To All
Good Monday Morning June 19 2023.
I hope that you all had a great Father's Day weekend.
Do not miss the Father's Day story from Shadow beloe.
Regards,
skip
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June 19
1864 During the Civil War, USS Kearsarge, commanded by Capt. J.A. Winslow, sinks CSS Alabama, commanded by Capt. R. Semmes, off Cherbourg, France, ending the career of the Souths most famous commerce raider, which included burning 55 vessels valued at $4.5 million.
1942 USS Ballard (AVD 10) is directed by a PBY (VP 11) to rescue 35 survivors (one dies shortly after rescue) from Japanese carrier, Hiryu, which is scuttled by destroyers Kazegumo and Yugumo on June 5 during the Battle of Midway. The men are members of the engineering department and were presumed dead by the Japanese.
1943 USS Gunnel (SS 253) damages Japanese gunboat Hong Kong Maru (ex-Philippine Argus) and sinks freighter Tokiwa Maru off Shirase, Japan, and costal minesweeper Tsubame. Also on this date, USS Sculpin (SS 191) sinks Japanese guardboat No.1 Miyasho Maru and army cargo ship Sagami Maru off Inubo Saki, Japan.
1944 Mulberry A off the coast of Normandy, Omaha Beach, is destroyed in severe storm that lasts until the following day. Deemed irreparable, the use of the mulberry ceases. The British and Canadian Mulberry B, off Gold Beach, survives the storm.
1944 The largest aircraft carrier action in World War II, the Battle of the Philippine Sea begins as Task Force 58 shoots down hundreds of enemy aircraft in what becomes known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot.
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Today in World History June 19
240 BC Eratosthenes estimates the circumference of Earth using two sticks.
1778 General George Washington's troops finally leave Valley Forge after a winter of training.
1821 The Ottomans defeat the Greeks at the Battle of Dragasani.
1846 The New York Knickerbocker Club plays the New York Club in the first baseball game at Elysian Field, Hoboken, New Jersey.
1861 Virginians, in what will soon be West Virginia, elect Francis Pierpont as their provisional governor.
1862 President Abraham Lincoln outlines his Emancipation Proclamation. News of the document reaches the South.
1864 The USS Kearsarge sinks the CSS Alabama off of Cherbourg, France.
1867 Mexican Emperor Maximilian is executed.
1885 The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York City from France.
1903 The young school teacher, Benito Mussolini, is placed under investigation by police in Bern, Switzerland.
1919 Mustafa Kemal founds the Turkish National Congress at Ankara and denounces the Treaty of Versailles.
1933 France grants Leon Trotsky political asylum.
1934 The National Archives and Records Administration is established.
1937 The town of Bilbao, Spain, falls to the Nationalist forces.
1942 Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrives in Washington D.C. to discuss the invasion of North Africa with President Franklin Roosevelt.
1944 U.S. Navy carrier-based planes shatter the remaining Japanese carrier forces in the Battle of the Marianas.
1951 President Harry S. Truman signs the Universal Military Training and Service Act, which extends Selective Service until July 1, 1955 and lowers the draft age to 18.
1958 Nine entertainers refuse to answer a congressional committee's questions on communism.
1961 Kuwait regains complete independence from Britain.
1963 Soviet cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, becomes the first woman in space.
1965 Air Marshall Nguyen Cao Ky becomes South Vietnam's youngest premier at age 34.
1968 Over 50,000 people march on Washington, D.C. to support the Poor People's Campaign.
1973 The Case-Church Amendment prevents further U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia.
1987 The U.S. Supreme Court voids the Louisiana law requiring schools to teach creationism.
1995 The Richmond Virginia Planning Commission approves plans to place a memorial statue of tennis professional Arthur Ashe.
1953
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed for espionage
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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 Monday, 19 June 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 19 June 1968… A tale of extraordinary heroism and a Medal of Honor for LT Chuck Lassen, USN…
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 Shadow
Probably one of the best Father's Day stories I have ever read….skip
My Mother had six sisters and Five brothers. All the men went into the service in WWiII. They were in every service. And all over the world. All of them made it back. I remember seeing a picture of them in a newspaper that one of my Aunts had that had pictures of all of them on one page.. Only saw it once and never remembered who had it. Skip
FATHER'S DAY… THE REST OF THE STORY
I want to thank you for considering my most memorable Father's Day experience… I knew I
had to keep it short, but now that the contest is over… thought I'd fill you in on a bit more of
the story.
My Father was a patriot… a member of "The Greatest Generation" our country has produced.
As the winds of war increased, he joined the United States Navy to serve and was in boot
camp when Pearl Harbor was attacked. In fact he was not the only one in the family that
answered the call and before the war was over… all of my uncles and grandmother joined the
military. She became an Army nurse, my uncles all joined the Navy save one who went Army
volunteered and served. Uncle Fred (Army) and my dad chose to stay in the military and make
it a career while the others returned to civilian life. Even then, my Uncle Lawrence served in the
civil service and became an expert on life saving ejection systems for Naval Aircraft and
headed up the overhaul and repair facility to overhaul and updates of those systems on the
east coast, right here in Jacksonville. My dad's service on active duty spanned three wars…
WW II, Korea and Vietnam. Even in peace time he served in one of the most dangerous
occupations and was a charter member of the Navy's famous "Hurricane Hunters". These
aviators flew into hurricanes at a thousand feet or less, penetrated all the way into the eye of
the storm to determine the strength of the storms; heading, wind velocity, barometric pressures
and turbulence… all in service to our country to provide advance warning for our military and
civilian population. My early life was spent living on Naval Air Stations… surrounded by men
such as these and all other members of the Naval Aviation community. Fighter Pilot's, Patrol
Pilot's, Attack Pilots and the men who maintained their aircraft. Simply put… I grew up around
heroes! In my eyes, I even lived with one.
