To All,
December 15
Good Friday morning. Late start this morning but looks like a beautiful day. Had last class last night for about 85 students and did our usual demonstration, pot luck dinner and handed out belts and certificates to those that passed. Start the next quarter on 4 January. A couple of weeks off to get after the Leaves and weeks.
Have a great weekend to get that Christmas shopping done…Good Luck
Regards,
Skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History
December 15
1845 Yorktown captures the slaver Panther off Kabenda, Africa. Previously that September, Yorktown also captured the slavers Pons and Patuxent.
1944 USS Hawkbill (SS 366) sinks the Japanese destroyer Momo west of Luzon.
1944 The invasion of Mindoro Island, Philippines begins. During the battle, USS LST 738 is hit by a Japanese kamikaze plane and set ablaze. After attempts to control the fires are unsuccessful, LST-738 is sunk by the guns of other ships of the invasion fleet. USS LST 472 is also hit by the kamikaze attack and sinks six days later.
1965 Gemini 6 is launched, making 16 orbits in 25 hours and 51 minutes. Capt. Walter M. Schirra is command pilot and Thomas P. Stafford is pilot.
1988 Operation Earnest Will ends in the Persian Gulf. U.S. Navy ships escorted reflagged Kuwaiti tankers and approximately 270 neutral ships and tankers to protect them
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This Day in World History 15 December
1775 The Bill of Rights is ratified in Congress.
1862 Nathan Bedford Forrest crosses the Tennessee River at Clifton with 2,500 men to raid the communications around Vicksburg, Mississippi.
1862 In New Orleans, Louisiana, Union Major General Benjamin F. Butler turns his command over to Nathaniel Banks. The citizens of New Orleans hold farewell parties for Butler, "The Beast" - but only after he leaves.
1864 The battle at Nashville begins.
1890 As U.S. Army soldiers attempt to arrest Sitting Bull at his cabin in Standing Rock, South Dakota, shooting breaks out and Lt. Bullhead shoots the great Sioux leader.
1903 The British parliament places a 15-year ban on whale hunting in Norway.
1920 China wins a place on the League Council; Austria is admitted.
1924 The Soviet Union warns the United States against repeated entry of ships into Soviet territorial waters.
1938 Washington sends its fourth note to Berlin demanding amnesty for Jews.
1944 The battle for Luzon begins.
1946 Vietnam leader Ho Chi Minh sends a note to the new French Premier, Leon Blum, asking for peace talks.
1961 Adolf Eichmann, the former German Gestapo official accused of a major role in the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews, is sentenced by a Jerusalem court to be hanged.
1965 The United States drops 12 tons of bombs on an industrial center near Haiphong Harbor, North Vietnam.
1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the meat bill in the presence of Upton Sinclair, the author of the controversial book The Jungle.
1972 The Commonwealth of Australia orders equal pay for women.
1973 The American Psychiatric Association votes to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders.
1976 The oil tanker MV Argo Merchant causes one of the worst marine oil spills in history when it runs aground near Nantucket, Massachusetts.
1978 US President Jimmy Carter announces the United States will recognize the People's Republic of China and will sever all relations with Taiwan.
1981 In what is often called the first modern suicide bombing, a suicide car bomb kills 61 people at the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, Lebanon; Iraq's ambassador to Lebanon is among the casualties.
1993 The Downing Street Declaration, issued jointly by UK and the Republic of Ireland, affirms the UK would transfer Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland only if a majority of Northern Ireland's people approved.
2001 The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after an 11-year, $27 million project to fortify it without eliminating its famed lean.
2005 F-22 Raptor Stealth fighter enters active service with the US Air Force.
2011 In a ceremony held in Baghdad on December 15, 2011, the war that began in 2003 with the American-led invasion of Iraq officially comes to an end. Though today was the official end date of the Iraq War, violence continued and in fact worsened over the subsequent years. The withdrawal of American troops had been a priority of President Barack Obama, but by the time he left office the United States would again be conducting military operations in Iraq.
Five days after the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush announced the "War on Terror," an umbrella term for a series of preemptive military strikes meant to reduce the threat terrorism posed to the American homeland. The first such strike was the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, which began a war that continued for two decades.
