To All,
Good Monday morning November 13, 2023
I hope that you all had a great weekend
The Bobcat came three times last night. Not Good
Regards,
Skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
November. 13
1776 The Continental Navy ship Alfred, commanded by John Paul Jones, along with Continental sloop Providence, commanded by Hoysted Hacker, capture the British transport Mellish, carrying winter uniforms later used by Gen. George Washingtons troops. Three days later, Alfred captures the British brig Hetty off the New England coast.
1942 Cmdr. Herbert E. Schonland, Rear Adm. Norman Scott, Boatswains Mate First Class Reinhardt J. Keppler, and Capt. Daniel J. Callaghan courageously fight enemy forces during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Schonland later receives the Medal of Honor for his actions, while Scott, Keppler, and Callaghan posthumously receive the Medal of Honor for their actions.
1942 Gunners Mate Third Class Kenneth J. Spangenberg is killed on board USS San Francisco in the Battle of Savo Island and posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
1942 All five Sullivan brothers are lost when the USS Juneau (CL 52) is destroyed during the naval Battle of Guadalcanal.
1944 Aircraft from Carrier Task Groups 38.1, 38.3, and 38.4 attack Japanese shipping and port facilities at Manila and central Luzon.
1952 During the Korean War, USS Toledo (CA 133) carries out Operation "Counter-Punch against Kojo gun emplacements. Three direct hits are reported.
1957 The first firing of a Regulus II bombardment missile takes place at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
1976 The lead ship of the newly created Los Angeles-class submarine, USS Los Angeles (SSN 688), is commissioned.
1980 VFA-125 at NAS Lemoore, CA, is established as the first squadron to train Sailors and Marines to fly and maintain F/A-18 Hornets.
2017 Retired Navy Capt. Thomas J. Hudner Jr., who earned the Medal of Honor during the Korean War, passes away. On Dec. 4, 1950, Hudner crashed his own plane in order to aid downed fellow aviator Ensign Jesse L. Brown, who had been shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire.
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Today in World History November 13
1474 In the Swiss-Burgundian Wars, Swiss infantry shatters the army of Charles the Bold at Hericourt near Belfort, countering his march to Lorraine.
1835 Texans officially proclaim independence from Mexico, and calls itself the Lone Star Republic, after its flag, until its admission to the Union in 1845.
1851 The London-to-Paris telegraph begins operation.
1860 South Carolina's legislature calls a special convention to discuss secession from the Union.
1862 Lewis Carroll writes in his diary, "Began writing the fairy-tale of Alice--I hope to finish it by Christmas."
1878 New Mexico Governor Lew Wallace offers amnesty to many participants of the Lincoln County War, but not to gunfighter Billy the Kid.
1897 The first metal dirigible is flown from Tempelhof Field in Berlin.
1907 Paul Corno achieves the first helicopter flight.
1914 The brassiere, invented by Caresse Crosby, is patented.
1927 New York's Holland Tunnel officially opens for traffic.
1940 U.S. Supreme Court rules in Hansberry v. Lee that African Americans cannot be barred from white neighborhoods.
1941 A German U-boat, the U-81 torpedoes Great Britain's premier aircraft carrier, the HMS Ark Royal. The ship sinks the next day.
1942 Lt. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower flies to Algeria to conclude an agreement with French Admiral Jean Darlan..
1945 Charles de Gaulle is elected president of France.
1952 Harvard's Paul Zoll becomes the first man to use electric shock to treat cardiac arrest.
1956 The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously strikes down two Alabama laws requiring racial segregation on public buses.
1969 Anti-war protesters stage a symbolic "March Against Death" in Washington, DC.
1970 A powerful tropical cyclone strikes the Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), causing an estimated half-million deaths in a single night; the Bhola cyclone is regarded as the worst natural disaster of the 20th century.
1982 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedicated in Washington, DC.
1985 Some 23,000 people die when the Nevado del Ruiz erupts, melting a glacier and causing a massive mudslide that buries Armero, Columbia.
1989 Compact of Free Association: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau—places US troops wrested from Japanese control in WWII—become sovereign nations, associated states of the United States.
