To All,
Good Saturday morning April 1 2023.
I hope that you all have a great weekend.
Regards,
Skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
April 1
1893
Navy General Order 409 establishes the rate of Chief Petty Officer.
1899
A landing party of 60 men from USS Philadelphia (C 4) and a force of 100 friendly natives join 62 men from HMS Porpoise and Royal Isle in Samoa to establish order over Samoan throne.
1943
USS Shad (SS 235) torpedoes and damages the Italian blockade runner Pietro Orseolo, shortly after the Italian ship reaches the Bay of Biscay and her escort of four German destroyers.
1945
Under heavy naval gunfire and aircraft support, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps troops begin the invasion of Okinawa, the last major amphibious assault of World War II.
1967 - Helicopter squadron HAL 3 activated at Vung Tau
1991
USS Marvin Shields (FF 1066) arrives at her home port of San Diego, Calif. She is the first West Coast ship to return to CONUS from Operation Desert Storm.
2007
The last US Navy T-2C Buckeye, assigned to VX-20, retires to Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
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This day in World history April 1
0408 Theodosius II succeeds to the throne of Constantinople.
1308 King Albert is murdered by his nephew John, because he refused his share of the Habsburg lands.
1486 Christopher Columbus convinces Queen Isabella to fund expedition to the West Indies.
1805 The state of Virginia passes a law requiring all freed slaves to leave the state, or risk either imprisonment or deportation.
1863 The Battle of Chancellorsville begins as Union General Joe Hooker starts his three-pronged attack against Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
1867 Reconstruction in the South begins with black voter registration.
1877 President Rutherford B. Hayes withdraws all Federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.
1898 The U.S. Navy under Commodore George Dewey defeats the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines.
1915 The British luxury liner Lusitania leaves New York Harbor for a voyage to Europe. A week later it would be torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat.
1927 Adolf Hitler holds his first Nazi meeting in Berlin.
1931 The Empire State Building opens in New York.
1934 The Philippine legislature accepts a U.S. proposal for independence.
1937 President Franklin Roosevelt signs an act of neutrality, keeping the United States out of World War II.
1944 The Messerschmitt Me 262, the first combat jet, makes its first flight.
1945 Martin Bormann, private secretary to Adolf Hitler, escapes the Führerbunker as the Red Army advances on Berlin.
1948 North Korea is established.
1950 Gwendolyn Brooks becomes the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for her book of poetry called Annie Allen.
1960 Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane is shot down over Russia.
1961 Fidel Castro announces there will be no more elections in Cuba.
1968 In the second day of battle, U.S. Marines, with the support of naval fire, continue their attack on a North Vietnamese Division at Dai Do. See the article below On Capt Jay Vargas and his Medal of Honor at the battle Of Dai Do
1970 Students from Kent State University riot in downtown Kent, Ohio, in protest of the American invasion of Cambodia.
1986 The Tass News Agency reports the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.
2011 Osama Bin Laden is killed in Abbottabad Pakistan by US Navy SEALS in Operation Neptune Spear.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
Skip… For The List for Saturday, 1 April 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 1 April 1968
LBJ stuns the world… "I will not run… "
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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1700
April 01
April Fools' tradition popularized
On April 1, 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools' Day by playing practical jokes on each other.
Although the day, also called All Fools' Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery.
Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.
These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as poisson d'avril (April fish), said to symbolize a young, "easily hooked" fish and a gullible person.
April Fools' Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with "hunting the gowk," in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people's derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or "kick me" signs on them.
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On April Fools' Day, France celebrates "April fish."
What do you call someone who's fallen for a prank? There's no punchline here — in most English-speaking places, you'd probably just call them gullible. But in France, you might use the term poisson d'avril, aka "April fish." The centuries-old name is linked to a 1508 poem by Renaissance composer and writer Eloy d'Amerval, who used the phrase to describe the springtime spawn of fish as the easiest to catch; young and hungry April fish were considered more susceptible to hooks than older fish swimming around at other times of year. Today, celebrating "April fish" in France — as well as Belgium, Canada, and Italy — is akin to April Fools' Day elsewhere, complete with pranks; one popular form of foolery includes taping paper fish on the backs of the unsuspecting.
