To All,
Good Sunday morning February 19, 2023.
I hope that you all have a wonderful start to your long weekend No more football so here are some LOTS ----of interesting articles to pass some time.
Regards,
Skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History February. 19
1900—President William McKinley signs an Executive Order placing Tutuila (Samoa) and nearby islands under the Navy Department.
1942—The Japanese attack Darwin, Australia in the largest attack by a foreign power on that country. USS Peary (DD 226), as well as an Army transport and freighter sink in the raid, as well as a number of Australian and British vessels.
1942—The overnight Battle of Badoeng Strait begins when the allied naval force (ABDA) commanded by Dutch Rear Adm. W.F.M. Doorman engaged the Japanese in an attempt to stop the invasion force in Bali. USS Stewart (DE 238) is damaged.
1945—Following pre-invasion naval gunfire and aerial bombardment, U.S. Marines land on Iwo Jima, securing the island on March 16. Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz describes the invasion, from which 27 Medals of Honor are given, as one "where uncommon valor was a common virtue."
This day in history
February 19
1408 The revolt of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, against King Henry IV, ends with his defeat and death at Bramham Moor.
1701 Philip V of Spain makes his ceremonial entry into Madrid.
1807 Vice President Aaron Burr is arrested in Alabama for treason. He is later found innocent.
1847 Rescuers finally reach the ill-fated Donner Party in the Sierras.
1861 Russian Tsar Alexander II abolishes serfdom.
1902 Smallpox vaccination becomes obligatory in France.
1903 The Austria-Hungary government decrees a mandatory two year military service.
1915 British and French warships begin their attacks on the Turkish forts at the mouth of the Dardenelles, in an abortive expedition to seize the straits of Gallipoli.
1917 American troops are recalled from the Mexican border.
1919 The First Pan African Congress meets in Paris, France.
1925 President Calvin Coolidge proposes the phasing out of inheritance tax.
1926 Dr. Lane of Princeton estimates the earth's age at one billion years.
1942 Port Darwin, on the northern coast of Australia, is bombed by the Japanese.
1944 The U.S. Eighth Air Force and Royal Air Force begin "Big Week," a series of heavy bomber attacks against German aircraft production facilities.
1965 Fourteen Vietnam War protesters are arrested for blocking the United Nations' doors in New York.
1966 Robert F. Kennedy suggests the United States offer the Vietcong a role in governing South Vietnam.
1976 Britain slashes welfare spending.
1981 The U.S. State Department calls El Salvador a "textbook case" of a Communist plot.
1987 New York Governor Mario Cuomo declares that he will not run for president in the next election.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
… For The List for Sunday, 19 February 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 19 February 1968…
LBJ: "…there comes a time when men must stand…. That time is now…"
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 https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
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Thanks to Micro
I'm afraid Reverend Graham did not write (or speak) the piece about the end of America. That started circulating around 2010 or so from an unknown author, about two years before Graham spoke at a convention of pastors (about similar but unrelated subjects, specifically whether the church was ending). The trigger for increased circulation of the email was Obama's reelection in 2012. Of course, now it has taken on Joe Biden as the catalyst. Somewhere along the way, someone appended Semper Fi to the end of the diatribe, causing some to attribute it to a Marine veteran.
Second subject: I find it hard to believe that a hobby club in Northern Illinois that bought a $12 balloon could launch that balloon and get it to 40,000 feet over western Alaska. The prevailing winds do not blow from Illinois to Alaska. It does sound like the hobby club reported that they lost a balloon, perhaps as tongue-in-cheek or perhaps real, and news organizations and social media "pundits" decided to enlarge the story. The first time I heard the story, the claim was that the one over Lake Huron was from that club, which would make some sense.
It's disappointing what humans have done with an inexpensive, open "microphone" to spew their latest "thoughts" to an unlimited audience. Every voice has equal opportunity; if credentials are stated, they are often fake; the average person that just wants to find out what's going on in the world doesn't know who or what to believe. In the meantime, nefarious sources are using the opportunity to push idiocy while undermining the truth. Does anyone know a reliable source of just NEWS? I don't need an opinion; I don't need political correctness; I don't need someone to tell me what I should be upset about. I just want the facts from a reliable source.
Last point: when two very close friends play a very funny joke on each other (probably based on many past jokes in private), and the general public (read: deranged public) sees it up close and makes it worthy of apologies, we are finally headed into the home stretch of self destruction. When Tiger Woods outdrives Justin Thomas on the 9th hole yesterday, he quietly and unobtrusively slipped Justin Thomas a tampon as they walked off the tee. A hilarious joke, in my opinion. But a bunch of people apparently desperately needed something to get pissed about. My problem is I don't know who is upset and for what reason. Are we no longer able to celebrate Justin Thomas's choice of genders? Are women upset that Tiger is suggesting that Justin Thomas cannot drive a golf ball further than a woman? It was clear Justin Thomas wasn't upset, so who was the apology for? Has a woman never had the longest drive of her career and been asked by her friends, "Laura! I can see your testosterone pills kicked in on that one!" Would we men have been upset?
I'm afraid I just don't get it.
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A LONG STRING FROM Barrett, Shadow, Bruddah
Ted Williams Story
CCing those known to me.
Some will remember Capt. Zeke Cormier, Blue Angels CO in the Cougar era, mid-late 50s. He started as a poor but honest sub hunter, lateraled to VF and was nearly a double ace.
I knew Zeke for years & years before he mentioned he'd been acquainted with Ted Williams in high school (San Diego area.). Said even then TW's extraordinary vision was evident, which factored in his hitting.
Sidebar:
Zeke's Blues PRO was Richard Newhafer later of novel and screenwriting note. He came to stay with Zeke and Kitty for two weeks and left two years later. Anyway, Zeke said "The Old Newf was an excellent public relations officer but some of his relations were a little too public..."
Thanks to Shadow
Subject: Fwd: Today In 1953: Marine fighter pilot Ted Williams describes crash-landing his Panther jet after being hit by enemy flak on a combat mission during the Korean War!
Warning, this may get a little long.
I'm gonna age myself; back when I was a kid… Baseball was still the National Pastime… no question about it. My dad was a diehard baseball fan and he passed it on to me. I will never forget when I was six years old, my dad took me to a Spring Training game in Miami, while he was stationed NAS Opa Locka, with the mighty Hurricane Hunters. After all these decades, I can still remember what happened that so impressed me… what the field looked like, what the out field wall looked like and the bleacher seats. The reason he took me was his favorite baseball player was Ted Williams, who at my young age I knew nothing about. Oddly, I can't remember who the Red Sox were playing that day? But I've never forgotten what Ted Williams did.
