To All,
Good Tuesday Morning May 2 2023.
I hope that your week is off to a good start
I apologize for the late submission. We had to take my wife's car to the other side of San Diego to have her windshield replaced. With all the rain over the last couple of months it kept getting cancelled and today they are slipping it in between the rain which is coming again on Thursday. The crack has grown from a couple inches to taking a left turn and headed to the top now over a foot long. Right in front of the driver.
Regards,
Skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History May 2
1863 During the Civil War, the steam screw sloop Sacramento, commanded by Captain Charles S. Boggs, seizes the British blockade-runner Wanderer off Murrells Inlet, N.C.
1896 A landing party of 15 Marines and 19 Seaman from USS Alert arrive at Corinto, Nicaragua, to protect American lives and property during a period of political unrest.
1942 USS Drum (SS 228) sinks Japanese seaplane carrier, and USS Trout (SS 202) sinks a Japanese freighter off the southeast coast of Honshu.
1945 USS Springer (SS 414) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese frigate in the Yellow Sea and then sinks a Japanese coastal defense ship the next day.
1945 Hospital Apprentice Robert E. Bush administers aid to a wounded Marine officer and fires back at the Japanese at the same time, earning the Medal of Honor.
1992 USS Anzio (CG 68) is commissioned at her homeport of Norfolk, Va. The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser is named for the Italian allied amphibious assault in May 1944 during World War II.
2011 President Barack Obama announces Navy SEALs raided Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed America's most wanted terrorist during Operation Neptune Spear.
1972 End of an era at the FBI »
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Today in World History May 2
1670 The Hudson Bay Company is founded.
1598 Henry IV signs Treaty of Vervins, ending Spain's interference in France.
1748 Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle ends the War of Devolution in France.
1776 France and Spain agree to donate arms to American rebels fighting the British.
1797 A mutiny in the British navy spreads from Spithead to the rest of the fleet.
1798 The black General Toussaint Louverture forces British troops to agree to evacuate the port of Santo Domingo.
1808 The citizens of Madrid rise up against Napoleon.
1813 Napoleon defeats a Russian and Prussian army at Grossgorschen.
1863 Stonewall Jackson smashes Joseph Hooker's flank at Chancellorsville, Virginia.
1865 President Andrew Johnson offers a $100,000 reward for the capture of the Confederate President
1885 King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo Free State.
1890 The Territory of Oklahoma is created.
1919 The first U.S. air passenger service starts.
1923 Lieutenants Oakley Kelly and John Macready take off from New York for the West Coast on what will become the first successful nonstop transcontinental flight.
1941 Hostilities break out between British forces in Iraq and that country's pro-German faction.
1942 Admiral Chester J. Nimitz, convinced that the Japanese will attack Midway Island, visits the island to review its readiness.
1945 Russian forces take Berlin after 12 days of fierce house-to-house fighting.
1946 Prisoners revolt at California's Alcatraz prison.
1968 The U.S. Army attacks Nhi Ha in South Vietnam and begins a fourteen-day battle to wrestle it away from Vietnamese Communists.
1970 Student anti-war protesters at Ohio's Kent State University burn down the campus ROTC building. The National Guard takes control of campus.
1933 The modern legend of the Loch Ness Monster is born when a sighting makes local news on May 2, 1933. The newspaper Inverness Courier relates an account of a local couple who claim to have seen "an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface." The story of the "monster" (a moniker chosen by the Courier editor) becomes a media phenomenon, with London newspapers sending correspondents to Scotland and a circus offering a 20,000 pound sterling reward for capture of the beast.
After the April 1933 sighting was reported in the newspaper on May 2, interest steadily grew, especially after another couple claimed to have seen the animal on land.
Amateur investigators have for decades kept an almost constant vigil, and in the 1960s several British universities launched sonar expeditions to the lake. Nothing conclusive was found, but in each expedition the sonar operators detected some type of large, moving underwater objects. In 1975, another expedition combined sonar and underwater photography in Loch Ness. A photo resulted that, after enhancement, appeared to show what vaguely resembled the giant flipper of an aquatic animal.
Further sonar expeditions in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in more inconclusive readings. Revelations in 1994 that the famous 1934 photo was a complete hoax has only slightly dampened the enthusiasm of tourists and investigators for the legendary beast of Loch Ness
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post
Skip… For The List for Tuesday, 2 May 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 2 May 1968… The March 1969 report and Intel damage assessment due to loss of USS Pueblo…
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.