Throughout 2002, the Bush Administration argued that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was allied with terrorists and developing "weapons of mass destruction." By all accounts, Hussein was responsible for many atrocities, but there was scant evidence that he was developing nuclear or chemical weapons. Behind closed doors, intelligence officials warned the case for war was based on conjecture—a British inquiry later revealed that one report's description of Iraqi chemical weapons had actually come from the Michael Bay-directed action movie The Rock. The governments of the U.S. and the U.K., however, were resolute in their public assertions that Hussein posed a threat to their homelands, and went ahead with the invasion.
The invasion was an immediate success insofar as the coalition had toppled Hussein's government and occupied most of Iraq by mid-April. What followed, however, was eight years of insurgency and sectarian violence. American expectations that Iraqis would "greet them as liberators" and quickly form a stable, pluralistic democracy proved wildly unrealistic. Though the coalition did install a new government, which took office in 2006, it never came close to pacifying the country. Guerilla attacks, suicide bombings and improvised explosive devices continued to take the lives of soldiers and civilians, and militias on both sides of the Sunni-Shia divide carried out ethnic cleansings.
The American public remained skeptical of the war, and many were horrified at reports of atrocities carried out by the military and CIA. Leaked photos proved that Americans had committed human rights abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison, and in 2007 American military contractors killed 17 civilians in Baghdad's Nisour Square. Opposition to the war became an important talking point in Obama's bid for the presidency.
On New Year's Day 2009, shortly before Obama took office, the U.S. handed control of the Green Zone—the Baghdad district that served as coalition headquarters—to the Iraqi government. Congress formally ended its authorization for the war in November, and the last combat troops left the following month. Even by the lowest estimates, the Iraq War claimed over 100,000 lives; other estimates suggest that the number is several times greater, with over 205,000 civilian deaths alone.
Over the next three years, ongoing sectarian violence blossomed into a full-out civil war. Many of the militias formed during the Iraq War merged or partnered with extremist groups in neighboring Syria, itself experiencing a bloody civil war. By 2014 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which absorbed many of these groups, controlled much of Syria and Iraq. The shocking rise of ISIL led Obama to launch fresh military actions in the region beginning in June of 2014. Though ISIL has now been driven out of Iraq and appears to be very much diminished, a small number of American troops are still stationed in Iraq.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for Monday, 11 December through Sunday, 17 December 2023… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT I (1968-1972)… Week 5… From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 10 December 1968… For the week: Nine fixed wing aircraft lost, eleven aviators KIA/MIA… Merry Christmas…
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 Friday 15 December
December 15: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=369
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.
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
(This site was sent by a friend last week and I forgot to forward. The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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Thanks to Felix and Dr. Rich
A higher call /
This was a story we have had in the list many times over the years. The shot up B-17 trying to make it home on a couple engines and all shot up missing lots of parts of the tail and fuselage. German pilot comes up to finish it off and flys along side looking the plane over Then he escorts the plane in the right direction and then leaves them alone and goes back to base. He could have been shot for that. The crew lands the plane/flying piece of junk and many years later the pilots of both planes meet and start a long friendship. But read the book and watch the fantastic video below
Thanks to Felix …
Just about done reading this book. Here's a video of the event, which is only 3 pages in the entire book. Great read. Highly recommended. f.
Video HERE, or click on the screenshot above …
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Thanks to Micro
Flying Humor
Responses to "What is the coolest line a pilot has said to the passengers?"
I was on a crowded flight to Texas. A woman boarded with a very upset 3 year old who was crying and carrying on. You could tell she was already at her wits end. A flight attendant walked over and asked the baby's name, which turned out to be Elias. A few moments later, a voice came out from the cockpit on the PA system.
"Elias? This is Santa."
The little boy sat up, focused on the disembodied voice.
"Elias, I want you to be a good boy so I can bring you something really good at Christmas, so no crying or fussing, ok?"
The little boy was wide-eyed as he nodded. He was quiet the whole flight.
The pilot had really banged the plane onto the runway and was dreading having to stand at the door and thank the passengers as they exited. He was certain someone would have a comment, but no one did. He started to relax when everyone had gotten off except a little, old lady with a walker. But when she finally made it up the aisle, she stopped and asked, "Did we land or were we shot down?"
