To All,
Good Saturday morning March 11 2023.
Regards,
Skip
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
March 11
1778—During the American Revolution, the Continental frigate Boston captures the British ship Martha in the North Atlantic 1941—President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act, which permits delivery of war materials to Allied Powers on credit or lease.
1942—Lt. John Bulkeley, commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, helps Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Rear Adm. Francis W. Rockwell, as well as their families and others, escape the Philippines in motor torpedo boats PT 32, PT 34, PT 35, and PT 41. For this action, along with other operations in the Philippines during the start of World War II, he receives the Medal of Honor.
1945—The U.S. Navy begins use of LCVPs (Landing Craft, Personal Vehicles) to ferry troops across the Rhine River at Bad Neuenahr, Germany.
1845—George Bancroft takes office as the 17th Secretary of the Navy. Although he serves in that position only 18 months, he establishes the Naval Academy at Annapolis and encourages the growth and importance of the Naval Observatory.
1965—Operation Market Time (Coastal Patrol Force) patrols begin off the South Vietnam coast. The objective is to interdict enemy efforts moving supplies to South Vietnam by sea.
This Day in World History March 11
0537 The Goths lay siege to Rome.
1649 The peace of Rueil is signed between the Frondeurs (rebels) and the French government.
1665 A new legal code is approved for the Dutch and English towns, guaranteeing religious observances unhindered.
1702 The Daily Courant, the first regular English newspaper is published.
1810The Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is married by proxy to Archduchess Marie Louise.
1811 Ned Ludd leads a group of workers in a wild protest against mechanization.
1824 The U.S. War Department creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Seneca Indian Ely Parker becomes the first Indian to lead the Bureau.
1845 Seven hundred Maoris led by their chief, Hone-Heke, burn the small town of Kororareka in protest at the settlement of Maoriland by Europeans, in breach with the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi.
1861 A Confederate Convention is held in Montgomery, Ala., where the new constitution is adopted.
1863 Union troops under General Ulysess S. Grant give up their preparations to take Vicksburg after failing to pass Fort Pemberton, north of Vicksburg.
1865 Union General William Sherman and his forces occupy Fayetteville, N.C.
1888 A disastrous blizzard hits the northeastern United States. Some 400 people die, mainly from exposure.
1900 British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury rejects the peace overtures offered from Boer leader Paul Kruger.
1905 The Parisian subway is officially inaugurated.
1907 President Teddy Roosevelt induces California to revoke its anti-Japanese legislation.
1918 First cases reported in deadly Spanish flu pandemic
1930 President Howard Taft becomes the first U.S. president to be buried in the National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
1935 The German Air Force becomes an official organ of the Reich.
1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorizes the Lend-Lease Act which authorizes the act of giving war supplies to the Allies.
1942 General Douglas MacArthur leaves Bataan for Australia.
1965 The American navy begins inspecting Vietnamese junks in hopes of ending arms smuggling to the South.
1966 Three men are convicted of the murder of Malcolm X.
1969 Levi-Strauss starts to sell bell-bottomed jeans.
1973 An FBI agent is shot at Wounded Knee in South Dakota.
1985 Mikhail Gorbachev is named the new Soviet leader.
1990 Lithuania declares its independence from the Soviet Union.
2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster
On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan causes massive devastation, and the ensuing tsunami decimates the Tōhoku region of northeastern Honshu. On top of the already-horrific destruction and loss of life, the natural disaster also gives rise to a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant... read more
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
Skip… For The List for Saturday, 11 March 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 11 March 1968… The Siege of Khe Sanh: January-April 1968…
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 Carl
5 NEW John Wick Guns REVEALED | John Wick 4 - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF3WtcckZcY
NEW John Wick Guns REVEALED | John Wick 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF3WtcckZcY
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Thanks to Interesting facts
Honey never expires.
Honey is often credited as a multiuse wonder, known to soothe sore throats, heal burns, and add a little sweetness to drinks and desserts. But if a bottle in the back of your pantry has been collecting dust, you might be wondering if it's safe to eat. Don't worry: As long as it's stored properly, honey will never expire. Honey has an endless shelf life, as proven by the archaeologists who unsealed King Tut's tomb in 1923 and found containers of honey within it. After performing a not-so-scientific taste test, researchers reported the 3,000-year-old honey still tasted sweet.
Honey's preservative properties have a lot to do with how little water it contains. Some 80% of honey is made up of sugar, with only 18% being water. Having so little moisture makes it difficult for bacteria and microorganisms to survive. Honey is also so thick, little oxygen can penetrate — another barrier to bacteria's growth. Plus, the substance is extremely acidic, thanks to a special enzyme in bee stomachs called glucose oxidase. When mixed with nectar to make honey, the enzyme produces gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide, byproducts that lower the sweetener's pH level and kill off bacteria.
Despite these built-in natural preservatives, it is possible for honey to spoil if it's improperly stored. In a sealed container, honey is safe from humidity, but when left open it can absorb moisture that makes it possible for bacteria to survive. In most cases, honey can be safely stored for years on end, though the USDA suggests consuming it within 12 months for the best flavor.
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Thanks to Dr.Rich
The incredible Winkle Brown - EAA
Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown (1919 - 2016)
First pilot to land a pure jet on an aircraft carrier. First to land a tricycle gear airplane on a carrier. First to land a high-performance twin on a carrier. First deck landing of a twin-engine jet on a British carrier.
Few would argue with the contention that Eric Brown is the greatest test pilot who ever lived—except, of course, for Brown himself.
