To All
Good Tuesday Morning July 4, 2023. Independence day
I hope that you all have a great Independence Day. Remember that it is not just hot dogs, hamburgers and liquid refreshment but the celebration of the birth of the greatest nation.
Regards,
Skip
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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
July 4
1776 The Second Continental Congress unanimously adopts the Declaration of Independence, which announces the colonies' separation from Great Britain.
1777—The crew aboard the sloop of war Ranger hoist the first Stars and Stripes flag on board a Continental warship at Portsmouth, NH. The ship is commanded by Capt. John Paul Jones.
1801 President Thomas Jefferson holds the first Presidential Review of U.S. Marine Band and Marines at the White House, Washington, District of Columbia.
1863 During the Civil War, the Confederates surrender Vicksburg, Miss., following a lengthy bombardment and siege by Union naval and land forces. The surrender gives the Union control of the Mississippi River. President Abraham Lincoln writes, ''The Father of Waters again goes unvexed to the sea.''
1944 USS David W. Taylor (DD 551) and USS Riddle (DE 185) sink Japanese submarine (I 10) while attempting an evacuation mission to Saipan, 100 miles east-northeast of her destination.
1991 USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) is commissioned at the waterfront of downtown Norfolk, Va. The guided-missile destroyer is the lead ship of her class and named for the former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Arleigh Burke, who attends the ships commissioning ceremony.
1992 USS George Washington (CVN 73) is commissioned at Norfolk, Va. The ships sponsor is First Lady Barbara Bush. The sixth carrier in the Nimitz-class of supercarriers, it is the fourth warship to be named after the first president of the United States.
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Today in World History July 4
1712 12 slaves are executed for starting an uprising in New York that killed nine whites.
1776 The amended Declaration of Independence, prepared by Thomas Jefferson, is approved and signed by John Hancock--President of the Continental Congress--and Charles Thomson, Congress secretary. The state of New York abstains from signing.
1817 Construction begins on the Erie Canal, to connect Lake Erie and the Hudson River.
1826 Two of America's founding fathers--Thomas Jefferson and John Adams--die.
1831 The fifth president of the United States, James Monroe, dies at the age of 73.
1845 Henry David Thoreau begins his 26-month stay at Walden Pond.
1855 Walt Whitman publishes the first edition of Leaves of Grass at his own expense.
1861 Union and Confederate forces skirmish at Harpers Ferry.
1862 Charles Dodgson first tells the story of Alice's adventures down the rabbit hole during a picnic along the Thames.
1863 The Confederate town of Vicksburg, Mississippi, surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant.
1881 Billy the Kid is shot dead in New Mexico.
1894 After seizing power, Judge Stanford B. Dole declares Hawaii a republic.
1895 The poem America the Beautiful is first published.
1901 William H. Taft becomes the American governor of the Philippines.
1910 Race riots break out all over the United States after African American Jack Johnson knocks out Jim Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match.
1931 Novelist James Joyce and Nora Barnacle are married in London after being together for 26 years.
1934 Boxer Joe Louis wins his first professional fight.
1946 The United States grants the Philippine Islands their independence.
1960 The 50-star flag makes its debut in Philadelphia.
1976 An Israeli raid at Entebbe airport in Uganda rescues 105 hostages.
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post
Skip… For The List for Tuesday, 4 July 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 4 July 1968…
"All gave some. Some gave all"…
Skip… #2 for The List for Tuesday, 4 July 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 4 July 1968…
Captain Dick Schaffert shares "A Most Memorable Independence Day"
Skip… For your consideration… #3 for the 4th… Bear🇺🇸⚓️
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/4-july-2018-kate-smith-introduces-god-bless-america/
Skip… #4 for the 4th for your consideration… my RTR post for 4 July 2021…
overkill?… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/today-4-july-2021-happy-independence-day/
#5 for the 4th… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
Skip… #5 for your consideration… Mighty Thunder's post for 4 July 2018…
Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/4-july-2017-happy-birthday-america/
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 Interesting Facts
6 Fascinating Facts About the U.S. Flag
The history of the U.S. flag is almost as multifaceted as the people it represents. With dozens of different iterations, the Stars and Stripes has frequently changed as the country's borders have expanded and new states have been added to the union. Today's 50-star flag is hoisted at sporting events, schools, government buildings, and near the homes of millions of Americans throughout the world. These six facts pull together the threads of the flag's 250-year history, including its creation, its symbolism, and where we'll eventually have to squeeze that 51st star.
