To All,
Good Tuesday Morning April 11 2022
I hope that your week has started well.
Regards,
Skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
April 11
1783 Congress declares the cessation of arms against Great Britain, just a few days after British Parliament passed a similar resolution, thus ending hostilities of the American Revolution.
1944 USS Redfin (SS 272) sinks the Japanese destroyer Akigumo in the eastern entrance to Basilan Strait.
1945 The kamikaze attacks during the Okinawa Campaign damage eight Navy ships.
1970 Apollo 13 is launched, commanded by Navy Capt. James A. Lovell. The ship endures an explosion forcing an immediate return to Earth. Recovery is by helicopters from USS Iwo Jima (LPH 2).
1991 The U.N. Security Council declares a formal cease-fire ending the Persian Gulf War.
1992 USS Annapolis (SSN 760) is commissioned at the Electric Boat Division at Groton, Conn. The 10th of her Los Angeles "Improved" class of attack submarines.
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This Day in World History
April 11
1512 The forces of the Holy League are heavily defeated by the French at the Battle of Ravenna.
1713 The Treaty of Utrecht is signed, ending the War of Spanish Succession. France cedes Maritime provinces to Britain.
1783 After receiving a copy of the provisional treaty on 13 March, Congress proclaims a formal end to hostilities with Great Britain.
1814 Napoleon abdicates and is exiled to Elba.
1898 American President William McKinley asks Congress for declaration of war with Spain.
1941 German bombers blitz Coventry, England.
1942 Detachment 101 of the OSS--a guerrilla force--is activated in Burma.
1945 After two frustrating days of being repulsed and absorbing tremendous casualties, the Red Army finally takes the Seelow Heights north of Berlin.
1951 President Truman fires General Douglas MacArthur as head of United Nations forces in Korea.
1961 Israel begins the trial of Adolf Eichman, accused of war crimes during WWII.
1961 Folk singer Bob Dylan performs in New York City for the first time, opening for John Lee Hooker.
1968 President Johnson signs the 1968 Civil Rights Act.
1974 The Judiciary committee subpoenas President Richard Nixon to produce tapes for impeachment inquiry.
1981 President Ronald Reagan returns to the White House from hospital after recovery from an assassination attempt.
1986 Dodge Morgan sails solo nonstop around the world in 150 days.
1991 The United Nations Security Council issues formal ceasefire with Iraq.
1996 Forty-three African nations sign the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
Skip… For The List for Tuesday, 11 April 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965–1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 11 April 1968…
1968: "…a sweep of events like a hurricane."…
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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Submarine Force's 123rd Birthday
Thanks to the Naval History and Heritage Command
Submarine Force's 1120th Birthday.
Happy Birthday Submariners! The submarine force will celebrate its birthday on April 11. On March 17, 1898, the Navy's first submarine, Holland VI, successfully passed rigorous diving and surfacing testing in the waters off Staten Island, NY. She was the first submarine to have the power to run submerged for any considerable distance. The Navy purchased her on April 11, 1900, for $150,000 and ordered six more submarines of her type. Upon commissioning on Oct. 12, 1900, the Navy renamed her USS Holland (SS-1) after engineer John Philip Holland, who was responsible for her design. To see how far submarines have come, check out the Evolution of the U.S. Navy Submarine infographic at NHHC's website.
WEBPAGE OF THE WEEK
Have you ever wondered why morning coffee is called "cuppa Joe" or why gossip is synonymous with the term "scuttlebutt?" Now you can learn the origins of Navy language courtesy of this week's Webpage of the Week, Speak Like a Sailor, on NHHC's Heritage webpages. Learn nautical terms and phrases with their meaning and origin defined. Immerse yourself in infographics that tell us the meaning of "Side Boys" and "Field Day." Check it out today.
I encourage you to "bookmark" our website www.history.navy.mil and our blog - "The Sextant" - at usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/.
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Today is National Pet Day - April 11
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2021/04/11/national-pet-day-2021.aspx?ui=de7ed42c3f747a23b26fda9ec9138c712c2534b267fbe012d20a01056a6c76c0&sd=20110602&cid_source=petsprnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1HL&cid=20210411Z1&mid=DM848638&rid=1129569141
Celebrating Pets Everywhere, at Home and in Shelters
by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker April 11, 2021
National Pet Day - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpZOUgpuJvs (1:05)
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Today is National Pet Day, which is celebrated each year on April 11th
National Pet Day was founded by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige to not only show appreciation for the furry, fuzzy, finned, winged and other pets in our households, but also those waiting in shelters for new homes
Our animal companions offer us so many important gifts, among them connectedness, unconditional love and friendship, relief from stress and forgiveness
It's National Pet Day! April 11th is a special day to celebrate the joy our furry, fuzzy, finned, winged and other types of animal companions bring to us. National Pet Day was founded in 2006 by Colleen Paige, an animal welfare advocate and pet and family lifestyle expert.
