Monday, June 20, 2022

TheList 6136

The List 6136     TGB

Good Monday Morning June 20
I hope that you all had a great weekend.
A lot to unpack today and the  World news has not shown up yet so I will send another list out later with that one.
Regards,
skip

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On This Day in Naval and Marine Corps History

June 20

1813 - Fifteen U.S. gunboats engage 3 British ships in Hampton Roads, VA

1815 - Trials of Fulton I, built by Robert Fulton, are completed in New York. This ship would become the Navy's first steam-driven warship.

1898 - U.S. forces occupied Guam, which became first colony of U.S. in the Pacific.

1913 While piloting the B-2 at 1,600 feet over the water near Annapolis, Md., Ensign William D. Billingsley is thrown from the plane and falls to his death. Billingsley is the first fatality of Naval Aviation.

1934 Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet, Rear Adm. Frank Upham reports to the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. William H. Standley, that based on the analyses of Japanese radio traffic, "any attack by (Japan) would be made without previous declaration of war or intentional warning."

1941 USS O-9 (SS 70) sinks off Portsmouth, N.H., during a test dive. Salvage ships located her in more than 400 feet of water, but she had suffered crushing damage from the water pressure at that depth and all 33 men on board had been killed.

1943 - PBY patrol aircraft from (VP 84) sinks German submarine U 388 south-southwest of Iceland, in the first use of homing torpedo (FIDO) and damages U 420.

1944 - Battle of Philippine Sea ends with Japanese losing 2 aircraft carriers and hundreds of aircraft.

1945 The coordinated submarine attack group, commanded by Cmdr. Earl T. Hydeman, continues operations against Japanese shipping in the Sea of Japan. USS Tinosa (SS 283) sinks army cargo ship Taito Maru and freighter Kaisei Maru. Also on this date, USS Kraken (SS 370) sinks Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel No.58 Tachibana Maru in Sunda Strait, off Merak.

1976 USS Spiegel Grove (LSD 32) and LCU 1654 (a Landing Craft Utility vessel) evacuate 276 American and foreign national refugees from war-torn Beirut, Lebanon and transport them to Athens, Greece.

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Today in History June 20
451        Roman and barbarian warriors halt Attila's army at the Catalaunian Plains in eastern France.

1397        The Union of Kalmar unites Denmark, Sweden, and Norway under one monarch.
1756        Nearly 150 British soldiers are imprisoned in the 'Black Hole' cell of Calcutta. Most die.
1793        Eli Whitney applies for a cotton gin patent.

1819        The paddle-wheel steamship Savannah arrives in Liverpool, England, after a voyage of 27 days and 11 hours--the first steamship to successfully cross the Atlantic.
1837        18-year-old Victoria is crowned Queen of England.

1863        President Abraham Lincoln admits West Virginia into the Union as the 35th state.

1898        On the way to the Philippines to fight the Spanish, the U.S. Navy seizes the island of Guam.

1901        Charlotte M. Manye of South Africa becomes the first native African to graduate from an American University.
1910        Mexican President Porfirio Diaz proclaims martial law and arrests hundreds.
1920        Race riots in Chicago, Illinois leave two dead and many wounded.
1923        France announces it will seize the Rhineland to assist Germany in paying her war debts.
1941        The U.S. Army Air Force is established, replacing the Army Air Corps.
1955        The AFL and CIO agree to combine names for a merged group.
1963        The United States and the Soviet Union agree to establish a hot line between Washington and Moscow.
1964        General William Westmoreland succeeds General Paul Harkins as head of the U.S. forces in Vietnam.
1967        Boxing champion Muhammad Ali is convicted of refusing induction into the American armed services.
1972        President Richard Nixon names General Creighton Abrams as Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
1999        NATO declares an official end to its bombing campaign of Yugoslavia.


1975  Jaws released »
I was on the USS Hancock at the time and we liked the phrase "We got to get a bigger boat" We thought so also.

