To All,
Good Tuesday morning November 28, 2023
A beautiful clear and cool day in San Diego this morning. How many times I remember sitting at the end of the runway at NKX and then lighting the burner of anF-8 or two in the case of an F-14 then doing a Seawolf departure and then climbing out to watch the world unfold below me. Great memories.
Regards,
Skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
28 November
1775—Birthday of the Chaplain Corps after Congress adopts the first "Rules for Regulation of the Navy of the United Colonies."
1863—During the Civil War, the screw steam gunboat Chippewa convoys Army transport Monohansett and Mayflower up Skull Creek, SC, on a reconnaissance mission.
1941—USS Enterprise (CV 6) sails from Pearl Harbor for Wake Island to ferry Marine aircraft to the island. By Dec. 5, there are no carriers left at Pearl Harbor.
1944—In a multi-destroyer gun action, USS Saufley (DD 465), USS Waller (DD 466), USS Pringle (DD 477), and USS Renshaw (DD 499) sink the Japanese submarine I-46 in Leyte Gulf.
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Today in World History
November 28
1520 Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan, having discovered a strait at the tip of South America, enters the Pacific.
1729 Natchez Indians massacre most of the 300 French settlers and soldiers at Fort Rosalie, Luisiana.
1861 The Confederate Congress admits Missouri to the Confederacy, although Missouri has not yet seceded from the Union.
1868 Mt. Etna in Sicily violently erupts.
1872 The Modoc War of 1872-73 begins in northern California when fighting breaks out between Modoc Chief Captain Jack and a cavalry detail led by Captain James Jackson.
1899 The British are victorious over the Boers at Modder River.
1919 Lady Astor is elected the first woman in Parliament.
1925 The forerunner of the Grand Ole Opry, called the WSM Barn Dance, opens in Nashville, Tennessee.
1935 The German Reich declares all men ages 18 to 45 as army reservists.
1937 Spanish leader Francisco Franco blockades the Spanish coast.
1939 The Soviet Union scraps its nonaggression pact with Finland.
1941 The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise departs from Pearl Harbor to deliver F4F Wildcat fighters to Wake Island. This mission saves the carrier from destruction when the Japanese attack.
1943 Sir Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Franklin D. Roosevelt meet at Tehran, Iran, to hammer out war aims.
1944 The first shipment of supplies reach Antwerp by convoy, a new route for the Allies.
1948 Dr. Edwin Land's first Polaroid cameras go on sale in Boston.
1950 In Korea, 200,000 Communist troops launch attack on UN forces.
1961 Ernie Davis becomes the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
1963 Cape Canaveral is renamed Cape Kennedy.
1971 The Anglican Church ordains the first two women as priests.
1975 East Timor declares independence from Portugal.
1980 Operation Morvarid (Iran-Iraq War); Iranian Navy destroys over 70% of Iraqi Navy.
1984 Republican Robert Dole is elected Senate majority leader.
1989 Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announces it will give up its monopoly on political power.
1991 South Ossetia declares independence from Georgia.
2002 Suicide bombers blow up an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa, Kenya.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
COMMANDO HUNT … WEEK THREE OF THE HUNT… 27 NOVEMBER TO 3 DECEMBER 1968…
Skip… For The List for the week of Monday, 27 November through Sunday, 3 December 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT I-VII (1968-1972)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post of 26 November 1968…
A different kind of air war…Directed Air Support with fearless FACs in control…
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
A real story of courage and determination in this one…skip
From Vietnam Air Losses site for Tuesday November 28
November 28: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=344
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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A Real heart felt Bravo Zulu to Dave Lovelady
To All,
I received this from Micro recently. He has continued to update and expand the Vietnam Air Losses program he built many years ago . This is another area he has recently expanded to Include the details from HC-7. If you know of any of the other Helo squadron that have a similar Data please let us know. This is the most detailed effort that I know of for any War.
Subject: For The List: Updates on Vietnam Air Losses
Skip:
Some time back, I got a lot of data from HC-7 with details of their rescues and attempted rescues. I struggled for a long time to figure out how to present that information since it was in individual PDF files that were compiled over the years by Ron Milam, the Historian of HC-7. Finally, I decided rather than to try to insert all that information into our database that I would just provide a link to the original PDF files and include that link within the Narrative of a loss.
Some of the information was compiled from Chris Hobson's book, so sometimes the same Narrative that we have is repeated within the PDF; however, Ron added statements from the HC-7 crews and sometimes from the rescued personnel, as well. As you might expect, sometimes the information is sparse and all we get are the names and ranks of the helicopter crews, but more often we get fascinating stories told from their vantage point.
If you think some of the stories we already had were amazing, wait until you see some of these. There is no wonder that we love these guys.
To titillate your interest, I'll include just three of the inputs out of about 100 rescues and attempts that I've added to the database:
1. This one is your and my friend Paul Ringwood: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2916. He may not have known what else was going on around him at the time. I certainly hadn't heard of Operation Thunderhead, but maybe I'm the only one.