National Pet Day is not only a day of celebration, but according to Paige, it's also a day to raise awareness about the needs of pets of all kinds waiting in shelters to find new homes.
While the holiday was launched in the U.S., it soon expanded internationally. Pet lovers now recognize the day in the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Guam, Scotland, and many more nations.1
9 Gifts Our Pets Give Us Every Day
1. Connection — Our pets stay connected to us no matter how awful we feel or behave. They're right beside us every step of the way, every minute of the day. During those times when we feel ignored or disengaged from the world, our pets offer consistent connectedness.
2. Unconditional love — Our pets offer us the very definition of unconditional love. They accept us just as we are, every minute of the day. They love us when we're away, and when we come home. They love us when we're mean, mad, sad, or impatient. They love us when we're attentive, and when we ignore them. A pet's love is consistent and eternal and serves as an ever-present reminder that we are needed, valued, and worthy.
3. Communication — Close, connected relationships evolve from clear, consistent communication. When communication is untrustworthy or used in harmful ways, the relationship breaks down. Our pets speak to us constantly through their body language and behavior. It's our job to learn the language they speak, and to communicate clearly to them what we expect and appreciate about their behavior.
4. Friendship — It's no surprise the title "Man's best friend" refers to our canine companions. Our dogs (and cats, and hamsters, and birds, and turtles, etc.) are great company. They help us feel less lonely, disconnected, and isolated. We learn to communicate in ways our animal companion understands, and in return, they make great sounding boards when we're confused or upset or just need a pal to talk to.
5. Improved mental and physical health — Our pets can positively influence our health. Studies show pet ownership can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improve cardiovascular health, relieve the depression associated with serious illness, and improve survival rates after a heart attack. Pets also give us something to live for and focus on beyond ourselves. It feels good to be needed and being needed motivates us to stay well.
Studies also show that interacting with pets can be more beneficial than interacting with friends. Human friends can be judgmental, but your four-legged buddy accepts you exactly as you are in every moment of your life together.
Part of the reason we connect so deeply with animals may be their emotional depth. Many animals mourn, cry, and demonstrate other emotions. If you share your life with a pet, you know the love he or she feels for you is intense and enduring.
6. Relief from stress — Many of us live very busy, stressful lives, and while there are lots of good ways to reduce stress, coming home to a pet is certainly one of the best. Playing with your furry or feathered companion is a great way to relax and release all that pet-up anxiety. Just the simple act of petting another living creature can reduce cortisol levels and trigger a release of endorphins.
7. Staying in the moment — Humans tend to spend a lot of time feeling regret for something in their past or feeling anxious about the future. It's not time well spent, but most of us are often inclined to live in the past or the future rather than the present moment.
Our pets, by their example, help us to stay present — to live for today. Our animal companions experience each moment as it arrives with enthusiasm and joy, and so can we if we follow their lead.
8. Forgiveness — Most of us can remember a time when we ignored our pet, or lost patience and spoke too sharply. We also remember that our animal companion forgave us the very next second. Our animal friends don't hold grudges. They don't punish themselves or us by clinging to past insults. They offer instant forgiveness and an open heart.
While we can never repay our pets all the invaluable gifts they bring to our lives, what we CAN do is remember that they are at their best when we provide them with consistency in the form of healthy nourishment, daily exercise, structure to their daily routine, and lots of love. These are the "simple things in life" that are the foundation for a balanced, less stressful, more joyful existence
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Interesting Facts
One in 10 people in Iceland will publish a book.
Iceland is often called "the land of fire and ice," a nickname describing two of the nation's most prominent geological features — volcanoes and glaciers. But in recent years, the world's 18th largest island has gotten a new reputation as a destination for readers and book lovers, and it's because Iceland has more authors per capita than any other country in the world. It's estimated that on an island with a population around 372,500 people, one in 10 will publish a book. There's even a phrase in Icelandic that relates to the popularity of writing — "ad ganga med bok I maganum," which roughly translates to "everyone gives birth to a book." Many writers reside in the island's capital city of Reykjavik, a major publishing hub that in 2011 was named a UNESCO City of Literature.