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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 Monday, 20 June 2022… Bear

OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 20 June 1967… Life at Yankee Station on the older 27C carriers…




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 Al
Monday Morning Thoughts and Humor--Fathers' Day Wrap Up

Did you know that…
•    Sonora Louise Smart Dodd, of Spokane, Washington, started the tradition of Father's Day in the honor of her dad.
•    First local Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington.
•    In 1916, US President Woodrow Wilson approved the idea of observing an annual Father's Day.
•    In1924, President Calvin Coolidge made Father's Day a national event.
•    In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.
•    Father's Day is the fifth most popular card-sending holiday, with an estimated $100 million in card sales. Husbands, grandfathers, uncles, sons and sons-in-law are honored as well as father.


When God Created Fathers by Erma Bombeck
    When the good Lord was creating fathers He started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, "What kind of father is that? If You're going to make children so close to the ground, why have You put fathers up so high? He won't be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping."
    And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child-size, whom would children have to look up to?"
    And when God made a father's hands, they were large and sinewy. And the angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do You know what You're doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on ponytails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats."
    And God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day...yet small enough to cup a child's face in his hands."
    And then God molded long slim legs and broad shoulders.
    And the angel nearby had a heart attack. "Boy, this is the end of the week, all right," she clucked, "Do You realize You just made a father without a lap?  How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?"
    And God smiled and said, "A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle, or hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus."
    God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. "That's not fair. Do You honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?" And God smiled and said. "They'll work. You'll see. They'll support a small child who wants to 'ride a horse to Banbury Cross,' or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill."
    God worked throughout the night, giving the father few words, but a firm, authoritative voice; eyes that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. Then He turned to the angel and said, "Now are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?"
    The angel shuteth up.


    If you think about it, Adam had more trouble than any of the rest of us buying his Father a gift for Father's Day. I mean, what do you get somebody who is Everything?


Ten Things You'll Never Hear a Dad Say
•    Well, how 'bout that?  I'm lost!  Looks like we'll have to stop and ask for directions.
•    You know Pumpkin, now that you're thirteen, you'll be ready for unchaperoned car dates. Won't that be fun?
•    I noticed that all your friends have a certain "up yours" attitude ... I like that.
•    Here's a credit card and the keys to my new car -- GO CRAZY.
•    What do you mean you wanna play football?  Figure skating not good enough for you, son?
•    Your Mother and I are going away for the weekend ... you might want to consider throwing a party.
•    Well, I don't know what's wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies -- you know -- that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.
•    No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring -- now quit your belly-aching, and let's go to the mall.
•    Whaddya wanna go and get a job for?  I make plenty of money for you to spend.


    A father was at the beach with his children when his four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore, where a seagull lay dead in the sand.
    "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked. "He died and went to Heaven," the dad replied.
    The boy thought a moment and then said, "Did God throw him back down?"


    "Hey Grandpa, can you make a noise like a frog?"
    "I think I can do that. Why?"
    "'Cuz Dad says when you croak, we're going to Disneyworld"


    My dad bought my mom a piano for her birthday. A few weeks later, I asked how she was doing with it.
    "Oh," said my Dad, "I persuaded her to switch to a clarinet."
    "How come?" I asked.
    "Well," he answered, "because with a clarinet, she can't sing."


    One day shortly after the birth of their new baby, the mother had to go out to do some errands. So the proud papa stayed home to watch his wonderful new son.
    Soon after the mother left, the baby started to cry. The father did everything he could think of to do but the baby wouldn't stop crying.
    Finally, the dad got so worried he decided to take the infant to the doctor.
    After the doctor listened to the father all that he had done to get the baby to stop crying, the doctor began to examine the baby's ears, chest and then down to the diaper area.
    When he undid the diaper, he found that the diaper is indeed full.
    "Here's the problem", the Dr. said, "He needs a change."
    The father was very perplexed, "But the diaper package says it is good for up to 10 lbs.!"


Rodney Dangerfield's Thoughts on His Father
•    I'm so ugly...My father carries around a picture of the kid who came with his wallet.
•    When I was born, the doctor came into the waiting room and said to my father, "I'm sorry. We did everything we could, but he pulled through."
•    I remember the time that I was kidnapped and they sent a piece of my finger to my father. He said he wanted more proof.
•    Once when I was lost, I saw a policeman, and asked him to help me find my dad. I said to him, "Do you think we'll ever find him?" He said, "I don't know kid. There are so many places he can hide."
•    With my old man I got no respect. I asked him, "How can I get my kite in the air?" He told me to run off a cliff.



