoc Long, located due north of Saigon along the Cambodian border, overrunning the provincial capital at Phuoc Binh on January 6, 1975. Despite previous presidential promises to provide aid in such a scenario, the United States did nothing. By this time, Nixon had resigned from office and his successor, Gerald Ford, was unable to convince a hostile Congress (read Joe Biden) to make good on Nixon's earlier promises to rescue Saigon from communist takeover. This situation emboldened the North Vietnamese, who launched a new campaign in March 1975. The South Vietnamese forces fell back in total disarray, and once again, the United States did nothing. The South Vietnamese abandoned Pleiku and Kontum in the Highlands with very little fighting. Then Quang Tri, Hue, and Da Nang fell to the communist onslaught. The North Vietnamese continued to attack south along the coast toward Saigon, defeating the South Vietnamese forces at each encounter. The South Vietnamese 18th Division had fought a valiant battle at Xuan Loc, just to the east of Saigon, destroying three North Vietnamese divisions in the process. However, it proved to be the last battle in the defense of the Republic of South Vietnam. The South Vietnamese forces held out against the attackers until they ran out of tactical air support and weapons, finally abandoning Xuan Loc to the communists on April 21. Having crushed the last major organized opposition before Saigon, the North Vietnamese got into position for the final assault. In Saigon, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned and transferred authority to Vice President Tran Van Huong before fleeing the city on April 25. By April 27, the North Vietnamese had completely encircled Saigon and began to maneuver for a complete takeover. When they attacked at dawn on April 30, they met little resistance. North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace and the war came to an end. North Vietnamese Col. Bui Tin accepted the surrender from Gen. Duong Van Minh, who had taken over after Tran Van Huong spent only one day in power. Tin explained to Minh, "You have nothing to fear. Between Vietnamese there are no victors and no vanquished. Only the Americans have been beaten. If you are patriots, consider this a moment of joy. The war for our country is over."
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
HEERMANCE, WILLIAM L.
Rank and organization: Captain, Company C, 6th New York Cavalry Place and date: At Chancellorsville, Va., 30 April 1863. Entered service at: Kinderhook, N.Y. Born: 28 February 1837, Kinderhook, N Y. Date of issue: 30 March 1898. Citation: Took command of the regiment as its senior officer when surrounded by Stuart's Cavalry. The regiment cut its way through the enemy's line and escaped but Capt. Heermance was desperately wounded, left for dead on the field and was taken prisoner.
VARGAS, M. SANDO, JR.
Rank and organization: Major (then Capt.), U.S. Marine Corps, Company G, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade. Place and date: Dai Do, Republic of Vietnam, 30 April to 2 May 1968. Entered service at: Winslow, Ariz. Born: 29 July 1940, Winslow, Ariz. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as commanding officer, Company G, in action against enemy forces from 30 April to 2 May 1968. On 1 May 1968, though suffering from wounds he had incurred while relocating his unit under heavy enemy fire the preceding day, Maj. Vargas combined Company G with two other companies and led his men in an attack on the fortified village of Dai Do. Exercising expert leadership, he maneuvered his marines across 700 meters of open rice paddy while under intense enemy mortar, rocket and artillery fire and obtained a foothold in 2 hedgerows on the enemy perimeter, only to have elements of his company become pinned down by the intense enemy fire. Leading his reserve platoon to the aid of his beleaguered men, Maj. Vargas inspired his men to renew their relentless advance, while destroying a number of enemy bunkers. Again wounded by grenade fragments, he refused aid as he moved about the hazardous area reorganizing his unit into a strong defense perimeter at the edge of the village. Shortly after the objective was secured the enemy commenced a series of counterattacks and probes which lasted throughout the night but were unsuccessful as the gallant defenders of Company G stood firm in their hard-won enclave. Reinforced the following morning, the marines launched a renewed assault through Dai Do on the village of Dinh To, to which the enemy retaliated with a massive counterattack resulting in hand-to-hand combat. Maj. Vargas remained in the open, encouraging and rendering assistance to his marines when he was hit for the third time in the 3-day battle. Observing his battalion commander sustain a serious wound, he disregarded his excruciating pain, crossed the fire-swept area and carried his commander to a covered position, then resumed supervising and encouraging his men while simultaneously assisting in organizing the battalion's perimeter defense. His gallant actions uphold the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
Jay now lives in Poway Ca. and is a really nice man. skip
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR APRIL 30
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1908: Aviation buffs in the 1st Company, Signal Corps, New York National Guard, set up an aeronautical corps to learn about balloons. This effort was the earliest known involvement of the guard in aviation. (21)
1917: In World War I, Maj William "Billy" Mitchell became the first American officer to fly over the German lines. He flew as an observer in a French aircraft. (21) (24)
1919: The Navy-Curtiss NC-4 first flew.