Icelanders' love of reading is culturally ingrained in a country that has a nearly 100% literacy rate. It's likely that storytelling became a tradition thanks to the family sagas passed from generation to generation; these stories described how the first Icelanders found and adapted to the land from around 930 to 1030 CE. Poetry and story recitation became a popular way for Icelanders to keep the stories alive, and provided an important form of socializing on long, winter nights. Today, sharing stories has spawned a more modern Christmas tradition, in which Icelanders give books to friends and family on Christmas Eve. The holiday season strain on publishers is so great, and so many books are gifted, that the tradition has its own name: Jolabokaflod, aka the Christmas Book Flood.
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: The American Crisis Intensifies
By: George Friedman
April 11, 2023
As I ooze back to consciousness after COVID-19 had me in its grip for the past few weeks, it has occurred to me that the real story unfolding in the world is in the United States. China and Russia matter a great deal, as do other countries. But none of them pivot the world. The United States has the largest economy, as well as the most powerful military force, including its navy. The U.S. remains a leading innovator in technology.
This is why the United States is a decisive power, but also a dangerous one. The concentration of power and capabilities, and the degree to which they are globally interconnected, means that an American failure would likely have disastrous consequences globally.
This is not a new global vulnerability, but it now coincides with the systemic crisis that the U.S. faces, as I laid out in my book "The Storm Before the Calm." That book predicted a social crisis early in this decade, followed by a massive economic crisis. Along with that, there would emerge a political crisis and a major, once-in-every-80-years institutional crisis in the federal government. Finally, it predicted a profound change in government near the end of the decade, driven by political and economic forces.
Looking at history, what is striking is that in previous cycles, the social issues tended to subside a bit before terminal economic issues took over. In 1980, as economic issues dominated, the intense social issues of race and sexual culture in the 1970s had subsided somewhat. In 1932, the social aspects faded with the death of Huey Long and the onset of the Great Depression. The strength of the Ku Klux Klan subsided, and social issues linked to immigration gave way to economic concerns.
The intensity of the ongoing social issues is striking. Issues that are moral, religious and cultural are still tearing at the American system. Bank failures, and the reality that caused them, are compounding instead of overtaking these old events. Significantly complicating the situation is the 80-year institutional cycle. The synchronization of the end of this cycle and the socio-economic cycle is a first in U.S. history. Questions about the relationship between federal institutions like the Supreme Court and Congress compound the normal distrust between the public and institutions.
Nothing about this process is mechanistic, but there are patterns in how we live and govern ourselves. The failure of social issues to lessen, the intensification of economic issues, and the extreme intensity of the friction between federal institutions are markedly different from patterns in the 20th century with the election of Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. Both of them transitioned effectively from social and economic crises that were distinct. But the rage and mutual loathing of today – and their failure to recede – are odd, particularly when the institutional issue, which neither Roosevelt nor Reagan had to deal with, is included. The degree and type of rage and contempt today's American public has for other members of the public are different.
This leads me to conclude that the model I used in "The Storm Before the Calm" has to be slightly modified. The transition points in political life had, since America's founding, been 50-year cycles, and 80 years for institutional shifts. The pivotal moment has been the election of a president. I assumed that this cycle would be the same and, therefore, that the last presidential election before the end of the decade would be the pivot point.
I should emphasize that while presidents are important, they are not the driving force of history. The driving force is the patterns of division built around social, economic and institutional issues. It is the major division and massive dysfunction that force a fundamental shift on all levels. One president presides over this shift, leaving the new president the credit.
I do not believe the situation will hold beyond the coming election. The brutal social issues, from race to gender to guns, create a public division that affects the functioning of government. Relations within the political system at all levels are increasingly venomous. The financial system has left an economic crisis. As forecast, the technological system will become increasingly inefficient, and the public appetite for its goods will be in decline. The financial system portends economic decline that will breed increasingly desperate and simplistic solutions, further drawing capital out of the financial system. For the first time in history, the institutional cycle and the social cycle will coincide. While wars tend not to influence domestic cycles, the impact of the Ukraine war will likely be magnified.
The current political system cannot manage this situation. A solution must emerge now, to be presided over by the next president. It is impossible to explain all the details of a system failure or the need for a new political order. At this point, the only thing that can be said is that we are heading into failure, and a new president, filling everyone with joyous hope, will oversee what must be done. But what must be done remains murky, taking its bearing only from the breadth and seriousness of the failure.
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Thanks to Brett
STRATFOR
The Weekly Rundown: Biden Travels to Northern Ireland, a Saudi-Omani Delegation Visits Yemen
Apr 10, 2023
What We're Tracking
A Saudi-Omani delegation discusses a Yemen cease-fire. The delegation will meet the week of April 9 in Sanaa with Houthi rebel officials to discuss a permanent cease-fire, multiple media outlets reported April 7. The move indicates that rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia could be influencing the decisions of Yemen's warring factions. A permanent cease-fire has eluded the Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels for eight years, though temporary cease-fires have emerged intermittently over the last few years as Saudi Arabia — which has provided the Yemeni government with military, economic and political support — has increasingly sought to extricate itself from the conflict.