2. And this one is another example of the amazing stories: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2972
3. Of course, Medals of Honor are always awe-inspiring: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1814
If someone is interested in all of the rescues from HC-7, they can go to our Search Forms page at https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/search_forms.html and scroll to the very bottom. The search form there is designed to search just the Narratives. Just put "HC-7 Rescue" or "HC-7 Rescue Attempt"--WITH the quotation marks--in the search box and hit Enter ("HC-7 Rescue" as your search phrase will also retrieve the rescue attempts that were not successful). Those that I finished inputting today show a break below the original Narrative with an introductory paragraph about HC-7 and a link at the end to the PDF (or more than one PDF).
Some day I'd like to have HC-1 rescues, as well. All I have right now is a list of their rescues without any details to speak of. And perhaps we can get something from the Air Force some day and include those, as well. Right now, we have Ron Milam to thank for his incredible work in putting all of this together. It certainly gives us an idea of what they went through and their incredible dedication to saving our lives at risk of their own. "Greater love hath no man …."
One other thing: As some may know, our records have been lacking in that sometimes the names of survivors were not included in the records of aircraft losses. In the case of deaths or serious injury, the names were almost always included. We have been working with the great folks at NavSource (https://navsource.org/), Naval History site, where they have access to ship deck logs. Fabio Peña is the Manager, Aircraft Carrier & Escort Carrier Archives, and Bob Canchola is on his team. They have been going through deck logs in search of our "name unknown" entries, then compared the names they discover to the Registers of Commissioned Officers to get full names and ranks at the time. I don't know how many "unknowns" they've managed to find thus far, but I would think it's a few dozen thus far. They send me a few a week, and I put them in the database. At the same time, they have discovered discrepancies in the actual date of some of the losses, and we've opted to believe the date on the deck log rather than the original source material since those logs are generally accurate and are legal documents. Our thanks go to Fabio and Bob for all their assistance! You might give their site some visibility and see what great photos they have, as well as other resources.
All the best,
Micro
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.Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Thanksgiving Wrap-Up
A State Police colleague of mine once received a call from a woman who asked him how to baste a turkey. After a stunned moment, he, being a fairly good cook, described the procedure. Then he asked, "But why would you call the State Police to find out how to baste a turkey?"
There was only a slight hesitation before she replied, "Well, you knew, didn't you?" and hung up.
Submitted by Skip Leonard:
• As the leftover turkey said after it was wrapped up and refrigerated, "Foiled again."
• Or, as we always say: Show us a man who throws Thanksgiving leftovers in the garbage, and we'll show you a man who quits cold turkey.
• Did you hear about the film executive who produced so many movies that turned out to be turkeys that he was made an honorary Pilgrim?
In Atlanta, a 700-pound woman had to be removed from her house with a forklift. And ironically, it was the very same forklift she ate her Thanksgiving dinner with.
A four-year-old boy was asked to return thanks before the Thanksgiving dinner. The family members bowed their heads in expectation. He began his prayer, thanking God for all his friends, naming them one by one. Then he thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all his aunts and uncles. Then he began to thank God for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, even the Cool Whip. Then he paused, and everyone waited--and waited.
After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, "If I thank God for the broccoli, won't he know that I'm lying?"
One year at Thanksgiving, my mom went to my sister's house for the traditional feast. Knowing how gullible my sister is, my mom decided to play a trick. She told my sister that she needed something from the store.
When my sister left, my mom took the turkey out of the oven, removed the stuffing, stuffed a Cornish hen, and inserted it into the turkey, and re-stuffed the turkey. She then placed the bird(s) back in the oven.
When it was time for dinner, my sister pulled the turkey out of the oven and proceeded to remove the stuffing. When her serving spoon hit something, she reached in and pulled out the little bird. With a look of total shock on her face, my mother exclaimed, "Patricia, you've cooked a pregnant bird!"
At the reality of this horrifying news, my sister started to cry. It took the family two hours to convince her that turkeys lay eggs!
Yep................SHE'S BLONDE!
Asked to write a composition entitled, "What I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving," little Timothy wrote, "I am thankful that I'm not a turkey."
A Thanksgiving Story--Jasper and the Yeast Rolls
We have a fox terrier by the name of Jasper. He came to us in the summer of 2001 from the fox terrier rescue program. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this type of adoption, imagine taking in a 10 year old child whom you know nothing about and committing to doing your best to be a good parent. Like a child, the dog came with his own idiosyncrasies. He will only sleep on the bed, on top of the covers, nuzzled as close to my face as he can get without actually performing a French kiss on me. Lest you think this is a bad case of 'no discipline,' I should tell you that Perry and I tried every means to break him of this habit including locking him in a separate bedroom for several nights. The new door cost over $200. But I digress.
Five weeks ago we began remodeling our house. Although the cost of the project is downright obnoxious, it was 20 years overdue AND it got me out of cooking Thanksgiving for family, extended family and a lot of friends that I like more than family most of the time. I was, however, assigned the task of preparing 124 of my famous yeast dinner rolls for the two Thanksgiving feasts we did attend. I am still cursing the electrician for getting the new oven hooked up so quickly. It was the only appliance in the whole darn house that worked, thus the assignment.
I made the decision to cook the rolls on Wednesday evening to reheat on Thursday morning. Since the kitchen was freshly painted you can imagine the odor. Not wanting the rolls to smell like Sherwin Williams latex paint #586, I put the rolls on baking sheets and set them in the living room to rise for 5 hours.
