To All,
Good Sunday Morning May 21 2023.
I hope that you are all are having a great weekend.
Regards,
Skip
Over the next few weeks are the anniversaries of the Battle of the Coral Sea, The Battle of Midway and the landings at Normandy. Next Monday Is Memorial Day where we remember the heroes of those battles and all others. We will honor their individual and collective memories starting with today.
Nest Sunday I will join my brothers on the flight Deck of the USS Midway to stand by the F-8 Crusader again to tell people what a great aircraft it was to fly off that very ship during an over 11 month cruise off the coast of North Vietnam in 1972-73. We lost our share of some great men and were fortunate to get back some who were taken prisoner after being shot down.
I hope that many of you will come and see this great ship with a long history of serving our country. They have done a fantastic job to make her the best floating exhibit in the country. Adding new parts of the ship available and new aircraft all the time.
Regards,
Skip
This is what America should be about...
Medal of Honor Lessons for Graduates
'Be courageous and appreciate courage in others who take action in the face of fear.'
By
Daniel Ford
May 20, 2015 6:36 p.m. ET
Durham, N.H.
On Saturday I attended my first commencement program in 61 years. The speaker drew me there: Ryan Pitts, addressing the University of New Hampshire's class of 2015.
In an era when speakers are routinely disinvited from American colleges for the sin of challenging academic orthodoxy, I wanted to see how my alma mater would welcome a man who joined the U.S. Army out of high school, who twice deployed to war, and who in July 2008 was the last man alive in an observation post named Topside, above the village of Wanat in the Hindu Kush mountains of northeastern Afghanistan.
Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts Photo: Getty Images
Wounded in the forehead, one arm and both legs, Sgt. Pitts defended that outpost with grenades and a machine gun until helicopter gunships could lay down supporting fire to clear the way for his rescue.
On first seeing the extent of his injuries, he told the 2,500 graduates and 20,000 guests on Saturday, "I thought I was out of the fight until I looked around and watched everyone else fighting with everything they had. My brothers were undeterred by the enemy fire raining down on us like the violent summer thunderstorms that come out of nowhere. . . . They would never let me down and I owed them the same. It was at this point that I crawled back to my fighting position and rejoined the fight.
"Standing wasn't physically possible, but I was able to drag myself around and pull myself into a kneeling position when needed. I fought alongside my brothers like this for a while until our position sounded eerily quiet given the fight raging around us. I crawled around and it was at this point that I discovered that I was the only man left alive at the position."
Twice, U.S. reinforcements ran from the village to Topside, but all were killed or wounded in the attempt. Sgt. Pitts kept lobbing grenades into a ravine 10 yards away, where the enemy fighters lay concealed—at some points, he said, he could hear them talking—and when the gunships arrived he radioed them to concentrate their fire onto the nearby ravine.
"You gotta be kidding," a helicopter crewman replied, seeing how short the distance was between the American and his attackers. (The gunship video is on YouTube.) Despite the heroism involved that morning, the Army decided within days that Topside was no longer needed and the outpost was left to the enemy—a taste of what lay ahead for American policy in Afghanistan.
At 29, Mr. Pitts is no older than some of the graduates he addressed Saturday, 44 U.S. military veterans among them. He himself graduated two years ago with highest honors from UNH Manchester. The students, their parents and spectators gave him a standing ovation when his name was first mentioned, again when he was introduced, again when he finished his speech, and yet again when he was draped with the blue and white cape of Doctor of Humane Letters.
In July last year, President Obama draped Mr. Pitts with the Medal of Honor, America's highest award for valor. The medal, as Mr. Pitts took pains to remind us, is "an individual citation for a collective effort."
"Valor was everywhere that day," he said Saturday, before drawing a moral for young people about to embark on their careers: "Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the ability to move forward in the face of it. There is beauty in this definition, because courage can exist in the decisions we make every day. Courage exists in the individual who accepts who they are and openly lives the life they want in the face of rejection. Courage exists in those who challenge their own perceptions in the face of accepting they are not infallible. Be courageous and appreciate courage in others who take action in the face of fear."
He closed by saying: "The last thought I will leave you with is more a matter of character. Never forget those who helped you reach where you are."