Anyway, we sit down in good seats along the right field sideline… the game started shortly after we sat down. It was in the first inning that a seminal moment in my life happened. Boston came up to bat and the first two batters grounded out. Suddenly, my dad lifted me up so I could stand in my seat to have a better view and he said, "Son, watch this… the greatest batter alive is coming up to bat… his name is Ted Williams". As I watched, Williams took the first two pitches… one strike and one ball. What happened next was unforgettable! The right field fence was about 385 down the line. The fence itself was wooden, about 12 feet tall as I recall. On the third pitch… Williams swings and I heard the loudest retort of a baseball I've ever heard! The ball became a rocket… the sound was a loud "CRACK"... Followed by a second loud crack as it struck the wall about 10 feet above the ground in right field! Couldn't have been two seconds apart! Unbelievable! Then I saw Williams lower he is head about halfway to first as he realized the right fielder had caught the ball as it ricocheted off the wall… and almost threw Williams out at first base!
The entire crowd stood up and clapped and hooted and hollered! It was such a special moment for a six year old. As you can imagine… it was a moment for a lifetime. As the crowd settled down, before the next batter took a pitch… the Boston manager called time out… and removed Williams for a pinch runner! As Ted leaves the field the whole stadium stood up and gave him a standing ovation! My dad often remarked afterwards… that one short at bat… was worth the price of admission and then some! I was and am forever from that day forward… a Ted Williams fan. I spent countless days checking out the box scores in what ever paper we took to follow his career. I wore Number Nine in Little League and Babe Ruth League growing up. And I was a pretty good player… made the AllStars in every league I played in… but I was no Ted Williams, but in my Walter Mitty Dreams I might have been.
I tried to learn everything about him… knew he was a Marine, a pilot and that coincided with my other goal in life. Now truly, Ted was not the real reason I wanted to be a Marine, but one of his squadron mates in Korea was… a gent named Hank Hise. He was the father of my best friend in the sixth grade. One squared away Marine and a Renaissance man to boot! I was even more impressed that he personally knew Ted Williams.
Over the years and decades, I sought out any nugget of the Williams legacy. And then it turned out one of my most admired individuals I've known, Col. John Verdi; not only knew him, but was a tent mate with him in Korea and John was William's check pilot when he checked into VMF-311. In fact Verdi not only checked out Ted… he also checked out John Glenn. I'll say one thing right here… if John Verdi sang your praises… you had to be a helluva man! He sincerely admired both and praised both men. He praised Glenn for his courage and leadership… and praised Ted for his flying skills and bravery. Then he told some anecdotal stories about both men. He described Ted as the ultimate "bitcher"! He complained about everything! The weather, the food, the North Koreans, President Truman… on and on. But somehow… everyone gave him a pass, because they knew Ted was screwed by the Corps when they recalled him to active duty as a publicity stunt. Unlike the Ready Reserves that stayed current in various airplanes, Ted hadn't flown an airplane since WW II. He and a few other former Marine aviator/professional athletes were recalled for public relations and recruiting purposes… suspending their athletic careers (and paychecks). But there was another side to Ted the world did not know… he never once declined an assignment or mission… even when he had pneumonia. He was brave and John said he was the best stick and rudder man in the squadron. He was a consummate aviator, displaying the same innate skills and coordination in the airplane as he did on the baseball field. In fact, when he made his famous gear up landing while on fire… Verdi said he doubted another man in the squadron could have pulled it off as Williams did… a perfect gear up landing! He might have been a bitcher… but he was no coward or malinger! BTW… Williams refused to go see the Flight Surgeon when he got sick… it was Verdi, Glenn and others that turned him in and had him medically grounded. Ted was very aware that those with an agenda would accuse him of those very things if he had turned himself in because of the pneumonia.Verdi held Williams in such high regard that along with Glenn, Hise and a couple of others… he had Ted review his first book prior to publishing as to content and veracity. They communicated with each other until the end.
As an aside… Verdi was the one who tagged Glenn with the nickname of "Old Magnet Ass". During his check out… Verdi was his flight lead on his first few missions and constantly warned him that he was flying his bomb runs too low and slow and that unless he got with the program, sooner or later the North Koreans or Chinese were gonna nail him. Sure enough, right after this, Glenn came home with a riddled airplane… prompting Verdi to hang the nom de plume of "Old Magnet Ass" on him. After that, he speeded things up.
Last… couldn't help but reflect listening to Ted's own words on his close call in the video… that listening to the straight forward and profane description… I couldn't help but think… this Man was a Marine through and through… for his verbiage was Marine Corps standard! Folks… us Marines were not Choir Boys… but tough, straight forward warriors. And we talked like that… yes we did! Our filter for profanity didn't exist… we might try to clean it up in mixed company… but every day standard was like what he said in this recording. Mea culpa!
God Bless these wonderful men!
Shadow
Begin forwarded message:
From: Richard Walker
Subject: Fwd: Today In 1953: Marine fighter pilot Ted Williams describes crash-landing his Panther jet after being hit by enemy flak on a combat mission during the Korean War!
Date: February 17, 2023 at 6:07:29 PM EST
I saw him play at Fenway Park three years after this incident. What a thrill!
Sent from my iPhone
Today In 1953: Marine fighter pilot Ted Williams describes crash-landing his Panther jet after being hit by enemy flak on a combat mission during the Korean War!
The splendid splinter flies again!
To: david reynolds
For some odd reason this video shows an F4 doing a crash landing briefly toward the end. The voice is Ted Williams and it's graphic.
Today In 1953: Marine fighter pilot Ted Williams describes crash-landing his Panther jet after being hit by enemy flak on a combat mission during the Korean War!
https://twitter.com/BSmile/status/1626203634282254336
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Thanks to YP
Once upon a time, in dinosaur juice powered carriers, carriers had their own smell (I don't know about the more antiseptic Nuke boats). The hangar deck combined most of the odors of sweat, stack gas, JP, and a significant contribution from the mess deck, and you knew you were home whether you came from the quarterdeck or rode your airplane down an elevator.
I flew out to the Independence (my fleet home for a LONG time) in my Reserve Crusader for a Carqual refesher, and it was cold enough that I was in my poopy suit. I had just taxied onto the stb forward cat and before they raised the JBD, they spun a Fantoom behind me. His jet blast broke the tiny "chicken leg" that operated my stb trailing edge flap so it was just dangling. I got suspended, taxied to the elevator and down I went to the hangar deck. When I was securely chocked and shut down, I knew I was home when I took off my mask. Real good, Poopy suit, a couple of bucks. No worries—I talked some kind soul outta a flight suit and a place to bunk, and went down to my old ready room and resumed the life. Saw several different fliks in different ready rooms and enjoyed the chaps.
The good news was that somehow a new chicken wing got flown out and my TE flap fixed overnight. The better news was there was a gap in the action, an overhead time got missed or something, and I had the pattern completely to myself and banged out six quick traps in a beautiful clam sea.
Smilin, smilin'! For a little while, I wasn't a shore duty puke or civilian anymore.
YP
On Feb 18, 2023, at 8:32 AM, Barrett Tillman <btillman63@hotmail.com> wrote:
Subject: How Aircraft Carriers Prepare 17,000 Meals A Day For 5,000 US Navy Sailors
From a Navy friend....
