To All,
Good Monday morning November 6, 2023
Be sure to read the account from Micro's Vietnam air losses post this morning.
A lot of history this morning.
Regards,
Skip
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Today in Naval and Marine Corps History thanks to NHHC
November 6
1851 The U.S. Navy expedition under Lt. William L. Herndon, which was exploring the Amazon valley and its tributaries, reaches Iquitos in the jungle region of the upper Amazon. The expedition covers 4,366 miles from Lima, Peru to Para, Brazil.
1941 USS Omaha (CL 4) and USS Somers (DD 381) intercept the German blockade runner Odenwald disguised as a U.S. freighter and board her after the German crew abandon the ship. They bring the ship to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the boarding party is awarded salvage shares.
1942 The first officer and enlisted WAVES from training schools report for shore duty at installations around the United States.
1951 A P2V-3 Neptune patrol bomber assigned to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1) is attacked by two Soviet La-2 fighters over the Sea of Japan, about 18 miles from the Soviet coast near Vladivostok. All 10 crewmen are lost. Three days of search and rescue operations revealed no trace of them and they are declared deceased by the Navy in 1952.
1967 Helicopters from USS Coral Sea (CVA 43) rescue the 37-man crew of Liberian freighter Royal Fortunes after she runs aground on a reef in the Gulf of Tonkin.
1967 Pilot Cmdr. Joseph P. Smolinski and copilot Cmdr. George A. Surovik of VP-40 complete the last operational flight by seaplanes of the U.S. Navy in an SP-5B Marlin at NAS North Island, CA.
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Today in World History
November 6
1429 Henry VI is crowned King of England.
1812 The first winter snow falls on the French Army as Napoleon Bonaparte retreats form Moscow.
1860 Abraham Lincoln is elected 16th president of the United States.
1861 Jefferson Davis is elected to a six-year term as president of the Confederacy.
1863 A Union force surrounds and scatters defending Confederates at the Battle of Droop Mountain, in West Virginia.
1891 Comanche, the only 7th Cavalry horse to survive George Armstrong Custer's "Last Stand" at the Little Bighorn, dies at Fort Riley, Kansas.
1911 Maine becomes a dry state.
1917 The Bolshevik "October Revolution" (October 25 on the old Russian calendar), led by Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, seizes power in Petrograd.
1923 As European inflation soars, one loaf of bread in Berlin is reported to be worth about 140 billion German marks.
1945 The first landing of a jet on a carrier takes place on USS Wake Island when an FR-1 Fireball touches down.
1973 Coleman Young becomes the first African-American mayor of Detroit, Michigan.
1985 Guerrillas of the leftist 19th of April Movement seize Colombia's Palace of Justice in Bogata; during the two-day siege and the military assault to retake the building over 100 people are killed, including 11 of the 25 Supreme Court justices.
1986 A British International Helicopters Boeing 234LRR Chinook crashes 2.5 miles east of Sumburgh Airport; 45 people are killed, the deadliest civilian helicopter crash to date (2013).
1986 The Iran arms-for-hostages deal is revealed, damaging the Reagan administration.
1995 The Rova of Antananarivo, home of Madagascar's sovereigns from the 16th to the 19th centuries, is destroyed by fire.
1999 Australia's voters reject a referendum to make the country a republic with a president appointed by Parliament.
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November 1 1968 was the last Day of rolling Thunder. The Bear will continue shortly with a history of Commando Hunt. The war has another 4 years to go.
ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear … Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
You need to read this account
From Vietnam Air Losses site for Monday November 6
November 6: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=326
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
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Servicemembers Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature.
https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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A bit of humor
Estate Planning
Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with whom to share his fortune.
One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. "I may look like just an ordinary man," he said to her, "but in just a few years, my father will die, and I'll inherit 20 million dollars." Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother.
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Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Honor--Veterans' Day (Saturday, November 11)
My fellow veterans,
On this Veterans' Day I feel I must acknowledge your willingness to serve in the defense and/or protection of our great country. Someone once said, America will always be the home of the free, as long as it remains the home of the brave. You did your share and I will never forget. I only ask that you keeps those who are serving now in your prayers.
Submitted by Skip Leonard and Jim McDevitt:
To understand a military veteran you must know - - -
• We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure.
• We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.
• We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew.
• We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.
• We found new friends and new family.
• We became brothers and sisters regardless of color, race or creed.
• We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times.
• We didn't get enough sleep.
• We smoked and drank too much.
• We picked up both good and bad habits.
