To All
Good Monday Morning January 22 , 2024. Well the rain is here big time and is supposed to last all day until early tomorrow morning. The weeds are growing and the leaves are coming down.
Regards
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HAGD
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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 Naval and Marine Corps History February. 22
1909—The Great White Fleet returns to Hampton Roads, Va., following its 14-month round-the-world cruise.
1943—USS Iowa (BB 61), the lead ship of the last class of American fast battleships, is commissioned.
1944—U.S. Navy Task Group (TG) 39.4, commanded by Capt. Arleigh Burke, bombards Japanese airstrips, pier area, and anchorages at Kavieng, New Ireland Island, while DESRON 12 shells Rabaul.
1945—USS Becuna (SS 319) sinks Japanese merchant tanker Nichiyoku Maru off Cape Padaran Bay despite the presence of two escort vessels.
1974—Lt. j.g. Barbara Ann (Allen) Rainey becomes the first Navy-designated female aviator.
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THIS DAY IN WORLD HISTORY
1349 Jews are expelled from Zurich, Switzerland.
1613 Mikhail Romanov is elected czar of Russia.
1797 The last invasion of Britain takes place when some 1,400 Frenchmen land at Fishguard in Wales.
1819 Spain signs a treaty with the United States ceding eastern Florida.
1825 Russia and Britain establish the Alaska/Canada boundary.
1862 Jefferson Davis is inaugurated president of the Confederacy in Richmond, Va. for the second time.
1864 Nathan Bedford Forrest's brother, Jeffrey, is killed at Okolona, Mississippi.
1865 Federal troops capture Wilmington, N.C.
1879 Frank Winfield Woolworth's 'nothing over five cents' shop opens at Utica, New York. It is the first chain store.
1902 A fistfight breaks out in the Senate. Senator Benjamin Tillman suffers a bloody nose for accusing Senator John McLaurin of bias on the Philippine tariff issue.
1909 The Great White Fleet returns to Norfolk, Virginia, from an around-the-world show of naval power.
1911 Canadian Parliament votes to preserve the union with the British Empire.
1920 The American Relief Administration appeals to the public to pressure Congress to aid starving European cities.
1924 Columbia University declares radio education a success.
1926 Pope Pius rejects Mussolini's offer of aid to the Vatican.
1932 Adolf Hitler is the Nazi Party candidate for the presidential elections in Germany.
1935 All plane flights over the White House are barred because they are disturbing President Roosevelt's sleep.
1942 President Franklin Roosevelt orders Gen. Douglas MacArthur to leave the Philippines.
1951 The Atomic Energy Commission discloses information about the first atom-powered airplane.
1952 French forces evacuate Hoa Binh in Indochina.
1954 U.S. is to install 60 Thor nuclear missiles in Britain.
1962 A Soviet bid for new Geneva arms talks is turned down by the U.S.
1963 Moscow warns the U.S. that an attack on Cuba would mean war.
1967 Operation Junction City becomes the largest U.S. operation in Vietnam.
1984 Britain and the U.S. send warships to the Persian Gulf following an Iranian offensive against Iraq
1980
Can you believe this was 44 years ago
February 22
U.S. hockey team beats the Soviets in the "Miracle on Ice"
In one of the most dramatic upsets in Olympic history, on February 22, 1980, the underdog U.S. hockey team, made up of college players, defeats the four-time defending gold-medal winning Soviet team at the XIII Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. The Soviet squad, previously regarded as the finest in the world, fell to the youthful American team 4-3 before a frenzied crowd of 10,000 spectators. Two days later, the Americans defeated Finland 4-2 to clinch the hockey gold.
The Soviet team had captured the previous four Olympic hockey golds, going back to 1964, and had not lost an Olympic hockey game since 1968. Three days before the Lake Placid Games began, the Soviets routed the U.S. team 10-3 in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Americans looked scrappy, but few blamed them for it—their average age, after all, was only 22, and their team captain, Mike Eruzione, was recruited from the obscurity of the Toledo Blades of the International League.
Few had high hopes for the seventh-seeded U.S. team entering the Olympic tournament, but the team soon silenced its detractors, making it through the opening round of play undefeated, with four victories and one tie, thus advancing to the four-team medal round. The Soviets, however, were seeded No. 1 and as expected went undefeated, with five victories in the first round
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 22 January 2024 and ending Sunday, 28 January 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post of 14 April 2019… 35th President attends his 1st meeting with his National Security Advisor and Staff…
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 can read what happened each day to the aircraft and its crew. ……Skip
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "Monday 22 January
22: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1566
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 . 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
Check this out
Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For your information and consideration.. RTR Webmaster Dan Heller has updated the Links List attached to the RTR website with a dozen Vietnam air war sites that might interest regulars of The List… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻… See…
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/new-links/
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MONDAY Morning Humor Thanks to AL
Punday Morning Humor
This past Christmas a chess tournament was held in New York City. The matches were held in a conference room in a hotel.
