The List 6125 TGB
Good Friday Morning June 10
Regards,
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On This Day in Naval and Marine Corps History
June 10
On This Day
1854 The first formal graduation exercises are held at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. Previous classes graduated without a ceremony. Rear Adm. Thomas O. Selfridge and Rear Adm. Joseph N. Miller are two of the six graduates that year.
1944 USS Glennon (DD 620) capsizes and sinks that evening off the Normandy coast, killing 25 crew members, while USS Rich (DE 695), while rescuing USS Glennons crew, loses 90 crew members after striking two mines.
1896 Authorization is given for the first experimental ship model basin, which was under the supervision of Chief Constructor of the Navy, Capt. David W. Taylor. The basin, in Building 70 at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is used by the Navy to monitor new hull designs.
1944 USS Bangust (DE 739) sinks the Japanese submarine (RO 42), 70 miles northeast of Kwajalein, while USS Taylor (DD 468) sinks Japanese submarine RO 111, 210 miles north-northwest of Kavieng, New Ireland.
1945 USS Skate (SS 305) sinks Japanese submarine (I 122) in the Sea of Japan.
1952 USS Evansville (PF 70) is fired on by shore batteries in Songjin Harbor. She avoids damage by maneuvering while USS Endicott (DMS 35) and USS Thomason (DE 203) fire on and silence enemy guns.
1960 Helicopters from USS Yorktown (CVS 10) rescue 54 crewmen of British SS Shunlee, grounded on Pratus Reef in South China Sea.
1995 USS Firebolt (PC 10) is commissioned. The coastal patrol boat is the 10th of the Cyclone-class.
2006 USS Farragut (DDG 99) is commissioned at Mayport, Fla. The 49th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is the fifth Navy ship named for Adm. David Farragut.
2017 Littoral Combat Ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) is commissioned in a ceremony attended by nearly 2,500 guests at Pier 21 at the Port of Galveston, Texas. The ship is named after former United States Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona's 8th district.
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This Day in History
1190 Frederick Barbarossa drowns in a river while leading an army of the Third Crusade.
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1692 Bridget Bishop is hanged in Salem, Mass., for witchcraft.
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1776 The Continental Congress appoints a committee to write a Declaration of Independence.
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1801 Tripoli declares war on the U.S. for refusing to pay tribute.
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1854 The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, holds its first graduation.
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1861 Dorothea Dix is appointed superintendent of female nurses for the Union army.
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1864 At the Battle of Brice's Crossroads in Mississippi, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest defeats the numerically superior Union troops.
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1898 U.S. Marines land in Cuba.
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1905 Japan and Russia agree to peace talks brokered by President Theodore Roosevelt.
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1909 An SOS signal is transmitted for the first time in an emergency when the Cunard liner SS Slavonia is wrecked off the Azores.
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1916 Mecca, under control of the Turks, falls to the Arabs during the Great Arab Revolt.
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1920 The Republican convention in Chicago endorses women's suffrage.
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1924 The Italian socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti is kidnapped and assassinated by Fascists in Rome.
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1925 Tennessee adopts a new biology text book denying the theory of evolution.
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1940 The Norwegian army capitulates to the Germans.
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1942 Germany razes the town of Lidice, Czechoslovakia and kills more than 1,300 citizens in retribution of the murder of Reinhard Heydrich.
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1943 The Allies begin bombing Germany around the clock.
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1944 The U.S. VII and V corps, advancing from Normandy's beaches, link up and begin moving inland.
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1948 The news that the sound barrier has been broken is finally released to the public by the U.S. Air Force. Chuck Yeager, piloting the rocket airplane X-1, exceeded the speed of sound on October 14, 1947.
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1963 Buddhist monk Ngo Quang Duc dies by self immolation in Saigon to protest persecution by the Diem government.
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1970 A 15-man group of special forces troops begin training for Operation Kingpin, a POW rescue mission in North Vietnam.
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1985 The Israeli army pulls out of Lebanon after 1,099 days of occupation.
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1999 Serb forces begin their withdrawal from Kosovo after signing an agreement with the NATO powers.
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Thanks to Wigs
Brilliant
Watch this bright Harvard senior deliver an incredible speech about freedom in America:
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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, 10 June 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 10 June 1967… Shoot-out at San Son…
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 Carl
US Navy aircraft carriers may be useless in a war with China
"The days of the carrier on the modern battlefield may be numbered."
BY JEFF SCHOGOL | PUBLISHED JUN 9, 2022 10:48 AM
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This Day in U S Military History…….June 10
1942 – The carrier USS Wasp and battleship USS North Carolina accompanied by cruisers and destroyers pass through the canal to join the US Pacific Fleet after service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. There are now four American fleet aircraft carriers in the Pacific theater.
