To All
Good Friday Morning July 14 2023.
Regards,
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This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
July 14
1813
During the War of 1812, Lt. John M. Gamble becomes the first Marine to command a ship in battle, USS Greenwich, when she captures British whaling ship Seringapatam.
1853
Commodore Matthew C. Perry lands and holds the first meeting with the Japanese at Uraga, in which he delivers President Millard Fillmores request for a treaty to representatives to the Emperor. Allowing time for reflection and discussion, Commodore Perry returns in March 1854 and finalizes the Treaty of Kanagawa.
1945
In the first naval gunfire bombardment of the Japanese home islands, Task Unit 34.8.1 warships bombard ironworks plant at Kamaishi, Japan.
1952
The keel to the Navy's first supercarrier, USS Forrestal (CVA 59), is laid down.
1955
The first flight of jet-propelled Martin P6M seaplane is completed at Baltimore, Md.
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This Day in World History July 14
1223 In France, Louis VIII succeeds his father, Philip Augustus.
1430 Joan of Arc, taken prisoner by the Burgundians in May, is handed over to Pierre Cauchon, the bishop of Beauvais.
1456 Hungarians defeat the Ottomans at the Battle of Belgrade, in present-day Yugoslavia.
1536 France and Portugal sign the Treaty of Lyons, aligning themselves against Spain.
1789 Parisian revolutionaries and mutinous troops storm and dismantle the Bastille, a royal fortress and prison that had come to symbolize the tyranny of the Bourbon monarchs, on July 14, 1789. This dramatic action signaled the beginning of the French Revolution, a decade of political turmoil and terror in which King Louis XVI was overthrown and tens of thousands of people, including the king and his wife Marie Antoinette, were executed.
By the summer of 1789, France was moving quickly toward revolution. Bernard-René Jordan de Launay, the military governor of the Bastille, feared that his fortress would be a target for the revolutionaries and so requested reinforcements. On July 12, royal authorities transferred 250 barrels of gunpowder to the Bastille, and Launay brought his men into the massive fortress and raised its two drawbridges.
At dawn on July 14, a great crowd armed with muskets, swords, and various makeshift weapons began to gather around the Bastille. Launay's men were able to hold the mob back, but as more and more Parisians were converging on the Bastille, Launay raised a white flag of surrender over the fortress. Launay and his men were taken into custody, the Bastille's gunpowder and cannons were seized, and the seven prisoners were freed. Upon arriving at the Hotel de Ville, where Launay was to be arrested and tried by a revolutionary council, he was instead pulled away by a mob and murdered.
The capture of the Bastille symbolized the end of the ancien regime and provided the French revolutionary cause with an irresistible momentum. In 1792, the monarchy was abolished and Louis and his wife Marie-Antoinette were sent to the guillotine for treason in 1793.
1798 The Sedition Act is passed by the U.S. Congress.
1864 At Harrisburg, Mississippi, Federal troops under General Andrew Jackson Smith repulse an attack by General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
1900 European Allies retake Tientsin, China, from the rebelling Boxers.
1933 Nazi Germany promulgates the Law for the Protection of Hereditary Health--the beginning of the Euthanasia program.
1938 Howard Hughes and crew set a new world record for an around-the-world flight.
1940 A force of German bombers attacks Suez, Egypt, from bases in Crete.
1941 Vichy French Foreign Legionaries sign an armistice in Damascus, allowing them to join the Free French Foreign Legion.
1945 American battleships and cruisers bombard the Japanese home islands for the first time.
1951 The George Washington Carver National Monument in Joplin, Missouri becomes the first national park honoring an African American.
1964 The United States sends 600 more troops to Vietnam
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post
Thanks to the Bear for burning up the ether as he tried to send these yesterday numerous times and before but my computer was not receiving them.
Skip… For The List for Friday, 14 July 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 14 July 1968…
18 F-105 warriors in for me as I wrestle with my computer…
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.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
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A bit of humor from Carl
Some sophisticated observations offered by sports heroes.....
Don Meredith, Dallas Cowboys Quarterback once said: "Coach Tom Landry is such a perfectionist that if he was married to Raqel Welch he'd expect her to cook."
Harry Neale, professional hockey coach: "Last year we couldn't win at home and we were losing on the road. My failure as a coach was that I couldn't think of anyplace else to play."
Reggie Jackson commenting on Tom Seaver: "Blind people come to the ballpark just to listen to him pitch."
Doug Sanders, professional golfer: "I'm working as hard as I can to get my life and my cash to run out at the same time. If I can just die after lunch Tuesday, everything will be perfect."
Mickey Lolich, Detroit Tigers pitcher: "All the fat guys watch me and say to their wives, 'See, there's a fat guy doing okay. Bring me another beer.'"
