The List 6109
Good Friday Morning May 27
I hope that you all have a great Memorial Day weekend.
Regards,
Skip.
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History May 27
On This Day
1862 USS Bienville captures the British blockade-runner Patras off Bulls Island, S.C. and USS Santiago de Cuba captures the schooner Lucy C. Holmes off Charleston.
1919 The crew of the Curtiss flying boat NC-4 arrives at Lisbon, Portugal for a stop during its transatlantic flight to Portsmouth, England, arriving May 31.
1942 Mess Attendant 2nd Class Doris Miller receives the Navy Cross for his heroism at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. Adm. Chester W. Nimitz presents the medal to Miller on board USS Enterprise (CV 6). He is killed when his ship is torpedoed Nov. 24, 1943, during the invasion of the Gilbert Islands.
1943 USS Runner (SS 275) departs Midway for her third war patrol but is never heard from again. Overdue and presumed lost in July 1943, she is struck from the Navy list that October.
1952 During the Korean War, USS Douglas H. Fox (DD 779) receives eight to 10 rounds of 76-mm fire off Suwon, Korea. The destroyer returns fire, silencing the gun crew.
1995 USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) is commissioned at Charleston, S.C. before sailing to her homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Paul Hamilton, named for the third Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton, is the 10th in a class of ship that continues to serve the fleet.
Today in World History May 27
.1564 John Calvin, one of the dominant figures of the Protestant Reformation, dies in Geneva.
1647 Achsah Young becomes the first woman known to be executed as a witch in Massachusetts.
1668 Three colonists are expelled from Massachusetts for being Baptists.
1813 Americans capture Fort George, Canada.
1907 The Bubonic Plague breaks out in San Francisco.
1919 A U.S. Navy seaplane completes the first transatlantic flight.
1929 Colonel Charles Lindbergh marries Anne Spencer Morrow.
1935 The Supreme Court declares President Franklin Roosevelt's National Recovery Act unconstitutional.
1937 San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge opens.
1941 The German battleship Bismarck is sunk by British naval and air forces.
1942 German General Erwin Rommel begins a major offensive in Libya with his Afrika Korps.
1944 American General Douglas MacArthur lands on Biak Island in New Guinea.
1960 A military coup overthrows the democratic government of Turkey.
1969 Construction begins on Walt Disney World in Florida.
1972 President Richard M. Nixon and Soviet Communist Party chief Leonid Brezhnev sign an arms reduction agreement.
1999 The international war crimes tribunal indicts Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic for war atrocities.
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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 Friday, 27 May 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 27 May 1967… Attaboys, Pieces of Ribbon, and baubles…
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 Admiral Taylor ´The Bear…
Shipmates … This Memorial Day weekend I will again "tour" several of the dozens of beautiful American Battle Monuments where hundreds of thousands of American warriors rest in eternal peace, buried in the foreign lands where they fell fighting for our country. My annual iPad visit to these monuments and hallowed ground is a fitting way for an old warrior to meet the purpose of this holiday— to remember our nation's fallen warriors— and to appreciate the greatness of our country, a nation that truly does fulfill its promise to honor and remember her fallen warriors. I always complete my tour of the American Battle Monuments with rejuvenated love, respect and admiration for my country. Try it. Maybe it will work for you, too. Have a great Memorial Day weekend…
Bear Taylor, Coral Sea, 1983-1984.
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Thanks to Brett
Thanks to Tom
The return of geopolitics: Foreign Secretary's Mansion House speech at the Lord Mayor's 2022 Easter Banquet - GOV.UK
This powerful statement, IMO, should remove anybody's reason to doubt the global importance to everyone, everywhere, of the Anglo worldview, and the example being set by England in this war.
The return of geopolitics: Foreign Secretary's Mansion House speech at the Lord Mayor's 2022 Easter Banquet
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
My Lord Mayor, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, according to some, this was destined to be the era of authoritarianism. Three years ago Vladimir Putin said Western liberalism was dead. Last year President Xi argued that the west is declining.
In April 2022 things look very different. Recent months have shown the deep resilience of the human spirit and of free societies.
Read the rest in the url
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Thanks to Mat
Multi-Volume Book Series Tells Full Story of the Blue Angels
Blue Angels Decades Takes the NFDS 10 Years at a Time
Since their formation in 1946 many books have been written about the US Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron (NFDS), better known as the Blue Angels. Author Mat "Irish" Garretson has launched an ambitious book project – Blue Angels Decades – that, when completed, will tell the entire story of the Team in unprecedented detail. How this book series came to be is a story in itself.
"Two years ago, I was spending a lot of time in the archives at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, conducting research for a book I was then writing on the A-7 Corsair II," Garretson recalls, "one day, as I was walking through the archives, I came across rows of shelves, each containing boxes labelled, 'Blue Angels Archives'. Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked the Curator for permission to inspect the boxes that covered the early years of the Team. Permission was granted, and what I found in those boxes astonished me. Inside were hundreds of photos and documents, most of which I had never seen before...and I thought I had seen everything there was to see about the early days of the Blue Angels. It was clear to me that these items needed to be shared with the world."