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See the attachment from Barrel. Vietnam air losses by aircraft type. Some eye openers
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Thanks to Pence
Legacy Week - Meet the Aviators , USS Midway, Sunday, May 28
To All,
This is a great time to help the USS Midway by standing by your favorite aircraft and telling folks of all ages and countries that come to the ship on this day
For your breakfast this Friday, at Miramar, please pass this information:
Please see below about signing up for Meet the Aviators:
You do NOT have to be USS Midway volunteer to participate in this event.
There are two new aircrafts on the ship. One of the first jet aircraft the the fleet,
Voight F7U Cutlass. And the C-2A Greyhound.
If you have any questions, please contact me. Cell 858 395 1957
Thanks,
Pence
From: Paulette Mello <PMello@midway.org>
Date: April 17, 2023 at 3:51:55 PM PDT
Subject: Legacy Week - Meet the Aviators - Sunday, May 28
Good afternoon,
The sign-up link for Meet the Aviators on Sunday, May 28th has been created and is cleared for take-off. Both Pence and I reviewed the info and tested the link which is good to go (but...if you do see a discrepancy, please let me know so I can easily correct).
Please feel free to disseminate the sign-up link below to get the word out so we can as much participation as possible:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0949aead2daaf85-legacy2#/
Let Pence or myself know if you have any questions. Thank you!
Regards,
Paulette Mello
Marketing / Outreach Coordinator
(619) 398-8248
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Thanks to Craig
Old Geezers Outsmart Young guys!
An old physician, Doctor Gordon Geezer, became very bored in retirement and decided to re-open a medical clinic.
He put a sign up outside that said: "Dr. Geezer's Clinic. Get your treatment for $500 — if not cured, get back $1,000."
Doctor Digger Young, who was positive that this old geezer didn't know beans about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to get $1,000. So he went to Dr. Geezer's clinic.
Dr Young: "Dr. Geezer, I have lost all taste in my mouth. Can you please help me?"
Dr Geezer: "Nurse, please bring medicine from the box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young's mouth."
Dr Young: "Aargh! — This is Gasoline!"
Dr Geezer: "Congratulations! You've got your taste back. That will be $500."
Dr Young gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days figuring to recover his money.
Dr Young: "I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything."
Dr Geezer: "Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth."
Dr Young: "Oh, no you don't — that is Gasoline!"
Dr Geezer: "Congratulations! You've got your memory back. That will be $500."
Dr Young (after having lost $1000) leaves angrily and comes back after several more days.
Dr Young: "My eyesight has become weak — I can hardly see anything!"
Dr Geezer: "Well, I don't have any medicine for that so, "Here's your $1000 back" (giving him a $10 bill).
Dr Young: "But this is only $10!"
Dr Geezer: "Congratulations! You got your vision back! That will be $500."
*Moral of story* — Just because you're "Young" doesn't mean that you can outsmart an "old Geezer".
*Remember: Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to mess with us.
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Thanks to Rob
I well remember watching Striker ejecting from the F-14 and bouncing across the water like a skipping stone from just off the USS Constellation flight deck . Fortunately he survived in good shape but was down for a few weeks before he could fly again
US Naval Aviator who flew both the F-4 and F-14 ( and the F-8) tells about the negative and positive attributes of the Phantom II and Tomcat during Carrier Landing - The Aviation Geek Club + the F-8.
Rob
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
Daily Memo: US Support for the Philippines, Belarus' Border Problems
Biden and Marcos met in Washington on Monday.
By: GPF Staff
May 2, 2023
Biden and Marcos. U.S. President Joe Biden held talks with his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on Monday. Biden said U.S. commitment to the Philippines' defense "remains ironclad" and that Washington would continue to support the modernization of the Philippine military. The two leaders agreed on new bilateral defense guidelines aimed at improving the interoperability of their forces. They also pledged to establish "trilateral modes of cooperation" with Japan and said they would seek greater cooperation with Australia.
Border issues. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held a meeting with the country's State Security Committee to discuss border security issues. Lukashenko called the situation on the border difficult and said the government and law enforcement agencies had been ordered to develop measures to prevent "infiltrators from entering Belarus." The State Security Committee predicted a significant escalation along the southern border related to the war in Ukraine.