1943 – Operation Husky, Allied landing on Sicily. The landings took place in extremely strong wind conditions, which made the landings difficult but also ensured the element of surprise. Landings were made on the southern and eastern coasts of the island, with the British forces in the East and the Americans towards the West. Four airborne operations were carried out, landing during the night of the 9/10 July, as part of the invasion; two were British and two American. The American troops were the 82nd Airborne division, making their first combat parachute jump. The strong winds blew the dropping aircraft off course and scattered them widely; the result was that around half the US paratroops failed to make it to their rallying points. British glider-landed troops fared little better; only 12 out of 144 gliders landing on target, many landing in the sea. Nevertheless the scattered airborne troops maximised their opportunities, attacking patrols and creating confusion wherever possible. U.S. paratroopers jump into Australia on a military training exercise. …Gliders are un-powered heavier-than-air aircraft. …The sea landings, despite the weather, were carried out against little opposition, the Italian units stationed on the shoreline lacking equipment and transport. The British walked into the port of Syracuse virtually unopposed. Only in the American centre was a substantial counterattack made, in exactly the point where the US Airborne were supposed to have been. On the 11 July Patton ordered his reserve parachute regiments to drop and reinforce the centre. Unfortunately not every unit had been informed of the drop, and the transports, which arrived shortly after an Axis air raid, were fired on by their own side, losing 37 out of 144 planes by friendly fire. Map of central Mediterranean Sea, showing location of Syracuse on the island of Sicily. … The plans for the post-invasion battle had not been worked out in detail. Each Army was expected to advance towards its own objectives; boundaries between the two armies were fixed. In the first two days progress was excellent, capturing Vizzini in the west and Augusta in the east. Categories: Possible copyright violations … However resistance in the British sector then stiffened. Montgomery persuaded Alexander to shift the boundaries so that the British could by-pass the resistance and retain the key role of capturing Messina, while the Americans were given the role of protecting and supporting their flank. Patton sought a greater role for his army, and decided to try to capture the capital, Palermo. After dispatching a 'reconnaissance' toward the town of Agrigento which succeeded in capturing it, he persuaded Alexander to allow him to continue to advance. Alexander changed his mind and countermanded his orders, but Patton claimed the countermand was 'garbled in transmission', and by the time the position had been clarified Patton was at the gates of Palermo. Messina, Italy Strait of Messina, Italy. … (This article is about Palermo in Sicily. … Agrigento (formerly Girgenti) is the name of a town on the southern coast of Italy, capital of the province of Agrigento. …The fall of Palermo inspired a coup against Mussolini, and he was deposed from power. Although the removal of Italy from the war had been one of the long-term objectives of the Italian campaign, the suddenness of the move caught the Allies by surprise. Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. … After Patton's capture of Palermo, with the British still bogged down south of Messina, Alexander ordered a two-pronged attack on the city. Patton became obsessed with the idea of reaching Messina before the British, writing "This is a horse race in which the prestige of the US Army is at stake.". The Axis, now effectively under the command of German General Hans Hube, had prepared a strong defensive line, the 'Etna Line' around Messina, that would enable him to make a progressive retreat while evacuating large parts of his army to the mainland. Patton began his assault on the line at Troina, but it was a lynchpin of the defense and stubbornly held. Despite three 'end run' amphibious landings the Germans managed to keep the bulk of their forces beyond reach of capture, and maintain their evacuation plans. Elements of the US Third Infantry Division entered Messina just hours after the last axis troops boarded ship for Italy. However Patton had won his race to enter Messina first. The casualties on the Axis side totalled 29,000, with 140,000 captured. The capture of Biscari airfield also resulted in an atrocity when American troops killed seventy-three Prisoners of War, supposedly inspired by Patton. The US lost 2,237 killed and 6,544 wounded and captured; the British suffered 2,721 dead, and 10,122 wounded and captured. For many of the American forces this was their first time in combat. However the Axis successfully evacuated over 100,000 men and 10,000 vehicles from Sicily. No plan had been made by the Allies to prevent this. The Biscari massacre was a war crime committed by US American troops during World War II, where unarmed German and Italian prisoners of war were massacred at Biscari in 1943, as ordered by George S. Patton. … The invasion also had an impact on the Eastern front. One of the reasons why the Germans had to cancel their offensive near Kursk was that they decided to send units to Italy after they received news of the invasion. The Eastern Front was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. … Battle of Kursk Conflict World War II Date July 4, 1943 – July 22, 1943 Place Kursk, USSR Result Indecisive; generally considered a strategic German loss The Battle of Kursk was a significant battle on the Eastern Front of World War II. It remains the largest armored engagement of all time… Husky was the largest amphibious operation of World War II in terms of men landed on the beaches, and of frontage; it overshadowed even the later Normandy landings. Strategically, the Sicilian operation achieved the goals set out for it by Allied planners. Axis air and naval forces were driven from the island; the Mediterranean sea lanes were opened and Mussolini had been toppled from power. It opened the way to the invasion of Italy, which had not necessarily been seen as a follow-up to Operation Husky. The word amphibious or amphibian, when used alone, has several possible meanings in the English language. … Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. … The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies.
1944 – The U.S. VII and V corps, advancing from Normandy's Utah and Omaha beaches, respectively, linked-up and began moving inland. The Utah and Omaha beaches are linked up by an advance of the US 2nd Armored Division (part of 5th Corps). The US 101st Airborne Division continues to be engaged around Carentan.