"Other books on the Blue Angels have all been single-volume, 'stand-alone' books," explains Garretson, "and most offer cursory details about the team's history, and tend to include the same familiar photographs. I quickly realized that the only way to do justice to the material in the archives was to create a multi-volume work that would tell the Team's story year-by-year. At first, I considered a series where each Volume would cover one decade...the 1940s, 1950s, etc. But, given that the Blue Angels were established in 1946, that first volume would be fairly short." Garretson decided to telling the story in ten-year increments, starting with 1946, "A Blue Angels Decade", he explains.
Diving deep into the official Blue Angels' archives, as well as sharing material from Team alumni and their families, Blue Angels Decades - Volume One tells the story of the early years of the Blue Angels in words, historical documents, newspaper clippings, and pictures, almost all of which have never before seen in print. Each chapter of the book covers one season, and includes a detailed calendar of demonstrations flown in that year. "The airshow calendars are one of the features in Volume One that I am most proud of," said Garretson, "historical records for the first three years of demonstrations were practically nonexistent. The most-detailed record that exists in the archives of these shows was a two-page, typewritten note from Dave Scheuer."
Known to the Team as 'Grandfather', Scheuer served as the Grumman Tech Rep to the Blues, and later served as President of the Blue Angels Association. "Scheuer's note basically reads, 'In the first three years, the Team flew shows in', and then lists about a dozen locations." Using Scheuer's note as a baseline, and referencing other items in the archives as well as memoirs from early Blue Angels, Garretson was able to begin to piece together more-detailed demonstration calendar. Additional confirmation of shows was gleaned in the archives of newspapers across the US. "It took nearly a year for me to piece together the 'puzzle' of the first three years of Blue Angels' shows," admits Garretson, "but, being able to provide readers with the first-ever detailed show calendars for these years was worth it."
Blue Angels Decades - Volume One was released on November 5, 2021 during the Team's end of season show in Pensacola, and was met by rave reviews. "I truly wish I'd had this detailed history when I was Boss," stated Greg Wooldridge, "It's hard to express how impressed I am with the work. It should be required reading for all new Blues." Wooldridge's sentiments were echoed by fellow alumnus and Boss, Kevin Mannix, "Due to its incredible detail, I know that this will become the "official historical document" of the Blue Angels."
"The reaction to Volume One, especially from Blue Angels past and present, has been very rewarding," admits Garretson, "to know that I've met or exceeded their expectations with this effort is a powerful incentive for me to do better with each and every volume." Future Volumes are planned to be released during every end of season show. Garretson is challenging himself to have all seven prior decades/Volumes in print by the Team's 80th anniversary, in 2026.
Like future Volumes, Blue Angels Decades - Volume One comes in two versions. "The Regular Edition is a softbound version," states Garretson, "In addition to this Regular Edition, 1,000 hardbound, 'Plankowner Editions' were also produced. These special editions are numbered and signed, and come in a striking book sleeve, along with a similarly-numbered, two-inch metal commemorative challenge coin." Copies of Blue Angels Decades - Volume One are available at select retailers, and online via Amazon or at blueangelsdecades.com.
The Birth of the Blues
"…a flight exhibition team be organized within the Naval Air Advanced Training Command to represent the Navy at air shows and similar events."
ADM Chester A. Nimitz, Chief of Naval Operations
The quote above comes from an April 2, 1946 directive issued by Nimitz, and addressed to RADM Frank D. Wagner, Chief of Naval Air Training. Like many within the Navy, Nimitz saw the value of a flight exhibition team. Ostensibly, such a team could enhance the service's recruitment and retention efforts, but Nimitz saw a bigger picture: such a team would likely generate headlines, ensuring that Naval Aviation got its fair share of a shrinking, post-war defense budget.
Upon receiving his orders, Wagner reached out from his office at NAS Pensacola to RADM Ralph Davison, Chief of Naval Air Advanced Training, then based at NAS Jacksonville ('Jax'). Davison had under his command a number of exceptional instructor pilots, most of them decorated combat veterans. Wagner had directed Davison to do what was necessary to put Nimitz' directive into action, and Davison knew just the man for the job: LCDR Roy "Butch" Voris. As the Chief Flight Officer for the IATU (Instructors' Advanced Training Unit) based at Jax, Voris was responsible for overseeing the training of the Unit's instructors. A consummate pilot and war Ace, he had the skillset and professionalism needed to flesh out a plan on how best to assemble, operate and maintain a flight demonstration team. Davison's directive to Voris read, "You are requested to provide comment and recommendations on the desirability and feasibility of organizing a flight demonstration team to represent the Navy and Naval Aviation at air shows and other events as directed." While ordered to prepare for his commanding officer "…comment and recommendations…", Voris understood that, if his recommendations were favorably received, it was likely that he'd be the one ordered to turn those recommendations into reality. And in the end, that's exactly what happened. On April 24, 1946 Washington gave the go-ahead to form a team, with Voris serving as its Officer in Charge.