Submitted by Holly Vanderpool:

What Makes A Dad?
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need.
Then God combined these qualities.
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... "DAD!"
(Author unknown)



Submitted by Skip Leonard:

Every dad must have his day--the age gap and dad's knowledge
•        At 4: Dad knows everything.
•        At 7: Dad knows a lot.
•        At 8: Dad does not know everything.
•        At 12: Well, Dad won't know anyway.
•        At 14: Dad is hopelessly old-fashioned.
•        At 21: Oh hell, the man's time has long passed, how would he know!
•        At 25: Dad knows something, but not very much.
•        At 30: I'll just hear what Dad has to say anyway.
•        At 35: Let's wait a while and hear what Dad's opinion is.
•        At 50: I wonder what dad would have said.
•        At 60: Dad, in actual fact, knew everything.
•        At 65: I wish I could have discussed it with Dad.



Submitted by Bud Taylor:

•        Today at work, the boss wanted to know when Father's Day was.  "Easy," I answered. "It's nine months before Mother's Day."
•        A father's quote:  "If my son is getting half as much out of college as the college is getting out of me, he'll be a success."
•        Father's Day was both a joy and a worry as my kids were growing up.  I was always afraid they were going to give me a present that I couldn't afford.
•        I've got three TVs, cable, and a satellite dish; I have three phone lines in the house, a cell phone and one in the car. I use two computers, three ISPs and a fax.  I subscribe to two daily papers and one weekly one. I watch both the local and network news every evening.  And my kids have the nerve to tell me I'm out of touch.
•        Another father's quote:  "Neither of my kids ever understood my logic.  Both of them failed to see why they had to go to bed when I was tired."
•        A friend of mine had five kids.  When the youngest finally turned 16, and was the last one left at home, my friend posted a sign on the kid's bedroom door: "Check-out time is 18".



Submitted by Bill Quintero:

    This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him, but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to. But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there.
    He was determined to try his best at every practice, perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice or a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him.
    When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a "walk-on." Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games.
    This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in a game. It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?"
    The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday."
    Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man.
    The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted. Finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right," he said. "You can go in."
    Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, blocked and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied.
    In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you've never heard!
    Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?"
    He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?" The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it.



    Her hair was up in a pony tail, her favorite dress tied with a bow. Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go.
    But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home. Why the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone. But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say. What to tell her classmates of why he wasn't there today.
    But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone. And that was why once again, she tried to keep her daughter home. But the little girl went to school, eager to tell them all. About a dad she never sees a dad who doesn't call.
    There were daddies along the wall in back, for everyone to meet. Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats. One by one the teacher called, a student from the class to introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed.
    At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare. Each of them was searching, for a man who wasn't there. "Where's her daddy at?" she heard a boy call out. "She probably doesn't have one," another student dared to shout. And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say, "Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day."
    The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her Mom and looked back at her teacher, who told her to go on. And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique. "My Daddy couldn't be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know. All about my daddy, and how much he loves me so. He loved to tell me stories he taught me to ride my bike. He surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone. And though you cannot see him, I'm not standing here alone. "Cause my daddy's always with me, even though we are apart I know because he told me, he'll forever be in my heart"
    With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress. And from somewhere in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears. Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years.  For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life. Doing what was best for her, doing what was right. And when she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd.
    She finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud. "I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star. And if he could, he'd be here, but heaven's just too far. You see he was a fireman and died when airplanes hit the towers and taught Americans to fear. But sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away." And then she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day.
    And to her mother's amazement, she witnessed with surprise. A room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes. Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside. Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side. "I know you're with me Daddy," to the silence she called out.
    And what happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt. Not one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed. But there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose. And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining bright star. And given the gift of believing, that heaven is never too far.
---Bruce "Mick" Williams---



Submitted by Alan Krause Jr:

    A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later, he hears, "Da-ad...."
    "What?"
    "I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"
    "No. You had your chance. Lights out."
    Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."
    "WHAT?" "I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"
    "I told you NO! If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"
    Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad....."
    "WHAT!"
    "When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"



    Personally, I think one of the greatest things about being a father is that I can say anything I want to around the house. Of course, no one pays the least bit of attention.