In the great war, my dad was a mechanic and tail gunner in SBD's and TBM's. After the war he
was an instructor in the Navy's School system before being assigned to Opa Locka Naval Air
Station in Miami where the Hurricane Hunters were formed up. He spent many years with them
and the squadron was moved to NAS Jacksonville and he then spent a two year stint in
Pensacola before rerunning to the Hurricane Hunters and we moved to Puerto Rico for two
years and then to Meridian , Mississippi, where the Navy had just built a new base for training
jet pilots. From there he was transferred to NAS Lemoore, California to join a Navy, light attack
squadron… VA-55.
In the mean time I had left home and joined the United States Marine Corps… hoping to be
selected for flight training… eventually I did, in a round about way. In the early 1960's, the
"Winds of War" started blowing once again as we slowly but surely started to become involved
in conflict in Indo-China; specifically in South Vietnam. I was in Marine Boot Camp at Parris
Island when the "Tonkin Gulf" incident occurred and became the catalyst for our direct
intervention in the conflict between the South Vietnamese, the Viet Cong… the indigenous
surrogates for the North Vietnamese, hoping to overthrow the South Vietnamese government
and re-unify the two countries. 1965 found the Marines started sending troops, helicopters and
fixed wing aircraft in support of the South. By this time I had gone to Radio School and
became a school trained radio operator… capable of operating all the radios the Marine Corps
had and additionally I could serve in both the Air Wing or the infantry.
Early 1966 I stepped off an airplane into the heat and humidity of South Vietnam and was
immediately assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, then stationed in Chu Lai, Vietnam. I
became a radio man for both FAC and Forward Observer Teams that went out with the Grunts
on operations and patrols. A whole new world for me. Concurrently, my Father's squadron was
embarking and employed on the USS Ranger off the coast of North Vietnam to engage the
enemy in their homeland.
It was also about the time that things really started to heat up down south as we found
ourselves more often than not, engaging in combat with North Vietnamese Regulars and less
with the indigenous Viet Cong. As summer approached, my Battalion moved north of Hue,
Vietnam… and we spent almost 90 days in the field during Operation Golden Fleece. We
pursued the illusive enemy constantly… and most engagements were a variety of short
duration, intense fire fights and the common enemy mortar barrages at nights. But the major,
front on engagements evaded us; but we knew it was coming… tough times were ahead.
In the meantime, My Dad's squadron was flying daily missions and air strikes against the North
Vietnamese industrial complex, road and rail interdiction… as well as coastal patrol. This was
against the greatest anti-aircraft defense system that had ever existed up to that time
(including WW II) that the world had ever known… courtesy of the Soviet Union and
Communist China. Not only did they have to contend with every type and caliber of guns, they
also had to contend with a new danger of modern warfare in the form of the new surface to air
missiles… SAMs! Our pilots, both Navy and Air Force had to run the gauntlet of these defenses
before even reaching their assigned targets… only to face a more concentrated level of fire in
the target area themselves. Frankly, the American population was almost ignorant of the terrible
price being paid by our combatants in the air war… as well as those of us on the ground. But
there was one segment of our population that was fully aware… and that was the families of
those serving; both in the air and on the ground. As the telegrams and visits by Chaplain's and
the Casualty Team visits mounted… it became a burden shared. At one point, my mother who
was a devout Christian… wrote to me that her heart broke; every time she saw the Chaplain's
car drive into base housing at NAS Lemoore. For she knew he was not there to save souls…
but was there to console them… and to tell some wife or family that their husbands, fathers or
friends… had become victims of the war. It was hard times.
In country as we came out of the field, we fell back to a place called Phu Bai, just south of Hue.
It was kind of a break before we were to move further north up by the DMZ. Even though we
were in a base camp environment, we would still send out patrols and had some contact with
the enemy. The patrols usually consisted of less than 15 men… and as a precaution we
established a quick reaction team in case a patrol ran into heavy contact and were considered
to be in peril. We called it a "Sparrow Hawk Team". Each company in the Battalion had such a
team on standby in case it were needed. As a radio operator who could call in mortars, artillery
or control an air strike… I was on our "Sparrow Hawk" team.
Two days before Father's Day… we got called out. We were inserted by helicopter to aid a unit
that had been overrun; but the enemy had retreated and we were to search for them in hot
pursuit. The area was not the best to operate in… mostly rice paddies and irrigation ditches
and canals, surrounded by tree lines. It was hot, incredibly humid and it was rough going. From
deep mud to having to wade through ditches and canals. Your boots and lower extremities
were caked in mud, while we had the gray "High Water Marks" across our chests from fording
the canals… while we held our weapons and radio above our head. It was miserable! We
chased them the whole day… finally the decision to extract us was made and the helicopters
arrived just before dark. We landed in twilight back at Phu Bai. By the time we got back to our
company area it was dark. One of the oddities of the Sparrow Hawk mission was that when we
were sent out; all our personal gear was put in storage temporarily… as no one knew how long
we would be out… could be a few hours, could be a few days. So when we arrived back… we
only had what we had on. We couldn't change until the following day. Not that big a deal as we
were used to it in the field, when we went days or weeks wearing the same clothes, mostly only
changing socks since they were light and could fit in our packs.