While the first reference to poisson d'avril comes from d'Amerval's poem, historians aren't sure just how old the April Fools' holiday is. It's often linked to Hilaria, a festival celebrated by the ancient Romans and held at the end of March to commemorate the resurrection of the god Attis. However, many historians believe that while Hilaria participants would disguise themselves and imitate others, there's little evidence that it's the predecessor of April Fools'. Other theories suggest that April 1 trickery stems from switching to the Gregorian calendar. One such explanation dates to 1564, the year French King Charles IX moved to standardize January 1 as the start of the new year, which had often been celebrated on Christmas, Easter, or during Holy Week (the seven days before Easter). Despite the royal edict, some French people kept with the Holy Week tradition and celebrated the new year in late March to early April, becoming the first "April fools."
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Flying Black Ponies by Kit Lavell
I am trying to get Kit to the Bubba Breakfast this Friday.
I have recommended this book for a few years since I met Kit Lavell the author. He is an old friend of Super Snyder. I talked to both of them yesterday about "Bubba Segars and both had more stories. But you all should dig out that book and read it
Skip
Thanks to YP
YP
I have had FLYING BLACK PONIES, by Kit Lavell, in my Kindle "to read" bag for a long time. It deals with the Navy's very close air support in VietNam, flying OV-10 aircraft. I finally got started, and didn't get much further than The FORWARD by Stephen Coonts, and it is worth the price of the book, since it talks about warriors, which is largely verboten in today's pussy society. One of the OV-10 drivers that are the subject of the book is pictured below, Bubba Segars. He is a certified wild man, and he was part of the Skyhawk Association group that visited Israel in 2017. As a Flying Black Pony, he finally got bagged by a Strela about a mile from the beach and had to eject (my fading memory is that his back seater dinna make it). He landed among a bunch of very pissed off gomers, and he broke the existing 100 meter dash records on the way to the water, yelling on his radio. He was saved by an Army Huey driver just over the water, and he got extracted at the last moment, hanging onto a skid as they got the hell out as the AK's rattled away. I had the honor of hanging with him for our tour, and he dinna punch me out even once...
Where did we get such men? Stephen Coonts tells us that most of us who used to participate in real War Games were ordinary salt of the earth blokes who thot it was wot men did. I had to export his forward from my Kindle, and it is sketchy, but I hope readable.
Now, to the rest of the book.
YP
Begin forwarded message:
On 3/27/2017 3:43 PM, Terry Wolf wrote:
There are many Bubba Segars' stories floating around. He is the guy who armed his 20mm guns flying past Libya on his way to deliver an A-4 to you in 1973. I'm sure it ruined his whole day when they didn't launch against him. Why? He wanted to show Kadafi wot he thought of him. After landing his A-4 in Israel, the Israelis had the Star of David painted on his plane before he got out of the cockpit. He told the Israeli tech who first climbed up the ladder that his port gun jammed, and they told him they'd already fixed it. They were getting the plane ready for combat. They filled Bubba up to the brim with cold beers, and he was really unhappy the Israelis wouldn't let him go on the strike.
He is not very tall, but he has been known to make up for it by swinging hard and first. We had a guy in our squadron (Kip Burton) who was appointed as Bubba control officer. He was a gymnast in college and strong and quick. He more than once caught Bubba's fist in mid-air on its way to some unsuspecting jaw belonging to a guy who said the wrong thing to Bubba.
In my memory, he ejected from 3 different A-4's. The last while downwind at the ship during carrier qualifications. He claimed engine failure, and since the aircraft is at 50 fathoms who is to refute his claim? I forget the situation of number two, but the most famous is his air to air duel with a squadron mate which ended (as was inevitable) in a mid-air as neither would back down. Both pilots ejected and Bubba claimed victory as the other guy touched down in his chute first while the other guy claimed victory as Bubba's plane hit the ground first. Again, you can't make this stuff up.
