The List 6173 TGB
Good Friday Morning July 29 .
I hope that you all have a great weekend
Regards,
Skip
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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
July 29
1846 During the Mexican-American War, a detachment of Marines and Sailors, led by Arm. Col. John C. Fremont from the sloop USS Cyane, commanded by Cmdr. Samuel F. DuPont, lands and takes possession of San Diego and raises the U.S. flag.
1898 During the Spanish-American War, the gunboat, USS Helena, commanded by Cmdr. William T. Swinburne, captures the Spanish steamer Manati at Cienfuegos, Cuba.
1920 USS St. Louis (CA 20) is ordered to Turkish waters to protect American nationals and citizens during the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922).
1944 USS Balao (SS 285) shells and sinks Japanese sampan (No.7) Nissho Maru about 100 miles off Palau. USS Drum (SS 228) sinks Asahi Maru with gunfire in the same general area, and takes survivors prisoner. Also on this date, USS Perch (SS 313) sinks Japanese guardboat Kannon Maru I-Go in the Philippine Sea, east of Dinagat Island.
1945 USS Indianapolis is is sunk by a Japanese submarine after delivering parts for the Atomic bomb to Tinian
1967 On the flight deck of USS Forrestal (CVA 59), a Zuni 5 rocket accidentally fires from a (F 4B) Phantom II aircraft into a parked and armed (A 4E) Skyhawk, setting off a series of explosions that kill 134 of her crew and injure 161 crewmembers.
1995 USS Maine (SSBN 741) is commissioned at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine. The Ohio-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine is the third Navy vessel to be named after the state.
2017 The guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) is commissioned in a ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. The ship honors Marine Corps Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for actions during combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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This day in History 29 July
1588 The Spanish Armada is sighted off the coast of England.
1602 The Duke of Biron is executed in Paris for conspiring with Spain and Savoy against King Henry IV of France.
1603 Bartholomew Gilbert is killed in Virginia by Indians, during a search for the missing Roanoke colonists.
1693 The Army of the Grand Alliance is destroyed by the French at the Battle of Neerwinden.
1830 Liberals led by the Marquis de Lafayette seize Paris in opposition to the king's restrictions on citizens' rights.
1848 A rebellion against British rule is put down in Tipperary, Ireland.
1858 Japan signs a treaty of commerce and friendship with the United States.
1862 Confederates are routed by Union guerrillas at Moore's Mill, Missouri.
1875 Peasants in Bosnia and Herzegovina rebel against the Ottoman army.
1921 Adolf Hitler becomes the president of the Nationalist Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazis).
1945 After delivering parts of the first atomic bomb to the island of Tinian, the U.S.S. Indianapolis is sunk by a Japanese submarine. The survivors are adrift for two days before help arrives.
1981 Prince Charles marries Lady Diana.
1990 The Boston Red Sox hit 12 doubles in a game, setting a major league record.
1996 A US federal court strikes down the child protection portion of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, calling it too broad.
2005 Astronomers announce the discovery of dwarf planet Eris, leading the International Astronomic Union to clarify the definition of a planet.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
Thanks to THE BEAR
… For The List for Friday, 29 July 2022… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 29 July 1967… Disaster at Yankee Station…
… RTR post #2 for Friday, 29 July 2022… Mighty Thunder post with superb comment (CO, USS Forrestal prayer)… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
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.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War
. Listed by last name and has other info
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This article has a lot to say about the Medal of Honor recipients. Years ago I started putting them in the List each day so they could be remembered for their courage and sacrifice. skip
Thanks to Carl
(Be sure to read the whole article. The story about the Giant Killer is so sad!)
ALEXANDER / JULY 27, 2022
Col. Jack and the Giant Killer
Two courageous giants among men…
"The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave." —Patrick Henry (1775)
Some days, we are blessed with events that speak boldly to the goodness of our community and country, especially as it regards those who have served with dignity and distinction: American veterans.
Last weekend, there were two in a row. Allow me to share some of that inspiration amid all the social and economic wreckage being strewn across our nation by the current political "leadership." Although it may at times be obscured, the light of Liberty will never be extinguished.
First up, on Friday night at the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, MoH recipient Jack Jacobs (Col., USA, Ret.) addressed a group of dedicated American Patriots about the critical work the Heritage Center team is doing, particularly through our educational curriculum. The center works side by side with the Medal of Honor Society (the association of recipients) to reach an ever larger number of young students with curriculum focusing on the character traits these humble warriors embody: courage, sacrifice, patriotism, citizenship, integrity, and commitment.