When I got the notice to see Capt. McMahon that night, I had no idea what it was about? And
frankly… Father's Day was the last thing on my mind… survival was the one thing that we all
had in common. Now I'm sure some of my fellow married Marines might have given it some
thought, having family's and kids back home… but those of us not married were more
concerned with the reality of our existence, more than being distracted by emotional
attachments far away. So it was a complete shock when Dan told me I was going to fly out to
the USS Ranger to be with my dad on Father's Day. Now Dan and I are still great friends to this
day (he's a true American hero)… and the first thing I asked was if he had anything to do with it
and he said, "No… as big a shock to me as you… in fact, this thing came down at the last
minute and no one knows on this end how it happened"? I was to catch a helicopter to Da
Nang, and would be met by someone from the Air Wing… they would take me over to the
transient line to board a Navy airplane to fly out to the ship. Funny what creeps into your mind
at odd times. I look down at my mud caked boots, filthy uniform… and then remembered all
my other stuff was in storage. It was like Dan had read my mind… he smiled and said… I know
what you're thinking… don't worry about it… "You look hard". That was kinda a Marine thing…
an expression we always used to described some tough guy. Now I have never envisioned
myself as a tough guy, didn't fit my self image… I had about three days growth of beard… filthy
from head to foot… and if that was the accruements of a hard guy. At least, maybe I fit the
image in the eyes of others. As I turned to leave I stopped and asked… where are my orders…
nothing like this ever happened without paper work in the Corps. Dan just smiled and said…
"To my knowledge there is none… maybe you'll get some at Da Nang… but nothing here on
our end. My advice is to just go with it… and be grateful for getting out of this hellhole for a few
days". I said "Yessir!
When I got to my tent… laying on my cot was a "Care Package" from my mom with a cake and
Kool Aide and other little things to make life better over there… salt and pepper, Tabasco,
socks and a can of WD-40. Couldn't help but think of the ambiguity of it all.
Made the helicopter at 0500… flew to Da Nang and was met by a Major Cervin (still remember
that guy's name after all these decades). First thing out of his mouth was, "You Stafford"? I said
Yessir… he then said, "Son you look like s—t"! I explained the situation and he finally said,
"What the hell… you look hard… probably scare the hell out of those squids on the ship". He
then laughed and had me jump in his jeep and took me over to the transient line where I
boarded a Navy COD (a twin engine prop plane that could land and take off from the carrier
used for mail and supply runs) for the flight out to the Ranger. It was an exciting and a new
experience for me.
Meantime, on the carrier, my dad was still oblivious… he had no idea I was coming. The
Skipper and my dad's boss were reluctant to say anything to him, in case their scheme didn't
work out. It wasn't until he was called to the flight deck and actually saw me and that I was
there on the ship! He was as shocked as I was the night before! How in the world? Later we
found out that my dad's direct boss had mentioned to the Skipper that he'd found out that
Chief Stafford had a son in the Marines stationed in Vietnam. It was one of them who came up
with the idea of a Father's Day surprise.
I'll conclude with this… the only one of them I got to thank was the Skipper after he was
released from POW Camp. My dad's direct boss was also shot down before the Skipper and
had not survived. In 1975, I flew an F-4 up to Lemoore (I was now a Naval Aviator myself) to
thank the man that made it happen. It will always be… the greatest Father's Day experience I
ever had. Unexpected, unbelievable… unforgettable!
I've thought about it every Father's Day of course and then some… especially when I think of
my dad. He's gone now. I will always miss him. And I've also often thought… that in the middle
of a time during humanity's, inhumanity to man… what an incredible example of goodness…
kindness, consideration and act of humanity… that was given by one set of warriors to
another… "Where do we get such men"?
Roy Stafford
(Shadow)
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Thanks to Al
Subject: Monday Morning Humor--Fathers' Day Wrap Up
Happy Belated Father's Day to all the dads, the not yet dads, the stepdads, the moms who are dad, the adoptive dads, the grandads, and the dads who are no longer with us."
A Dad is a son's first hero and a daughter's first love.
When my kids were younger I always got worried about Father's Day. I was always afraid I'll be given a gift I can't afford.
A book never written: "Fatherly Advice" by Buck L. Upson.
It's not a dad bod; it's a father figure.
Fathers' Day puns:
- Why don't they have Father's Day sales?… Because Fathers are priceless.
- What do you call a person who is not a dad who makes dad jokes?… A Faux Pa.
- What did the cheerleader bring her dad for breakfast on Father's Day?… Cheerios.
- What's the best thing a new dad can get for Father's Day?… A long nap.
- Why did the bean children give their dad a sweater for Father's Day?… He was chili.
- What do nice pirates do on Father's Day?… Take out the garrrrrrrrrrrbage without being asked.
- Why do sons love Father's Day so much?… Because it's always on son day (Sunday).
- What makes more noise than a child jumping on daddy's bed on Father's Day morning?… Two children jumping on daddy's bed!
- What did the waiter say to the daddy dog when he served Father's Day dinner?… Bone-appetit!
- What did the daddy buffalo say to its son before it left for school?...Bison.
Dad: You'll never amount to anything because you procrastinate.
Son: Oh yeah? Just you wait!
What does your father do for a living?
He's a magician. He performs tricks, like sawing people in half.
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Yep, four half-sisters and a half-brother.
Dear Dad,
$chool i$ great. I'm making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying hard. I $imply can't think of anything I need, $o ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.
Love, Your $on
Dear Son,
I kNOw astroNOmy, ecoNOmics and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.