• We worked hard and played harder.
• We didn't earn a great wage.
• We experienced the happiness of mail call, and the sadness of missing important events.
• We didn't know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again.
• We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all.
• We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.
• Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn't.
• Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn't.
• Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare.
• We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can't fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical.
• We participated in time honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie.
• We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all.
• We have dealt with victory and tragedy.
• We have celebrated and mourned.
• We lost a few along the way.
• When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new, and some of us never came home at all.
• We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.
• We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don't experience, and few will understand.
• We speak highly of our own branch of service, and poke fun at the other branches.
• We know however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat.
• Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.
• It has no monetary value, but at the same time it is a priceless gift.
Submitted by Colleen Grosso:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHG_TA1T5mg
It happened every Friday evening, almost without fail, when the sun resembled a giant orange and was starting to dip into the blue ocean. Old Ed came strolling along the beach to his favorite pier. Clutched in his bony hand was a bucket of shrimp. Ed walks out to the end of the pier, where it seems he almost has the world to himself. The glow of the sun is a golden bronze now.
Everybody's gone, except for a few joggers on the beach. Standing out on the end of the pier, Ed is alone with his thoughts...and his bucket of shrimp. Before long, however, he is no longer alone. Up in the sky a thousand white dots come screeching and squawking, winging their way toward that lanky frame standing there on the end of the pier.
Before long, dozens of seagulls have enveloped him, their wings fluttering and flapping wildly. Ed stands there tossing shrimp to the hungry birds. As he does, if you listen closely, you can hear him say with a smile, 'Thank you. Thank you.'
In a few short minutes the bucket is empty. But Ed doesn't leave. He stands there lost in thought, as though transported to another time and place. When he finally turns around and begins to walk back toward the beach, a few of the birds hop along the pier with him until he gets to the stairs, and then they, too, fly away. And old Ed quietly makes his way down to the end of the beach and on home.
If you were sitting there on the pier with your fishing line in the water, Ed might seem like 'a funny old duck,' as my dad used to say. Or, to onlookers, he's just another old codger, lost in his own weird world, feeding the seagulls with a bucket full of shrimp.
To the onlooker, rituals can look either very strange or very empty. They can seem altogether unimportant ....maybe even a lot of nonsense.
Old folks often do strange things, at least in the eyes of Boomers and Busters. Most of them would probably write Old Ed off, down there in Florida ...That's too bad. They'd do well to know him better.
His full name: Eddie Rickenbacker. He was a famous hero in World War I, and then he was in WWII. On one of his flying missions across the Pacific, he and his seven-member crew went down. Miraculously, all of the men survived, crawled out of their plane, and climbed into a life raft.
Captain Rickenbacker and his crew floated for days on the rough waters of the Pacific. They fought the sun. They fought sharks. Most of all, they fought hunger and thirst. By the eighth day their rations ran out. No food. No water. They were hundreds of miles from land and no one knew where they were or even if they were alive.
Every day across America millions wondered and prayed that Eddie Rickenbacker might somehow be found alive.
The men adrift needed a miracle. That afternoon they had a simple devotional service and prayed for a miracle. They tried to nap. Eddie leaned back and pulled his military cap over his nose. Time dragged on. All he could hear was the slap of the waves against the raft...suddenly Eddie felt something land on the top of his cap. It was a seagull!
Old Ed would later describe how he sat perfectly still, planning his next move. With a flash of his hand and a squawk from the gull, he managed to grab it and wring its neck. He tore the feathers off, and he and his starving crew made a meal of it-a very slight meal for eight men. Then they used the intestines for bait. With it, they caught fish, which gave them food and more bait...and the cycle continued. With that simple survival technique, they were able to endure the rigors of the sea until they were found and rescued after 24 days at sea.
Eddie Rickenbacker lived many years beyond that ordeal, but he never forgot the sacrifice of that first life-saving seagull... And he never stopped saying, 'Thank you.' That's why almost every Friday night he would walk to the end of the pier with a bucket full of shrimp and a heart full of gratitude.
Reference: (Max Lucado, "In The Eye of the Storm", pp...221, 225-226)
Audie Murphy's wife...What a beautiful Lady
Audie was only 46 years old when he died in a helicopter crash in the Virginia Mts. He was bothered when he came back from the war and it really affected his life. He never got the medical help he needed.
Not many young people know who Audie Murphy was or how big a war hero he was. Two or three of the medals he earned would make most service men proud, but to have earned his decorations in battle is truly unbelievable.