There have been 3,515 recipients since the first awards for the actions of Andrews' Raiders in 1862 near Chattanooga — the birthplace of the Medal of Honor.
When Jack was awarded his medal "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" in Kien Phong Province, South Vietnam, on March 9, 1968, there were hundreds of other living recipients nationwide. Thus, there were many brave warriors able to share their inspirational stories with the next generation. These warriors could tell young Americans how they, and others with whom they served, defied death and overcame the most unimaginable of challenges. Indeed, they were fortunate enough to live to tell about it. Many others were not. But as I noted earlier this month, after four recipients were added to the MoH ranks, just 66 living recipients remain in a nation of some 330 million people.
These men are literally one in five million.
For that reason, Jack emphasized that the Heritage Center's mission to extend the heroic message of past recipients is critical to the future of our nation:
Most recipients are gone now. We are a wasting asset, and if we are going to have any impact, what we did, and what all who served did, needs to be passed on to future generations. If we don't do that, then all the efforts, all the sacrifices of all the people with whom we served, will be in vain. Education young people is the single most important thing we can do to influence our future. It is the only way we can reach into the future. I went to public school in New York at a time when we learned a lot from smart people, and we carried it with us. But education today is not what it used to be, and that is why all of us need to make a much larger effort to ensure that the histories of those who served and sacrificed, and everybody who built our great country, are not lost on future generations. If we don't do that, our children and grandchildren will not like the results of our failure to carry that history forward.
Helping to stand up the Heritage Center has been a good fit and a deeply rewarding experience for me, given that its mission is much like that of The Patriot Post — extending Liberty to the next generation.
On Saturday night, we were guests of our friend Robert Dooley, Dean of the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Rollins Business School, for the graduation of those completing his team's National Veterans' Entrepreneurship Program — an initiative launched by Robert 10 years ago. He is tireless in his devotion to our nation's veterans.
Robert and his wife Kim led a group of veterans back to Vietnam a few years ago, among them our friend and former POW Bill Gauntt, (Lt. Col., USAF, Ret.). You may recall a column of mine about the day they found Bill's crash site, where his rear-seat weapons systems officer, 1st Lt. Francis W. Townsend, perished.
The VEP curriculum is designed specifically for vets who've served with honor and distinction. It provides them with valuable instruction and mentorship for launching their own businesses — with the objective of hiring other veterans. The graduates were a very impressive crew, despite the fact that there were no Marines in this class. (OK, I can hear those from the other service branches muttering under their breath, "That's because there were no Marines in this class.")
Sharing his time on Saturday as the VEP graduation keynote speaker, Jack Jacobs offered many memorable and encouraging words. And his record, both in military service and business, put him in high standing to address this group. After his retirement from active duty in 1987, having spent his last service years as a West Point instructor, Jack became an investment banker — and a very successful business leader — in his second career.
One key takeaway from Jack's remarks was his assertion that many business leaders say they hire veterans because they feel a sense of obligation. He also noted that businesses should hire veterans because they make outstanding employees.
Jack never leaves a lectern without a reference to his diminutive stature. He tells some great self-effacing stories about his height, including an episode during his job as a military analyst for NBC when the producer convinced him that he needed to stand on a box next to his taller interviewer. That worked fine until the camera panned back and the whole nation could see Jack on a box!
He was 5'4" when graduating from Rutgers, but despite his years in Army ROTC, he did not meet the initial height requirements to become an officer. It was only when those requirements were reduced that he became a platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division. He went on to serve two tours in Vietnam as an advisor to infantry units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. I note that even the work of "advisors" was, and remains, very dangerous, as his Medal of Honor citationmakes clear.
His physical stature aside, Jack Jacobs is a courageous giant among men.
In conversation with him, we talked about another Army officer, one who was renowned for his service and diminutive stature: Richard Flaherty.
Richard was only 4'9" and, like Jack, had to wait until recruiting standards for height were lowered in order to become an officer with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam in 1968. He was the shortest Green Beret in the history of the service.
Richard's life came to a tragic end as a homeless vet killed late at night on the streets of Miami. He is the subject of a documentary, "The Giant Killer," based on a book by the same name.