1945 – On Okinawa, fighting continues on the Oroku Peninsula, where the forces of the US 6th Marine Division have reduced the Japanese pocket to about 2000 square yards. Heavy Japanese losses are recorded in nighttime counterattacks. Meanwhile, on the south of the island, the US 1st Marine Division suffers heavy losses in the successful capture of a hill west of the town of Yuza. The US 24th Corps forces, to the left, launches a major offensive against the last Japanese defensive line, the Yaeju-Dake Line. Japanese resistance is evidently weakening.
1945 – On Luzon, Japanese forces halt the advance of the US 37th Division near Orioung Pass.
1945 – In Frankfurt, Marshal Zhukov confers the Soviet Order of Victory on Field Marshal Montgomery and General Eisenhower. During the evening, in a message broadcast by Hamburg radio, Field Marshal Montgomery says that the German people must be taught that not only have they been defeated, but that they are guilty of beginning the war as they were guilty in 1914. He suggests parents read the message to their children and ensure that they understand it.
1948 – The news that the sound barrier has been broken is finally released to the public by the U.S. Air Force. Chuck Yeager, piloting the rocket airplane X-1, exceeded the speed of sound on October 14, 1947.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
ANDREWS, JOHN
Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1821, York County, Pennsylvania. Accredited to: Maryland. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Benicia in action against Korean forts on 9 and 10 June 1871. Stationed at the lead in passing the forts, Andrews stood on the gunwale on the Benicia's launch, lashed to the ridgerope. He remained unflinchingly in this dangerous position and gave his soundings with coolness and accuracy under a heavy fire.
LUKES, WILLIAM F.
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1846, Bohemia. Enlisted at: Tientsin, China. G.O. No.: 180, 10 October 1872. Citation: Served with Company D during the capture of the Korean forts, 9 and 10 June 1871. Fighting the enemy inside the fort, Lukes received a severe cut over the head.
MERTON, JAMES F.
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Birth: England. G.O. No.: 180, 10 October 1872. Citation: Landsman and member of Company D during the capture of the Korean forts, 9 and 10 June 1871, Merton was severely wounded in the arm while trying to force his way into the fort.
ROSE, GEORGE
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 28 February 1880, Stamford, Conn. Accredited to: Connecticut. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battles at Peking, China, 13, 20, 21 and 22 June 1900. Throughout this period, Rose distinguished himself by meritorious conduct. While stationed as a crewmember of the U.S.S. Newark, he was part of its landing force that went ashore off Taku, China. on 31 May 1900, he was in a party of 6 under John McCloy (MH) which took ammunition from the Newark to Tientsin. On 10 June 1900, he was one of a party that carried dispatches from LaFa to Yongstsum at night. On the 13th he was one of a few who fought off a large force of the enemy saving the Main baggage train from destruction. On the 20th and 21st he was engaged in heavy fighting against the Imperial Army being always in the first rank. On the 22d he showed gallantry in the capture of the Siku Arsenal. He volunteered to go to the nearby village which was occupied by the enemy to secure medical supplies urgently required. The party brought back the supplies carried by newly taken prisoners.
*DEFRANZO, ARTHUR F.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Vaubadon, France, 10 June 1944. Entered service at: Saugus, Mass. Birth: Saugus, Mass. G.O. No.: 1, 4 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, on 10 June 1944, near Vaubadon, France. As scouts were advancing across an open field, the enemy suddenly opened fire with several machineguns and hit 1 of the men. S/Sgt. DeFranzo courageously moved out in the open to the aid of the wounded scout and was himself wounded but brought the man to safety. Refusing aid, S/Sgt. DeFranzo reentered the open field and led the advance upon the enemy. There were always at least 2 machineguns bringing unrelenting fire upon him, but S/Sgt. DeFranzo kept going forward, firing into the enemy and 1 by 1 the enemy emplacements became silent. While advancing he was again wounded, but continued on until he was within 100 yards of the enemy position and even as he fell, he kept firing his rifle and waving his men forward. When his company came up behind him, S/Sgt. DeFranzo, despite his many severe wounds, suddenly raised himself and once more moved forward in the lead of his men until he was again hit by enemy fire. In a final gesture of indomitable courage, he threw several grenades at the enemy machinegun position and completely destroyed the gun. In this action, S/Sgt. DeFranzo lost his life, but by bearing the brunt of the enemy fire in leading the attack, he prevented a delay in the assault which would have been of considerable benefit to the foe, and he made possible his company's advance with a minimum of casualties. The extraordinary heroism and magnificent devotion to duty displayed by S/Sgt. DeFranzo was a great inspiration to all about him, and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the armed forces.