1989 Hans-Adam II becomes Prince of Liechtenstein (1989– ) upon the death of his father, Franz Joseph II.
2000 Articles of impeachment passed against Philippine President Joseph Estrada.
2001 US President George W. Bush signs an executive order allowing military tribunals against foreigners suspected of connections to planned or actual terrorist acts against the US.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
: WEEK ONE OF THE COMMANDO HUNT CAMPAIGN… 12-17 November 1968
Skip… For The List for Monday, 13 November 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)… the air interdiction campaign shifts to Laos… From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 11 February 2019… Week One of 170 weeks of hunting and destroying NVN trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
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
From Vietnam Air Losses site for Monday November 13
November 13: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=331
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/ )
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Thanks to Dave /Jade
Here's a little recognized snippet of Marine Corps history, Skip. Source, Navy Captain (ret) James Bloom,
Semper Fidelis,
From: James Bloom
Subject: Today in Naval History, Marine Corps Mailmen
We take it for granted in modern times that the Armed Forces, especially the Army National Guard, are called out to assist in the face of domestic emergency or turmoil. Historically however, the use of front-line military forces, such as the US Marine Corps, in such situations has been rare (notwithstanding their deployment in the past several decades as vaccinators and forest firemen). Two notable exceptions to this trend occurred during the "roaring" 1920s.
Coincident to the post-WWI euphoria was a rise in criminal activity, especially robberies. Banks were obvious targets, but equally attractive were large payroll and cash shipments that commonly travelled in the poorly guarded US Mail. In fact, two celebrated mail robberies in 1921 embarrassed President Warren G. Harding's Postmaster General and shook public confidence in our government's ability to secure this essential function. To restore the public's trust, Harding turned to his Secretary of the Navy, Edwin Denby, who on this day called up the US Marines to, "detail as guards for the United States Mails a sufficient number of officers and men...to protect the mails from depredations by robbers and bandits."
Harding, the consummate politician, was buying more than just protection. WWI had seen the US Marine Corps emerge from the doldrums of the 19th century. Their heroic stand at Belleau Wood in 1918 had "saved Paris from the Hun!" Memories of their ferocious fighting at Soissons and St. Mihiel were fresh in the minds of Americans. Having proved their mettle in the trenches of France, the Marines enjoyed an unassailable reputation at home. "Marine Corps" had become a household word by the 1920s, and "Go tell it to the Marines!" became a popular retort referencing their invincibility in the American public's eye. Harding's deployment of the Marines in this high-visibility tasking fulfilled the practical need for guards AND made political hay.
Approximately 53 officers and 2,200 Marines were sent to the country's major mail distribution sites. Operating in small rifle teams of two or three, the Marines rode shotgun on mail trains for the next four months. If challenged, these Marines were authorized to protect by, "shooting or otherwise killing or disabling any person engaged in the theft or robbery, or the attempted theft or robbery of the mails entrusted...", but never once did they use their weapons in anger. Their presence alone halted the robberies immediately. When similar problems recurred in October 1926, the Marines returned briefly as guards. Once again attacks on the US Mail halted completely. Following this latter episode, a permanent means of protection for the mails was established.
Canfield, Bruce N. "Guns of the Mail Guard Marines." Gun and Sword Collector, Vol 41 (1), February 2019, pp. 14-21.
Marine Corps Historical Center. "Marine Mail Guards, 1921 & 1926." Leatherneck.com website, AT: http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?16110-marine-mail-guards, retrieved 11 March 2019.
Metcalf, Clyde H. A History of the United States Marine Corps. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, NY, pp. 528-29, 1939.
Millett, Allan R. Semper Fidelis: The History of the United States Marine Corps. Macmillan Pub Co., New York, NY, p. 317, 1980.
Sweetman, Jack. American Naval History: An Illustrated Chronology of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-Present, 3rd ed. USNI Press, Annapolis, MD, 2002, pp. 131, 135.
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This week in Naval history from NHHC
Click on the highlighted items for much more information
Click ok a couple times and wait …it will come up
On Nov. 13, 1942, all five Sullivan brothers were lost when USS Juneau was destroyed during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. In commemoration of this tragic event, this week's webpage of the week is The Sullivan Brothers, located in the disasters and phenomena section of NHHC's website. On this page are links to a number of resources, including blogs, transcripts of the brothers' service, U.S. Navy policy regarding family members serving together at sea, Juneau and Battle of Guadalcanal information, digital resources about the battle, and information on ships named in honor of the Sullivans. Check out this page today and learn more about what happened on this day in history.
On Nov. 12, 1942, Lt. Cmdr. Bruce McCandless displayed superb initiative by assuming command of USS San Francisco during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal after all other personnel on the navigating and signal bridges were rendered unconscious, killed, or wounded. McCandless boldly continued to engage the enemy, leading San Francisco to victory. For his "conspicuous gallantry and exceptionally distinguished service," McCandless received the Medal of Honor on Dec. 12, 1942. Soon after the battle, he was promoted to commander.
