The List 6090 TGB
Good Sunday Morning May the 8th
I hope you all have a great Mother's Day
Regards,
Skip.
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History May 8
1863 USS Flag, commanded by Cmdr. James H. Strong, captures schooner Amelia while attempting to run the blockade out of Charleston.
1911 Capt. Washington I. Chambers prepares the requisition for the first US Navy airplane, the Triad A-1, marking the birth of Naval Aviation.
1919 Seaplane Division One, comprised of three NC flying boats, takes off from Naval Air Station, Rockaway, New York for Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the first leg of a projected Transatlantic flight.
1942 The Battle of the Coral Sea ends with the Japanese retiring from the area and calling off the Port Moresby amphibious operation. During battle, SBDs from USS Lexington (CV 2) and USS Yorktown (CV 5) damage the Japanese carrier Shokaku and force her to retire.
1945 The unconditional surrender of Germany was ratified by Allies in Berlin. This event is remembered as V-E Day!
1963 - Navy ships evacuate 2,279 civilians from Haiti during crisis.
1972 - U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft mine Haiphong Harbor in North Vietnam.
Today in History
May 8
1450 Jack Cade's Rebellion–Kentishmen revolt against King Henry VI.
1541 Hernando de Soto discovers the Mississippi River which he calls Rio de Espiritu Santo.
1559 An act of supremacy defines Queen Elizabeth I as the supreme governor of the church of England.
1794 The United States Post Office is established.
1846 The first major battle of the Mexican War is fought at Palo Alto, Texas.
1862 General 'Stonewall' Jackson repulses the Federals at the Battle of McDowell, in the Shenendoah Valley.
1864 Union troops arrive at Spotsylvania Court House to find the Confederates waiting for them.
1886 Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton invents Coca Cola.
1895 China cedes Taiwan to Japan under Treaty of Shimonoseki.
1904 U.S. Marines land in Tangier, North Africa, to protect the Belgian legation.
1919 The first transatlantic flight by a navy seaplane takes-off.
1933 Mahatma Gandhi—actual name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi—begins a hunger strike to protest British oppression in India.
1940 German commandos in Dutch uniforms cross the Dutch border to hold bridges for the advancing German army.
1942 The Battle of the Coral Sea between the Japanese Navy and the U.S. Navy ends.
1945 The final surrender of German forces is celebrated as VE (Victory Europe) day.
1952 Allied fighter-bombers stage the largest raid of the war on North Korea.
1958 President Dwight Eisenhower orders the National Guard out of Little Rock as Ernest Green becomes the first black to graduate from an Arkansas public school.
1967 Boxer Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in U.S. Army.
1984 The Soviet Union announces it will not participate in Summer Olympics planned for Los Angeles.
1995 Jacques Chirac is elected president of France.
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From the Archives
Thanks to Bob
VIETNAM --- 50 YEARS LATER, OUR GREATEST GENERATION.
Many will say that those who fought ,one year, WW11 from June 6,1944 to May 1945 made-up the greatest generation, granted casualties in WW11 were much higher, but the 10 years of Vietnam took a much higher toll on America and it's allies. We won both wars battles, but the scars of Vietnam remain until today, and in my opinion, no greater accolades should be bestowed on any veterans, than those of Vietnam. Unappreciated by the American public, betrayed by the American government's corrupt politicians, sent into battle with inferior weapons, AR-15, Laws anti armor, etc. Our soldiers never lost a battle. Despite these handicaps, this generation of soldiers were the best we ever fielded.
Watch this video, narrated by Sam Elliott.
In case you haven't seen this, it is a powerful tribute to our generation of Vietnam veterans.
Vietnam, 50 years later…
SAM ELLIOTT
NARRATES THIS STIRRING VIDEO....