EHLERS, WALTER D.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and dare: Near Goville, France, 9-10 June 1944. Entered service at: Manhattan, Kans. Birth: Junction City, Kans. G.O. No.: 91, 19 December 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 9-10 June 1944, near Goville, France. S/Sgt. Ehlers, always acting as the spearhead of the attack, repeatedly led his men against heavily defended enemy strong points exposing himself to deadly hostile fire whenever the situation required heroic and courageous leadership. Without waiting for an order, S/Sgt. Ehlers, far ahead of his men, led his squad against a strongly defended enemy strong point, personally killing 4 of an enemy patrol who attacked him en route. Then crawling forward under withering machinegun fire, he pounced upon the guncrew and put it out of action. Turning his attention to 2 mortars protected by the crossfire of 2 machineguns, S/Sgt. Ehlers led his men through this hail of bullets to kill or put to flight the enemy of the mortar section, killing 3 men himself. After mopping up the mortar positions, he again advanced on a machinegun, his progress effectively covered by his squad. When he was almost on top of the gun he leaped to his feet and, although greatly outnumbered, he knocked out the position single-handed. The next day, having advanced deep into enemy territory, the platoon of which S/Sgt. Ehlers was a member, finding itself in an untenable position as the enemy brought increased mortar, machinegun, and small arms fire to bear on it, was ordered to withdraw. S/Sgt. Ehlers, after his squad had covered the withdrawal of the remainder of the platoon, stood up and by continuous fire at the semicircle of enemy placements, diverted the bulk of the heavy hostile fire on himself, thus permitting the members of his own squad to withdraw. At this point, though wounded himself, he carried his wounded automatic rifleman to safety and then returned fearlessly over the shell-swept field to retrieve the automatic rifle which he was unable to carry previously. After having his wound treated, he refused to be evacuated, and returned to lead his squad. The intrepid leadership, indomitable courage, and fearless aggressiveness displayed by S/Sgt. Ehlers in the face of overwhelming enemy forces serve as an inspiration to others.
McCOOL, RICHARD MILES,
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. LSC(L)(3) 122. Place and date: Off Okinawa, 10 and 11 June 1945. Entered service at: Oklahoma. Born: 4 January 1922, Tishomingo, Okla. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. LSC(L)(3) 122 during operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Ryukyu chain, 10 and 11 June 1945. Sharply vigilant during hostile air raids against Allied ships on radar picket duty off Okinawa on 10 June, Lt. McCool aided materially in evacuating all survivors from a sinking destroyer which had sustained mortal damage under the devastating attacks. When his own craft was attacked simultaneously by 2 of the enemy's suicide squadron early in the evening of 11 June, he instantly hurled the full power of his gun batteries against the plunging aircraft, shooting down the first and damaging the second before it crashed his station in the conning tower and engulfed the immediate area in a mass of flames. Although suffering from shrapnel wounds and painful burns, he rallied his concussion-shocked crew and initiated vigorous firefighting measures and then proceeded to the rescue of several trapped in a blazing compartment, subsequently carrying 1 man to safety despite the excruciating pain of additional severe burns. Unmindful of all personal danger, he continued his efforts without respite until aid arrived from other ships and he was evacuated. By his staunch leadership, capable direction, and indomitable determination throughout the crisis, Lt. McCool saved the lives of many who otherwise might have perished and contributed materially to the saving of his ship for further combat service. His valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of extreme peril sustains and enhances the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*ABRELL, CHARLES G.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company E, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Hangnyong, Korea, 10 June 1951. Entered service at: Terre Haute, Ind. Born: 12 August 1931, Terre Haute, Ind. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a fire team leader in Company E, in action against enemy aggressor forces. While advancing with his platoon in an attack against well-concealed and heavily fortified enemy hill positions, Cpl. Abrell voluntarily rushed forward through the assaulting squad which was pinned down by a hail of intense and accurate automatic-weapons fire from a hostile bunker situated on commanding ground. Although previously wounded by enemy hand grenade fragments, he proceeded to carry out a bold, single-handed attack against the bunker, exhorting his comrades to follow him. Sustaining 2 additional wounds as he stormed toward the emplacement, he resolutely pulled the pin from a grenade clutched in his hand and hurled himself bodily into the bunker with the live missile still in his grasp. Fatally wounded in the resulting explosion which killed the entire enemy guncrew within the stronghold, Cpl. Abrell, by his valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death, served to inspire all his comrades and contributed directly to the success of his platoon in attaining its objective. His superb courage and heroic initiative sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*SHIELDS, MARVIN G.