There has been some discussion as to who will be Bubba control officer on this trip. The consensus is that he has probably mellowed at least a little, and his wife will be along and that will have a calming effect.
Terry
FORWARD:
One of the essential points of American military history often missed by students is that the people in the critical skill positions in all our wars were volunteers . The Americans who awaited the British soldiers at Lexington and Concord , gathered at Breed's Hill , wintered at Valley Forge , manned John Paul Jones's ships , and trapped Cornwallis at Yorktown were volunteers to a man . During the American Civil War , America had a draft of sorts , but the men who were responsible for victory or defeat were volunteers — U . S . Grant , Robert E . Lee , Joshua Chamberlain , the list goes on and on . Since the invention of the airplane , cockpits have been exclusively reserved for those who wanted to be there , those willing to put forth the effort and pay the price to earn their seat . Even in that most unpopular war , Vietnam , it was so . The men you will meet in this book were not the sons of the privileged elite . Their fathers were not senators , officers of major corporations , or decorated with inherited fortunes . They were from blue - collar or lower - middle - class backgrounds . They usually hailed from small towns or farms , had good but not spectacular educations , had fathers and uncles who served in World War II or Korea , and — universally — were patriots . Those who survived combat had their patriotism and faith in their fellow Americans tempered like fine steel . As you read this book , I invite you to speculate on the motivations that took these men to Vietnam , that put them in the cockpit of an OV - 10 Bronco — diving into the dragon's mouth with cannons blazing and rockets rippling off the wings . For some those days of combat were a grand adventure . No doubt testosterone was a part of the mix , but only a small part . Whatever the reasons that got them into that cockpit in Vietnam , once they were there , cold reality became impossible to ignore . The job was killing the enemy . The bullets were real . The game was brutal and bloody , played for keeps , and the stakes were human lives . Inevitably Americans died or were maimed for life . No one was immune . Life for them became very precious , tenuous ; the men around them were killed with awe - inspiring regularity , and yet , almost to a man , these young American warriors hung in there , gutted it out , kept fighting until a bullet found them or the navy sent them home . These aerial warriors were not unique . America sent tens of thousands of young men like them to Vietnam . To my mind , the fact that in times of crisis average Americans are willing to risk all they are and all they hope to be , fighting for their country , is one of the profound virtues of our Republic , a saving grace that redeems us from much of the pettiness , selfishness , and day - to - day greed that assault us at every turn . The stay - at - home , sunshine patriot has been with us always and , no doubt , always will . Yet America's continued existence as a free nation has always rested on its ability to produce men who would fight . The story of VAL - 4 , the Black Pony Squadron , is so stereotypical of American military operations as to be almost trite . Born of military necessity , opposed by many in the establishment because it didn't fit doctrine or the grand plan , approved reluctantly , the squadron was parsimoniously equipped with obsolete , borrowed airplanes and manned with youthful inexperience and proverbial black sheep . Amazingly , these men learned to fight and gave an extraordinary account of themselves . Kit Lavell puts you in the cockpit with the Black Ponies and takes you flying . It's a grand ride . Contained within these pages is the distilled essence of the American military experience . Regardless of what the establishment says or does with the billions of defense dollars that flow through Washington every year like a great river , this is the way America fights . Stephen Coonts
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Thanks to Newell and no vulgar humor
The golden-olden humor you posted today from the Jay Leno show reminded me of another bit of yesteryear comedy: the self-denigrating quips of Rodney Dangerfield, that he would string together for his stand-up routines. Enjoy the zany admissions of a man who made a comedic living from verbal self-flagellation.
Newell
RODNEY DANGERFIELD'S
SELF-DENIGRATING QUIPS
With my old man I got no respect. I asked him, "How can I get my kite in the air?"
He told me to run off a cliff.
I went to a massage parlor.