First pilot to land a pure jet on an aircraft carrier. First to land a tricycle gear airplane on a carrier. First to land a high-performance twin on a carrier. First deck landing of a twin-engine jet on a British carrier. A pilot with 487 different aircraft in his logbook, including 55 captured German planes in World War II. The only Allied pilot to fly the "suicidal" Messerschmitt Me-163B under rocket power. A naval aviator who saw combat over the Atlantic, survived being torpedoed and went on to become arguably the greatest test pilot of all time. No ordinary mortal then, this Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, Royal Navy.
Assigned to No. 802 Squadron at Donibristle in Fife, Brown was briefly detached to No. 810 Squadron, flying an obsolescent Blackburn Skua dive bomber in a sortie against oil tanks in Norway. He was back with No. 802 in time for the arrival of the first Grumman Martlet (F4F Wildcat) aircraft under the Lend-Lease agreement.
Brown encountered a portent of things to come when, during a training flight on May 14, 1941, bad weather forced him down at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire. Next morning he observed "a small propellerless aeroplane being pushed out…it took off to a screaming note of some power source unknown to me, climbed away smoothly and then seventeen minutes later returned to land." He had witnessed the maiden flight of Britain's first jet aircraft, the revolutionary Gloster E.28/39.
Soon after that, No. 802 joined the auxiliary carrier HMS Audacity, a 5,600-ton cutdown former German merchantman with a tiny 420-by-60-foot flight deck grafted on top, but no hangar for its six Martlets (nightly maintenance was carried out on deck by hooded torchlight). Despite the carrier's "terrifying smallness," Brown made his first-ever deck landing with characteristic aplomb: "I pulled back the throttle lever. There was a bump. I was down….After that it was easy."
Audacity's main task was countering France-based Focke Wulf Fw-200 Condors that were bombing Allied convoys, and searching for U-boat wolf packs in the Bay of Biscay. Brown accounted for two Condors in audacious head-on attacks, recalling of the first: "I just blazed away at him as we rushed on to what looked like the inevitable conclusion….It was close enough to see the windscreen around the two German pilots shatter. As debris flew off the nose I took violent evading action."
April 1943 brought a dramatic change of scene, with Brown detached to RAF Kenley to teach the Canadians of Nos. 411 and 416 squadrons how to deck land a Spitfire (for an anticipated supporting role in the Salerno landings). In exchange for the Canadians' reluctant cooperation, he participated in fighter sweeps over occupied Europe, escorting U.S. Army Air Forces Boeing B-17s and becoming involved in wild dogfights with the Luftwaffe.
Although he scored no further confirmed victories, one incident stood out in his memory. The Spitfires were escorting 100-plus Flying Fortresses when a swarm of Focke Wulf Fw-190As suddenly appeared. Just as abruptly, the sky emptied except for Brown and a lone Fw-190, which immediately attempted to get on his tail. For what seemed like hours, the two evenly matched opponents sought desperately to outmaneuver each other, with both failing to gain the crucial advantage. No shots were fired, and eventually, low on fuel, they broke off the combat. The German waggled his wings in a chivalrous farewell, and a sweat-soaked Brown returned the salute. He has often wondered about that German pilot, reflecting, "You always hoped you'd come up against a guy who'd just come out of flying training school, but seldom did."
Back on seaborne trials, by the end of 1943 Brown had racked up almost 1,500 deck landings. In January 1944, after moving into experimental aviation with a posting to Boscombe Down, he was almost immediately dispatched to Italy to fly as many captured Italian aircraft as possible. The Macchi M.C.205V Veltro particularly impressed him—"a Ferrari of the skies," he called it, comparable with the North American P-51 Mustang and Fw-190 of the period.
On March 25 Brown made the first deck landing of a modified de Havilland Mosquito, twice the weight of any aircraft previously landed on a British carrier. Because of its wooden construction, he said, "Some pessimists predicted it would come apart at the seams." But the calm Brown brought the big Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered twin in for a perfect three-pointer at 78 mph, practically hanging on the propellers.
Early in 1944, U.S. Army Air Forces Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle had sought Farn borough's help with transonic flight testing. American fighters flying top cover over B-17s had been suffering heavy losses after they dived to intercept German fighters and lost control before they could engage the enemy. Tests by Brown and others established that the P-51B Mustang, with its laminar-flow wing, could achieve a tactical Mach number of 0.78, compared to the Lockheed P-38H Lightning's 0.68 and the Republic P-47C Thunderbolt's 0.71. As a result, Doolittle recommended that his Eighth Air Force be supplied only with Mustangs.
Asked to name the greatest fighter aircraft of WWII, Brown declared that there was "not a whisker between" the Spitfire Mk. XIV, Fw-190D and P-51D. Next came the Grumman F6F Hellcat, then the Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero and Nakajima Ki.84 Frank. He deemed the Zero probably the best fighter in the world for the first three years of the war, although its lightweight agility was gained through a frightening indifference to pilot survival. He considered the Messerschmitt Me-109G inferior to the Spitfire Mk. IX and the P-51C, but added that pilot quality would always win out.
The Thunderbolt Brown judged as good for ground attack, the Lightning best suited to reconnaissance. Conceding that the P-38 had succeeded as a fighter in the Pacific, he explained that he felt this was partly attributable to the poor quality of Japanese pilots by that late stage of the war.