Submitted by Jerry Norris:

    A six-year-old boy told his father he wanted to marry the little girl across the street. The father being modern and well-schooled in handling children, hid his smile behind his hand. "That's a serious step," he said, "Have you thought it out completely?"
    "Sure," his young son answered. "We can spend one week in my room and the next in hers. It's right across the street, so I can run home if I get lonely in the night."
    "How about transportation?" the father asked.
    "I have my wagon and we both have our tricycles," the little boy answered.
    The boy had an answer to every question the father raised. Finally, in exasperation, the man asked, "What about babies? When you're married, you're liable to have babies, you know."
    "We've thought about that too", the little boy replied. "We're not going to have babies. Every time she lays an egg, I'm going to step on it!!!



    The father of five children had won a toy at a raffle.  He called his kids together to ask which one should have the present. "Who is the most obedient?" he asked "Who never talks back to mother?  Who does everything she says?"
    Five small voices answered in unison, "You do daddy!"


Some thoughts about wives on Father's Day
•        When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.--David Bissonette
•        After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can't face each other, but still they stay together.--Sacha Guitry
•        By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. --Socrates
•        Woman inspires us to great things, and prevents us from achieving them.--Anonymous
•        The great question... which I have not been able to answer... is, "What does a woman want?"--Dumas
•        I had some words with my wife, and she had some paragraphs with me.--Sigmund Freud
•        There's a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking.  It's called marriage.--Sam Kinison
•        I've had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me, and the second one didn't.--James Holt McGavra
•        Two secrets to keep your marriage brimming
o  Whenever you're wrong, admit it,
o  Whenever you're right, shut up.--Patrick Murra
•        The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once.—Ogden Nash
•        You know what I did before I married?  Anything I wanted to.--Anonymous
•        My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.--Henny Youngman
•        A good wife always forgives her husband when she's wrong.--Rodney Dangerfield
•        A man inserted an 'ad' in the classifieds: 'Wife wanted'. Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: 'You can have mine.'—Anonymous

Hope you had a great Fathers' Day,
Al

"To be a successful father, there's one absolute rule: when you have a kid, don't look at it for the first two years."--Ernest Hemingway
"The thing to remember about fathers is... they're men. A girl has to keep it in mind: They are dragon-seekers, bent on improbable rescues. Scratch any father, you find someone chock-full of qualms and romantic terrors, believing change is a threat, like your first shoes with heels on, like your first bicycle..."--Phyllis McGinley
"If the relationship of father to son could really be reduced to biology, the whole earth would blaze with the glory of fathers and sons."--James Baldwin
"My father hated radio and he could not wait for television to be invented so that he could hate that too."--Peter De Vries
"Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards."--Robert Orben
"Never raise your hand to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected."--Red Buttons
"Fathers are the geniuses of the house because only a person as intelligent as we could fake such stupidity. Think about your father:  He doesn't know where anything is. You ask him to do something, he messes it up and your mother sends you:  "Go down and see what your father's doing before he blows up the house." He's a genius at work because he doesn't want to do it, and he knows someone will be coming soon to stop him." --Bill Cosby
"It is a wise father that knows his own child."--William Shakespeare
"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.
But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.--Mark Twain

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This Day in U S Military History…….June 19

1913 – First fatal accident in Naval Aviation, ENS W. D. Billingsley killed at Annapolis, MD.

1934 – Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet Admiral Frank Upham reports to CNO that based on analyses of Japanese radio traffic, "any attack by (Japan) would be made without previous declaration of war or intentional warning."

1940 – President Roosevelt strengthens his Cabinet by bringing in two prominent Republicans. Henry Stimson becomes Secretary for War and Frank Knox becomes Secretary for the Navy. Stimson is strongly against America's isolationist tradition and will be a champion of Lend-Lease.