Rank and organization: Construction Mechanic Third Class, U.S. Navy, Seabee Team 1104. Place and date: Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam, 10 June 1965. Entered service at: Seattle, Wash. Born: 30 December 1939, Port Townsend, Wash. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Although wounded when the compound of Detachment A342, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, came under intense fire from an estimated reinforced Viet Cong regiment employing machineguns, heavy weapons and small arms, Shields continued to resupply his fellow Americans who needed ammunition and to return the enemy fire for a period of approximately 3 hours, at which time the Viet Cong launched a massive attack at close range with flame-throwers, hand grenades and small-arms fire. Wounded a second time during this attack, Shields nevertheless assisted in carrying a more critically wounded man to safety, and then resumed firing at the enemy for 4 more hours. When the commander asked for a volunteer to accompany him in an attempt to knock out an enemy machinegun emplacement which was endangering the lives of all personnel in the compound because of the accuracy of its fire, Shields unhesitatingly volunteered for this extremely hazardous mission. Proceeding toward their objective with a 3.5-inch rocket launcher, they succeeded in destroying the enemy machinegun emplacement, thus undoubtedly saving the lives of many of their fellow servicemen in the compound. Shields was mortally wounded by hostile fire while returning to his defensive position. His heroic initiative and great personal valor in the face of intense enemy fire sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
WILLIAMS, CHARLES Q.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant (then 2d Lt.), U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group. Place and date: Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam, 9 to 10 June 1965. Entered service at: Fort Jackson, S.C. Born: 17 September 1933, Charleston, S.C. G.O. No.: 30, 5 July 1966. Citation: 1st Lt. Williams distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while defending the Special Forces Camp against a violent attack by hostile forces that lasted for 14 hours. 1st Lt. Williams was serving as executive officer of a Special Forces Detachment when an estimated Vietcong reinforced regiment struck the camp and threatened to overrun it and the adjacent district headquarters. He awoke personnel, organized them, determined the source of the insurgents' main effort and led the troops to their defensive positions on the south and west walls. Then, after running to the District Headquarters to establish communications, he found that there was no radio operational with which to communicate with his commanding officer in another compound. To reach the other compound, he traveled through darkness but was halted in this effort by a combination of shrapnel in his right leg and the increase of the Vietcong gunfire. Ignoring his wound, he returned to the district headquarters and directed the defense against the first assault. As the insurgents attempted to scale the walls and as some of the Vietnamese defenders began to retreat, he dashed through a barrage of gunfire, succeeded in rallying these defenders, and led them back to their positions. Although wounded in the thigh and left leg during this gallant action, he returned to his position and, upon being told that communications were reestablished and that his commanding officer was seriously wounded, 1st Lt. Williams took charge of actions in both compounds. Then, in an attempt to reach the communications bunker, he sustained wounds in the stomach and right arm from grenade fragments. As the defensive positions on the walls had been held for hours and casualties were mounting, he ordered the consolidation of the American personnel from both compounds to establish a defense in the district building. After radio contact was made with a friendly air controller, he disregarded his wounds and directed the defense from the District building, using descending flares as reference points to adjust air strikes. By his courage, he inspired his team to hold out against the insurgent force that was closing in on them and throwing grenades into the windows of the building. As daylight arrived and the Vietcong continued to besiege the stronghold, firing a machinegun directly south of the district building, he was determined to eliminate this menace that threatened the lives of his men. Taking a 3.5 rocket launcher and a volunteer to load it, he worked his way across open terrain, reached the berm south of the district headquarters, and took aim at the Vietcong machinegun 150 meters away. Although the sight was faulty, he succeeded in hitting the machinegun. While he and the loader were trying to return to the district headquarters, they were both wounded. With a fourth wound, this time in the right arm and leg, and realizing he was unable to carry his wounded comrade back to the district building, 1st Lt. Williams pulled him to a covered position and then made his way back to the district building where he sought the help of others who went out and evacuated the injured soldier. Although seriously wounded and tired, he continued to direct the air strikes closer to the defensive position. As morning turned to afternoon and the Vietcong pressed their effort with direct recoilless rifle fire into the building, he ordered the evacuation of the seriously wounded to the safety of the communications bunker. When informed that helicopters would attempt to land as the hostile gunfire had abated, he led his team from the building to the artillery position, making certain of the timely evacuation of the wounded from the communications area, and then on to the pickup point. Despite resurgent Vietcong gunfire, he directed the rapid evacuation of all personnel. Throughout the long battle, he was undaunted by the vicious Vietcong assault and inspired the defenders in decimating the determined insurgents. 1st Lt. Williams' extraordinary heroism, are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 10, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
10 June
1908: The Aeronautical Society, first of its kind, formed in New York. The society later obtained Morris Park Airfield for its use. (24)
1909: President William H. Taft presented Aero Club of America medals to Orville and Wilbur Wright at the White House. (24)
1943: The US AAF and RAF initiated the Combined Bomber Offensive against Germany. In that offensive, Eighth Air Force attacked enemy industrial targets by day, while the RAF hit enemy cities by night. (21)
1948: The USAF confirmed that Capt Chuck Yeager had repeatedly attained supersonic speeds in the Bell X-1 (formerly XS-1). (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. The airfield at Chunchon, some 50 miles northeast of Seoul and 10 miles south of the 38th parallel opened to cargo traffic, adding to 315 AD's ability to meet the growing demand for airdrop capability. (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Through 11 June, 8 B-29s from the 19th Bombardment Group attacked the rail bridge at Kwaksan, N. Korea. Enemy MiGs, operating in conjunction with radar-controlled searchlights and flak, destroyed two B-29s and badly damaged a third. This new development in the enemy's air defense system prompted Far East Air Forces to improve electronic countermeasures to jam and confuse enemy radar. (28)
1960: The US Army reported that a Nike-Hercules had shot down a Corporal in the first known instance of one guided missile intercepting another. (16) (24)
1963: The two-seat F-105F, designed as a mission trainer and combat fighter-bomber, flew for the first time.