Brown entered the jet age in the summer of 1944, flying a Gloster Meteor. He found its tremendous speed and perfect visibility a revelation, although its poor takeoff performance made it unsuitable for carrier operations. A Bell P-59 Airacomet, acquired by Farnborough in exchange for a Meteor, he considered "a terribly ponderous aeroplane," before deciding that the de Havilland Spider Crab, later Vampire, seemed the best of the lot. Brown would score a historic first with a Vampire, making the first-ever landing on a carrier of a pure jet aircraft on HMS Ocean on December 3, 1945. However, the type never entered naval service due to inadequate fuel capacity and poor engine pickup.
Brown's heavy involvement in the testing of jet aircraft brought its inevitable crop of engine failures and forced landings. He remembered: "My sudden materialisation, inevitably in shirtsleeves, in a plane without a propeller, asking for fuel which they had never heard of, protesting to be a naval officer flying an RAF machine from a civilian establishment, was a shock. I was often virtually arrested." Eventually an Avro Lancaster mother plane from Farnborough would appear with the urgently needed fuel.
In the chaotic months after the fall of the Third Reich, the German-speaking Lt. Cmdr. Brown was very much in demand. He got flight briefings by personally interrogating aircraft designers such as Willy Messerschmitt, Ernst Heinkel and Kurt Tank, and later Hanna Reitsch.
Placed in charge of the RAE's Enemy Aircraft Flight (EAF), he flew 55 different German airplanes, most at Farnborough, but others in the formerly occupied territories. To assist him, Brown recruited two former Luftwaffe technicians from an Arado Ar-234B squadron in Norway. Together they flew all over Europe in a Siebel Si-204D light twin, which they used as a flying workshop, inspecting ex-Luftwaffe aircraft before flying them back to England. Sometimes the only guidance Brown had were notes compiled from interrogated Luftwaffe pilots.
The undoubted peak of Brown's EAF phase was his self-authorized flight in a rocket-powered Me-163B Komet interceptor at Husum—having given the members of an anxious German ground crew a note absolving them of all responsibility. Following a "thunderous" engine run to familiarize himself with the rocket motor, he recalled: "I was away on the take-off run….After jettisoning the trolley and retracting the skid, the Komet accelerated very rapidly to 450 mph to set up a 45 degree climb—all of this felt like being in charge of a runaway train." After simulating an attack on a bomber at 30,000 feet, and with all rocket fuel expended, he glided safely back to Husum, where he was greeted by a very relieved ground crew.
Brown assessed the Komet as "Probably more lethal to its pilots than to its enemies….a tool of desperation, but a delight to fly." He was the only Allied pilot ever to fly one under rocket power.
Another highlight of Brown's time with the EAF was his flight in the Ar-234B jet, "a magnificent aeroplane of which no real equivalent existed in the Allied order of battle." Then the Messerschmitt Me-262A, which despite it shortcomings he rated as "the most formidable aircraft of World War II…a pilot's aeroplane which had to be flown and not just heaved into the air…it was thoroughly exciting to fly" (comparable for "sheer exhilaration" to the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II).
The postwar years saw Brown involved in projects too numerous to list in full, but including tests on "rogue" aircraft such as the Avro Tudor I, the first pressurized British transport; the General Aircraft GAL.56 tailless glider; and the de Havilland D.H.108 Swallow, which had killed test pilot Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. After remaining at the forefront of naval flight testing, he returned to Royal Navy duty in December 1949 with No. 802 Squadron, flying Hawker Sea Furies.
In mid-1951, Brown went on exchange duty to the Flight Test Division of the U.S. Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River, Md., where his CO was U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Marion Carl. There he flew American jets such as the Grumman F9F-2 Panther, McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee and North American F-86 Sabre, which he admiringly dubbed "the Spitfire of the jet age." To the U.S. Navy he passed on the principle of the angled carrier deck and, flying a Panther, he demonstrated the new British steam catapult from the deck of HMS Perseus, then tied up in a Philadelphia dockyard.
Brown's last service flight drew an appropriately dramatic line under a unique career. He was flying a Westland S-55 Whirlwind helicopter on a search-and-rescue mission during heavy February snows when it suffered an engine failure at 800 feet. He recollected that, after going into autorotation and lacking visual references on the snow-covered ground, "I noticed a three-stranded wire fence and thought if I could hook my tail skid to the wire I might make a safe arrested landing, and so it transpired." That simple.
In retirement, Brown became chief executive of the British Helicopter Advisory Board. He also tested flight simulators, in 2007 traveling to Ft. Worth, Texas, to test Lockheed-Martin's F-35 Lightning II simulator. Moreover, he continued flying well into his 70s, and lectured regularly in the UK and Germany.
Asked how he had survived when so many other test pilots perished, Brown credited his relatively short stature. It had saved him from death or serious injury in several incidents when taller pilots, unable to extricate themselves from the cockpit, might easily have been killed. But most crucial of all was his insistence on meticulous preparation. Smiling mischievously, he said that he had never subscribed to the old RAF dictum, "Kick the tyres, light the fires and the last one off is a sissy."
Finally, on the origin of the nickname "Winkle," Brown confided that by Royal Navy tradition he inherited it only after Lt. Cmdr. Eugene "Winkle" Esmonde, VC, another FAA pilot of short stature, was killed while leading a Fairey Swordfish attack during the "Channel Dash" by German battle-cruisers on February 12, 1942.
Winkle Brown's incredible career would defy belief as an adventure story, the man himself was utterly unassuming. Although he would strenuously deny it, Brown is an aviation legend, someone who if he is not incontrovertibly the greatest test pilot ever, has certainly never been surpassed in airborne versatility.