Within six weeks of Nimitz' directive, Voris took delivery of the first of four F6F-5 Hellcats; three for use in the demonstrations, and one as a spare. In his research for Davison, Voris had considered the FM-2, F4U and F7F in addition to the F6F, but in the end, the Hellcat won out. The reason for this was two-fold; first, the IATU was already supporting F6Fs. The second reason had to do with optics. Some might very well criticize the Navy for spending big money on state-of-the art aircraft, better utilized by front-line units; especially during these lean times. Besides, nobody involved in the project had any expectations as to what the response to this flight team would be. In addition to aircraft, Voris began to assemble his men. He had established a set of criteria for the pilots he would fly with; namely, they had to be exceptional pilots, be combat veterans, they had to be instructor pilots within the Navy's Training Command, and they had to be single. In the end, Voris selected LCDR Lloyd Barnard, LT Maurice "Wick" Wickendoll, and LT Melvin "Mel" Cassidy. The officers were supported by a cadre of 13 enlisted maintainers, likewise hand-picked. In the end, these 21 individuals would collectively be referred to as, "The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team".
Training flights commenced on May 21st, and the Team quickly worked out a routine that included maneuvers that would impress both the public and fellow aviators. On June 6th, the Team performed their first show to an audience of one: CDR Dan "Dog" Smith, Davison's Director of Training. A good friend and accomplished pilot himself, Voris knew if he could impress Smith, then the Team had hit on something special. With Barnard on his left wing, and Wickendoll on his right, Voris led Davis, following in another Hellcat, to a unmanned outlying field (OLF) away from Jax. Smith landed at the OLF, and quickly parked his aircraft, keeping his engine running so that he could communicate with Voris via radio. Mightily impressed by what he saw, Smith said he'd arrange to have Admiral Davison see the routine the following day. On June 7th, in the skies above NAS Jacksonville, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team put on a show for Davison, a few of his staff, and their spouses. Like Smith, what Davison saw impressed him…so much so that he approved the Team to perform at nearby Craig Field for the inaugural Southeastern Air Show and Exhibition, slated to take place on June 15th and 16th. Returning to his office, Davison then contacted RADM Wagner, informing him of the successful demonstration he had just witnessed. Wagner relayed to Davison his pleasure that all had come together so quickly and successfully. He also instructed Davison to get the Team to Pensacola as soon as practical.
In the span of just 73 days since Nimitz had issued his directive to Wagner, the U.S. Navy's Flight Demonstration Team was roaring low above Craig Field, in front of a relatively small but enthusiastic crowd. From these humble beginnings was born what is today recognized as the world's preeminent precision flight squadron…the United States Navy Blue Angels.
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: Why I Disagree With Henry Kissinger
Thoughts in and around geopolitics.
By: George Friedman
May 27, 2022
Henry Kissinger recently spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he made two significant statements. One was that Ukraine must be prepared to cede some territory to Russia in order to reach a peace treaty, and in doing so allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold on to his position, which Kissinger regards as essential. He also said that Taiwan should not be allowed to become a major issue between the U.S. and China, implying that the U.S. was making it an issue, and by my inference that the Chinese seizure of Taiwan should not trigger a U.S. response.
In both cases, Kissinger believes it is in Washington's interest to accommodate its adversary. He's arguing that America's utmost concern should be global stability, which requires accommodating the interests of nations that want to shift the regional balance of power. In other words, the stability of the former Soviet Union, including the political survival of Putin, will stabilize the region and increase global stability. Likewise, ceding Taiwan to China would stabilize the Western Pacific and increase global stability.
Kissinger held this view when he was advising presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. During the Vietnam War, the goal was not to win the war – he correctly regarded it as unwinnable – but to avoid a confrontation with China and the Soviet Union. In order to do that, he retained U.S. forces in Vietnam in an unwinnable war to give Moscow and Beijing a sense of American inflexibility, even as he carried out intense bombing in the north to demonstrate America's willingness to wage aggressive warfare. The ultimate goal was to force the North Vietnamese and its allies to reach an agreement that would allow the U.S. to withdraw from Vietnam in due course and thereby stabilize relations with the Soviet Union. He wanted to show the U.S.' mettle while maintaining a degree of flexibility. In this convoluted fashion, the war was extended, even lost, but the fundamental goal of a detente with Russia was achieved.
Likewise, his mission to China in the early 1970s had a strategic payoff. The Soviets and the Chinese had fought battles along the Ussuri River. The Russians were considering strikes on China's nuclear facility at Lop Nor, and China was challenging Russia for leadership of the communist world. Kissinger approached the Chinese with the offer of an understanding between the U.S. and China. The strategic concern of the United States was a Soviet attack on Western Europe. Aligning with China created the possibility of a two-front war. Kissinger had no interest in a war, but the threat would reduce that danger by creating an unacceptable risk for Russia, which paradoxically helped the U.S. reach an understanding on coexistence, reduced the risk of war and stabilized the global system. It also laid the groundwork for the emergence of contemporary China.