If not for the author, Miami police officer David Yuzuk, who had often provided Richard meals and fellowship, his death would have gone unnoticed. It was only 10 days before his death that Flaherty told Yuzuk about his background. After Flaherty was killed, Yuzuk endeavored to verify the stories the small man who slept underneath the palm trees outside Publix told him. Subsequently, Yuzuk found there was much more to Richard's story, including the fact that he earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star w/V, Bronze Star (3OLC), Purple Heart (1OLC), Air Medal, Gallantry Cross W/Silver Star, Army Commendation Medal, Combat Infantryman's Badge, 3 Overseas Bars, Sharpshooter Badge W/Rifle Bar, and Parachutist Badge among other awards listed on his DD214 military record.
Yuzuk wrote: "Every man's life eventually comes to an end. It's only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another."
Indeed.
Today, as millions of illegal aliens are allowed to flood across our open southern border at a cost to taxpayers of billions of dollars in housing and medical treatment, thousands of veterans remain on the streets, many like Richard, suffering from PTSD, with no such services.
And that is a national disgrace.
(Please consider a designated gift to support the National Medal of Honor Sustaining Fund, or make a check payable to Liberty Fund [noting MoH Sustaining Fund on the memo line], and mail it to Patriot Foundation Trust, PO Box 407, Chattanooga, TN 37401-0407. If you know of someone who could be a substantial benefactor of the Heritage Center, please email.)
Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776
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Thanks to Carl
https://www.military.com/undertheradar/2018/02/22/vietnam-vet-richard-flaherty-was-giant-killer.html
Vietnam Vet Richard Flaherty Was 'The Giant Killer'
22 Feb 2018
Four-foot, nine-inch tall veteran Richard J. Flaherty claimed to be the shortest man ever to serve in the United States military. He was a Special Forces Green Beret Captain and was awarded the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts for his actions in Vietnam. "The Giant Killer" (available to rent now on iTunes, Amazon and other VOD platforms) aims to unravel the truth of his post-service life and mysterious death.
We've got a clip from the movie that details Richard's ruthlessness in combat.
Miami police officer David Yuzuk befriended a homeless man and, after 15 years of friendship, Richard J. Flaherty finally revealed who he really was. Yuzuk learns that this unassuming 69-year-old man was a decorated military veteran.
Yuzuk started digging and discovered that Flaherty had worked undercover with the Feds during the '80s. Soon after, Flaherty is killed by a hit-and-run driver. His friend decides to investigate and finds a passport that shows Flaherty was secretly traveling to dangerous locations like Jordan, Iraq, Thailand, Vietnam, and Venezuela while living as a homeless man. He did time in prison for drugs but was that a cover or a real conviction?
"The Giant Killer" is one of those stranger-than-fiction tales that would never make it as a movie pitch because it's just so unbelievable. Yuzuk is the director and it's his first movie. It's not slick but it is fascinating.
The Giant Killer Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutsThmKGL8
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Thanks to Barrel….a bit of humor
Stanley
Stanley died in a fire and his body was burned badly. The morgue
needed someone to identify the body, so they sent for his two best
deer hunting friends, Cooter and Gomer. The three men had always hunted and fished together and were long time members of a hunting camp.
Cooter arrived first, and when the mortician pulled back the
sheet, Cooter said, 'Yup, his face is burned up pretty bad. You
better roll him over.'
The mortician rolled him over and Cooter said, 'Nope, it ain't
Stanley .'
The mortician thought this was rather strange, so he brought
Gomer in to confirm the identity of the body. Gomer looked at the
body and said, 'Yup, he's pretty well burnt up, Roll him over.'
The mortician rolled him over and Gomer said, 'No, it ain't
Stanley '
The mortician asked, 'How can you tell?'
Gomer said, 'Well, Stanley had two assholes.''
''What! He had two assholes?'' asked the mortician.
''Yup, we never seen 'em, but everybody used to say: 'There's
goes Stanley with them two assholes.' ''
Cooter and Gomer are both now employed in the Biden
administration as planning, development, and strategy consultants.
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: Russian Grains and Chinese Warnings
The Chinese president reiterated his country's stance on Taiwan in a call with the U.S. president.
By: GPF Staff
July 29, 2022
Russia's export capacity. Russia has begun exporting flour from the Makhachkala port on the Caspian Sea for the first time. After loading a test shipment earlier this week, a cargo ship with 2,300 tons of flour set sail on Friday from the port headed to Iran, from which goods will be distributed to different countries in the Middle East. The port will be able to ship about 25,000-30,000 tons of flour per month.