By the end of his 33-year flying career he had flown 487 different types of aircraft (not including type variants) and become the undisputed world deck-landing virtuoso.
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
https://geopoliticalfutures.com
Daily Memo: Iran and Saudi Arabia to Normalize Relations
The two countries cut ties seven years ago.
By: GPF Staff
March 10, 2023
Middle East developments. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties after seven years of tensions. In a deal mediated by China, the two countries plan to reopen their embassies within two months. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister welcomed the improvement of ties between Syria and Arab states in a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad. And Saudi Arabia said it would formally recognize the state of Israel if it received assistance with its civilian nuclear program and a security guarantee from the United States.
South Pacific funding. In its federal budget proposal unveiled on Thursday, the Biden administration allocated $7.1 billion for the South Pacific, amid China's growing influence in the region. The money would be directed to the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau, as part of a larger package of funding for the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development. Separately, Micronesia has considered recognizing Taiwan in exchange for $50 million in assistance, according to the Pacific island nation's outgoing president.
Reelected. Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented third term as Chinese president on Friday, after being cleared by the rubberstamp parliament. He was also given another term as chairman of the Central Military Commission. Han Zheng, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee until October, was awarded the post of vice president.
Food security. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on Thursday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Top of the agenda was food security. Putin outlined Russia's approach to the deals to allow Ukrainian grain shipments through the Black Sea and the export of fertilizer from Russia to international markets. Countries dependent on Ukrainian supplies are concerned about the future of the grain deal, which expires on March 18. Egypt's Ministry of Internal Trade recently estimated that current wheat stocks could meet domestic demand for four and a half months.
Defense talks. Azerbaijan's defense minister held talks with the chief of staff of NATO's Allied Land Command, who's on an official visit to the country. They discussed military cooperation, Azerbaijan's army reforms and its tensions with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Israel's intelligence minister is also in Azerbaijan and met with President Ilham Aliyev on Friday.
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Thanks to Shadow who helped me get to over10,000 steps yesterday
What a day!
I'm playing bachelor this week… youngest daughter and family are out at Park City skiing and Wendy is dog sitting down at their house. Played golf this morning and was sitting here watching "The Players" tournament.
And then the phone rang… At our age, I don't think anything that warms my heart more is getting a phone call from a Bubba. Guys who shared good times, hard times… and yeah, a little rag time. Today it was from two men that played a great influence in my life. Dan McMahon, who was my first Company Commander in Vietnam when I was a Grunt, a true national hero and a leader of Marines. The second was the man who introduced me to the mighty F-4 Phantom! That is Mike's Sullivan… THE high time Naval Aviator in the F-4! Mike and I first met when we were both in college in San Diego to finish our academics before going back on active duty. Ask any Marine aviator from our time who was the very best… 99% will immediately say "Lancer"… the other 1% were helicopter pilots!
Anyway, the two of them were having a long lunch together up in North Carolina and decided to give me a call. Can't tell you how that warmed my heart that they would take the time to do that. Two of the most incredible men I have ever known! Lancer gave me an update on Shrek… seems like he's in less pain, but will be quite a while before he'll be flying again. Hard to believe you can get shot laying in bed by some subhuman POS for no reason. At least they didn't kill him.
Anyway it was great to talk to them both… made my day… hell it made my month! Means a lot… special moments provided by special people. Less than an hour later… the phone rang again and it was Skip! What a day! I think he called just to have something to do as he raced up and down the five story parking garage there in San Diego while his brother in law was getting some surgery. I think he said he was working on his cardio… at our age? God love the man that provides us with our daily bread… that helps us keep in touch with folks we admire and love.
Got a smile on my face and love and respect in my heart! A great day!
Shadow
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While looking for the url for the one where the lady is standing on top of the tallest building in the world I came across this one. Still looking for the other one. skip
Thanks to Dr. Rich
Big sky video ...
I was cold just watching this one
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Big sky video ...
I was cold just watching this one
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Thanks to Cowboy for finding this one
Emirates 'Flight Attendant' on Top of Burj Khalifa - Behind The Scenes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPuSBuoQ4kM
Here's another:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m5lPITfMQc
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This Day in U S Military History
11 March
1916 – USS Nevada (BB-36) is commissioned as the first US Navy "super-dreadnought". USS Nevada (BB-36), the second United States Navy ship to be named after the 36th state, was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships; her sister ship was Oklahoma. Launched in 1914, the Nevada was a leap forward in dreadnought technology; four of her new features would be included on almost every subsequent US battleship: triple gun turrets, oil in place of coal for fuel, geared steam turbines for greater range, and the "all or nothing" armor principle. These features made Nevada the first US Navy "super-dreadnought". Nevada served in both World Wars: during the last few months of World War I, Nevada was based in Bantry Bay, Ireland, to protect the supply convoys that were sailing to and from Great Britain. In World War II, she was one of the battleships trapped when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. She was the only battleship to get underway during the attack, making the ship "the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal and depressing morning" for the United States. Still, she was hit by one torpedo and at least six bombs while steaming away from Battleship Row, forcing her to be beached. Subsequently salvaged and modernized at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Nevada served as a convoy escort in the Atlantic and as a fire-support ship in four amphibious assaults: the Normandy Landings and the invasions of Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. At the end of World War II, the Navy decided that Nevada was too old to be retained, so they assigned her to be a target ship in the atomic experiments that were going to be conducted at Bikini Atoll in July 1946 (Operation Crossroads). After being hit by the blast from the first atomic bomb, Able, she was still afloat but heavily damaged and radioactive. She was decommissioned on 29 August 1946 and sunk during naval gunfire practice on 31 July 1948.