After 3 hours, Perry and I decided to go out to eat, returning in about an hour. An hour later the rolls were ready to go in the oven. It was 8:30pm. When I went to the living room to retrieve the pans, much to my shock one whole pan of 12 rolls was empty. I called out to Jasper and my worst nightmare became a reality. He literally wobbled over to me. He looked like a combination of the Pillsbury dough boy and the Michelin Tire man wrapped up in fur. He groaned when he walked. I swear even his cheeks were bloated.
I ran to the phone and called our vet. After a few seconds of uproarious laughter, he told me the dog would probably be OK, however, I needed to give him Pepto Bismol every 2 hours for the rest of the night. God only knows why I thought a dog would like Pepto Bismol any more than my kids did when they were sick. Suffice to say that by the time we went to bed the dog was black, white and pink. He was so bloated we had to lift him onto the bed for the night.
Naively thinking the dog would be all better by morning was very stupid on my part. We arose at 7:30 and as we always do first thing; put the dog out to relieve himself. Well, the darn dog was as drunk as a sailor on his first leave. He was running into walls, falling flat on his butt and most of the time when he was walking his front half was going one direction and the other half was either dragging the grass or headed 90 degrees in another direction. He couldn't lift his leg to pee, so he would just walk and pee at the same time. When he ran down the small incline in our back yard he couldn't stop himself and nearly ended up running into the fence. His pupils were dilated and he was as dizzy as a loon.
I endured another few seconds of laughter from the vet (second call within 12 hours) before he explained that the yeast had fermented in his belly and that he was indeed drunk. He assured me that, not unlike most binges we humans go through, it would wear off after about 4 or 5 hours and to keep giving him Pepto Bismol. Afraid to leave him by himself in the house, Perry and I loaded him up and took him with us to my sister's house for the first Thanksgiving meal of the day. My sister lives outside of Muskogee on a ranch, (10 to 15 minute drive). Rolls firmly secured in the trunk (124 less 12) and drunk dog leaning from the back seat onto the console of the car between Perry and I, we took off.
Now I know you probably don't believe that dogs burp, but believe me when I say that after eating a tray of risen unbaked yeast rolls, DOGS WILL BURP. These burps were pure Old Charter. They would have matched or beat any smell in a drunk tank at the police station. But that's not the worst of it. Now he was beginning to fart and they smelled like baked rolls. God strike me dead if I am not telling the truth!
We endured this for the entire trip to Karee's, thankful she didn't live any further away than she did. Once Jasper was firmly placed in my sister's garage with the door locked, we finally sat down to enjoy our first Thanksgiving meal of the day. The dog was the topic of conversation all morning long and everyone made trips to the garage to witness my drunk dog, each returning with a tale of Jasper's latest endeavor to walk without running into something.
Of course, as the adage goes, "what goes in must come out" and Jasper was no exception. Granted if it had been me that had eaten 12 risen, unbaked yeast rolls, you might as well have put a concrete block up my behind, but alas a dog's digestive system is quite different from yours or mine. I discovered this was a mixed blessing when we prepared to leave Karee's house. Having discovered his "packages" on the garage floor, we loaded him up in the car so we could hose down the floor. This was another naive decision on our part. The blast of water from the hose hit the poop on the floor and the poop on the floor withstood the blast from the hose. It was like Portland cement beginning to set up and cure. We finally tried to remove it with a shovel.
I (obviously no one else was going to offer their services) had to get on my hands and knees with a coarse brush to get the remnants off of the floor. And as if this wasn't degrading enough, the darn dog in his drunken state had walked through the poop and left paw prints all over the garage floor that had to be brushed too.
Well, by this time the dog was sobering up nicely so we took him home and dropped him off before we left for our second Thanksgiving dinner at Perry's sister's house. I am happy to report that as of today (Monday) the dog is back to normal both in size and temperament. He has had a bath and is no longer tricolor. None the worse for wear I resume. I am also happy to report that just this evening, I found 2 risen unbaked yeast rolls hidden inside my closet door. It appears he must have come to his senses after eating 10 of them but decided hiding 2 of them for later would not be a bad idea.
Now, I'm doing research on the computer as to "How to clean unbaked dough from the carpet." And how was your day?
I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving,
Al
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From the archives
The New movie "Devotion" from Doug and Dr. Rich
Thanks to Doug
Hey Skip, don't know if you've seen the movie "Devotion" yet but my wife and did this afternoon. Incredible! I recommend you putting a plug in one of your Lists for it. Way more than just the Korean War--a real character study of aviators, the first black Naval aviator and his squadron relationships (VF-32). No preaching just a great, real-life story. One i did not actually know, I'm sad to say as i wish i had. No ending spoils, but thought i was aware of many Medal of Honor stories too--not this one. Anyway, recommending you consider a plug.
TNX...Doug
From Dr.Rich
Saw it last eve - GREAT!!
The air-air shots are spectacular … Don't know where they found so many flying Corsairs!! And the scene at the entrance to the Casino in Cannes, when Jesse brings his squadron mates to meet Elizabeth Taylor will stick w. you for a long time ...
It is the true story of Jessie Brown, the nation's first black Naval Aviator .. and his friend and wingman Thomas Hudner Jr. …
Here's a brief clip from the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCDEGP6VjYY
You'll see racism throughout, and the amazing job that Jessie did to confront it and conquer it … with lots of frustration and irritation. Don't miss this movie!!