Xi and Biden. Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated Beijing's position on Taiwan and the "one-China" policy in a call on Thursday with U.S. President Joe Biden. He warned the U.S. not to "play with fire," while Biden said U.S. policy on Taiwan had not changed. The conversation came amid heightened tensions in part due to a possible visit to the self-ruled island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Restoring relations. Colombia's foreign minister-designate traveled to Venezuela on Thursday to meet with his Venezuelan counterpart. In a joint statement, they announced each country would appoint an ambassador to the other and restore diplomatic relations after Colombian President-elect Gustavo Petro assumes office on Aug. 7. The two countries have had strained relations over a number of issues including border security, migration and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's contested election in 2019.
More gas. Energy ministers from Algeria, Nigeria and Niger signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday on the construction of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline. The planned 4,000-kilometer pipeline would connect with existing European infrastructure to help bring natural gas from the region to Europe and diversify European energy supplies.
Talks on the Caucasus. Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilya Darchiashvili met in Istanbul with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu. They discussed strengthening economic relations and ensuring stability in the South Caucasus. Meanwhile, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met in Yerevan with Russia's mediator on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue to discuss normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijani relations.
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This Day in U S Military History…….July 29
1932 – The Great Depression sent poverty-stricken Americans scrambling for any available source of income. Veterans of World War I certainly felt pinched, and cast about for ways to haul in cash, but, unlike Americans who hadn't fought in the war, the veterans seemingly had a solution: in the wake of the war, the government had promised to hand out handsome cash bonuses to all servicemen. The catch was the bonuses were to be paid out in 1945. In dire need of money, veterans called on legislators during the spring and summer of 1932 to speed up payment of the bonuses. In May, a group of veterans from Portland, Oregon, staged the "Bonus March" and headed to Washington, D.C., to plead their case. The March fast became a mini-movement, and by June a "Bonus Army" of 20,000 vets had set up shop in Washington. At first all seemed to go well for the veterans, as the House of Representatives passed the Patman Bonus Bill, which called for the early payment of bonuses. The Senate, however, put the kibosh on the movement and killed the Patman legislation. Though chunks of the Bonus Army fled Washington after the bill's defeat, a hefty handful of veterans stayed on through late July. President Herbert Hoover ordered the ousting of the vets who had decamped in government quarters. When the eviction proceedings turned ugly, and two veterans were killed, Hoover called on the army to disperse the remaining Bonus protesters. General Douglas MacArthur, and his young assistant Dwight Eisenhower, marshaled troops, tanks and tear gas in their war to send the stragglers home. Duly persuaded by this gross show of force, the remaining members of the Bonus Army headed home on July 29, 1932.
1967 – Fire sweeps the U.S. aircraft carrier Forrestal off the coast of North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. It was the worst U.S. naval disaster in a combat zone since World War II. The accident took the lives of 134 crewmen and injured 62 more. Of the carrier's 80 planes, 21 were destroyed and 42 were damaged.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
HEALEY, GEORGE W.
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 5th lowa Cavalry. Place and date: At Newnan, Ga., 29 July 1864. Entered service at: Dubuque, lowa. Birth: Dubuque, lowa. Date of issue: 13 January 1899. Citation: When nearly surrounded by the enemy, captured a Confederate soldier, and with the aid of a comrade who joined him later, captured 4 other Confederate soldiers, disarmed the 5 prisoners, and brought them all into the Union lines.
MAYFIELD, MELVIN
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company D, 20th Infantry, 6th Infantry Division. Place and date: Cordillera Mountains, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 29 July 1945. Entered service at: Nashport, Ohio. Birth: Salem, W. Va. G.O. No.: 49, 31 May 1946. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while fighting in the Cordillera Mountains of Luzon, Philippine Islands. When 2 Filipino companies were pinned down under a torrent of enemy fire that converged on them from a circular ridge commanding their position, Cpl. Mayfield, in a gallant single-handed effort to aid them, rushed from shell hole to shell hole until he reached 4 enemy caves atop the barren fire-swept hill. With grenades and his carbine, he assaulted each of the caves while enemy fire pounded about him. However, before he annihilated the last hostile redoubt, a machinegun bullet destroyed his weapon and slashed his left hand. Disregarding his wound, he secured more grenades and dauntlessly charged again into the face of pointblank fire to help destroy a hostile observation post. By his gallant determination and heroic leadership, Cpl. Mayfield inspired the men to eliminate all remaining pockets of resistance in the area and to press the advance against the enemy.