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Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Preparing for Thanksgiving
A dozen reasons to be thankful when you burn the turkey…
• Salmonella won't be a concern
• No one will overeat.
• Everyone will think it's Cajun Blackened.
• Uninvited guests will think twice next year.
• Your cheese broccoli lima bean casserole will gain newly found appreciation.
• Pets won't pester you for scraps.
• The smoke alarm was due for a test.
• Carving the bird will provide a good cardiovascular workout.
• After dinner, the guys can take the bird to the yard and play football.
• The less turkey Uncle George eats, the less likely he will be to walk around with his pants unbuttoned.
• You'll get to the desserts quicker.
• You won't have to face three weeks of turkey sandwiches.
Did you hear about the mathematician who kept himself trim at Thanksgiving by only eating π (pi).
The Turkey Popped Out of the Oven written by Jack Prelutsky
The Turkey popped out of the oven and rocketed in to the air;
It knocked every plate off the table and partly demolished a chair.
It ricocheted into a corner and burst with a deafening boom,
Then splattered all over the kitchen, completely obscuring the room.
It stuck to the walls and the windows, it totally coated the floor,
There was turkey attached to the ceiling, where there had never been turkey before..
It blanketed every appliance, it smeared every saucer and bowl;
There wasn't a way I could stop it; that turkey was out of control.
I scraped and I scraped with displeasure and thought with chagrin as I mopped,
That I would never again stuff a turkey with popcorn that hadn't been popped.
How the modern day fighter pilot cooks a turkey at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfe6vOmJPSQ
"When I was a kid in Indiana, we thought it would be fun to get a turkey a year ahead of time and feed it and so on for the following Thanksgiving. But by the time Thanksgiving came around, we sort of thought of the turkey as a pet, so we ate the dog. Only kidding. It was the cat!"—David Letterman
Other Quotes…
• "It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a little emotional scarring."
• "Thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings, one by one, as each relative goes home."
• "Thanksgiving — when the people who are the most thankful are the ones who didn't have to cook." "Overeating at Thanksgiving is a case in point. It's a national tradition."
• "I like football. I find it's an exciting strategic game. It's a great way to avoid conversation with your family at Thanksgiving."
• "Good mashed potato is one of the great luxuries of life."
• "Archeologists 10,000 years from now will believe this was a sacred feast where gravy boats were worshipped."
• "You know that just before the first Thanksgiving there was one wise old Native American woman saying, "Don't feed them. If you feed them, they'll never leave."
• "I suppose I will die never knowing what pumpkin pie tastes like when you have room for it."
• "To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone."
• "Even though we're a week and a half away from Thanksgiving, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."
• "The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don't think so."
• "Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie."
• "It's not the minutes spent at the table that put on weight, it's the seconds."
• "Thanksgiving is an emotional time. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they see only once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often."
• "I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage."
• "You can tell you ate too much for Thanksgiving when you have to let your bathrobe out."
• "An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day."
• "A new survey found that 80 percent of men claim they help cook Thanksgiving dinner. Which makes sense, when you hear them consider saying 'that smells good' to be helping."
• "For those of you who cannot be with family this Thanksgiving, please resist the urge to brag "If you wish to make an apple pie truly from scratch, you must first invent the universe."
Have a great week,
Al
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Thanks to Brett
The Weekly Rundown: Xi and Biden at APEC, a Saudi Summit on Gaza
What We're Tracking
Xi and Biden at the APEC summit. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit will take place Nov. 15-17 in San Francisco, with the most anticipated event being the Nov. 15 meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Though neither side expects any breakthroughs, instead mostly aiming to manage the increasingly tense bilateral relationship, modest progress could be forthcoming in terms of reconstituting military-to-military communications and counternarcotics cooperation, particularly with regard to fentanyl. The summit also will draw other heads of state from across the Asia-Pacific region, including the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Regional security issues such as the South China Sea will be discussed, as will efforts to improve supply chain resiliency between friendly countries. Broader global issues such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza will also be on the agenda, though given the widely disparate views on these issues among the attendees, joint statements will not be strongly worded, if they emerge at all.
A Saudi-hosted summit with Arab and Islamic leaders regarding Gaza. Saudi Arabia plans to convene summits of Arab and Islamic leaders in the upcoming days to discuss the Gaza conflict. As initial discussions for postwar Gazan governance are beginning to emerge, this summit may be an opportunity for Arab nations to offer conditional pledges of reconstruction aid. Gulf states may be able to use such pledges to win influence with other international stakeholders on the matter, and to align their priorities with some of the initial demands of the Palestinian Authority regarding the possibility of its governing both Palestinian territories.