As a plane was flying it started shaking very badly and soon the pilot got on and announced I'm very sorry folks but we have just lost power to one of our engines we are going to try and restart it please remain calm .. a terrified man shouts out please tell us how far will one engine get us ? Pilot pauses then answers the man, "All the way to the crash site. "
I had a late-night Southwest flight to Rochester NY last week. It was the terminus for a long flight that had stopped twice. The pilot thanked the passengers and then said: "Now I want to tell you the same thing my father told me on my 18th birthday. Get your stuff and get out!" and for the children onboard, we are nearly there and will remain nearly there till we get there!
This is your captain speaking. I'm working from home today. Have a safe flight!"
About half way between London and Paris on Christmas Eve the pilot came on the PA with an announcement:
"Ladies, Gentlemen and especially children: I've just seen Santa and his reindeer pass by our aircraft and wave to me, if the children will look out your windows now you might still get to see him."
I'm not a child but I still looked.
We were waiting to take off at around midnight from LAX to New Zealand—a very long flight almost entirely over water with virtually no land in between. We were delayed because of a "malfunction." The pilot came on the intercom and explained that he was waiting for a replacement part and that it would be arriving shortly. Groans were audible throughout the full 747. He then said: "Ladies and gentlemen, I share your disappointment. But we're going on a long flight, and I can assure you that I would rather be on the ground wishing I were in the air, than in the air, wishing I were on the ground." After a moment of stillness, applause erupted.
It actually came from a flight attendant about 15 years ago. "We have a woman pilot and a woman co-pilot on this flight. You are flying in an unmanned plane. "
Years ago, there was a very low cost airline called PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines). The other airlines hated the cheap competition. Once, I was on a United Airlines flight. As we flew over the Sacramento area, the pilot announced "If you look to your right, you will see PSA passengers deplaning from their flight." Looking out the windows, we saw a group of skydivers jumping out of their plane.
{last one, but a good one.}
After an international flight of over twelve hours, everyone was eager to disembark as soon as we landed. However, we had a long taxi to the terminal and then a long wait for another plane to leave so we could taxi to the assigned gate. In spite of the flight attendant's announcement asking everyone to stay seated until the captain gave the signal that we were stopped, several passengers unlatched their seat belts and stood up to retrieve baggage from the overhead bins.
At that point the captain's voice came over the loudspeakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you might imagine, after such a long flight with hundreds of passengers, the lavatories are in terrible shape. If you would like to help us out, please stand to indicate your willingness to help clean them."
Everyone was seated immediately.
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A4 skyhawks and instant sunshine …
Thanks to Dennis & YP ... who answer the question
=================================
On Thu, Dec 14, 2023 at 03:10 Joe Turpen wrote:
Can any of you answer this question?
Joe
From: Mark Cassidy
Date: Wed, Dec 13, 2023 at 8:57 AM
Subject: A4 skyhawks and instant sunshine
Hi,
Am not sure I'm in the right place but its a model related question so I will start here.
I am UK based modeler with a spare A4 skyhawk kit and I was reading about the Skyhawk with its mad antiflash hood attachement.
That sowed the seeds if a diorama for me … I want to build a Skyhawk at wave top height, armed with a MK7 just before it pulls up to lob or loft its weapon at its target. It's a "what if" kind of scene when the cuban missile crisis went hot.
Ive seen pictures of the Mk7 mounted centerline, and i have a 3Dp printed model of it, my question is, with an operational load of a Mk7 would the A4 have carried wing mounted drop tanks as standard or was it mission dependent? And as a follow up, would the pilot have ditched the tanks pre bomb run in order to get as much speed as possible … or kept them?
Maybe I'm in the wrong place … maybe i need to look for the tactics manual or something if such a thing exists.
Apolgies if am in the wrong place and thank you for any information u might be able to give me.
Mark Cassidy
Pretty close to wot I remember.
When I went thru the Scoot RAG, VA-43 in Oceana, our weapons training was 60% nuclear, 40% conventional. LOTS of hi/low Nav; at Yuma, did Idiot Loops til we were blue in the face, practiced lots of other interesting delivery methods.