SCOTT, ROBERT S.
Rank and organization: Captain (then Lieutenant), U.S. Army, 172d Infantry, 43d Infantry Division. Place and date. Near Munda Air Strip, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, 29 July 1943. Entered service at. Santa Fe, N. Mex. Birth: Washington, D.C. G.O. No.: 81, 14 October 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty near Munda Airstrip, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, on 29 July 1943. After 27 days of bitter fighting, the enemy held a hilltop salient which commanded the approach to Munda Airstrip. Our troops were exhausted from prolonged battle and heavy casualties, but Lt. Scott advanced with the leading platoon of his company to attack the enemy position, urging his men forward in the face of enemy rifle and enemy machinegun fire. He had pushed forward alone to a point midway across the barren hilltop within 75 yards of the enemy when the enemy launched a desperate counterattack, which f successful would have gained undisputed possession of the hill. Enemy riflemen charged out on the plateau, firing and throwing grenades as they moved to engage our troops. The company withdrew, but Lt. Scott, with only a blasted tree stump for cover, stood his ground against the wild enemy assault. By firing his carbine and throwing the grenades in his possession he momentarily stopped the enemy advance using the brief respite to obtain more grenades. Disregarding small-arms fire and exploding grenades aimed at him, suffering a bullet wound in the left hand and a painful shrapnel wound in the head after his carbine had been shot from his hand, he threw grenade after grenade with devastating accuracy until the beaten enemy withdrew. Our troops, inspired to renewed effort by Lt. Scott's intrepid stand and incomparable courage, swept across the plateau to capture the hill, and from this strategic position 4 days later captured Munda Airstrip.
WHITTINGTON, HULON B.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, 41st Armored Infantry 2d Armored Division. Place and date: Near Grimesnil, France, 29 July 1944. Entered service at: Bastrop, La. Born: 9 July 1921, Bogalusa, La. G.O. No.: 32, 23 April 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. On the night of 29 July 1944, near Grimesnil, France, during an enemy armored attack, Sgt. Whittington, a squad leader, assumed command of his platoon when the platoon leader and platoon sergeant became missing in action. He reorganized the defense and, under fire, courageously crawled between gun positions to check the actions of his men. When the advancing enemy attempted to penetrate a roadblock, Sgt. Whittington, completely disregarding intense enemy action, mounted a tank and by shouting through the turret, directed it into position to fire pointblank at the leading Mark V German tank. The destruction of this vehicle blocked all movement of the remaining enemy column consisting of over 100 vehicles of a Panzer unit. The blocked vehicles were then destroyed by handgrenades, bazooka, tank, and artillery fire and large numbers of enemy personnel were wiped out by a bold and resolute bayonet charge inspired by Sgt. Whittington. When the medical aid man had become a casualty, Sgt. Whittington personally administered first aid to his wounded men. The dynamic leadership, the inspiring example, and the dauntless courage of Sgt. Whittington, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service
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"This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/
This day in Aviation History
July 28, 1914
Lt. j.g. Victor D. Herbster reported on bombing tests that he and 1st Lt. Bernard L. Smith, USMC, carried out at Indian Head Proving Grounds, Maryland. They dropped both dummy and live bombs over the side of the aircraft from about 1,000 feet against land and water targets. Herbster reported his bombing would have been more accurate "if I had been able to disengage my fingers from the wind-wheel sooner." Herbster was Daedalian Founder Member #4076, and Smith was #1283.
July 29, 1921
Hoping to demonstrate the vulnerability of Atlantic seaboard cities to air attack, Brig. Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell led 19 bombers in a mock raid against New York City. Afterwards, he concluded that his target had been theoretically destroyed. He used this raid to support his argument that the Army and its aviation arm should assume responsibility for defense of the nation's shores. Mitchell was Daedalian Founder Member #12595.
July 30, 1935
Lt. Frank Akers made the first blind landing on board a carrier in an OJ-2 observation biplane with a hooded cockpit. Akers took off from NAS San Diego, Calif., located Langley (CV 1) underway in an unknown position, and landed on board catching the number four arresting wire. Akers subsequently received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
July 31, 1968
The first new, twin-turboprop OV-10A Bronco aircraft arrived at Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam, to fly armed forward air controller missions.