Kissinger's thinking was complex, sometimes seemingly heading away from his ultimate goals, but he focused on a single issue: the threat of the Soviet Union, and thus the threat to the global order. The Soviets threatened Europe, they threatened China, they fished in the Caribbean Sea, and they were a nuclear power. He was prepared to pay any price for that because he saw the Soviets alone as a threat to the global system.
The Soviets postured as though they were willing to risk up to and including nuclear war. In my opinion, they used this posture as a cape to goad the bull into spending energy on matters the Soviets were not interested in. For all his subtlety, Kissinger had a very simple end: avoid direct war with the Soviets and allow them the initiative so that the U.S. could respond and thus demonstrate its will to Moscow. Kissinger was obsessed with the Soviet Union, so when it started to support groups in Latin America, the U.S. responded. The Soviets did not see themselves as nearly as powerful as Kissinger did, but learned that if the main was quiet, Chile, Syria or Angola could be agitated.
Kissinger's response to the Russian attack on Ukraine flows from the same logic. He sees a conflict between Iraq and Syria as frightening the Russians concerning U.S. intentions. He sees Putin as he saw Leonid Brezhnev: as a potentially stabilizing force that is less dangerous than a power vacuum filled by a less flexible person. In that sense, defending Ukraine could simply make things worse.
With China, I think a different but related dynamic was at play. Kissinger's greatest achievement was opening China and making it an ally. In his mind, he achieved it through accommodation, but in fact it was because China never lost its fear of the United States. After the U.S. inflicted massive casualties on the Chinese army, Mao saw the U.S. as powerful, the U.S. saw China as a possible ally, and each went away relieved by the deal.
It is good to overestimate your enemy so that you are prepared for the worst. But excessive miscalculation will blind you to opportunities and make you beholden to moves by the other side. I think that for Kissinger the failure of the British and French to understand how powerful Germany was drove him to fear repeating their mistakes. This informs his positions on ceding territory to Russia and China. The weaker party must be the cleverer one and approach the obvious with utter caution. Global stability is at stake. In my view, Russia and China are declining powers, while the U.S. is the surging one. This is where you nail the door shut on your adversary.
I will confess, of course, that in the 1970s, as I rose to awareness, my fears of the Russians were as intense as anyone. But over time, as I studied their military and spoke to expatriates, I came to see them differently. That was a long time ago, and I have little right to criticize a man I admire. But thinking him wrong is not the same as being reckless. He played the game he thought he had to. He still is.
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This Day in U S Military History May 27
1919 – First Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone, USCG, piloting the Navy's flying boat NC-4 in the first successful trans-Atlantic flight, landed in the Tagus River estuary near Lisbon, Portugal on 27 May 1919. Stone was decorated that same day by the Portuguese government with the Order of the Tower and Sword. Three aircraft, designated NC-1, NC-3 and NC-4–called "Nancy" boats–had taken off from New York's Rockaway Naval Air Station for Lisbon on May 8, with intermediate stops planned for Newfoundland and the Azores. Only NC-4 completed the 3,925-mile transatlantic flight. Heavy rain and fog forced NC-1 down at sea, where it sank on May 17. NC-3 came down in rough seas and taxied 200 miles into the harbor at Horta in the Azores.
1941 – Despite US neutrality thus far into World War II, the US Navy assists the Royal Navy in its pursuit of the German battleship Bismarck. British code-breakers had been able to decrypt some German signals, including an order to the Luftwaffe to provide support for the damaged Bismarck making for Brest, and the French Resistance provided the British with confirmation that Luftwaffe units were relocating there. British Admiral John Tovey, in charge of the pursuit, could now turn his forces toward France to converge in areas through which Bismarck would have to pass. A squadron of Coastal Command PBY Catalinas based in Northern Ireland joined the search, covering areas where Bismarck might be headed in her attempt to reach occupied France. At 10:30, a Catalina piloted by Ensign Leonard B. Smith of the US Navy located her, some 690 nmi (1,280 km; 790 mi) northwest of Brest. At her current speed, she would have been close enough to reach the protection of U-boats and the Luftwaffe in less than a day. Bismarck would be sunk early the next day.
1942 – The Japanese invasion fleet for Midway puts to sea from Saipan and Guam with troop transports carrying 5000 men. They are escorted by cruisers and destroyers. Likewise, the invasion force for the Aleutians sets sail in two groups from Ominato.
1942 – The damaged USS Yorktown arrives at Pearl Harbor and repairs begin immediately.
1945 – On Okinawa, American forces attacking southward, continue to encounter heavy Japanese resistance. Japanese aircraft begin a two-day series of strikes against the Allied naval forces around the island. The US destroyer Drexler is sunk.
1945 – The US 25th Division, part of the US 1st Corps, takes Santa Fe on Luzon. There is still heavy fighting in several parts of Mindanao.
