To All,
Good Saturday Morning May 13 2023.
I hope that you all have a great weekend
Regards,
Skip
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This day in Naval History May 13
1846 Congress declares war against Mexico. Commodore David Conner is responsible for the landing of the Army at Vera Cruz. In April 1847, Commodore Matthew C. Perry relieves Conner. On Feb. 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed ending hostilities.
1908 The Navy Nurse Corps is established by Public Law No. 115, though nurses have been volunteering onboard Navy ships prior to the Civil War.
1908 The Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, later called Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, is authorized for the enlargement and dredging of the Pearl Harbor channel and locks to admit the largest ships as it becomes a coaling station for the U.S. Navy.
1944 USS Francis M. Robinson (DE 220) sinks Japanese submarine RO 501 (ex-German U 1124) en route to Japan on her maiden voyage, 400 miles south-southwest of the Azores.
1964 The first all nuclear-powered task group, USS Enterprise (CVAN 65), USS Long Beach (CGN 9) and USS Bainbridge (DLGN 25), is organized and deploys to the Sixth Fleet. The task group departs in July and circumnavigates the globe without refueling, returning that October.
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Today in World History: May 13
1607 English colonists land near the James River in Virginia.
1648 Margaret Jones of Plymouth is found guilty of witchcraft and is sentenced to be hanged.
1779 The War of Bavarian Succession ends.
1846 The United States declares war on Mexico after fighting has already begun.
1861 Britain declares its neutrality in the American Civil War.
1864 The Battle of Resaca commences as Union General William T. Sherman fights towards Atlanta.
1888 Slavery is abolished in Brazil.
1912 The Royal Flying Corps is established in England.
1913 Igor Sikorsky flies the first four-engine aircraft.
1944 Allied forces in Italy break through the German Gustav Line into the Liri Valley.
1958 French troops take control of Algiers.
1968 Peace talks between the United States and North Vietnam begin in Paris.
1981 Pope John Paul II survives an assassination attempt.
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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 Saturday, 13 May 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 13 May 1968… Rules of engagement for us, none for the enemy… and Bruce Bremner tells a "ball of fire" tale from May 1968…
Vietnam Air Losses
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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Thanks to Mike
If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's a famous erudite comic who once said: "I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates".
His mind sees things differently from the way most of us do. Here are some more of his gems……..
1 - I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
2 - Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.
3 - Half the people you know are below average.
4 - 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5 - 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
6 - A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
7 - A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
8 - If you want the rainbow, you have got to put up with the rain.
9 - All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.
10 - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
11 - I almost had a psychic girlfriend... But she left me before we met.
12 - OK, so what's the speed of dark?
13 - How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
14 - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
15 - Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
16 - When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
17 - Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.
18 - Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.
19 - I intend to live forever... So far, so good.
20 - If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
21 - Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
22 - What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
23 - My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
24 - Why do psychics have to ask you for your name.
25 - If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
26 - A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
27 - Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
28 - "The best kind of friend is the kind you sit with, never say a word and walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you ever had.
29 - To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
30 - The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
31 - The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
32 - The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it.
33 - Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film.
34 - If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
And the all-time favorite:
35 - If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
Antarctica is best known as the barren southernmost continent, home to glistening glaciers and snow-packed peaks that never seem to melt. Despite being surrounded by an endless supply of frozen water, the coldest continent on Earth is also one of the driest — so dry, in fact, it's technically considered a desert.
You can explore Antarctica as a tourist, but owning a chunk of land on the southernmost continent is impossible. The Antarctic Treaty, signed by 56 countries since 1959, bans ownership of the landmass, and requires it to be used only for "peaceful purposes."
Although the parched landscapes of Death Valley or the Sahara may spring to mind when we visualize a desert, the ecosystem classification has more to do with precipitation than temperature. True deserts typically receive less than 9.8 inches of rainfall per year. Antarctica, which averages just 2 inches of annual precipitation, meets this definition; at 5.5 million square miles, it reigns as the world's largest and coldest desert. In comparison, Africa's Sahara desert — the world's largest hot desert — spans just 3.6 million square miles; its dusty sand dunes receive about an inch more rainfall than Antarctica does per year.