It was self-service.
Last night my wife met me at the front door.
She was wearing a sexy negligee.
The only trouble was, she was coming home.
A girl phoned me and said, "Come on over. There's nobody home."
I went over. Nobody was home!
A hooker once told me she had a headache.
I was making love to this girl, and she started crying.
I said, "Are you going to hate yourself in the morning?"
She said, "No, I hate myself now."
My wife is such a bad cook, that if we leave dental floss in the kitchen,
the roaches hang themselves.
I'm so ugly, I stuck my head out the window,
and I got arrested for mooning.
The other day I came home early, and a naked guy jogged past me.
I shouted at him, "Why?"
He shouted back, "Because you came home early."
I know I'm not sexy.
Because when I put on my underwear,
I can hear the Fruit-of-the-Loom guys giggling.
My wife is such a bad cook.
In my house we pray after the meal.
My wife likes to talk to me during sex.
Last night she called me from a downtown hotel.
It's been a rough day.
I got up this morning and put a shirt on, and a button fell off.
I picked up my briefcase, and the handle came off.
I'm afraid to go to the bathroom.
I was such an ugly kid!
When I played in the sandbox, our cat kept covering me up.
I was such an ugly baby that my mother never breastfed me.
She told me that she only liked me as a friend.
I'm so ugly my father carried around a picture of the kid
that came with his old wallet
When I was born, the doctor came into the waiting room and said to my father,
"I'm sorry. We did everything we could, but he pulled through anyway."
I'm so ugly my mother had morning sickness after I was born.
I remember the time that I was kidnapped,
and they sent a piece of my finger to my father.
He told them that he wanted more proof.
I'm so ugly, I once worked in a pet shop,
and people kept asking how big I'd get.
I went to see my doctor.
"Doctor, every morning when I get up, and I look in the mirror,
I feel like throwing up. What's wrong with me?"
He said, "Nothing, your eyesight is perfect."
My uncle's dying wish was to have me sitting in his lap.
But at the time, he was sitting in the electric chair.
I went to the doctor because I had swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills.
My doctor told me to have a few drinks and get some rest.
Once when I was lost, I saw a policeman,
and asked him to help me find my parents.
I said to him, "Do you think we'll ever find them?"
He said, "I don't know, kid. There's so many places they can hide.
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Thanks to Mugs
Not an uplifting message, but, sadly, it appears pretty accurate from my perspective.
Mugs
WHAT'S IMPORTANT?
By: Bill O'ReillyMarch 29, 2023
Recent polling shows a disturbing drop in the "what's important" category. Led by younger Americans, religion and patriotism are on the skids. This is NOT a good thing, but understandable in our current culture.
Organized religion has been shrinking for years in the USA, mirroring what happened in Europe in the late 20th century. Two reasons: first, many clerics cannot connect their theology to the modern world. They are essentially boring and disinterested in the actual lives of their congregations. I go to Mass every Sunday. I know what I'm talking about.
Second, many folks don't believe in right and wrong any longer. They want to do whatever. They reject any judgment of behavior, which is what religion does, with a few exceptions.
On the patriotism front, the collapse of the public schools in many places fosters ignorance and apathy about a citizen's duty. Younger folks now tend to identify with social culture, not a vast nation.
If you don't know history, geography, and political science, why would you have an attachment to your country? Immigrants often love America more than those born here because they know what America provides; they can compare now to then.
Younger Americans, in general, have little frame of reference. They live insulated lives drifting in cyber-space. Some of them are even insulted they have to earn a living. Their collective motto: "where's mine."
Any country is only as strong as the people who live in it. Our decline is apparent.
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Russian Viewpoint
Thanks to Mike
Yep! Let's keep it that way!
😊
A Russian wife turned to her husband and asked, "What's this special military operation our glorious leader keeps talking about?"
Her husband replied, "It's a war to stop America and NATO."
"Oh, right" she says "How's it going?"