Rich
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From the List archives
Thanks to Mud
This is very interesting and amusing. I can't imagine rotating at 11,999 feet on a 12,000 foot runway. If you have time, watch the video at the end.
S/F,
Mud
747 pilot comments about carrying the shuttle..
There is a video at the end which is wonderful to watch. But also take the time to read the pilot's email. Humorous and informative.
American ingenuity is something to be proud of.
A quick "trip report" from the pilot of the 747 that flew the shuttle back to Florida after the Hubble repair flight. A humorous and interesting inside look at what it's like to fly two aircraft at once.
Well, it's been 48 hours since I landed the 747 with the shuttle Atlantis on top and I am still buzzing from the experience. I have to say that my whole mind, body and soul went into the professional mode just before engine start in Mississippi, and stayed there, where it all needed to be, until well after the flight...in fact, I am not sure if it is all back to normal as I type this email. The experience was surreal. Seeing that "thing" on top of an already overly huge aircraft boggles my mind. The whole mission from takeoff to engine shutdown was unlike anything I had ever done. It was like a dream... someone else's dream.
We took off from Columbus AFB on their 12,000 foot runway, of which I used 11,999 feet to get the wheels off the ground. We were at 3,500 feet left to go of the runway, throttles full power, nose wheels still hugging the ground, copilot calling out decision speeds, the weight of Atlantis now screaming through m y fingers clinched tightly on the controls, tires heating up to their near maximum temperature from the speed and the weight, and not yet at rotation speed, the speed at which I would be pulling on the controls to get the nose to rise. I just could not wait, and I mean I COULD NOT WAIT, and started pulling early. If I had waited until rotation speed, we would not have rotated enough to get airborne by the end of the runway. So I pulled on the controls early and started our rotation to the takeoff attitude. The wheels finally lifted off as we passed over the stripe marking the end of the runway and my next hurdle (physically) was a line of trees 1,000 feet off the departure end of Runway 16. All I knew was we were flying and so I directed the gear to be retracted and the flaps to be moved from Flaps 20 to Flaps 10 as I pulled even harder on the controls. I must say, those trees were beginning to look a lot like those brushes in the drive through car washes so I pulled even harder yet! I think I saw a bird just fold it's wings and fall out of a tree as if to say "Oh just take me". Okay, we cleared the trees, duh, but it was way too close for my laundry.As we started to actually climb, at only 100 feet per minute, I smelled something that reminded me of touring the Heineken Brewery in Europe ....I said "is that a skunk I smell?" and the veterans of shuttle carrying looked at me and smiled and said "Tires"! I said "TIRES???OURS???" They smiled and shook their heads as if to call their Captain an amateur; okay, at that point I was. The tires were so hot you could smell them in the cockpit. My mind could not get over, from this point on, that this was something I had never experienced. Where's your mom when you REALLY need her?
The flight down to Florida was an eternity. We cruised at 250 knots indicated, giving us about 315 knots of ground speed at 15,000' The miles didn't click by like I am use to them clicking by in a fighter jet at MACH .94. We were burning fuel at a rate of 40,000 pounds per hour or 130 pounds per mile, or one gallon every length of the fuselage. The vibration in the cockpit was mild, compared to down below and to the rear of the fuselage where it reminded me of that football game I had as a child where you turned it on and the players vibrated around the board. I felt like if I had plastic clips on my boots I could have vibrated to any spot in the fuselage I wanted to go without moving my legs...and the noise was deafening. The 747 flies with its nose 5 degrees up in the air to stay level, and when you bank, it feels like the shuttle is trying to say "hey, let's roll completely over on our back"...not a good thing I kept telling myself. SO I limited my bank angle to 15 degrees and even though a 180 degree course change took a full zip code to complete, it was the safe way to turn this monster.
Airliners and even a flight of two F-16s deviated from their flight plans to catch a glimpse of us along the way. We dodged what was in reality very few clouds and storms, despite what everyone thought, and arrived in Florida with 51,000 pounds of fuel too much to land with. We can't land heavier than 600,000 pounds total weight and so we had to do something with that fuel. I had an idea...let's fly low and slow and show this beast off to all the taxpayers in Florida lucky enough to be outside on that Tuesday afternoon. So at Ormond Beach we let down to 1,000 feet above the ground/water and flew just east of the beach out over the water Then, once we reached the NASA airspace of the Kennedy Space Center , we cut over to the Banana/Indian Rivers and flew down the middle of them to show the people of Titusville , Port St.Johns and Melbourne just what a 747 with a shuttle on it looked like. We stayed at 1,000 feet and since we were dragging our flaps at "Flaps 5", our speed was down to around 190 to 210 knots. We could see traffic stopping in the middle of roads to take a look. We heard later that a Little League Baseball game stop to look and everyone cheered as we became their 7th inning stretch. Oh say can you see...