Antarctica's harsh climate doesn't equally share its annual allotment of rain, and some areas are practically devoid of showers. The McMurdo Dry Valleys, a snow-free region located west of the McMurdo Sound, are considered one of the driest places on Earth. Some researchers believe the flat-topped hills haven't seen measurable precipitation or flowing water in 14 million years — an extreme drought that's unlikely to end any time soon thanks to the placement of nearby mountains, freezing temperatures, and unforgivingly strong winds that can reach up to 200 miles per hour.
Year that two different expedition groups claimed to catch the first glimpse of Antarctica
1820
Length (in miles) of the Lambert Glacier, the world's longest, found in Antarctica
250
Species of land mammals that live on Antarctica
0
Tourists expected to visit Antarctica in 2023, compared to 56,000 in 2019
100,000
Scientists estimate that 70% of Earth's fresh water can be found in Antarctica.
THINK TWICE
Antarctica has a red waterfall.
Photos of Antarctica may trick you into believing the icy continent exists in shades of only blue and white, but a 1911 discovery of a red waterfall proves otherwise. Around 112 years ago, Australian geologist Griffith Taylor came across an Antarctic waterfall spewing blood-red water from deep within a glacier. Taylor believed the red water was caused by red algae, though this theory was later debunked. The rust-colored water in what's now known as Blood Falls actually stumped scientists for the better part of a century, until water samples suggested that iron might be the cause. The saline brine feeding the falls — a liquid so salty it is incapable of freezing — is rich with the mineral. When the brine emerges from the falls and is exposed to oxygen, it immediately oxidizes, turning its red hue — a not-so-scary explanation for one of nature's more intriguing phenomena.
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Thanks to YP
Looky heah:
FYI.
YP
This 20-Year-Old French Jet Fighter Is Suddenly Outselling Rivals
The Rafale is boosting France in the global arms trade, rivaling U.S. jets in some markets
Alistair MacDonaldMay 12, 2023 at 9:00 am ET
The Rafale, a more than 20-year-old, multipurpose jet fighter prized for its ability to carry a large payload of weapons, is enjoying a new lease on life, benefiting from rising military spending in Europe and Asia and sanctions that have curbed Russian competitors. Its popularity has also boosted France's rising status in the international arms trade.
Globally over the past two years, it has outsold every other Western jet fighter except Lockheed Martin's F-35. The U.S. jet is widely credited as the most technologically advanced fighter around. It has been a bestseller since it made its debut in 2011.
The Rafale, meanwhile, has long been "the slow burn" aircraft program, with no orders outside France for years, said Sash Tusa, an aerospace and defense analyst at research firm Agency Partners LLP. Now, it is "the most successful non F-35 fighter" in terms of exports, he said.
Sales of the French jet have jumped ahead of the multinational Typhoon and Sweden's Gripen, made by Saab. It is also outselling U.S.-made models such as Lockheed's F-16 and Boeing's F-15 and F/A-18.
The war in Ukraine has opened up new opportunities for the Rafale. Defense budgets have grown sharply across Europe. Buying Russian fighters, like MiGs and Sukhoi jets, is also now harder because of Western sanctions on Russia and Moscow's own wartime needs.
For Dassault Aviation AM 0.41%, which makes the Rafale, the jet's new popularity has been a boon. The company reported record orders last year, buoyed by demand for Rafale jets from the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. It said it is in talks to sell more of the fighters to countries including India and Colombia.
Russia is the world's second-largest arms exporter, but the war in Ukraine could change that as Moscow's share of the global weapons trade declines. Photo: Sergei Fadeichev/Zuma Press
"The Rafale's time has come," said Éric Trappier, Dassault's chief executive, at the company's annual results in March.
Dassault, founded nearly a century ago by a famed aerospace engineer whose family still owns a majority stake in the company, delivered its first Rafale in 1999.
Since then, the Rafale has been deployed by France in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali and Syria. As a so-called multiuse jet, it is designed for dog fights and bombing missions and can fly from land and an aircraft carrier. It is also capable of carrying 1.5 times its weight in weapons and fuel.
While it lacks the stealth and advanced sensor technology of the newer F-35, "the Rafale is a very capable combat aircraft," said Gareth Jennings, an aviation expert at Janes, the defense intelligence firm.
Dassault has delivered or has on order 453 Rafales over its lifetime. Around a third of those have come in the past two years. About 60% of those have been exports. That is a far larger proportion than other Western jet fighters, including the F-35.
Lockheed, meanwhile, has delivered 920 F-35s, with an additional 444 on order. The majority of those have gone to the U.S. military.