"Well" he replies, "so far we have lost over 20 generals, 200,000 troops killed, countless injured, 3000 tanks, 300 aircraft, hundreds of helicopters, countless armored vehicles, artillery and trucks, our flagship along with other naval ships, our army is being defeated in most areas and we have had to resort to conscription to replace our losses".
"Wow", replied the wife, "What about America and NATO"?
"They haven't showed up yet" he says.
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Well, Sir, most of the rest of us Americans do.
Mugs
Unbelievable
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Give Shocking Testimony Regarding Botched Afghanistan Withdrawal
By Mark Stevens March 29, 2023
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday morning. The focus was on the Defense budget request for the fiscal year of 2024 but they were asked about the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in late August of 2021.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) questioned Austin regarding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. He asked if he had any regrets.
Austin gave a shocking response: "I don't have any regrets" about how the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan.
When the question went further and he was pressed as to accountability, Austin at first tried to sidestep but then stated he was not aware of anyone being held to account regarding the withdrawal.
Here's the actual account of the testimony:
Banks: Secretary Austin, last week, General McKenzie repeated that he has many regrets about the botched, deadly, and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan and that he supports investigations into that withdrawal. A moment ago, you didn't — you said you executed the President's order, you didn't tell us what you advised the President to do, but do you have regrets about the withdrawal from Afghanistan?
Austin: I support the President's decision.
Banks: Do you have regrets about the withdrawal, or how the withdrawal occurred from Afghanistan that cost the lives of 13 of our servicemembers?
Austin: I don't have any regrets —
Banks: You don't have any regrets. Secretary Austin — that's very telling — Secretary Austin, has there ever been any accountability for anyone within the Department of Defense for the deadly, botched, and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan? Any accountability?
Austin: Hey, listen, our troops evacuated 124,000 people off that airfield, and —
Banks: Has anyone been held accountable? If a Navy captain grounded a ship, what happens immediately?
Austin: Typically, that captain is removed.
Banks: That captain is removed. Has anyone been held accountable for what happened in Afghanistan?
Austin: To my knowledge, no.
Banks: You won't regret it, no one's ever been held accountable. Mr. Chairman, this is why this Republican majority must provide the accountability that this administration wants to sweep under the rug with what happened in Afghanistan.
Rep. Banks doesn't mince words when he refers to the withdrawal as "deadly, botched, and embarrassing."
But these officials have "no regrets."
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This Day in U S Military History April 1
1945 – On Okinawa, American forces launch Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa. Two corps of the US 10th Army (General Buckner) land in the area of Hagushi, in the southwest of the island. US Task Force 51 (Admiral Turner) provides the 1,200 transports and landing ships including seven Coast Guard-manned transports, 29 LSTs, the cutters Bibb and Woodbine, and 12 LCI(L)s, with over 450,000 Army and Marine Corps personnel embarked. The troops landed are from US 3rd Amphibious Corps (Geiger) with US 6th and 1st Marine Divisions, on the left or northern flank, and 24th Corps (Hodge) with US 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions, on the right or southern flank. On land, US forces encounter almost no resistance on the first day and establish a beachhead three miles deep and nine miles wide. (Okinawa is 70 miles long and a maximum of 10 miles wide.) Kadena and Yontan airfields are captured. Japanese forces on the island, consisting of the 130,000 troops of the Japanese 32nd Army (General Ushijima), are entrenched in concealed positions and caves, mostly to the south of the American landing area along the Shuri Line. (There are also 450,000 civilians on the island.) At sea, US TF58 and TF54 as well as the British Pacific Fleet conduct air and naval bombardments. Japanese conventional and Kamikaze air strikes hit the battleship USS West Virginia, and the carrier, HMS Indomitable, along with eight other ships.
It will take 82 brutal days to secure the Island…skip
1952 – Air Force Colonel Francis S. Gabreski, flying his F-86 Sabre "Gabby" out of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, became the eighth ace of the Korean War and the third ranking U.S. ace of all time. Colonel Gabreski achieved a total of 37.5 aerial victories, including five in Korea. Air Force F-86 Sabres scored their second greatest victory of the war, shooting down 10 MiGs confirmed with two others probable.