I was on a frigate which was one quarter the size of a carrier. Our galley was ten times (or more) smaller than a galley on a carrier. We got our 3 meals a day and also 'mid rats'. Because of my job I didn't get to eat often at sea because sleep was more important. I had the fortune of being flown over to a carrier enroute to Japan. I spent a full day and night on the 'bird farm'. I was in awe of all that was going on 24 hours a day. I'm actually happy that I was assigned to a frigate. There were many benefits that I enjoyed, even though we bounced around like a cork in heavy seas. - Matt
https://youtu.be/hpQFKF174HI?list=TLPQMTgwMjIwMjMqvtKuasjyNQ
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What the Marines did on Iwo Jima over70 years ago from Seamus' "All Hands"
Also remember that having that island and airfields saved thousands of air crew who were flying missions to Japan and used it as an emergency field.
The Marine invasion of Iwo Jima (1st US attack on the Japanese Home
Islands) began on February 19, 1945. It was known as Operation Detachment.
The Marines were charged with the mission of capturing the airfields on the island which up until that time had harried U.S. bombing missions to Tokyo. Once the bases were secured, they could then be used in the impending invasion of the Japanese mainland.
B-24 Liberators flying from the Marianna's bombed the island for 74 days prior to the invasion. Naval ships consisting of 6 battleships, 5 cruisers and many destroyers of Task Force 54 provided a 3 day pre-landing bombardment. Intelligence sources estimated that the island would fall in a week's time. Unfortunately, no one knew at the time that island had been heavily fortified. There were vast bunkers, hidden artillery and 11 miles of interconnecting tunnels.
The battle produced some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific Campaign of WWII. Besides the fortifications, the inhospitable terrain consisting of volcanic ash made walking difficult and building foxholes for protection impossible. Night raids by the Japanese and hand-to-hand combat were common occurrences. The bunkers were connected to the tunnels in such a way that even after the use of flamethrowers and grenades, the Japanese soldiers were able to return to the bunkers and resume their fighting. The Marines literally won the 8 square mile island, inch by bloody inch.
Of the approximate 20,000 Japanese troops on the island, less than 1,000 were taken prisoner. Most Japanese fought to the death or chose ritual suicide instead of surrendering.
Of the 110,000 Marines and Navy Corpsman who took part in the battle, 6,821 were killed (this included over 300 Navy Corpsman) and 19,217 were wounded.
The number of American casualties were greater than the total Allied casualties at the Battle of Normandy on D-Day.
On March 26, 1945, the island of Iwo Jima was declared secure ... 37 days after the battle began. Henceforth, Iwo Jima would appear on the list in Marine Corps history alongside such places as Belleau Woods, Chosin Reservoir and Guadalcanal.
Twenty-seven Medal of Honor medals were awarded for actions during the battle. Of these, 14 were awarded posthumously. Marines earned 22 of the medals, Navy Corpsman earned 4 and a Naval officer from the USS LCI won the other. Of the total number of Medal of Honor medals awarded to Marines in WWII, 27% of those were awarded to the Marines who fought on Iwo Jima.
By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served
on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue. Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz, U.S. Navy
a note from Skip.
It was a long time about reading about the battle of Iwo Jima until I heard about what happened after the battle and after the Island was declared secure. Even before the battle had ended the first B-29s and Mustangs started landing at Iwo. They had been shot up over Japan or had other aircraft problems that would not allow them to return to their bases. On March 26 100s of Japanese troops assaulted the unarmed aircrew sleeping in tents ."They used swords and bayonets to keep the noise low when the island was supposed to be secure. 55 aircrew were killed and 156 Japanese were killed before it was under control. Total Americans killed in the battle of Iwo Jima was 6821
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FOR THOSE THAT DID NOT KNOW. There have now been two Marines who were mis identified in the original Flag Raising on Iwo Jima.Last night I watched the Battle of Iwo Jima on the history Channel and it was followed by the story of the first correction to the list of the flag raisers. This article covers both.
Skip
Marine Corps again corrects who was in iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising photo
The FBI-led analysis ensures no more corrections are needed.
ByLuis Martinez
October 17, 2019, 4:02 PM
Marine Corps corrects who was in iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising photo
Marine Cpl. Harold P. Keller was one of the men immortalized in the famous photo ta...Read More
The United States Marine Corps corrected the identity of another one of the six men raising the American flag on Mount Surabachi in an iconic photo taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, after new evidence was provided by three amateur historians.
A Marine Corps board reviewed the new information from historians Dustin Spence, Stephen Foley and Brent Westemeyer, and determined Marine Cpl. Harold P. Keller was one of the men immortalized in the famous photo taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, not Pfc. Rene Gagnon, as had been previously believed.
The same happened in 2016, when the Marine Corps determined another man in the photo had been misidentified. The man was identified as Pfc. Harold Schulz, and not Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class John Bradley, who had been involved in the first flag raising. Rosenthal's photo captured the second raising, when Marines lifted a larger U.S. flag on the mountain during the battle for the strategic island where 6,500 U.S. service members lost their lives.
(MORE: Marines acknowledge man in iconic 1945 Iwo Jima photo was misidentified)
"The correct identification of Marines ... is important," a Marine Corps statement said, announcing Keller's identity. "Without the initiative and contributions of both private historians devoted to preservation of our history and the FBI's support, the Marine Corps would not have this opportunity to expand on the historical record of the second flag raising on Mount Suribachi. We are extremely grateful for their dedication to helping us preserve our legacy."
The statement said the review board was contacted in July 2018 by private historians pointing out the errors in identification.
Recent Stories from ABC News
"These historians provided a significant amount of new evidence for consideration, mostly in the form of dozens of previously private photographs," the statement said.
Marine Corps Corporal Harold P. Keller is pictured, circa 1945, in a photo published in "Investigating Iwo: The Flag Raisings in Myth, Memory, & Esprit de Corps."
Marine Corps Corporal Harold P. Keller is pictured, circa 1945, in a photo published in "Investigating Iwo: The Flag Raisings in Myth, Memory, & Esprit de Corps."
Courtesy Kay Keller Maurer
A chapter in the newly published, "Investigating Iwo," a new official history of the flag raising, details the process behind the Marine Corps' review of the information provided by the three historians.
Foley and Spence were also involved in 2016, when Schulz was identified as one of the Marines in the photo.
(MORE: 'Flags of Our Fathers' author convinced his father was not in iconic Iwo Jima photo)
Gagnon had long been identified as the Marine pictured with only his helmet visible on the far side of the flag pole, but a stringent review of available photographs taken in February 1945 led the historians to determine that it was most likely Keller in that position.
The Marine Corps formed a board and involved the FBI to assess the contents of the photos and determine the true identities of the men.
Retired Marine Col. Keil Gentry, who was part of the board, said the FBI's analysis of the information provided and of the additional photos taken that day indicated it was a "slam dunk" that Keller fit the profile and not Gagnon.
Gentry also said the board asked the FBI to conduct a more comprehensive review to validate the identities of the other five men involved in the flag raising to ensure there would be no further corrections needed.
The FBI's review included comparisons of a film of the flag raising and other well-known photos, including one that showed the precise moment when the first flag was lowered by one group of Marines, while the other group raised the flag that was memorialized in the photo.