French government officials typically play a more active role in promoting sales of the country's military hardware, according to Philip Dunne, a former British government minister in charge of defense procurement and exports. Lockheed Martin's F-35, in flight at a February air show in India, is the only Western jet fighter to outsell the Rafale over the past two years. Photo: Prakash Singh/Bloomberg News
"They can be both more persistent and consistent in utilizing the full panoply of the state to win defense contracts," he said.
The U.S., meanwhile, is more selective about where it sells high-tech weaponry, analysts say, partly out of concerns that its technology could find its way into the hands of rivals.
Dassault says all export applications undergo proper scrutiny by the government. A spokesman for the French government didn't respond to a request for comment.
The U.A.E. pulled out of a deal to buy as many as 50 F-35 fighters in 2021, saying U.S. stipulations to safeguard the technology from China were too onerous.
The U.A.E. separately ordered 80 Rafale jets around the same time. The deal was announced during a visit by President Emmanuel Macron as part of a regional tour that also made him the first major Western leader to visit Saudi Arabia after the 2018 killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In recent years, France has become Saudi Arabia's second-biggest arms supplier behind the U.S., displacing the U.K.
In February last year, the Indonesian defense minister, sitting beside his French counterpart, signed a contract for 42 Rafales to replace some of the country's aging Russian aircraft. Indonesia had separately requested U.S. approval to buy F-15s, and the country has said it is still negotiating to buy the jets. Indonesia's defense ministry didn't respond to a request for comment. Dassault typically takes about three years to build a Rafale. A Dassault Aviation factory in Seclin, northern France. Photo: Sylvain Lefevre/Hans Lucas/Reuters
France's share of global arms exports increased to 11% in the five-year period that ended in 2022, up from 7.1% in the five years ending in 2017, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or Sipri, a think tank. France is now the third-biggest arms exporter behind the U.S. and Russia, Sipri data shows.
Sipri and other analysts say they expect French hardware to be among the biggest beneficiaries of a forecasted drop in Russian arms exports in the wake of the war in Ukraine. Serbia, a longtime Kremlin ally, said in February that it was in talks to buy Rafale jets because sanctions had made it harder to get parts for its existing Russian-made fleet.
Elsewhere, the U.S. and France are competing to sell jet fighters to India, which has previously bought Russian aircraft. Dassault says that it is in talks to provide 26 Rafales to the Indian navy, putting it in competition with Boeing, which is offering its F/A-18 jet.
The higher demand could test Dassault's ability to increase production amid capacity and supply-chain constraints, analysts say. It typically takes about three years to build a Rafale.
Mr. Trappier, at Dassault's annual results, said that while its supply chain was in "great difficulty," the company was agile enough to capitalize on rising demand.
"The orders are there, everywhere," he said.
Jon Emont and Noemie Bisserbe contributed to this article.
Write to Alistair MacDonald at Alistair.Macdonald@wsj.com
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Thanks to Carl
Special Forces Soldiers Reveal First Details of Battle With Russian Mercenaries in Syria
Here's how the grueling 2018 firefight went down according to the soldiers who endured it.
MAY 11, 2023| KEVIN MAURER
The exact casualty count for the Feb. 7 fight is unclear, but sources have estimated between 100 and 300 Russian and pro-Syrian fighters were killed or wounded in the battle. Russian officials claim only five Russian citizens died, but audio recordings of Wagner Group soldiers suggest hundreds of mercenaries were killed. One Wagner Group veteran confirmed the Apache attack in the recordings, describing it as "a fucking merry-go-round with heavy-caliber machine guns."
"To make it short, we've had our fucking asses kicked," one Wagner Group veteran says in a recording. "They tore us to pieces. … They beat our asses like we were little pieces of shit."
Nine of the 10 tanks were destroyed, as well as all six artillery pieces. The Special Forces team destroyed the lone surviving tank a few days later.
"We did not sustain a single injury," Chauncey says. "We didn't sustain a single death. I mean, guys were dinged up. Guys had PTSD from that battle, but everyone made it home."
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
https:geopoliticalfutures.com
Daily Memo: Fallout From Western Canada's Wildfires
They're much larger than what's typically expected for this time of year.