Aug. 1, 1955
Test pilot Anthony W. LeVier made the first flight of the Lockheed U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance airplane at Groom Lake, Nevada. LeVier was conducting taxi tests in preparation for the planned first flight a few days away, when at 70 knots the U-2 unexpectedly became airborne. LeVier later said, "I had no intentions whatsoever of flying. I immediately started back toward the ground, but had difficutly determining my height because the lakebed had no markings to judge distance or height. I made contact with the ground in a left bank of approximately 10 degrees." On touching down on the dry lake, the U-2's tires blew out and the brakes caught fire. A landing gear oleostrut was leaking. Damage was minor and the airplane was soon ready to fly. Tony LeVier was again in the cockpit for the first actual test flight on Aug. 4. He was a Daedalian Honorary Member from 1988 until his death in 1998.
Aug. 2, 1909
The U.S. Army Signal Corps purchased a Wright Flyer for $30,000 and it became the first aircraft in the U.S. military inventory, designated Signal Corps Airplane No. 1. The airplane was used to train Signal Corps pilots at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. It was crashed and rebuilt several times. After just 2 years' service, the airplane was retired. The Army donated Airplane No. 1 to the Smithsonian Institution. During test flights that were conducted prior to acceptance by the Army, Orville Wright and passenger Lt. Benjamin D. Foulois (chosen because of his size and ability to read maps) the Flyer achieved a two-way average 42.583 miles per hour, over a 5-mile course. The Signal Corps specification allowed a bonus of $2,500 per full mile per hour above 40 miles per hour. This increased the purchase price of the airplane from $25,000 to $30,000. The Army also required the airplane to be able to remain airborne a minimum of 1 hour. Wright demonstrated its endurance at 1 hour, 12 minutes, 40 seconds. Foulois was Daedalian Founder Member #321.
Aug. 3, 1972
During a 45-minute test flight at Edwards AFB, California, the McDonnell Douglas YF-15A-1-MC Eagle prototype, 71-0280, went supersonic for the first time, reaching Mach 1.5. An air-superiority fighter, the F-15 entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1975. More than 1,500 fighter, two-seat trainer, and two-seat F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bombers have been built by McDonnell Douglas and Mitsubishi. It is operated by allied air forces around the world and is expected to remain in front line service until 2025.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 29, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
29 July
1912: Through 1 August, Lt Benjamin D. Foulois conducted several airplane radio-telegraph tests in an Army Wright B at College Park. Messages were received at a distance of 10 miles. (24)
1921: Brig Gen William "Billy" Mitchell led 19 bombers in a mock raid on New York. He concluded that his attack destroyed the target and subsequently argued that the air arm should be allowed to take over the defense of the nation's coastlines. (21)
1931: Through 26 August, Col Charles Lindbergh and his wife flew in a Lockheed Sirius seaplane from Glenn Curtiss Airport, North Beach, N.Y., to Tokyo in one of the earliest transpacific flights. They traveled through Canada, Alaska, and Siberia to reach Japan. (9)
1937: The Lockheed 14 first flew.
1948: President Truman approved the construction of a flush-deck 65,000-ton aircraft carrier, later named the USS United States. (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. UN jet fighter-bombers and reconnaissance aircraft operating near Pyongyang encountered MiGs much further south than usual. Evading the attacking MiGs, the UN aircraft returned safely to base. (28) 1952: MACKAY TROPHY. Maj Louis H. Carrington, Maj Frederick W. Shook, and Capt Wallace. Yancey flew a 91 SRW RB-45C on the first nonstop transpacific flight from Elmendorf AFB to Yokota AB with two refuelings from KB-29s to earn the 1952 award. (1) (24)
1955: The US announced its plans to launch a basketball-sized earth satellite during the International Geophysical Year (July 1957-December 1958). (16) (24)
1961: At Fairchild AFB, SAC accepted its first Atlas E complex. It belonged to the 567 SMS. (6)
1966: The DoD announced that the Army's OV-1 Mohawk surveillance aircraft had claimed five new world records: (1) time-to- climb for 3,000 meters (9,842 feet), 3 minutes 46 seconds; (2) time-to-climb for 6,000 meters (19,685 feet), 9 minutes 9 seconds; (3) sustained horizontal altitude, 32,000 feet; (4) nonstop straight-line distance, 2,422 miles at 255 MPH; and (5) average speed over a 100-kilometer (63 miles) closed- circuit course at 5,000 feet in altitude, 292 MPH. This flight also led to a new FAI category for land-based turboprop aircraft weighing between 13,227 and 17,636 pounds.