Then he named the men who died that morning, eight on Topside and one in the village of Wanat: " Sergio Abad, Jonathan Ayers, Jason Bogar, Jonathan Brostrom, Israel Garcia, Jason Hovater, Matthew Phillips, Pruitt Rainey and Gunnar Zwilling. The advice here is simple: Appreciate the contributions of others and the impacts they make in your life. That's it."
Mr. Ford (UNH class of 1954) is the author of "Poland's Daughter" (Warbird Books, 2014), a story of World War II and its aftermath
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History May 21
1850 - Washington Navy Yard begins work on first castings for the Dahlgren guns
1917 During World War I, USS Ericsson (DD 56) becomes the first U.S. Navy warship to fire a torpedo in the war at a German U-boat.
1918 During World War I, while serving as an officer on USS Christabel (SP-162), Ensign Daniel A.J. Sullivan, exhibits "extraordinary heroism" in securing live depth charges that came loose during combat with a German U-Boat. For his action, he receives the Medal of Honor.
1943 USS Nields (DD 616) sinks Italian submarine Gorgo that is attacking a US convoy off Algeria.
1944 - During preparations for the invasion of Saipan an accidental ordnance blast on LST 353 sets off cataclysmic ammunition explosions at West Loch, Pearl Harbor, killing 163 and injuring 396. Six tank landing ships (LST-39, LST-43, LST-69, LST-179, LST-353, LST-480), three tank landing craft (LCT-961, LCT-963, LCT-983), and 17 track landing vehicles (LVTs) are destroyed in explosions and fires.
1964 - The initiation of the standing carrier presence at Yankee Station in the South China Sea.
1983 USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) is commissioned at Submarine Base New London, Groton, Conn.
2005 The first T-AKE ship, USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1), is launched at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego, Calif. The dry cargo ship replaces the aging T-AE ammunition ships and T-AFS combat stores ships that are nearing the end of their service lives.
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Today in History May 21
996 Sixteen year old Otto III is crowned the Roman Emperor.
1471 King Henry VI is killed in the Tower of London. Edward IV takes the throne.
1506 Christopher Columbus dies.
1536 The Reformation is officially adopted in Geneva, Switzerland.
1620 Present-day Martha's Vineyard is first sighted by Captain Bartholomew Gosnold.
1790 Paris is divided into 48 zones.
1832 The Democratic party holds its first national convention.
1856 Lawrence, Kansas is captured and sacked by pro-slavery forces.
1863 The siege of the Confederate Port Hudson, Louisiana, begins.
1881 The American Red Cross is founded by Clara Barton.
1927 Charles Lindbergh lands in Paris completing the first solo air crossing of the Atlantic.
1940 British forces attack German General Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division at Arras, slowing his blitzkrieg of France.
1941 The first U.S. ship, the S.S. Robin Moor, is sunk by a U-boat.
1951 The U.S. Eighth Army counterattacks to drive the Communist Chinese and North Koreans out of South Korea.
1961 Governor John Patterson declares martial law in Montgomery, Alabama.
1970 The U.S. National Guard mobilizes to quell disturbances at Ohio State University.
1991 In Madras, India, a suicide bomber kills the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
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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 Sunday, 21 May 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 21 May 1968… LBJ gives the nation a pep-talk… one of his best… love our country…
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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This is a great one from the archives and it fits me to a T
Thanks to Chuck…I can relate to this one
Subject: FW: A man's age According to Home Depot...lol
You are in the middle of some home projects: putting in a new fence, painting the porch, planting some flowers and fixing a broken door lock.
You are hot and sweaty, covered with dirt, lawn clippings and paint. You
have your old work clothes on. You know the outfit -- shorts with a hole in!
Right in the middle of these tasks you realize that you need to run to Home Depot for supplies. Depending on your age you might do the following:
In your 20s: Stop what you are doing. Shave, take a shower, blow dry your hair, brush your teeth, floss and put on clean clothes. Check yourself in the mirror and flex. Add a dab of your favorite cologne because, you never know, you just might meet some hot chick while standing in the checkout line. And yes, you went to school with the pretty girl running the register.
In your 30s: Stop what you are doing, put on clean shorts and shirt. Change your shoes. You married the hot chick so no need for much else. Wash your hands and comb your hair. Check yourself in the mirror. Still got it! Add a shot of your favorite cologne to cover the smell. The cute girl running the register is the kid sister of someone you went to school with.