1941 – A German U-boat sights the American battleship Texas within the area that Germany has declared is the operational area for U-boats. However, after checking with the U-boat command, the Texas is not attacked.

1941 – U.S. Army Air Forces was established, replacing the Army Air Corps.

1943 – US General Krueger establishes 6th Army headquarters at Milne Bay. There is an unsuccessful Japanese attack on the 17th Australian Brigade in the Mubo area.

1943 – Race-related rioting erupted in Detroit; federal troops were sent in two days later to quell the violence that resulted in 34 deaths and 600 wounded.

1944 – Elements of the US 1st Army advance to about 5 miles of Cherbourg and begin to encounter heavier resistance.

1944 – Nazis began mass extermination of Jews at Auschwitz.

1944 – Hitler cheats death as a bomb planted in a briefcase goes off, but fails to kill him. High German officials had made up their minds that Hitler must die. He was leading Germany in a suicidal war on two fronts, and assassination was the only way to stop him. A coup d'etat would follow, and a new government in Berlin would save Germany from complete destruction at the hands of the Allies. That was the plan. This was the reality: Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, chief of the army reserve, had been given the task of planting a bomb during a conference that was to be held at Berchtesgaden (but was later moved to Hitler's headquarters at Rastenburg). Stauffenberg planted the explosive in a briefcase, which he placed under a table, then left quickly. Hitler was studying a map of the Eastern front as Colonel Heinz Brandt, trying to get a better look at the map, moved the briefcase out of place, farther away from where the Fuhrer was standing. At 12:42 p.m. the bomb went off. When the smoke cleared, Hitler was wounded, charred, and even suffered the temporary paralysis of one arm-but he was very much alive. (He was even well enough to keep an appointment with Benito Mussolini that very afternoon. He gave Il Duce a tour of the bomb site.) Four others present died from their wounds. As the bomb went off, Stauffenberg was making his way to Berlin to carry out Operation Valkyrie, the overthrow of the central government. In Berlin, he and co-conspirator General Olbricht arrested the commander of the reserve army, General Fromm, and began issuing orders for the commandeering of various government buildings. And then the news came through from Herman Goering-Hitler was alive. Fromm, released from custody under the assumption he would nevertheless join the effort to throw Hitler out of office, turned on the conspirators. Stauffenberg and Olbricht were shot that same day. Once Hitler figured out the extent of the conspiracy (it reached all the way to occupied French), he began the systematic liquidation of his enemies. More than 7,000 Germans would be arrested (including evangelical pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer), and up to 5,000 would wind up dead-either executed or as suicides. Hitler, Himmler, and Goering took an even firmer grip on Germany and its war machine. Hitler became convinced that fate had spared him-"I regard this as a confirmation of the task imposed upon me by Providence"-and that "nothing is going to happen to me…. [T]he great cause which I serve will be brought through its present perils and…everything can be brought to a good end."

1944 – The Japanese fleet withdraws to refuel, believing that their aircraft have landed safely on Guam. US Task Force 58 (Admiral Mitscher) launches an air strike on the Japanese fleet in the late afternoon. The 216 American aircraft encounter 35 defending fighters and sink the carrier Hiyo. Two other Japanese aircraft carriers are damaged as are a battleship and a cruiser. US loses amount to 20 planes shot down and 72 crashing while attempting to land on their carriers in the dark. During the night, the Japanese fleet withdraws and are not pursued.

1944 – Vice Admiral Marc Mitchner, commander of the U.S. Task Force 58, ordered all lights on his ships turned on to help guide his carrier-based pilots back from the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

1944 – On Biak, there is fighting among the Japanese-held caves in the west of the island. The airfields and villages at Borokoe and Sorido are overrun by American forces.

1944 – The US 5th Amphibious Corps continues operations on Saipan. The US 27th Division clears the south of the island while the US 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions advance northward.

1945 – On Okinawa, Japanese resistance along the center of the line, held by the US 24th Corps, continues to be strong. The US 32nd Infantry Regiment (US 7th Division) reaches Height 89, near Mabuni, where the Japanese headquarters have been identified. On the flanks, the American Marines on the right and the infantry on the left advance virtually unopposed, capturing over 1000 Japanese and reaching the southern coast of the island at several points. The scale of surrenders is unprecedented for the forces of the Imperial Army.