Now to find out that his widow was also most certainly a hero. Truly fantastic.
List of Decorations for Audie Murphy:
• Medal of Honor
• Distinguished Service Cross
• Silver Star (with oak leaf cluster)
• Legion of Merit
• Bronze Star (with oak leaf cluster and Valor Device)
• Purple Heart (with two oak leaf clusters)
• U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
• U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal
• Presidential Unit Citation (with First Oak Leaf Cluster)
• American Campaign Medal
• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France )
• World War II Victory Medal
• Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany Clasp)
• Armed Forces Reserve Medal
• French Fourrage in Colors of the Croix de Guerre
• French Legion of Honor - Grade of Chevalier
• French Croix de guerre (with Silver Star),
• French Croix de guerre (with Palm)
• Medal of Liberated France
• Belgian Croix de guerre (with 1940 Palm)
• Additionally, Murphy was awarded: the Combat Infantry Marksman badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar.
Isn't it sad the media can tell us all about the BAD that goes on, but ignores the GOOD people? If a movie Star or politician stubs their toe we have to hear about it for Days!!!
(From the Los Angeles Times on April 15, 2010)
Pamela Murphy, widow of WWII hero and, later, movie actor, Audie Murphy, died peacefully at her home on April 8, 2010. She was the widow of the most decorated WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, and established her own distinctive 35 year career working as a patient liaison at the Sepulveda Veterans Administration hospital, treating every veteran who visited the facility as if they were a VIP.
Any soldier or Marine who came into the hospital got the same special treatment from her. She would walk the hallways with her clipboard in hand making sure her boys got to see the specialist they needed. If they didn't, watch out.
Her boys weren't Medal of Honor recipients or movie stars like Audie, but that didn't matter to Pam. They had served their Country. That was good enough for her. She never called a veteran by his first name. It was always "Mister." Respect came with the job.
"Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy," said veteran Stephen Sherman, speaking for thousands of veterans she befriended over the years. "Many times I watched her march a veteran who had been waiting more than an hour right into the doctor's office.
She was even reprimanded a few times, but it didn't matter to Mrs. Murphy. "Only her boys mattered. She was our angel."
Audie Murphy died broke in a plane crash in 1971, squandering millions of dollars on gambling, bad investments, and yes, other women. "Even with the adultery and desertion at the end, he always remained my hero," Pam told me.
She went from a comfortable ranch-style home in Van Nuys where she raised two sons to a small apartment - taking a clerk's job at the nearby VA to support herself and start paying off her faded movie star husband's debts. At first, no one knew who she was. Soon, though, word spread through the VA that the nice woman with the clipboard was Audie Murphy's widow. It was like saying General Patton had just walked in the front door.
Men with tears in their eyes walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Thank you," they said, over and over.
The first couple of years, I think the hugs were more for Audie's memory as a war hero. The last 30 years, they were for Pam.
One year I asked her to be the focus of a Veteran's Day column for all the work she had done. Pam just shook her head no. "Honor them, not me," she said, pointing to a group of veterans down the hallway. "They're the ones who deserve it."
The vets disagreed. Mrs. Murphy deserved the accolades, they said. Incredibly, in 2002, Pam's job was going to be eliminated in budget cuts. She was considered "excess staff."
"I don't think helping cut down on veterans' complaints and showing them the respect they deserve should be considered excess staff," she told me.
Neither did the veterans. They went ballistic, holding a rally for her outside the VA gates. Pretty soon, word came down from the top of the VA. Pam Murphy was no longer considered "excess staff."
She remained working full time at the VA until 2007 when she was 87.
"The last time she was here was a couple of years ago for the conference we had for homeless veterans," said Becky James, coordinator of the VA's Veterans History Project. Pam wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help some more of her boys. Pam Murphy was 90 when she died. What a lady.
(Dennis McCarthy, Los Angeles Times on April 15, 2010)
People see a Veteran and they thank them for their service. When we see each other, we give that little upwards head nod, or a slight smile, knowing that we have shared and experienced things that most people have not.
So, from myself to the rest of the veterans out there, I commend and thank you for all that you have done and sacrificed for our country. Try to remember the good times and make peace with the bad times. Share your stories.
But most importantly, stand tall and proud, for you have earned the right to be called a VETERAN.