A first-round presidential election in Madagascar and a runoff in Liberia. Madagascar will hold a presidential election Nov. 16 that will likely see President Andry Rajoelina win reelection despite claims of electoral fraud, intimidation and violence carried out by the ruling party. A Rajoelina victory would mean that lucrative contracts with foreign companies and governments will likely remain in place as he makes limited mining sector reforms. But no matter who wins, the country will still struggle with poverty and underdevelopment. In Liberia, incumbent President George Weah will face opposition leader Joseph Boakai in a Nov. 14 runoff. Some opposition candidates who did not make it to the runoff have thrown their support behind Boakai in recent days, improving his odds of winning, although the race is likely to remain tight. No matter who wins, the new president will face a divided legislature, constraining any efforts at reform.
Protests and a vote of investiture in Spain. The Spanish legislature will vote Nov. 16 on whether to reappoint acting Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for another four years. The vote comes after Sanchez reached a controversial deal with Catalan separatists to grant amnesty to hundreds of people involved in the region's push for independence, which included the organization of an illegal independence referendum in 2017. Ahead of the vote, opposition parties will hold countrywide protests Nov. 12 against Sanchez and his amnesty law. While another Sanchez administration will result in policy continuity in Spain, it will come at the price of heightened social unrest because of the premier's cooperation with Catalan secessionists.
Another deadline that could trigger a U.S. government shutdown. The U.S. federal government will shut down unless lawmakers agree by Nov. 17 on a new continuing resolution to keep funding at current levels or, in a less likely development, agree on a new full budget. A last-minute compromise in late September averted a government shutdown Oct. 1, but since then, divisions among legislators — and especially within the Republican Party, which controls the House of Representatives — have prevented agreement on a path forward. Some Republicans have called for a "clean" continuing resolution, which would run through mid-January and include no spending cuts or conservative policy priorities. More hard-line Republicans are demanding major spending cuts and for any deal to include key priorities, like funding for more U.S.-Mexico border security measures. Reuters reported Nov. 10 that Republicans aim to unveil a stopgap spending measure the weekend of Nov. 11-12, though its precise contents remain unclear. Beyond the domestic impact of furloughing millions of federal government workers, a shutdown would also delay additional U.S. assistance for Ukraine.
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
Some interesting facts about Twins
Twins live longer.
What are the health benefits of having a close friend — like identical twins close — for your entire life? Well, according to research from the University of Washington, the positive effects on life expectancy can be astounding. In 2016, UW scientists analyzed data gathered in the Danish Twin Registry, one of the world's oldest registries on identical and fraternal twins. The data the scientists reviewed included information on nearly 3,000 same-sex twins who survived beyond the age of 10 from 1870 to 1900. With the data being over a century old, scientists could ensure that all subjects in the study had completed their natural life spans. The study found that twins enjoyed a significantly higher survival rate compared to the overall Danish population, an advantage that peaked for male twins when they were in their mid-40s and for female twins in their early 60s. At those ages, male twins were more likely to be alive by 6 percentage points — meaning that in a group of 100 Danish men back then, if 84 were still alive at age 45, for twins the number was 90. For female twins, the difference at the peak was 10 percentage points.
While both fraternal and identical twins outperformed their non-twin counterparts, identical twins showed even greater gains in life expectancy over fraternal twins, leading scientists to theorize that identical twins perhaps form deeper bonds due to an enhanced ability to predict their sibling's needs. The strength of social bonds in relation to health outcomes isn't unique to twins, though. A similar effect has been observed between married, or otherwise partnered, couples and single people, which is known as the marriage protection effect. Both examples show the vital need humans have for strong social connections, and connections don't get much stronger than the bond — and DNA — shared between identical twins.
There is an extremely rare third type of twin.
You've heard of identical and fraternal twins. The former, known as monozygotic, happens when twins originate from the same egg, while the latter, called dizygotic, happens when two separate eggs are fertilized at the same time (the most common type of twin). However, there's also an extremely rare third type of twin known as semi-identical, or sesquizygotic. First documented in 2007, this type occurs when two sperm fertilize the same egg. Sesquizygotic twins share the same placenta and will have somewhere between 50% to 100% of the same DNA (essentially on a spectrum between normal siblings/fraternal twins and identical twins). Although the twins also share the same amniotic sac, the two fetuses can actually be different sexes, something that's impossible with identical twins. To this day, only a handful of sesquizygotic twins have been identified.