Love, Dad
Quotes:
- "A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society." –Billy Graham
- "When you teach your son, you teach your son's son."—The Talmud
- "Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice." –Charles Kettering
- A father's love still travels on after he's gone. A treasure hidden in the hearts of his children."—John Mark Green
- "It's the most profound gift and the most daunting challenge." –Matt Bomer
- "Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song."—Pam Brown
- "He adopted a role called being a father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector."—Tom Wolfe
- "She did not stand alone, but what stood behind her, the most potent moral force in her life, was the love of her father."—Harper Lee
- "The greatest tribute a boy can give to his father is to say, 'When I grow up, I want to be just like my dad.'"—Billy Graham
- "When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."—Mark Twain
- "By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong."—Charles Wadsworth
- "It's only when you grow up and step back from him—or leave him for your own home—it's only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it."—Margaret Trumen
- "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me."—Jim Valvano
- "Raising kids may be a thankless job but at least the pay sucks." –Jim Gaffigan
- "You can tell what was the best year of your father's life, because they seem to freeze that clothing style and ride it out."—Jerry Seinfeld
- "Today we celebrate the fathers whose embrace is more than home. It's the safest place we've ever known."—Komal Minhas
- "Father's Day is important because, besides being the day on which we honor Dad, it's the one day of the year that Brookstone does any business."—Jimmy Fallon
- "The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get."—Tim Russert
- "The nature of impending fatherhood is that you are doing something that you're unqualified to do, and then you become qualified while doing it."—John Green
- "What I've learned as a father is that the most important thing in the world is listening. It's not about trying to be right."—Kevin Hart
- "Lately all my friends are worried they're turning into their fathers. I'm worried I'm not."—Dan Zevin
- "It almost seemed impossible to love the first [child] any more than you loved them. And then suddenly the second one comes, and you think there's so much room for love. There's so much room."—Kevin Costner
- "Daddies don't just love their children every now and then, it's a love without end."—George Strait
- "When you're young, you think your dad is Superman. Then you grow up, and you realize he's just a regular guy who wears a cape."—Dave Attell
- "When my father didn't have my hand, he had my back."—Linda Poindexter
- "Fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man."—Frank Pittman
- "Having children is like living in a frat house. Nobody sleeps, everything's broken, and there's a lot of throwing up."—Ray Romano
- "A father carries pictures where his money used to be."—Steven Martin
Have a great week,
Al
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From the Little Big Horn to the '03 Springfield by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
This Week in American Military History:
June 20, 1941: The U.S. Army Air Corps is reorganized as the U.S. Army Air Forces (the predecessor to the U.S. Air Force).
June 22, 1944: Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 – commonly known as the "G.I. Bill of Rights" – into law.
The law will literally change the socio-economic landscape of the country:
putting teeth in the U.S. Veterans Administration, and providing education and work-training opportunities, home loans, farm and business startup capital, and other benefits for millions of soon-to-be-returning World War II veterans who otherwise would never receive such.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, "Before the war, college and homeownership were, for the most part, unreachable dreams for the average American."
The G.I. Bill changed that.
"Millions who would have flooded the job market instead opted for education. In the peak year of 1947, veterans accounted for 49 percent of college admissions. By the time the original G.I. Bill ended on July 25, 1956, 7.8 million of 16 million World War II veterans had participated in an education or training program."
June 23, 1903: The U.S. Army adopts the now-famous Springfield rifle
(M1903) as the standard infantry weapon.
The bolt-action M1903 Springfield will be the primary American rifle carried by soldiers and Marines during America's year (1918) in World War I. And in 1942, U.S. Marines fighting Japanese diehards on Guadalcanal are still armed with the '03 Springfield as their primary weapon (though the semi-automatic M1 Garand had begun to replace the Springfield a few years earlier).
Coincidentally among the American combat units on "the Canal" is the fighting 5th Marine Regiment, which – 25 years earlier during the bloody battle of Belleau Wood – won for the entire Corps a reputation as some of the world's best marksmen. And they did so of course with the '03 Springfield.
U.S. Army Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, commanding general of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, will say, "The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle [meaning his '03 Springfield]."
In his book, Guadalcanal Marine, author Kerry L. Lane will write: "The enemy on Guadalcanal would soon learn that a Marine marksman armed with a Springfield '03 rifle is a dangerous man at a great distance."
June 25, 1876: The battle of the Little Big Horn opens between a few hundred U.S. Army cavalry troopers under the command of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and thousands of allied Lakota and Cheyenne Indian warriors under the command of Crazy Horse and Chief Gall.
Also known as "Custer's last stand," the battle will result in the encirclement and total annihilation of Custer and his vastly outnumbered command.
Though a dark day for the American Army, the battle of the Little Big Horn represents multiple inescapable elements of American military tradition:
The dashing, adventurous cavalry trooper riding off into the unknown, mistakes made, mistakes corrected, courage, sacrifice, our American Indian heritage, and the growing pains of America's westward expansion.
June 26, 1948: The Berlin Airlift – a series of some 300,000 air-transport flights into West Berlin delivering an average of 5,000 tons of life necessities every day for nearly a year – begins.
Led by the U.S. Air Force, the airlift – codenamed "Operation Vittles" and unofficially known as "LeMay's Feed and Coal Company" – is launched in response to a Soviet blockade of West Berlin; cutting off all highway and rail routes into the Western zones.
(Gen. Curtis LeMay – affectionately known as "Old Iron Ass" – was the Air Force's brash, cigar-chewing master of strategic bombing.) U.S. Army Gen. Lucius Clay, the military governor of the American zone of occupied Germany, writes: "When the order of the Soviet Military Administration to close all rail traffic from the western zones went into effect …, the three western sectors of Berlin, with a civilian population of about 2,500,000 people, became dependent on reserve stocks and airlift replacements. It was one of the most ruthless efforts in modern times to use mass starvation for political coercion... ."
The blockade and subsequent airlift was the first serious confrontational crisis between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union following World War II. But the airlift, which gained wide public support around the world, was an enormous success. In May 1949, the Soviets conceded and reopened the land routes, though strict – in fact, harsh – control continued for the remainder of the Cold War.
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If you want a great book on the Marianas Turkey Shoot read Barrett Tillman's "Clash of the Carriers". Skip
Thanks to Barrett
Turkey Day
And not gobble-gobble!
19 June '44 was The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, largest carrier battle there will ever be: 15 US and 9 IJN. (Leyte Gulf doesn't count because the strikes were all one-way.)
TF-58 repelled four attacks that morning, a wake-up for the Japanese Navy because previously it did not fully appreciate the sophistication of USN fleet defense: 60-80 mile skin paints on inbound hostiles, or more. With 15 VF squadrons to rotate on ForceCAP, the Hellcats began working over the visitors, who operated beyond range of US strikers. Attrition among Japanese formations was horrific, totaling over 200 among 328 claimed. (Additional IJN planes were splashed on search missions).