By: GPF Staff
May 12, 2023
Wildfires spread across many regions of Western Canada this week. The provinces of Alberta and British Colombia were most affected, but smoke could be seen as far as Washington D.C. According to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, the fires, stretching eastward into Manitoba and northward into Yukon and the Northwest Territories, are much worse than what is typically expected for this time of year.
Alberta declared a state of emergency last Saturday and asked the federal government for assistance from the military. The country's oil industry has also been impacted. Some 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day – nearly 4 percent of the country's total production – were taken offline at one point this week. The operation of pipelines was also a concern as compressor stations and processing centers were temporarily shut down. It seems, however, that the worst has passed. By Friday, the total number of fires had declined, and so far, no oil facilities have incurred any major damage.
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From The List archives
Thanks to Mike
HOW LONG DO WE HAVE?
This is the most interesting thing I've read in a long time. The sad thing about it, you can see it coming.
I have always heard about this democracy countdown. It is interesting to see it in print. G
God help us, not that we deserve it.
How Long Do We Have?
About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:
'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.'
'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.'
'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'
'The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years'
'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty;
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. from dependence back into bondage'
Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul , Minnesota , points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:
Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 Republicans: 29
Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000 Republicans: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million Republicans: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 Republicans: 2.1
Professor Olson adds: 'In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare...' Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the 'complacency and apathy' phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the 'governmental dependency' phase.
If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegal's and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.
If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message. If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.
WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE,
ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE
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This Day in U S Military History…….May 13 .
1865 – The last battle of the Civil War, fought near the Rio Grande River, ends in a Confederate victory. Soon after, word arrives of the surrender of the Confederate armies in the east and these men give themselves up to Union forces on June 2nd. The Civil War is officially over at the cost of more than 600,000 dead.
1943 – US forces now outnumber the Japanese defenders on Attu Island by 4 to 1. However, the Americans are unable to extend their front beyond the landing areas. Bad weather and the terrain hinder progress.
1944 – Forces of the US 5th Army continue to attack. The Polish 2nd Corps suffers heavy losses in unsuccessful attacks against the German 1st Parachute Division holding Cassino. The French Expeditionary Corps, however, captures Castelforte as well as Monte Maio and advance to the Liri River at Sant'Appollinaire. The US 2nd Corps and British 13th Corps make limited advances during the day.
1944 – An American escort destroyer sinks the Japanese submarine I-501 (formerly U-1224) off the Azores. The submarine had been presented to the Japanese by the German Kriegsmarine.
1945 – On Okinawa, fierce fighting continues along the Shuri Line. The US 6th Marine Division suffers heavy losses but completes the capture of Dakeshi Ridge. On the east coast, elements of the US 96th Division penetrate the strip east of the Shuri line and take part of Conical Hill.
1972 – Seventeen U.S. helicopters land 1,000 South Vietnamese marines and their six U.S. advisors behind North Vietnamese lines southeast of Quang Tri City in the first South Vietnamese counterattack since the beginning of the communist Nguyen Hue Offensive. The marines reportedly killed more than 300 North Vietnamese before returning to South Vietnamese-controlled territory the next day. Farther to the south, North Vietnamese tanks and troops continued their attacks in the Kontum area. On May 1, North Vietnamese troops had captured Quang Tri City, the first provincial capital taken during their ongoing offensive. The fall of the city effectively gave the North Vietnamese control of the entire province of Quang Tri. Farther south along the coast, three districts of Binh Dinh Province also fell, leaving about one-third of that province under communist control. These attacks were part of the North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive (later called the "Easter Offensive"), a massive invasion by North Vietnamese forces on March 30 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 and Kontum in the Central Highlands, included An Loc farther to the south. The situation at Quang Tri would not be rectified until President Nguyen Van Thieu relieved the I Corps commander and replaced him with Maj. Gen. Ngo Quang Truong, whom Gen. Bruce Palmer, Jr., later described as "probably the best field commander in South Vietnam." Truong effectively stopped the ongoing rout of South Vietnamese forces, established a stubborn defense, and eventually launched a successful counterattack against the North Vietnamese, retaking Quang Tri in September.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BADDERS, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Chief Machinist's Mate, U.S. Navy. Place and date: At sea following sinking of the U.S.S. Squalus, 13 May 1939. Entered service at: Indianapolis, Ind. Born: 16 September 1900, Harrisburg, Ill. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross, Navy-Marine Corps Medal. Citation: For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the rescue and salvage operations following the sinking of the U.S.S. Squalus on 13 May 1939. During the rescue operations, Badders, as senior member of the rescue chamber crew, made the last extremely hazardous trip of the rescue chamber to attempt to rescue any possible survivors in the flooded after portion of the Squalus. He was fully aware of the great danger involved in that if he and his assistant became incapacitated, there was no way in which either could be rescued. During the salvage operations, Badders made important and difficult dives under the most hazardous conditions. His outstanding performance of duty contributed much to the success of the operations and characterizes conduct far above and beyond the ordinary call of duty.