5 Fascinating Facts About Twins
Twins are something of a natural phenomenon. While scientists understand the egg-splitting process that creates twins, researchers aren't so sure why it happens. That fascination has been with humans for thousands of years — if you need proof, just look to the night sky, where the constellation Gemini (Latin for "twins") shows how our interest in these duos has become part of both the astronomical and astrological world. Regardless of your own twin status or horoscope sign, you can celebrate these dynamic duos with the five facts about twins below.
1 of 5
The World Currently Has the Most Twins It's Ever Had
Many humans know the joy (and occasional annoyance) of having siblings. But some of us have a particularly unique relationship thanks to being half of a twin set. Being born a twin is relatively rare; in the United States, just 3.2% of new deliveries are twin births. But while that number may seem low, the world is actually experiencing the largest number of twins in known human history, largely influenced by advances in assisted reproductive technology. Researchers believe the number of twins born each year has increased over the last five decades, particularly when it comes to fraternal twins. A 2021 survey of 165 countries — about 99% of the world's population — found that 1 in 42 babies born today is a twin, a statistic that equates to 12 twin births for every 1,000 pregnancies. That number is up from the 1980s, when just nine sets of twins were born for every 1,000 pregnancies. And it adds up — scientists believe some 1.6 million twins are born each year.
2 of 5
Identical Twins Have Different Fingerprints
Only 1 in 3 sets of twins are identical; the remaining two-thirds are considered fraternal, essentially siblings born at the same time who may or may not look alike. But even if identical twins seemingly appear as carbon copies, they do have some differences — such as their fingerprints. The patterns on our fingertips develop in utero, and how they look for the rest of our lives is heavily affected by our environment before birth. Blood pressure, umbilical cord length, and how fast a fetus grows all impact the final print design. Because identical twins share the same DNA, it's likely their prints will be similar, though they'll never be duplicates. In the history of fingerprint studies, no two people have ever had matching marks, including twins.
3 of 5
Ohio Hosts an Annual Twin Festival
The city of Twinsburg lives up to its name each summer, beckoning thousands of twins to northwestern Ohio to celebrate their distinctive sibling relationships. Since 1976, the Twins Days Festival has been the world's largest gathering place for twins. Event organizers believe more than 2,145 twins (and other multiples, like triplets and quadruplets) attended the three-day fest in 2022, participating in events like the twin talent show, parade, and award ceremony. The event has also come to serve another purpose — by gathering so many multiples in one place, scientists have a chance to collect data on twins' genetic and behavioral similarities (and differences), giving researchers more insight into how our DNA and environment may play roles in our health and well-being.
4 of 5
Where You're Born Increases Your Odds of Being a Twin
While the global number of twins is higher than ever before, there's one part of the globe that holds the record for having the highest concentration of twins. Scientists believe the west coast of Africa, which includes countries such as Benin and Nigeria, beat the odds by a landslide on twin births. Studies from the 1970s on have pointed to both countries as the twin capitals, having anywhere from 27 to 40 sets of twins per every 1,000 births. It's unclear to researchers why twins are more abundant in that region of the world, though doctors and citizens point to possible cultural factors, like the regional diet that includes okra leaves and yams (which may have plant compounds that play a role in maternal fertility).
5 of 5
Time Makes Twins Less Alike
Similarities and differences can be an endless topic of conversation for twins, though some research suggests that twins become less alike the older they get — at least, genetically. As they grow older, twins often make contrasting life choices and have different environmental exposures (aka interactions with chemical or biological substances, like cigarette smoke or UV radiation from the sun). This can cause differences in appearance or behavior as they age, or lead one twin to develop a medical condition the other does not have. A 2005 study from the Spanish National Cancer Center analyzed blood samples from twins and found that younger twins had more identical genes than older twins, especially those who lived apart — meaning that despite being born a duo, all twins eventually blaze their own paths in the world
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This Day in U S Military History November 13
1775– U.S. forces under Gen. Richard Montgomery captured Montreal. This was a two-pronged attack on Canada, with the goal of capturing Quebec entrusted to Benedict Arnold, who was leading a force through a hurricane ravaged Maine wilderness.
1776 – Captain John Paul Jones in Alfred with brig Providence captures British transport Mellish, carrying winter uniforms later used by Washington's troops.