(MORE: Marines investigate possible misidentification in iconic Iwo Jima photo)
Gentry said, "this is it" with regard to further corrections to the identities of the Marines in the photo based on the extensive FBI analysis. This includes the matching of the camouflage patterns on the helmets visible on the photos and the film that Gentry described as being similar to "fingerprints."
Gagnon did play a large role in the flag raising, as it was his job to carry the larger flag to the top of the mountain and safely return the first flag for safe keeping.
Recent Stories from ABC News
"Without his efforts, this historical event might not have been captured, let alone even occurred," the Marine Corps statement said.
The six flag raisers in the famous photo are now identified as: Cpl. Harlon Block, Pfc. Harold Keller, Pfc. Ira Hayes, Pfc. Harold Schultz, Pfc. Franklin Sousley and Sgt. Michael Strank.
"Regardless of who was in the photograph, each and every Marine who set foot on Iwo Jima, or supported the effort from the sea and air around the island is, and always will be, a part of our Corps' cherished history," the statement said. "In the words of General David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, 'they are all heroes.'"
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Thanks to John
A PERSONAL HISTORY OF AN IWO JIMA MARINE
GUEST COLUMNIST| DANIEL F. KIRK
On Feb. 19, think of Wimpy Jones and his fellow Marine heroes For we who have the privilege of wearing the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor insignia of the U.S. Marine Corps, Iwo Jima will always be a special place. This is where 5,931 Marines died in the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history. It has been called "the most expensive real estate ever purchased."
Less than a lifetime ago, it was here the Marines first set foot on the Japanese homeland. Today, Feb. 19, 2021, begins the 76th anniversary of the 36 day battle. It was said of the Marines on Iwo Jima, "Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue." Of the 80 Medals of Honor awarded to Marines in World War II, 22 were on Iwo Jima, 5 in one day.
I was on Iwo Jima on the 50th anniversary of the battle. I met Charles Lindbergh, a Marine flamethrower operator and member of the original flag-raising team. I met Sam Billison, president of the Navaho Code-Talkers Association.
I also met Robert "Wimpy" Jones, a 19-year-old Marine judo instructor in 1945. Though he is now deceased, I believe he would want me to share his stories.
Wimpy was asked to give a self-defense class on the ship deck the night before the invasion. "Let's say a Jap has you down and he's choking you: You can hit him in the throat with straight fingers. If he has his hands around your throat, you can put your fingers in his ears — all the way in, and he will release. If you are on your back, grab a handful of sand and hit him in the face."
Wimpy said each landing craft had an American flag. Imagine waves of boats with an American flag on their backs, each carrying 19-year-old, on average, kids steeled by the Depression. On the hospital ship after the battle, a Marine said to Wimpy, "You're the guy who gave the class! It was just like you said, the Jap was choking me. I hit him in the face with a handful of sand, he pulled off and I shot him."
In commemoration, Wimpy brought 2,000 American flags to the anniversary, one for each returning veteran. One Marine invited an Iwo Jima veteran to go with him to the reunion. His friend said, "I can't go, but when you do, would you see if you can find my legs?"
Wimpy told the story about "little Johnny." "He couldn't have been more than 14 years old — I don't know how he got into the Marine Corps. He followed me around like a little puppy. I jumped in a hole and Johnny jumped in the hole. I told him, 'Johnny, don't look up, even if you hear somebody speaking English — the Japanese know English.' "Johnny heard somebody speaking English, he looked up, and got shot through the head. Johnny fell on top of me crying, 'Mama, Mama.' I was lying on my back holding Johnny when the Japanese soldier who shot him put his weapon right on my forehead.
I was waiting for him to shoot me. He heard Johnny crying for his mama, and he pulled his weapon off my forehead and let me live.
"I've never told anyone else that story in 50 years — not even my wife," Wimpy said. "When my kids would wake up crying at night, I would pick them up, and they would cry 'Mama,' I thought of Johnny. A few years ago, I followed a Japanese speaker to the podium. He handed me microphone, pointing it at my head, and I flashed back. I froze and could not say a word."
Then Wimpy got very quiet: "I'm only going to say this once. I killed five people: one with my hands, one with a bayonet, I shot one, one with a grenade, and one with a flamethrower. The guy I hit with the flamethrower jumped on my back while he was on fire."
I spoke with one Marine Navy Cross winner who saw Wimpy fight. "All I want to know is, did (Wimpy) ever get the Medal of Honor?" "He did everything I did if not more, except all the witnesses in his unit were killed."
Wimpy got me a photograph of the flag raising signed, "To Dan Kirk, Semper Fi, Joe Rosenthal" (original photographer). Then Wimpy said the nicest thing any Marine could hear: "I would have liked to have served with you in combat".
On Feb. 19, think of Wimpy Jones and his fellow Marine heroes.
Dan Kirk, Captain, Marines 1973-77, lives in Kennesaw.
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From the List archives. A first hand account of what it was like
Thanks to the F-8 Crusader Association Net F8U] #4164: Splush
BT
=======================================================
[Splush]
Recently Bull Durham highlighted the book "Bloody Sixteen" by Peter Fey. The book is an excellent read, as it does a good job in describing the Carrier Wing Sixteen aircraft losses during the Vietnam War. One of those losses was mine, which he treats briefly. Here's the rest of the story, a chapter from my memoirs which I have titled "SPLUSH:"
SPLUSH!
Chapter 13
The day of September 8, 1967 started like most any of the previous days of combat operations flying from the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA 34) in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. However, for me, it didn't turn out like all the previous days operating from Yankee Station. Yankee Station is what the Navy called the carrier operating area off the coast of North Vietnam, close to the 38th parallel on the map. There was also Dixie Station, which was off the coast of Northern South Vietnam. Our air wing operating tempo, OPTEMPO as it was called, had moved from major "Alfa" strikes of twenty to thirty aircraft down to small flights of six to eight aircraft composed of four to six attack aircraft, accompanied by two fighter aircraft. The task of the attack aircraft was to drop bombs and fire rockets at ground targets identified for the specific mission. The fighter aircraft were to protect the attack aircraft from enemy fighters. This shift in OPTEMPO was a welcome relief from the previous Alfa strike operations in which we often flew into the teeth of enemy anti-aircraft fire from their Surface to Air Missiles (SAMS) and/or 57-millimeter anti-aircraft guns.
The flight schedule for that day had me and my wingman, Al Aston, flying escort for a flight of four Skyhawk (A4D) attack aircraft on a mission to a target area in the Northeast sector of North Vietnam, just a few miles from the boarder of China. VA-164 MAGICSTONE attack squadron flight leader briefed us, prior to the mission, about the primary target and, also specified an alternate target in the event the weather prohibited attacking the primary target. We were to rendezvous the flight directly above, or "overhead," the aircraft carrier and proceed as a coordinated group to the target. I was assigned the mission of TARCAP (target air combat patrol) and ARMED RECCE (armed reconnaissance) and I planned to expend four (4) Zuni air to ground missiles at the designated target.