1967: Project TURN KEY. The USAF completed a $52 million airbase at Tuy Hoa, Vietnam, in one year. It was the first base to be designed and built completely under Air Force supervision. (16) Operation CREEK DIPPER. Through 11 June, during the 7-Day War between Israel and neighboring Arab states, MAC, TAC, and USAFE aircraft and aircrews evacuated 816 people from Jordan to Iran. (18)
1969: AFSC gave the number one X-15 rocket-powered, manned research aircraft to the Smithsonian Institution for display. (16) SECDEF Melvin Laird cancelled the USAF's MOL program. (16) PROJECT MISTY BRONCO. The USAF approved the arming of OV-10s in SEA to provide an immediate strike presence to ground forces. The Misty Bronco concept test ran from April to June. (17)
1974: Northrop's YF-17 achieved Mach 1.1 at Edwards AFB without using its afterburner. This was the first time a US aircraft had reached this speed in level flight. (3)
1975: A memorandum of understanding between the US and Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway selected General Dynamics' F-16 for European production. (12)
1982: FAIR FORCE ONE. Capt Kelly S. C. Hamilton, then SAC's only female aircraft commander, joined copilot 1Lt Linda Martin, navigators Capt Cathy Bacon and 1Lt Diane Oswald, and boom operator Sgt Jackie Hale on a 5-hour KC-135 training sortie from Castle AFB. Thus, SAC's first all-female crew, nick-named "Fair Force One," made a historic flight. An all female ground crew prepared the aircraft for its flight. (1)
1989: Capt Jacquelyn S. Parker became the first female pilot to graduate the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB. (16)
1997: MACKAY TROPHY. Lt Col Frank J. Kisner and his MC-130 crew from the 352d Special Operations Group evacuated 56 people, including 30 U. S. citizens, from Brazzaville, Congo, after an outbreak of civil strife. For this outstanding flight of the year, Kisner and his crew earned the trophy. (21)
1998: Through 8 July, to support President William J. Clinton's 9-day trip to China, AMC flew 33 C-5, 2 C-141, and 7 KC-135 missions. In this first trip to China by a US President since 1989, President Clinton met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Beijing on 27 June in a summit meeting before visiting Shanghai and Xian, China's ancient capital. (22)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. NATO suspended airstrikes against Yugoslavia after its president agreed on 9 June to withdraw Serb forces from Kosovo. That capitulation made ALLIED FORCE the first war won by airpower alone. Then through 8 July AMC airlifters deployed Task Force Falcon and elements of Task Force Hawk to Macedonia to help constitute the US military part of the Kosovo multinational peacekeeping force. (21) (22)
2001: To support flood relief efforts in Houston, a C-17 from Charleston AFB flew 25 federal relief workers and 15 tons of relief supplies from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Ellington Field. (22)
2002: For the B-1 Block E Computer Upgrade Test Program, a B-1B crew from the Edwards AFB AFFTC passed a third milestone in two months by delivering three different weapons against four targets in a single, 20-second bomb pass. The crew released a GPS-guided GBU-31 JDAM, MK-82 500-pound gravity weapon, and two CBU-105 WCMDs. Each weapon struck its designated target, which were placed from 300 to 4,000 feet apart. (3)
2005: The Air Force Research Lab at Edwards AFB fired a hybrid rocket motor, using a rubberized fuel and liquid oxygen. The low-cost small launch vehicle developed 23,000 pounds of thrust, and was part of the joint DARPA and USAF Falcon Satellite Launch Vehicle program. (3)
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World News for 10 June thanks to Military Periscope
USA—3 Companies Receive Contracts For New F-35 Strike Weapon Northrop Grumman | 06/10/2022 Northrop Grumman has received an Air Force contract to develop a new ground attack weapon for the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, reports the defense firm. On Thursday, Northrop Grumman said it had received a $2 million contract with follow-on options to develop the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) missile. The deal has a three-month period of performance, with three competitive gates for three prime contractors to validate their capabilities. Under the first phase, the Air Force plans to align the technical capabilities of the SiAW with Air Combat Command requirements. Lockheed Martin and L3Harris also received $2 million contracts for the first phase of the program, reported Defense News. The SiAW is intended to enable the F-35 to strike mobile systems, such as surface-to-air missiles, ballistic missile launchers, land-attack and anti-ship cruise missile launchers, GPS jammers and anti-satellite systems. The weapon would be carried internally on the F-35, which would penetrate hostile airspace to get closer to the target, officials said.
USA—5 Marines Die In Osprey Crash In Calif. San Diego Union-Tribune | 06/10/2022 Five Marines were killed when their tiltrotor went down in Southern California, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. On Wednesday, the Marines were onboard an MV-22B Osprey that crashed during a training mission near Glamis in Imperial County, the service said in a release on Thursday. The Osprey was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based in San Diego, reported NBC News. The Marine Corps was recovering the wreckage of the aircraft and had begun an investigation into the incident.