1958 – The Air Force received its first production Republic F-105B Thunderchief. In 1951, Republic Aviation began a project to develop a supersonic tactical fighter-bomber to replace the F-84F. The result was the F-105 Thunderchief, which later gained the affectionate nickname "Thud". Although the prototype YF-105A made its first flight on October 22, 1955, the first production aircraft, an F-105B, was not delivered to the United States Air Force (USAF) until May 27, 1958. A supersonic aircraft capable of carrying conventional and nuclear weapons internally as well as externally, the F-105B was the heaviest, most complex fighter in the USAF inventory when it became operational. F-105s were produced only in the "B," "D" and "F" series (later, some "F"s were modified to become F-105Gs). Of the 833 Thunderchiefs built, only 75 were produced as F-105Bs.
1958 – The F-4 Phantom II makes its first flight. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor aircraft/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was also adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force, and by the mid-1960s had become a major part of their respective air wings. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated a M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record. During the Vietnam War, the F-4 was used extensively; it served as the principal air superiority fighter for both the Navy and Air Force, and became important in the ground-attack and aerial reconnaissance roles late in the war. The Phantom has the distinction of being the last U.S. fighter flown to attain ace status in the 20th century. During the Vietnam War, the USAF had one pilot and two weapon systems officers (WSOs), and the US Navy one pilot and one radar intercept officer (RIO), achieve five aerial kills against other enemy fighter aircraft and become aces in air-to-air combat. The F-4 continued to form a major part of U.S. military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 in the U.S. Air Force, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in the U.S. Navy, and the F/A-18 Hornet in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the U.S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. It was also the only aircraft used by both U.S. flight demonstration teams: the USAF Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the US Navy Blue Angels (F-4J). The F-4 was also operated by the armed forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms in the Iran–Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with seven countries, and in use as an Target drone in the U.S. Air Force. Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft.
1968 – Last Monday of the month. Memorial Day, which began in 1868 as Decoration Day, was set aside to remember those who have died in the service of their country. Celebrated on May 30 for the first 100 years, Memorial Day was officially changed to the last Monday in May in 1968.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
McHUGH, MARTIN
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1837, Cincinnati, Ohio. Accredited to: Ohio. G.O. No.: 17, 10 July 1863. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Cincinnati during the attack on the Vicksburg batteries and at the time of her sinking, 27 May 1863. Engaging the enemy in a fierce battle, the Cincinnati amidst, an incessant fire of shot and shell, continued to fire her guns to the last, though so penetrated by shellfire that her fate was sealed. Serving bravely during this action, McHugh was conspicuously cool under the fire of the enemy, never ceasing to fire until this proud ship went down, "her colors nailed to the mast."
PUTNAM, EDGAR P.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company D, 9th New York Cavalry. Place and date: At Crumps Creek, Va., 27 May 1864. Entered service at: Stockton, N.Y. Birth: Stockton, N.Y. Date of issue: 13 May 1892. Citation: With a small force on a reconnaissance drove off a strong body of the enemy, charged into another force of the enemy's cavalry and stampeded them, taking 27 prisoners.
RUTHERFORD, JOHN T.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company L, 9th New York Cavalry. Place and date: At Yellow Tavern, Va., 11 May 1864; At Hanovertown, Va., 27 May 1864. Entered service at: Canton, N.Y. Birth:——. Date of issue: 22 March 1892. Citation: Made a successful charge at Yellow Tavern, Va., 11 May 1864, by which 90 prisoners were captured. On 27 May 1864, in a gallant dash on a superior force of the enemy and in a personal encounter, captured his opponent.
STRONG, JAMES N.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 49th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Port Hudson, La., 27 May 1863. Entered service at: Pittsfield, Mass. Birth: ——. Date of issue: 25 November 1893. Citation: Volunteered in response to a call and took part in the movement that was made upon the enemy's works under a heavy fire therefrom in advance of the general assault.
WARREN, FRANCIS E.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company C, 49th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Port Hudson, La., 27 May 1863. Entered service at: Hinsdale, Mass. Birth: Hinsdale, Mass. Date of issue: 30 September 1893. Citation: Volunteered in response to a call, and took part in the movement that was made upon the enemy's works under a heavy fire therefrom in advance of the general assault.
CUTTER, GEORGE W.
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1849, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Powhatan, Norfolk, Va., 27 May 1872. Jumping overboard on this date, Cutter aided in saving one of the crew of that vessel from drowning.