The final mission check in the RAG was A-20-R, Hi/Low/Hi mission with tanking and delivery of a 2000# shape, all for score. All my mistakes cancelled out and I managed a 400' hit out of my Idiot Loop. Close enough for a Doomsday Device.
In the fleet, I got to fly a mission with a REAL bomb from the ship's store with the nuke stuff removed, leaving just the conventional charges. Test of the bomb, loading crew, mission, and function at ground Zero at Pinecastle target. I had a complete white flight suit and gear and the white clamshell for the cockpit. LOTS of big Guy scrutiny for this one!
Luckily, all systems worked; I dinna get lost, and the lay down delivery worked and the bomb went mini BOOM.
(I wrote a story about this).
In the Med, there were always two Scoots and an A-6 configured with a nuke roped off in the back of the hangar bay, guarded by some REALLY SERIOUS Marines. When you were the duty bomber, you had to go down and stomp and salute and convince the Devil Dogs that you were NOT a commie, climb in and check out the package.
Serious stuff, nah? I made a Duty Bomber badge that ended up on the RR display board.
It was not serious.
Once upon a time.
YP
On Dec 14, 2023, at 00:02, Dennis Carroll wrote:
First, for a nuke loft the pilot would have found his IP (initial point) to start his 4G pull up. Press and hold the pickle. A LAB timer would automatically start and when it timed out would release the weapon. Also automatic broadcast a tone on guard to warn others a weapon is being launched. A good time to put the shield down and make sure the eye patch was on. .
All calculated prior to the mission and completely memorized. Every few months we would have to brief the complete plan from memory. Tgt, bomb fuze settings, route description of check point with arrival times escape route, survival and evasion to a pick up point.
The IP could be the target it self, starting a carefully controlled loop. Bomb would be released just over the top. Continue up while you went like a bat out of hell trying to escape the fireball, shockwave & high energy radiation. Which could tear the acft apart. Note - that is why the flight control surfaces were painted white to reflect the heat and not melt. If over the top a chute would deploy to slow the descent providing additional time to escape. If tossed could be a couple of miles. Once you depressed and held the pickle you needed to be on the exact heading, wings level, pulling 4gs 500kts a perfect loop to an Immelmann maneuver.
Drop tanks we would pickle once they were empty to save fuel. Also to make sure we could obtain 500kts at sea level to start the delivery. Then accelerate out to 600 Kts clean. These were always at extreme range w. not enough fuel to RTN to the ship. The follow up escape evasion was complex through a nuclear battle field. I did not believe it there was a reasonable chance of success.
We would be issued with white Flt gear as well to protect against the extreme heat.
Eye patch was to wear on one eye so the flash would only blind one eye & give it time to recover.
They would put us in a special flight simulator with the world's largest flash bulb. Light it off and sure enough you were blind in that eye. Was not fun.
One had to stay on time across whole route within seconds. Otherwise you might end up being vaporized by a ballistic missile warhead a hundred times more powerful. We made strip maps with highlighted route, tick marks every minute, turn points, new heading & time to next turn. Your were constantly recomputing your ETA for the target. Then adjust speed to make sure you would release on time. No need to monitor fuel… focus on the route, timing and hugging the earth to avoid a missile engagement.
After launch we would climb up to 35,000 feet for range, then descend at idle to low altitude upon approach to the enemy's search radars. Based on intel, or hearing a click of the radar signal when it swept across your aircraft. It could take 20-30 mins gliding down at idle.
Route was generally planned at 360kts (6 nm per min) to ease the constant calculation of time to go. Then accelerate to 420kts (7 kts per min) then finally to 500kts at IP for the release maneuver.
The weapon I remember back then was a B-57. One is on display in the Pima air museum in Tucso AZ.
Like the title!
Best I remember so I am sure there are errors.
Dennis
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
The Colossus of Rhodes only stood for about 55 years.