1958 – A B-47 bomber accidentally drops a nuclear weapon over Mars Bluff, South Carolina. The conventional explosive trigger detonates, leaving a crater 75 feet wide and 35 feet deep.
1967 – U.S. 1st Infantry Division troops engage in one of the heaviest battles of Operation Junction City. The fierce fighting resulted in 210 reported North Vietnamese casualties. Operation Junction City was an effort to smash the communist stronghold in Tay Ninh Province and surrounding areas along the Cambodian border northwest of Saigon. The purpose of the operation was to drive the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops away from populated areas and into the open, where superior American firepower could be more effectively used. Junction City was the largest operation of the war to date, involving more than 25,000 troops. The first day's operation was supported by 575 aircraft sorties, a record number for a single day in South Vietnam. The operation was marked by one of the largest airmobile assaults in history when 240 troop-carrying helicopters descended on the battlefield. In one of the few airborne operations of the war, 778 "Sky Soldiers" parachuted into the Junction City area of operations 28 miles north of Tay Ninh City. There were 2,728 enemy casualties by the end of the operation on March 17.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
KELLOGG, ALLAN JAY, JR.
Rank and organization: Gunnery Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps (then S/Sgt.), Company G, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. place and date: Quang Nam province, Republic of Vietnam, 11 March 1970. Entered service at: Bridgeport, Conn. Born: 1 October 1943, Bethel, Conn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a platoon sergeant with Company G, in connection with combat operations against the enemy on the night of 11 March 1970. Under the leadership of G/Sgt. Kellogg, a small unit from Company G was evacuating a fallen comrade when the unit came under a heavy volume of small arms and automatic weapons fire from a numerically superior enemy force occupying well-concealed emplacements in the surrounding jungle. During the ensuing fierce engagement, an enemy soldier managed to maneuver through the dense foliage to a position near the marines, and hurled a hand grenade into their midst which glanced off the chest of G/Sgt. Kellogg. Quick to act, he forced the grenade into the mud in which he was standing, threw himself over the lethal weapon and absorbed the full effects of its detonation with his body thereby preventing serious injury or possible death to several of his fellow marines. Although suffering multiple injuries to his chest and his right shoulder and arm, G/Sgt. Kellogg resolutely continued to direct the efforts of his men until all were able to maneuver to the relative safety of the company perimeter. By his heroic and decisive action in risking his life to save the lives of his comrades, G/Sgt. Kellogg reflected the highest credit upon himself and upheld the finest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
*ETCHBERGER, RICHARD L.
Rank: Chief Master Sergeant, Organization: U.S. Air Force, Company: Detachment 1, Division: 1043d Radar Evaluation Squadron, Born: 5 March 1933, Departed: Yes (03/11/1968), Entered Service At: Hamburg, Pennsylvania, G.O. Number: , Date of Issue: 09/21/2010, Accredited To: Pennsylvania, Place / Date: Phou Pha Thi, Laos, 11 March 1968. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Chief Etchberger and his team of technicians were manning a top secret defensive position at Lima Site 85 when the base was overrun by an enemy ground force. Receiving sustained and withering heavy artillery attacks directly upon his unit's position, Chief Etchberger's entire crew lay dead or severely wounded. Despite having received little or no combat training, Chief Etchberger single-handedly held off the enemy with an M-16, while simultaneously directing air strikes into the area and calling for air rescue. Because of his fierce defense and heroic and selfless actions, he was able to deny the enemy access to his position and save the lives of his remaining crew. With the arrival of the rescue aircraft, Chief Etchberger, without hesitation, repeatedly and deliberately risked his own life, exposing himself to heavy enemy fire in order to place three surviving wounded comrades into rescue slings hanging from the hovering helicopter waiting to airlift them to safety. With his remaining crew safely aboard, Chief Etchberger finally climbed into an evacuation sling himself, only to be fatally wounded by enemy ground fire as he was being raised into the aircraft. Chief Etchberger's bravery and determination in the face of persistent enemy fire and overwhelming odds are in keeping with the highest standards of performance and traditions of military service. Chief Etchberger's gallantry, self-sacrifice, and profound concern for his fellow men at risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 11, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
11 March
1912: Lt Frank P. Lahm opened an Army Air School at Fort William McKinley, Philippines, with two volunteer students, Lt Moss L. Love and Cpl Vernon L. Burge, who later became the first enlisted pilot. (24)
1918: Lt Paul Baer, 103d Aero Squadron, received the first Distinguished Service Cross awarded to an Army Air Service member for attacking seven German pursuit planes. He destroyed one. (8) The Navy's General Board approved Capt Alfred A. Cunningham's plan to form the 1st Marine Aviation Force with a mission to bomb German submarine bases in Europe. (10)
1941: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act to provide war materiel, including aircraft, to friendly nations. Under this act, the U.S. supplied over 43,000 aircraft to its allies in World War II. (21)
1945: Eighth Air Force dispatched 1,079 bombers to attack Essen, Germany. This raid posted the greatest weight of bombs, 4738 tons, on a single target to date. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Fighter-bombers dropped 150 tons of bombs and approximately 33,000 gallons of napalm on a four square mile supply storage and troop training area near Sinmak, Korea. Fifth Air Force operations officers reported this to be the most intensive napalm attack on a single area in the war. Also, through 12 March 10 B-29s struck the Sinchang-ni choke point, 10 miles east of Sunchon, Korea, with 91 tons of high explosives, rendering the point unpassable. (28)