Six Hellcat pilots became aces in a day. LtJG Alex Vraciu of VF-16/CV-16 splashed 6 to become the leading Navy ace--added one more next day in "the mission beyond darkness."
A Hornet pilot, Ens. Wilbur Webb, was orbiting a downed flier off Guam when he saw what he saw. He opened up: "This Spider Webb. I have about 40 of 'em cornered over Orote Point and I could use a little help." Joined the traffic pattern and hosed six. His F6F was junked when he trapped aboard CV-12.
(Alex died January, Spider in 2002.)
During the day no US CV aviators saw enemy flight decks but submarines sank Shokaku (a Pearl Harbor attacker) and the flagship Taiho.
The Turkey Shoot name was applied by a VF-16 pilot, Ens. Ziggy Neff, who splashed 4 in his only combat of the war. During debrief he said, "It was just like an old-time turkey shoot back home in Missouri." (I suspect he said Missourah...)
USS Belleau Wood torpedo planes sank a third IJN CV the next evening, IJNS Hiyo.
The next time Japanese carriers deployed, the 4 available at Leyte in October were mainly used as bait. Many/most of their aviators had not CQ'd.
Barrett sends
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Jun 19, 1944:
United States scores major victory against Japanese in Battle of the Philippine Sea
June 19
On this day in 1944, in what would become known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot," U.S. carrier-based fighters decimate the Japanese Fleet with only a minimum of losses in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
The security of the Marianas Islands, in the western Pacific, were vital to Japan, which had air bases on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. U.S. troops were already battling the Japanese on Saipan, having landed there on the 15th. Any further intrusion would leave the Philippine Islands, and Japan itself, vulnerable to U.S. attack. The U.S. Fifth Fleet, commanded by Admiral Raymond Spruance, was on its way west from the Marshall Islands as backup for the invasion of Saipan and the rest of the Marianas. But Japanese Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo decided to challenge the American fleet, ordering 430 of his planes, launched from aircraft carriers, to attack. In what became the greatest carrier battle of the war, the United States, having already picked up the Japanese craft on radar, proceeded to shoot down more than 300 aircraft and sink two Japanese aircraft carriers, losing only 29 of their own planes in the process. It was described in the aftermath as a "turkey shoot."
Admiral Ozawa, believing his missing planes had landed at their Guam air base, maintained his position in the Philippine Sea, allowing for a second attack of U.S. carrier-based fighter planes, this time commanded by Admiral Mitscher, to shoot down an additional 65 Japanese planes and sink another carrier. In total, the Japanese lost 480 aircraft, three-quarters of its total, not to mention most of its crews. American domination of the Marianas was now a foregone conclusion.
Not long after this battle at sea, U.S. Marine divisions penetrated farther into the island of Saipan. Two Japanese commanders on the island, Admiral Nagumo and General Saito, both committed suicide in an attempt to rally the remaining Japanese forces. It succeeded: Those forces also committed a virtual suicide as they attacked the Americans' lines, losing 26,000 men compared with 3,500 lost by the United States. Within another month, the islands of Tinian and Guam were also captured by the United States.
The Japanese government of Premier Hideki Tojo resigned in disgrace at this stunning defeat, in what many have described as the turning point of the war in the Pacific.
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Thanks to NHHC
WWII@75: Battle of the Philippine Sea
On June 19, 1944, 79 years ago, the largest aircraft carrier action of World War II began as Allied forces continued their push across the Pacific. Following the buildup of the U.S. Navy's fast carrier forces in the central Pacific, the American drive into the strategic Marshall Islands chain, and the foreseeable U.S. victory on Saipan, Japanese naval leadership believed that the time had come for decisive large-scale fleet action. Previous attempts either had failed or had come up short of a victory that would change the war in favor of Japan. Task Force 58 clashed with the Imperial Japanese Navy's Carrier Division 3 in a series of engagements fought out in the air, several hundred miles west of Saipan. By the evening of June 20, Task Force 58's aircraft broke the back of Japanese naval aviation and the Japanese combined fleet's carrier forces by sending hundreds of enemy aircraft into the water. To learn more, visit the new Battle of the Philippine Sea page on NHHC's WWII 1944 page. Also, read "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" by NHHC historian Guy J. Nasuti.
This week's Webpage of the Week is new to NHHC's World War II 1944 page. Operation Forager: The Battle of Saipan—an in-depth essay written by COD's Adam Bisno—provides a depiction of the battle that began on June 15, 1944, and ended on July 9 with the United States securing the island that was only 1,200 nautical miles south of Tokyo. The essay explains all phases of the operation, including the background, planning, initial landings, concurrent action in the Philippine Sea, the aftermath, and the heavy price of the battle. Check out this page today and learn more about this significant battle in the Pacific.