CRANDALL, ORSON L.
Rank and organization: Chief Boatswain's Mate, U.S. Navy. Place and date: At sea following sinking of U.S.S. Squalus, 13 May 1939. Born: 2 February 1903, St. Joseph, Mo. Entered service at: Connecticut. Citation: For extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession as a master diver throughout the rescue and salvage operations following the sinking of the U.S.S. Squalus on 23 May 1939. His leadership and devotion to duty in directing diving operations and in making important and difficult dives under the most hazardous conditions characterize conduct far above and beyond the ordinary call of duty.
DUNAGAN, KERN W.
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, Americal Division. Place and date: Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, 13 May 1969. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: 20 February 1934, Superior, Ariz. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Maj. (then Capt.) Dunagan distinguished himself during the period May 13 and 14, 1969, while serving as commanding officer, Company A. On May 13, 1969, Maj. Dunagan was leading an attack to relieve pressure on the battalion's forward support base when his company came under intense fire from a well-entrenched enemy battalion. Despite continuous hostile fire from a numerically superior force, Maj. Dunagan repeatedly and fearlessly exposed himself in order to locate enemy positions, direct friendly supporting artillery, and position the men of his company. In the early evening, while directing an element of his unit into perimeter guard, he was seriously wounded during an enemy mortar attack, but he refused to leave the battlefield and continued to supervise the evacuation of dead and wounded and to lead his command in the difficult task of disengaging from an aggressive enemy. In spite of painful wounds and extreme fatigue, Maj. Dunagan risked heavy fire on 2 occasions to rescue critically wounded men. He was again seriously wounded. Undaunted, he continued to display outstanding courage, professional competence, and leadership and successfully extricated his command from its untenable position on the evening of May 14. Having maneuvered his command into contact with an adjacent friendly unit, he learned that a 6-man party from his company was under fire and had not reached the new perimeter. Maj. Dunagan unhesitatingly went back and searched for his men. Finding 1 soldier critically wounded, Maj. Dunagan, ignoring his wounds, lifted the man to his shoulders and carried him to the comparative safety of the friendly perimeter. Before permitting himself to be evacuated, he insured all of his wounded received emergency treatment and were removed from the area. Throughout the engagement, Maj. Dunagan's actions gave great inspiration to his men and were directly responsible for saving the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. Maj. Dunagan's extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty, are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*OLSON, KENNETH L.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Light). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 13 May 1968. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: 26 May 1945, Willmar, Minn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Olson distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a team leader with Company A. Sp4c. Olson was participating in a mission to reinforce a reconnaissance platoon which was heavily engaged with a well-entrenched Viet Cong force. When his platoon moved into the area of contact and had overrun the first line of enemy bunkers, Sp4c. Olson and a fellow soldier moved forward of the platoon to investigate another suspected line of bunkers. As the 2 men advanced they were pinned down by intense automatic weapons fire from an enemy position 10 meters to their front. With complete disregard for his safety, Sp4c. Olson exposed himself and hurled a hand grenade into the Viet Cong position. Failing to silence the hostile fire, he again exposed himself to the intense fire in preparation to assault the enemy position. As he prepared to hurl the grenade, he was wounded, causing him to drop the activated device within his own position. Realizing that it would explode immediately, Sp4c. Olson threw himself upon the grenade and pulled it in to his body to take the full force of the explosion. By this unselfish action Sp4c. Olson sacrificed his own life to save the lives of his fellow comrades-in-arms. His extraordinary heroism inspired his fellow soldiers to renew their efforts and totally defeat the enemy force. Sp4c. Olson's profound courage and intrepidity were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*WINDER, DAVID F.