1946: The Army and Navy adopted a standard system for designating guided missiles and giving them popular names. For designations, four letters would be used: A for air, S for surface, U for underwater, and M for missile. These letters would be mixed in three letter combinations, with the
first indicating the missile's origin, the second its objective, and the third its identity as a missile.
As such, a surface-to-air missile became a SAM. (6)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force set a new record of 960 effective sorties in one day. Two H-5 helicopters each picked up a downed UN pilot behind enemy lines. Small-arms fire damaged
one helicopter. The first indication of enemy radar-controlled antiaircraft guns came with the
loss of three out of four F-51s making an air-to-ground attack against a target at Sinmak. (28)
1952: Through 1 May, Max Conrad used a Paper Pacer to fly 2,462.33 miles from Los Angeles to New York, setting a world distance record for light planes (aircraft with total weight in flying
order between 1,102.3 and 2,204.6 pounds). (24)
1955: Adm John H. Towers, Naval Aviator No.3, died. (24)
1962: Joseph A. Walker flew the X-15 to a record altitude of 246,750 feet for a piloted aircraft. (9)
1963: Between 30 April and 12 May, Mrs. Betty Miller made the first solo flight of a woman across the Pacific Ocean. She made four stops in her flight from Oakland to Brisbane, Australia, in a twin-engine Piper Apache.
1965: After a political crisis flared into a revolution in the Dominican Republic, the US intervened to protect and evacuate American and foreign citizens. The US also provided medical aid and other assistance. TAC and MATS transports flew 1,702 sorties to airlift 16,000 passengers and
16,086 tons of cargo to the island. (2)
1966: North American pilot Alvin S. White and Col Joseph A. Cotton saved the XB-70A (No.2) from disaster. When the landing gear got stuck, Colonel Cotton crawled through the aircraft to reach a relay box. Then, he used a paper clip to short out two malfunctioning terminals and lower the gear. (3)
1967: The Air-Launched, Air-Recoverable Rocket (ALARR) completed its first operational test. It
was designed to detect and identify nuclear tests in the atmosphere. (16) (26)
1969: The USAF inactivated the last Mace unit, the 71st Tactical Missile Wing, at Bitburg AB. (4)
1973: The AWACS completed its European evaluation successfully.
1974: Maj Mike Love completed the X-24B's first powered flight after a B-52 dropped the wingless research vehicle from 45,000 feet. (3)
1980: The Defense System Acquisition Review Council (DSARC) decided to produce Boeing's AGM- 86B as the ALCM. (3)
1981: The B-1 prototype No.4 completed its last flight to end the B-1 test program. (3)
1990: The Navy decommissioned the USS Coral Sea aircraft carrier at Norfolk, Va. It went into service in 1947. (8: Jul 90)
1996: The USAF revealed the Tacit Blue aircraft that was secretly used until 1985 to test stealth technology. With its 56-foot wingspan, Tacit Blue furnished the technology used to produce the B-2 Spirit bomber. (26)
1997: An AFFTC aircrew launched a live Mk 84 JDAM for the first time from a B-52 at the Navy's China Lake range. (3)
1998: The Perseus B completed its first checkout flight, reaching 15,500 feet in a one-hour flight.
The Perseus B completed its first checkout flight, reaching 15,500 feet in a one-hour flight. The
propeller-driven RPV conducted atmospheric research in support of NASA's Environmental
Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project at altitudes up to 60,000 ft for as
long as eight hours. (3)
1999: The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB unveiled the X-34, a technology demonstrator for a reusable space launch vehicle. (3)
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