1945 – On Luzon, Filipino guerrillas advance up the Cagayan valley from Aparri and liberate the town of Tuguegarao. The American regimental task force enters Aparri while elements of the US 37th Division advances 2.5 miles north of Ilagan. Meanwhile, the US 8th Army headquarters announces that operations to recapture the islands of Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Palawan, as well as the western part of Mindanao, are completed.

1945 – US Task Group 12.4 (Admiral Jennings) with the carriers Lexington, Hancock and Cowpens conduct air raids on Japanese positions. The carriers are en route to join US Task Force 38.

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

BENSON, JAMES
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1845, Denmark. Enlisted at: Yokohama, Japan. G.O. No.: 180, 10 October 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Ossipee, 20 June 1872. Risking his life, Benson leaped into the sea while the ship was going at a speed of 4 knots and endeavored to save John K. Smith, landsman, of the same vessel, from drowning.

APPLETON, EDWIN NELSON
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 29 August 1876, Brooklyn, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 84, 22 March 1902. Citation: In action against the enemy at Tientsin, China, 20 June 1900. Crossing the river in a small boat while under heavy enemy fire, Appleton assisted in destroying buildings occupied by the enemy.

BURNES, JAMES
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 14 January 1870, Worcester, Mass. Accredited to: California. G.O. No.: 84, 22 March 1902. Citation: In action against the enemy at Tientsin, China, 20 June 1900. Crossing the river in a small boat with 3 other men while under a heavy fire from the enemy, Burnes assisted in destroying buildings occupied by hostile forces.

DAHLGREN, JOHN OLOF
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 14 September 1872, Kahliwar, Sweden. Accredited to: California. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, 20 June to 16 July 1900, Dahlgren distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

*FISHER, HARRY
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 20 October 1874, McKeesport, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: Served in the presence of the enemy at the battle of Peking, China, 20 June to 16 July 1900. Assisting in the erection of barricades during the action, Fisher was killed by the heavy fire of the enemy.

HEISCH, HENRY WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 10 June 1872, Latendorf, Germany. Accredited to: California. G.O. No.: 84, 22 March 1902. Citation: In action against the enemy at Tientsin, China, 20 June 1900. Crossing the river in a small boat while under heavy fire, Heisch assisted in destroying buildings occupied by the enemy.

HUNT, MARTIN
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 9 July 1873, County of Mayo, Ireland. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, 20 June to 16 July 1900, Hunt distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

McALLISTER, SAMUEL
Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 23 January 1869, Belfast, Ireland. Accredited to: California. G.O. No.: 84, 22 March 1902. Citation: In action against the enemy at Tientsin, China, 20 June 1900. Crossing the river in a small boat while under heavy enemy fire, McAllister assisted in destroying buildings occupied by the enemy.

WALKER, EDWARD ALEXANDER
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 2 October 1864, Huntley, Scotland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 55, 19 July 1901. Citation: In the presence of the enemy during the battle of Peking, China, 20 June to 16 July 1900. Throughout this period, Walker distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.