O f the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes stood for the shortest period of time — roughly 55 years. Sources vary as to the exact number, but what's certain is that the statue existed for a mere blip in the annals of history. (By comparison, the Great Pyramid of Giza has stood for more than 4,500 years.) The Colossus' creation dates back to the siege of the Greek island of Rhodes in 305 BCE, when the Macedonian ruler Demetrius I led an ultimately futile attempt to capture the city and harbor. As his army abandoned its efforts the following year, they left behind their supplies and equipment, which the city later sold off for profit. With this unexpected windfall, Rhodian officials commissioned a celebratory statue of the Greek sun god Helios, the patron god of Rhodes.
Greek sculptor Chares of Lindos was tasked with building the colossal 108-foot-tall statue; he began around 292 BCE, and the work lasted for 12 years. Though the sculpture's exact location is unknown, it's believed to have stood on the harbor's eastern side, and was likely made of iron and stone coated with bronze. The Colossus stood triumphantly for five decades, but it fell around 226 BCE when an earthquake struck the region and toppled the great wonder. Its remnants were scattered around until 654 CE, when invading Arabian forces gathered and sold what remained of the statue. There was so much debris that it's said to have taken more than 900 camel loads to transport.
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A COUPLE THAT ARE MJUST WORTH REPEATING
Thanks to Micro
Musings from an older person
1. My goal for 2020 was to lose 10 pounds. Only have 14 to go.
2. Ate salad for dinner. Mostly croutons and tomatoes. Really just one big round crouton covered with tomato sauce, and cheese. FINE, it was a pizza.... OK, I ate a pizza! Are you happy now?
3. How to prepare Tofu:
a. Throw it in the trash
b. Grill some meat, chicken or fish
4. I just did a week's worth of cardio after walking into a spider web.
5. I don't mean to brag, but I finished my 14-day diet food supply in 3 hours and 20 minutes.
6. A recent study has found women who carry a little extra weight live longer than men who mention it.
7. Kids today don't know how easy they have it. When I was young, I had to walk 9 feet through shag carpet to change the TV channel.
8. Senility has been a smooth transition for me.
9. Remember back when we were kids and every time it was below zero outside they closed school? Yeah, Me neither.
10. I may not be that funny or athletic or good looking or smart or talented. I forgot where I was going with this.
11. I love approaching 90, I learn something new every day and forget 5 other things.
12. A thief broke into my house last night. He started searching for money so I woke up and searched with him.
13. I think I'll just put an "Out of Order" sticker on my forehead and call it a day.
14. Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed.
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Thanks to Mike
English hospitality
An Australian tourist in London decides to skip his tour group and explore the city on his own. He wanders around, seeing the sights, and occasionally stopping at a quaint pub to soak up the local culture, chat with the lads, and have a pint of Guinness.
After a while, he finds himself in a very high class neighbourhood.....big, stately residences... no pubs, no stores, no restaurants, and worst of all...NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS.
He really, really has to go, after all those Guinness'. He finds a narrow side street, with high walls surrounding the adjacent buildings and decides to use the wall to solve his problem.
As he is unzipping, he is tapped on the shoulder by a London Bobby, who says, "I say, sir, you simply cannot do that here, you know.
"I'm very sorry, officer," replies the Australian, "but I really, really HAVE TO GO, and I just can't find a public restroom."
"Ah, yes," said the bobby..."Just follow me". He leads him to a back "delivery alley", then along a wall to a gate, which he opens. "In there," points the bobby. "Whiz away sir, anywhere you want.
The fellow enters and finds himself in the most beautiful garden he has ever seen. Manicured grass lawns, statuary, fountains, sculpted hedges, and huge beds of gorgeous flowers, all in perfect bloom. Since he has the cop's blessing, he unburdens himself and is greatly relieved.
As he goes back through the gate, he says to the bobby, "That was really decent of you... is that what you call 'English Hospitality'?"
"No, sir" replies the bobby, "that is what we call the French Embassy."
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This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.
Dec. 14, 1925
Pilot Lt. L. C. Hayden and passenger Lt. William M. Fellers launched in an MO-1 observation plane via a powder catapult from a forward turret of the battleship Mississippi (BB 41) at the Navy Yard Puget Sound, Bremerton, Washington. Following this demonstration, the Navy began wide-scale use of powder catapults on board battleships and cruisers.