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1945
V-E Day is celebrated in America and Britain
On this day in 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. The eighth of May spelled the day when German troop... read more
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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, 8 May 2022 Bear 🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 8 May 1967… Fifty-five years ago The Bear was at Che Ne and Dong Phong Thong, LBJ was at The Ranch…
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
Stratfor - THE WEEKLY RUNDOWN
KEY DEVELOPMENTS WE'RE TRACKING
Election day in the Philippines. The Southeast Asian island country will select a new president, vice president, 12 senators, 300 lower house legislators and about 18,000 officials on May 9. The leading presidential candidate is Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the longtime former Philippine dictator, followed by the current vice president, Leni Robredo. Marcos has formed a coalition with Sarah Duterte, the daughter of current President Rodrigo Duterte, who is seeking the vice presidency. If Marcos wins, the Philippines will likely continue leaning toward China in hopes of securing infrastructure investments. But if Robredo wins, the country would probably tilt back toward the United States, seeking renewed security guarantees from Washington.
Victory Day in Russia. May 9 will see Russians observe Victory Day, which commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany. This year's parade on Red Square is likely to be the most emotionally charged in the history of post-Soviet Russia due to the war in Ukraine, and comes amid reports that Western intelligence officials believe the Kremlin is considering using the occasion to officially declare war on Ukraine and announce a general mobilization. Russian President Vladimir Putin is, however, more likely to declare victory or partial victory in what Russia calls its "special military operation" and postpone a decision on mobilization.
Politicking in Lebanon. Candidates will continue campaigning throughout the week leading up to Lebanon's May 15 parliamentary election, as will sporadic anti-government demonstrations. This will be the first vote since the October 2019 protest movement began and since the August 2020 Beirut Port explosion, but frustration with government paralysis is likely to manifest in voter apathy. Whether independent candidates unaffiliated with the traditional sectarian parties win enough votes to earn seats in the next parliament remains to be seen.
Hong Kong elections. On May 8, Hong Kong will hold its chief executive election, with Beijing loyalist John Lee expected to succeed current Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Only 1,461 "patriots" approved by Beijing will be allowed to vote, and since Lee is the only candidate, his victory is all but assured. The background of Lee, who oversaw the crackdown on pro-democracy protests, indicates that the new Hong Kong leadership will likely focus more heavily on security as the city continues being reincorporated into China, suggesting new crackdowns on speech and press are likely in the near term.
MOST READ ANALYSIS FROM THE WEEK
What to Watch for as the EU Sanctions Russian Oil
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the European Union aims to approve the latest round of sanctions against Russia during the bloc's next Foreign Affairs Council meetings, which are scheduled for May 10 and May 16. But according to Politico, the new measures could be approved even sooner -- potentially as early as May 6. As EU member states discuss, approve and ultimately implement the sanctions targeting Russia's oil sector, there are several key things to watch for in the coming months in order to gauge the embargo's overall impact.
For Businesses in China, Growing Online Censorship Multiplies Uncertainty
Amid pressure from the government, social media companies in China are now effectively deputizing ordinary citizens to report on those who profess unorthodox views online. This will make China even more of a black box for business operations by further obscuring one of the only remaining windows into Chinese society at a time when the country is experiencing rapid policy change. On May 4, Reuters reported that Chinese citizens have been converting social media content about the Shanghai lockdown into sharable non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that cannot be deleted in order to protect such content from being censored. These efforts follow an April 27 report published by Trivium that Chinese social media platforms were planning to launch a new campaign against ''historical nihilism'' that encourages users to report other users who insult Marxism or China's current or past leaders, dispute or spread rumors about China's history, criticize China's culture, and/or ''whitewash'' Western history. In China's opaque legal environment, users reported under the new campaign could face censorship, political persecution, jail time, and even career setbacks under the legal charge of ''picking quarrels and provoking trouble.'' This push to have social media users police each other is part of Beijing's escalating efforts to censor online content related to not only the Shanghai lockdown, but sensitive economic topics and inconvenient discussions about China's policies, political history and geopolitics.