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This Day in U S Military History…….June 19
1864 – USS Kearsarge sinks CSS Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France. "The day being Sunday and the weather fine, a large concourse of people-many having come all the way from Paris collected on the heights above the town [Cherbourg], in the upper stories of such of the houses as commanded a view of the sea, and on the walls and fortifications of the harbor. Several French luggers employed as pilot-boats went out, and also an English steam-yacht, called the Deerhound. Everything being in readiness between nine and ten o'clock, we got underway, and proceeded to sea, through the western entrance of the harbor; the Couronne [French ironclad] following us. As we emerged from behind the mole, we discovered the Kearsarge at a distance of between six and seven miles from the land. She had been apprised or our intention of coming out that morning, and was awaiting us." Thus Captain Raphael Semmes drew the scene as the historic Kearsarge-Alabama battle unfolded. Alabama mounted 8 guns to Kearsarge's 7. Yet, Captain Winslow of Kearsarge enjoyed a superiority in eight of broadside including two heavy XI-inch Dahlgren guns while Semmes had but one heavy gun, an VIlI-inch. Perhaps his greatest advantage was superior ammuni-tion, since Alabama's had deteriorated during her long cruise. Furthermore, Winslow had pro-tected the sides of his ship and the vulnerable machinery by hanging heavy chains over the sides from topside to below the waterline. Kearsarge's complement numbered 163; Alabama's, 149. The antagonists closed to about one and a half miles, when Semmes opened the action with a starboard broadside. Within minutes the firing became fierce from both ships as they fought starboard to starboard on a circular course. Lieutenant Sinclair, CSN, wrote: "Semmes would have chosen to bring about yard-arm quarters, fouling, and boarding, relying upon the superior physique of his crew to overbalance the superiority of numbers; but this was frustrated." Shot and shell from the heavier guns of Kearsarge crashed into Alabama's hull, while the Union sloop of war, her sides protected by the chain armor, suffered only minor damage. One shell from Alabama lodged in the Kearsarge's sternpost but failed to explode. "If it had exploded," wrote John M. McKenzie, who was only 16 years old at the time of the battle, "the Kearsarge would have gone to the bottom instead of the Alabama. But our ammunition was old and had lost its strength." Southern casualties were heavy as both sides fought valiantly. "After the lapse of about one hour and ten minutes," Semmes reported, "our ship was ascertained to be in a sinking condition, the enemy's shells having exploded in our side, and between decks, opening large apertures through which the water rushed with great rapidity. For some few minutes I had hopes of being able to reach the French coast, for which purpose I gave the ship all steam, and set such of the fore and aft sails as were available. The ship filled so rapidly, however, that before we had made much progress, the fires were extinguished in the furnaces, and we were evi-dently on the point of sinking. I now hauled down my colors to prevent the further destruction of life, and dispatched a boat to inform the enemy of our condition." Alabama settled stern first and her bow raised high in the air as the waters of the English Channel closed over her. Boats from Kearsarge and French boats rescued the survivors. The English yacht Deerhound, owned by Mr. John Lancaster, picked up Captain Semmes with 13 of his officers and 27 crew members and carried them to Southampton. The spectacular career of the Confederacy's most famous raider was closed. Before her last battle Semmes reminded his men: "You have destroyed, and driven for protection under neutral flags, one-half of the enemy's commerce, which, at the beginning of the war, covered every sea. Alabama had captured and burned at sea 55 Union merchantmen valued at over four and one-half million dollars, and had bonded 10 others to the value of 562 thousand dollars. Another prize, Conrad, was commissioned C.S.S. Tuscaloosa, and herself struck at Northern shipping. Flag Officer Barron lamented: "It is true that we have lost our ship; the ubiquitous gallant Alabama is no more, but we have lost no honor." For Winslow and Kearsarge the victory was well deserved and rewarding. Throughout the North news of Alabama's end was greeted with jubilation and relief. Secretary Welles wrote the Captain: "I congratulate you for your good fortune in meeting the Alabama, which had so long avoided the fastest ships of the service . . . for the ability displayed in the contest you have the thanks of the Department. . . . The battle was so brief, the victory so decisive, and the comparative results so striking that the country will be reminded of the brilliant actions of our infant Navy, which have been repeated and illustrated in this engagement . . . Our countrymen have reason to be satisfied that in this, as in every naval action of this unhappy war, neither the ships, the guns, nor the crews have deteriorated, but that they maintain the ability and continue the renown which have ever adorned our naval annals." Winslow received a vote of thanks from Congress, and was promoted to Commodore with his commission dated 19 June 1864, his victory day.
1944 – In the early morning hours Japanese reconnaissance finds US Task Force 58 while remaining undetected. The Japanese immediately launch 372 aircraft, in four waves, to strike the American fleet. Overall, the Japanese have about 550 planes (including those on Guam) while the Americans have roughly 950. Furthermore, US radar provides significant advance warning of the attack. There is enough time to launch an air raid on Guam before the Japanese can arrive over their target. American fighters begin intercepting the incoming Japanese planes while 50 miles away. Many of the attackers are shot down before reaching the American fleet; US anti-aircraft defenses accounts for many more. The only hit achieved by the Japanese is on the USS South Dakota which is damaged by one bomb. The Japanese lose 240 aircraft and the Americans lose 29. The attackers fly on to Guam where American aircraft strike and destroy another 50 Japanese planes. Meanwhile, the Japanese aircraft carriers Taiho and Shokaku are sunk by the US submarines Cavalla and Albacore. American participants refer to the day as "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" because of the ease with which the Japanese forces have been suppressed.
1944 – "Ace of Aces" David McCampbell (1910-1996) and the Fabled 15 challenged 80 Japanese carrier based aircraft bearing down on an American fleet. He shot down 7 Zeroes and the group routed the enemy fliers at the Battle of the Marianas.
1944 – On Biak, the reinforced US 41st Division launches attacks against Japanese strongpoints in the west of the island.
1945 – Spain is barred from membership in the United Nations organization as long as the Franco regime continue to hold power.
1945 – On Luzon, in the Cagayan Valley, Ilagan is captured by advancing troops of the US 1st Corps.
1945 – On Okinawa, the insistent use of propaganda by means of leaflets and loudspeakers, by the American forces, induces some 343 Japanese troops to surrender. Japanese forces fall back in some disorder along the frontage of the US 3rd Amphibious Corps but continue to resist along the line held by the US 24th Corps.
1947 – The first plane (F-80) to exceed 600 mph (1004 kph) was flown by Albert Boyd in Muroc, California
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
READ, GEORGE E.
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1838, Rhode Island. Accredited to: Rhode Island. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864 Citation: Served as seaman on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as the first loader of the No. 2 gun during this bitter engagement, Read exhibited marked coolness and good conduct and was highly recommended for his gallantry under fire by his divisional officer.
SAUNDERS, JAMES
Rank and organization: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1809, Massachusetts. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served as quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Carrying out his duties courageously throughout the bitter engagement, Saunders was prompt in reporting damages done to both ships, and it is testified to by Commodore Winslow that he is deserving of all commendation, both for gallantry and for encouragement of others in his division.