Seeking investors. Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed his government and a Moscow-based business lobby called the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs to find investors for the International North-South Transport Corridor. The project is a new shipping route from St. Petersburg to Mumbai that goes through Iran and the Caucasus. The countries of the Caucasus, meanwhile, are working on their own transport infrastructure. Azerbaijan's transport minister traveled to Georgia to discuss the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line.
Hostility. Over the past two weeks, tensions have been mounting between Chad and the Central African Republic. The CAR government has increasingly shown support for rebel groups that oppose the government in Ndjamena. Two such groups from northern CAR have been conducting raids across the border, threatening to destabilize Chad's southern region, which has been relatively calm in recent years. Relatedly, Russia's private military company the Wagner Group has reportedly supported Chadian rebels that want to overthrow the government in CAR. Chad is also facing an influx of migrants fleeing the conflict in Sudan.
Olive branch. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin will reportedly travel to Russia in mid-May amid rising bilateral tensions after President Yoon Suk Yeol suggested last month that his government may consider providing weapons aid to Ukraine. Chang served as an ambassador to Russia until April.
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Thanks to Intere4sting Facts
5 Things You Might Not Know About Time Zones
1 of 5
Greenwich, London, Was the Logical Choice for the Prime Meridian
When it comes to time, the borough of Greenwich in London, England, is at the center of the world. That's because Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) has historically been considered universal time — it's even the time used by the international space station. In 1884, Greenwich was chosen as the center of world time for reasons of convenience. First of all, a year earlier, the U.S. had based its national time zones on a meridian that ran through Greenwich. Secondly, in the late 19th century much of the world's commerce depended on maritime trading, and most sea charts also used the Greenwich meridian as the primary point of reference. As such, this particular meridian, which ran from the North Pole to the South Pole and crossed directly through Greenwich's Royal Observatory, became the world's Prime Meridian. Set to 0 degrees longitude, the Prime Meridian is the line upon which GMT was established in order to set the standard for world time. In 1967, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) was introduced as a GMT equivalent and an updated global time standard. At this point, GMT was technically reduced to just a time zone, although it's still used as a common vernacular to tell the world's time.
2 of 5
The International Date Line Makes Time Travel Real
A color map of the world on Mercator's projection and showing the international date line.Credit: Interim Archives/ Archive Photos via Getty Images
In 1884, the International Meridian Conference was held in Washington D.C., with the goal of choosing a longitudinal equivalent to the equator and standardizing time throughout the world. At the conference, the Prime Meridian was established as a way to divide the Eastern and Western hemispheres just as the equator divides the Northern and Southern. At the same time, the 26 nations that attended the conference created another invisible line: the International Date Line (IDL). The IDL was created to demarcate the difference between one calendar day from the next. Set to a 180-degree longitude meridian, the IDL begins at both poles and then zig-zags around the globe, mostly through a remote section of open ocean. Interestingly enough, since the IDL has no lawful status, countries are free to choose the dates they observe. Case in point: In 2011, Samoa decided to change its time zone by crossing the International Date Line and skipping an entire calendar day, thereby time-traveling into the future. The change was made in order to improve trade relations with Australia and New Zealand, two countries with whom Samoa conducts regular business.
3 of 5
Time Zones Were Invented for the Railroad
London Stereoscopic Company/ Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Before mechanical clocks were invented, people used sundials to tell the time. "Noon" was considered to be when the sun was at its highest point in the sky, due south. As a result, each town and city had its own version of time even after the introduction of mechanical timepieces. With the invention of the transcontinental railroad, however, the lack of standardized time became problematic. As people left one city and traveled by railroad across the country, watches had to be reset frequently to accommodate the different times at each station. To solve this predicament, the U.S. borrowed the idea of time zones from Sir Sandford Fleming. A Canadian railroad engineer, Fleming had originally come up with the idea of dividing the world into 24 different longitudinally-based time zones, each with an hourly variation. The U.S. adopted this idea nationally, creating four different zones based on degrees of longitude. A year later, England, Scotland, and Wales followed suit, and eventually, the rest of the world did too.