Tommy LaSorda , L A Dodgers manager: "I found out that it's not good to talk about my troubles. Eighty percent of the people who hear them don't care and the other twenty percent are glad I'm having them."
E.J. Holub, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker regarding his 12 knee operations: "My knees look like they lost a knife fight with a midget."
Vic Braden, tennis instructor: "My theory is that if you buy an ice-cream cone and make it hit your mouth, you can learn to play tennis. If you stick it on your forehead, your chances aren't as good."
Walt Garrison, Dallas Cowboys fullback when asked if Tom Landry ever smiles: "I don't know. I only played there for nine years."
John Breen, Houston Oilers: "We were tipping off our plays. Whenever we broke from the huddle, three backs were laughing and one was pale as a ghost."
Bum Phillips, New Orleans Saints, after viewing a lopsided loss to the Atlanta Falcons:"The film looks suspiciously like the game itself."
Al Hrabosky, major league relief pitcher: "When I'm on the road, my greatest ambition is to get a standing boo."
Paul Horning, Green Bay Packers running back on why his marriage ceremony was before noon: "Because if it didn't work out, I didn't want to blow the whole day."
Lou Holtz , Arkansas football coach: "I have a lifetime contract. That means I can't be fired during the third quarter if we're ahead and moving the ball."
Knute Rockne, when asked why Notre Dame had lost a game: "I won't know until my barber tells me on Monday."
Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers: "I learned a long time ago that 'minor surgery' is when they do the operation on someone else, not you."
George MacIntyre, Vanderbilt football coach surveying the team roster that included 26 freshmen and 25 sophomores: "Our biggest concern this season will be diaper rash."
Rick Venturi, Northwestern football coach: "The only difference between me and General Custer is that I have to watch the films on Sunday."
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From the archives
Another Great H-Gram from Admiral Cox and the folks at NHHC
"Battles That You've Never Heard Of," Part 2
Overview
This H-gram covers the Battle of the Pearl River Forts, China (1856); the Battle of Somatti, Fiji (1859; the Battle of Shimonoseki Strait, Japan (1863); the Formosa Expedition (1867); and the Battle of Ganghwa, Korea (1871). This H-gram includes cannibals!
Battle of the Pearl River Forts, China, 1856 In late 1856, as a detachment of U.S. Marines and sailors was withdrawing from the American compound in Canton, China, under a guarantee from the Chinese that U.S. interests would be protected during the outbreak of the second Opium War, a Chinese fort fired on a boat that was carrying Commander Andrew Hull Foote down the Pearl River to his ship, the sloop-of-war USS Portsmouth. The next day, the fort fired on a U.S. survey boat, killing the coxswain. Viewing the Chinese action as an egregious breach of good faith and an affront to the U.S. flag, the commander of the U.S. East Indies Squadron, Commodore James Armstrong, authorized Foote to take punitive action against the four Chinese forts that guarded the Pearl River approach to Canton. Armstrong was ill, and his flagship, the steam screw frigate San Jacinto, drew too much water to go up the river.
On 16 November 1856, two small steamships towed Portsmouth and sloop-of-war Levant upstream toward the forts. Levant ran aground, but Portsmouth engaged in an hours-long gunnery duel with the forts. Although she was damaged, Portsmouth's fire was much more accurate. On 20 November, with Levant refloated, the two sail sloops (augmented by much of San Jacinto's crew) were again towed within range of the Chinese forts. Once fire from the forts was suppressed, a 287-man detachment of Marines and armed sailors went ashore and captured the first fort from the landward side, turning its guns on the other three forts. The Marines beat off a 1,000-man Chinese counterattack with the considerable help of sailors with a wheeled boat howitzer. Over the next two days, the Marine and Navy force sequentially captured all four forts, and then set about demolishing them with explosives. During the course of the engagement, Portsmouth was hit 27 and Levant 22 times, but neither suffered critical damage, mostly attributable to bad Chinese gunnery. U.S. casualties included 7 killed in action, 3 killed in a demolition accident, and 32 wounded. Chinese casualties were estimated at 250–500 dead. For more on the Battle of the Pearl River Forts please see attachment H-063-1.
The Battle of Somatti, Fiji, 1859
The Fiji Islands were always regarded as a dangerous place to outsiders, and there had been previous skirmishes between the U.S. Navy and Fijian warriors (see H-Gram 062). In the summer of 1859, Fijian tribesmen on the island of Waya killed and cannibalized two American merchant seamen. The American consul in Fiji requested that the just-arrived sloop-of-war USS Vandalia take punitive action. As the water around Waya was too shallow for Vandalia, her skipper, Commander Arthur Sinclair, chartered the schooner Mechanic. Under the command of Lieutenant Charles Caldwell, Mechanic headed toward Waya with a party of 10 Marines, 40 sailors (with a 12-pounder lightweight wheeled boat howitzer), and three Fijian guides. After a harrowing nighttime climb up the steep mountainside, during which the howitzer got loose and fell down a 2,300-foot cliff, the landing party reached the summit at daybreak to find the Fijian warriors in full "battle dress" ready and waiting outside the village of Somatti. Despite their fearsome reputation, the warriors were no match for Marine rifles, nor did they appear ready to comprehend and counter a "flanking maneuver." At least 14 Somatti warriors were killed, including two chiefs, before they retreated into the jungle. Six Americans were wounded. The gun crew then proceeded to burn down the 115-hut village. A number of other Fijian tribes were appreciative of the U.S. action in that they had also been victimized by the Somatti. In the end, Fiji became a British colony, and a British problem. For more on the Battle of Somatti, please see attachment H-063-2.
