The List 6121 TGB
Another list for Monday June 6
Regards,
skip
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Thanks to Newell
This is Sam Elliot's tribute to SGT Lambert which is a terrific testimonial
to one of our Greatest Generation's D-Day, Omaha Beach heroes.
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Thanks to Mugs
"the toughest man on the longest day."
Matt Williams to The M-1 Garand Enthusiasts Group
June 6, 2018
Something you don't often hear about D-day.
Brigadier General, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. the son of President "Teddy"
Roosevelt, was the oldest man to hit the beach on the D-day invasion. He was
also the highest ranking person to directly participate in the beach landing
invasion. He was supposed to be with the other command staff in England.
Gen. Roosevelt knew the importance of the mission, he knew much of the
invasion force were new, untried soldiers who had never seen combat. His
requests to join his men were repeatedly denied, but he persisted, even when
his superiors told him he faced near certain death.
He was granted permission after explaining how his presence would inspire
confidence in the invasion plan. The Commander of the Allied Forces, General
Eisenhower wrote Roosevelt's eulogy before the invasion.
On the morning of the attack, as he requested, Gen. Roosevelt was in one of
the lead landing craft. He led his men across the beach to a rally point
under heavy fire. Being pinned down, it appeared they were going to be wiped
out. Roosevelt took charge and led a move over the sea wall.
At that time, he realized other troops were trapped back on the beach, and
cut off. He returned to the beach and led these men to join the attacking
force. He repeated this action several times, under heavy fire.
For these actions, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor. The
official citation is below:
"For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the
call of duty on 6 June 1944, in France. After 2 verbal requests to accompany
the leading assault elements in the Normandy invasion had been denied, Brig.
Gen. Roosevelt's written request for this mission was approved and he landed
with the first wave of the forces assaulting the enemy-held beaches. He
repeatedly led groups from the beach, over the seawall and established them
inland. His valor, courage, and presence in the very front of the attack and
his complete unconcern at being under heavy fire inspired the troops to
heights of enthusiasm and self-sacrifice. Although the enemy had the beach
under constant direct fire, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt moved from one locality to
another, rallying men around him, directed and personally led them against
the enemy. Under his seasoned, precise, calm, and unfaltering leadership,
assault troops reduced beach strong points and rapidly moved inland with
minimum casualties. He thus contributed substantially to the successful
establishment of the beachhead in France."
What the citation does not say, is that Gen. Roosevelt was a combat veteran
of WWI, where he was disabled by being shot through the knee. He required a
cane to walk due to his injury. Gen. Roosevelt was 56 years old at the time
of the invasion. He literally stormed the beach at Normandy with a cane in
one hand and a pistol in the other!
When the beach was secured, later that day, command staff began to arrive.
They were met on the beach by Gen. Roosevelt who gave a full report on the
invasion operation.
Six days later, Roosevelt died of a heart attack. He is buried in France. He
has been called "the toughest man on the longest day."
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
TOPGUN - Making the flying scenes ...
The story was more than a bit far-fetched, but the air - air and CGI flying
scenes were impressive … and now I can see why!!
Can't imagine how they did the amazingly realistic F-14 crash landing, into
the barricade, on the carrier deck!!
Training the crew that flew … none quit the 3 month program!!
Going for a spin!
And what about "Dark Star" … and the flyby that really took the roof off of
the security building?
The Lockheed "Skunk Works" folks actually worked w. the crew to design it ….
and more!
1/
WE NEED MORE OF THESE PRO-AMERICAN MILITARY FILMS!!
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1957: Navy F-8 Crusader fighters flew nonstop from the USS Bon Homme Richard
near California to the Saratoga off eastern Florida in the first
carrier-to-carrier transcontinental flight. (24) (This was Curt Dose's
father Bob flying The F8 Crusader)
Here is the rest of the story
F-8 Crusader: Carrier to Carrier Cross Country.
Two F-8 Crusaders catapult from the USS Bon Homme Richard in the Pacific and
land on the USS Saratoga in the Atlantic Ocean. Non-stop.
F-8 & AJ.
The following is extracted from Bill Northrup's narrative of the event.
Toward the end of May 1957 Capt Dose, CO of VX-3, based at NAS Atlantic City
NJ, received a call from a friend at DCNO AIR Operations asking him if he
could set up and make a historic carrier-to-carrier west to east flight in
about a week, specifically, on the anniversary of D-Day, 6 June. President
Eisenhower and top government officials and Navy Admirals and lots of press
were to be on the east coast carrier, the USS Saratoga. Bob said "Sure, they
will make it happen."
They were to pick up a new Crusader for Paul Miller at the factory at Dallas
equipped with the new inflight refueling modification. They went to Dallas,
and Bob's F8, an older one, had to be modified with the new refueling probe,
etc., which was done in short order.
The F8 Crusader was a helluva machine. The previous year CDR Duke Windsor
had set a speed record of 1015.429 mph. Not only that, he was ordered to
"Hold it to just over 1000 mph" by the brass. The F8 had a very long cruise
range also compared to other fighters of that time.