Dec. 15, 1964
The first U.S. Air Force gunship, the AC-47, entered combat in Vietnam on Dec. 15, 1964.
Dec. 16, 1915
Army Lts. Herbert A. Dargue (as pilot) and Joseph O. Mauborgne (as wireless operator) successfully demonstrated two-way radio communication with ground stations 10 miles distant from their Burgess-Wright biplane over Fort William McKinley, the Philippines. Dargue is Daedalian Founder Member #1738.
Dec. 18, 1913
Lt. Henry B. Post, flying Signal Corps airplane No. 23, established a new Army solo altitude record of 10,600 feet. Post was Daedalian Founder Member #1381. Sadly, on Feb. 9, 1914, at the age of 28, he was killed in a hydroplane accident at the Signal Corps Aviation School in San Diego. He had just returned from 15 days' compassionate leave for his father's funeral in New York City.
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This Day in U S Military History
December 15
1942 – The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse begins during the Guadalcanal Campaign. The battle, part of which is sometimes called the Battle of the Gifu, lasted to 23 January 1943 and was primarily an engagement between United States and Imperial Japanese forces in the hills near the Matanikau River area on Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal Campaign. The U.S. forces were under the overall command of Alexander Patch and the Japanese forces were under the overall command of Harukichi Hyakutake. In the battle, U.S. Soldiers and Marines, assisted by native Solomon Islanders, attacked Japanese Army (IJA) forces defending well-fortified and entrenched positions on several hills and ridges. The most prominent hills were called Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse by the Americans. The U.S. was attempting to destroy the Japanese forces on Guadalcanal and the Japanese were trying to hold their defensive positions until reinforcements could arrive. Both sides experienced extreme difficulties in fighting in the thick jungles and tropical environment that existed in the battle area. Many of the American troops were also involved in their first combat operations. The Japanese were mostly cut off from resupply and suffered greatly from malnourishment and lack of medical care. After some difficulty, the U.S. succeeded in taking Mount Austen, in the process reducing a strongly defended position called the Gifu, as well as the Galloping Horse and the Sea Horse. In the meantime, the Japanese secretly decided to abandon Guadalcanal and withdrew to the west coast of the island. From that location most of the surviving Japanese troops were successfully evacuated during the first week of February 1943.
1944 – Army Air Force Band leader and trombonist Glenn Miller boarded a single-engine C-64 Norseman in England for a flight to France, where he was to make arrangements for a Christmas broadcast. The plane never reached France and no trace of it or its occupants was ever found. Iowa-born Glenn Miller became a professional musician after graduating from high school. By the time he volunteered for military service in 1942, the Glenn Miller Orchestra was world famous and had appeared in two motion pictures. Miller persuaded the U.S. Army to accept his service to "put a little more spring into the feet of our marching men and a little more joy into their hearts." For the next 18 months, Miller's 50-member band stayed busy with morale-building concerts and radio broadcasts. No cause has ever been established for the loss of Miller's aircraft, but the Norseman did not have de-icing equipment on board and it is likely that icy weather forced the plane down in the English Channel.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
CHURCHILL, SAMUEL J.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company G, 2d Illinois Light Artillery. Place and date: At Nashville, Tenn., 15 December 1864. Entered service at: DeKalb County, Ill. Birth: Rutland County, Vt. Date of issue: 20 January 1897. Citation: When the fire of the enemy's batteries compelled the men of his detachment for a short time to seek shelter, he stood manfully at his post and for some minutes worked his gun alone.
SAPP, ISACC
Rank and organization: Seaman, Engineer's Force, U.S. Navy. Born: 1844, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 169, 8 February 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Shenandoah during the rescue of a shipmate at Villefranche, 15 December 1871. Jumping overboard, Sapp gallantly assisted in saving Charles Prince, seaman, from drowning.