The Battle of Shimonoseki Strait, Japan, 1863 The "opening of Japan" by Commodore Mathew Perry in 1854, with steam warships and shell guns, did not meet with universal acclaim among the daimyo (feudal lords) of Japan. For the first time in centuries, the emperor became actively involved in the affairs of state as the Tokugawa Shogunate lost face and power as a result of acceding to Perry's demands. In the spring of 1863, with the U.S. pre-occupied by the Civil War, Emperor Komei issued an "expel the barbarians" order. On the night of 25–26 June 1863, in defiance of the Shogunate, but in accord with the Emperor's edict, ships of the Choshu daimyo fired on the American merchant ship Pembroke at the entrance to the Shimonoseki Strait (which connects the Inland Sea with the East China Sea). Choshu guns from six forts overlooking the strait subsequently fired on and hit French and Dutch ships in the next days. (Five of the guns were new 8-inch Dahlgren guns, courtesy of the United States.) Although the emperor's order applied to all Western nations, the United States was the first to react.
On 16 July 1863, the steam screw sloop USS Wyoming (the only U.S. ship in the Far East at the time), under the command of Commander David McDougal, entered the Shimonoseki Strait ready for battle, expecting to be fired on. The Choshu did not disappoint. As soon as Wyoming was in range, all six forts opened up with a tremendous cannonade. However, McDougal had noted the range stakes in the strait, deducing that the Japanese had calibrated their guns to hit ships in the channel. Instead, McDougal steered so close to the shore that Japanese cannon balls missed 10–15 feet above the deck, tearing up the rigging and perforating the smokestack, but doing no serious damage. McDougal then headed toward the three armed Choshu ships at the far end of the channel, a sail bark, sail brig, and a steamer (all previously purchased from the United States). Wyoming passed the bark starboard-to-starboard at pistol-shot range as both ships emptied broadsides into the other. The heavier U.S. weapons were far more effective, although the Japanese got off three broadsides. Wyoming then did the same to the brig, leaving her in sinking condition.
Wyoming then passed the steamer port to port and engaged her with portside guns. She turned to port behind the steamer in order to open the range and use her two 11-inch Dahlgren pivot guns. In doing so, Wyoming ran aground. The steamer slipped her anchor and made a run at the screw sloop, either to ram or board, but Wyoming backed off in time. A well-aimed 11-inch shell passed clean through the steamer, but blew her boiler, causing her to sink in less than two minutes. Wyoming then re-engaged the brig with 11-inch guns and accelerated her trip to the bottom. The screw sloop put more rounds into the bark, leaving her severely damaged, and then worked over the forts until they were silent. Wyoming actually conserved ammunition because her primary mission was to engage the Confederate raider CSS Alabama, which was not in the Far East yet. Wyoming was hit in the hull 11 times and suffered five dead and six wounded. Japanese casualties are unknown, but were probably considerable as the ships were described as "heavily manned."
McDougal believed that the Choshu had gotten the intended message. However, they raised the sunken ships, re-armed the forts, and continued to block the strait for another 15 months. Finally, in early September 1864, a combined 18-ship British, French, Dutch, and U.S. force attacked the Choshu again. The U.S. contribution was token. By that time, the only U.S. ship in the region was the sail sloop USS Jamestown, and all the other ships of the other navies were steam-powered, making her more of a liability. As a result, Jamestown's skipper, Captain Cicero Price, chartered the steam ship Ta-Kiang, put a 30-pounder Parrott gun on board along with 18 American crewmen, including a lieutenant and the surgeon, and then placed the ship under the command of the British admiral (which may have been a first). In the Second Battle of Shimonoseki Strait, Ta-Kiang performed useful service towing boats with British troops ashore and serving as a hospital ship for the "allied" force.