1942 – Off the coast of Guadalcanal, a Japanese convoy of 11 transports carrying 11,000 men and equipment escorted by Admiral Tanaka's "Tokyo Express" approaches the island. Admiral Abe command two battleships, two cruisers and 14 destroyers to give cover and to bombard Henderson Field airstrip to prevent American attacks. To the north, two further Japanese carriers are within striking range. American Admiral Callaghan, commanding a force of five cruisers and eight destroyers plots an interception course. In the early morning hours, Admiral Callaghan's force comes upon the Japanese force led by Admiral Abe. In an action lasting about half an hour, two Japanese cruisers are sunk and almost all other vessels suffer damage. The Americans lose two cruisers and four destroyers. The Japanese transport convoy turns back. Later in the day, the battleship Hiei, already badly damaged, is torpedoed by American aircraft and scuttled. After the battle, criticism concerning the effective use of the American radar is leveled. Problems are blamed on mismatched equipment and poor communication between the ships.
1942 – Loss of USS Juneau (CL-52) during Battle of Guadalcanal results in loss of Five Sullivan Brothers. In the aftermath of Juneau's loss, the Navy notified Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa, that all five of their sons were missing in action. Two of the brothers had served previous four-year enlistments in the Navy and so, when all five brothers enlisted together on 3 January 1942, the Navy was the obvious choice. They had also insisted on serving together on the same ship. Although the accepted Navy policy was to separate family members, the brothers had persisted and their request was approved. It was later learned, through survivors' accounts, that four of the brothers died in the initial explosion. The fifth, George Thomas, despite being wounded the night before, made it onto a raft where he survived for five days before succumbing either to wounds and exhaustion or a shark attack. The brothers received the Purple Heart Medal posthumously and were entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four engagement stars and the World War II Victory Medal. They had also earned the Good Conduct Medal. They were survived by their parents, Mr. Thomas F. Sullivan and Mrs. Alleta Sullivan, a sister, Genevieve Sullivan, and by Albert Leo Sullivan's wife, Katherine Mary Sullivan. Their son, James Thomas, was twenty-two months old at the time of his father's death. The service record transcripts for the five Sullivan brothers, as written on 16 January 1943 by the Bureau of Naval Personnel follow: Albert Leo Sullivan, Francis Henry Sullivan, George Thomas Sullivan, Joseph Eugene Sullivan, Madison Abel Sullivan.
1982– Near the end of a weeklong national salute to Americans who served in the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington after a march to its site by thousands of veterans of the conflict. The long-awaited memorial was a simple V-shaped black-granite wall inscribed with the names of the 57,939 Americans who died in the conflict, arranged in order of death, not rank, as was common in other memorials. The designer of the memorial was Maya Lin, a Yale University architecture student who entered a nationwide competition to create a design for the monument. Lin, born in Ohio in 1959, was the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Many veterans' groups were opposed to Lin's winning design, which lacked a standard memorial's heroic statues and stirring words. However, a remarkable shift in public opinion occurred in the months after the memorial's dedication. Veterans and families of the dead walked the black reflective wall, seeking the names of their loved ones killed in the conflict. Once the name was located, visitors often made an etching or left a private offering, from notes and flowers to dog tags and cans of beer. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial soon became one of the most visited memorials in the nation's capital. A Smithsonian Institution director called it "a community of feelings, almost a sacred precinct," and a veteran declared that "it's the parade we never got." "The Wall" drew together both those who fought and those who marched against the war and served to promote national healing a decade after the divisive conflict's end.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*CALLAGHAN, DANIEL JUDSON
Rank and organization: Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy. Born: 26 July 1892, San Francisco, Calif. Appointed from: California. Entered service at: Oakland, Calif. Other Navy award: Distinguished Service Medal. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty during action against enemy Japanese forces off Savo Island on the night of 12-13 November 1942. Although out-balanced in strength and numbers by a desperate and determined enemy, Rear Adm. Callaghan, with ingenious tactical skill and superb coordination of the units under his command, led his forces into battle against tremendous odds, thereby contributing decisively to the rout of a powerful invasion fleet, and to the consequent frustration of a formidable Japanese offensive. While faithfully directing close-range operations in the face of furious bombardment by superior enemy fire power, he was killed on the bridge of his flagship. His courageous initiative, inspiring leadership, and judicious foresight in a crisis of grave responsibility were in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the defense of his country.