After reaching Vero Beach , we turned north to follow the coast line back up to the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). There was not one person laying on the beach...they were all standing and waving!" What a sight" I thought...and figured they were thinking the same thing. All this time I was bugging the engineers, all three of them, to re-compute our fuel and tell me when it was time to land.They kept saying "Not yet Triple, keep showing this thing off" which was not a bad thing to be doing. However, all this time the thought that the landing, the muscling of this 600,000 pound beast, was getting closer and closer to my reality. I was pumped up! We got back to the SLF and were still 10,000 pounds too heavy to land so I said I was going to do a low approach over the SLF going the opposite direction of landing traffic that day. So at 300 feet, we flew down the runway, rocking our wings like a whale rolling on its side to say "hello" to the people looking on! One turn out of traffic and back to the runway to land...still 3,000 pounds over gross weight limit. But the engineers agreed that if the landing were smooth, there would be no problem."Oh thanks guys, a little extra pressure is just what I needed!" So we landed at 603,000 pounds and very smoothly if I have to say so myself. The landing was so totally controlled and on speed, that it was fun. There were a few surprises that I dealt with, like the 747 falls like a rock with the orbiter on it if you pull the throttles off at the "normal" point in a landing and secondly, if you thought you could hold the nose off the ground after the mains touch down, think again...IT IS COMING DOWN!!! So I "flew it down" to the ground and saved what I have seen in videos of a nose slap after landing. Bob's video supports this!
Then I turned on my phone after coming to a full stop only to find 50 bazillion emails and phone messages from all of you who were so super to be watching and cheering us on! What a treat, I can't thank y'all enough. For those who watched, you wondered why we sat there so long. Well, the shuttle had very hazardous chemicals on board and we had to be "sniffed" to determine if any had leaked or were leaking. They checked for Monomethylhydrazine (N2H4 for Charlie Hudson) and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4). Even though we were "clean", it took way too long for them to tow us in to the mate-demate area. Sorry for those who stuck it out and even waited until we exited the jet.
I am sure I will wake up in the middle of the night here soon, screaming and standing straight up dripping wet with sweat from the realization of what had happened. It was a thrill of a lifetime. Again I want to thank everyone for your interest and support. It felt good to bring Atlantis home in one piece after she had worked so hard getting to the Hubble Space Telescope and back.
And a video, in case you haven't seen the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcI1e4KiDv0
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
6 Illuminating Facts About Secret Societies
The term "secret society" encompasses a wide variety of exclusive and clandestine organizations, many of which have been in existence for centuries and count some of history's most influential figures among their members. Secret societies pique our curiosity because they often keep their activities and objectives concealed from nonmembers and the public. Though there are exceptions, the intentions of these exclusive groups are generally not nefarious; for instance, some college clubs can be considered secret societies because they have private rituals and traditions whose symbolism and mystique serve to create a sense of belonging and shared purpose. The most prominent secret societies have left their mark on history, from wielding their influence over governments to shaping the course of labor and religious movements. Because of the secretive nature of these organizations, their historical origins can be complex to track down, and are often debated by historians and scholars. From the medieval beginnings of the Freemasons to the puzzling origins of Cicada 3301, here are six unusual facts about these mysterious groups.
One of the World's Oldest Secret Societies Still Flourishes Today
The history of the Freemasons dates back to the Middle Ages and the guilds of skilled stonemasons who regulated the qualifications of the stoneworkers. Their work required stonemasons to travel, encouraging a more open-minded worldview. The modern Freemasonry society was founded in England in 1717 and quickly spread throughout Europe and the American colonies. The organization established guidelines not only for stonework, but also for the moral and spiritual values of its members. Today, there are over 6 million Freemasons around the world. They still use the same system of secret rituals — including handshakes, passwords, and symbols — that have been used since the 18th century, but in recent years the group has begun making moves toward modernization and transparency. In 2021, the Freemasons issued the first annual report in their 300-year history.
The Real Illuminati Was Interested in Enlightenment for All
The name "Illuminati" has been used to refer to various groups, both real and fictional, since the 15th century. But the group most closely linked to the name dates back almost 250 years to the Bavarian Illuminati, formally known as the Order of the Illuminati. The short-lived secret society was founded in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, in 1776 by German professor Adam Weishaupt, who wanted to create "a state of liberty and moral equality, freed from the obstacles which subordination, rank, and riches, continually throw in our way." Taking inspiration from the Freemasons and French Enlightenment philosophers, Weishaupt formed a secret society that climbed to more than 2,000 members in Bavaria, France, Hungary, Italy, and other regions where Enlightenment ideas were taking hold. The Bavarian government eventually shut down the Illuminati in 1784, prohibiting the creation of any groups not authorized by law. But there were those who believed the society went underground, spawning a number of conspiracy theories that linked the group to world events, from the French Revolution to the 9/11 terror attacks.
Enslaved Women Founded America's Oldest Secret Society of Black Women
The annals of history are filled with the names of secret societies whose membership was exclusive to men, but women have also had a role in creating these clandestine groups. The United Order of Tents is the oldest organization of Black women in the United States, founded by two formerly enslaved women, Annetta M. Lane and Harriet R. Taylor, in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1867. The organization, which still maintains chapters throughout the United States, is believed to have supported operations of the Underground Railroad. During the turbulence of the Reconstruction era, the group provided mutual aid and support to the Black community, serving as a "tent of salvation" turning their time of need.