In your 40s: Stop what you are doing. Put on a sweatshirt that is long enough to cover the hole in the crotch of your shorts. Put on different shoes and a hat. Wash your hands. Your bottle of Brut is almost empty, so don't waste any of it on a trip to Home Depot. Check yourself in the mirror and do more sucking in than flexing. The hot young thing running the register is your daughter's age and you feel weird about thinking she's spicy.
In your 50s: Stop what you are doing. Put on a hat. Wipe the dirt off your hands onto your shirt. Change shoes because you don't want to get dog crap in your new sports car. Check yourself in the mirror and swear not to wear that shirt anymore because it makes you look fat. The cutie running the register smiles when she sees you coming and you think you still have it. Then you remember -- the hat you have on is from Bubba's Bait & Beer Bar and it says, 'I Got Worms '
In your 60s: Stop what you are doing. No need for a hat any more. Hose the dog crap off your shoes. The mirror was shattered when you were in your 50s. You hope you have underwear on so nothing hangs out the hole in your pants. The girl running the register may be cute but you don't have your glasses on, so you're not sure.
In your 70s: Stop what you are doing. Wait to go to Home Depot until you call the drug store to have your prescriptions ready for pick too and check your grocery list for a quick stop there. Got to save trips! Don't even notice the dog crap on your shoes. The young thing at the register stares at you and you realize your balls are hanging out the hole in your crotch... who cares.
In your 80s: Stop what you are doing. Start again. Then stop again. Now you remember you need to go to Home Depot. You go to Wal-Mart instead. You went to school with the old lady greeter. You wander around trying to remember what you are looking for. Then you fart out loud and turn around thinking someone called your name.
In your 90s & beyond: What's a home deep hoe? Something for my garden? Where am I? Who am I? Why am I reading this?
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
8 Amazing Facts About Antarctica
There's more to Antarctica than cold weather and penguins, though it does have plenty of both. And while we've learned much about the elusive continent since it was first discovered around 200 years ago, it maintains an air of mystery unlike few places on Earth. Interesting facts abound when it comes to Antarctica — here are eight of them.
1 of 8
Antarctica Is the World's Largest Desert
The word "desert" tends to evoke images of extreme heat, cacti, and vast expanses of sand. The technical definition is less fanciful: an area that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation per year. With that in mind, it's perhaps less surprising that Antarctica is the world's largest desert. At 5.5 million square miles, it edges out both the Arctic (5.4 million square miles) and Sahara (3.5 million) deserts, with the Arabian and Gobi deserts rounding out the top five. Antarctica only receives about 6.5 inches of precipitation in a given year, almost all of it as snow.
2 of 8
Antarctica Is Also the Coldest, Windiest, Driest, and Highest Continent
Antarctica is a land of extremes, and it ranks first among the seven continents on several scales. In addition to being the coldest continent, it's also the windiest, driest, and highest one. The coldest Antarctic temperature (and thus the coldest on Earth) was recorded at Vostok Station in July 1983 at -128.6°F. The highest wind speed recorded on the continent was at the Dumont d'Urville station in July 1972 at 199 mph. The average elevation is 8,200 feet — by comparison, the average elevation in the U.S. is a measly 2,500 feet.
3 of 8
There's No Official Time Zone in Antarctica
What time is it in Antarctica right now? There are a lot of different ways to answer that question, as the world's fifth-largest continent doesn't have an official time zone. Instead, some research stations (there are about 50 permanent stations on the continent) are synched up to the local time in the countries they hail from, while others observe the local time of whichever country is closest (for example, the Palmer Station, an American outpost, keeps Chile Summer Time, or CLST). Daylight Saving Time complicates matters further, with stations such as Troll (from Norway) switching from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to Central European Summer Time (CEST) when the clocks change in Europe.
4 of 8
At Least 11 Babies Have Been Born in Antarctica
On January 7, 1978, something happened that had never happened before: A human was born in Antarctica. His name was Emilio Marcos Palma, and his parents were part of Esperanza Base, an Argentine research station. Ten more babies came into the world there throughout the rest of the decade and into the '80s, all of them either Argentine or Chilean, with some commentators suggesting this was a concerted effort from both countries to strengthen their respective claims to Antarctica. Because all 11 survived, Antarctica technically has the lowest infant mortality rate of any continent: 0%.