Al
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VETERAN'S DAY is Saturday 11 November but this video and song are well worth watching. Thanks to Dutch
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wq0X0bwMprQ?feature=player_embedded
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
6 Fascinating Fall Superstitions, From Cinnamon Brooms to Onion Skins
Autumn has a lot of fans, and it's easy to see why, with the abundance of warm spices, colorful trees, crunchy leaves underfoot, and delicious seasonal produce. But fall also means the nights are getting longer, and many cultural traditions, from All Hallow's Eve to Dia de los Muertos, indicate a thin veil between our world and what lies beyond. It's an environment ripe for superstition.
For example, how does the annual harvest help predict how rough the winter ahead will be? Where does the wishbone tradition come from, and what's up with bobbing for apples? How do you ward off evil spirits while keeping your home smelling delightful? These six superstitions will help keep your fall festive — and just a little spooky.
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Catching a Falling Leaf Is Auspicious
Next time an autumn leaf blows past your face, try to catch it — legend has it that it will bring good luck, or that you get to make a wish on it. The superstition can get more complex depending on the color and type of leaf you catch: A red leaf (or maple leaves in general) could mean good luck in love, and an orange leaf could mean inner transformation. Ginkgo leaves symbolize enlightenment, as well as hope and resilience.
How long does the good luck last? It could be a week or a month or the whole season, depending on who you're talking to. After you catch it, you can release it back into the wind or bring it inside to incorporate into your seasonal decor.
Just so you know I hate picking up leaves…..skip
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Wishbones Bring Good Luck
Americans who celebrate Thanksgiving with a whole turkey may still observe this custom. Bird species have a part called the furcula, a forked bone that helps support them in flight, commonly known as the wishbone. In some traditions, two people pull either side of the wishbone, and the person who breaks off the bigger piece can either make a wish or enjoy good luck, depending on your version of the custom. The practice goes back to medieval England, where meals celebrating St. Martin's Day, also known as Martinmas (traditionally an end-of-winter feast day commemorating the fourth-century St. Martin of Tours), typically included geese.
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Carved Gourds Can Ward Off Evil Spirits
Woman carving big orange pumpkin into jack-o-lantern.Credit: kobeza/ Shutterstock
Ever wonder why we carve jack-o'-lanterns on Halloween? The tradition dates back to Celtic observations of Samhain, celebrated from October 31 to November 1. Because of the holiday's association with the supernatural, warding off dark forces was a must. Early traditions employed big bonfires to get the job done, but once towns developed, people needed something safer. Hollowed-out turnips or gourds were cheap and easy to get a hold of, so they became makeshift lanterns. Initially they were just pierced to let the light out, but gradually they started to take on the shape of the scary spirits they were supposed to scare off.
When European immigrants came to North America, there weren't as many turnips or gourds — but there were plenty of pumpkins, so the tradition evolved into the modern jack-o'-lantern.
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Bobbing for Apples Tells Your Romantic Future
Although it's not as much of a fall staple as it once was, bobbing for apples — the act of trying to pick an apple out of a bucket of water with your teeth — is a classic way to celebrate autumn. It's become more of an all-ages activity, but it has its roots in superstitious matchmaking.
In one tradition, women secretly marked apples before their potential mates went a-bobbing, and future matches were foretold depending on whose apple ended up in whose mouth.
In another practice, women were the ones doing the biting; if they managed to get the apple in one bite, it indicated true love, with the prognosis getting a little worse with each subsequent try. In a more complex tradition, the woman to bite an apple first would be the first to get married.
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Cinnamon Brooms Can Ward Off Bad Energy
The coming of longer nights inspired a lot of folklore about malevolent spirits — and with it, myriad ways to send them packing. Cinnamon brooms (strips of cinnamon bark tied into a broom shape) do double-duty as an air freshener and a paranormal protector. To ward off evil, you're supposed to hang one above your front door or literally sweep your porch with one. Nowadays, they're available in many grocery stores, so there's no crafting required.
Even if you don't believe in spooky stuff, cinnamon brooms make for festive and sweet-smelling fall decor, so they can't hurt.
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Onions Can Predict Winter Weather
When harvest season rolls around, the chilly winter months are just around the corner, which means climate divination and produce are a natural fit. Keeping an eye on your onion skins was once a popular way to predict winter conditions. Farmer's Almanac has a handy rhyme to tell you how to read them:
Onion's skin very thin,
Mild winter coming in;
Onion's skin thick and tough,
Coming winter cold and rough.
Thick apple skin, thick corn husks, and flowers blooming late in autumn are other traditional indicators that a rough winter is on its way. Fowl bones were also sometimes used: After their Martinmas celebrations, 15th-century Bavarians would let their Martinmas geese's breastbones dry out and use that to predict the weather, although it took special skills to interpret it.