SMITH, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1838, Ireland. Accredited to: New Hampshire. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: Served as second quartermaster on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as captain of the 11-inch pivot gun of the second division, Smith carried out his duties courageously and deserved special notice for the deliberate and cool manner in which he acted throughout the bitter engagement. It is stated by rebel officers that this gun was more destructive and did more damage than any other gun of Kearsarge.
STRAHAN, ROBERT
Rank and organization: Captain of the Top, U.S. Navy. Birth: New Jersey. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Accredited to: New Jersey. Citation: Served as captain of the top on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as captain of the No. 1 gun, Strahan carried out his duties in the face of heavy enemy fire and exhibited marked coolness and good conduct throughout the engagement. Strahan was highly recommended by his division officer for his gallantry and meritorious achievements.
*BAKER, THOMAS A.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 105th Infantry, 27th Infantry Division. Place and date: Saipan, Mariana Islands, 19 June to 7 July 1944. Entered service at: Troy, N.Y. Birth: Troy, N.Y. G.O. No.: 35, 9 May 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty at Saipan, Mariana Islands, 19 June to 7 July 1944. When his entire company was held up by fire from automatic weapons and small-arms fire from strongly fortified enemy positions that commanded the view of the company, Sgt. (then Pvt.) Baker voluntarily took a bazooka and dashed alone to within 100 yards of the enemy. Through heavy rifle and machinegun fire that was directed at him by the enemy, he knocked out the strong point, enabling his company to assault the ridge. Some days later while his company advanced across the open field flanked with obstructions and places of concealment for the enemy, Sgt. Baker again voluntarily took up a position in the rear to protect the company against surprise attack and came upon 2 heavily fortified enemy pockets manned by 2 officers and 10 enlisted men which had been bypassed. Without regard for such superior numbers, he unhesitatingly attacked and killed all of them. Five hundred yards farther, he discovered 6 men of the enemy who had concealed themselves behind our lines and destroyed all of them. On 7 July 1944, the perimeter of which Sgt. Baker was a part was attacked from 3 sides by from 3,000 to 5,000 Japanese. During the early stages of this attack, Sgt. Baker was seriously wounded but he insisted on remaining in the line and fired at the enemy at ranges sometimes as close as 5 yards until his ammunition ran out. Without ammunition and with his own weapon battered to uselessness from hand-to-hand combat, he was carried about 50 yards to the rear by a comrade, who was then himself wounded. At this point Sgt. Baker refused to be moved any farther stating that he preferred to be left to die rather than risk the lives of any more of his friends. A short time later, at his request, he was placed in a sitting position against a small tree . Another comrade, withdrawing, offered assistance. Sgt. Baker refused, insisting that he be left alone and be given a soldier's pistol with its remaining 8 rounds of ammunition. When last seen alive, Sgt. Baker was propped against a tree, pistol in hand, calmly facing the foe. Later Sgt. Baker's body was found in the same position, gun empty, with 8 Japanese lying dead before him. His deeds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
McCAMPBELL, DAVID
Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy, Air Group 15. Place and date: First and second battles of the Philippine Sea, 19 June 1944. Entered service at: Florida. Born: 16 January 1 910, Bessemer, Ala. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Gold Stars, Air Medal. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commander, Air Group 15, during combat against enemy Japanese aerial forces in the first and second battles of the Philippine Sea. An inspiring leader, fighting boldly in the face of terrific odds, Comdr. McCampbell led his fighter planes against a force of 80 Japanese carrier-based aircraft bearing down on our fleet on 19 June 1944. Striking fiercely in valiant defense of our surface force, he personally destroyed 7 hostile planes during this single engagement in which the outnumbering attack force was utterly routed and virtually annihilated. During a major fleet engagement with the enemy on 24 October, Comdr. McCampbell, assisted by but l plane, intercepted and daringly attacked a formation of 60 hostile land-based craft approaching our forces. Fighting desperately but with superb skill against such overwhelming airpower, he shot down 9 Japanese planes and, completely disorganizing the enemy group, forced the remainder to abandon the attack before a single aircraft could reach the fleet. His great personal valor and indomitable spirit of aggression under extremely perilous combat conditions reflect the highest credit upon Comdr. McCampbell and the U.S. Naval Service.
MEAGHER, JOHN
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company E, 305th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Ozato, Okinawa, 19 June 1945. Entered service at: Jersey City, N.J. Birth: Jersey City, N.J. G.O. No.: 60, 26 June 1946. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. In the heat of the fight, he mounted an assault tank, and, with bullets splattering about him, designated targets to the gunner. Seeing an enemy soldier carrying an explosive charge dash for the tank treads, he shouted fire orders to the gunner, leaped from the tank, and bayoneted the charging soldier. Knocked unconscious and his rifle destroyed, he regained consciousness, secured a machinegun from the tank, and began a furious 1-man assault on the enemy. Firing from his hip, moving through vicious crossfire that ripped through his clothing, he charged the nearest pillbox, killing 6. Going on amid the hail of bullets and grenades, he dashed for a second enemy gun, running out of ammunition just as he reached the position. He grasped his empty gun by the barrel and in a violent onslaught killed the crew. By his fearless assaults T/Sgt. Meagher single-handedly broke the enemy resistance, enabling his platoon to take its objective and continue the advance.