The chess buffs arrived early at the hotel each day. They would gather in the entry way and talk with fellow chess fans. Mostly, they would talk about how well they played the previous day. Or they would try to intimidate their opponents by mentioning secret moves.
A few days into the tournament, the hotel manager shooed all of the chess players away. He said he had had enough of chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.
Submitted by Holly Vanderpool:
• I once dated a guy who broke up with me because I only have 9 toes. Yes, he was lack toes intolerant.
• Did you know ants never get sick? It's because they have anty bodies.
• You can't blame anyone else if you fall in your driveway…it's your own asphalt.
• I've started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It's all about raisin awareness.
• I've started investing in stocks: beef, vegetable, chicken. One day I hope to be a bouillianaire.
• If you boil a funny bone, it becomes a laughing stock. Now that's humerus.
• I accidentally rubbed ketchup in my eyes. Now I have Heinzsight.
• Did you know muffins spelled backwards is what you do when you take them out of the oven?
• Scientifically, a raven has 17 primary wing feathers, the big ones at the end of the wing. They are called pinion feathers. A crow has 16. So, the difference between a raven and a crow is only a matter of a pinion.
• I was walking in the jungle and saw a lizard on his hind legs telling jokes. I turned to a local tribal leader and said, "That lizard is really funny!" The leader replied, "That's not a lizard. He's a stand-up chameleon.
• I tried to come up with a carpentry pun that woodwork. I thought I nailed it but nobody saw it.
• Singing in the shower is fine until you get soap in your mouth. Then it's a soap opera.
• The Black-Eyed Peas can sing us a song but the chick peas can only hummus one.
• Then there was the time Fruit of the Loom took Hanes to court… it was a brief case.
• How much does a chimney cost? Nothing, it's on the house.
• Once upon a time there was a King who was only 12 inches tall. He was a terrible King but he made a great ruler.
• Ran out of toilet paper and now using lettuce leaves. Today was just the tip of the iceberg, and tomorrow romaines to be seen.
• My friend Jack says he can communicate with vegetables. That's right...Jack and the beans talk.
• I want to tell you about a girl who only eats plants. You probably have not heard of herbivore.
• I was struggling to understand how lightning works and then it struck me.
• Six cows were smoking joints and playing poker. That's right. The steaks were pretty high.
• I went to the paint store to get thinner. It didn't work.
Submitted by Mark Logan:
• What do you call an armadillo with leprosy? A "Dillo".
• If an electrician's kids get into trouble, do they get grounded?
• If you hit an electric car, can you be charged with battery?
• If I marry two midgets, is that big-a-me?
• Do poor white trash go to the movies just for the trailers?
• If a TV weatherman has cataracts, are all of his forecasts partly cloudy?
• If I kill someone who has stolen my identity, am I committing suicide?
Submitted by Colleen Grosso:
• I never thought orthopedic shoes would really work for me, but I stand corrected.
• Once upon a time there was a king who was only 12 inches tall. He was a terrible king, but he made a great ruler.
• A Mexican magician said he will disappear on the count of 3. He says, ""Uno, dos." Poof. He disappeared without a tres.
• I wrote a book on how to fall down the stairs. It's a step by step guide.
• My son was chewing on electric cords, so I had to ground him. It's OK, though. He's doing better and conducting himself properly.
• My friend claims that he "accidentally" glued himself to his autobiography, but I don't believe him. But that's his story and he's sticking to it.
• "Doctor, my child swallowed a roll of film. What should I do?" "Let's wait and see if anything develops."
• An armed man ran into a real estate agency and shouted, "Nobody move."
• Got drunk yesterday and threw up in the elevator on my way back home. It was disgusting on so many levels.
• Why did the Mexican take anti-anxiety medication? For Hispanic attacks.
• I asked the surgeon if I could administer my own anesthetic. He said, "Sure. Knock yourself out!"
• I got into a fight today with 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. The odds were really against me.
• In Britain it's called a lift but Americans call it an elevator. I guess we were just raised differently
• 97% of people are stupid. Glad I'm in the other 5%.
• Can someone please tell me what LGBTQ+ stands for? Nobody is giving me a straight answer.
Submitted by Skip Leonard:
• I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.
• England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
• Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.
• This girl today said she recognized me from the Vegetarians Club, but I'd swear I've never met herbivore.
• I know a guy who's addicted to drinking brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.
• A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
• When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A.
• I got some batteries that were given out free of charge.
• A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.