France's Constitutional Council rules on pension reform. The highest constitutional authority in France on April 14 will rule on the constitutionality of President Emmanuel Macron's controversial plan to reform the country's pension system, as well as on the admissibility of a request by left-wing groups to hold a referendum on the reform. Should the court find the reforms constitutional, it will encourage the government to proceed despite ongoing protests against it. Ahead of the ruling, French unions will take to the streets April 13 nationwide to show that opposition to the reform remains strong. The French government approved the pension reform, which, among other things, takes the retirement age from 62 to 64, in March without a vote in the National Assembly — something condemned by unions and left- and right-wing political groups.
Biden travels to Northern Ireland to commemorate a peace accord. U.S. President Joe Biden on April 11 will visit Belfast, Northern Ireland, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of sectarian violence in the region. The visit comes just weeks after the British government reached a compromise with the European Union over the implementation of the Brexit deal in Northern Ireland after years of legal bickering. Media reports have emerged that unnamed British officials have said London will seek to use Biden's visit to jump-start conversations over a potential trade deal between the United Kingdom and the United States. Significant obstacles to such a deal remain, however, meaning progress will likely be slow and incremental.
Lula in China. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on April 12-14 will visit China, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang. At the meeting, one of several international trips Lula has made since his Jan. 1 inauguration, he will likely seek to shore up relations with Brazil's largest trading partner after a rocky relationship between the two countries under former President Jair Bolsonaro. Among the multiple agreements the two countries plan to sign, the Brazilian delegation will likely seek to pressure the Chinese to agree to stream-lined sanitary measures for beef exports from the South American country in an effort to avoid periodic pauses in exports.
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This Day in U S Military History…….April 11
1943 – 73 Zero fighters and 27 D3A carrier dive bombers attacked Oro Bay near Dobodura, Australian Papua, sinking 1 US cargo ship, sinking 1 US destroyer, damaging 1 transport, and damaging 1 Australian minesweeper.
1945 – American Third Army liberates the Buchenwald concentration camp, near Weimar, Germany, a camp that will be judged second only to Auschwitz in the horrors it imposed on its prisoners. As American forces closed in on the Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald, Gestapo headquarters at Weimar telephoned the camp administration to announce that it was sending explosives to blow up any evidence of the camp–including its inmates. What the Gestapo did not know was that the camp administrators had already fled in fear of the Allies. A prisoner answered the phone and informed headquarters that explosives would not be needed, as the camp had already been blown up, which, of course, was not true. The camp held thousands of prisoners, mostly slave laborers. There were no gas chambers, but hundreds, sometimes thousands, died monthly from disease, malnutrition, beatings, and executions. Doctors performed medical experiments on inmates, testing the effects of viral infections and vaccines. Among the camp's most gruesome characters was Ilse Koch, wife of the camp commandant, who was infamous for her sadism. She often beat prisoners with a riding crop, and collected lampshades, book covers, and gloves made from the skin of camp victims. Among those saved by the Americans was Elie Wiesel, who would go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
1951 – In perhaps the most famous civilian-military confrontation in the history of the United States, President Harry S. Truman relieves General Douglas MacArthur of command of the U.S. forces in Korea. The firing of MacArthur set off a brief uproar among the American public, but Truman remained committed to keeping the conflict in Korea a "limited war." Problems with the flamboyant and egotistical General MacArthur had been brewing for months. In the early days of the war in Korea (which began in June 1950), the general had devised some brilliant strategies and military maneuvers that helped save South Korea from falling to the invading forces of communist North Korea. As U.S. and United Nations forces turned the tide of battle in Korea, MacArthur argued for a policy of pushing into North Korea to completely defeat the communist forces. Truman went along with this plan, but worried that the communist government of the People's Republic of China might take the invasion as a hostile act and intervene in the conflict. In October 1950, MacArthur met with Truman and assured him that the chances of a Chinese intervention were slim. Then, in November and December 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops crossed into North Korea and flung themselves against the American lines, driving the U.S. troops back into South Korea. MacArthur then asked for permission to bomb communist China and use Nationalist Chinese forces from Taiwan against the People's Republic of China. Truman flatly refused these requests and a very public argument began to develop between the two men. In April 1951, President Truman fired MacArthur and replaced him with Gen. Matthew Ridgeway. On April 11, Truman addressed the nation and explained his actions. He began by defending his overall policy in Korea, declaring, "It is right for us to be in Korea." He excoriated the "communists in the Kremlin [who] are engaged in a monstrous conspiracy to stamp out freedom all over the world." Nevertheless, he explained, it "would be wrong-tragically wrong-for us to take the initiative in extending the war. …Our aim is to avoid the spread of the conflict." The president continued, "I believe that we must try to limit the war to Korea for these vital reasons: To make sure that the precious lives of our fighting men are not wasted; to see that the security of our country and the free world is not needlessly jeopardized; and to prevent a third world war." General MacArthur had been fired "so that there would be no doubt or confusion as to the real purpose and aim of our policy." MacArthur returned to the United States to a hero's welcome. Parades were held in his honor, and he was asked to speak before Congress (where he gave his famous "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away" speech). Public opinion was strongly against Truman's actions, but the president stuck to his decision without regret or apology. Eventually, MacArthur did "just fade away," and the American people began to understand that his policies and recommendations might have led to a massively expanded war in Asia. Though the concept of a "limited war," as opposed to the traditional American policy of unconditional victory, was new and initially unsettling to many Americans, the idea came to define the U.S. Cold War military strategy.