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Betsy Ross Didn't Design the Original U.S. Flag
The most enduring myth about the origin of the U.S. flag is that Betsy Ross, an American upholsterer living in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War, created the first flag at the behest of George Washington. Historians aren't sure that ever happened, however. The source for Ross' involvement came from her own family, nearly a century after Ross reportedly created the flag. Apart from her descendant's account, no evidence suggests that Ross sewed the first flag. Instead, some historians think Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and designer of other seals for U.S. government departments, is likely the first flag's creator. Evidence exists that Hopkinson sought payment for the design of the "flag of the United States of America" (he thought a "Quarter Cask of the Public Wine" ought to do it). Although Hopkinson was denied payment, Congress approved his flag on June 14, 1777 (celebrated today as Flag Day). Thankfully, historians now generally give Hopkinson the vexillological accolades he deserves.
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The First U.S. National Flag Featured the Union Jack
State militias fought the Revolutionary War's opening skirmishes using colonial banners, but by the winter of 1775, the Second Continental Congress became the de facto war government of the fledgling U.S. — and they needed a flag to unite the cause. Congress went with something already on civilian and merchant ships, the British red ensign, and sewed on six horizontal stripes resembling the 13 red-and-white stripes on today's flag. This creation became known as the Grand Union flag, and even featured the Union Jack (sans the St. Patrick's cross) as a canton (the innermost square on the top left), instead of the usual constellation of white five-pointed stars.
The resulting flag was first hoisted on December 3, 1775, on the man-of-war Alfred, by none other than John Paul Jones, one of the greatest naval commanders in U.S. history. Years later, in 1779, the famous naval officer recalled the day: "I hoisted with my own hands the Flag of Freedom…"
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There Are 27 Official Versions of the American Flag
Although the Grand Union Flag was the first banner to unite the colonies' cause under one emblem, the flag isn't regarded as an "official" U.S. flag. That lineage begins with the passage of the Flag Act of 1777, which states "[t]hat the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." The colors themselves represent valor (red), purity (white), and vigilance (blue). Some flags included different versions to appeal to this description, such as the so-called Betsy Ross flag, Hopkinson's 3-2-3-2-3 star arrangement flag, and the Cowpens flag (basically the Betsy Ross, but with a star in the middle of the circle). Hopkinson's creation is widely regarded as the first conception of what would be recognizable today as a U.S. flag.
Throughout the years, the flag has undergone 26 small changes in order to add new stars for new states joining the union. The first change came in 1795, with the addition of Vermont and Kentucky (which added two extra stripes as well), and this version is what's known to history as the Star-Spangled Banner. The last canton edit came on August 21, 1959, when President Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10834, establishing today's 50-star flag following Hawaii's statehood.
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The Original "Star-Spangled Banner" Still Exists
the flag flown during the war of 1812, on display at the Smithsonian After a night of heavy bombardment during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, American forces stationed at Fort McHenry raised the Star-Spangled Banner (the 15-star flag) on the morning of September 14, 1814. Seeing this flag while standing aboard a British ship and negotiating the release of a prisoner, author Francis Scott Key composed the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry," which later became the lyrics for the U.S. national anthem (adopted by Congress in 1931).
The original flag was sewn by Mary Pickersgill and Grace Wisher, her enslaved servant, and stretched some 30 feet by 42 feet — an extremely large flag at the time. The gargantuan size of the Star-Spangled Banner was a specific request of Fort McHenry's commander, George Armistead, who told the head of Baltimore's defenses that "it is my desire to have a flag so large that the British will have no difficulty in seeing it from a distance."