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This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.
October 31, 1940
"All Clear." The Battle of Britain, which began on 10 July 1940, came to an end. It was a decisive victory for the Royal Air Force. As a result, Hitler cancelled his plans to invade mainland Britain. It is also significant as one of the first major military campaigns in history fought entirely by air forces. The UK's chained radar system and dispersed aircraft manufacturing capabilties, in addition to outstanding strategy, tactics, and airmanship, enabled them to overcome the Luftwaffe's 3:2 aircraft advantage.
November 1, 1954
The United States Air Force begins to retire the Boeing B-29 Superfortress from service. The B-29 Superfortress was the most technologically advanced—and complex—aircraft of World War II. It required the manufacturing capabilities of the entire nation to produce. Over 1,400,000 engineering man-hours had been required to design the prototypes.
November 2, 1950
In a ceremony at The White House, Washington, D.C., President Harry S. Truman presented the Harmon International Trophies for the period 1940–1949. The Harmon aviator's trophy was awarded to Lieutenant General James Harold ("Jimmy") Doolittle, United States Air Force (Retired), the wartime commanding general of the Eighth Air Force. General Doolittle had previously been awarded the Harmon U.S. national aviator's trophy in 1929, for his work on instrument flying. The international aviatrix trophy went to Colonel Jacqueline ("Jackie") Cochran, U.S. Air Force Reserve, for her service as Director of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), 1942–1944. She would eventually win fourteen Harmon trophies.
November 3, 1926
Charles Lindbergh jumps from his disabled airplane during an airmail flight, making this the fourth time he had to use his parachute to save his life.
November 4, 1972
Navy Cmdr. Philip R. Hite sets a recognized class record for distance in a closed circuit (turboprop aircraft) of 6,278.05 miles at NAS Patuxent River, Md., in a Lockheed RP-3D Orion.
November 5, 1959
Following a launch from a B-52 carrier, on its fourth powered flight, an X-15 (s/n 66710) suffered an in-flight explosion and fire during engine ignition. Its pilot, Scott Crossfield, made a successful emergency landing on Rosamond Dry Lake, but the fuselage of the fuel-heavy aircraft buckled just aft of the cockpit following touchdown. Footage of this accident is later incorporated in The Outer Limits episode "The Premonition", first aired Jan. 9, 1965.
November 6, 1998
Following Hurricane Mitch, which claimed more than 10,000 lives, USAF airlifters deliver 7.4 million pounds of relief cargo to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. The airlift ends on March 19, 1999, after more than 200 missions
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From the Birth of the Marines to the First Jet Fight by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
This Week in American Military History:
Nov. 7, 1811: The Battle of Tippecanoe is fought between U.S. forces – composed of U.S. Army infantry, Kentucky volunteers, and Indiana militia all under the command of Indiana Gov. William Henry Harrison – and elements of Shawnee chief Tecumseh's American Indian confederation under the command of Tenskwatawa (Tecumseh's brother).
The fighting, which takes place near present-day Battle Ground, Indiana, will be a victory for U.S. forces. And Harrison – destined to become a brig. gen. during the War of 1812 and ultimately president of the United States – will forever be known as "the hero of Tippecanoe."
Nov. 7, 1863: Union forces under the command of Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick decisively defeat Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Jubal Early in the Battle of Rappahannock Station (Va.).
Though a "a complete and glorious victory" for the Union Army, Confederate Col. Walter Taylor will refer to the battle as "the saddest chapter in the history of this army … miserable, miserable management." In six months, Sedgwick will be shot and killed by a Confederate sharpshooter during the bloody Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.
Nov. 8, 1805: The U.S. Army's Corps of Discovery – best known as the Lewis and Clark expedition – led by Capt. (future governor of the Lousiana
Territory) Meriwether Lewis and Capt. (future Brig. Gen. of Lousiana Territory militia and governor of the Missouri Territory) William Clark reach the Pacific Ocean.
In his journal, Clark writes (unedited): "Great joy in camp we are in view of the Ocian this great Pacific Ocean which we been so long anxious to See.
and the roreing or noise made by the waves braking on the rockey shores (as I Suppose) may be heard distinctly."
Nov. 8, 1942: U.S. and British forces begin landing in French North Africa, primarily Morocco and Algeria. Codenamed Torch, the operation is a huge success: Vichy French (Nazi collaborating) forces capitulate within two days, and the Allies establish a major foothold in Africa.