Brazil's Dependence on the U.S. Dollar Will Limit Its Ability to Ease Russia's Isolation
Despite growing pressure from Russia, Brazil is unlikely to substantively help Moscow create an alternative international payments system due to the South American country's economic reliance on the U.S. dollar. Russian officials have been pressuring Brazil to help bolster Russia's economic standing after its invasion of Ukraine ignited a litany of Western sanctions, including cutting off some Russian banks from the international payments mechanism Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). This has only reinforced Russia's long-time strategic desire to de-dollarize the global financial system and create a new global payments system -- a process Moscow envisions occurring over the course of many years or even decades. Russia is likely attempting to gauge Brazil's willingness to assist in the development of such a new system for transitions between the two countries that could then theoretically be expanded to other countries such as China, India and South Africa (which form the other three members of BRICS, an informal economic-commercial grouping of five developing economies). While Brazil has not yet taken concrete steps toward assisting Russia, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has suggested that his government could help Russia in building out an alternative international payments system. Bolonaro -- who visited Moscow just before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February -- has also refused to condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine.
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Thanks to Michael … and Dr. Rich
Area 51 Test Pilot's Mysterious Death Happened Heroically Flying An Su-27: Report -
Click on the screenshot, or the link below it, for the story and video
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This Day in U S Military History…….May 8
1919 – First Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone, USCG, piloting the Navy's flying boat NC-4 in the first successful trans-Atlantic flight, took off from the Naval Air Station at Rockaway, New York, at 1000 hours on 8 May, 1919, together with the NC-1 and NC-3. Although the NC-1 and NC-3 did not complete the journey, the NC-4 successfully crossed the Atlantic and landed in Lisbon, Portugal on 27 May 1919. Stone was decorated that same day by the Portuguese government with the Order of the Tower and Sword.
1942 – Both the Japanese and the American fleets become aware of each other's positions due to aerial reconnaissance. In the battle that follows, the USS Lexington is badly damaged and abandoned. (She will later be sunk by an American destroyer) The USS Yorktown is also hit. On the Japanese side, the Shokaku is seriously damaged. Of major importance is the loss of trained pilots on the Japanese side, as they take severe aerial losses. The battle is noteworthy for several reasons. The Japanese are forced to abandon their attack on Port Moresby, the first real stumbling block in their expansion. It is also the first time that a naval battle has taken place without visual contact between the main combatants. The damage done to the ships was achieved by aircraft launched from carriers and not by naval guns.
1945 – Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. The eighth of May spelled the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms: In Prague, Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans considerably more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark–the German surrender was realized in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in eastern Germany. The main concern of many German soldiers was to elude the grasp of Soviet forces, to keep from being taken prisoner. About 1 million Germans attempted a mass exodus to the West when the fighting in Czechoslovakia ended, but were stopped by the Russians and taken captive. The Russians took approximately 2 million prisoners in the period just before and after the German surrender. Meanwhile, more than 13,000 British POWs were released and sent back to Great Britain. Pockets of German-Soviet confrontation would continue into the next day. On May 9, the Soviets would lose 600 more soldiers in Silesia before the Germans finally surrendered. Consequently, V-E Day was not celebrated until the ninth in Moscow, with a radio broadcast salute from Stalin himself: "The age-long struggle of the Slav nations…has ended in victory. Your courage has defeated the Nazis. The war is over."
1972 – President Richard Nixon announces that he has ordered the mining of major North Vietnamese ports, as well as other measures, to prevent the flow of arms and material to the communist forces that had invaded South Vietnam in March. Nixon said that foreign ships in North Vietnamese ports would have three days to leave before the mines were activated; U.S. Navy ships would then search or seize ships, and Allied forces would bomb rail lines from China and take whatever other measures were necessary to stem the flow of material. Nixon warned that these actions would stop only when all U.S. prisoners of war were returned and an internationally supervised cease-fire was initiated. If these conditions were met, the United States would "stop all acts of force throughout Indochina and proceed with the complete withdrawal of all forces within four months." Nixon's action was in response to the North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive. On March 30, the North Vietnamese had initiated a massive invasion of South Vietnam. Committing almost their entire army to the offensive, the North Vietnamese launched a three-pronged attack. In the initial attack, four North Vietnamese divisions attacked directly across the Demilitarized Zone into Quang Tri province. Following that assault, the North Vietnamese launched two more major attacks: at An Loc in Binh Long Province, 60 miles north of Saigon; and at Kontum in the Central Highlands. With the three attacks, the North Vietnamese committed 500 tanks and 150,000 regular troops (as well as thousands of Viet Cong) supported by heavy rocket and artillery fire. The North Vietnamese, enjoying much success on the battlefield, did not respond to Nixon's demands. The announcement that North Vietnamese harbors would be mined led to a wave of antiwar demonstrations at home, which resulted in violent clashes with police and 1,800 arrests on college campuses and in cities from Boston to San Jose, California. Police used wooden bullets and tear gas in Berkeley; three police officers were shot in Madison, Wisconsin; and 715 National Guardsmen were activated to quell violence in Minneapolis.