Amazingly, the very flag that inspired the 35-year-old poet more than 200 years ago still exists, and is now in the care of the Smithsonian Institute — though sadly not quite in its original condition. For nearly a century, the flag remained in the care of Armistead's descendants, who made a habit of cutting off pieces of the flag to give as souvenirs. Today, the Star-Spangled Banner is only 30 feet by 34 feet. Although the Smithsonian has recovered many of the lost pieces over the years, some prominent pieces — including a missing 15th star — have never been recovered.
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The U.S. Flags on the Moon Are Probably White Now
Today, the U.S. flag is one of the only banners that's been hoisted somewhere other than planet Earth. Six of the NASA Apollo missions (1969 to 1972) planted a U.S. flag on the moon (the Apollo 11 flag reportedly fell down when the astronauts blasted off from the lunar surface), but decades of UV radiation from unfiltered sunlight have likely bleached the remaining flags white. For example, the Apollo 11 Stars and Stripes wasn't some meticulously designed space flag capable of surviving the harsh lunar climate, but a $6 nylon flag that may have been purchased at a Sears Roebuck in the Houston area. Some have theorized that the nylon could've disintegrated completely, but NASA has examined flag sites using the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and has found evidence of the flags still "flying." In November 1969, only a few months after Neil Armstrong took his famous "one small step" on the moon, U.S. Congress passed a law stipulating that a U.S. flag would adorn any moon, planet, or asteroid during missions fully funded by the Americans. In other words, an international effort to land on Mars, for example, means no U.S. flag will fly on the red planet (not that it'd last very long anyway).
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The U.S. Flag Might Need a 51st Star Pretty Soon
The 50-star U.S. flag is the longest-serving banner in U.S. history, being the country's official flag for more than 60 years (the 48-star flag comes in second, at 47 years). However, three primary candidates — Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and Guam — could one day necessitate a new U.S. flag with 51 (or more) stars. To solve this constellation conundrum for all future generations, the online magazine Slate asked a mathematician to develop a model for the U.S.'s 51-star flag, as well as other flags containing as many as 100 stars. Potentials for a 51-star flag include six alternating rows of nine and eight stars, or a variation on the 44-star Wyoming pattern (created to accommodate Wyoming's admission to the union in 1890), which would use five rows of seven stars sandwiched between two rows of eight stars. (As a refresher, the current flag has five rows of six stars and four rows of five stars.)
This isn't the only competing 51-star flag; the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico designed a flag similar to the original Betsy Ross flag, but the circle is instead jam-packed with 51 stars. The most likely 51st state, Puerto Rico, continues its push for statehood, and it's possible that the long reign of the 50-star flag could be nearing its end.
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Thanks to Carl
https://patriotpost.us/articles/98542-independence-day-observations-2023-07-03
NATE JACKSON JULY 3, 2023
Independence Day Observations
Where stands our great Republic on its 247th birthday?
On July 2nd, two hundred forty-seven years ago, 15 months after hostilities commenced on Patriots Day, April 19th of 1775, the Second Continental Congress declared independence from Great Britain. Two days later, on July 4, 1776, Congress approved our Declaration of Independence, and 56 delegates began signing it — a process that wasn't complete until August.
Thus officially commenced our nation's Revolutionary War to secure American Liberty. The last major land battle of the war was five years later concluding with the British surrender of Yorktown in 1781, and hostilities officially ceased after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. But July 4 has marked our Independence Day since 1776.
On July 3rd of that year, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, of the necessity of celebration our Declaration of Independence:
It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Day's Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.
Adams and his chief political rival, Thomas Jefferson (also the lead author of the Declaration), both died on the 50th Independence Day in 1826. James Monroe, the fifth president, also died on the Fourth five years later.
In honor of America's birthday, here are a few more numbers that we find intriguing for various reasons.
In 1776, the new nation consisted of 13 former colonies populated by roughly 2.5 million people. Today, more than 330 million people live in 50 states and 14 territories. What may be most striking about that growth is the shift from rural areas to urban ones. At the turn of the 19th century, 95% of Americans lived in rural homes, while today that number is just 17%. The buildup of and migration to urban areas brings immense convenience and wealth, but also a political bent decidedly further to the left.