5 of 8
Antarctica Has a Lake So Salty It Doesn't Freeze
Antarctica is known for its permafrost, but at least one part of it never freezes: Deep Lake, which is so salty — 10 times more than the ocean, which puts it on a similar level as the Dead Sea — that it stays liquid even at extreme temperatures. It's considered one of the planet's least productive ecosystems, as the cold and hypersalinity prevent almost all life from thriving there (although it is home to a collection of extremophiles — organisms that thrive in the most extreme conditions on Earth). Deep Lake is 180 feet below sea level and only gets saltier at increased depths.
6 of 8
Antarctica Is Bigger Than the United States
Though most map projections don't convey it very well, Antarctica is big — really big. With an area of 5.4 million square miles, it's both the fifth-largest continent (ranking ahead of both Europe and Australia) by size and roughly one-and-a-half times the size of the United States.
7 of 8
No One's Sure Who Discovered Antarctica
Long before a human set foot on Antarctica, explorers were obsessed with learning more about the Antarctic Circle. The circle was first crossed in 1773 by Captain James Cook, but it took another 47 years before Antarctica was actually seen by human eyes. The question of who can actually lay claim to that achievement remains disputed more than 200 years later, with Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen reporting having seen "an ice shore of extreme height" on January 27, 1820 and Edward Bransfield of the Royal Navy describing "high mountains covered with snow" on January 30 of the same year.
What's known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration wouldn't begin until the end of the 19th century, with Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team first reaching the South Pole on December 14, 1911 — a feat matched just five weeks later by Brit Robert Falcon Scott.
8 of 8
Antarctica Is Officially Dedicated to Peaceful Purposes
Though some countries have tried to claim it for their own, Antarctica doesn't belong to any nation, government, or other entity. That was made official when 12 countries — Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States — signed the Antarctic Treaty on December 1, 1959. That this happened during the Cold War is no coincidence — the treaty was, among other things, an arms-control agreement setting aside the entire continent as a scientific preserve where no military activity is allowed.
A total of 54 countries now abide by the agreement, which has three key provisions: "Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only," "freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end … shall continue," and "scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available." All signatories have abided by the treatment, and Antarctica remains a hub of important research today.
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Good reading… and lots of pix for Marines… Bear
http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/
Begin forwarded message:
From: DFC Society <DFCS@dfcsociety.org>
Date: May 15, 2023 at 3:59:56 AM MDT
To: Jeremy <beartaylor@comcast.net>
Subject: DFC SOCIETY NEWS MAGAZINE - 2023 SUMMER EDITION
Reply-To: DFC Society <DFCS@dfcsociety.org>
FRESH OFF THE PRESS!!
2023 SUMMER EDITION
DFC SOCIETY NEWS MAGAZINE
CLICK HERE to read now!
Dear DFC SOCIETY Members -
The Distinguished Flying Cross Society celebrates the UH-1 Huey!
The iconic Bell UH-1 "Huey" symbolized the Vietnam War. Beloved by those who flew and crewed it, the Huey was used by all the Services and the CIA and was the primary troop transport for the Army. The Huey seemed to be everywhere as it performed an endless array of combat missions; command and control, troop transport, resupply, reconnaissance, close air support (gunships), medical evacuation and more. Hueys accumulated over 10 million flight hours during the Vietnam War making it the most combat seasoned aircraft in history. Sadly, we lost 3,304 Hueys with 2,382 crewmembers killed and an untold number wounded.
Hueys flew combat assaults in mass formations delivering troops into battle within minutes, time and again, resulting in the average infantryman seeing 240 days of combat in a one-year tour (versus 44 days in four years for the average infantryman in WWII) and casualty rates as high as one in four. If we flew them into Hell, we were there to get them out as Hueys and their crews conducted nearly 500,000 medical evacuation missions of over 950,000 patients.
Join us in this free 116-page full color online edition of the Summer 2023 DFC Society News Magazine as we explore the incredible feats of the pilots and the crews that flew and maintained these magnificent machines called "Hueys".