The end-result of these actions was a civil war in Japan (the "Boshin War" in 1868–69), in which forces siding with the emperor (Komei's son, Meiji) gained the upper hand. However, the Tokugawa navy, led by Vice Admiral Enomoto Takeaki, refused to surrender and attempted to establish an independent republic on Hokkaido. The imperial forces cobbled together a fleet of ships from several daimyo (including the Choshu). The Tokugawa had purchased an ironclad ram from the United States in 1867. She was originally built in France for the Confederate Navy and commissioned as CSS Stonewall, although she didn't reach the United States until after the Civil War ended. The United States held up delivery during the Boshin War, until it was obvious the Meiji forces were going to win (and Meiji wasn't nearly as anti-foreign as his father). In the hands of the imperial navy, Stonewall (re-named Kotetsu—literally "Ironclad") played a decisive role in the naval battle of Hakodate in 1869, in which the renegade Tokugawa navy was defeated (the action is considered the birth of the Imperial Japanese Navy).
President Theodore Roosevelt wrote, "Had that action [Shimonoseki Strait] taken place at any other time than the Civil War, its fame would have echoed all over the world." For more on the Battle of Shimonoseki Strait, please see attachment H-063-3.
The Formosa Expedition, 1867
In March of 1867, aboriginal Paiwan warriors massacred the crew (including the captain's wife) of the American merchant bark Rover, which had wrecked on the southern tip of Formosa. In June, the United States launched a punitive expedition. (Regular steamship service from the United States to the Far East had recently been instituted, enabling Washington to become involved and accelerate or delay overseas operations—compare with Wyoming's deployment at Shimonoseki Strait.) On 13 June, the U.S. East Indies flagship, screw sloop USS Hartford (of Civil War, Admiral Farragut, and "damn the torpedoes" fame) and USS Wyoming arrived off the area where Rover had wrecked. A force of 181 Marines and sailors, under the overall command of Commander George E. Belknap, went ashore. In a poorly conceived operation, with no intelligence as to the objective and terrain, nor even much of a plan upon reaching the objective other than to "punish the Paiwan," the American forces thrashed around for hours in the steaming-hot jungle in two columns. The Paiwan were not taken by surprise and their defense consisted of a version of "rope-a-dope." The mostly unseen Paiwan would loose spears, stones, and occasional musket fire, causing the Marines and sailors to charge until they were exhausted. With much of the force delirious and suffering from sunstroke and heat exhaustion, including the prostrate Commander Belknap, a Paiwan musket ball found its mark and mortally wounded Lieutenant Commander Alexander Slidell MacKenzie, leader of one of the columns. At this point, Belknap had had enough and the U.S. force withdrew. Paiwan casualties, if any, were unknown. Although an apparent failure, the expedition actually did impress the Paiwan, who subsequently signed an agreement with the U.S. consul not to kill any more shipwrecked sailors, to which they mostly adhered. For more on the Formosa Expedition, please see attachment H-063-4.
The Battle of Ganghwa, Korea, 1871
In August 1866, the American-flagged armed merchant schooner General Sherman sailed up the Taedong River to Pyongyang despite repeated Korean warnings to leave. Depending on the account, the purpose of General Sherman's voyage was to open trade with isolationist Korea, loot Korean royal tombs, or spread the Gospel. Along the way, the schooner left Bibles on the riverbank, took a senior Korean official hostage and demanded ransom, fired on a crowd ashore (killing five), and ran aground. After several days of skirmishing, the governor of Pyongyang had had enough and ordered the ship destroyed by fire raft. The entire crew of General Sherman burned or drowned, except two who made it to shore and were beaten to death by an angry mob.
In May 1871, the U.S. Asiatic Squadron showed up to do something about it. Under the command of Rear Admiral John Rodgers (son of War of 1812 hero John Rodgers), the force included the flagship, screw frigate USS Colorado; two new screw sloops of war, USS Alaska and USS Benicia; and two sidewheel gunboats, USS Monocacy and the smaller USS Palos. Embarked on Colorado was the U.S. minister to China, Frederick Low, as the primary stated mission of the force was to open trade with Korea and also investigate what had really happened to General Sherman. Attempts at diplomacy were stymied, as the Koreans steadfastly refused to negotiate and demanded that the U.S. force leave.
On 1 June, four U.S. steam launches, supported by the two gunboats, commenced a survey of the Salee River, which separates the island of Ganghwa from the Korean mainland and leads to the Han River, which in turn leads to the Korean capital of Seoul. Without warning, Korean forts on both sides of the river opened fire, which fortunately was inaccurate. The steam launches immediately returned fire with their boat howitzers, quickly joined by the heavier guns of the gunboats. The U.S. vessels eventually withdrew in the treacherous currents after Monocacy was damaged when she hit an uncharted rock.
Although the U.S. vessels were clearly in what today would be considered internal territorial waters, violating Korean sovereignty, in the 1800s the U.S. and European powers assumed the right to steam anywhere in non-Western nations they pleased. Rodgers and Minister Low were outraged that the Koreans had had the temerity to fire on U.S. ships. The Koreans were given 10 days to apologize and commence serious trade negotiations. After 10 days with no satisfactory response from the Koreans, Rodgers commenced a punitive phase of the operation.