On that note, perhaps the most important thing we can all do this Independence Day is to pass on to the next generation what it means to be an American.
In 1825, Jefferson called the Declaration "an expression of the American mind." That mind sees and cherishes the truth of our God-given rights to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." That mind throws off the shackles of oppressive government; it does not vote for more of it. Read the grievances laid out in the Declaration and marvel at the number that once again apply to our own national government.
As for love of our nation, George Washington, our first and greatest president, put it this way in his Farewell Address: "The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations."
In other words, we are Americans first. The divisive identity groups that today abound and dictate much government and corporate policy fundamentally contradict that vision for our nation.
Thanks to the sorry state of American public schools, civic knowledge has deteriorated over the decades. Ever fewer Americans seem to comprehend anything remotely approaching Jefferson's "American mind" or Washington's "pride of patriotism."
Nevertheless, we join the Declaration's signatories in pledging "our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor" to the cause of American Liberty.
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This Day in US Military History
JULY 4
1804 – Staging the first-ever Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi River, Lewis and Clark fire the expedition cannon and order an extra ration of whiskey for the men. Six weeks earlier, Lewis and Clark left American civilization to depart on their famous journey. Since their departure, the party of 29 men–called the Corps of Discovery–had made good progress, traveling up the Missouri River in a 55-foot keelboat and two dugout canoes. When the wind was behind them, Lewis and Clark raised the keelboat sail, and on a few occasions, managed to travel 20 miles in a single day. By early July, the expedition had reached the northeastern corner of the present-day state of Kansas. The fertility of the land astonished the two leaders of the expedition. Clark wrote of the many deer, "as plenty as Hogs about a farm," and with his usual creative spelling, praised the tasty "rasberreis perple, ripe and abundant." On this day in 1804, the expedition stopped near the mouth of a creek flowing out of the western prairie. The men asked the captains if they knew if the creek had a name. Knowing none, they decided to call it Independence Creek in honor of the day. The expedition continued upstream, making camp that evening at an abandoned Indian village. To celebrate the Fourth of July, Lewis and Clark commanded that the keelboat cannon be fired at sunset. They distributed an extra ration of whiskey to the men, and the explorers settled back to enjoy the peaceful Kansas night. In his final journal entry of the day, Clark wondered at the existence of, "So magnificent a Senerey in a Contry thus Situated far removed from the Sivilised world to be enjoyed by nothing but the Buffalo Elk Deer & Bear in which it abounds & Savage Indians." The next day, the travelers resumed their journey up the Missouri River toward the distant Pacific Coast. They would not pass by their pleasant camping spot in Kansas again until their return journey, two years and many adventures later.
1826 – John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the second and third presidents of the United States, respectively, die on this day, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Both men had been central in the drafting of the historic document; Jefferson had authored it, and Adams, who was known as the "colossus of the debate," served on the drafting committee and had argued eloquently for the declaration's passage. After July 4, 1776, Adams traveled to France as a diplomat, where he proved instrumental in winning French support for the Patriot cause, and Jefferson returned to Virginia, where he served as state governor during the dark days of the American Revolution. After the British defeat at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, Adams was one of the negotiators of the Treaty of Paris that ended the war, and with Jefferson he returned to Europe to try to negotiate a U.S.-British trade treaty. After the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, Adams was elected vice president to George Washington, and Jefferson was appointed secretary of state. During Washington's administration, Jefferson, with his democratic ideals and concept of states' rights, often came into conflict with Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who supported a strong federal government and conservative property rights. Adams often arbitrated between Hamilton and his old friend Jefferson, though in politics he was generally allied with Hamilton. In 1796, Adams defeated Jefferson in the presidential election, but the latter became vice president, because at that time the office was still filled by the candidate who finished second. As president, Adams' main concern was America's deteriorating relationship with France, and war was only averted because of his considerable diplomatic talents. In 1800, Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans (the forerunner of the Democratic Party) defeated the Federalist party of Adams and Hamilton, and Adams retired to his estate in Quincy, Massachusetts. As president, Jefferson reduced the power and expenditures of the central government but advocated the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France, which more than doubled the size of the United States. During his second administration, Jefferson faced renewed conflict with Great Britain, but he left office before the War of 1812 began. Jefferson retired to his estate in Monticello, Virginia, but he often advised his presidential successors and helped establish the University of Virginia. Jefferson also corresponded with John Adams to discuss politics, and these famous letters are regarded as masterpieces of the American enlightenment. By remarkable coincidence, Jefferson and Adams died on the same day, Independence Day in 1826, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Adams' last words were, "Thomas Jefferson still survives," though his old friend and political adversary had died a few hours before.