A big shout-out to noted renowned combat artist and former Huey Crew Chief Joe Kline for providing his stunning illustration "Dustoff!" for the cover of the magazine.
The link below opens the magazine in FlipBuilder. There is a square symbol lower right to open full screen and a magnifier symbol lower left to zoom in and explore each page. You can use your cursor to "flip" each page like a real magazine. Touch the lower right symbol again to go back to your original screen and exit.
Print copies of the magazine are available to non-members for $10 from the Distinguished Flying Cross Society, P.O. Box 502408, San Diego, CA 92150, Tel. 866-332-6332 or check out our website at www.dfcsociety.org . Additional limited print copies of the magazine are available for $10.00 for non-members and $5.00 for members from the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHARE OUR PUBLICATION WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS! HISTORY IS CONTAGIOUS!
Copyright © 2020, DFC SOCIETY
Our mailing address is:
The Distinguished Flying Cross Society
P. O. BOX 502408
San Diego, CA 92150-408
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This day in American Military History May 21
1542 – On the banks of the Mississippi River in present-day Louisiana, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto dies, ending a three-year journey for gold that took him halfway across what is now the United States. In order that Indians would not learn of his death, and thus disprove de Soto's claims of divinity, his men buried his body in the Mississippi River. In late May 1539, de Soto landed on the west coast of Florida with 600 troops, servants, and staff, 200 horses, and a pack of bloodhounds. From there, the army set about subduing the natives, seizing any valuables they stumbled upon, and preparing the region for eventual Spanish colonization. Traveling through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, across the Appalachians, and back to Alabama, de Soto failed to find the gold and silver he desired, but he did seize a valuable collection of pearls at Cofitachequi, in present-day Georgia. Decisive conquest also eluded the Spaniards, as what would become the United States lacked the large, centralized civilizations of Mexico and Peru. As was the method of Spanish conquest elsewhere in the Americas, de Soto ill-treated and enslaved the natives he encountered. For the most part, the Indian warriors they encountered were intimidated by the Spanish horsemen and kept their distance. In October 1540, however, the tables were turned when a confederation of Indians attacked the Spaniards at the fortified Indian town of Mabila, near present-day Mobile, Alabama. All the Indians were killed, along with 20 of de Soto's men. Several hundred Spaniards were wounded. In addition, the Indian conscripts they had come to depend on to bear their supplies had all fled with baggage. De Soto could have marched south to reconvene with his ships along the Gulf Coast, but instead he ordered his expedition north-westward in search of America's elusive riches. In May 1541, the army reached and crossed the Mississippi River, probably the first Europeans ever to do so. From there, they traveled through Arkansas and Louisiana, still with few material gains to show for their efforts. Turning back to the Mississippi, de Soto died of a fever on its banks on May 21, 1542. The Spaniards, now under the command of Luis de Moscoso, traveled west again, crossing into north Texas before returning to the Mississippi. With nearly half of the original expedition dead, the Spaniards built rafts and traveled down the river to the sea, and then made their way down the Texas coast to New Spain, finally reaching Veracruz, Mexico, in late 1543.
1863 – Under Lieutenant Commander J. G. Walker, U.S.S. Baron De Kalb, Choctaw, Forest Rose, Linden, and Petrel pushed up the Yazoo River from Haynes' Bluff to Yazoo City, Mississippi. As the gunboats approached the city, Commander Isaac N. Brown, CSN, who had commanded the heroic ram C.S.S. Arkansas the preceding summer, was forced to destroy three "powerful steamers, rams and a "fine navy yard, with machine shops of all kinds, sawmills, blacksmith shops, etc. . . to prevent their capture. Porter noted that "what he had begun our forces finished," as the city was evacuated by the Southerners. The Confederate steamers destroyed were Mobile, Republic, and "a monster, 310 feet long and 70 feet beam." Had the latter been completed, "she would have given us much trouble." Porter's prediction to Secretary Welles at the end of the expedition, though overly optimistic in terms of the time that would be required, was nonetheless a clear summary of the effect of the gunboats' sweep up the Yazoo: "It is a mere question of a few hours, and then, with the exception of Port Hudson (which will follow Vicksburg), the Mississippi will be open its entire length."