On 10 June, the steam launches and gunboats returned to the Salee River (the bigger ships couldn't enter due to draft), this time towing 22 boats with a landing party of 109 Marines, 542 sailors, and 7 wheeled boat howitzers. The gunboats engaged the southernmost forts on the left (west) bank, fortunately causing most of the defenders to retreat. This was a lucky break, as the landing "beach" turned out to be a wide stretch of knee-deep muck. The Marines were able to capture the first fort in short order, but dragging the guns through the mud turned into an all-day affair under a blazing sun.
On 11 June, the Navy-Marine advance continued up the west bank of the river through very difficult terrain, capturing a second fort with the aid of naval gunfire (although Palos hit a rock and was forced out of the battle), and fighting through ambushes and small-scale counterattacks by Koreans with antiquated weapons that were no match for U.S. Remington rifles and howitzers. By noon, the U.S. force was within 150 yards of the most formidable of the forts on the west bank, defended by about 300 Koreans (considered an elite force) commanded by General Eo Jae-yeon. Realizing the Koreans only had single-shot weapons, mostly old matchlocks, about 350 Marines and sailors rushed the fort and scaled the ramparts. The Koreans resorted to throwing stones and spears, and the battle quickly turned into a 15-minute close-quarters melee, in which superior U.S. weapons overcame considerable Korean bravery. General Eo was killed by a Marine sharpshooter and the Koreans finally broke and fled toward the river, where many were trapped by Americans still outside the fort and were cut down by howitzers. Many drowned in the river and many committed suicide rather than surrender.
As the American assault on the fort culminated, a force of about 4,000–5,000 Koreans was forming up for a counterattack from the landward side. At the same time, the one fort on the opposite side of the river opened fire, but was suppressed by fire from Monocacy. The howitzers ashore kept the large Korean force at bay thanks to a timely resupply of ammunition from Monocacy. When the Koreans realized the fort had fallen, they opted not to press the counterattack.
American casualties in the operation were three dead and ten wounded (and others temporarily felled by sunstroke). The two gunboats were damaged by rocks in the river and were in need of repair. Fifteen Medals of Honor were subsequently awarded (nine to sailors and five to Marines), almost all for the hand-to-hand battle inside the last fort. This was the first time the award had been presented for operations against an overseas foreign adversary. Korean casualties included 243 corpses counted of an estimated total of 350 dead. The forts on the west bank were all demolished and over 40 guns captured or destroyed.
Minister Low seemed chagrined that the carnage in the forts did not make the Koreans any more inclined to negotiate a trade treaty. The force ashore was withdrawn to the ships on 12 June. After waiting in placve for another two weeks with no formal response from the Koreans (local officials refused to even forward letters to the regent of Korea, the Daewongun, for fear of his wrath). On 3 July, Rodgers's force steamed away with no trade treaty and little to show except for a daring, well-executed operation and a lot of dead Koreans, who were merely defending their country. The devastation of the Ganghwa forts did give impetus to factions in the Korean government who favored opening trade, at least enough to acquire decent weaponry. However, it was the Japanese who gained the advantage following a short battle at Ganghwa Island in 1875, which resulted in a Japanese-Korean trade treaty in 1876. The United States finally got a trade treaty with Korea in 1882. For more on the Battle of Ganghwa, please see attachment H-063-5.
As always, you are welcome to disseminate H-grams widely. One reason these battles are largely forgotten is that they are examples of what became derisively known as "gunboat diplomacy." Although at the time the United States was not considered an imperial power (as we had no aspirations for colonies or more territory—although Mexico might dispute that), we exhibited the same attitude of superiority toward Asians, Africans, and South Americans that the European powers did. Although national policy and the decisions of senior U.S. Navy commanders are open to debate, what is not debatable is that the ordinary U.S. sailors did their duty as their country asked, with extraordinary courage, innovation, and skill, in a harsh and unforgiving environment.
"Back issues" of H-grams, enhanced with photographs, may be found here.
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
7 Amazing Facts About America's Famous Founding Fathers
Few figures loom as large in American history as the Founding Fathers. Although wrapped in myth and shrouded in legend, these leaders lived fascinating lives molding a fractious colony into a new nation. Although their stories have been meticulously detailed — through their own writings as well as centuries of biographies and classroom textbooks — not everything about them is well known. Which famous general lost more battles than he won? Which two Founding Fathers died on the same day? Which one invented a strange musical instrument? Here are seven little-known facts about the men who created a nation.