I was catapulted of the carrier deck in an assigned Crusader (F8C) and proceeded to a rendezvous position directly above the location of the aircraft carrier. As I awaited the arrival of my wingman I was told he would not be launching due to mechanical problems with his assigned aircraft. I immediately looked for the attack group and found they were already proceeding to the target area. I tried to join them as quickly as possible to be with them before they arrived at the coast of North Vietnam. As I approached the coast I heard the typical communications of aircraft on such a raid. I crossed the coast, becoming "feet dry," a term meaning flying over land.
I saw the primary target ahead, but could not see the attack aircraft anywhere in the vicinity. I called the flight leader and asked where he was; he replied the flight was over the target. I told him I was in the vicinity of the target but did not have the flight in sight. He then told me the flight was attacking the alternate target. Wow! What a surprise! It was clear to me I needed to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible. I immediately headed South toward the gulf to get "feet wet" quickly to avoid possibly engaging enemy aircraft. The attack group, after completing their mission, proceeded back to the ship without me seeing them at any time.
As I was crossing the North Vietnamese coast heading South, I searched for a target of opportunity I might hit with the 5-inch rockets. We were seldom loaded with 5-inch rockets, but this particular mission specified the unusual arms load. Normally the F8C Crusader was loaded with the heat seeking air to air Sidewinder (AIM-9D) missiles, an excellent weapon designed to shoot down enemy planes. I had the-5 inch rockets and Sidewinders too, but I wanted to find a suitable target for the rockets. I spotted what appeared to be a radar site on the coast of Ile Danh Do La, or Dollar Island, as we called a small island near the coast of North Vietnam.
I armed the rockets and rolled into a dive, lined up the target in my site as I dove from about ten thousand feet altitude. Shortly after I fired the rockets, as I was pulling up off the target, I heard a loud thump and a jolt that shook the airplane. Apparently, the North Vietnamese radar site had an AAA battery nearby that fired at my airplane as I crossed over the area. I continued to head South over water while climbing to above ten thousand feet altitude. The aircraft had lost all electrical power, but still responded to the flight controls and the engine continued running. Without proper electrical power, the aircraft navigation instruments and radios would not function. I thought I had an alternative electrical supply because the Crusader was equipped with a deployable emergency electrical generator: a ram air turbine or RAT. I pulled the handle to deploy the RAT, but to my disappointment the electrical power was not restored by the RAT -- the "dirty rat." In climbing off the target I checked the engine instruments and found that I could only attain %93 of power.
Well, here I was without navigation aids and without a radio to let the ship know my situation. The loss of the radio was not an immediate problem, but added difficulty to my circumstances later. Good weather favored my return to the vicinity of the aircraft carrier since I could navigate visually without complication of clouds or haze diminishing visibility. The most pressing problem was, without electrical power, the trim tab control on the flight control stick was not functioning, leaving me with excessive pressure on the control stick to maintain level flight. As I continued on my return to the ship, with the plane seeming to lose power, I judged I might need to eject from the aircraft. Therefore, I removed my knee pad from my left leg to ensure the metal instrument would not interfere with an ejection, nor become an object of injury. Additionally, since there was excessive pressure required to move the flight control stick, I knew I would not be able to eject using the normal method of raising both hands above my head to pull down on the face curtain. I, therefore, reached down below my legs just loosening the alternate ejection seat firing handle to make sure it would not bind when trying to pull it up, should I need to eject.
With the ship in sight, I started planning to make an approach for landing. Of concern at this point was the total amount of fuel remaining. The arresting cable, we called it the wire, would be set for the normal landing weight of my aircraft. If my aircraft weight was above the expected weight the arresting wire could break. Such a situation would be catastrophic to the men and equipment on the deck. Not knowing exactly how much fuel I had, but suspecting that the duration of the flight left me with an excess, I decided to make the plane lighter as well as attract the attention of the ship. I continued descending, maneuvering to clear an area to the port side of the ship in an attempt to eject the Sidewinders as unguided rockets with the emergency switch designed for such a contingency. Surprisingly, without normal electrical power the missiles ejected from the rails and splashed in the water visible from the ship. The Zuni rockets would not fire which added to my aircraft weight on landing. Interestingly, my assigned wingman, Al, was on the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) platform near the landing area. Al told me later he saw the missiles hit the water. He said his thought at the time was somebody's going to be in big trouble with the ship's captain and the Air Wing Commander by launching something into the water so close to the ship.
I hoped someone on the ship would see the missile splashes and tell the Air Boss in the control tower to keep me in sight, however, it didn't happen, compounding my problems in the latter stages of my approach. I continued in a descent to line up astern of the ship for a straight-in approach. I picked up visual sight of the meat ball, which is the primary aide to keep on the proper glide path for landing. The meat mall is a light projected out in space from the landing area and is the primary aid for the pilot to land safely. Once the meat ball is in sight, the pilot keeps it centered between a set of datum lights to stay on the proper glide slope to land in the optimum location in the landing area. With the meat ball centered the tail hook of the aircraft should engage the third, or number three wire, of the four wires on deck.
With the meat ball in sight I continued a straight-in approach on the glide path. The straight in approach was normally interpreted by the Air Boss that the aircraft has no radio and may have mechanical problems. I lowered the landing gear and the tail hook, noting in this condition, the aircraft did not have enough power to maintain level flight, but had sufficient power to keep on the proper glide slope. As I got closer to the ship, an A4D Skyhawk flew in front of me while making a turning approach to the landing area. The A4D was only a couple hundred feet in front of me, so I adjusted my flight path to be slightly below his, but to be as close as possible to the proper glide path. We continued down the glide path together when the A4D received a wave off signal and leveled out to fly past the ship. I was relieved to see I could proceed unabated to make my landing. However, it seems things don't always work out just like one might like. This was one of those times! Remember, the arresting wires are supposed to be set for the weight of the aircraft, and, in this case, the setting had to be changed from the A4D to the much heavier setting of the F8C. Because I was so close to the A4, in fact just slightly below his jet wash, there was not an adequate amount of time to re-set for the weight of my aircraft. I was very close to the ship at this point when given a Wave Off. The wave off was signaled to me by the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) flashing the wave off Lights on a panel near the meat ball. The wave off is a mandatory signal and must be responded to without question, as a matter of safety. I pushed the throttle forward for full power but the engine response was not adequate to clear the landing area. The aircraft touched down in the landing area just past all the wires.
Now, here I was after a "Bolter", which is a touchdown in the landing area without catching any of the wires; so, I added power to go around for another try. Yep, I was on a Bolter and trying to climb out to an altitude of 1000 feet to attempt another pass. I still had to maneuver around the jet wash of the A4D in front of me while making a gentle climbing turn to the downwind leg. The A4D, by the way, didn't have radios either. I was able to turn the aircraft downwind but could only reach an altitude of 300 feet., but I maintained an airspeed of 140 knots. As I looked at the ship from abeam, I evaluated my chances of intercepting the glide slope to make an approach from this low altitude. Although I had the throttle fully forward to full power (92%) the aircraft was losing airspeed as I tried to maintain level flight. It was essential to maintain the minimum altitude of 250 feet, but the airspeed continued to deteriorate to the point when I felt the slight shudder sensation of a pre-stall. This was my signal that I could no longer stay with the plane in an attempt to land on the ship.