1969: The Air Force Missile Development Center at Holloman AFB directed the first SRAM launch. A B-52H flying over the White Sands Missile Range launched the missile. (6) (12)
1970: Col Vere Short, a C-141 pilot, attained 25,000 accident-free flying hours, the most military flying time by anyone on active duty. (16)
1971: McDonnell-Douglas delivered the first two DC-10 jet transports to American Airlines and United Airlines at Long Beach. The X-24A lifting body completed its flight test program. It was then converted to a different shape with the X-24B designation. (16) (26)
1974: SECDEF James R. Schlesinger directed the consolidation of all military airlift under one manager. As a result, the USAF became the single manager for all armed services. (16) (26)
1980: Through 1 August, the 146 TAW and 433 TAW provided three C-130s to drop fire retardant chemicals on seven brush fires in the San Bernardino National Forest near Palm Springs, Calif. This assistance allowed the firefighters to control the fire in three days. (16) (26)
1985: In the Challenger's next-to-last mission, the Space Shuttle carried Spacelab-2 to conduct a series of experiments. The craft returned to earth after seven days.
1995: The 11th Reconnaissance Squadron activated at Nellis AFB to operate unmanned drones, the Predator. It was the first such unit in the Air Force. (16)
1996: At Cannon AFB, the 27 FW retired the remaining F-111F Aardvarks from the USAF inventory with a ceremony marking the last four-ship flight to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan AFB. (AFNEWS Article 960493, July 1996)
2005: Uzbekistan evicted the US from Karshi-Khanabad AB, or "K2." The base, located 125 miles north of Afghanistan near Uzbekistan's border with Tajikistan, had served as the hub for USAF combat and humanitarian missions to Afghanistan after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attack on America. Uzbekistan provided no reason for its action and gave the US 180 days to remove its aircraft, personnel, and equipment from K2. (22)
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World News for 29 July thanks to Military Periscope
USA—Biden Exchanges Views On Taiwan In Call With Xi New York Times | 07/29/2022
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden have spoken over the phone for the first time in four months, reports the New York Times. On Tuesday, the leaders discussed their views on Taiwan during a two-hour call, with Biden emphasizing that U.S. policy has not changed and warning against any attempts to upset the status quo. For his part, Xi warned against any attempts to interfere in what China considers a domestic issue. Beijing considers Taiwan part of China and has not renounced the use of force to unify it with the mainland. Tensions have increased of late amid reports that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi may plan to visit Taiwan during an upcoming trip to Asia. The talks also covered the Russian war in Ukraine, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and U.S. efforts to bolster its domestic semiconductor industry to reduce reliance on China and other foreign manufacturers.
USA—Carrier Strike Group In S. China Sea Ahead Of Possible Pelosi Visit To Taiwan Business Insider | 07/29/2022 A U.S. carrier strike group is in the South China Sea ahead of a scheduled visit to the region by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, reports Business Insider. The Ronald Reagan carrier strike group departed Singapore after making a scheduled port visit on July 2022 and "continuing normal, scheduled operations as part of her routine patrol in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific," a Navy spokesman told the news site. Pelosi is scheduled to visit Indonesia, Japan and Singapore in August and could include a stop in Taiwan. She was scheduled to visit in April, but the trip was canceled after she contracted COVID. News of such a trip has irritated Beijing. A spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry emphasized that Beijing would "take strong actions to thwart any external force's interference" should the visit go forward. If the trip takes place, Pelosi would be the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit since 1997.
USA—More MH-60T Helo Hulls Ordered For Life-Extension Program U.S. Coast Guard | 07/29/2022 The Coast Guard has ordered 11 more helicopter hulls as part of a life-extension program for its MH-60T Jayhawk fleet, reports the service. The $75 million deal brings the total number of hulls ordered to 42 as part of the Coast Guard's MH-60T service life-extension program (SLEP) for its fleet of 45 Jayhawks. The total contract value has reached $323 million, the service said in a release on Tuesday. Sikorsky plans to hand over the first hull in mid-2023, with deliveries reaching a rate of one per month by the end of 2023. The Coast Guard's MH-60Ts are reaching the end of their service lives. The new hulls will provide an additional 20,000 hours of service. The program also includes new rotor blades and electrical wire harnesses.