*FLEEK, CHARLES CLINTON
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U .S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 27 May 1967. Entered service at: Cincinnati, Ohio. Born: 28 August 1947, Petersburg, Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Fleek distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader in Company C, during an ambush operation. Sgt. Fleek's unit was deployed in ambush locations when a large enemy force approached the position. Suddenly, the leading enemy element, sensing the ambush, halted and started to withdraw. Reacting instantly, Sgt. Fleek opened fire and directed the effective fire of his men upon the numerically superior enemy force. During the fierce battle that followed, an enemy soldier threw a grenade into the squad position. Realizing that his men had not seen the grenade, Sgt. Fleek, although in a position to seek cover, shouted a warning to his comrades and threw himself onto the grenade, absorbing its blast. His gallant action undoubtedly saved the lives or prevented the injury of at least 8 of his fellow soldiers. Sgt. Fleek's gallantry and willing self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*PHIPPS, JIMMY W.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company B, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Near An Hoa, Republic of Vietnam, 27 May 1969. Entered service at: Culver City, Calif. Born: 1 November 1950, Santa Monica, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a combat engineer with Company B in connection with combat operations against the enemy. Pfc. Phipps was a member of a 2-man combat engineer demolition team assigned to locate and destroy enemy artillery ordnance and concealed firing devices. After he had expended all of his explosives and blasting caps, Pfc. Phipps discovered a 175mm high explosive artillery round in a rice paddy. Suspecting that the enemy had attached the artillery round to a secondary explosive device, he warned other marines in the area to move to covered positions and prepared to destroy the round with a hand grenade. As he was attaching the hand grenade to a stake beside the artillery round, the fuse of the enemy's secondary explosive device ignited. Realizing that his assistant and the platoon commander were both within a few meters of him and that the imminent explosion could kill all 3 men, Pfc. Phipps grasped the hand grenade to his chest and dived forward to cover the enemy's explosive and the artillery round with his body, thereby shielding his companions from the detonation while absorbing the full and tremendous impact with his body. Pfc. Phipps' indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and selfless devotion to duty saved the lives of 2 marines and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for May 27, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
27 May
1913: Under General Order No. 39, Army officers who qualified as military aviators received a Military Aviator's Certificate and badge. At the time, 24 officers qualified. (18)
1931: The first full-scale wind tunnel for testing airplanes placed in operation at the Langley Field Laboratory of the NACA. (21)
1939: Lt Col Alfred A. Cunningham, first Marine and fifth naval aviator, died at his home in Sarasota, Fla.
1951: KOREAN WAR. Unit 4/SAM C-47s flew leaflet drop/voice broadcast sorties encouraging the enemy to surrender to elements of the U.S. Army's IX Corps. Some 4,000 enemy soldiers surrendered, with many carrying leaflets. The captives reported morale problems among the enemy because of UN aerial attacks. (28)
1958: Gen O. P. Weyland accepted TAC's first production F-105B Thunderchief from Republic at its Farmingdale plant in Long Island. (12) Company test pilot Robert Little flew the McDonnell Douglas' XF-4H-1 Phantom II prototype on its first flight in St. Louis. (8)
1959: The 702 SMW (ICM-Snark) at Presque Isle AFB received SAC's first Snark missile. (6)
1963: McDonnell-Douglas' two-seat, twin-engine F-4C Phantom II completed its first flight. (4) (12)
1965: The Army's XH-51A, fastest helicopter in the world, demonstrated its rigid motor system and auxiliary jet engine during a test flight. It had a top speed of 272 MPH. Without thrust from the engine, the XH-51A could be operated as a helicopter.
1966: The McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom made its first public flight.
1970: The Air Force completed the Minuteman III's basic R&D program. The last launch of the Minuteman III at the Eastern Test Range took place on 14 December 1970.
1971: Boeing received a $81,745,707 contract to produce 19 737 jet transports for the USAF's Undergraduate Navigator Training System. Honeywell received an earlier contract to build 52 ground simulators for the system. (16)
1996: The Air Force named the ninth B-2 the "Spirit of Hawaii" in ceremonies at Hickam AFB. (AFNEWS Article 960453, May 96)
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World News for 27 May thanks to Military Periscope
USA—11th Airborne Division Set To Activate In Alaska Army Times | 05/27/2022 The U.S. Army is preparing to establish a new division in Alaska, reports the Army Times. The 11th Airborne Division is scheduled to activate on June 6, said Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, the head of Army Alaska and the future commander of the new unit. The division will be headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage under I Corps. It will remain under the control of U.S. Army Pacific and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. A new division headquarters aligns with the Army's growing focus on large-scale conflict with a peer or near-peer competitor. Its capabilities and expertise would also support Arctic operations, said Eifler. The final form of the division is still being determined. The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, will remain at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, though it may lose its Stryker wheeled armored vehicles as it makes the transition to become the new division's 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Converting from a Stryker unit to a light infantry brigade, which has fewer personnel, could free up end-strength, said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth earlier this month. The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, at JBER will remain airborne and become the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team under the 11th Airborne Division. A division field artillery element and sustainment brigade will be put together over the next year or so, the general said.
USA—Coast Guard Takes Delivery Of Another Fast Response Cutter Bollinger Shipyards | 05/27/2022 Bollinger Shipyards has announced the delivery of the 49th fast response cutter to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Douglas Denman was handed over during a ceremony in Key West, the company said on Thursday. The cutter is scheduled to travel to Alaska, where it will be commissioned at its new homeport of Ketchikan on Sept. 28. Bollinger noted that President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal 2022 earlier this year, which included $130 million for two additional Sentinel-class fast response cutters, bringing the program to 66 vessels.
Belarus—New Operational Command Planned On Ukrainian Border Tass | 05/27/2022 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has announced plans to establish a new operational command along the border with Ukraine, reports Russia's state-owned Tass news agency. The new Southern Army Operation Command will join the Western and Northwestern operational commands, he said. It will consist of regular army troops, special operations forces, battalion tactical groups, and will help protect the southern frontier with border guard units. Lukashenko also emphasized the need for security forces to train under combat conditions.