4 of 5
One Size Doesn't Fit All
When it comes to the geographical size of a country, the number of time zones is nothing but inconsistent. Some of the world's largest nations have one time zone, while smaller nations have many. For example, even though the width of India is roughly the same distance between Utah and New York, the entire country has a unified time zone of GMT+5:30. Originally, China had five geographical time zones — Zhongyuan, Longshu, Tibet, Kunlun, and Changbai — that were created in 1912. In 1949, however, the Communist party set all five of these time zones to Beijing's GMT+8. As a result, some Chinese cities keep alternative workday schedules in order to stay aligned with Beijing. Conversely, France, a country with a more diminutive size geographically, has 12 time zones in total, thanks to its 11 overseas territories. And Märket, a tiny island in the Baltic Sea, has two different time zones, as it's controlled on either side by Sweden and Finland.
5 of 5
Standard Time Isn't Always On the Hour
Oddly enough, some countries don't keep their time on the hour, instead choosing to use half or quarter hours to tell universal time. India, for example, is set to GMT+5:30, as is its neighboring country of Sri Lanka. Other countries that also are on the half-hour include Iran (GMT+3:30), Afghanistan (GMT+4:30), and Burma (GMT+6:30). Even more curious, Nepal is a country that runs on the quarter-hour, as its universal time is set to GMT+5:45. If that's not strange enough, Australia has five time zones, and only some of them are set to the half or quarter-hour on the clock. There's no universal answer as to why the times are set this way; rather, it's often a result of the politics of each nation. For example, India's decision to set time on the half-hour was a compromise that accommodated New Delhi's location between two meridians. Setting the clock at the median hour was a concession that didn't favor either longitude and presumably offset the fact that the large country runs on a single time zone.
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This Day in U S Military History…….May 2
1942 – The Japanese begin the concentration of forces for what will become the battle of the Coral Sea. Their objective is to occupy Port Moresby. Admiral Takagi commands a covering force including the aircraft carriers Zuikaku and Shokaku. Admiral Goto commands the naval support force for the landing, including the carrier Shoho and four heavy cruisers. Admiral Inouye is in command of the main invasion force concentrated at Rabaul. American code breaking allows Admiral Nimitz to concentrate Allied forces to oppose the Japanese forces. Initially these forces include only Admiral Fletcher's Task Force 17 with the carrier Yorktown. Later Task Force 11 (Admiral Fitch) with the aircraft carrier Lexington and Task force 44 (Admiral Crace) with Australian and American cruisers.
1945 – At noon the German surrender becomes effective. The long, difficult and controversial campaign in Italy is over. Allied forces reach Trieste, Milan and Turin during the course of the day, while others are advancing north toward Brenner Pass where they will link up with US 7th Army forces from the north. Approximately 1 million German soldiers lay down their arms as the terms of the German unconditional surrender, signed at Caserta on April 29, come into effect. Many Germans surrender to Japanese soldiers-Japanese Americans. Among the American tank crews that entered the northern Italian town of Biella was an all-Nisei (second-generation) infantry battalion, composed of Japanese Americans from Hawaii. Early that same day, Russian Marshal Georgi K. Zhukov accepts the surrender of the German capital. The Red Army takes 134,000 German soldiers prisoner.
2000 – President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.