1884 – The Statue of Liberty was presented to the United States in ceremonies at Paris, France. The 225-ton, 152-foot statue was a gift from France in commemoration of 100 years of American independence. Created by the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the statue was installed on Bedloe Island (now Liberty Island) in New York harbor in 1885. It was dedicated on October 28, 1886.
1942 – Irving Berlin's musical review "This Is the Army" opened at the Broadway Theater in New York.
1942 – 1st American bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe (WW II). US air offensive against Nazi-Germany began. Six American planes join a RAF squadron attacking airfields in Holland.
Munda encounter heavy Japanese resistance. The Japanese land 1200 troops from 3 destroyers at Vila on Kolombangara.
1944 – Attacks by the US 7th and 8th Corps (parts of US 1st Army) continue. The Canadian 3rd Division (part of British 2nd Army) captures the village of Carpiquet, west of Caen, but cannot secure the airfield.
1944 – 1,100 US guns fired 4th of July salute at German lines in Normandy.
1944 – Elements of US Task Force 58 attack Guam Island with carrier aircraft.
1944 – Elements of US Task Force 58 attack Chichi Jima Island with carrier aircraft.
1944 – Elements of US Task Force 58 attack Iwo Jima Island with carrier aircraft.
1944 – Japanese made their first kamikaze (god wind) attack on a US fleet near Iwo Jima.
1945 – On Mindanao, the US 24th Division organizes an amphibious expeditionary force to liberate Sarangani Bay, in the south of the island, south of Davao. Filipino guerrilla forces assist in clearing out the Japanese pockets of resistance.
1959 – A 49-star flag was raised for the first time at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., in honor of Alaska which had become the 49th state in the Union on July 7, 1958.
1960 – The 50-star flag made its debut in Philadelphia. A 50th star was added to the American flag in honor of Hawaii's admission into the Union on August 21, 1959.
1976 – The nation held a 200th anniversary party across the land in celebration of America's 200 years of independence. President Ford made stops in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and New York, where more than 200 ships paraded up the Hudson River in Operation Sail.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
CAPEHART, CHARLES E.
Rank and organization: Major, 1st West Virginia Cavalry. Place and date: At Monterey Mountain, Pa., 4 July 1863. Entered service at: Washington, D.C. Born: 1883, Conemaugh Township, Cambria County, Pa. Date of issue: 7 April 1898. Citation: While commanding the regiment, charged down the mountain side at midnight, in a heavy rain, upon the enemy's fleeing wagon train. Many wagons were captured and destroyed and many prisoners taken.
HANNA, MARCUS A.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company B, 50th Massachusetts Infantry. Place and date: At Port Hudson, La., 4 July 1863. Entered service at: Rockport, Mass. Born: 3 November 1842, Bristol, Maine. Date of issue: 2 November 1895. Citation: Voluntarily exposed himself to a heavy fire to get water for comrades in rifle pits.
KENNEDY, JOHN T.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Patian Island, Philippine Islands, 4 July 1909. Entered service at: Orangeburg, S.C. Birth: Hendersonville, S.C. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: While in action against hostile Moros, he entered with a few enlisted men the mouth of a cave occupied by a desperate enemy, this act having been ordered after he had volunteered several times. In this action 2d Lt. Kennedy was severely wounded.
WILSON, ARTHUR H.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Patian Island, Philippine Islands, 4 July 1909. Entered service at: Springfield, Ill. Birth: Springfield, Ill. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: While in action against hostile Moros, when, it being necessary to secure a mountain gun in position by rope and tackle, voluntarily with the assistance of an enlisted man, carried the rope forward and fastened it, being all the time under heavy fire of the enemy at short range .