*JOHNSON, LEROY
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 126th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Limon, Leyte, Philippine Islands, 15 December 1944. Entered service at: Oakdale, La. Birth: Caney Creek, La. G.O. No.: 83, 2 October 1945. Citation: He was squad leader of a 9-man patrol sent to reconnoiter a ridge held by a well-entrenched enemy force. Seeing an enemy machinegun position, he ordered his men to remain behind while he crawled to within 6 yards of the gun. One of the enemy crew jumped up and prepared to man the weapon. Quickly withdrawing, Sgt. Johnson rejoined his patrol and reported the situation to his commanding officer. Ordered to destroy the gun, which covered the approaches to several other enemy positions, he chose 3 other men, armed them with hand grenades, and led them to a point near the objective. After taking partial cover behind a log, the men had knocked out the gun and begun an assault when hostile troops on the flank hurled several grenades. As he started for cover, Sgt. Johnson saw 2 unexploded grenades which had fallen near his men. Knowing that his comrades would be wounded or killed by the explosion, he deliberately threw himself on the grenades and received their full charge in his body. Fatally wounded by the blast, he died soon afterward. Through his outstanding gallantry in sacrificing his life for his comrades, Sgt. Johnson provided a shining example of the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
VLUG, DIRK J.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 126th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date. Near Limon, Leyte, Philippine Islands, 15 December 1944. Entered service at: Grand Rapids, Mich. Birth: Maple Lake, Minn. G.O. No.: 60, 26 June 1946. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty when an American roadblock on the Ormoc Road was attacked by a group of enemy tanks. He left his covered position, and with a rocket launcher and 6 rounds of ammunition, advanced alone under intense machinegun and 37-mm. fire. Loading single-handedly, he destroyed the first tank, killing its occupants with a single round. As the crew of the second tank started to dismount and attack him, he killed 1 of the foe with his pistol, forcing the survivors to return to their vehicle, which he then destroyed with a second round. Three more hostile tanks moved up the road, so he flanked the first and eliminated it, and then, despite a hail of enemy fire, pressed forward again to destroy another. With his last round of ammunition he struck the remaining vehicle, causing it to crash down a steep embankment. Through his sustained heroism in the face of superior forces, Pfc. Vlug alone destroyed 5 enemy tanks and greatly facilitated successful accomplishment of his battalion's mission.
LYNCH, ALLEN JAMES
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). place and date: Near My An (2), Binh Dinh province, Republic of Vietnam, 15 December 1967. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 28 October 1945, Chicago, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Lynch (then Sp4c.) distinguished himself while serving as a radio telephone operator with Company D. While serving in the forward element on an operation near the village of My An, his unit became heavily engaged with a numerically superior enemy force. Quickly and accurately assessing the situation, Sgt. Lynch provided his commander with information which subsequently proved essential to the unit's successful actions. Observing 3 wounded comrades Lying exposed to enemy fire, Sgt. Lynch dashed across 50 meters of open ground through a withering hail of enemy fire to administer aid. Reconnoitering a nearby trench for a covered position to protect the wounded from intense hostile fire, he killed 2 enemy soldiers at point blank range. With the trench cleared, he unhesitatingly returned to the fire-swept area 3 times to carry the wounded men to safety. When his company was forced to withdraw by the superior firepower of the enemy, Sgt. Lynch remained to aid his comrades at the risk of his life rather than abandon them. Alone, he defended his isolated position for 2 hours against the advancing enemy. Using only his rifle and a grenade, he stopped them just short of his trench, killing 5. Again, disregarding his safety in the face of withering hostile fire, he crossed 70 meters of exposed terrain 5 times to carry his wounded comrades to a more secure area. Once he had assured their comfort and safety, Sgt. Lynch located the counterattacking friendly company to assist in directing the attack and evacuating the 3 casualties. His gallantry at the risk of his life is in the highest traditions of the military service, Sgt. Lynch has reflected great credit on himself, the 12th Cavalry, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 15, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
15 December
1942: Nine B-24s from the 376th Bombardment Group bombed Sfax to open Ninth Air Force's campaign against Tunisian ports. (24)
1944: MINDORO INVADED. US Army forces landed on the island of Mindoro against very light opposition. Far East Air Forces aircraft from Leyte provided fighter cover for the invasion, but enemy aircraft destroyed two Landing Ship-Tanks (LSTs)--a Kamikaze hit and sank LST 738 with most of the equipment of the 8th Fighter Group and the 418th Night Fighter Squadron. The forces quickly constructed an airfield (Hill Field) by 20 December, which allowed the 8th FG . and the 418th Night Fighter Squadron to fly into the base. The 8th's pilots, flying new P-38Ls, shot down six enemy aircraft prior to landing. Within a few days, a second base at Elmore Hill opened and all three P-47 squadrons of the 58th Fighter Group moved to Hill Field. A Noorduyn C-64 Norseman carrying famed bandleader, Maj Glenn Miller, disappeared over the English Channel. Miller, pilot John Morgan, and Lt Col Norman Baessell were flying to Paris, France, from Twinwood Farm airfield in England.