Ukraine—Kyiv Accuses Moscow Of Killing POWs In Donetsk Reuters | 07/29/2022 Ukraine has denied a Russian accusation that it struck a prison in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine killing dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war, reports Reuters. The Ukrainian General Staff said that Russia shelled the prison in Olenivka in the Donetsk region, killing 40 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Moscow blamed the strike on Kyiv. Separately, a video surfaced on a pro-Russian Telegram account showing a Russian soldier castrating a Ukrainian prisoner in the latest evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russian troops, reported Newsweek. The Bellingcat investigate journalism site reportedly confirmed that the video was authentic.
Algeria—MoU Signed With Niger, Nigeria On Gas Pipeline Deutsche Welle | 07/29/2022 Algeria, Niger and Nigeria have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a natural gas pipeline across the Sahara Desert, reports Deutsche Welle. On Thursday, ministers from the three countries signed the agreement during talks in Algiers, paving the way for the construction of the 2,500-mile (4,000-km) Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline. The US$13 billion project would bring around 1 trillion cubic feet (30 billion cubic m) of natural gas from Nigeria to Europe annually. In Algeria, the pipeline would link with the Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline, which would carry it to Europe, and local natural gas shipping terminals for export. Europe has been seeking to buy more energy from Africa as it seeks to reduce its reliance on Russian gas following Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Germany—F-35 Jets, Munitions Sought From U.S. U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency | 07/29/2022 The U.S. State Department has approved a potential sale of advanced fighter jets and munitions to Germany under the Foreign Military Sales program, reports the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The proposed US$8.4 billion deal covers 35 F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing jets;
37 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines (two spares); a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions; and associated equipment and technical and logistics support. The possible sale includes the following weapons:
105 AIM-120C8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMS); four AIM-120C8 AMRAAM guidance sections;
75 AGM-158B/B2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles-Extended Range (JASSM-ER); two AGM-158 inert JASSMs with test instrumentation kits;
two AGM-158 JASSM separation test vehicles; 344 GBU-53 Small Diameter Bombs; three GBU-53 SDB II guided test vehicles;
eight GBU-53 SDB II captive carry reliability trainers;
162 BLU-109 2000-pound hardened penetrator bombs for GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMS);
264 Mk 82 500-pound general-purpose bombs for GBU-54 Laser JDAMs;
six Mk 82 inert filled GP Bombs;
30 BLU-109 inert 2000-pound hardened penetrator bombs;
180 KMU-557 JDAM tail kits for the GBU-31; 246 KMU-572 JDAM tail kits for the GBU-54; 75 AIM-9X Block II+ Sidewinder tactical missiles;
30 AIM-9X Block II captive air-training missiles;
15 AIM-9X Block II+ tactical guidance control units; and five AIM-9X Block II CATM guidance units.
The potential deal would help Germany replace its fleet of aging Tornado jets in support of NATO's nuclear weapon-sharing mission and ensure Germany can meet current and future threats, the agency said.
Germany—Major Cities Cut Public Amenities To Reduce Gas Consumption BBC News | 07/29/2022 German cities have started energy reductions to meet a European Union goal to reduce demand for Russian gas by 15 percent, reports the BBC News. Hanover in northern Germany is the first major city to restrict hot water access in public facilities. The city will no longer offer hot water in public buildings including swimming pools, sports halls and gyms. Additionally, the city is turning off public water fountains, heating from April to the end of September and nighttime lights on major buildings including the town hall and museums. Portable air conditioners, heaters and radiators have also been banned. Other German cities, including Augsburg in Bavaria, have introduced similar measures. The cuts are also intended to help Germany build its gas reserves ahead of winter. German households should also expect a gas surcharge, potentially costing families an extra US$500 per year, according to Economy Minister Robert Habeck. Prior to the war in Ukraine, Germany relied on Russian gas for over half its needs; this figure has now dropped to about 25 percent.
Turkey—TAI To Deliver Choppers, Light Attack Aircraft To Nigeria, Chad Defense News | 07/29/2022 Turkish Aerospace Industries says it has concluded deals for combat aircraft with Chad and Nigeria, reports Defense News. On Tuesday, TAI officials said that the company had finalized the sale of six T129 attack helicopters to Nigeria. The value of the contract and delivery schedule was not made public. TAI also said it would deliver an unspecified number of Hurkus HYEU "air ground integration aircraft," an advanced variant of its basic trainer, to Chad. The company previously sold two Hurkus HYEU aircraft to Niger and is competing for a contract for 18 aircraft in Malaysia. TAI declined to provide information on the value of the deal with Chad or the number of aircraft involved.
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