2001 – China rejected a US plan to repair EP-3 the spy plane and fly it away. China protested the resumption of U.S. surveillance flights off its coast and said it would refuse to let the United States fly out a crippled Navy spy plane.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
PHELPS, CHARLES E.
Rank and organization: Colonel, 7th Maryland Infantry. Place and date: At Laurel Hill, Va., 8 May 1864. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Born: 1 May 1833, Guilford, Vt. Date of issue: 30 March 1898. Citation: Rode to the head of the assaulting column, then much broken by severe losses and faltering under the close fire of artillery, placed himself conspicuously in front of the troops, and gallantly rallied and led them to within a few feet of the enemy's works, where he was severely wounded and captured.
ROBERTSON, ROBERT S.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company K, 93d New York Infantry. Place and date: At Corbins Bridge, Va., 8 May 1864. Entered service at: Argyle, N.Y. Birth: Argyle, N.Y. Date of issue: 2 August 1897. Citation: While acting as aide_de_camp to a general officer, seeing a regiment break to the rear, he seized its colors, rode with them to the front in the face of the advancing enemy, and rallied the retreating regiment.
ROBINSON, JOHN C.
Rank and organization: Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: At Laurel Hill, Va., 8 May 1864. Entered service at: Binghamton, N.Y. Birth: Binghamton, N.Y. Date of issue: 28 March 1894. Citation: Placed himself at the head of the leading brigade in a charge upon the enemy's breastworks; was severely wounded.
WELCH, STEPHEN
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 154th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Dug Gap, Ga., 8 May 1864. Entered service at: Allegany, Cattaraugus County, N.Y. Birth: Groton, N.Y. Date of issue: 13 April 1894. Citation: Risked his life in rescuing a wounded comrade under fire of the enemy.
HALL, WILLIAM E.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, Junior Grade, U.S. Naval Reserve. Place and date: Coral Sea, 7 and 8 May 1942. Entered service at: Utah. Born: 31 October 1913, Storrs, Utah. Citation: For extreme courage and conspicuous heroism in combat above and beyond the call of duty as pilot of a scouting plane in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Coral Sea on 7 and 8 May 1942. In a resolute and determined attack on 7 May, Lt. (j.g.) Hall dived his plane at an enemy Japanese aircraft carrier, contributing materially to the destruction of that vessel. On 8 May, facing heavy and fierce fighter opposition, he again displayed extraordinary skill as an airman and the aggressive spirit of a fighter in repeated and effectively executed counterattacks against a superior number of enemy planes in which 3 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Though seriously wounded in this engagement, Lt. (j.g.) Hall, maintaining the fearless and indomitable tactics pursued throughout these actions, succeeded in landing his plane safe.
*KROTIAK, ANTHONY L.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company I, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division. Place and date: Balete Pass, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 8 May 1945. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 15 August 1915, Chicago, Ill. G.O. No.: 18, 13 February 1946. Citation: He was an acting squad leader, directing his men in consolidating a newly won position on Hill B when the enemy concentrated small arms fire and grenades upon him and 4 others, driving them to cover in an abandoned Japanese trench. A grenade thrown from above landed in the center of the group. Instantly pushing his comrades aside and jamming the grenade into the earth with his rifle butt, he threw himself over it, making a shield of his body to protect the other men. The grenade exploded under him, and he died a few minutes later. By his extraordinary heroism in deliberately giving his life to save those of his comrades, Pfc. Krotiak set an inspiring example of utter devotion and self-sacrifice which reflects the highest traditions of the military service.