Nov. 8, 1950: U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Russell J. Brown, flying an F-86 Shooting Star, shoots down a North Korean MiG-15 fighter in history's first jet-to-jet combat. The dogfight, which lasts only 60 seconds, nearly kills Brown who barely manages to pull his shuddering aircraft out of a steep dive after the victory.
From Skip I think that the type of aircraft is incorrect The F-80 was the Shooting Star and the F-86 had not come to Korea yet
Nov. 10, 1775: Happy Birthday and Semper Fidelis to "the world's most exclusive gun club!" The Continental Congress authorizes the establishment of a force of American Marines for service on land and sea in the American War of Independence.
The legislation reads (unedited):
Resolved, That two Battalions of marines be raised, Consisting of one Colonel, two Lieutenant Colonels, two Majors, and other officers as usual in other regiments; and that they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that special care be taken, that no persons be appointed to office, or inlisted into said Battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so aquatinted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea when required: that they be inlisted and commissioned to serve for and during the present war between Great Britain and the colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress: that they be distinguished by the names of the first and second battalions of American Marines, and that they be considered as part of the number which the continental Army before Boston is ordered to consist of."
This directive heralds the birthday of the Continental (eventually, U.S.) Marine Corps. The first recruits to enlist – two weeks later – will be a motley mix of young adventurers and street toughs captained by the barkeep of a Philadelphia alehouse. Quickly whipped into a crack contingent of seagoing soldiers, the Marines will evolve into one of the world's premier military organizations, or – as rocker Ted Nugent says in a 2008 tribute to the Corps – "the world's most exclusive gun club."
Nov. 11, 1839: Virginia Military Institute opens its doors for the first time.
Nov. 11, 1865: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a surgeon contracted to the Union Army, becomes the first and only female recipient of the Medal of Honor. Walker receives the Medal for "meritorious service." But her award will be rescinded in 1917 when standards are stiffened and recipients have to have been engaged in "actual combat with an enemy." Nevertheless, Walker refuses to surrender the Medal, wearing it every day of her life until her death in 1919. Walker's award will be reinstated in 1977.
Nov. 11, 1918: World War I ends with the signing of the armistice between the Germans and the Allies on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month." Thus, Armistice Day, which in the United States will evolve into our present Veterans Day.
In 1927, nine years after the war, Pres. Calvin Coolidge will issue a congressionally authorized proclamation calling for the display of U.S. flags on all government buildings to remember Armistice Day. In 1938, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt will sign a bill into law making Armistice Day an official holiday within the District of Columbia. In 1954, Congress will change the name to Veterans Day to honor all American servicemen and women from all eras, and Pres. (retired Gen.) Dwight D. Eisenhower will call on the entire nation to appropriately observe the day.
Nov. 12, 1912: Nearly three years to the day before Lt. Commander Henry Mustin becomes the first American to make a catapult launch from a ship underway (see last week), Lt. Theodore Gordon Ellyson makes the first successful aircraft catapult launch in Naval aviation history. He does so in a Curtiss A-3 launched from a stationary coal barge. Ellyson will rise to the rank of commander, receive the Navy Cross for service in World War I, and be killed in a plane crash in 1928.
Nov. 12, 1942: The Naval Battle off Guadalcanal – pitting U.S. and Australian forces against the Japanese – opens, which will not only result in heavy losses for the Japanese, but will effectively turn the enemy's prosecution of the war from offense to defense.