Thanks to Dan who brought this up a couple months ago The summary format on "The List" for each person who earned the Medal of Honor is the same, except for those who are Japanese-American. For everyone else, the unit of assignment is given, such as "Company, Battalion, Division, etc. However, the unit of assignment, for those with Japanese-American names, is never given
Almost all of the Japanese-Americans who served in WWII, were assigned to the 442nd Infantry, a Hawaiian military unit which is now part of the Hawaiian National Guard, and which served in Italy and Southeastern Europe during WWII. They became the most decorated military unit in the U.S. Army during WWII, and served while many had members of their families who were held at Internment Facilities (such as Manzanar, in California). Almost all were "Nisei", or second generation, Hawaiian residents (decades before Hawaii became a state). The following two men probably are examples of this:
*NAKAMURA, WILLIAM K.
Private First Class William K. Nakamura distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 4 July 1944, near Castellina, Italy. During a fierce firefight, Private First Class Nakamura's platoon became pinned down by enemy machine gun fire from a concealed position. On his own initiative, Private First Class Nakamura crawled 20 yards toward the hostile nest with fire from the enemy machine gun barely missing him. Reaching a point 15 yards from the position, he quickly raised himself to a kneeling position and threw four hand grenades, killing or wounding at least three of the enemy soldiers. The enemy weapon silenced, Private First Class Nakamura crawled back to his platoon, which was able to continue its advance as a result of his courageous action. Later, his company was ordered to withdraw from the crest of a hill so that a mortar barrage could be placed on the ridge. On his own initiative, Private First Class Nakamura remained in position to cover his comrades' withdrawal. While moving toward the safety of a wooded draw, his platoon became pinned down by deadly machine gun fire. Crawling to a point from which he could fire on the enemy position, Private First Class Nakamura quickly and accurately fired his weapon to pin down the enemy machine gunners. His platoon was then able to withdraw to safety without further casualties. Private First Class Nakamura was killed during this heroic stand. Private First Class Nakamura's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
*ONO, FRANK H.
Private First Class Frank H. Ono distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 4 July 1944, near Castellina, Italy. In attacking a heavily defended hill, Private First Class Ono's squad was caught in a hail of formidable fire from the well-entrenched enemy. Private First Class Ono opened fire with his automatic rifle and silenced one machine gun 300 hundred yards to the right front. Advancing through incessant fire, he killed a sniper with another burst of fire, and while his squad leader reorganized the rest of the platoon in the rear, he alone defended the critical position. His weapon was then wrenched from his grasp by a burst of enemy machine pistol fire as enemy troops attempted to close in on him. Hurling hand grenades, Private First Class Ono forced the enemy to abandon the attempt, resolutely defending the newly won ground until the rest of the platoon moved forward. Taking a wounded comrade's rifle, Private First Class Ono again joined in the assault. After killing two more enemy soldiers, he boldly ran through withering automatic, small arms, and mortar fire to render first aid to his platoon leader and a seriously wounded rifleman. In danger of being encircled, the platoon was ordered to withdraw. Volunteering to cover the platoon, Private First Class Ono occupied virtually unprotected positions near the crest of the hill, engaging an enemy machine gun emplaced on an adjoining ridge and exchanging fire with snipers armed with machine pistols. Completely disregarding his own safety, he made himself the constant target of concentrated enemy fire until the platoon reached the comparative safety of a draw. He then descended the hill in stages, firing his rifle, until he rejoined the platoon. Private First Class Ono's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
*MENDONCA, LEROY A.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Chich-on, Korea, 4 July 1951. Entered service at: Honolulu, T.H. Birth: Honolulu, T.H. G.O. No.: 83, 3 September 1952. Citation: Sgt. LeRoy A. Mendonca, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. After his platoon, in an exhaustive fight, had captured Hill 586, the newly won positions were assaulted during the night by a numerically superior enemy force. When the 1st Platoon positions were outflanked and under great pressure and the platoon was ordered to withdraw to a secondary line of defense, Sgt. Mendonca voluntarily remained in an exposed position and covered the platoon's withdrawal. Although under murderous enemy fire, he fired his weapon and hurled grenades at the onrushing enemy until his supply of ammunition was exhausted. He fought on, clubbing with his rifle and using his bayonet until he was mortally wounded. After the action it was estimated that Sgt. Mendonca had accounted for 37 enemy casualties. His daring actions stalled the crushing assault, protecting the platoon's withdrawal to secondary positions, and enabling the entire unit to repel the enemy attack and retain possession of the vital hilltop position. Sgt. Mendonca's extraordinary gallantry and exemplary valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