*KEPPLER, REINHARDT JOHN
Rank and organization: Boatswain's Mate First Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 22 January 1918, Ralston, Wash. Accredited to: Washington. Other Navy award: Navy Cross. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and distinguished courage above and beyond the call of duty while serving aboard the U.S.S. San Francisco during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands, 1213 November 1942. When a hostile torpedo plane, during a daylight air raid, crashed on the after machine-gun platform, Keppler promptly assisted in removal of the dead and, by his capable supervision of the wounded, undoubtedly helped save the lives of several shipmates who otherwise might have perished. That night, when the ship's hangar was set afire during the great battle off Savo Island, he bravely led a hose into the starboard side of the stricken area and there, without assistance and despite frequent hits from terrific enemy bombardment, eventually brought the fire under control. Later, although mortally wounded, he labored valiantly in the midst of bursting shells, persistently directing fire-fighting operations and administering to wounded personnel until he finally collapsed from loss of blood. His great personal valor, maintained with utter disregard of personal safety, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
McCANDLESS, BRUCE
Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. San Francisco. Place and date: Battle off Savo Island, 1213 November 1942. Entered service at: Colorado. Born: 12 August 1911, Washington, D.C. Other Navy award: Silver Star. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and exceptionally distinguished service above and beyond the call of duty as communication officer of the U.S.S. San Francisco in combat with enemy Japanese forces in the battle off Savo Island, 1213 November 1942. In the midst of a violent night engagement, the fire of a determined and desperate enemy seriously wounded Lt. Comdr. McCandless and rendered him unconscious, killed or wounded the admiral in command, his staff, the captain of the ship, the navigator, and all other personnel on the navigating and signal bridges. Faced with the lack of superior command upon his recovery, and displaying superb initiative, he promptly assumed command of the ship and ordered her course and gunfire against an overwhelmingly powerful force. With his superiors in other vessels unaware of the loss of their admiral, and challenged by his great responsibility, Lt. Comdr. McCandless boldly continued to engage the enemy and to lead our column of following vessels to a great victory. Largely through his brilliant seamanship and great courage, the San Francisco was brought back to port, saved to fight again in the service of her country.
SCHONLAND, HERBERT EMERY
Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. San Francisco Place and date: Savo Island, 12-13 November 1943. Entered service at. Maine. Born: 7 September 1900, Portland, Maine. Citation: For extreme heroism and courage above and beyond the call of duty as damage control officer of the U.S.S. San Francisco in action against greatly superior enemy forces in the battle off Savo Island, 12-13 November 1942. In the same violent night engagement in which all of his superior officers were killed or wounded, Lt. Comdr. Schonland was fighting valiantly to free the San Francisco of large quantities of water flooding the second deck compartments through numerous shell holes caused by enemy fire. Upon being informed that he was commanding officer, he ascertained that the conning of the ship was being efficiently handled, then directed the officer who had taken over that task to continue while he himself resumed the vitally important work of maintaining the stability of the ship. In water waist deep, he carried on his efforts in darkness illuminated only by hand lanterns until water in flooded compartments had been drained or pumped off and watertight integrity had again been restored to the San Francisco. His great personal valor and gallant devotion to duty at great peril to his own life were instrumental in bringing his ship back to port under her own power, saved to fight again in the service of her country.
*SCOTT, NORMAN
Rank and organization: Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy. Born: 10 August 1889, Indianapolis, Ind. Appointed from: Indiana. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty during action against enemy Japanese forces off Savo Island on the night of 11-12 October and again on the night of 12-13 November 1942. In the earlier action, intercepting a Japanese Task Force intent upon storming our island positions and landing reinforcements at Guadalcanal, Rear Adm. Scott, with courageous skill and superb coordination of the units under his command, destroyed 8 hostile vessels and put the others to flight. Again challenged, a month later, by the return of a stubborn and persistent foe, he led his force into a desperate battle against tremendous odds, directing close-range operations against the invading enemy until he himself was killed in the furious bombardment by their superior firepower. On each of these occasions his dauntless initiative, inspiring leadership and judicious foresight in a crisis of grave responsibility contributed decisively to the rout of a powerful invasion fleet and to the consequent frustration of a formidable Japanese offensive. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.
SPURRIER, JUNIOR J.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company G, 134th Infantry, 35th Infantry Division. Place and dare: Achain, France, 13 November 1944. Entered service at: Riggs, Ky. Birth: Russell County, Ky. G.O. No.: 18, 15 March 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy at Achain, France, on 13 November 1944. At 2 p.m., Company G attacked the village of Achain from the east. S/Sgt. Spurrier armed with a BAR passed around the village and advanced alone. Attacking from the west, he immediately killed 3 Germans. From this time until dark, S/Sgt. Spurrier, using at different times his BAR and Ml rifle, American and German rocket launchers, a German automatic pistol, and handgrenades, continued his solitary attack against the enemy regardless of all types of small-arms and automatic-weapons fire. As a result of his heroic actions he killed an officer and 24 enlisted men and captured 2 officers and 2 enlisted men. His valor has shed fresh honor on the U.S. Armed Forces.