1970 – Apollo 13, the third lunar landing mission, is successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying astronauts James A. Lovell, John L. Swigert, and Fred W. Haise. The spacecraft's destination was the Fra Mauro highlands of the moon, where the astronauts were to explore the Imbrium Basin and conduct geological experiments. After an oxygen tank exploded on the evening of April 13, however, the new mission objective became to get the Apollo 13 crew home alive. At 9:00 p.m. EST on April 13, Apollo 13 was just over 200,000 miles from Earth. The crew had just completed a television broadcast and was inspecting Aquarius, the Landing Module (LM). The next day, Apollo 13 was to enter the moon's orbit, and soon after, Lovell and Haise would become the fifth and sixth men to walk on the moon. At 9:08 p.m., these plans were shattered when an explosion rocked the spacecraft. Oxygen tank No. 2 had blown up, disabling the normal supply of oxygen, electricity, light, and water. Lovell reported to mission control: "Houston, we've had a problem here," and the crew scrambled to find out what had happened. Several minutes later, Lovell looked out of the left-hand window and saw that the spacecraft was venting a gas, which turned out to be the Command Module's (CM) oxygen. The landing mission was aborted. As the CM lost pressure, its fuel cells also died, and one hour after the explosion mission control instructed the crew to move to the LM, which had sufficient oxygen, and use it as a lifeboat. The CM was shut down but would have to be brought back on-line for Earth reentry. The LM was designed to ferry astronauts from the orbiting CM to the moon's surface and back again; its power supply was meant to support two people for 45 hours. If the crew of Apollo 13 were to make it back to Earth alive, the LM would have to support three men for at least 90 hours and successfully navigate more than 200,000 miles of space. The crew and mission control faced a formidable task. To complete its long journey, the LM needed energy and cooling water. Both were to be conserved at the cost of the crew, who went on one-fifth water rations and would later endure cabin temperatures that hovered a few degrees above freezing. Removal of carbon dioxide was also a problem, because the square lithium hydroxide canisters from the CM were not compatible with the round openings in the LM environmental system. Mission control built an impromptu adapter out of materials known to be onboard, and the crew successfully copied their model. Navigation was also a major problem. The LM lacked a sophisticated navigational system, and the astronauts and mission control had to work out by hand the changes in propulsion and direction needed to take the spacecraft home. On April 14, Apollo 13 swung around the moon. Swigert and Haise took pictures, and Lovell talked with mission control about the most difficult maneuver, a five-minute engine burn that would give the LM enough speed to return home before its energy ran out. Two hours after rounding the far side of the moon, the crew, using the sun as an alignment point, fired the LM's small descent engine. The procedure was a success; Apollo 13 was on its way home. For the next three days, Lovell, Haise, and Swigert huddled in the freezing lunar module. Haise developed a case of the flu. Mission control spent this time frantically trying to develop a procedure that would allow the astronauts to restart the CM for reentry. On April 17, a last-minute navigational correction was made, this time using Earth as an alignment guide. Then the repressurized CM was successfully powered up after its long, cold sleep. The heavily damaged service module was shed, and one hour before re-entry the LM was disengaged from the CM. Just before 1 p.m., the spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere. Mission control feared that the CM's heat shields were damaged in the accident, but after four minutes of radio silence Apollo 13's parachutes were spotted, and the astronauts splashed down safely into the Pacific Ocean.