Australia—Future Air Combat Instructors Set For Final Exercise In Northern Territory Australian Dept. Of Defense | 05/27/2022 The Royal Australian Air Force will kick off the final exercise for participants in its air warfare instructor course next week, reports the Australian Dept. of Defense. Exercise Diamond Storm is scheduled from May 30 to June 24 in Australia's Northern Territory. The training will take place from RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal, and at Timber Creek, Douglas Daly region, and the Delamere Air Weapons Range, the department said on Wednesday. More than 1,400 Australian personnel will deploy for the exercise, which will involve more than 60 Australian and U.S. aircraft. It will also be the first time that trainee air warfare instructors from the F-35A fighter, P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and combat controller communities will take part. The culminating exercise provides candidate instructors with the opportunity to employ their skills in high-end combat scenarios alongside international partners, said Air Commodore Ross Bender, the head of Australia's Air Warfare Center.
Burkina Faso—50 Killed In Militant Attack In East Reuters | 05/27/2022 At least 50 people have been killed in a jihadist assault in eastern Burkina Faso, reports Reuters. On Wednesday, unidentified militants attacked residents of the rural commune of Madjoari who were traveling to a town in the nearby commune of Pama, near the borders with Benin and Togo, said Col. Hubert Yameogo, the governor of Burkina Faso's East region. Al-Qaida- and Islamic State-linked militants have a growing presence in the region, analysts noted. Madjoari has seen two previous militant attacks this month. One killed 17 civilians and the other 11 soldiers.
Chile—President Sends Troops Back To Indigenous Mapuche Region Amid Ongoing Violence Agence France-Presse | 05/27/2022 The government of recently elected leftist President Gabriel Boric has sent military forces back to indigenous areas in southern Chile amid increasing violence, reports Agence France-Presse. Boric initially pledged to withdraw troops from Mapuche areas and seek dialogue, but a 122 percent increase in arson attacks forced him to change course. Last week, the military returned to the southern La Araucania region and parts of the neighboring Biobio region, home to the largest indigenous Mapuche populations in Chile. After taking power, Boric doubled the budget to buy land to return to the Mapuche but the indigenous group remains suspicious of the government. Some say that there will not be peace until the Mapuche attain autonomy or independence. At the same time, the leader of the Arauco-Malleco Coordination (CAM), which has traditionally focused on attacking forestry companies without hurting people, has now called on supporters to prepare for "armed resistance."
Democratic Republic of the Congo—Army, M23 Rebels Clash In East Reuters | 05/27/2022 M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have launched their most sustained offensive since 2012-2013, when they briefly captured Goma, the capital of the eastern North Kivu province, reports Reuters. On Thursday, the army recaptured its base in Rumangabo, about 22 miles (35 km) north of Goma, after several days of fighting in the region, said local officials. Heavy fighting was also reported overnight near the town of Kibumba, about 12 miles (20 km) northeast of Goma near the border with Rwanda. An imam there said the town fell to M23 on Wednesday. An M23 spokesman said that the group had routed the army and allied militias, which he accused of starting the fighting. The rebel group, led by ethnic Tutsis, claims to be fighting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), founded by ethnic Hutus who fled Rwanda after taking part in the 1994 genocide. Late Wednesday, the Congolese government again accused Rwanda of supporting the M23. Kigali says it is not involved in what it calls an intra-Congolese conflict and accused the Congolese army and FDLR of shelling its territory earlier this year.
Fiji—Government Joins U.S.-Led Indo-Pacific Economic Forum Kyodo News Agency | 05/27/2022 The government of Fiji has joined a U.S.-led Indo-Pacific economic initiative, reports the Kyodo news agency (Tokyo). On Thursday, the White House announced that Fiji had become the 14th country to join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and the first Pacific Island nation. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan expressed hope that the move would strengthen bilateral relations and emphasized that IPEF members were "united in our commitment to a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region." The IPEF has four pillars: fair and resilient trade; supply chain resilience; infrastructure and clean energy; and tax and anti-corruption. Members can choose to participate in any or all of the pillars as they wish. The forum is part of U.S. efforts to push back on growing Chinese influence in the region.
India—3 Militants Killed In Kashmir Clash Times Of India | 05/27/2022 Indian security forces say they killed three terrorists in an encounter in the disputed Kashmir region, reports the Times of India. On Thursday, security forces fought with militants affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba terrorist group in the village of Jumagund in the Kupwara district. Three militants were killed, and weapons and ammunition recovered from the site, police said. The encounter came after local police received intelligence that militants were attempting to infiltrate Jumagund. Separately, three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were killed on Wednesday in a clash in Baramulla in Kashmir. Police said that 22 Pakistani terrorists had been "neutralized" in Kashmir in 2022.