1957: A Boeing 707 set a transcontinental speed record for passenger flight with 42 passengers and 10 crewmen by flying 2,335 miles from Seattle to Washington DC in 3 hours 48 minutes. (24)
1959: The Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King first flew. (5) 1960: Cape Canaveral launched NASA's Pioneer V satellite on a Thor-Able rocket into a solar orbit between Earth and Venus. (24)
1964: The 500th Minuteman ICBM rolled off the assembly line at Air Force Plant No. 77 at Ogden, Utah. (5)
1967: US Navy fighters attacked North Vietnamese targets with television-guided Walleye glide bombs. This attack introduced electro-optical/television precision-guided weapons into the Vietnam War. (21)
1974: The YF-16 attained Mach 2 for the first time in test flights at Edwards AFB. (3)
1986: An Air Force Program Management Directive sought a night and under-the-weather surface attack capability for the F-15. (30)
1990: The Navy conducted its last Trident II missile test from the submerged USS Pennsylvania near Cape Canaveral. It was the first shot from the Pennsylvania and second demonstration and shakedown launch in the program. This test allowed the Navy to reach an initial operating capability with the missile on schedule in late March. (8: May 90)
1991: Operation ARC WIND. Returning from DESERT STORM, AFRES C-130 Hercules aircraft began flying reservists from ports of entry in the US to their home units. (16)
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GEOPOLITICAL DIGEST
THE WEEK AHEAD
New European Commission Proposals. The European Commission on 14 March is set to unveil two initiatives, the Critical Raw Materials and Net-Zero Industry acts, critical to the future of the EU net-zero transition. The former aims to ensure the bloc has access to key materials, such as lithium and rare earths, needed to meet its carbon-neutrality target by 2050. It will set a goal of having the European Union domestically produce at least 10% and process at least 40% of its demand by 2030, and will establish a European Critical Raw Materials Board to coordinate action. The latter act aims to boost the bloc's manufacturing capacity for green technologies and products in response to U.S. green subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act. It will include a 40% industrial output target for green technologies in the European Union by 2030 as well as other measures to streamline regulatory requirements, shorten permitting processes and improve labor skills. Both will be subject to intense negotiations between EU member states and may take months to win approval, particularly the Net-Zero Industry Act.
Putin Meets with Oligarchs. Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on 16 March with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, a group of Russia's most powerful business leaders with whom he last met on 24 February, 2022, the day he announced the invasion of Ukraine. At that meeting, Putin struck a conciliatory tone, acknowledging the difficulties that new Western sanctions would pose to their operations, but insisting the invasion was necessary because Russia "had no other choice." This time around, Putin will likely attempt to show foreign and domestic audiences that Russia's business elite remain fully behind the war, congratulating them on overcoming sanctions-related difficulties and painting an overly optimistic picture of the Russian economy. For their part, the group reportedly will propose a 10-point package of legal changes to reduce criminal and administrative pressure on Russian business.
Please read on for some of our coverage for the week that was...
. Key Developments - Analysis . Other Stories We're Tracking - Curated Content
KEY DEVELOPMENTS - ANALYSIS
Iran, Saudi Arabia Restore Diplomatic Ties as Riyadh Hopes to Protect Petroleum Industry
What Happened: Saudi Arabia and Iran on 10 March agreed to restore bilateral relations and reopen embassies within two months, AP reported.
Saudi and Iranian officials signed a joint declaration to this end in Beijing, which helped broker the agreement. The agreement affirmed principles including "non-interference in internal affairs of states" and "sovereignty of states," and referenced that Iran and Saudi Arabia want to reimplement the security cooperation agreement they signed in 2001 and the general cooperation agreement they signed in 1998.
Why It Matters: Riyadh hopes the restoration of diplomatic ties with Iran will reduce Iran-linked physical threats to the kingdom, including to its oil and gas sector, as negotiations between Iran and the West over the nuclear deal fail to make headway and as US interest in the Middle East wanes. Relations between the two Middle Eastern countries were severed in January 2016 after demonstrators in Tehran swarmed the Saudi Embassy in the wake of the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. With US-Iran and Israeli-Iranian tensions likely to rise in the coming months, Riyadh hopes reestablishing ties with Iran will reduce the likelihood that bilateral tensions will boil over and result in Iranian attacks against Saudi Arabia akin to the 2019 attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil processing plants that knocked more than half of Saudi Arabia's oil production offline; the deal could also lead to progress in peace talks in nearby Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is reportedly pushing the Yemeni government to negotiate with the Iran-backed Houthis. The agreement's brokerage by China will meanwhile set off alarm bells in Washington, as it demonstrates China's rising influence in the Middle East and how it can play honest broker of disputes in which the United States has a strong interest.
Source: RANE Worldview
Iran, IAEA Reach Agreement to Defuse Tension Ahead of IAEA Board Meeting
What Happened: Iran agreed to increase cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency during a visit by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi ahead of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting the week of 4 March, Reuters reported on 4 March. According to a joint statement, Iran agreed to "provide further information and access to address the outstanding safeguards issues," alluding to the discovery of undeclared nuclear materials at three locations in 2019 that the IAEA has been investigating. Iran has also agreed to allow the reinstallation of extra monitoring equipment initially installed per the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action but removed in 2022.