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John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Died on the Same Day
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, bitter political rivals and, at times, close friends, died on the very same day — July 4, 1826, 50 years after signing the Declaration of Independence. The two were the last surviving of the original revolutionaries who helped forge a new nation after breaking with the British Empire. During their presidencies, the two diverged on policy and became leaders of opposing political parties, but at the urging of another founding father, Benjamin Rush, around 1812, Adams and Jefferson began a correspondence that lasted the rest of their lives. On his deathbed at the age of 90, Adams' last words were reportedly "Jefferson still lives," but he was mistaken — Jefferson had died five hours earlier in Monticello, Virginia.
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James Madison Was the Shortest President in U.S. History
Although James Madison's signature doesn't adorn the Declaration of Independence, as the nation's fourth President and chief architect of the Bill of Rights, he's widely regarded as one of the most influential Founding Fathers. Madison had a large impact on early U.S. history even though he is also the country's shortest President thus far, standing just 5 feet and 4 inches tall. That makes Madison a full foot shorter than America's tallest President, Abraham Lincoln (and no, that height doesn't include Lincoln's signature stovepipe hat).
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John Hancock Was Accused of Smuggling
Portrait of John Hancock.Credit: Stock Montage/ Archive Photos via Getty Images
On May 24, 1775, John Hancock became the presiding officer over the Second Continental Congress. A little more than a year later, his signature became famous when he wrote his name in grandiose letters, taking up some 6 square inches, on the Declaration of Independence. (Legend says Hancock wanted the king to be able to see it without spectacles.) However, Hancock was also known as an importer, and — at least when it came to British tea — was accused of being a smuggler. The British seized his sloop Liberty in 1768 because of suspected smuggling, which instigated a riot. Luckily, fellow founding father and lawyer John Adams cleared Hancock of all charges, and there was only flimsy evidence for the charges in the first place.
4 of 7
Sam Adams Might Never Have Brewed Beer
Sam Adams was the most influential member of the Sons of Liberty, a loosely organized political organization that formed in opposition to the Stamp Act in 1765. But to many Americans, he's also the name behind one of the most successful beer brands in the U.S. The company says it picked the name because its founder, Jim Koch, "shared a similar spirit in leading the fight for independence and the opportunity for all Americans to pursue happiness and follow their dreams." That's good, because it's not clear whether Sam Adams actually ever brewed beer. After his father's death in 1748, Adams inherited his malt house, which is where grains are converted into malt that's then sold to brewers. But within only a few years, the business was bankrupt and the malt house itself was crumbling; the whole family estate was then put up for auction. Adams proved more effective as a political firebrand than as a "maltster."
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George Washington Lost More Battles Than He Won
General George Washington embodies the phrase "losing the battle but winning the war," because during the American Revolution, he lost more battles than he won. Despite some experience in the British army, Washington had little experience fielding a large fighting force, and the Continental Army was filled with soldiers who were far from professional fighters. However, Washington's resilience, determination, and long-term strategy eventually won the day. According to Washington's aide Alexander Hamilton, the plan was simple: "Our hopes are not placed in any particular city, or spot of ground, but in preserving a good army … to take advantage of favorable opportunities, and waste and defeat the enemy by piecemeal." Washington, also aided by competent generals such as Nathanael Greene and assisted by the French Navy, decisively ended British ambitions in the colonies at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.
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Benjamin Franklin Invented a Musical Instrument Used by Mozart and Beethoven
In the mid-1700s, while serving as a delegate for the American colonies in Europe, Benjamin Franklin experienced a popular musical performance — singing glasses. Intrigued by the beautiful sound of a wet finger on glass, Franklin developed an instrument known as a "glass armonica" in 1761. Working with a glassblower in London, Franklin altered the thickness of glass bowls, interlocked along a rod, in order to produce a range of pitches.
Far from being one of Franklin's odder ideas (like his failed phonetic alphabet), the glass armonica was an 18th-century sensation. Some of the era's greatest composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, wrote music for the instrument. However, it was largely forgotten by the 1820s — many musicians complained of dizziness and other symptoms after playing it, with some blaming lead poisoning or the instrument's vibrations as the cause. Today, a few musicians still practice the subtle, ethereal art of the glass armonica.
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Alexander Hamilton Was Captain of One of the Oldest U.S. Army Regiments in Existence
Alexander Hamilton is known for many things — he was the prolific writer behind the Federalist Papers, the first secretary of the treasury, the creator of the U.S. Coast Guard, and the inspiration for one of Broadway's biggest musicals. What's less celebrated about Hamilton is his military career, though when fighting broke out, the eager immigrant from Nevis island in the Caribbean joined the cause. On March 14, 1776, Hamilton was named captain of the New York Provincial Company of Artillery, and soon fought in the battles at Kip's Bay and White Plains, among others. Hamilton slowly climbed up the military ladder, first serving as General George Washington's aide and then as commander of a light infantry battalion at the decisive Battle of Yorktown. However, it's his original artillery company that holds a singular distinction. Known today as 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, Hamilton's former artillery unit is one of the oldest active regiments still serving in the U.S. Army.