Iran—Foreign Ministry Protests Seizure Of Oil Cargo Press Tv | 05/27/2022 The Iranian Foreign Ministry has formally protested the U.S. seizure of an Iranian oil cargo from a Russian-operated ship in Greek territorial waters, reports Iran's state-affiliated Press TV. On Friday, the ministry summoned the charge d'affaires of Switzerland, which represents U.S. interests in Tehran, to protest the seizure and demand the immediate release of the ship and its cargo. The ministry had previously lodged a formal protest with the Greek charge d'affaires. On Wednesday, the Iranian-flagged Lana, previously the Russian-flagged Pegas, which was sanctioned on Feb. 22, was seized and its cargo of Iranian oil transferred to the Liberia-flagged tanker Ice Energy, which is operated by a Greek firm, reported Reuters. It was not immediately clear if the cargo was impounded because it was Iranian oil or due to sanctions on the tanker over its Russian ownership. Both countries are under separate U.S. sanctions.
Iraq—Parliament Criminalizes Normalization Of Relations With Israel Iraqi News Agency | 05/27/2022 Iraqi lawmakers have approved legislation making it illegal to normalize relations with Israel, reports the Iraqi News Agency. The new law is applicable to all Iraqis as well as foreigners working in Iraq, with punishments that could reach the death penalty. The legislation is designed to prevent the establishment of diplomatic, political, military, economic, cultural or any other form of relations with Israel. Iraq has never recognized the state of Israel and Iraqi citizens and companies have been prohibited from visiting the Jewish state, noted Reuters. Influential Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose party opposes close relations with Israel and the U.S., proposed the law. The bill passed unanimously despite the legislature's inability to convene on other issues, including electing a new president and forming a government, analysts noted.
Israel—Another Step Taken To Improve Ties With Turkey Times of Israel | 05/27/2022 The foreign ministers of Israel and Turkey met this week as part of efforts to rebuild relations, reports the Times of Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid hosted his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Jerusalem on Wednesday. The ministers agreed to two additional steps in a slow reconciliation process: relaunching a joint economic commission and beginning work on a new bilateral civil aviation agreement, Lapid said. Israeli airlines have been locked out of the Turkish market since 2007 after Ankara refused to accommodate Israel's special security requirements. The new civil aviation pact is expected to set the stage for Israeli carriers to resume flights to Turkey. The ministers did not indicate that any schedule had been agreed for a mutual return of ambassadors, suggesting that further progress is needed first. Lapid said that he expected progress in the economic realm while strengthening diplomatic and security ties.
Nigeria—Navy Touts Successes In Crackdown On Illegal Refineries This Day | 05/27/2022 The Nigerian navy says it has eliminated scores of illegal refineries and recovered thousands of gallons of fuel in its latest operation in the Niger Delta region, reports This Day (Lagos). On Tuesday, the service said it deactivated 172 illegal refineries, recovering 5,383,406 gallons (20,378,414 liters) of crude oil and 97,140 gallons (367,715 liters) of dual-purpose kerosene among other fuels over the last seven weeks. Forty-five suspects were also arrested during the operation, navy officials said.
South Korea—Cooperation With Japan, U.S. Against N. Korean Missile Tests To Be Enhanced Yonhap | 05/27/2022 Japan, South Korea and the U.S. have agreed to step up cooperation against North Korean missile threats, reports the Yonhap news agency Seoul). On Thursday, South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun Dong and his American and Japanese counterparts, Wendy Sherman and Takeo Mori, held phone talks a day after Pyongyang test-fired three missiles, including a suspected international continental ballistic missile (ICBM). The officials noted that this was North Korea's 17th show of force in 2022 and that it violated several U.N. Security Council resolutions. They agreed to enhance trilateral cooperation on follow-up measures, said the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
Turkey—Salvo Armed USV Passes Firing Test Dearsan Shipbuilding | 05/27/2022 Dearsan Shipyard in Turkey says it has demonstrated its new armed uncrewed surface vehicle (USV). On Wednesday, the Salvo USV demonstrated its ability to fire guided missiles and stabilized machine guns off the coast of Bursa province in northwestern Turkey, the Istanbul-based shipbuilder said in a release. The uncrewed boat first launched a Cirit laser-guided rocket from a Roketsan turret system, successfully hitting a moving target, said Dearsan. The vessel next fired its Aselsan 12.7-mm stabilized machine gun, again striking a moving target. The Salvo is 48 feet 6 inches (14.79 m) long, 12 feet 7 inches (3.83 m) in beam, with a draft of 2 feet 6 inches (0.75 m). Depending on the engine, it has a top speed of 45-60 knots (80-110 kph). It can be armed with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air guided missiles as well as a 12.7-mm stabilized machine gun. Other variants are under development, including for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, said Dearsan.
United Nations—China, Russia Veto New Sanctions In N. Korea Cable News Network | 05/27/2022 China and Russia have vetoed a new U.S.-led effort to impose additional sanctions on North Korea following more than a dozen missile tests this year in violation of existing U.N. resolutions, reports CNN. This was the first time since 2006 that China and Russia had used their Security Council vetoes to block sanctions on Pyongyang. Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Vasily Alekseevich Nebenzya said that sanctions had not worked so far and expressed concern that further measures could hurt Pyongyang's ability to fight an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vetoes dangerous and likely to fuel North Korean efforts to develop nuclear-capable missile systems.
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