Why It Matters: Iran's agreement with the IAEA -- one of the first positive developments between the two in months -- probably represents a bid by Tehran to forestall formal IAEA censure at the upcoming board meeting, although censure appeared given the lack of U.S. support for the censure sought by its European counterparts. Iran's reinstallation of additional monitoring cameras at some sites will ease some Western concerns about Iran's enrichment of uranium to 84% U-235 uncovered by the IAEA in January 2023, as the cameras presumably would give the IAEA more information about future enrichment activities and subsequent attempts by Iran to enrich uranium to that level. Still, the crisis is still likely to intensify, as Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium continues to grow faster than it has at any point prior to the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran's agreement with the IAEA is likely part of a two-pronged strategy of ramping up nuclear activity while simultaneously trying to show just enough willingness to work with the IAEA to deter significant escalation with the West -- and Israel -- that puts military action on the table.
Source: RANE Worldview
Fractures in Spain's Government Give Right-Wing Parties an Edge Ahead of Elections
On 7 March, Spain's Congress of Deputies began the administrative process that will result in a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez later in the month. The motion, which was triggered by the far-right Vox party, will almost certainly fail because the main opposition party, the conservative Popular Party (PP), will abstain and most of the other political parties will vote against it. However, the motion will happen at a time when Sanchez's coalition, which includes his Socialist Party (PSOE) and the left-wing Unidas Podemos (UP), is dealing with severe infighting and ahead of regional elections in May and general elections in December, where the coalition partners are expected to lose ground to their conservative and right-wing rivals. A strong performance by the opposition parties in the regional elections in May would consolidate their chances of winning the general elections in December, but would also raise questions over their ability to govern together. A coalition between PP and Vox after the general elections would increase political instability in Spain, though the effect at the European level would be more modest.
Source: RANE Worldview
The Opposition Outlook Improves Ahead of Turkey's Presidential Vote
Turkey's Nation Alliance, a coalition of parties that oppose Erdogan's government, decided March 6 to name Republican People's Party (aka CHP, its initials in Turkish) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu to stand as its joint presidential candidate May 14. Meral Aksener (the leader of the iYi party, and a key member of the opposition alliance) meanwhile agreed March 6 to return to the alliance after a three-day departure on the condition that the popular mayors of Istanbul and Ankara, Ekrem Imamoglu and Mansur Yavas (both members of the CHP party), respectively, be executive vice presidents if Kilicdaroglu wins the presidency. Unity within the opposition is key for the parties to have a chance of beating Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (known by its Turkish initials, AKP) in the election. The Nation Alliance's decision to emphasize popular opposition mayors in its electoral campaign is meant to draw out the important youth vote. The Nation Alliance proposes a return to the parliamentary system of governance, which appeals to many young voters as well as Turkey's Western partners who want a return to a more balanced division of powers. The opposition also promises to return to more orthodox economic policies to address the country's financial crisis, but will struggle with the same external forces weighing on the Turkish economy.
Source: RANE Worldview
OTHER STORIES WE'RE TRACKING - CURATED CONTENT
ASIA
Japan and South Korea Turn the Page
Seoul and Tokyo announced the de facto resolution of their dispute over wartime conscripted labor-a major achievement that signals the arrival of a durable and much closer partnership between Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington. In recent months, some of the most capable diplomats in South Korea and Japan have been engaged in quiet negotiations to resolve the dispute.
Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
China Loses Ground in Nepal
The recent upheaval in the political environment in Kathmandu has taken an inimical turn for Beijing. The revival of the pre-election Nepali Congress
(NC)- and Maoist Center-led five-party coalition, has scuttled China's hopes for an extended period of influence. The political shake-up in Nepal centers on the upcoming presidential election, with Ram Chandra Poudel, a prominent NC leader (vaguely conferred as "pro-West"), enjoying a clear anticipated majority for the win.
Source: The Diplomat
India Is Arming Villagers in One of Earth's Most Militarized Places
The government is reviving local militias in the Jammu part of the restive Kashmir region, laying bare the limits of its military approach there. That the Indian government has felt compelled to arm thousands of civilians in one of the world's most militarized places shows the limits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's more muscular approach to controlling the long-restive region. Repeated attacks on civilians have raised questions about the government's military approach to what analysts say is fundamentally a political problem in Kashmir, and cast doubt on its claims that the region is enjoying peace and prosperity.
Source: The New York Times
EUROPE
Emmanuel Macron's Vision of a More Muscular Europe Is Coming True
In France, the conflict has shone a light on Mr Macron's ambition to keep his mid-sized country seated among the giants at the top diplomatic table-and the frustrations of trying to do so. In many ways Europe has come round to the French president's way of thinking. The continent is rearming, asserting itself and learning to speak the language of power. Yet on crucial questions, notably its future security, it is still not persuaded by Mr Macron's ideas. No one could fault Mr Macron's work ethic. Constantly tapping out text messages to his peers, Mr Macron has this year already hosted 16 different world leaders in Paris.
Source: The Economist
Russia Eyes Pressure Tactics to Lure Fleeing Tech Workers Home
While the Kremlin seemed happy to see dissident artists, activists and journalists flee the country, the exodus of IT workers has become a major headache for top managers and officials as they struggle to fill key positions, keep the economy afloat, and prevent security breaches at companies that keep the country functioning despite the bite of Western sanctions. Sberbank, for instance, is Russia's largest financial institution, holding roughly one-third of the country's bank assets. It was sanctioned by the United States and European Union shortly after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion last year. Earlier in the war, the focus was on incentives, including lower income taxes and mortgage interest rates, which were offered to IT workers. But they failed to reverse the outflow.