*NEWLIN, MELVIN EARL
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 4 July 1967. Entered service at: Cleveland, Ohio. Born: 27 September 1948, Wellsville, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner attached to the 1st Platoon, Company F, 2d Battalion, on 3 and 4 July 1967. Pfc. Newlin, with 4 other marines, was manning a key position on the perimeter of the Nong Son outpost when the enemy launched a savage and well coordinated mortar and infantry assault, seriously wounding him and killing his 4 comrades. Propping himself against his machinegun, he poured a deadly accurate stream of fire into the charging ranks of the Viet Cong. Though repeatedly hit by small-arms fire, he twice repelled enemy attempts to overrun his position. During the third attempt, a grenade explosion wounded him again and knocked him to the ground unconscious. The Viet Cong guerrillas, believing him dead, bypassed him and continued their assault on the main force. Meanwhile, Pfc. Newlin regained consciousness, crawled back to his weapon, and brought it to bear on the rear of the enemy, causing havoc and confusion among them. Spotting the enemy attempting to bring a captured 106 recoilless weapon to bear on other marine positions, he shifted his fire, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy and preventing them from firing the captured weapon. He then shifted his fire back to the primary enemy force, causing the enemy to stop their assault on the marine bunkers and to once again attack his machinegun position. Valiantly fighting off 2 more enemy assaults, he firmly held his ground until mortally wounded. Pfc. Newlin had single-handedly broken up and disorganized the entire enemy assault force, causing them to lose momentum and delaying them long enough for his fellow marines to organize a defense and beat off their secondary attack. His indomitable courage, fortitude, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death reflect great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 4, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
4 July
1908: Scientific American offered the first American air trophy for the first flight of one kilometer. Glenn H. Curtiss won this award at Hammondsport in the June Bug with a 1-minute, 42.5- second flight at 39 MPH. An FAI representative timed and measured the event, and it was the first official test of an airplane made in America. (20)
1923: Lts R. S. Olmstead and J. W. Shaptow won the National Balloon Race at Indianapolis by flying 449.5 miles.
1927: In a flight from Ford Airport to Montvale, Va., D. J. Hill and A. G. Schlosser set a FAI duration record for subclasses A-5 and A-6 balloons (900-1,600 cubic meters) that lasted until 1939. They stayed aloft 26 hours 28 minutes. In a second balloon, S. A. Rasmussen flew from Ford Airport to Hookerton, N.C. to set a FAI distance record of 571 miles for the A-5 subclass (900 to 1,200 cubic meters). (9)
1939: Lt Robert M. Stanley (USN) set an American altitude record for single-place gliders when he soared to 17,263.743 feet at Elmira. (24)
1942: KEY EVENT. The 15 BMS flew the first American bombing mission from the UK in World War II. Six American-manned A-20 Boston Bombers belonging to the RAF joined six British-manned A-20s in an attack against four Nazi airdromes in Holland. (4) (24) The Flying Tigers joined the Army Air Forces as the 23 FG. (20)
1952: Operation FOX PETER ONE. Through 17 July, the first mass flight of jet fighters to be supported by aerial refueling, as well as the first flight by large numbers of jet fighters from the United States to Japan, flew westward. In the operation, KB-29Ps provided 118 air refuelings to the 59 F-84G Thunderjets from the 31 FEW at Turner AFB, Ga. Col David C. Schilling led the flight from Turner on 4 July and landed at Yokota AB on 16 and 17 July. They flew the 10,895 miles with only seven stops. The KB-29 refuelings occurred over the US and before Hawaii. MATS aircraft also carried wing support members to Japan. (16) (18) KOREAN WAR. Approximately 53 MiGs, some piloted by Soviets, attacked some 50 F-86s and 70 F-84s during a raid on the N. Korean Military Academy at Sakchu near the Yalu River. Fifth Air Force pilots downed 13 MiG-15s at a cost of 2 Sabres. Although 4 MiGs succeeded in passing through the protective fighter screen, they failed to destroy any fighter-bombers. Bombing results were poor.