An Ancient Secret Society Inspired a Video Game Franchise
In the 11th century, the Nizari Ismailis were a group of powerful medieval Shiite Muslims in Persia and Syria. The group used guerilla tactics to outwit their enemies, including Christian Crusaders arriving in the Holy Land. Hated by other Muslim groups, they were given the name Hashishin, a pejorative Arabic word meaning "hashish user," which was later westernized by Crusaders as "Assassins" and the English word came to mean a paid killer. The group fell to the Mongols in the 13th century, but the legend of the Nizari Ismailis lives on. The video game "Assassin's Creed" creates a fictionalized world based around the Assassins and another ancient secret society, the Knights Templar, a military order established in the 12th century and endorsed by the Catholic Church. The Knights Templar served as protectors of Christian pilgrims and Crusader states in the Holy Land, but their objectives differed from those of the Nizari Ismailis. Though the timelines of the two groups overlap, there is no historical evidence to support that the two groups fought each other.
One Secretive Club Has Its Own Elite Summer Camp
Among all of the exclusive societies, the Bohemian Club may be the only one with its own elite summer camp. Founded in 1872 in San Francisco as an exclusive gentlemen's club for journalists, artists, and musicians, the Bohemian Club expanded to include international political and business leaders as well. Bohemian Grove, the club's privately owned 2,700-acre campground in the redwood groves of Sonoma County, provides a gathering place for a two-week summer encampment that includes secret rituals, performances, and private discussions that have changed the course of history. At the 1967 Bohemian Grove encampment, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan reportedly decided which of them would pursue the Republican presidential nomination. At a September 1942 gathering at Bohemian Grove, physicist Robert Oppenheimer attended an S-1 Executive Committee planning meeting to finalize details for the Manhattan Project, leading to the development of the atomic bomb. Given the privileged and private membership and traditions, it's not surprising that the group has been the subject of conspiracy theories and protests and, most recently, a lawsuit alleging wage theft and labor violations.
New Secret Societies Are Finding a Home Online
Though secret organizations have existed for centuries, the internet has given rise to new ones in recent years. One of the most enigmatic is Cicada 3301, which appeared online in 2012. The group claimed to be searching for "highly intelligent individuals" by presenting a series of complex digital puzzles based on cryptographic techniques including ciphers, codes, and steganography. Solving the puzzles involved a wide range of knowledge about coding, programming, literature, art, and other disciplines. There was some speculation that the puzzles were being used as a recruitment tool for intelligence agencies, while others thought they might be part of the promotion of a new game, though no attempt was ever made to monetize the puzzles. Those who solved the early puzzles were presented with additional challenges and login credentials for a darknet site. The group's identity remains unknown and they have been largely silent since 2014.
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From the Archives
This one has a great story of the A-7 for all you Attack Bubbas that flew it. The video has a second one that may come up about "Devotion" That was very well done.
; Thanks to Grant
The Shortest Littlest Ugliest Most Devastating Fighter
Thanks to Grant
If you haven't seen this already, sure, the Bubbas will enjoy the summary of this development!
Grant
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November 28
This Day in U S Military History
1942 – The first production Ford bomber, the B-24 Liberator, rolled off the assembly line at Ford's massive Willow Run plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Two years before, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had urged an isolationist America to prepare for its inevitable involvement in the war, declaring that U.S. industry must become "the great arsenal of democracy." Roosevelt established the Office of Production Management (OPM) to organize the war effort, and named a former automotive executive co-director of the OPM. Most Detroit automobile executives opposed the OAW during its first year, and were dubious of the advantages of devoting their entire production to war material. However, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and American citizens mobilized behind the U.S. declaration of war against the Axis powers. Since profit ruled Detroit, the government made Ford and America's other automakers an economic offer they could not refuse. For their participation in the war effort, automakers would be guaranteed profits regardless of production costs, and $11 billion would be allocated to the building of war plants–factories that would be sold to private industry at a substantial discount after the war. In February of 1942, the last Ford automobile rolled off the assembly line for the duration of the war, and soon afterward the Willow Run plant was completed in Michigan. Built specifically for Ford's war production, Willow Run was the largest factory in the world. Using the type of assembly line production that had made Ford an industrial giant, Ford hoped to produce 500 B-24 Liberator bombers a month. After a gradual start, that figure was reached in time for the Allied invasion of Western Europe, and by July of 1944, the Willow Plant was producing one B-24 every hour. By the end of the war, the 43,000 men and women who had worked at Ford's Willow Run plant had produced over 8,500 bombers, which unquestionably had a significant impact on the course of the war.