1881 – In Washington, D.C., humanitarians Clara Barton and Adolphus Solomons found the American National Red Cross, an organization established to provide humanitarian aid to victims of wars and natural disasters in congruence with the International Red Cross. Barton, born in Massachusetts in 1821, worked with the sick and wounded during the American Civil War and became known as the "Angel of the Battlefield" for her tireless dedication. In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln commissioned her to search for lost prisoners of war, and with the extensive records she had compiled during the war she succeeded in identifying thousands of the Union dead at the Andersonville prisoner-of-war camp. She was in Europe in 1870 when the Franco-Prussian War broke out, and she went behind the German lines to work for the International Red Cross. In 1873, she returned to the United States, and four years later she organized an American branch of the International Red Cross. The American Red Cross received its first U.S. federal charter in 1900. Barton headed the organization into her 80s and died in 1912.
1945 – On Okinawa, US 3rd Amphibious Corps reports advances near the Horseshoe, Half Moon and Wana positions, on the western flank. On the east-side, US 7th and 96th Divisions (parts of US 24th Corps) attack near Yonabaru. Japanese forces begin to pull out of the Shuri Line.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
IZAC, EDOUARD VICTOR MICHEL
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Aboard German submarine U-90 as prisoner of war, 21 May 1918. Entered service at: Illinois. Born: 18 December 1891, Cresco, Howard County, lowa. Citation: When the U.S.S. President Lincoln was attacked and sunk by the German submarine U-90, on 21 May 1918, Lt. Izac was captured and held as a prisoner on board the U-90 until the return of the submarine to Germany, when he was confined in the prison camp. During his stay on the U-90 he obtained information of the movements of German submarines which was so important that he determined to escape, with a view to making this information available to the U.S. and Allied Naval authorities. In attempting to carry out this plan, he jumped through the window of a rapidly moving train at the imminent risk of death, not only from the nature of the act itself but from the fire of the armed German soldiers who were guarding him. Having been recaptured and reconfined, Lt. Izac made a second and successful attempt to escape, breaking his way through barbed-wire fences and deliberately drawing the fire of the armed guards in the hope of permitting others to escape during the confusion. He made his way through the mountains of southwestern Germany, having only raw vegetables for food, and at the end, swam the River Rhine during the night in the immediate vicinity of German sentries.
SULLIVAN, DANIEL AUGUSTUS JOSEPH
Rank and organization: Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserve Force. Born: 31 July 1884, Charleston, S.C. Appointed from: South Carolina. Citation: For extraordinary heroism as an officer of the U.S.S. Cristabel in conflict with an enemy submarine on 21 May 1918. As a result of the explosion of a depth bomb dropped near the submarine, the Christabel was so badly shaken that a number of depth charges which had been set for firing were thrown about the deck and there was imminent danger that they would explode. Ens. Sullivan immediately fell on the depth charges and succeeded in securing them, thus saving the ship from disaster, which would inevitably have caused great loss of life.
LINDBERGH, CHARLES A.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve. Place and date: From New York City to Paris, France, 20-21 May 1927. Entered service at: Little Falls, Minn. Born: 4 February 1902, Detroit, Mich. G.O. No.: 5, W.D., 1928; act of Congress 14 December 1927. Citation: For displaying heroic courage and skill as a navigator, at the risk of his life, by his nonstop flight in his airplane, the Spirit of St. Louis, from New York City to Paris, France, 20-21 May 1927, by which Capt. Lindbergh not only achieved the greatest individual triumph of any American citizen but demonstrated that travel across the ocean by aircraft was possible.