1960: Max Conrad set a new world-class distance record in a Piper Comanche by flying 6,921.38 miles nonstop over a closed circuit course in 60 hours 6 minutes. (24)
1968: Radio Astronomy Explorer (RAE-H) launched from Western Test Range. The X-shaped antenna array "listened" for radio signals from solar, galactic, and extra-galactic sources.
1973: An AFRES HU-16, assigned to the 30lst Aerospace Recovery Squadron at Homestead AFB, set a world's altitude record for twin-engine amphibious aircraft. The plane flew to 32,833 feet and exceeded the old record by 4,000 feet. 1982: The Space Shuttle Challenger flown on a modified Boeing 747 to Kennedy Space Center. Meanwhile, the Columbia made its first landing on a concrete runway on its last test flight with nearly 500,000 spectators, including President and Mrs. Reagan, looking on. (16) The F-16E/XL completed its first flight at Carswell AFB. (3)
1985: Through 10 July, C-141 Starlifters transported 285 fire fighters and 460 tons of flame retardant to suppress forest fires in Idaho and California. C-130 Hercules aircraft flew 200 sorties to drop flame retardant on hot spots. (16) (18)
1987: MACKAY TROPHY. Four USAF crewmembers took off in a B-1B from the Rockwell plant at Palmdale for its initial acceptance flight. They set a speed and payload record off the Pacific Coast by traveling 1,080 nautical miles with a 66,140-pound payload at 685 MPH. Then through 17 September, two B-1Bs from Detachment 15, Air Force Plant Representative Office and System Program Office set 72 world and national speed, distance, and payload records. For this achievement, the detachment won the Mackay Trophy. (16) (26)
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Thanks to Carl
Independence Day
"Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them if we basely entail hereditary bondage on them." —Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking up Arms (1775)
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."
Upon the signing of our Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, that the 4th of July "ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty." He continued, "It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."
He added: "You will think me transported with Enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Days Transaction, even although We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."
On this, our nation's Celebration of Independence, I invite you to read about the history of Independence Day and the foundational Unalienable Rights of Man.
For a more complete context about our nation's founding and the progress toward the fulfillment of the Liberty enshrined in our Declaration and Constitution, read "The Patriot's Primer on American Liberty." Note that you can purchase these Liberty Primer Pocket Guides in bulk for distribution to schools, organizations, etc.
Reflecting on the American Revolution in 1818, John Adams observed: "But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments, of their duties and obligations. ... This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution."
And thus it has remained "in the minds and hearts" of American Patriots to this day.
As President Ronald Reagan warned: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
To that end, we remain vigilant, strong, prepared, and faithful.
On this Independence Day, and every day, join us in prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen — and all who stand in harm's way in defense of Liberty. Pray also for their families who also bear the burden and sacrifice of defending Freedom.
The Patriot Post is inspired by Patriots, supported by Patriots, and devoted to Patriots. Our mission and operations budget is funded entirely by the voluntary financial support of American Patriots like you!
Mark Alexander
Publisher, The Patriot Post
A historical footnote: The drawing for this edition features the Fort McHenry flag during the War of 1812, the inspiration for our National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner." You may notice it had 15 stars and stripes. In 1795, two stars and stripes were added to the colonial flag, representing Kentucky and Vermont. This was the only U.S. flag to have fifteen stripes. In 1818, Congress proclaimed that one star for each new state would be added on the 4th of July following the state's admission to the union and there would be thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies.
Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776
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