*POWERS, JOHN JAMES
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Born: 13 July 1912, New York City, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. Other Navy award: Air Medal with 1 gold star. Citation: For distinguished and conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, while pilot of an airplane of Bombing Squadron 5, Lt. Powers participated, with his squadron, in 5 engagements with Japanese forces in the Coral Sea area and adjacent waters during the period 4 to 8 May 1942. Three attacks were made on enemy objectives at or near Tulagi on 4 May. In these attacks he scored a direct hit which instantly demolished a large enemy gunboat or destroyer and is credited with 2 close misses, 1 of which severely damaged a large aircraft tender, the other damaging a 20,000-ton transport. He fearlessly strafed a gunboat, firing all his ammunition into it amid intense antiaircraft fire. This gunboat was then observed to be leaving a heavy oil slick in its wake and later was seen beached on a nearby island. On 7 May, an attack was launched against an enemy airplane carrier and other units of the enemy's invasion force. He fearlessly led his attack section of 3 Douglas Dauntless dive bombers, to attack the carrier. On this occasion he dived in the face of heavy antiaircraft fire, to an altitude well below the safety altitude, at the risk of his life and almost certain damage to his own plane, in order that he might positively obtain a hit in a vital part of the ship, which would insure her complete destruction. This bomb hit was noted by many pilots and observers to cause a tremendous explosion engulfing the ship in a mass of flame, smoke, and debris. The ship sank soon after. That evening, in his capacity as Squadron Gunnery Officer, Lt. Powers gave a lecture to the squadron on point-of-aim and diving technique. During this discourse he advocated low release point in order to insure greater accuracy; yet he stressed the danger not only from enemy fire and the resultant low pull-out, but from own bomb blast and bomb fragments. Thus his low-dive bombing attacks were deliberate and premeditated, since he well knew and realized the dangers of such tactics, but went far beyond the call of duty in order to further the cause which he knew to be right. The next morning, 8 May, as the pilots of the attack group left the ready room to man planes, his indomitable spirit and leadership were well expressed in his own words, "Remember the folks back home are counting on us. 1 am going to get a hit if 1 have to lay it on their flight deck." He led his section of dive bombers down to the target from an altitude of 18,000 feet, through a wall of bursting antiaircraft shells and into the face of enemy fighter planes. Again, completely disregarding the safety altitude and without fear or concern for his safety, Lt. Powers courageously pressed home his attack, almost to the very deck of an enemy carrier and did not release his bomb until he was sure of a direct hit. He was last seen attempting recovery from his dive at the extremely low altitude of 200 feet, and amid a terrific barrage of shell and bomb fragments, smoke, flame and debris from the stricken vessel.
*RICKETTS, MILTON ERNEST
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Born: 5 August 1913, Baltimore, Md. Appointed from: Maryland. Citation: For extraordinary and distinguished gallantry above and beyond the call of duty as Officer-in-Charge of the Engineering Repair Party of the U.S.S. Yorktown in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Battle of the Coral Sea on 8 May 1942. During the severe bombarding of the Yorktown by enemy Japanese forces, an aerial bomb passed through and exploded directly beneath the compartment in which Lt. Ricketts' battle station was located, killing, wounding or stunning all of his men and mortally wounding him. Despite his ebbing strength, Lt. Ricketts promptly opened the valve of a near-by fireplug, partially led out the fire hose and directed a heavy stream of water into the fire before dropping dead beside the hose. His courageous action, which undoubtedly prevented the rapid spread of fire to serious proportions, and his unflinching devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*KEITH, MIGUEL
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Combined Action platoon 1-3-2, 111 Marine Amphibious Force. place and date: Quang Ngai province, Republic of Vietnam, 8 May 1970. Entered service at: Omaha, Nebr. Born: 2 June 1951, San Antonio, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner with Combined Action platoon 1-3-2. During the early morning L/Cpl. Keith was seriously wounded when his platoon was subjected to a heavy ground attack by a greatly outnumbering enemy force. Despite his painful wounds, he ran across the fire-swept terrain to check the security of vital defensive positions and then, while completely exposed to view, proceeded to deliver a hail of devastating machine gun fire against the enemy. Determined to stop 5 of the enemy soldiers approaching the command post, he rushed forward, firing as he advanced. He succeeded in disposing of 3 of the attackers and in dispersing the remaining 2. At this point, a grenade detonated near L/Cpl. Keith, knocking him to the ground and inflicting further severe wounds. Fighting pain and weakness from loss of blood, he again braved the concentrated hostile fire to charge an estimated 25 enemy soldiers who were massing to attack. The vigor of his assault and his well-placed fire eliminated 4 of the enemy soldiers while the remainder fled for cover. During this valiant effort, he was mortally wounded by an enemy soldier. By his courageous and inspiring performance in the face of almost overwhelming odds, L/Cpl. Keith contributed in large measure to the success of his platoon in routing a numerically superior enemy force, and upheld the finest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Service.