1972 – B-52 strikes against communist forces attacking South Vietnamese positions in the Central Highlands near Kontum remove any immediate threat to that city. Air strikes against North Vietnam continued, but were hampered by poor weather. Also on this day, the Pentagon ordered two more squadrons of B-52s to Thailand. These actions were part of the U.S. response to the ongoing North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive, which had begun on March 30. This offensive, later more commonly known as the "Easter Offensive," was a massive invasion by North Vietnamese forces designed to strike the blow that would win the war for the communists. 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. The fighting, which continued into the fall, was some of the most desperate of the war. The South Vietnamese prevailed against the invaders with the help of U.S. advisors and massive American airpower.
2001 – Ending a tense 11-day standoff, China released the 24 US spy plane crew members detained since April 1. US text was released with the words "sincerely regret" and translated to "chengzhi yihan." In China the text was translated to "shenbiao qianyi" meaning "deeply sorry." Beijing kept the spy plane pending an investigation and more talks.
2003 – In the 24th day of Operation Iraqi Freedom the northern city of Mosul fell into US and Kurdish hands after an entire corps of the Iraqi army surrendered. The Pentagon said no major military forces remain in the country. Defense Sec. Rumsfeld called Iraqi looting and chaos a natural "untidiness" that accompanies the transition from tyranny to freedom. The US military issued a most-wanted list in the form of a deck of 55 cards.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
DORLEY, AUGUST
Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 1st Louisiana Cavalry. Place and date: At Mount Pleasant, Ala., 11 April 1865. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: Capture of flag.
MICHAEL, EDWARD S. (Air Mission)
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 364th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomber Group. Place and date: Over Germany, 11 April 1944. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 2 May 1918, Chicago, Ill. G.O. No.: 5, 15 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as pilot of a B17 aircraft on a heavy-bombardment mission to Germany, 11 April 1944. The group in which 1st Lt. Michael was flying was attacked by a swarm of fighters. His plane was singled out and the fighters pressed their attacks home recklessly, completely disregarding the Allied fighter escort and their own intense flak. His plane was riddled from nose to tail with exploding cannon shells and knocked out of formation, with a large number of fighters following it down, blasting it with cannon fire as it descended. A cannon shell exploded in the cockpit, wounded the copilot, wrecked the instruments, and blew out the side window. 1st Lt. Michael was seriously and painfully wounded in the right thigh. Hydraulic fluid filmed over the windshield making visibility impossible, and smoke filled the cockpit. The controls failed to respond and 3,000 feet were lost before he succeeded in leveling off. The radio operator informed him that the whole bomb bay was in flames as a result of the explosion of 3 cannon shells, which had ignited the incendiaries. With a full load of incendiaries in the bomb bay and a considerable gas load in the tanks, the danger of fire enveloping the plane and the tanks exploding seemed imminent. When the emergency release lever failed to function, 1st Lt. Michael at once gave the order to bail out and 7 of the crew left the plane. Seeing the bombardier firing the navigator's gun at the enemy planes, 1st Lt. Michael ordered him to bail out as the plane was liable to explode any minute. When the bombardier looked for his parachute he found that it had been riddled with 20mm. fragments and was useless. 1st Lt. Michael, seeing the ruined parachute, realized that if the plane was abandoned the bombardier would perish and decided that the only chance would be a crash landing. Completely disregarding his own painful and profusely bleeding wounds, but thinking only of the safety of the remaining crewmembers, he gallantly evaded the enemy, using violent evasive action despite the battered condition of his plane. After the plane had been under sustained enemy attack for fully 45 minutes, 1st Lt. Michael finally lost the persistent fighters in a cloud bank. Upon emerging, an accurate barrage of flak caused him to come down to treetop level where flak towers poured a continuous rain of fire on the plane. He continued into France, realizing that at any moment a crash landing might have to be attempted, but trying to get as far as possible to increase the escape possibilities if a safe landing could be achieved. 1st Lt. Michael flew the plane until he became exhausted from the loss of blood, which had formed on the floor in pools, and he lost consciousness. The copilot succeeded in reaching England and sighted an RAF field near the coast. 1st Lt. Michael finally regained consciousness and insisted upon taking over the controls to land the plane. The undercarriage was useless; the bomb bay doors were jammed open; the hydraulic system and altimeter were shot out. In addition, there was no airspeed indicator, the ball turret was jammed with the guns pointing downward, and the flaps would not respond. Despite these apparently insurmountable obstacles, he landed the plane without mishap.