2011 – Osama bin Laden, the founder and head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan shortly after 1:00 am PKT (20:00 UTC, May 1) by U.S. Navy SEALs of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (also known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team Six). The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear, was carried out in a Central Intelligence Agency-led operation. In addition to DEVGRU, participating units included the U.S. Army Special Operations Command's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) and CIA operatives. The raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was launched from Afghanistan. After the raid, U.S. forces took bin Laden's body to Afghanistan for identification, then buried it at sea within 24 hours of his death. The United States had direct evidence that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, knew of bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Al-Qaeda confirmed the death on May 6 with posts made on militant websites, vowing to avenge the killing.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BUSH, ROBERT EUGENE
Rank and organization: Hospital Apprentice First Class, U.S. Naval Reserve, serving as Medical Corpsman with a rifle company, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Okinawa Jima, Ryukyu Islands, 2 May 1945. Entered service at: Washington. Born: 4 October 1926, Tacoma, Wash. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Medical Corpsman with a rifle company, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa Jima, Ryukyu Islands, 2 May 1945. Fearlessly braving the fury of artillery, mortar, and machinegun fire from strongly entrenched hostile positions, Bush constantly and unhesitatingly moved from 1 casualty to another to attend the wounded falling under the enemy's murderous barrages. As the attack passed over a ridge top, Bush was advancing to administer blood plasma to a marine officer Iying wounded on the skyline when the Japanese launched a savage counterattack. In this perilously exposed position, he resolutely maintained the flow of life-giving plasma. With the bottle held high in 1 hand, Bush drew his pistol with the other and fired into the enemy's ranks until his ammunition was expended. Quickly seizing a discarded carbine, he trained his fire on the Japanese charging pointblank over the hill, accounting for 6 of the enemy despite his own serious wounds and the loss of 1 eye suffered during his desperate battle in defense of the helpless man. With the hostile force finally routed, he calmly disregarded his own critical condition to complete his mission, valiantly refusing medical treatment for himself until his officer patient had been evacuated, and collapsing only after attempting to walk to the battle aid station. His daring initiative, great personal valor, and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice in service of others reflect great credit upon Bush and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*FOSTER, WILLIAM ADELBERT
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 17 February 1915, Cleveland, Ohio. Accredited to: Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with the 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa Shima in the Ryukyu Chain 2 May 1945. Dug in with another marine on the point of the perimeter defense after waging a furious assault against a strongly fortified Japanese position, Pfc. Foster and his comrade engaged in a fierce hand grenade duel with infiltrating enemy soldiers. Suddenly an enemy grenade landed beyond reach in the foxhole. Instantly diving on the deadly missile, Pfc. Foster absorbed the exploding charge in his own body, thereby protecting the other marine from serious injury. Although mortally wounded as a result of his heroic action, he quickly rallied, handed his own remaining 2 grenades to his comrade and said, "Make them count." Stouthearted and indomitable, he had unhesitatingly relinquished his own chance of survival that his fellow marine might carry on the relentless fight against a fanatic enemy, and his dauntless determination, cool decision and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon Pfc. Foster and upon the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.
BENAVIDEZ, ROY P.
Rank and Organization: Master Sergeant, Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces Group, Republic of Vietnam. Place and Date: West of Loc Ninh on 2 May 1968. Entered Service at: Houston, Texas June 1955. Date and Place of Birth: 5 August 1935, DeWitt County, Cuero, Texas. Master Sergeant (then Staff Sergeant) Roy P. Benavidez United States Army, who distinguished himself by a series of daring and extremely valorous actions on 2 May 1968 while assigned to Detachment B56, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 2 May 1968, a 12-man Special Forces Reconnaissance Team was inserted by helicopters in a dense jungle area west of Loc Ninh, Vietnam to gather intelligence information about confirmed large-scale enemy activity. This area was controlled and routinely patrolled by the North Vietnamese Army. After a short period of time on the ground, the team met heavy enemy resistance, and requested emergency extraction. Three helicopters attempted extraction, but were unable to land due to intense enemy small arms and anti-aircraft fire. Sergeant Benavidez was at the Forward Operating Base in Loc Ninh monitoring the operation by radio when these helicopters returned to off-load wounded crewmembers and to assess aircraft damage. Sergeant Benavidez voluntarily boarded a returning aircraft to assist in another extraction attempt. Realizing that all the team members were either dead or wounded and unable to move to the pickup zone, he directed the aircraft to a nearby clearing where he jumped from the hovering helicopter, and ran approximately 75 meters under withering small arms fire to the crippled team. Prior to reaching the team's position he was wounded in his right leg, face, and head. Despite these painful injuries, he took charge, repositioning the team members and directing their fire to facilitate the landing of an extraction aircraft, and the loading of wounded and dead team members. He then threw smoke canisters to direct the aircraft to the team's position. Despite his severe wounds and under intense enemy fire, he carried and dragged half of the wounded team members to the awaiting aircraft. He then provided protective fire by running alongside the aircraft as it moved to pick up the remaining team members. As the enemy's fire intensified, he hurried to recover the body and classified documents on the dead team leader. When he reached the leader's body, Sergeant Benavidez was severely wounded by small arms fire in the abdomen and grenade fragments in his back. At nearly the same moment, the