Holding the stick with my right hand, remember I couldn't trim out the force on the stick to keep it from nosing over, I pulled the alternate firing handle with my left hand initiating the ejection sequence. As the seat fired, I remember seeing the empty cockpit with the long ejection seat barrel extending above the cockpit and seeing the plane nosing over rapidly. I tumbled slightly in the air and looked up to see the parachute had opened successfully. My thought was, "wow that worked, what do I do next -- oh yeah, deploy the seat pan." Underneath the seat pan was a life raft with various survival gear, which, once released by pulling a small handle on the left side of the seat, would drop down about six to eight feet on a lanyard. As I reached for the handle, I looked down saying to myself -- too late. Splush!!
This is where the wonderful training of the Navy paid off. All of us Naval Aviators who flew from aircraft carriers trained for possible ejection by joining the "Oh My Ass Club", The club was joined by pulling a face curtain to be fired up a railing about 15 feet on a simulated ejection seat. With my ejection from the aircraft the following actions took little conscious thought. As I entered the water, I continued to reach for the handle, deploying the seat pan with my left hand. I then used both hands to simultaneously remove the quick release fittings on my harness. As I surfaced, I threw the fittings away from me, leaving me clear of the parachute. I don't remember pulling the toggles on the Mae West to inflate it, but I must have because I was floating just fine with my head above water. I checked the lanyard to the seat pan, it was still attached satisfactorily. I do remember there was a lot of jet fuel in water where I landed. Apparently, I was very close to where the plane hit the water. The water wasn't noticeably cold and the waves were not very high providing little trouble in the water.
Now I thought somebody would come pick me up -- for surely, they saw me eject from the plane. I was right; as I looked around I saw a large bow wake in front of the plane guard destroyer. During all carrier operations a plane guard destroyer was always on station nearby with the duty of picking up downed airmen, as necessary. Additionally, we always had a helicopter airborne tasked with the same mission. Seeing the bow wake and smoke pouring from the stack of the plane guard destroyer pointed straight at me, I said to myself, "come on helo!" Part of my concern was I had a friend who was sucked into the intakes of a destroyer trying to rescue him -- so I was hoping for the Plane Guard Helicopter, "Helo". Sure enough, the Helo beat the destroyer to the scene above me. Immediately dropping a swimmer in the water next to me, he checked to see if I was free of the parachute. The Helo hoisted me and the swimmer into the copter and we proceeded to the flight deck of the carrier.
I stepped out of the Helo, declined the corpsmen's offer to put me in a stretcher and was greeted by the Carrier Air Wing Commander (CAG) himself. One of the corpsmen escorted me down a few ladders to Sickbay. I was later admonished for not getting in one of those wire stretchers on board ship, but I had seen them maneuvering down those steep ladders with others and decided, not for me! In sickbay, the Doc checked me over and I was treated for a laceration. Other than some muscle aches I otherwise suffered no other apparent problems and was back flying the very next day. In those days we didn't have cell phones, WIFI or email, but I was permitted to get a two-line telegraph note off to my wife telling her I had ejected and was okay, so she could ignore any false rumors that might circulate back home, as was sometimes prone to occur.
---Donald Baker
3 February 2020
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This Day in U S Military History
19 February
1847 – The first group of rescuers, troops from Fort Suttler commanded by Col John C. Fremont, reaches the Donner Party.
1859 – Daniel E. Sickles, NY congressman, was acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity. This was the 1st time this defense was successfully used. Sickles had shot and killed Philip Barton Key, son of Francis Scott Key, author of "Star Spangled Banner." He shot Key, the DC district attorney, in Lafayette Square for having an affair with his wife. Sickles pleaded temporary insanity and the sanctity of a man's home and beat the murder rap.
1862 – Trial run of two-gun ironclad U.S.S. Monitor in New York harbor. Chief Engineer Alban C. Stimers, USN, reported on the various difficulties that were presented during the trial run of Monitor and concluded that her speed would be approximately 6 knots, "though Captain Ericsson feels confident of 8."
1942 – Port Darwin, on the northern coast of Australia, was bombed by about 150 Japanese warplanes. General George C. Kenney, who pioneered aerial warfare strategy and tactics in the Pacific theater, ordered 3,000 parafrag bombs to be sent to Australia, where he thought they might come in handy against the Japanese. Darwin was virtually leveled by 64 bombing raids over 21 months.
1943 – On Guadalcanal American reinforcements arrive as part of the buildup for the next offensive move to the Russell Islands. These islands are now reported abandoned by the Japanese.
1944 – The U.S. Eighth Air Force and Royal Air Force began "Big Week," a series of heavy bomber attacks against German aircraft production facilities.
1944 – The Anzio beachhead becomes stabilized. Neither sides plans significant attacks at this time. To the south, there is a lull in the fighting along the Gustav Line.
1944 – Fighting continues on Engebi in the Eniwetok Atoll. Americans land on Eniwetok in regimental strength. There is heavy Japanese resistance, in spite of massive preparatory bombardments.