*DE LA GARZA, EMILIO A., JR.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company E, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Near Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, 11 April 1970. Entered service at: Chicago, 111. Born: 23 June 1949, East Chicago, Ind. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner with Company E. Returning with his squad from a night ambush operation, L/Cpl. De La Garza joined his platoon commander and another marine in searching for 2 enemy soldiers who had been observed fleeing for cover toward a small pond. Moments later, he located 1 of the enemy soldiers hiding among the reeds and brush. As the 3 marines attempted to remove the resisting soldier from the pond, L/Cpl. De La Garza observed him pull the pin on a grenade. Shouting a warning, L/Cpl. De La Garza placed himself between the other 2 marines and the ensuing blast from the grenade, thereby saving the lives of his comrades at the sacrifice of his life. By his prompt and decisive action, and his great personal valor in the face of almost certain death, L/Cpl. De La Garza upheld and further enhanced the finest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
*PITSENBARGER WILLIAM H.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Airman First Class Pitsenbarger distinguished himself by extreme valor on 11 April 1966 near Cam My, Republic of Vietnam, while assigned as a Pararescue Crew Member, Detachment 6, 38th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. On that date, Airman Pitsenbarger was aboard a rescue helicopter responding to a call for evacuation of casualties incurred in an ongoing firefight between elements of the United States Army's 1st Infantry Division and a sizeable enemy force approximately 35 miles east of Saigon. With complete disregard for personal safety, Airman Pitsenbarger volunteered to ride a hoist more than one hundred feet through the jungle, to the ground. On the ground, he organized and coordinated rescue efforts, cared for the wounded, prepared casualties for evacuation, and insured that the recovery operation continued in a smooth and orderly fashion. Through his personal efforts, the evacuation of the wounded was greatly expedited. As each of the nine casualties evacuated that day was recovered, Airman Pitsenbarger refused evacuation in order to get more wounded soldiers to safety. After several pick-ups, one of the two rescue helicopters involved in the evacuation was struck by heavy enemy ground fire and was forced to leave the scene for an emergency landing. Airman Pitsenbarger stayed behind on the ground to perform medical duties. Shortly thereafter, the area came under sniper and mortar fire. During a subsequent attempt to evacuate the site, American forces came under heavy assault by a large Viet Cong force. When the enemy launched the assault, the evacuation was called off and Airman Pitsenbarger took up arms with the besieged infantrymen. He courageously resisted the enemy, braving intense gunfire to gather and distribute vital ammunition to American defenders. As the battle raged on, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to care for the wounded, pull them out of the line of fire, and return fire whenever he could, during which time he was wounded three times. Despite his wounds, he valiantly fought on, simultaneously treating as many wounded as possible. In the vicious fighting that followed, the American forces suffered 80 percent casualties as their perimeter was breached, and Airman Pitsenbarger was fatally wounded. Airman Pitsenbarger exposed himself to almost certain death by staying on the ground, and perished while saving the lives of wounded infantrymen. His bravery and determination exemplify the highest professional standards and traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Air Force.
*ROBINSON, JAMES W., JR.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 2d Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 11 April 1966. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 30 August 1940, Hinsdale, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Company C was engaged in fierce combat with a Viet Cong battalion. Despite the heavy fire, Sgt. Robinson moved among the men of his fire team, instructing and inspiring them, and placing them in advantageous positions. Enemy snipers located in nearby trees were inflicting heavy casualties on forward elements of Sgt. Robinson's unit. Upon locating the enemy sniper whose fire was taking the heaviest toll, he took a grenade launcher and eliminated the sniper. Seeing a medic hit while administering aid to a wounded sergeant in front of his position and aware that now the 2 wounded men were at the mercy of the enemy, he charged through a withering hail of fire and dragged his comrades to safety, where he rendered first aid and saved their lives. As the battle continued and casualties mounted, Sgt. Robinson moved about under intense fire to collect from the wounded their weapons and ammunition and redistribute them to able-bodied soldiers. Adding his fire to that of his men, he assisted in eliminating a major enemy threat. Seeing another wounded comrade in front of his position, Sgt. Robinson again defied the enemy's fire to effect a rescue. In so doing he was himself wounded in the shoulder and leg. Despite his painful wounds, he dragged the soldier to shelter and saved his life by administering first aid. While patching his own wounds, he spotted an enemy machinegun which had inflicted a number of casualties on the American force. His rifle ammunition expended, he seized 2 grenades and, in an act of unsurpassed heroism, charged toward the entrenched enemy weapon. Hit again in the leg, this time with a tracer round which set fire to his clothing, Sgt. Robinson ripped the burning clothing from his body and staggered indomitably through the enemy fire, now concentrated solely on him, to within grenade range of the enemy machinegun position. Sustaining 2 additional chest wounds, he marshaled his fleeting physical strength and hurled the 2 grenades, thus destroying the enemy gun position, as he fell dead upon the battlefield. His magnificent display of leadership and bravery saved several lives and inspired his soldiers to defeat the numerically superior enemy force. Sgt. Robinson's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, at the cost of his life, are in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon the 1st Infantry Division and the U.S. Armed Forces.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for April 11, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
11 April
1911: The Army inaugurated its first permanent flying school at College Park with a request to build four hangars. (24) (18)
1918: The 1st Aero Squadron, I Corps Observation Group, equipped with bi-place Spads, made the first US observation patrol over enemy lines in World War I. (5)
1934: The Secretary of War convened the Baker Board to study the Army Air Corps, flying equipment, and training in peace and war.