1954 – Nobel Prize-winning physicist Enrico Fermi, the first man to create and control a nuclear chain reaction, and one of the Manhattan Project scientists, dies in Chicago at the age of 53. Fermi was born in Rome on September 1, 1901. He made his career choice of physicist at age 17, and earned his doctorate at the University of Pisa at 21. After studying in Germany under physicist Max Born, famous for his work on quantum mechanics, which would prove vital to Fermi's later work, he returned to Italy to teach mathematics at the University of Florence. By 1926, he had been made a full professor of theoretical physics and gathered around him a group of other young physicists. In 1929, he became the youngest man ever elected to the Royal Academy of Italy. The theoretical became displaced by the practical for Fermi upon learning of England's Sir James Chadwick's discovery of the neutron and the Curies' production of artificial radioactivity. Fermi went to work on producing radioactivity by means of manipulating the speed of neutrons derived from radioactive beryllium. Further similar experimentation with other elements, including uranium 92, produced new radioactive substances; Fermi's colleagues believed he had created a new, "transuranic" element with an atomic number of 93, the result of uranium 92 capturing a neuron while under bombardment, thus increasing its atomic weight. Fermi remained skeptical, despite his fellow physicists' enthusiasm. He became a believer in 1938, when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for "his identification of new radioactive elements." Although travel was restricted for men whose work was deemed vital to national security, Fermi was given permission to go to Sweden to receive his prize. He and his wife, Laura, who was Jewish, never returned; both feared and despised Mussolini's fascist regime. Fermi left Sweden for New York City, Columbia University, specifically, where he recreated many of his experiments with Niels Bohr, the Danish-born physicist, who suggested the possibility of a nuclear chain reaction. Fermi and others saw the possible military applications of such an explosive power, and quickly composed a letter warning President Roosevelt of the perils of a German atomic bomb. The letter was signed and delivered to the president by Albert Einstein on October 11, 1939. The Manhattan Project, the American program to create its own atomic bomb, was the result. It fell to Fermi to produce the first nuclear chain reaction, without which such a bomb was impossible. He created a jury-rigged laboratory, complete with his own "atomic pile," in a squash court in the basement of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago. It was there that Fermi, with other physicists looking on, produced the first controlled chain reaction on December 2, 1942. The nuclear age was born. "The Italian navigator has just landed in the new world," was the coded message sent to a delighted President Roosevelt. The first nuclear device, the creation of the Manhattan Project scientists, was tested on July 16, 1945. It was followed less than a month later by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the war, Fermi, now an American citizen, became a Distinguished Service Professor of Nuclear Studies at the University of Chicago, consulting on the construction of the first large-particle accelerator. He went on to receive the Congressional Medal of Merit and to be elected a foreign member of the Royal Society of London. Among other honors accorded to Fermi: The element number 100, fermium, was named for him. Also, the Enrico Fermi Award, now one of the oldest and most prestigious science and technology awards given by the U.S. government, was created in his honor.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
O'BRIEN, OLIVER
Rank and organization: Coxswain, U.S. Navy. Born: 1839, Boston, Mass. Accredited to. Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: Served as coxswain on board the U.S. Sloop John Adams, Sullvan's Island Channel, 28 November 1864. Taking part in the boarding of the blockade runner Beatrice while under heavy enemy fire from Fort Moultrie, O'Brien, who was in charge of one of the boarding launches, carried out his duties with prompt and energetic conduct. This action resulted in the firing of the Beatrice and the capture of a quantity of supplies from her.
BARBER, WILLIAM E.
Rank and organization: Captain U.S. Marine Corps, commanding officer, Company F, 2d Battalion 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Chosin Reservoir area, Korea, 28 November to 2 December 1950. Entered service at: West Liberty, Ky. Born: 30 November 1919, Dehart, Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Company F in action against enemy aggressor forces. Assigned to defend a 3-mile mountain pass along the division's main supply line and commanding the only route of approach in the march from Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri, Capt. Barber took position with his battle-weary troops and, before nightfall, had dug in and set up a defense along the frozen, snow-covered hillside. When a force of estimated regimental strength savagely attacked during the night, inflicting heavy casualties and finally surrounding his position following a bitterly fought 7-hour conflict, Capt. Barber, after repulsing the enemy gave assurance that he could hold if supplied by airdrops and requested permission to stand fast when orders were received by radio to fight his way back to a relieving force after 2 reinforcing units had been driven back under fierce resistance in their attempts to reach the isolated troops. Aware that leaving the position would sever contact with the 8,000 marines trapped at Yudam-ni and jeopardize their chances of joining the 3,000 more awaiting their arrival in Hagaru-ri for the continued drive to the sea, he chose to risk loss of his command rather than sacrifice more men if the enemy seized control and forced a renewed battle to regain the position, or abandon his many wounded who were unable to walk. Although severely wounded in the leg in the early morning of the 29th, Capt. Barber continued to maintain personal control, often moving up and down the lines on a stretcher to direct the defense and consistently encouraging and inspiring his men to supreme efforts despite the staggering opposition. Waging desperate battle throughout 5 days and 6 nights of repeated onslaughts launched by the fanatical aggressors, he and his heroic command accounted for approximately 1,000 enemy dead in this epic stand in bitter subzero weather, and when the company was relieved only 82 of his original 220 men were able to walk away from the position so valiantly defended against insuperable odds. His profound faith and courage, great personal valor, and unwavering fortitude were decisive factors in the successful withdrawal of the division from the deathtrap in the Chosin Reservoir sector and reflect the highest credit upon Capt. Barber, his intrepid officers and men, and the U.S. Naval Service.
CAFFERATA, HECTOR A., JR.