aircraft pilot was mortally wounded, and his helicopter crashed. Although in extremely critical condition due to his multiple wounds, Sergeant Benavidez secured the classified documents and made his way back to the wreckage, where he aided the wounded out of the overturned aircraft, and gathered the stunned survivors into a defensive perimeter. Under increasing enemy automatic weapons and grenade fire, he moved around the perimeter distributing water and ammunition to his weary men, reinstilling in them a will to live and fight. Facing a buildup of enemy opposition with a beleaguered team, Sergeant Benavidez mustered his strength, began calling in tactical air strikes and directed the fire from supporting gunships to suppress the enemy's fire and so permit another extraction attempt. He was wounded again in his thigh by small arms fire while administering first aid to a wounded team member just before another extraction helicopter was able to land. His indomitable spirit kept him going as he began to ferry his comrades to the craft. On his second trip with the wounded, he was clubbed from additional wounds to his head and arms before killing his adversary. He then continued under devastating fire to carry the wounded to the helicopter. Upon reaching the aircraft, he spotted and killed two enemy soldiers who were rushing the craft from an angle that prevented the aircraft door gunner from firing upon them. With little strength remaining, he made one last trip to the perimeter to ensure that all classified material had been collected or destroyed, and to bring in the remaining wounded. Only then, in extremely serious condition from numerous wounds and loss of blood, did he allow himself to be pulled into the extraction aircraft. Sergeant Benavidez' gallant choice to join voluntarily his comrades who were in critical straits, to expose himself constantly to withering enemy fire, and his refusal to be stopped despite numerous severe wounds, saved the lives of at least eight men. His fearless personal leadership, tenacious devotion to duty, and extremely valorous actions in the face of overwhelming odds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect the utmost credit on him and the United States Army.
KELLER, LEONARD B.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 3d Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. place and date: Ap Bac Zone, Republic of Vietnam, 2 May 1967. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 25 February 1947, Rockford, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sweeping through an area where an enemy ambush had occurred earlier, Sgt. Keller's unit suddenly came under Intense automatic weapons and small-arms fire from a number of enemy bunkers and numerous snipers in nearby trees. Sgt. Keller quickly moved to a position where he could fire at a bunker from which automatic fire was received, killing 1 Viet Cong who attempted to escape. Leaping to the top of a dike, he and a comrade charged the enemy bunkers, dangerously exposing themselves to the enemy fire. Armed with a light machine gun, Sgt. Keller and his comrade began a systematic assault on the enemy bunkers. While Sgt. Keller neutralized the fire from the first bunker with his machine gun, the other soldier threw in a hand grenade killing its occupant. Then he and the other soldier charged a second bunker, killing its occupant. A third bunker contained an automatic rifleman who had pinned down much of the friendly platoon. Again, with utter disregard for the fire directed to them, the 2 men charged, killing the enemy within. Continuing their attack, Sgt. Keller and his comrade assaulted 4 more bunkers, killing the enemy within. During their furious assault, Sgt. Keller and his comrade had been almost continuously exposed to intense sniper fire as the enemy desperately sought to stop their attack. The ferocity of their assault had carried the soldiers beyond the line of bunkers into the treeline, forcing snipers to flee. The 2 men gave immediate chase, driving the enemy away from the friendly unit. When his ammunition was exhausted, Sgt. Keller returned to the platoon to assist in the evacuation of the wounded. The 2-man assault had driven an enemy platoon from a well prepared position, accounted for numerous enemy dead, and prevented further friendly casualties. Sgt. Keller's selfless heroism and indomitable fighting spirit saved the lives of many of his comrades and inflicted serious damage on the enemy. His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
LIVINGSTON, JAMES E.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, Company E, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade. place and date: Dai Do, Republic of Vietnam, 2 May 1968. Entered service at: McRae, Ga. Born: 12 January 1940, Towns, Telfair County, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commanding Officer, Company E, in action against enemy forces. Company E launched a determined assault on the heavily fortified village of Dai Do, which had been seized by the enemy on the preceding evening isolating a marine company from the remainder of the battalion. Skillfully employing screening agents, Capt. Livingston maneuvered his men to assault positions across 500 meters of dangerous open rice paddy while under intense enemy fire. Ignoring hostile rounds impacting near him, he fearlessly led his men in a savage assault against enemy emplacements within the village. While adjusting supporting arms fire, Capt. Livingston moved to the points of heaviest resistance, shouting words of encouragement to his marines, directing their fire, and spurring the dwindling momentum of the attack on repeated occasions. Although twice painfully wounded by grenade fragments, he refused medical treatment and courageously led his men in the destruction of over 100 mutually supporting bunkers, driving the remaining enemy from their positions, and relieving the pressure on the stranded marine company. As the 2 companies consolidated positions and evacuated casualties, a third company passed through the friendly lines launching an assault on the adjacent village of Dinh To, only to be halted by a furious counterattack of an enemy battalion. Swiftly assessing the situation and disregarding the heavy volume of enemy fire, Capt. Livingston boldly maneuvered the remaining effective men of his company forward, joined forces with the heavily engaged marines, and halted the enemy's counterattack Wounded a third time and unable to walk, he steadfastly remained in the dangerously exposed area, deploying his men to more tenable positions and supervising the evacuation of casualties. Only when assured of the safety of his men did he allow himself to be evacuated. Capt. Livingston's gallant actions uphold the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
VARGAS, M. SANDO, JR.