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This Day in U S Military History
November 6, 2020
1917 – Bolshevik "October Revolution" (October 25 on the old Russian calendar), led by Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, seized power in Petrograd. Led by Bolshevik Party leader Vladimir Lenin, leftist revolutionaries launch a nearly bloodless coup d'ýtat against Russia's ineffectual Provisional Government. The Bolsheviks and their allies occupied government buildings and other strategic locations in the Russian capital of Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) and within two days had formed a new government with Lenin as its head. Bolshevik Russia, later renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was the world's first Marxist state. Born Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov in 1870, Lenin was drawn to the revolutionary cause after his brother was executed in 1887 for plotting to assassinate Czar Alexander III. He studied law and took up practice in Petrograd, where he associated with revolutionary Marxist circles. In 1895, he helped organize Marxist groups in the capital into the "Union for the Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class," which attempted to enlist workers to the Marxist cause. In December 1895, Lenin and the other leaders of the Union were arrested. Lenin was jailed for a year and then exiled to Siberia for a term of three years. After the end of his exile, in 1900, Lenin went to Western Europe, where he continued his revolutionary activity. It was during this time that he adopted the pseudonym Lenin. In 1902, he published a pamphlet titled What Is to Be Done? which argued that only a disciplined party of professional revolutionaries could bring socialism to Russia. In 1903, he met with other Russian Marxists in London and established the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (RSDWP). However, from the start there was a split between Lenin's Bolsheviks (Majoritarians), who advocated militarism, and the Mensheviks (Minoritarians), who advocated a democratic movement toward socialism. These two groups increasingly opposed each other within the framework of the RSDWP, and Lenin made the split official at a 1912 conference of the Bolshevik Party. After the outbreak of the Russian Revolution of 1905, Lenin returned to Russia. The revolution, which consisted mainly of strikes throughout the Russian empire, came to an end when Nicholas II promised reforms, including the adoption of a Russian constitution and the establishment of an elected legislature. However, once order was restored, the czar nullified most of these reforms, and in 1907 Lenin was again forced into exile. Lenin opposed World War I, which began in 1914, as an imperialistic conflict and called on proletariat soldiers to turn their guns on the capitalist leaders who sent them down into the murderous trenches. For Russia, World War I was an unprecedented disaster: Russian casualties were greater than those sustained by any nation in any previous war. Meanwhile, the Russian economy was hopelessly disrupted by the costly war effort, and in March 1917 riots and strikes broke out in Petrograd over the scarcity of food. Demoralized army troops joined the strikers, and on March 15, Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, ending centuries of czarist rule. In the aftermath of the February Revolution (known as such because of Russia's use of the Julian calendar), power was shared between the weak Provisional Government and the soviets, or "councils," of soldiers' and workers' committees. After the outbreak of the February Revolution, German authorities allowed Lenin and his lieutenants to cross Germany en route from Switzerland to Sweden in a sealed railway car. Berlin hoped (correctly) that the return of the anti-war Socialists to Russia would undermine the Russian war effort, which was continuing under the Provisional Government. Lenin called for the overthrow of the Provisional Government by the soviets, and he was condemned as a "German agent" by the government's leaders. In July, he was forced to flee to Finland, but his call for "peace, land, and bread" met with increasing popular support, and the Bolsheviks won a majority in the Petrograd soviet. In October, Lenin secretly returned to Petrograd, and on November 6-8 the Bolshevik-led Red Guards deposed the Provisional Government and proclaimed soviet rule. Lenin became the virtual dictator of the first Marxist state in the world. His government made peace with Germany, nationalized industry, and distributed land, but beginning in 1918 had to fight a devastating civil war against czarist forces. In 1920, the czarists were defeated, and in 1922 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was established. Upon Lenin's death, in early 1924, his body was embalmed and placed in a mausoleum near the Moscow Kremlin. Petrograd was renamed Leningrad in his honor. After a struggle for succession, fellow revolutionary Joseph Stalin succeeded Lenin as leader of the Soviet Union.
1941 – On Neutrality Patrol, USS Omaha (CL-4) and USS Somers (DD-381) intercept the German blockade runner Odenwald. The smuggler is carrying a cargo of rubber from Japan, disguised as U.S. freighter, board her after the German crew abandoned the ship, and brought the ship to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the boarding party was awarded salvage shares.
1944 – Plutonium is first produced at the Hanford Atomic Facility and subsequently used in the Fat Man atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.
1945 – The first landing of a jet on a carrier took place on the USS Wake Island when an FR-1 Fireball touched down.
1973 – The Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) assassinated Oakland school superintendent Marcus Foster and wounded Robert Blackburn, his assistant. The SLA warned against a proposed student ID program. Russell Little and Joseph Remiro were arrested following a shootout in Jan, 1974. Little's eventual conviction was reversed Feb 28, 1979, due to errant jury instructions. Remiro was sentenced to life in prison.