DOLBY, DAVID CHARLES
Rank and organization. Sergeant (then Sp4c.), U.S. Army, Company B, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Place and date. Republic of Vietnam, 21 May 1966. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Born: 14 May 1946, Norristown, Pa. G.O. No.: 45, 20 October 1967. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, when his platoon, while advancing tactically, suddenly came under intense fire from the enemy located on a ridge immediately to the front. Six members of the platoon were killed instantly and a number were wounded, including the platoon leader. Sgt. Dolby's every move brought fire from the enemy. However, aware that the platoon leader was critically wounded, and that the platoon was in a precarious situation, Sgt. Dolby moved the wounded men to safety and deployed the remainder of the platoon to engage the enemy. Subsequently, his dying platoon leader ordered Sgt. Dolby to withdraw the forward elements to rejoin the platoon. Despite the continuing intense enemy fire and with utter disregard for his own safety, Sgt. Dolby positioned able-bodied men to cover the withdrawal of the forward elements, assisted the wounded to the new position, and he, alone, attacked enemy positions until his ammunition was expended. Replenishing his ammunition, he returned to the area of most intense action, single-handedly killed 3 enemy machine gunners and neutralized the enemy fire, thus enabling friendly elements on the flank to advance on the enemy redoubt. He defied the enemy fire to personally carry a seriously wounded soldier to safety where he could be treated and, returning to the forward area, he crawled through withering fire to within 50 meters of the enemy bunkers and threw smoke grenades to mark them for air strikes. Although repeatedly under fire at close range from enemy snipers and automatic weapons, Sgt. Dolby directed artillery fire on the enemy and succeeded in silencing several enemy weapons. He remained in his exposed location until his comrades had displaced to more secure positions. His actions of unsurpassed valor during 4 hours of intense combat were a source of inspiration to his entire company, contributed significantly to the success of the overall assault on the enemy position, and were directly responsible for saving the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers. Sgt. Dolby's heroism was in the highest tradition of the U.S. Army.
RODRIGUEZ, JOSEPH C.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Pfc.), U.S. Army, Company F, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Munye-ri, Korea, 21 May 1951. Entered service at: California. Born: 14 November 1928, San Bernardino, Calif. G.O. No.: 22, 5 February 1952. Citation: Sgt. Rodriguez, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations. Sgt. Rodriguez, an assistant squad leader of the 2d Platoon, was participating in an attack against a fanatical hostile force occupying well-fortified positions on rugged commanding terrain, when his squad's advance was halted within approximately 60 yards by a withering barrage of automatic weapons and small-arms fire from 5 emplacements directly to the front and right and left flanks, together with grenades which the enemy rolled down the hill toward the advancing troops. Fully aware of the odds against him, Sgt. Rodriguez leaped to his feet, dashed 60 yards up the fire-swept slope, and, after lobbing grenades into the first foxhole with deadly accuracy, ran around the left flank, silenced an automatic weapon with 2 grenades and continued his whirlwind assault to the top of the peak, wiping out 2 more foxholes and then, reaching the right flank, he tossed grenades into the remaining emplacement, destroying the gun and annihilating its crew. Sgt. Rodriguez' intrepid actions exacted a toll of 15 enemy dead and, as a result of his incredible display of valor, the defense of the opposition was broken, and the enemy routed, and the strategic strongpoint secured. His unflinching courage under fire and inspirational devotion to duty reflect highest credit on himself and uphold the honored traditions of the military service.
DOSS, DESMOND T.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Urasoe Mura, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 29 April-21 May 1945. Entered service at: Lynchburg, Va. Birth: Lynchburg, Va. G.O. No.: 97, 1 November 1945. Citation: He was a company aid man when the 1st Battalion assaulted a jagged escarpment 400 feet high As our troops gained the summit, a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying them 1 by 1 to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands. On 2 May, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a wounded man 200 yards forward of the lines on the same escarpment; and 2 days later he treated 4 men who had been cut down while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through a shower of grenades to within 8 yards of enemy forces in a cave's mouth, where he dressed his comrades' wounds before making 4 separate trips under fire to evacuate them to safety. On 5 May, he unhesitatingly braved enemy shelling and small arms fire to assist an artillery officer. He applied bandages, moved his patient to a spot that offered protection from small arms fire and, while artillery and mortar shells fell close by, painstakingly administered plasma. Later that day, when an American was severely wounded by fire from a cave, Pfc. Doss crawled to him where he had fallen 25 feet from the enemy position, rendered aid, and carried him 100 yards to safety while continually exposed to enemy fire. On 21 May, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking the chance that he would be mistaken for an infiltrating Japanese and giving aid to the injured until he was himself seriously wounded in the legs by the explosion of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited 5 hours before litter bearers reached him and started carrying him to cover. The trio was caught in an enemy tank attack and Pfc. Doss, seeing a more critically wounded man nearby, crawled off the litter; and directed the bearers to give their first attention to the other man. Awaiting the litter bearers' return, he was again struck, this time suffering a compound fracture of 1 arm. With magnificent fortitude he bound a rifle stock to his shattered arm as a splint and then crawled 300 yards over rough terrain to the aid station. Through his outstanding bravery and unflinching determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions Pfc. Doss saved the lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty.