1945 – On Iwo Jima, 2 divisions of the US 5th Amphibious Corps are landed in Operation Detachment. Before the landing the bombardment groups already deployed are joined by 2 battleships, several cruisers and destroyers from US Task Force 58. The initial assault forces are from US 4th and 5th Marine Divisions with 3rd Marines in reserve. They are carried transported by TF53 (Admiral Hill) and land on the southeast of the island. About 30,000 men go ashore on the first day. The Japanese garrison of about 21,000 troops, commanded by General Kuribayashi, have prepared exceptionally elaborate and tough defenses so that the eight square miles of the island is completely fortified. The Americans realize that the island is well defended since it is part of metropolitan Japan. However, the island is strategically important because it is within fighter range of Tokyo. By controlling the airfields here, American B-29 bombers flying from the Mariana Islands can be escorted. Coast Guard units that participated in this bloody campaign included the Coast Guard-manned USS Bayfield, Callaway, 14 LSTs and the PC-469. Three of the LSTs were struck by enemy shore fire: LST-792, LST-758, and LST-760.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*COLE, DARRELL SAMUEL
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 20 July 1920, Flat River, Mo. Entered service at. Esther, Mo. other Navy award: Bronze Star Medal. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as leader of a Machinegun Section of Company B, 1st Battalion, 23d Marines, 4th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Assailed by a tremendous volume of small-arms, mortar and artillery fire as he advanced with 1 squad of his section in the initial assault wave, Sgt. Cole boldly led his men up the sloping beach toward Airfield No. 1 despite the blanketing curtain of flying shrapnel and, personally destroying with hand grenades 2 hostile emplacements which menaced the progress of his unit, continued to move forward until a merciless barrage of fire emanating from 3 Japanese pillboxes halted the advance. Instantly placing his 1 remaining machinegun in action, he delivered a shattering fusillade and succeeded in silencing the nearest and most threatening emplacement before his weapon jammed and the enemy, reopening fire with knee mortars and grenades, pinned down his unit for the second time. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation and evolving a daring plan of counterattack, Sgt. Cole, armed solely with a pistol and 1 grenade, coolly advanced alone to the hostile pillboxes. Hurling his 1 grenade at the enemy in sudden, swift attack, he quickly withdrew, returned to his own lines for additional grenades and again advanced, attacked, and withdrew. With enemy guns still active, he ran the gauntlet of slashing fire a third time to complete the total destruction of the Japanese strong point and the annihilation of the defending garrison in this final assault. Although instantly killed by an enemy grenade as he returned to his squad, Sgt. Cole had eliminated a formidable Japanese position, thereby enabling his company to storm the remaining fortifications, continue the advance, and seize the objective. By his dauntless initiative, unfaltering courage, and indomitable determination during a critical period of action, Sgt. Cole served as an inspiration to his comrades, and his stouthearted leadership in the face of almost certain death sustained and enhanced the highest tradition of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
ZABITOSKY, FRED WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class (then S/Sgt.), U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 19 February 1968. Entered service at: Trenton, N.J. Born: 27 October 1942, Trenton, N.J. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sfc. Zabitosky, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving as an assistant team leader of a 9-man Special Forces long-range reconnaissance patrol. Sfc. Zabitosky's patrol was operating deep within enemy-controlled territory when they were attacked by a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army unit. Sfc. Zabitosky rallied his team members, deployed them into defensive positions, and, exposing himself to concentrated enemy automatic weapons fire, directed their return fire. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sfc. Zabitosky ordered his patrol to move to a landing zone for helicopter extraction while he covered their withdrawal with rifle fire and grenades. Rejoining the patrol under increasing enemy pressure, he positioned each man in a tight perimeter defense and continually moved from man to man, encouraging them and controlling their defensive fire. Mainly due to his example, the outnumbered patrol maintained its precarious position until the arrival of tactical air support and a helicopter extraction team. As the rescue helicopters arrived, the determined North Vietnamese pressed their attack. Sfc. Zabitosky repeatedly exposed himself to their fire to adjust suppressive helicopter gunship fire around the landing zone. After boarding 1 of the rescue helicopters, he positioned himself in the door delivering fire on the enemy as the ship took off. The helicopter was engulfed in a hail of bullets and Sfc. Zabitosky was thrown from the craft as it spun out of control and crashed. Recovering consciousness, he ignored his extremely painful injuries and moved to the flaming wreckage. Heedless of the danger of exploding ordnance and fuel, he pulled the severely wounded pilot from the searing blaze and made repeated attempts to rescue his patrol members but was driven back by the intense heat. Despite his serious burns and crushed ribs, he carried and dragged the unconscious pilot through a curtain of enemy fire to within 10 feet of a hovering rescue helicopter before collapsing. Sfc. Zabitosky's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 19, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
19 February
1934: Following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 6591, Secretary of War George Dern ordered the Army Air Corps to start flying domestic airmail. (21)
1936: Brig Gen William "Billy" Mitchell died at Doctor's Hospital, New York City. He was buried in Milwaukee, Wis. (24)
1945: The Marine V Amphibious Corps landed on Iwo Jima with air and sea support. After being secured on 26 March, the island's three airfields supported B-29 emergency landings and other fighter operations. (21)
1952: KOREAN WAR. The communists flew approximately 389 MiG-15 sorties, the largest aerial effort to date. In aerial combat, USAF pilots destroyed three enemy aircraft. (28)
1960: The Air Force fired the three-stage Exos composite rocket. (24)
1962: At Edwards AFB, Calif., Maj Walter F. Daniel flew the T-38 Talon to four time-to-climb records: 1.86 miles in 35.62 seconds; 3.72 miles in 51.429 seconds; 5.58 miles in 64.76 seconds; and 7.44 miles in 95.74 seconds. (3) (24)
1965: A B-57B dropped the first bombs from a jet in Vietnam. (5)
1977: An assistant Secretary of Defense stopped the selection process on the Strategic Air Command's Advanced Tanker/Cargo Aircraft pending a reassessment by the Carter Administration. After consultations with the President, Secretary of Defense Harold Brown approved the acquisition of 12-20 ATCA aircraft. (1)
1985: A 319th Bombardment B-52 from Grand Forks AFB, N. Dak., launched the first Air Launched Cruise Missile for a flight test over the Beaufort Sea, north of Canada. The missile flew into Canada for 4 1/2-hours, from the MacKenzie River Delta to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and east to Primrose Lake Air Weapons Range, Cold Lake, Alberta, where it made a parachuteassisted landing. (1)
1988: Through 22 February, C-141 Starlifters from the 60th Military Airlift Wing flew 50 tons of construction materials and electrical equipment to the Marshall Islands following Typhoon Roy. (16)
1993: A student assigned to the 64th Fighter Training Wing flew the new T-1A Jayhawk trainer on its first schoolhouse sortie. (16) (26)
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Thanks to Larry who trolled for these guys at night in his A-6
Subject: RE: NVN AAA
Remember the ROE that bombing the dikes was verboten?!!! Gee – I wonder why these gomers set up shop at this location…………???!!!!
From: David Gorrell <dgorrell@mac.com>
Subject: NVN AAA
A bit more detail than I recall being offered by the AI's 50 years ago…
"FLAP WHEEL" radar ? Never heard of it…
8500 rounds fired for each hit…. Must have been our saving grace !
Terror in the Skies: North Vietnam's Light Anti-Aircraft
The armament downed more American planes and helicopters than all other air defense weapons combined
American airmen flying over North Vietnam faced one of the most intensive and highly developed air defense systems in history. Although the North's fighter planes and its surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) got the headlines, it was the light anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) that inflicted the heaviest losses. North Vietnam deployed more than 8,000 of these weapons around key targets throughout the country, with calibers ranging from 12.7mm machine guns to 57mm automatic cannons. These weapons inflicted more than 77 percent of the combat losses suffered by the Air Force and 52 percent of the Navy's. They covered every major target in North Vietnam and in the countryside. After 1969, AAA guns also began to appear in key areas of Laos and some areas of South Vietnam. By 1972 they were deployed in and around North Vietnamese supply depots, artillery sites and staging areas in western and northern South Vietnam. Every aviator who flew over that country speaks of the ubiquitous AAA menace.
The largest of these weapons was the 57mm S-60 gun. Based on the German 55mm automatic flak cannon that was entering service just as World War II ended, the S-60 was a deadly close-in point defense system when employed by a well-trained crew. The gun fired a six-pound shell with a proximity fuze, at a maximum rate of 120 rounds per minute (rpm). The shells were loaded manually via four-round clips weighing 36 pounds. As a result, loader fatigue and other factors limited the gun's sustained rate of fire to about 70 rpm. Maximum effective altitude was 28,000 feet and horizontal range was 12,000 meters, but the gun was used almost entirely for low-altitude engagements. Most batteries opened fire at ranges of 4,000 to 6,000 meters and fired on targets operating below 5,000 feet.