1979 – Ayatollah Khomeini took over in Iran.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*LEONARD, TURNEY W.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company C, 893d Tank Destroyer Battalion. Place and date: Kommerscheidt, Germany, 4-6 November 1944. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Birth: Dallas, Tex. G.O. No.: 74, 1 September 1945. Citation: He displayed extraordinary heroism while commanding a platoon of mobile weapons at Kommerscheidt, Germany, on 4, 5, and 6 November 1944. During the fierce 3-day engagement, he repeatedly braved overwhelming enemy fire in advance of his platoon to direct the fire of his tank destroyer from exposed, dismounted positions. He went on lone reconnaissance missions to discover what opposition his men faced, and on 1 occasion, when fired upon by a hostile machinegun, advanced alone and eliminated the enemy emplacement with a hand grenade. When a strong German attack threatened to overrun friendly positions, he moved through withering artillery, mortar, and small arms fire, reorganized confused infantry units whose leaders had become casualties, and exhorted them to hold firm. Although wounded early in battle, he continued to direct fire from his advanced position until he was disabled by a high-explosive shell which shattered his arm, forcing him to withdraw. He was last seen at a medical aid station which was subsequently captured by the enemy. By his superb courage, inspiring leadership, and indomitable fighting spirit, 1st Lt. Leonard enabled our forces to hold off the enemy attack and was personally responsible for the direction of fire which destroyed 6 German tanks.
*REEM, ROBERT DALE
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company H, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Vicinity Chinhung-ni, Korea, 6 November 1950. Entered service at: Elizabethtown, Pa. Born: 20 October 1925, Lancaster, Pa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a platoon commander in Company H, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Grimly determined to dislodge a group of heavy enemy infantry units occupying well-concealed and strongly fortified positions on commanding ground overlooking unprotected terrain. 2d Lt. Reem moved slowly forward up the side of the ridge with his platoon in the face of a veritable hail of shattering hostile machine gun, grenade, and rifle fire. Three times repulsed by a resolute enemy force in achieving his objective, and pinned down by the continuing fury of hostile fire, he rallied and regrouped the heroic men in his depleted and disorganized platoon in preparation for a fourth attack. Issuing last-minute orders to his noncommissioned officers when an enemy grenade landed in a depression of the rocky ground in which the group was standing, 2d Lt. Reem unhesitatingly chose to sacrifice himself and, springing upon the deadly missile, absorbed the full impact of the explosion in his body, thus protecting others from serious injury and possible death. Stouthearted and indomitable, he readily yielded his own chance of survival that his subordinate leaders might live to carry on the fight against a fanatic enemy. His superb courage, cool decisiveness, and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon 2d Lt. Reem and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 6, 2020 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
6 November
1909: The French government awarded Wilbur and Orville the Legion of Honor Cross at its New York consulate. (24)
1913: Experimental radio and fire control flights began at Fort Mills, Philippines, in cooperation with coastal defenses. (24)
1915: Lt Cmdr Henry C. Mustin (USN) launched the first airplane by catapault from a moving vessel, the USS North Carolina, at Pensacola Bay. (21) (24)
1923: Lt Al J. Williams (USN) flying an R2C-1 set a record by climbing to 5,000 feet in one minute at Mitchel Field.
1930: MEDAL OF HONOR. Edward V. Rickenbacker received the Medal of Honor for his service in World War I. As a pilot with the 94th Aero Squadron, Capt Rickenbacker became the leading American ace of the war with 24.33 aerial victories. (8: Nov 90)
1944: Allied Supreme Headquarters in France announced the formation of the First Tactical Air Force (Provisional) with American and French aircraft. (24)
1945: Ensign Jake C. West made the first jet-propelled landing on an aircraft carrier in a Ryan FR-1 Fireball, with a turbojet and conventional reciprocating engine. When the fighter's piston engine failed, West relied on the turbojet for his landing on the USS Wake Island. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. After photographic surveillance on 4 November showed the three railroad bridges at Yongmi-dong again in serviceable condition and two by-pass bridges nearing completion, 100 fighter-bombers returned to bomb the railroad bridges. The fighters also discovered new antiaircraft artillery positions and work to build a fifth bypass bridge. (28)
1953: A B-47 Stratojet flew from Limestone, Me., to Brize Norton, England, in 4 hours 43 minutes to set a new speed record for a transatlantic flight. (20) The X-1E made its last flight over Edwards. This flight concluded the X-1 flight test program.
1964: The USAF achieved the first completely overland flight of a fully instrumented four-stage Athena reentry research vehicle. Launched from Green River, the vehicle traveled about 417 miles and impacted nearly on target within the White Sands Missile Range.
1969: A 34,000-cubic foot balloon, twice as tall as the Washington Monument and the largest balloon ever launched, lifted a 13,800-pound payload over Holloman AFB. (5) (16)
1994: Through 8 November, two C-141s moved 37 tons of relief supplies to Egypt after flash floods covered as many as 70 villages. (16) (26)
1995: The second MILSTAR military communications satellite went into orbit aboard a Titan IV Centaur launched from Cape Canaveral. (16)
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