Rank and organization: Major (then Capt.), U.S. Marine Corps, Company G, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade. Place and date: Dai Do, Republic of Vietnam, 30 April to 2 May 1968. Entered service at: Winslow, Ariz. Born: 29 July 1940, Winslow, Ariz. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as commanding officer, Company G, in action against enemy forces from 30 April to 2 May 1968. On 1 May 1968, though suffering from wounds he had incurred while relocating his unit under heavy enemy fire the preceding day, Maj. Vargas combined Company G with two other companies and led his men in an attack on the fortified village of Dai Do. Exercising expert leadership, he maneuvered his marines across 700 meters of open rice paddy while under intense enemy mortar, rocket and artillery fire and obtained a foothold in 2 hedgerows on the enemy perimeter, only to have elements of his company become pinned down by the intense enemy fire. Leading his reserve platoon to the aid of his beleaguered men, Maj. Vargas inspired his men to renew their relentless advance, while destroying a number of enemy bunkers. Again wounded by grenade fragments, he refused aid as he moved about the hazardous area reorganizing his unit into a strong defense perimeter at the edge of the village. Shortly after the objective was secured the enemy commenced a series of counterattacks and probes which lasted throughout the night but were unsuccessful as the gallant defenders of Company G stood firm in their hard-won enclave. Reinforced the following morning, the marines launched a renewed assault through Dai Do on the village of Dinh To, to which the enemy retaliated with a massive counterattack resulting in hand-to-hand combat. Maj. Vargas remained in the open, encouraging and rendering assistance to his marines when he was hit for the third time in the 3-day battle. Observing his battalion commander sustain a serious wound, he disregarded his excruciating pain, crossed the fire-swept area and carried his commander to a covered position, then resumed supervising and encouraging his men while simultaneously assisting in organizing the battalion's perimeter defense. His gallant actions uphold the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.
WRIGHT, RAYMOND R.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 3d Battalion, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. Place and date: Ap Bac Zone, Republic of Vietnam, 2 May 1967. Entered service at: Moriah, N.Y. Born: 5 December 1945, Moriah, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While serving as a rifleman with Company A, Sp4c. Wright distinguished himself during a combat patrol in an area where an enemy ambush had occurred earlier. Sp4c. Wright's unit suddenly came under intense automatic weapons and small-arms fire from an enemy bunker system protected by numerous snipers in nearby trees. Despite the heavy enemy fire, Sp4c. Wright and another soldier leaped to the top of a dike to assault the position. Armed with a rifle and several grenades, he and his comrade exposed themselves to intense fire from the bunkers as they charged the nearest one. Sp4c. Wright raced to the bunker, threw in a grenade, killing its occupant. The 2 soldiers then ran through a hail of fire to the second bunker. While his comrade covered him with his machinegun, Sp4c. Wright charged the bunker and succeeded in killing its occupant with a grenade. A third bunker contained an automatic rifleman who had pinned down much of the friendly platoon. While his comrade again covered him with machinegun fire, Sp4c. Wright charged in and killed the enemy rifleman with a grenade. The 2 soldiers worked their way through the remaining bunkers, knocking out 4 of them. Throughout their furious assault, Sp4c. Wright and his comrade had been almost continuously exposed to intense sniper fire from the treeline as the enemy desperately sought to stop their attack. Overcoming stubborn resistance from the bunker system, the men advanced into the treeline forcing the snipers to retreat, giving immediate chase, and driving the enemy away from the friendly unit so that it advanced across the open area without further casualty. When his ammunition was exhausted, Sp4c. Wright returned to his unit to assist in the evacuation of the wounded. This 2-man assault had driven an enemy platoon from a well prepared position, accounted for numerous enemy casualties, and averted further friendly casualties. Sp4c. Wright's extraordinary heroism, courage, and indomitable fighting spirit saved the lives of many of his comrades and inflicted serious damage on the enemy. His acts were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for May 2, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