USA—Fire Shuts Down Operations At LNG Export Facility KPRC TV | 06/10/2022 The Freeport liquified natural gas (LNG) export facility in Texas has suffered a fire that will halt exports for at least three weeks, reports KPRC TV (Houston), an NBC affiliate. On Wednesday, the facility on Quintana Island experienced an explosion and subsequent fire. No injuries were reported. The facility will be out of operation for at least three weeks, Freeport LNG said. The plant has historically sent its cargoes to Japan and South Korea, although Europe has been pulling cargoes recently as part of its drive to replace Russian gas. The Texas Gulf Coast facility provides 20 percent of U.S. LNG processing, reported Reuters. A three-week outage will result in a loss of around 940,000 metric tons of LNG, analysts said, though Europe should be able to make up for it from its stored reserves.
USA—Latest Sentinel Air Defense Radars Delivered Lockheed Martin | 06/10/2022 Lockheed Martin says it has delivered an initial batch of new air and missile defense radars to the U.S. Army. On May 26, the company handed over the first five Sentinel A4 radars to the service. The systems will now undergo government testing, including mobility, environmental, radar performance and logistics trials. Production of another five Sentinel A4s is underway, with delivery anticipated in March 2023, said Lockheed. The latest model of the Sentinel provides improved capability over the A3, including against cruise missiles, uncrewed aircraft, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and rocket, artillery and mortar threats, the company said.
USA—Palestinian Affairs Office Reopened In Israel, Rolling Back Trump Move Axios | 06/10/2022 The Biden administration is rolling back a decision by the former Trump administration to place the office responsible for Palestinian affairs within the embassy in Israel, reports Axios. Under the change implemented on Wednesday, diplomats working for the Palestinian Affairs Unit will no longer report to the U.S. ambassador at the embassy, instead communicating directly with the Near East Affairs Bureau at the State Dept. The move is intended to strengthen relations with the Palestinians ahead of President Joe Biden's planned trip to the Middle East next month. The administration has also indicated that it wants to reopen the consulate in Jerusalem that served as the U.S. mission to the Palestinian Authority until the Trump administration closed it in 2019.
USA—Summit Of The Americas Dominated By Absences, Migration Issues Cable News Network | 06/10/2022 The Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles kicked off with several leaders criticizing President Joe Biden's decision not to invite the leaders of several autocratic governments in the region, reports CNN. The absence of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela led several leaders to boycott the event, including Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and the leaders of Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. For his part, Biden emphasized the democratic values of the Western Hemisphere and touted "strong and constructive diplomacy" that had been achieved during the talks. He also met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and leaders from Caribbean countries. During the talks with the Caribbean leaders, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris discussed the root causes of migration in the Western Hemisphere and the president provided an overview of his new economic and migration policy.
Ukraine—E.U. Commits Another $217 Million In Humanitarian Aid European Commission | 06/10/2022 The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, has announced a new tranche of humanitarian aid for Ukraine. On Thursday, the commission announced another 205 million euros (US$217 million) in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, bringing its total humanitarian aid funding and in-kind assistance to more than 700 million euros (US$748 million) since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion in February. Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic visited Ukraine on Thursday to meet with humanitarian organizations and Ukrainian officials to help coordinate the E.U.'s crisis-response efforts, the commission said. The commission also noted that it has activated the E.U. Civil Protection Mechanism, in which all 27 member states, Turkey, Norway and North Macedonia have provided more than 38,000 metric tons of aid, including first aid kits, food, protective clothing and strategic equipment like fire trucks, mobile hospitals and energy supplies. This aid is valued at around 373 million euros (US$396 million).
Ukraine—Heavy Fighting Continues In Sievierodonetsk, Troops Counterattack In South Ukrinform | 06/10/2022 Ukrainian forces continue to hold amid heavy fighting in Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine while making some gains in the south, reports Ukrinform. The commander of the Svoboda National Guard Battalion told media that Ukrainian forces in the city had pushed back the Russians in a counterattack, reported Reuters. Meanwhile, Russian forces are also attempting to advance toward Lyman, Slovyansk and Bakhmut in the Donbas region. Serhii Haidai, the head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, told Ukrayinska Pravda, that the Russian military had been forced to pulled units composed of the Buryat ethnic minority from Sievierodonetsk due to high losses. Haidai noted that the level of the Siverskyi Donets River had fallen due to hot weather, which could lead Russia to attempt another crossing. In the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, Ukrainian forces have launched successful counteroffensives that have made some gains, said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy without providing details.