*GRANT, JOSEPH XAVIER
Rank and organization: Captain (then 1st Lt.), U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 13 November 1966. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Born: 28 March 1940, Cambridge, Mass. G.O. No.: 4, 29 January 1968. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Company A was participating in a search and destroy operation when the leading platoon made contact with the enemy and a fierce fire-fight ensued. Capt. Grant was ordered to disengage the 2 remaining platoons and to maneuver them to envelop and destroy the enemy. After beginning their movement, the platoons encountered intense enemy automatic weapons and mortar fire from the front and flank. Capt. Grant was ordered to deploy the platoons in a defensive position. As this action was underway, the enemy attacked, using "human wave" assaults, in an attempt to literally overwhelm Capt. Grant's force. In a magnificent display of courage and leadership, Capt. Grant moved under intense fire along the hastily formed defensive line repositioning soldiers to fill gaps created by the mounting casualties and inspiring and directing the efforts of his men to successfully repel the determined enemy onslaught. Seeing a platoon leader wounded, Capt. Grant hastened to his aid, in the face of the mass of fire of the entire enemy force, and moved him to a more secure position. During this action, Capt. Grant was wounded in the shoulder. Refusing medical treatment, he returned to the forward part of the perimeter, where he continued to lead and to inspire his men by his own indomitable example. While attempting to evacuate a wounded soldier, he was pinned down by fire from an enemy machine gun. With a supply of hand grenades, he crawled forward under a withering hail of fire and knocked out the machine gun, killing the crew, after which he moved the wounded man to safety. Learning that several other wounded men were pinned down by enemy fire forward of his position, Capt. Grant disregarded his painful wound and led 5 men across the fire-swept open ground to effect a rescue. Following return of the wounded men to the perimeter, a concentration of mortar fire landed in their midst and Capt. Grant was killed instantly. His heroic actions saved the lives of a number of his comrades and enabled the task force to repulse the vicious assaults and defeat the enemy. Capt. Grant's actions reflect great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Army.
*RABEL, LASZLO
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 74th Infantry Detachment (Long Range Patrol), 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Binh Dinh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 13 November 1968. Entered service at: Minneapolis, Minn. Born: 21 September 1939, Budapest, Hungary. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Rabel distinguished himself while serving as leader of Team Delta, 74th Infantry Detachment. At 1000 hours on this date, Team Delta was in a defensive perimeter conducting reconnaissance of enemy trail networks when a member of the team detected enemy movement to the front. As S/Sgt. Rabel and a comrade prepared to clear the area, he heard an incoming grenade as it landed in the midst of the team's perimeter. With complete disregard for his life, S/Sgt. Rabel threw himself on the grenade and, covering it with his body, received the complete impact of the immediate explosion. Through his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his safety and profound concern for his fellow soldiers, S/Sgt. Rabel averted the loss of life and injury to the other members of Team Delta. By his gallantry at the cost of his life in the highest traditions of the military service, S/Sgt. Rabel has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 13, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
13 November
1908: Wilbur Wright set an FAI altitude record of 82 feet in a Wright Biplane at Auvours, France. (9)
1943: Allied planes carried out the heaviest raid against New Guinea when 57 B-24s and 62 B-25s bombed Alexishafen and Madang airdromes. (21)
1946: Vincent Joseph Schaefer, General Electric Corp., produced the first artificial snow from a natural cloud. He dropped dry-ice pellets from a plane into a cloud over Greylock Mountain, Mass. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Through 14 November, five B-29s from the 307th Bombardment Wing in an experimental attack used incendiary clusters against the Sopo supply area but obtained poor results. (28) The US Atomic Energy Commission exploded the first hydrogen bomb in the Pacific. (4)
1961: At Malmstrom AFB, a Site Activation Task Force accepted the first Minuteman I (Model A) operational silo. (6)
1964: The solid propellant rocket for Titan II Space Booster's first stage fired at the United Technology Center in Sunnyvale, Calif. It had more than a million pounds of thrust.
1968: NASA test pilot John A. Manke flew the HL-10 Lifting Body on its first powered flight at Edwards AFB. (3)
1971: Mariner IX, launched on 30 May 1971, went into an elliptical orbit around Mars, and its first photographs were broadcast live by national television.
1989: The Navy's fourth test of the McDonnell-Douglas AGM-84E Standoff Land-Attack Missile (SLAM)--a variation of the Harpoon antiship missile--was successful. In this test, an A-6 crew launched the missile, but an A-7 pilot guided it to the target. (8: Feb 90)
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