Each battery of six S-60s was equipped with a single "Flap Wheel" or "Fire Can" fire control radar and concentrated on a single target. Units employing radar fire control had a greater effective range than those using visual fire control. Successful American jamming and deception of the gun's fire control radars eventually led the Vietnamese to rely increasingly on visual fire control. The American ALQ-71 and -72 Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) pods proved very effective when they were first introduced, and the later ALQ-134 ECM systems maintained American electronic superiority over the later versions of the Flap Wheel radars sent in from the Soviet Union.
The S-60 gun also was mounted in open twin turrets atop a modified T-55 tank chassis. Designated the ZSU-57-2, it was intended to accompany mobile units. It could not, however, use radar fire control or be integrated directly into the air defense network. Introduced into Soviet service in 1957, only limited numbers of ZSU-57-2s saw service in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese acquired more than 1,000 S-60s from both the Soviet Union and China. Those in Cambodia and South Vietnam later were committed primarily against helicopters. There are reports of several U.S. Navy A-1E Skyraiders surviving such hits, but the Skyraider was a tough plane to bring down. The S-60 only averaged one hit for about every 8,500 rounds fired, but the volume of fire from the one to four batteries protecting a North Vietnamese target amounted to 420-720 rpm. Moreover, the S-60 was rarely the only anti-aircraft gun protecting those facilities.
North Vietnam acquired more than 2,000 37mm M38/39 anti-aircraft guns from the Soviet Union and another 300 to 500 of the Chinese variant. Introduced in 1938, the M38/39 was the Soviet Union's primary AAA weapon in World War II. Unlike the S-60, the M38/39 was fired over an open gun sight and didn't have radar fire control. A manual range predictor determined the target range and altitude and when to open fire. In most engagements the entire six-gun battery massed its fire against the lead aircraft. In some circumstances, each gun crew chose individual targets and engaged independently.
The M38/39 fired 180 rpm for short bursts and had a sustained rate of fire of 80 rpm. Maximum horizontal range was 8,000 meters and theoretically, it could reach a target at an altitude of 19,000 feet. Its actual maximum effective range against an aerial target, however, was 3,000 meters and most gun crews didn't open fire until the target was half that distance away. It fired a 1.5-pound shell loaded manually from 5-round clips. Although it had a good rate of fire and traversed very quickly, the M38/39 had difficulty engaging a high-speed crossing target. The guns were generally positioned along approach azimuths or in large numbers all around the target with very narrow engagement lanes.
The famous ZSU-23 came in both towed and self-propelled versions. The towed version consisted of two 23mm cannons on a twin-wheel carriage. A single gunner aimed at the target over an open sight. The loader fed the weapon from 50-round belts. Generally, each towed ZSU-23 had a sustained rate of fire of 200 rpm. Theoretically it had a maximum rate of 1,000 rpm per barrel, but few engagements lasted more than 15 seconds. The gun barrels overheated if anyone tried to put 1,000 rounds through them in a minute's time. Maximum and normal target altitudes were 16,000 and 1,500 feet, respectively. Normally, a four-gun battery opened fire at a range of about 1,000 meters.
The self-propelled variant, the ZSU-23-4, was the deadlier of the two weapons systems. Equipped with an independent fire control using the "Gun Dish" radar, the ZSU-23-4 could start tracking its target from 20 kilometers out. The combination of four 23mm cannons and a jamming/deception-resistant fire control radar proved very effective, particularly against helicopters. The system was first delivered to North Vietnam in late 1971. The North Vietnamese deployed ZSU-23-4s into Laos shortly thereafter. They initially appeared in Cambodia in 1972 and there were reports of them west of Khe Sanh during North Vietnam's "Year of the Rat Offensive" that year. Radar fire control increased the guns' effective range to more than 3,000 meters and raised the effective engagement altitude to 4,000 feet. The ZSU-23-4s were deployed in four-vehicle companies that accompanied tactical units in the field. They rarely were encountered around fixed facilities in North Vietnam. Helicopter pilots and forward air controllers developed great respect for the ZSU-23-4, which was equally effective at engaging vehicles and other ground targets.
The weapon that helicopter pilots and forward air observers feared most was the 14.5mm ZPU-4, based on the 14.5mm KPV heavy machine gun first developed during World War II. Consisting of four machine guns, each with a cyclical rate of fire of 600 rpm, mounted on a four-wheel carriage, the ZPU-4 put out 2,400 rpm. Ammunition carried in drums contained a belt of 150 rounds. The loader's job was to keep the weapons fed with fresh drums. The system's two-ton carriage was less than 6 feet wide and it could be disassembled easily for transport or concealment. Pilots and aircrew rarely spotted it before they were engaged.
The ZPU-4 used the ZAPP-4 mechanical computing sight, but the gunners generally fired it via optical sights. Effective range against a target flying below 1,500 feet and 200 knots was about 1,000 meters. Although ineffective against crossing high speed targets or those maneuvering radically, it was deadly to aircraft flying directly into the gun-target line. Most often encountered in Laos and South Vietnam, the ZPU-4 served in large numbers throughout Indochina. Reportedly, the North Vietnamese acquired some 2,000 between 1958 and 1968.
Late in the war, the ZPU-4 was augmented by two-man teams carrying SA-7 Grail missiles. The ZPU-4 also was deployed in a single mounting, as were captured U.S. .50- caliber M-2 machine guns and Soviet 12.7mm machine guns. Although not as dangerous to fliers as the ZPU-4 and heavier antiaircraft weapons, machine guns could take out or severely damage helicopters at low altitude, especially if the pilot was caught by surprise. Scattered around the countryside, the machine guns ensured that no pilot could relax at low altitude anywhere in Indochina.
North Vietnamese air defense tactics relied on defense-in-depth, both horizontally and vertically. Surface-to-air missiles were the first line of defense, forcing the Americans to dedicate a growing percentage of their air assets to the SAM suppression mission. Though the SAMs didn't down that many aircraft, particularly after the United States started employing chaff and ECM, they did force tactical aircraft down to lower altitudes where they were engaged by AAA. Heavy AAA provided medium altitude coverage around key facilities. Light AAA and small arms (14.5mm, 12.7mm and smaller automatic weapons) were scattered throughout the country and fired at whatever passed overhead. Most of the light AAA was positioned in rings around key facilities and scattered along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
North Vietnam reportedly deployed more than 8,000 anti-aircraft guns and another 1,000 to 2,000 heavy machine guns for air defense during the war. Unlike the heavy AAA, North Vietnam's light AAA units were widely deployed outside the country, including Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam. They downed more American planes and helicopters than all other North Vietnamese weapons systems combined.
More significant than the losses the light AAA inflicted was the effect those weapons had on bombing accuracy in those days before standoff munitions and smart bombs. Any pilot flying into a target over North Vietnam had to dodge SAMs, fly through heavy AAA and then survive a hail of light AAA and small-arms fire, both as he made his final approach to the target and as he pulled away. Most of North Vietnam's fighter pilots then tried to ambush the pilot just as he pulled out of AAA range, when his speed was reduced and his attention focused on the AAA. No pilots had faced such a deadly gantlet before, nor have any since.
Originally published in the October 2007 issue of Vietnam Magazine. To subscribe, click here.
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