*EREVIA, SANTIAGO J.
Rank and Organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Place and Date: May 21, 1969, Tam Ky, Vietnam. Born: 1946, Nordheim, TX. Departed: No. Entered Service At: San Antonio, TX. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: . Citation: Then-Spc. 4 Erevia distinguished himself May 21, 1969, while serving as a radio-telephone operator during a search-and-clear mission near Tam Ky City, in the Republic of Vietnam.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for May 21, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
21 May
1929: Assistant Secretary of War for Aviation F. Trubee Davison directed the Army Air Corps to hold a public demonstration of the usefulness of air refueling in military operations. The demonstration was to be part of the maneuvers of 1929. What was planned as a round-trip, nonstop bomber mission from Dayton to New York on 21-22 May failed to reach fruition when weather grounded the tanker. The Keystone bomber, however, continued on to New York and Washington, D.C. On the return leg, the bomber and tanker successfully connected over New York City.
1931: Through 30 May, Brig Gen Benjamin D. Foulois, Assistant to the Chief of the Air Corps, led a provisional division in the largest maneuvers to date. The exercise involved 667 airplanes and 1,400 men in flights over northeastern and midwestern states. The provisional division included a pursuit wing, a bomb wing, an attack group, two observation wings, and a transport group. (21)
1937: Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan left San Francisco on a West to East around-the-world flight. Their trip ended on 2 July when they disappeared near Howland Island in the Pacific. (9)
1944: Operation CHATTANOOGA CHOO-CHOO. An effort began to attack trains in Germany and France by air. (4)
1949: Capt Hubert D. Gaddis, flying a Sikorsky S-52-1 helicopter, set an international and US altitude record of 21,220 feet at Bridgeport. (24)
1953: KOREAN WAR. Using SHORAN to aim the bombs, B-29s hit the Kuwonga dam directly seven times. The dam did not burst, because the N. Koreans had lowered the water level 12 feet to reduce the pressure on the dam. (28)
1955: In his F-86 Sabre, Lt John M. Conroy (ANG) made the first dawn-to-dusk round trip transcontinental flight from Los Angeles to New York and back in 11 hours 18 minutes 27 seconds by averaging a FAI record 432.6 MPH. Returning, he also set a New York to Los Angeles record of 4 hours 24 minutes for the 2,446-mile flight. (9) (24)
1956: Operation REDWING. On Bikini Atoll in the Pacific, Maj David Crichlow flew a B-52 bomber to nearly 50,000 feet and dropped an H-bomb. This was the first known airborne-dropped H-bomb to explode. (16) (24)
1957: Maj Robinson Risner flew Lindbergh's transatlantic route with a F-100 in 6 hours 40 minutes (as compared to 33 1/2 hours). 1958: The USAF said that the first site for the Titan I ICBM would be at Lowry Range near Denver, Colo.
1959: The Air Force recovered a Thor-Able nose cone after a 6,000-mile flight over the Atlantic from Cape Canaveral. (24) Test pilot Maj Robert C. Ferry flew Bell Aircraft's XV-3 Convertiplane on its first flight for the USAF. (3)
1960: At Eglin AFB, the Air Force retired the last World War II B-25 Mitchell medium bomber from its active inventory. It was a VB-25J model that flew staff support missions. (20) 1966: The 1370th Photo Mapping Wing retired the USAF's last RB-50.
1969: The C-5A Galaxy became the heaviest aircraft flown to date in a flight from Dobbins AFB, Ga., with a 728,100-pound takeoff weight. This exceeded the C-5's designed gross weight takeoff load by 100 pounds. Previous record was 703,826 pounds.
1973: Maj Herbert K. Fisher was the first USAF officer to enter a Pilot Requalification Program for former prisoners of war.
1984: The 390 SMW at Davis-Monthan AFB took its last Titan II site (570-5) off alert. (1)
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