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Company F, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Korea, 28 November 1950. Entered service at: Dover, N.J. Born: 4 November 1929, New York, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with Company F, in action against enemy aggressor forces. When all the other members of his fire team became casualties, creating a gap in the lines, during the initial phase of a vicious attack launched by a fanatical enemy of regimental strength against his company's hill position, Pvt. Cafferata waged a lone battle with grenades and rifle fire as the attack gained momentum and the enemy threatened penetration through the gap and endangered the integrity of the entire defensive perimeter. Making a target of himself under the devastating fire from automatic weapons, rifles, grenades, and mortars, he maneuvered up and down the line and delivered accurate and effective fire against the onrushing force, killing 15, wounding many more, and forcing the others to withdraw so that reinforcements could move up and consolidate the position. Again fighting desperately against a renewed onslaught later that same morning when a hostile grenade landed in a shallow entrenchment occupied by wounded marines, Pvt. Cafferata rushed into the gully under heavy fire, seized the deadly missile in his right hand and hurled it free of his comrades before it detonated, severing part of 1 finger and seriously wounding him in the right hand and arm. Courageously ignoring the intense pain, he staunchly fought on until he was struck by a sniper's bullet and forced to submit to evacuation for medical treatment Stouthearted and indomitable, Pvt. Cafferata, by his fortitude, great personal valor, and dauntless perseverance in the face of almost certain death, saved the lives of several of his fellow marines and contributed essentially to the success achieved by his company in maintaining its defensive position against tremendous odds. His extraordinary heroism throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
KENNEMORE, ROBERT S.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company E, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division ( Rein ). Place and date: North of Yudam-ni, Korea, 27 and 28 November 1950. Entered service at: Greenville, S.C. Born: 21 June 1920, Greenville, S.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as leader of a machine gun section in Company E, in action against enemy aggressor forces. With the company's defensive perimeter overrun by a numerically superior hostile force during a savage night attack north of Yudam-ni and his platoon commander seriously wounded, S/Sgt. Kennemore unhesitatingly assumed command, quickly reorganized the unit and directed the men in consolidating the position. When an enemy grenade landed in the midst of a machine gun squad, he bravely placed his foot on the missile and, in the face of almost certain death, personally absorbed the full force of the explosion to prevent injury to his fellow marines. By his indomitable courage, outstanding leadership and selfless efforts in behalf of his comrades, S/Sgt. Kennemore was greatly instrumental in driving the enemy from the area and upheld the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 28, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
28 November
1908: John A. "Douglas" McCurdy started the first trials of the seaplane Loon (the June Bug with floats) on Lake Keuka in Hammondsport. This trial was the first attempted water takeoff in America. Although the Loon did not rise off the water, it reached 72 MPH. (24)
1929: Bernt Balchen piloted The Floyd Bennett, a Ford C-4 Trimotor, in the first flight over the South Pole with three crewmen: Cmdr Richard E. Byrd, flight commander and navigator; Harold June, copilot and radioman; and Capt Ashley McKinley (USA), photographer. The aircraft left Little America on McMurdo Sound at 2229 hours on 28 November, reached the Pole at 0855 hours on 29 November, and returned to Little America with a refueling stop in almost 19 hours. (9) (24)
1942: The 7 BG sent nine B-24s on a 2,760-mile round trip from Gaya, India, to bomb Bangkok in the first US AAF attack on Japanese-held Thailand. (21) (24)
1947: The Air Force added strategic aerial mining to SAC's list of mission responsibilities. (1)
1950: KOREAN WAR. The Combat Cargo Command (Provisional) flew its first relief flight to deliver supplies to the 1st Marine Division at the Chosin Reservoir. On this occasion, 16 C-47s dropped 25 tons of ammunition. In all, through 10 December, C-47s and C-119s evacuated over 4,600 wounded and delivered around 2,000 tons of supplies to the Marines. (18) (26) KOREAN WAR. From Yonpo, N. Korea, the 35 FIG flew close air support missions for encircled US forces. For the first time, B-26s bombed within 1,000 yards of the front line. A small communist aircraft bombed Pyongyang Airfield and badly damaged 11 P-51 Mustangs on the ground. (28
1952: KOREAN WAR. At 45-minute intervals, all three medium bomber units hit at Sinuiju and Uiju targets that were defended by nearly 116 heavy guns, 94 of which were radar-controlled, 40 searchlights, and enemy interceptors. Before the attacks, five B-26s flew flak suppression missions. Then 14 B-29s bombed Sinuiju Airfield, 6 struck the Sinuiju locomotive repair facility, 10 hit the Uiju Airfield, and 4 attacked the Uiju communications center. By using electronic countermeasures equipment and chaff, the B-29s executed a generally successful mission. (28)
1958: An Atlas B ICBM completed a full-range flight test for the first time in a 6,000-mile flight from Cape Canaveral down the Atlantic Missile Range to the Ascension Island area. (6)
1964: Mariner IV successfully launched from Cape Kennedy on its 324-million mile fly-by trip to Mars.
1966: Mariner IV continued to operate properly after two years in space. It had flown 1,025,082,830 miles by this date.
1979: CREEK SENTRY. USAFE conducted its first mission to provide AWACS training for US and Allied personnel in Central Europe. (16)
2001: Operation SWIFT FREEDOM. C-17s landed in Afghanistan on an airstrip about 80 miles south of Kandahar to deliver Navy Seabees. The operation introduced U.S. ground forces into Afghanistan. (21)
2006: The ANG established its first MQ-1 Predator unit at March ARB, Calif., by redesignating the 163rd Air Refueling Wing as the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing. (32)
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