1954 – U.S. Air Force Academy was founded in Colorado. President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill authorizing the establishment of an Air Force Academy, similar to West Point and Annapolis. On July 11, 1955, the first class was sworn in at Lowry Air Force Base. The academy moved to a permanent site near Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1958.
My dad was stationed at Lowry for a few months and I got to tour the AF Acadamy with my class. I remember going into a lab where they were experimenting with lasers. Very cool. Also went to Colorado Springs and saw the new academy under construction. The church was being built and was very impressive…..Skip
1972 – Following three days of the heaviest artillery and rocket bombardment of the war, between 12,000 and 15,000 soldiers of Hanoi's 304th Division–supported by tanks, artillery, and antiaircraft units equipped with surface-to-air missiles–sweep across the Demilitarized Zone. They routed the South Vietnamese 3rd Division and drove them toward their rear bases. This attack was the opening move of the North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive (later called the "Easter Offensive"), a massive invasion by North Vietnamese forces designed to strike the blow that would win them the war. The attacking force included 14 infantry divisions and 26 separate regiments, with more than 120,000 troops and approximately 1,200 tanks and other armored vehicles. The main North Vietnamese objectives, in addition to Quang Tri in the north, were Kontum in the Central Highlands, and An Loc farther to the south. North Vietnam had a number of objectives in launching the offensive: impressing the communist world and its own people with its determination; capitalizing on U.S. antiwar sentiment and possibly hurting President Richard Nixon's chances for re-election; proving that "Vietnamization" was a failure; damaging the South Vietnamese forces and government stability; gaining as much territory as possible before a possible truce; and accelerating negotiations on their own terms. Initially, the South Vietnamese defenders were almost overwhelmed, particularly in the northernmost provinces, where they abandoned their positions in Quang Tri and fled south in the face of the enemy onslaught. At Kontum and An Loc, the South Vietnamese were more successful in defending against the attacks, but only after weeks of bitter fighting. Although the South Vietnamese suffered heavy casualties, they managed to hold their own with the aid of U.S. advisors and American airpower. Fighting continued all over South Vietnam into the summer months, but eventually the South Vietnamese forces prevailed against the invaders and retook Quang Tri in September. With the communist invasion blunted, President Nixon declared that the South Vietnamese victory proved the viability of his Vietnamization program, instituted in 1969 to increase the combat capability of the South Vietnamese armed forces.
1975 – More than half of South Vietnam's territory is now controlled by the North. Communist forces begin the envelopment of Saigon, coming in from the south, threatening Highway 4, Saigon's connection ot the Mekong Delta.
1982 – The U.S. transferred the Canal Zone to Panama.
2001 – A US Navy EP-3 surveillance plane with 24 aboard collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea and was forced to land on China's Hainan island. The fighter jet crashed. Chinese pilot Wang Wei parachuted out of his F-8 jet but had not been found. Zhao Yu, a 2nd pilot, later blamed the US plane banked and hit Wei's plane.
2002 – A SF Court of Appeals ordered the US government to pay out millions of dollars in retroactive disability benefits to Vietnam veterans with prostate cancer, who were exposed to Agent Orange.