Ukraine—Separatists Sentence British, Moroccan Soldiers To Death In Show Trial Guardian | 06/10/2022 Russian-backed authorities in occupied eastern Ukraine have sentenced to death two British men and a Moroccan national captured while fighting in the Ukrainian armed forces, reports the Guardian (U.K.). The Britons, who say they were serving in the Ukrainian marines, and the Moroccan were captured in Mariupol, which fell to Russian forces last month. A court in Donetsk convicted the three on charges of "terrorism" following a days-long process that observers described as a "Soviet-era show trial." The three say they were active-duty soldiers and should be protected by the Geneva conventions on prisoners of war. Russian state media has called them "mercenaries." Russian separatist officials said that the foreign soldiers would have a month to appeal the sentence, which could be reduced to life or 25 years in prison. Moscow is believed to be using the process to pressure the U.K. and may seek a prisoner exchange for Russian soldiers convicted of war crimes during Russia's unprovoked invasion.
Algeria—Cooperation Treaty With Spain Suspended Over W. Sahara France 24 | 06/10/2022 The Algerian government has suspended a cooperation treaty with Spain in response to Madrid's decision to back Morocco over the disputed Western Sahara region, reports France 24. The agreement was signed in 2002 to promote dialogue and cooperation on political, economic, financial, education and defense issues. The Algerian banking association told banks that imports of goods and services from Spain were being halted due to the suspension of the treaty. The decision affected all trade except for natural gas sales, Algerian sources told Reuters. The move comes after Spain publicly recognized Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, helping to end a year-long diplomatic spat. On Wednesday, Algiers said that the decision was "in violation of its legal, moral and political obligations" toward the territory, a former Spanish colony. Algeria backs the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara.
Canada—Defense Dept. Launches Probe After Contractor Hit With Cyberattack Global News | 06/10/2022 The Canadian Dept. of National Defense says it is investigating the potential affects of a cyberattack on a military contractor, reports Global News. On Tuesday, the department said that CMC Electronics in Montreal had recently alerted the Canadian government that it had experienced a "cyber breach-related incident" late last month. A department spokeswoman noted that none of its internal systems used CMC Electronics technology. The TransDigm Group, CMC's parent company, said in a statement that it had identified a "third-party intrusion" into its networks "that disrupted ... operations in connection with a ransom demand." There was no evidence that the hackers had stolen sensitive information. La Presse newspaper in Montreal reported that the ALPHV or Black Cat ransomware group may have been behind the attack. The group is known for "ransomware-as-service," in which it sells its services to a decentralized group of clients. It is believed to have links to the Russian state.
China—Civilian Killed In Fighter Crash In Hubei Province Global Times | 06/10/2022 A civilian was killed when a Chinese air force fighter jet went down in the central Hubei province, reports the state-run Global Times (Beijing). On Thursday morning, a J-7 fighter was on a routine training flight when it crashed in Xiangyang, hitting residential buildings. The pilot ejected safely but one civilian was killed and two were injured in the crash. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Democratic Republic of the Congo—Army Accuses Rwanda Of Disguising Troops Sent To Support M23 militia Africa News Online | 06/10/2022 The Congolese army has accused Rwanda of sending hundreds of disguised troops into the Democratic Republic of Congo to fight with the M23 militia, reports Africa News. On Wednesday night, the army said that Rwanda had deployed at least 500 special operations forces near Chanzu in the eastern North Kivu province in new uniforms to disguise their presence. The change in uniform was made after two Rwandan soldiers were captured by Congolese forces on May 28 who said they had illegally crossed the border, the army said, as reported by the East African (Nairobi, Kenya). Rwanda says the troops were abducted while patrolling the border. A Rwandan government spokeswoman rejected the charge and said her government would not respond to "baseless accusations."
India—Government Considering Allowing Additional Wheat Exports Reuters | 06/10/2022 The Indian government is considering relaxing its ban on wheat exports to allow cargoes stopped in its ports to be shipped abroad, reports Reuters. New Delhi implemented a wheat export ban on May 14 but said shipments would be permitted for those backed by already issued letters of credit and to countries that request supplies "to meet their food security needs". To date, India has permitted about 517,206 tons of grain to be exported, with another 1.8 million tons stranded in ports. Traders have expressed concern that the coming monsoon season could damage any grain that is not shipped. Freeing up those shipments would help address shortages in countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, who are major customers for Indian wheat.
Iran—Government Set To Remove Cameras From Nuclear Facilities Financial Times | 06/10/2022 The Iranian government has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it is removing 27 cameras used to monitor its nuclear activities, reports the Financial Times (U.K.). Tehran informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog of its decision following the IAEA Board of Governor's approval on Wednesday of a resolution criticizing Iran for failing to clarify traces of uranium that were discovered at three undeclared sites. IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the Iranian move could be a "fatal blow" to the stalled talks for the U.S. to return to the 2015 nuclear deal if the cameras were not returned in three to four weeks. The removal of the cameras from nuclear sites in Natanz, Tehran and Isfahan would leave about 40 still operational, experts said. The decision was a defensive move, likely intended to force a crisis to help spur a return to negotiations and provide Tehran with additional leverage, said analysts.
United Nations—New Security Council Members Elected U.N. News Center | 06/10/2022 The U.N. General Assembly has just elected five new non-permanent members for the U.N. Security Council, reports the U.N. News. On Thursday, Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland were elected for a two-year term on the council. They will join Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates as the council's 10 non-permanent members. The five new countries will replace India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway at the end of the year.
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