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This Day in U S Military History…….July 14
1825 – The visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to America in 1824-
1825 was in every sense a triumphal procession. The 2nd Battalion, 11th New York Artillery, was one of many militia turned out to welcome him. This unit decided to adopt the title "National Guard" in honor of Lafayette's command of the Garde Nationale de Paris during the French Revolution. The 11th Battalion, later designated as the 7th Regiment, was prominent in the line of march on the occasion of Lafayette's final passage through New York en route home to France. Taking note of the troops named for his old command he alighted from his carriage walked down the line clasping each officer by the hand as he proceeded. The 7th New York, with its designation "National Guard" went on to become one of the most famous of all Guard units well into the 20th century. Its nickname has come to represent all American militia for more than century.
1862 – Congress passed an act stating that: " . . . the spirit ration in the Navy of the United States shall forever cease, and . . . no distilled spiritous liquors shall be admitted on board vessels of war, except as medical stores . . . there shall be allowed and paid to each person in the Navy now entitled to the ration, five cents per day in commutation and lieu thereof, which shall be in addition to their present pay." Assistant Secretary of the Navy Fox and officers generally held that it was in the Navy's best interest to abolish the spirit ration.
1945 – Over 1000 US naval aircraft raid Hokkaido and the port of Kamaishi. Also, the American battleships South Dakota, Indiana and Massachusetts, as well as 2 heavy cruisers and 4 destroyers, bombard the Kamaishi steel works in the first naval gunfire directed against the Japanese home islands.
1950 – The week long Battle of Taejon begins. This was an early battle between American and North Korean forces during the Korean War. Forces of the United States Army attempted to defend the headquarters of the 24th Infantry Division. The 24th Infantry Division was overwhelmed by numerically superior forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA) at the major city and transportation hub of Taejon. The 24th Infantry Division's regiments were already exhausted from the previous two weeks of delaying actions to stem the advance of the KPA. The entire 24th Division gathered to make a final stand around Taejon, holding a line along the Kum River to the east of the city. Hampered by lack of communication, equipment and shortage of heavy weapons to match KPA firepower, the American forces being outnumbered, ill-equipped and untrained were pushed back from the river bank after several days before fighting an intense urban battle to defend the city. After a fierce three-day struggle, the Americans withdrew. Although they could not hold the city, the 24th Infantry Division achieved a strategic advantage by delaying the North Koreans, providing time for other American divisions to establish a defensive perimeter around Pusan further south. The delay imposed at Taejon probably prevented an American rout during the subsequent Battle of the Pusan Perimeter. During the action the KPA captured Major General William F. Dean, the commander of the 24th Infantry Division, and highest ranking American prisoner during the Korean War.
1952 – Laying of keel of USS Forrestal, the first 59,900 ton aircraft carrier.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
HIBSON, JOSEPH C.
Rank and organization: Private, Company C, 48th New York Infantry. Place and date: Near Fort Wagner, S.C., 13 July 1863, Near Fort Wagner, S.C., 14 July 1863; Near Fort Wagner, S.C., 18 July 1863. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: England. Date of issue: 23 October 1897. Citation: While voluntarily performing picket duty under fire on 13 July 1863, was attacked and his surrender demanded, but he killed his assailant. The day following responded to a call for a volunteer to reconnoiter the enemy's position, and went within the enemy's lines under fire and was exposed to great danger. On 18 July voluntarily exposed himself with great gallantry during an assault, and received 3 wounds that permanently disabled him for active service.
HOLTON, CHARLES M.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company A, 7th Michigan Cavalry. Place and date: At Falling Waters, Va., 14 July 1863. Entered service at: Battle Creek, Mich. Born: 25 May 1838, Potter, N.Y. Date of issue: 21 March 1889. Citation: Capture of flag of 55th Virginia Infantry (C.S.A.). In the midst of the battle with foot soldiers he dismounted to capture the flag.
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July 12, 1976
The Navy retired the last C-117 Skytrain.
July 13, 1977
A pilot in an F-4J Phantom II from NATC Patuxent River, Maryland, made the first landing using the microwave landing system at the FAA Test Facility, Atlantic City, N.J. The system was designed to reach out electronically, catch target aircraft, and fly them to safe landings without the pilots touching the controls.
July 14, 1922
Daedalian Life Member Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, a fighter pilot and triple ace with 16 official aerial victories in two wars, was born on this date as Robert Oldys Jr., at Luke Field Hospital, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii. He was the first son of Daedalian Founder Member #12856 Capt. Robert Oldys, Air Service, United States Army, and Eloise Wichman Nott Oldys. In 1931, the family name was legally changed from Oldys to Olds. As a child, Robert Jr., became known as "Robin," a dimunuitive of Robert. Learn more about this member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame HERE. .