2002 – Eight Army soldiers and two Air Force pararescuers are killed when an Army MH-47 Special Forces Chinook helicopter crashes in the southern Philippines, in the ocean waters just off the coast of the south-central city of Dumaguete.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BEIKIRCH, GARY B.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Place and date: Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 1 April 1970. Entered service at: Buffalo, N.Y. Born: 29 August 1947, Rochester, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Beikirch, medical aidman, Detachment B-24, Company B, distinguished himself during the defense of Camp Dak Seang. The allied defenders suffered a number of casualties as a result of an intense, devastating attack launched by the enemy from well-concealed positions surrounding the camp. Sgt. Beikirch, with complete disregard for his personal safety, moved unhesitatingly through the withering enemy fire to his fallen comrades, applied first aid to their wounds and assisted them to the medical aid station. When informed that a seriously injured American officer was lying in an exposed position, Sgt. Beikirch ran immediately through the hail of fire. Although he was wounded seriously by fragments from an exploding enemy mortar shell, Sgt. Beikirch carried the officer to a medical aid station. Ignoring his own serious injuries, Sgt. Beikirch left the relative safety of the medical bunker to search for and evacuate other men who had been injured. He was again wounded as he dragged a critically injured Vietnamese soldier to the medical bunker while simultaneously applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to sustain his life. Sgt. Beikirch again refused treatment and continued his search for other casualties until he collapsed. Only then did he permit himself to be treated. Sgt. Beikirch's complete devotion to the welfare of his comrades, at the risk of his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
LEMON, PETER C.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company E, 2d Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. place and date: Tay Ninh province, Republic of Vietnam, 1 April 1970. Entered service at: Tawas City, Mich. Born: 5 June 1950, Toronto, Canada. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Lemon (then Sp4c.), Company E, distinguished himself while serving as an assistant machine gunner during the defense of Fire Support Base Illingworth. When the base came under heavy enemy attack, Sgt. Lemon engaged a numerically superior enemy with machine gun and rifle fire from his defensive position until both weapons malfunctioned. He then used hand grenades to fend off the intensified enemy attack launched in his direction. After eliminating all but 1 of the enemy soldiers in the immediate vicinity, he pursued and disposed of the remaining soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Despite fragment wounds from an exploding grenade, Sgt. Lemon regained his position, carried a more seriously wounded comrade to an aid station, and, as he returned, was wounded a second time by enemy fire. Disregarding his personal injuries, he moved to his position through a hail of small arms and grenade fire. Sgt. Lemon immediately realized that the defensive sector was in danger of being overrun by the enemy and unhesitatingly assaulted the enemy soldiers by throwing hand grenades and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. He was wounded yet a third time, but his determined efforts successfully drove the enemy from the position. Securing an operable machine gun, Sgt. Lemon stood atop an embankment fully exposed to enemy fire, and placed effective fire upon the enemy until he collapsed from his multiple wounds and exhaustion. After regaining consciousness at the aid station, he refused medical evacuation until his more seriously wounded comrades had been evacuated. Sgt. Lemon's gallantry and extraordinary heroism, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for April 1 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1 April
1918: American Aviation Headquarters opened in Rome, Italy, and a definite agreement made with the Italians for training of American pilots. (24)
1941: The US and Mexico signed an agreement providing for reciprocal transit of military aircraft through the territory of the two countries. (24)
1942: Air Corps Proving Ground became Proving Ground Command with its main base at Eglin Field.