The flight was planned to be two legs with inflight refueling over Dallas.
It being only six miles off the great circle route, San Diego-Jacksonville.
It was calculated that they would go into afterburner and go supersonic at a
specific time on each leg with a safe margin of fuel remaining to, on the
first leg, refuel airborne, and the second to make a "Mach Descent" to a
carrier landing aboard Saratoga. The first leg was to be thirteen minutes
supersonic and seventeen on the last. Longer on the last because they would
be starting from 25,000 feet after refueling and not ground level. They
figured to go to 43,000 feet and fast cruise to the point where afterburners
were lit and acceleration to Mach 1.7. This was the maximum speed allowed
for the early Crusaders due to directional instability above that Mach.
Later F8s had ventral fins which allowed Mach numbers above 1.9.
A practice flight was made from Dallas. Bob and Paul went west to the point
where they were to go into A/B for the thirteen minutes of the last of the
first leg east bound. They turned, went into burner, accelerated to 1.7 Mach
headed for Dallas and the awaiting AJ Savage tanker plane. During the
descent to the tanker they gave Dallas a "really good" sonic boom! Not
intentionally, of course (?) Later that evening the Chance Vought test
pilot, John Conrad, came to the BOQ where Bob and Paul were staying and told
them "You guys almost knocked me out of my bathtub".
They had taken on enough fuel on that practice flight so they were sure the
new inflight refueling system worked properly then landed at NAS Dallas. The
next day they flew to NAS Alameda and the F8s were loaded aboard the USS Bon
Homme Richard. The carrier then headed to the San Diego area.
June 6 1957. CAPT Dose and LCDR Miller catapulted off the Bon Homme
Richard,, joined up, and headed east on the first leg of their flight. They
climbed in A/B to 43,000feet (that took only about 4.5 minutes). Came out of
A/B and continued the flight plan. This plan was all set except for one
place. The White Sands Nuclear testing area. The USAF had not previously
cleared them through that air space. CAPT Dose
contacted the Air Controllers seven minutes out warning them they were
coming. They received clearance 35 seconds prior to crossing into that air
space! CAPT Dose said, "It wouldn't have made any difference, because we
were coming through regardless".
Thirteen minutes prior to the descent point to the tankers awaiting near
Dallas they went into burner and accelerated to 1.7 Mach and held this Mach
to the descent point to the tankers. Out of A/B. Descend. Pick up the
tankers. Plugged in and took on a full load of fuel and went into A/B and
again climbed to 43,000 feet for the last leg.
Bob said "It was one of those rare days. A beautiful clear dark blue sky all
across the southern states". They didn't get any help from the jet stream
winds that day. It was absent. Practically no help there at all. For the
last leg's seventeen minutes of supersonic flight they went into A/B. This
was near the middle of Alabama. As they proceeded the Crusaders wanted to go
faster, so to keep the Mach from exceeding 1.7 they started a slow climb.
Over eastern Alabama, while CAPT Dose gave the FAA controller his report,
the controller exclaimed "What the hell are you guys flying?" That gave Bob
and Paul a grin. They were really haullin' buggy!
During the slow climb on their way toward Jacksonville the Crusaders had
attained an altitude of 47,500 feet arriving at the descent point. Over
Jacksonville Bob said "There was the biggest, tallest thunderstorm I ever
saw. It must have topped out about 60,000 feet. I decided to go around the
north side of it". (This is the scene chosen for the painting). About 50
miles east of Jacksonville cruised the carrier group with many ships
including three carriers. Bob and Paul were breaking Mach 1 in their descent
and were heading for the Saratoga where President Eisenhower and staff -etc.
were waiting. They came by the ship just above deck level about 100 feet out
doing 650 knots. That got everyone's attention! Three hours twenty eight
minutes! An unofficial record never broken.
Now CAPT Dose realized they had to do something to kill off all that excess
speed if they were to be in good shape to get aboard on the first pass. They
were really honkin'! Every Navy pilot knows you have to look good around the
boat. So Bob decided to go a little farther upwind before breaking for the
turn downwind and pulling a lot of Gs' to help kill off all that excess
speed. The Crusader was reluctant to slow up and Bob arrived on final
approach at last with 220 knots, slow enough to raise the wing and drop the
gear. He said "I had about 142 knots very close in and added a lot of power
(for the first time since descent!)" Made a big correction near the ramp and
caught the #3 wire. Paul Miller got aboard OK also. He had a little more
time to get slowed up for his landing. Later, the LSO, Lt Sharp, remarked to
his CO, CAPT Dose, "Skipper, that was a dilly!!"
After climbing down from their cockpits they were surrounded by the press
before being greeted by President Eisenhower. Bob remembered 'Ike' as being
"A very impressive gentleman who was very interested in all the details of
our flight".
After the festivities CAPT Dose and LCDR Miller launched and headed home to
Atlantic City. Their Crusaders had performed flawlessly. Their 'record'
stands.