2 May
1918: Lt Col Henry J. Damm and Maj Oscar Brindley were killed while testing a DH-4 at Dayton. (24)
1923: MACKAY TROPHY/DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS. After adding extra fuel tanks to their Fokker T2 Liberty 400, Lts Oakley G. Kelly and John A. Macready flew the first nonstop transcontinental flight from New York to San Diego, flying the 2,520 miles in 26 hours 50 minutes 3 seconds. (9) (18)
1948: The Navy successfully tested a submarine capable of firing guided missiles. (16) (24)
1957: The USAF accepted its first F-101A Voodoo. (12)
1963: Jacqueline Cochran flew a Lockheed TF-104G near Edwards AFB to a world speed record for women of 1,203.94 MPH over a closed 100-kilometer course.
1965: Early Bird satellite went into operation as a public communications facility by shuttling TV programs across the North Atlantic. The Oklahoma ANG's "Talking Bird" C-97 Command Post flew to the Caribbean to support US forces in the Dominican Republic. (See Operation POWER PACK) (16)
1970: Ground fire in Cambodia claimed an F-4, the first PACAF aircraft to be lost in combat operations in that country. (17)
1971: At Lancaster, Calif., Lois Elmstrom flew a Piccard Balloon to a FAI duration record of 2 hours 6 minutes 10 seconds for balloons, subclasses AX-3 and AX-4 (400-900 cubic meters). (9)
1975: The Navy selected the Northrop and McDonnell-Douglas team to develop the twin-engine F-18 air combat fighter. (12)
1977: 1Lt Christine E. Schott became the first woman undergraduate pilot student to solo in the T-38 Talon. (16) (26)
1979: Through 3 May, two E-3A Sentry aircraft flew the first AWACS training mission over the Central Region of Europe. (16) (26)
1981: Davis-Monthan AFB received TAC's first OA-37 Dragonfly. It replaced the O-2A in the forward air control role. (11) In a first, an airborne laser destroyed an aerial target, when the Airborne Laser Laboratory, a modified KC-135 aircraft armed with a carbon dioxide laser, shot down a drone over White Sands Missile Range. (21)
1988: Col Phillip J. Ford, the 384th Bomb Wing Commander, and Lt Gen Ellie G. "Buck" Shuler, Jr., the Eighth Air Force Commander, flew the last B-1B from the Rockwell International plant to McConnell AFB. (http://www.sr-71.org/aircraft/b-1.php)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. Serbian ground forces shot down an F-16 over Yugoslavia. It was the second and last US aircraft lost in the operation. An MH-60 helicopter rescued the pilot. (21) An AFFTC aircrew from Edwards flew an NC-130J loaded with Red Cross supplies to Sofia, Bulgaria in support of Operation ALLIED FORCE. (3)
2002: An AFFTC B-1B dropped three different weapons (a MK-82, a MK-84, and a CBU-89) on a single pass. The B-1B released the bombs from separate bomb bays to strike individual targets that were 10,000 feet apart. AFFTC conducted this Air Force "first" as part of the B-1 Block E Computer Upgrade Test Program at Edwards AFB. (3)
2004: The 164 AW (Tennessee ANG) in Memphis phased out the last C-141 (tail no. 60157) from the ANG inventory. The then unit converted to C-5s. (32)
2006: The Air Force Research Laboratory's Propulsion Directorate at Edwards AFB conducted the first full-scale test of Thiokol's new solid-propellant motor for ICBMs. It was similar in size and weight to the Minuteman III first stage motor, but used advanced case, propellant, and thrust vector technologies. The new engine produced over 282,000 pounds of thrust, compared to Minuteman motor's 202,000 pounds. (3)
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