July 15, 1939
The Army Air Corps acquired performance rights to the song "Wild Blue Yonder" by composer Robert Crawford. It subsequently became the official U.S. Air Force song.
July 16, 1969
Apollo 11, crewed by Neil A. Armstrong, Col. Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., USAF, and Lt. Col. Michael Collins, USAF, launched from John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin in lunar module Eagle separated from command and service module Columbia and descended to the moon. "Houston, Tranquility Base here — the Eagle has landed," Armstrong reported to mission control when the lunar module touched down on the moon at 1618 EDT. At 2256 EDT, a naval aviator became the first person to walk on the moon when Armstrong stepped onto the surface. Collins, who retired as a major general in the Air Force Reserve, is a Daedalian Life Member.
July 17, 1989
The first Northrop B-2A Spirit, 82-1066, took off from Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, on its first flight. The crew was Northrop Chief Test Pilot Bruce J. Hinds and Col. Richard Couch. The top secret "stealth bomber" prototype landed at Edwards AFB, California, 1 hour, 52 minutes later. After completing the flight test program, -1066 was placed in storage until 1993, awaiting upgrade to the Block 10 operational configuration. In 2000 it was again upgraded to the Block 30 standard. It is now named Spirit of America and assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Missouri.
July 18, 1980
NASA astronaut Charles Conrad Jr. became the 12th naval aviator enshrined at the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. Conrad, who died in 1999, was a Daedalian Life Member.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 14, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
14 July
1914: Dr. Robert H. Goddard received a US patent for a liquid-fueled rocket. (21)
1922: Aeromarine Airways began a flying boat service from Detroit to Cleveland. (24)
1943: Comiso Airfield was the first airfield recaptured in Sicily. Afterwards, a German JU-88 landed amid US flak shots. The pilot climbed out, shook his fist at the flak battery, and much to his surprise, became a prisoner. Later, two German ME-109s also landed, believing the airfield to be in German hands. They were also taken prisoner. (4)
1944: Navy PB4Y Liberators flew from Saipan to make the first strike on Iwo Jima by shore-based planes. (24)
1945: From Hollandia, A-20s set fire to Japanese oil fields at Boela, Ceram. They used rocket bombs for the first time in the Southwest Pacific. (24)
1948: Through 20 July, in the first West-East transatlantic flight of jets, 16 F-80s flew from Selfridge Field to Scotland. The trip across the Atlantic took 9 hours 20 minutes. (16) (26)
1950: KOREAN WAR. The 35th Fighter-Interceptor Group (FIG) moved from Japan to a new airfield at Pohang, thus becoming the first USAF fighter group to be based in S. Korea during the war. The 6132d Tactical Air Control Squadron, the first tactical air control unit in the war, activated at Taegu AB to provide forward, ground-based air control for aircraft providing close air support of UN forces. (28)
1951: KOREAN WAR. In one of the more spectacular night strikes of the war, a single B-26 of the 452 BG attacked two enemy convoys north of Sinanju in the early morning hours, claiming sixty-eight destroyed or damaged vehicles. Additionally, the first KB-29P flying boom refueling took place over enemy territory when a RB-45C was refueled over North Korea. (18) (28) Boeing delivered the first KC-97E tanker (number 51-183) to SAC's 306 AREFS at MacDill AFB. (1)
1952: The Ground Observer Corps started its Skywatch program under a nationwide air defense effort. (16) (24)
1958: The USAF decided that the flying boom delivery system would be its standard for air refueling aircraft. (18)
1960: Operation SAFARI. The Congo Airlift started from Evreux, France. (24)
1965: Launched on 28 November 1964, Mariner IV, came within 5,500 miles of Mars. It relayed the first photos of Mars taken from a spacecraft over 134 million miles to earth. (21)
1970: The C-5A Galaxy completed its first transpacific flight of 21,500 miles, inaugurating service to Hickam AFB, Andersen AFB, Clark AB, and Kadena AB. (16) (26)
1974: Gen Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, the first CSAF, died at Walter Reed General Hospital at age 83.
1980: From Vandenberg AFB, the 394th ICBM Test Maintenance Squadron launched the last Block 5D-1 Defense Meteorological Satellite. A Thor booster failed to place it in orbit. (6)
2001: A prototype Minuteman ICBM interceptor targeted and destroyed an unarmed Minuteman II ICBM over the central Pacific. Ten minutes after launch, the interceptor destroyed the warhead, traveling some 15,000 mph at more than 140 miles in altitude above the Earth. The 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg AFB and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization conducted the Ground-based Midcourse Defense Segment, formerly called the National Missile Defense Program, test. (AFNEWS Article 0961, 17 Jul 2001)
2005: An FA/22 Raptor flown by an AFFTC pilot dropped its first 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAM at supersonic speed. The test significantly increased the Raptor's operational capabilities. (3)
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