Source: The Washington Post
AMERICAS
As Argentina's Economy Sputters, Security Concerns Shape Its Campaign
As inflation nears 100% and a drought in the countryside saps Argentina's already scarce foreign currency reserves, one would expect the country's economic woes to be the single dominant topic of conversation in an election year. While property crimes have been elevated for some time, the overall murder rate, at 5.3 per 100,000, stands as one of the lowest in Latin America. Yet amid a worsening situation in Rosario, and in the wake of several high-profile killings in the generally wealthy and safe capital, security issues have come to rival economic ones as a topic of political discussion, with wide potential implications for the upcoming elections.
Source: Americas Quarterly
Spying by Mexico's Armed Forces Brings Fears of a 'Military State'
Mexico's armed forces spied on a human rights defender and journalists who were investigating allegations that soldiers had gunned down innocent people, documents show, providing clear evidence of the military's illegal use of surveillance tools against civilians. The government has been embroiled in scandal for years over the use of sophisticated spyware against a wide range of people who stand up to Mexico's leaders. But surveillance experts say this is the first time a paper trail has emerged to prove definitively that the Mexican military spied on citizens who were trying to expose its misdeeds.
Source: The New York Times
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
Afrocentrism Is Trending in the Maghreb. It's Because Sub-Saharan Migrants Are Rewriting Their Narrative.
North Africa morphing into a permanent host destination rather than a transit country on the way to Europe for hundreds of thousands of Sub-Saharan Africans is no news. What is new, however, is a rising Afrocentric discourse across social media platforms calling for "reappropriating" North Africa and "chasing" the non-black inhabitants of Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia from the continent on the pretense that they are illegitimately colonizing the land. This evolving discourse provides an ideological framework for Sub-Saharan African migrants subjected to documented instances of racism and expulsion during their stay in North African countries by local inhabitants and authorities.
Source: Atlantic Council
Bashar Al-Assad's Strategy to Regain Power in the Levant Goes Through Lebanon
The primary question being asked is how will Assad use this new boost in legitimacy to strengthen his hand in neighboring Lebanon. It may sound like an absurd proposition given the circumstances-Assad is still attempting to fully recover from over a decade of civil war that has destroyed his country's infrastructure and displaced millions of Syrians, both internally and externally. However, the notion is not totally without logic, as Assad has ways of manipulating events in Lebanon to his favor in a way that may be part of a long-term strategy to become the dominant figure in the Levant.
Source: The National Interest
GLOBAL
Behind Ukraine Peace Proposal, China Foresees End to War in Summer
After avoiding getting too deeply involved in Russia's war in Ukraine over the past year, China suddenly offered a peace proposal last month. Chinese military experts' prediction that the war will come to an end this summer is likely behind this about-face. The reason for China's sudden change can be traced back to a report issued two months earlier by a top think tank in Beijing. In December, the Academy of Military Sciences, which reports directly to the People's Liberation Army, completed a simulation on the Ukraine conflict, resulting in an astonishing finding, according to sources close to the Chinese government. The war will draw to a close around summer 2023, the simulation indicated, with Russia having the upper hand.
Source: Nikkei Asia
In Race to Arm Ukraine, US Faces Cracks in Its Manufacturing Might
The Pentagon's plan for scaling up production of the shells over the next two years marks a breakthrough in the effort to quench Ukraine's thirst for weapons. But the conflict has laid bare deep-seated problems that the United States must surmount to effectively manufacture the arms required not just to aid its allies but also for America's self-defense should conflict erupt with Russia, China or another major power. The slow pace of US production means it would take as long as 15 years at peacetime production levels, and more than eight years at a wartime tempo, to replace the stocks of major weapons systems such as guided missiles, piloted aircraft and armed drones if they were destroyed in battle or donated to allies.
Source: The Washington Post
Moscow's Cutback on Icebreaker Construction Opens Door for China in the North
The growing costs of Russia's war against Ukraine and the Western sanctions imposed at the end of February 2023 on Atomflot, the Russian company that builds icebreakers for Moscow, have forced the Kremlin to cancel plans to build two of three massive nuclear-powered icebreakers capable of breaking through thick ice. This decision not only represents a serious retreat from Putin's expansive plans in the Arctic, but it also opens the way for China to become the dominant player in the region far sooner. Beijing is continuing to build similar massive nuclear-powered icebreakers.
Source: The Jamestown Foundation
US Tells Netanyahu That Focus on West Bank Distracts From Iran Threat
US defense secretary Lloyd Austin has warned Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the upsurge in violence in the occupied West Bank is weakening their capacity to work together on tackling the threat from Iran.
Violence in the West Bank, which makes up the bulk of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, has escalated sharply in recent months, prompting concerns that the security situation could spiral out of control. Austin repeated the message from Biden and other senior US officials that Netanyahu must build agreement for the judicial reforms, signaling private concerns about the way the plans have roiled the country.
Source: Financial Tim
The World Isn't Slipping Away From the West
Indeed, politicians and diplomats in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have offered Ukraine limited support and suggested the West is in part to blame for Russia's war. To start, there is no real sign that the Non-Aligned Movement has gained new life or that African, Asian, and Latin American leaders are coordinating their positions on the war in Ukraine. Many countries have sided with Ukraine in crunch votes-such as those against Putin's annexations-despite the risks of alienating Russia. Even states that have not backed these votes, such as China and India, have acknowledged that Ukraine's right to territorial integrity matters and warned against nuclear weapons use.
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