LASSEN, CLYDE EVERETT
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, Helicopter Support Squadron 7, Detachment 104, embarked in U.S.S. Preble (DLG-15). place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 19 June 1968. Entered service at: Jacksonville, Fla. Born: 14 March 1942, Fort Myers, Fla. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as pilot and aircraft commander of a search and rescue helicopter, attached to Helicopter Support Squadron 7, during operations against enemy forces in North Vietnam. Launched shortly after midnight to attempt the rescue of 2 downed aviators, Lt. (then Lt. (J.G.)) Lassen skillfully piloted his aircraft over unknown and hostile terrain to a steep, tree-covered hill on which the survivors had been located. Although enemy fire was being directed at the helicopter, he initially landed in a clear area near the base of the hill, but, due to the dense undergrowth, the survivors could not reach the helicopter. With the aid of flare illumination, Lt. Lassen successfully accomplished a hover between 2 trees at the survivors' position Illumination was abruptly lost as the last of the flares were expended, and the helicopter collided with a tree, commencing a sharp descent. Expertly righting his aircraft and maneuvering clear, Lt. Lassen remained in the area, determined to make another rescue attempt, and encouraged the downed aviators while awaiting resumption of flare illumination. After another unsuccessful, illuminated rescue attempt, and with his fuel dangerously low and his aircraft significantly damaged, he launched again and commenced another approach in the face of the continuing enemy opposition. When flare illumination was again lost, Lt. Lassen, fully aware of the dangers in clearly revealing his position to the enemy, turned on his landing lights and completed the landing. On this attempt, the survivors were able to make their way to the helicopter. En route to the coast he encountered and successfully evaded additional hostile antiaircraft fire and, with fuel for only 5 minutes of flight remaining, landed safely aboard U.S.S. Jouett (DLG-29) .
RAY, RONALD ERIC
Rank and organization: Captain (then 1st Lt.), U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: la Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 19 June 1966. Entered service at: Atlanta, Ga. Born: 7 December 1941, Cordelle, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Ray distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader with Company A. When 1 of his ambush patrols was attacked by an estimated reinforced Viet Cong company, Capt. Ray organized a reaction force and quickly moved through 2 kilometers of mountainous jungle terrain to the contact area. After breaking through the hostile lines to reach the beleaguered patrol, Capt. Ray began directing the reinforcement of the site. When an enemy position pinned down 3 of his men with a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire, he silenced the emplacement with a grenade and killed 4 Viet Cong with his rifle fire. As medics were moving a casualty toward a sheltered position, they began receiving intense hostile fire. While directing suppressive fire on the enemy position, Capt. Ray moved close enough to silence the enemy with a grenade. A few moments later Capt. Ray saw an enemy grenade land, unnoticed, near 2 of his men. Without hesitation or regard for his safety he dove between the grenade and the men, thus shielding them from the explosion while receiving wounds in his exposed feet and legs. He immediately sustained additional wounds in his legs from an enemy machinegun, but nevertheless he silenced the emplacement with another grenade. Although suffering great pain from his wounds, Capt. Ray continued to direct his men, providing the outstanding courage and leadership they vitally needed, and prevented their annihilation by successfully leading them from their surrounded position. Only after assuring that his platoon was no longer in immediate danger did he allow himself to be evacuated for medical treatment. By his gallantry at the risk of his life in the highest traditions of the military service, Capt. Ray has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army .
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 19
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
19 June 1944: BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA. Through 20 June, American pilots shot down 476 Japanese aircraft in a battle known as "The Marianas Turkey Shoot." The US lost 130 planes. Navy submarines and aircraft also sank three Japanese carriers. Afterwards, Japanese naval airpower was not a serious threat to US forces in the Pacific. (20) (21)
1947: Col Albert Boyd set a world speed record of 623.8 MPH, flying an XP-80R jet airplane over a 3-kilometer course at Muroc. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Through 20 June, B-29s flew 35 sorties against N. Korean targets, nearly three times the nightly average for the month. Another 27 medium bombers hit the Huichon rail bridge. (28)
1961: The first Atlas F arrived at Vandenberg AFB. (6)
1962: A superpressure balloon launched at Kindley AFB, Bermuda, on 31 May 1962, landed near Iwo Jima after 19-days at a constant altitude of 68,000 feet. (16) (24) FIRST GENERAL WHITE SPACE TROPHY. SECAF Eugene M. Zuckert presented the first Gen Thomas D. White Space Trophy to Astronaut Capt Virgil I. Grissom. (16) (24)
1970: The first flight of Minuteman III missiles became operational with the 741 SMS at Minot AFB (See 19 August 1970). (6) (12)
1977: MACKAY TROPHY. Capt David M. Sprinkel flew his C-5, with a 40-ton superconducting magnet aboard, nonstop from Chicago's O'Hare Airport to Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. The 5,124 nautical-mile flight needed two aerial refuelings. This was the first time a MAC C-5 landed in the Soviet Union. This feat earned the Mackay Trophy for 1977. (16) (18)
1986: All USAF Rapier surface-to-air missiles in Europe became operational. The British provided this missile defense system by agreement to USAF bases in Europe. (16) (26)
1998: The first of four C-32As left Boeing's plant in Seattle and flew to the 89 AW at Andrews AFB. The military version of Boeing's 757-200 replaced the VC-137 aircraft in the presidential airlift fleet. (22)
1999: A Global Hawk flew to northern New Mexico and returned to Edwards AFB, logging some 13 hours of autonomous flight, to support the DoD's annual Roving Sands air defense exercise.
2002: Due to bad weather in Florida, the Space Shuttle Endeavour landed at Edwards AFB after 14- day mission (STS-111) to the International Space Station. The astronauts assembled and repaired space station robotics during the mission. The shuttle also brought back a Russian cosmonaut and two U.S. astronauts after 196 days in orbit. (3)
2006: The first Lockheed-Martin C-5M test aircraft made its first flight at Edwards AFB. The former C-5B received a complete avionics modernization, reliability enhancement, and re-engining in its conversion to an M-model. In the avionics modernization, Lockheed-Martin added a new cockpit with a digital all-weather flight control system and autopilot, a new communications suite, flat panel displays, and enhanced navigation and safety equipment. (USAF Aimpoints, "Second C-5M Takes Flight," 21 Nov 2006)
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