1945: BATTLE OF OKINAWA. The Tenth Army's main landing occurred at Okinawa's Hagushi beaches. The Marine III Amphibious Corps landed on the left, and quickly overran Yontan airfield. The Army's XXIV Corps captured Kadena airfield and then turned right and met the main Japanese defensive line, called the Machinato Line. Twentieth Air Force bombers, operating from the Marianas, devoted about 75 percent of their April effort to bombing airfields on Kyushu and Shikoku Islands to diminish the Kamikaze threat. (17)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force Sabre pilots destroyed ten MiGs while losing one F-86. In the battle, Col Francis S. Gabreski, the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing Commander, destroyed a MiG to become the eighth jet ace of the war. (28)
1954: Lt Cmdr Francis X. Brady (USN) caught some strong tail winds and set a transcontinental speed record for jets in an F9F-8 Cougar. He flew the 2,438 miles from San Diego to Brooklyn, N.Y., in 3 hours 45 minutes 30 seconds. (9) (24)
1958: SAC activated its first ICBM squadron, the 576 SMS, for the Atlas missile at Cooke AFB (renamed Vandenberg on 4 October 1958). It had two "soft" launch complexes, one with three gantries and the other with three above ground coffin launchers, for the Atlas D. (6) (12)
1960: From Cape Canaveral the TIROS I, the first picture-taking weather-reconnaissance satellite, launched on a Thor-Able rocket into an orbit expected to last for 50 to 100 years. In the 78-day life of its instruments, the TIROS transmitted almost 23,000 pictures. (21) (24) SAC activated its first Atlas E squadron, the 567 SMS, at Fairchild AFB. (6)
1961: SAC activated its first Atlas F squadrons, the 550 SMS at Schilling AFB, Kans., and 551 SMS at Lincoln AFB, Nebr. (6)
1962: The USAF made the Air Weather Service the single manager for aerial sampling aircraft. (18)
1965: SAC took its last Titan I missiles off alert with the 569 SMS at Mountain Home AFB to complete the operational phaseout of this weapon system. (6)
1966: The last of 14 operational centers comprising the BUIC II dispersed, automatic weapons control system completed for ADC. SAC activated its last Minuteman squadron, the 564 SMS, at Malmstrom AFB. (1) (6)
1968: President Johnson halted the bombing of N. Vietnam above 20 degrees north latitude, changing the bombing line to north of 19 degrees, effective 4 April. He expected North Vietnam to act in good faith and de-escalate. The N. Vietnamese, however, used the halt period for restoration and reconstruction, the reinforcement of air defenses, and the movement of more material and troops to the south. (17)
1970: OCTAVE CHANUTE AWARD. Maj Jerauld R. Gentry received this Award for outstanding achievements as the Air Force's X-24 Lifting Body project officer. (3) SAC placed the command and control of all strategic missiles under Fifteenth Air Force. (16) AFSC combined the Air Force Western Test Range at Vandenberg AFB and two aerospace test wings to form the Space and Missile Test Center under the Space and Missile Organization (SAMSO). (16)
1972: PACAF inactivated the 20 SOS, and its UH-1N helicopter gunships were shipped back to the U.S. (17)
1976: USAFE activated the 527th Tactical Fighter Aggressor Squadron at RAF Alconbury to conduct dissimilar air combat tactics training for fighter and reconnaissance aircrews. (26)
1983: Through 8 April, a MAC C-130 airlifted 34 tons of shelters, medical supplies, generators, and floodlights from Panama to Southwestern Colombia to aid earthquake victims. (16) Through 1 May, the Air Force transferred 31 SAC units and four bases to AFSPACE, which assumed control over missile warning and space surveillance systems. (16) (26)
1985: The Minuteman Integrated Life Extension Program (Rivet Mile) began at the 341 SMW at Malmstrom AFB. (1)
1992: A 437 AW C-141 Starlifter from Charleston AFB dropped 115 barrels of helicopter aviation fuel to a floating American-Russian ice station in Antarctica. The drop allowed the $9 million joint scientific effort to continue its efforts. The C-141 flew 7,000 miles from Charleston AFB to Howard AFB and on to Punta Arenas, Chile, before flying 1,200 nautical miles to the ice flow. A KC-135R from SAC's 340 AREFW at Altus AFB accompanied the Starlifter and provided two refuelings (16) (18)
1997: At Langley AFB, Gen Richard E. Hawley, the ACC Commander, announced the initial operational capability of the 509 BW's B-2A Spirit at Whiteman AFB after earlier, successful tests of the JDAM and the GPS-Aided Munition (GAM). (21) The USAF transferred all operational C-130s from ACC to Air Mobility Command, except for the 314 AW and its C-130 schoolhouse. Those units went to Air Education and Training Command (AETC). (21) The 375 AW at Scott AFB regained control of C-21 flying operations in the US, when the USAF consolidated 8 C-21 units at various bases into two airlift squadrons and one wing. The reorganization standardized C-21 operations with the 458 AS operating from Scott and the 457 AS from Andrews AFB. Each squadron had three airlift flights based at other USAF installations in the US. (22)
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