1942: The Curtiss-Wright Company unveiled its first production C-46 Commando. After deliveries began two months later, the C-46 eventually became the largest and heaviest twin-engined aircraft used by the US AAF. Due to its load capacity and high-altitude performance, the US AAF primarily used it in the Pacific region and it became an important factor in the success of the "Hump" airlift over the Himalayas. (18)
1944: MEDAL OF HONOR. Lt Edward Michael received his medal after cannon shells riddled his B-17 Flying Fortress, wounding himself, the copilot, and most crewmen. As the crew left the plane, he noticed that the bombardier's parachute was badly damaged. Thus, he decided to try a crash landing. For 45 minutes, he evaded German fighters before taking the crippled plane down to 100 feet above the ground over France. Amazingly, the B-17 flew across the English Channel to a RAF base. With the wheels and flaps inoperable, and the bomb bay doors jammed open, the seriously wounded Michael still had enough strength left to skillfully bring the bomber in on its belly. (4)
1957: The Ryan X-13 Vertijet showed its ability to takeoff vertically, transition to conventional flight, and return to hovering for the first time. (3) (16) 1963: The X-15, with an Army KC-1 aerial survey camera, completed its first test in aerial mapping. A 6595th Aerospace Test Wing crew launched the first Minuteman I from Vandenberg AFB. (6)
1966: The Air Force defined the Minuteman III weapon system in a system management directive. (6) MEDAL OF HONOR/AIR FORCE CROSS. Near Cam My, South Vietnam, A1C William H. Pitsenbarger, a pararescueman, hoisted nine soldiers to safety aboard a HH-43 Huskie and then remained behind to treat the wounded amid heavy mortar and sniper fire. In the ensuing battle, he was mortally wounded. He became the first airman to receive the Air Force Cross posthumously. The Air Force later upgraded his award to the Medal of Honor. (18)
1969: A SAC missile crew, with help from AFSC technicians, launched the first Minuteman III missile from Vandenberg AFB. (12)
1970: APOLLO XIII. James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise, Jr., and John L. Swigert were launched into space on this unlucky mission. First, Thomas Mattingly came down with German measles two days before the flight. Second, the Saturn V's five first stage engines shut down early after launch. Third, after 56 hours in space a service module oxygen tank ruptured and forced an early return to the earth. Nevertheless, the men returned safely in the Odyssey and splashed down in mid-Pacific southeast of American Samoa on 17 April. (8) (26) TAC gained its first ANG tactical airlift unit with the reorganization of the 146 TAW in the California ANG. (16) (26) USAF Southern Command personnel and aircraft began operations to assist thousands of flood victims in Costa Rica and Panama. (16) (26)
1973: CAMBODIAN RICE LIFT – Project SCOOT (Support Cambodia Out of Thailand). Through October, USAF C-130s flew 1,290 sorties from U-Tapao AB to deliver 3,314 tons of rice to Phnom Penh, and 7,055 tons of ammunition to Cambodian forces. They also airdropped another 39.7 tons of rice. (17)
1990: Vandenberg AFB launched the 19th consecutive Atlas booster. It carried an Air Force/Navy payload, called the Stacksat, with three small satellites and four atmospheric and geodetic experiments. A C-5 moved the first European-based GLCM scheduled for destruction under the IntermediateRange Nuclear Forces Treaty. (16) (26)
2005: In the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, a 175th Wing (Maryland ANG) aircrew made the first short-field, dirt airstrip landing with a C-130J at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan. The crew loaded a 25,000-pound fire truck and delivered it to an undisclosed location. They took off from a 4,000-foot strip at a high elevation weighing 137,000 pounds. (32)
2005: USA-165 or XSS-11(Experimental Satellite System-11) is a small, washing-machine-sized, low-cost spacecraft developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate to test technology for proximity operations. XSS-11 was launched from Vandenberg AFB on a Minotaur launch vehicle. XSS-11 would go on to complete a 1½ year space mission executing more than 100 approaches, formation flying and circumnavigations building the experience and lessons learned to support future military RPOs. In particular, the satellite would approach, investigate, and photograph other spacecraft in Earth orbit
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