The significance of Dose's and Miller's flight was that it was not a
"Project" anything. That was the beauty of it. It was a last-minute event
set up by the U.S. Navy to portray the advances in the capabilities of new
naval aircraft. They knew that President Eisenhower would be on the USS
Saratoga to observe naval exercises off the coast of Jacksonville, and that
it would be a good time to do something special.
John Glenn's "Project Bullet" six weeks later was a very official record run
that had been set up well ahead of time to be a "big thing". Remember Dose
and Miller only had about a week to get this organized. These type of
flights will probably never happen again due to the restrictions in
supersonic flight over the U.S.
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Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Graduations
You know our education system has problems when Hallmark comes out with
a new line of "Easy-to-read" graduation cards.
A student comes to a young professor's office hours. She glances down
the hall, closes his door, kneels pleadingly. "I would do anything to pass
this exam."
She leans closer to him, flips back her hair, gazes meaningfully into
his eyes. "I mean..." she whispers, "...I would do...anything!!!"
He returns her gaze. "Anything???"
"Yes,... Anything!!!"
His voice turns to a whisper. "Would you...... study???"
A not necessarily well-prepared student sat in his life science
classroom, staring at a question on the final exam paper. The question
directed: "Give four advantages of breast milk."
What to write? He sighed, and began to scribble whatever came into his
head, hoping for the best:
1. No need to boil.
2. Never goes sour.
3. Available whenever necessary.
So far so good - maybe. But the exam demanded a fourth answer. Again,
what to write? Once more, he sighed. He frowned. He scowled, then sighed
again. Suddenly, he brightened. He grabbed his pen, and triumphantly, he
scribbled his definitive answer:
4. Available in attractive containers of varying sizes.
He received an A.
It was graduation day and Mom was trying to take a picture of their son
in a cap and gown, posed with his father. "Let's try to make this look
natural "she said. "Junior, put your arm around your dad's shoulder."
The father answered, "If you want it to look natural, why not have him
put his hand in my pocket?"
After graduating from high school, David moves away from home to study
at university. One of his letters home reads:
Dear Father,
University i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying
very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply ¢an't think of anything I need, $o if
you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from
you.
Love,
Your $on.
After receiving his son's letter, the father immediately replies by sending
a letter back.
Dear David,
I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep
even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a
NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.
Love,
Dad
Wouldn't it be nice to tell the dean of your college what you really
think about him/her? Well, if you like your dean as much as I like my dean,
then you'd better keep your mouth shut. I knew I'd get kicked out of the
college if I expressed my true feelings, so I remained silent for the last
four years.
But yesterday was my graduation. And as I walked across the stage, the
dean handed my diploma to me (nicely scrolled and tied with a ribbon). Once
she handed it to me, I could finally tell that witch what I really thought
about her. So I leaned across her podium and I looked her straight in the
eye.
"Hey witch," I said. "You're so ugly, you could practice birth control
just by leaving the lights on!"
And then I walked off the stage, and went home. I gotta tell you that it
felt just as good as I had imagined it would for the last four years.
Today, I unwrapped my diploma, framed it, and hung it in the living
room, where it proudly exclaims to the world: "In order to receive your
diploma, please present this certificate to the dean of your college after
final grades have been posted!"
Quotes on education/graduation…
• A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker
tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that
"individuality" is the key to success.--Robert Orben
• Your families are extremely proud of you. You can't imagine the
sense of relief they are experiencing. This would be a most opportune time
to ask for money.--Gary Bolding
• The tassel's worth the hassle!--Author Unknown
• All that stands between the graduate and the top of the ladder is
the ladder.--Author Unknown
• At commencement you wear your square-shaped mortarboards. My hope
is that from time to time you will let your minds be bold, and wear
sombreros.--Paul Freund
• When you leave here, don't forget why you came.--Adlai Stevenson,
to college graduates
• Graduation day is tough for adults. They go to the ceremony as
parents. They come home as contemporaries. After twenty-two years of
child-raising, they are unemployed.--Erma Bombeck
• A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car;
but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole
railroad.--Theodore Roosevelt
• Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that
outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they
have been properly sedated.--Garry Trudeau
• People will frighten you about a graduation.... They use words you
don't hear often: "And we wish you Godspeed." It is a warning, Godspeed.
It means you are no longer welcome here at these prices.--Bill Cosby
• It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to
graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school
days.--Isabel Waxman
• Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things
you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover.--Attributed to Mark Twain, unconfirmed
• Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that
you plant.--Robert Louis Stevenson
• Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man
of value.--Albert Einstein
• If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mother told
you.--Author Unknown
• If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with
enthusiasm.--Vince Lombardi
• I learned law so well, the day I graduated I sued the college, won
the case, and got my tuition back.--Fred Allen
• The purpose of a liberal education is to make you philosophical
enough to accept the fact that you will never make much money.--Author
Unknown
• A professor is someone who talks in someone else's sleep.--W.H.
Auden
Have a great week and congratulations to any graduates out there,
Al
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