1946: National Airlines set a commercial record of 6 hours 15 minutes for a flight from Newark, N. J., to Havana, Cuba. (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. The 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group inaugurated F-86 Sabrejet operations in Korea. Far East Air Forces Bomber Command launched its first mission in a new zone interdiction plan. (28)
1951: The USAF directed the Military Air Transport Service to develop the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program. (18)
1957: The 556th Strategic Missile Squadron activated at Patrick AFB, FL., to train missile crews and conduct test launches. It was the Strategic Air Command's first operational SM-62 Snark squadron and first missile squadron. The 556th Strategic Missile Squadron was activated under the command of Lt Col Richard W. Beck at Patrick AFB, FL. The 556th was assigned to SAC, but it started its on-the-job training under the direction of the 6555th Guided Missiles Squadron in January 1958.
The Northrop SM-62 Snark is an early-model intercontinental range ground-launched cruise missile that could carry a W39 thermonuclear warhead. The Snark was deployed by the USAF's Strategic Air Command from 1958 through 1961. It represented an important step in weapons technology during the Cold War.
1959: Capt Joseph W. Rogers flew a F-106 Delta Dart to 1,520.9-MPH speed record on an 11-mile straight course at Edwards AFB, Calif. (9)
1961: The first class of five military space pilots graduated from an 8-month-long Aerospace Research Pilots School. (16) (24) North American Air Defense Command's Semi-automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense system became fully operational with the completion of its 21st and last control center at Sioux City, Iowa. (16) (24)
1962: In a joint American-Danish-Norwegian test, a Nike-Cajun sounding rocket traveled to a height of 68 miles to secure data on the ionosphere and the Northern Lights. (24)
1964: The Strategic Air Command inactivated the last Atlas D missile squadron, the 549th Strategic Missile Squadron, at Offutt AFB, Nebr. (6) In a FC-47, Capt Jack Harvey and his crew flew the first gunship mission in the Vietnam War. The FC-47 later became the AC-47. It was equipped with Gatling guns in its cargo bay. (21) 1969: The US agreed to withdraw from Wheelus AB, Libya.
1989: The Navy launched the fifth Trident II missile successfully. Its inert warheads landed 4,000 nautical miles away near the Ascension Islands about 35 minutes after launch. (8: Feb 90)
2005: ACC Commander General Ronald E. Keys declared an initial operating capability for the 27th Fighter Squadron and the F-22A Raptor with the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Va. At this time, the USAF also changed the aircraft's designation from F/A-22 back to F-22A. (3) At Vandenberg AFB, Calif., the 30th Space Wing activated the Western Range Operations Control Center to command and control all Vandenberg launches and to oversee the Western Range, an area that encompasses the west coast of the US and extends more than 4,200 miles across the Pacific Ocean. (AFNEWS Article, "Vandenberg Activates Area Control Center," 23 Dec 05)
2006: Testing of the synthetic Fischer-Tropsch fuel met a critical goal when an Air Force Flight Test Center B-52H flew a successful 6.1-hour sortie from Edwards AFB, Calif., using the alternative fuel in all eight engines. The aircraft performed exactly as it would with a standard petroleumderived JP-8 fuel. Major General Curtis Bedke, the Test Center Commander, flew the aircraft. (3) Air Force officials released a new draft Request for Proposal for the KC-X, a tanker to replace the KC-135 Stratotanker. (AFNEWS, "Air Force Releases KC-X Draft Request for Proposal," 16 Dec 2006.) An F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter took off for its first flight as part of system development testing in Fort Worth, Tex. (AFNEWS, "Engineers Contribute to F-35 Initial Flight Success," 16 Dec 2006)
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