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 13 May 1970. Entered service at: Columbus, Ohio. Born: 10 August 1946, Edinboro, Pa. Citation: Pfc. Winder distinguished himself while serving in the Republic of Vietnam as a senior medical aidman with Company A. After moving through freshly cut rice paddies in search of a suspected company-size enemy force, the unit started a thorough search of the area. Suddenly they were engaged with intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fire by a well entrenched enemy force. Several friendly soldiers fell wounded in the initial contact and the unit was pinned down. Responding instantly to the cries of his wounded comrades, Pfc. Winder began maneuvering across approximately 100 meters of open, bullet-swept terrain toward the nearest casualty. Unarmed and crawling most of the distance, he was wounded by enemy fire before reaching his comrades. Despite his wounds and with great effort, Pfc. Winder reached the first casualty and administered medical aid. As he continued to crawl across the open terrain toward a second wounded soldier he was forced to stop when wounded a second time. Aroused by the cries of an injured comrade for aid, Pfc. Winder's great determination and sense of duty impelled him to move forward once again, despite his wounds, in a courageous attempt to reach and assist the injured man. After struggling to within 10 meters of the man, Pfc. Winder was mortally wounded. His dedication and sacrifice inspired his unit to initiate an aggressive counterassault which led to the defeat of the enemy. Pfc. Winder's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the cost of his life were 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
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 13 THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
May 13
1908: First radio reception on a balloon in the US received while flying from Fort Myer, Va., to Woodwardville, Md. (24)
1911: Lts Henry H. Arnold and Thomas DeWitt Milling completed their training at Simms Station, Dayton, to become the first Army pilots to graduate from the Wright School. (4)
1940: Igor Sikorsky flew his VS-300 (Vought-Sikorsky) helicopter in its first free flight. Earlier flights were tethered. (21)
1941: In a mass flight over the Pacific, 21 B-17s took off from Hamilton Field, and landed on 14 Mayat Hickam Field 13 hours 10 minutes later. (21) 1942: The first US bombardment squadron, the 15th, sent to England without aircraft. It flew the first US AAF operations over Western Europe on 4 July against enemy airfields in the Netherlands.
1948: The first US built two-stage rocket, the Bumper-WAC, launched from White Sands. (6)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force F-86 Sabres destroyed five MiG-15s in aerial combat. In the morning 12 F-86s attacked targets in Sinuiju, Sinuiju Airfield, and Uiju Airfield in northwestern Korea. In early afternoon, Sabres hit the marshaling yards at Kunu-ri, and, in late afternoon, bombed Sinuiju with 1000-pound bombs. Unfortunately, Col Walker M. Mahurin, the 4 FIG Commander who had led all three missions, was shot down and captured. (28)
1957: Three USAF F-100C Super Sabres set a distance record for single-engine jet aircraft by flying 6,710 miles from London, England, to Los Angeles in 14 hours 5 minutes. (24) 1958: Trans World Airlines hired the first black stewardess. (8)
1962: Project FIELD GLASS. Through 7 June, an F-100 detachment of the 510 TFS from Clark AB deployed to Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, in response to an increasing threat on the Laotian border. On 16 May, the rest of the 510 TFS deployed to Takhli. On 7 June, a TDY F-100 squadron from Cannon AFB, N. Mex., replaced the 510TFS. (17)
1967: For the second time, the 8 TFW's pilots shot down seven MiGs in a single day's action over North Vietnam. (16)
1968: The DoD called up three more ANG and six more AFRES units with 22,000 people to extended active duty to augment regular Air Force units involved in the Vietnam War. (16) (21)
1976: TYPHOON OLGA. Through 1 June, after Typhoon Olga hit the Philippines, ARRS helicopters saved 734 flood victims. (2)
1985: The AFFTC at Edwards AFB completed its evaluation of the KC-135R Stratotanker under minimum interval takeoff conditions. The improved tanker demonstrated an ability to take off at 12-second intervals. (16)
1995: The 931 AREFG at McConnell AFB became the first KC-135 associate unit to fly an operational mission with an all-reserve crew. The aircraft refueled a B-2 Bomber during one of its flight tests. Previously, the reserve crews flew on active duty aircraft. (16) (18)
2004: The final C-141 airdrop of paratroopers took place at Fort Benning, Ga. Army Private Jason Stewart, a native of Chandler, Ariz., became last paratrooper to jump from a C-141, when he jumped from C-141C (No. 65-0229) of the 452 AMW (AFRC) at March ARB, Calif. (22)
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