*O'BRIEN, WILLIAM J.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry, 27th Infantry Division. Place and date: At Saipan, Marianas Islands, 20 June through 7 July 1944. Entered service at: Troy, N.Y. Birth: Troy, N.Y. G.O. No.: 35, 9 May 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty at Saipan, Marianas Islands, from 20 June through 7 July 1944. When assault elements of his platoon were held up by intense enemy fire, Lt. Col. O'Brien ordered 3 tanks to precede the assault companies in an attempt to knock out the strongpoint. Due to direct enemy fire the tanks' turrets were closed, causing the tanks to lose direction and to fire into our own troops. Lt. Col. O'Brien, with complete disregard for his own safety, dashed into full view of the enemy and ran to the leader's tank, and pounded on the tank with his pistol butt to attract 2 of the tank's crew and, mounting the tank fully exposed to enemy fire, Lt. Col. O'Brien personally directed the assault until the enemy strongpoint had been liquidated. On 28 June 1944, while his platoon was attempting to take a bitterly defended high ridge in the vicinity of Donnay, Lt. Col. O'Brien arranged to capture the ridge by a double envelopment movement of 2 large combat battalions. He personally took control of the maneuver. Lt. Col. O'Brien crossed 1,200 yards of sniper-infested underbrush alone to arrive at a point where 1 of his platoons was being held up by the enemy. Leaving some men to contain the enemy he personally led 4 men into a narrow ravine behind, and killed or drove off all the Japanese manning that strongpoint. In this action he captured S machineguns and one 77-mm. fieldpiece. Lt. Col. O'Brien then organized the 2 platoons for night defense and against repeated counterattacks directed them. Meanwhile he managed to hold ground. On 7 July 1944 his battalion and another battalion were attacked by an overwhelming enemy force estimated at between 3,000 and 5,000 Japanese. With bloody hand-to-hand fighting in progress everywhere, their forward positions were finally overrun by the sheer weight of the enemy numbers. With many casualties and ammunition running low, Lt. Col. O'Brien refused to leave the front lines. Striding up and down the lines, he fired at the enemy with a pistol in each hand and his presence there bolstered the spirits of the men, encouraged them in their fight and sustained them in their heroic stand. Even after he was seriously wounded, Lt. Col. O'Brien refused to be evacuated and after his pistol ammunition was exhausted, he manned a .50 caliber machinegun, mounted on a jeep, and continued firing. When last seen alive he was standing upright firing into the Jap hordes that were then enveloping him. Some time later his body was found surrounded by enemy he had killed His valor was consistent with the highest traditions of the service.

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 20
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 20
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

20 June

1913: Ensign William D. Billingsley became the first Naval aviator killed in a plane when he was thrown from a Navy Wright B2 seaplane and drowned. (20) (24)

1923: The Army's first all-metal airplane, the Gallaudet CO-1, Liberty 400, made its first flight. The Air Service engineering division designed the aircraft. (4) (24)

1930: The Army Air Corps dedicated Randolph Field in San Antonio as its West Point of the Air for primary and basic pilot training. (21)

1934: The Daniel Guggenheim Medal presented to William W. Boeing for his achievements in air transportation and aircraft manufacture. (24)

1951: The Air Force announced the first launching of its first B-61 Matador, a pilotless aircraft, at the Missile Test Center. (24) The first F-89 Scorpions were assigned to Hamilton AFB with the Western Air Defense Force. The X-5 completed its first flight at Edwards AFB.

1960: Operation BIG STAR. Through 27 June, SAC conducted four tests to check the feasibility of deploying Minuteman missiles on mobile railroad car launchers at Hill AFB. Four tests led to the activation of the 4062 SW [ICBM - Minuteman (Mobile)] at Hill later on 1 December. (1) (6)

1973: At Francis E. Warren AFB, SAC accepted the first Minuteman III missile flight. They belonged to the 90 SMW and the 400 SMS. (1)

1974: The DoD announced that the A-10 won a comparative fly-off with the A-7. (3)

1976: After entering Mars orbit on 19 June, the Viking I lander touched down on 20 June and began taking soil samples. (8) (21)

1980: GLOBAL SHIELD II. Through 29 June, SAC conducted this unannounced exercise at 44 bases. It involved over 100,000 people and 437 aircraft flying 1,035 sorties. (16)

1984: After a two-year operational test and evaluation program, the 384 AREFW at McConnell AFB received the first reengined KC-135R (Number 61-0293). (1) (26)

1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. NATO officially ended the air war against Yugoslavia after Serb forces finished their withdrawal from Kosovo. (32)

2007: The Virginia ANG's 192 FW flew its last F-16 Fighting Falcon training mission. The wing would become the nation's first ANG unit to fly the F-22 Raptor, in associated operations with the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley. The 192d began moving from Richmond IAP to Langley in February 2006 to take on the F-22 mission. (All American Patriots.com, Virginia Air National Guard Wing Transitions at Langley, 20 June 2007)

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