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May 8
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 8
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1911: The Navy ordered its first airplane, the A-1 amphibian, from Glenn Curtiss. Therefore, today is officially the birthday of naval aviation. (21)
1918: Capts John F. Gallagher, Robert J. Hunter, and Claude T. Uren became the first medical officers to be assigned as flight surgeons at US airfields. (24)
1919: Lt Cmdr A. C. Read took off on the first air crossing of the Atlantic in an NC-4 flying boat. 1926: Through 9 May, Floyd Bennett and Lt Cmdr Richard E. Byrd flew the Josephine Ford, a Fokker C-2 Trimotor monoplane, on the first flight to the North Pole from Kings Bay, Spitsbergen. (9)
1935: In 14 hours 19 minutes, Amelia Earhart flew the first nonstop flight from Mexico City to Newark.
1937: MACKAY TROPHY. Six officers and two enlisted men (Army Air Corps) received the trophy for flight maneuvers in which three bombing planes flew from Langley Field to Allegan, Mich.
1944: Eighth Air Force began large raids on French and Belgian airfields at Juvencourt, Laon, Florennes, Thionville, St. Dizier, Orleans, Bourges, and Avord. (4)
1951: KOREAN WAR. An H-5 helicopter picked up two U.S. soldiers north of Seoul, encountering small arms fire in the area. (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR. In the first of four major interdiction strikes, Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew nearly 465 sorties against the enemy supply depot at Suan, about 40 miles southeast of Pyongyang, in the largest one-day attack since the war began. In a13-hour period, the UN pilots damaged or destroyed over 200 supply buildings, personnel shelters, revetments, vehicles, and gun positions. Enemy antiaircraft fire shot down an F-86 at the Kunu-ri marshaling yards. This was the first loss of a Sabre on a fighter-bomber sortie. (28)
1960: The Air Force removed its first operational missile, a Thor, from a field unit in the UK and sent it to Vandenberg AFB for confidence testing. Confidence launches preceded SAC's operational test program. (6)
1970: MACKAY TROPHY. An AC-119K gunship attacked a heavily defended road section in SEA. Despite losing 15 feet of the aircraft's right wing and an aileron, the crew destroyed three enemy supply trucks and then returned to base. For that feat, the crew earned the trophy. (21)
1972: Operation LINEBACKER I. President Nixon approved this operation as a military measure to end the Vietnam War. It included the mining of all ports in North Vietnam, and the interdiction of supply and communication lines. (5) (17)
1994: Operation PROVIDE PROMISE. Through 26 July, 5 C-141s started flying humanitarian missions from Germany to Bosnia. They joined the earlier deployment of C-130s from the 437 AW and 315 AW at Charleston AFB. The C-141s delivered over 7,000 tons of cargo by the time their flights ended on 26 July. (16)
1995: Through 11 May, ANG units rescued thousands of flood victims after 22 inches of rain fell on Louisiana within two days. (16) (26)
2000: Through 9 May, the RQ-4A Global Hawk participated in a Linked Seas Exercise, flying from Eglin AFB to Portugal and back during a 28-hour sortie. The Global Hawk also completed a 14.1-hour mission on 11-12 May 2000. (3)
2001: SECDEF Donald H. Rumsfeld made the USAF the executive agent for the Pentagon's space activities. (21)
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