• A will is a dead giveaway.
• With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
• Police were summoned to a daycare center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
• Did you hear about the fellow whose entire left side was cut off? He's all right now.
• A bicycle can't stand alone; it's just two tired.
• The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine last week is now fully recovered.
• He had a photographic memory but it was never fully developed.
• When she saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she'd dye.
• Acupuncture is a jab well done. That's the point of it.
• I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
• Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?
• When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.
• When chemists die, they barium.
• I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, and then it dawned on me.
• I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.
• Those who get too big for their pants will be totally exposed in the end.
• Dad, are we pyromaniacs? Yes, we arson.
• What do you call a pig with laryngitis? Disgruntled
• Writing my name in cursive is my signature move.
• Why do bees stay in their hives during winter? Swarm.
• If you're bad at haggling, you'll end up paying the price.
• Just so everyone's clear, I'm going to put my glasses on.
• I lost my job as a stage designer. I left without making a scene.
• How much did the pirate pay to get his ears pierced? A buccaneer.
• I once worked at a cheap pizza shop to get by. I kneaded the dough.
• I lost my girlfriend's audiobook, and now I'll never hear the end of it.
• Why is 'dark' spelled with a k and not c? Because you can't see in the dark.
• Why is it unwise to share your secrets with a clock? Well, time will tell.
• When I told my contractor I didn't want carpeted steps, he gave me a blank stair.
• Prison is just one word to you, but for some people, it's a whole sentence.
• I'm trying to organize a hide and seek tournament, but good players are really hard to find.
• I've started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It's all about raisin awareness
Have a great week,
Al
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
7 Facts About First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln
The wife of the 16th and perhaps most consequential President in U.S. history, Mary Todd Lincoln left behind an intriguing legacy in her own right. Often remembered as a troubled foil to her saintly husband, she was of course a far more complex person than the shrewish caricature she was often reduced to, especially when considering the enormous losses she suffered in her lifetime. Read on to learn seven facts about this outspoken and misunderstood First Lady.
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Mary Todd Was Well Educated for a Woman of Her Time
Mary was one of 16 children born to Kentucky businessman and politician Robert Smith Todd, who possessed the financial means and progressive mindset to make sure his daughters were academically engaged. She subsequently studied a wide range of subjects over five years at Shelby Female Academy, before spending another four years perfecting her French at the Mentelle's for Young Ladies boarding academy. Her schooling, combined with exposure to influential family friends such as Senator Henry Clay, ensured that Mary was well versed in both classical subjects and contemporary issues.
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Stephen Douglas Asked for Mary's Hand in Marriage
While Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas famously sparred in a series of debates for a U.S. Senate seat in 1858, they also competed for the affections of the same fiery Kentucky woman some 20 years earlier. After moving to Springfield, Illinois, in the late 1830s, Mary drew the attention of promising suitors like Douglas, then a rising lawyer and politician. However, the ambition and charisma of the "Little Giant" wasn't enough to win her over; when Douglas asked for her hand in marriage, she reportedly replied, "I can't consent to be your wife. I shall become Mrs. President, or I am the victim of false prophets, but it will not be as Mrs. Douglas."
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Mary Formed a Strong Political Partnership With Her Husband …
Historians have often mused over what drew Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln to matrimony in November 1842 — she was short, tempestuous, and sophisticated; he was towering, shy, and dirt-poor — but their seemingly contradicting attributes masked a strong partnership. Politically, they saw eye-to-eye with their roots in the Whig Party, and he valued her intelligence and judgment of character. Furthermore, Mary's refinement proved an asset on the 1860 presidential campaign trail, helping to convince journalists that the little-known Republican was a serious candidate. Her invaluable contributions to the campaign prompted Lincoln, upon learning of his victory, to exclaim to his wife: "Mary, Mary, we are elected!"
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… But She Was an Unpopular First Lady
Any public benefits Mary provided for Lincoln during his candidacy quickly evaporated by the time she settled into her role as First Lady. She was criticized for burning through the allocated congressional funding for White House renovation during one extended shopping trip, and again for hosting parties during a solemn time of war. Mary also butted heads with White House staffers — Lincoln's secretary John Hay called her a "hellcat" — and did herself no favors with the occasional public tantrum. Although she also visited wounded soldiers and contributed to a fund for runaway enslaved people, such deeds were usually eclipsed by the waves of negative publicity.
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Mary Todd Lincoln Was Close Friends With a Formerly Enslaved Woman Turned Dressmaker
Born into slavery in Virginia, Elizabeth Keckley (also spelled Keckly) used her sewing talents to become a dressmaker to some of the most powerful women in the nation's capital, including the incoming First Lady in 1861. Their relationship quickly progressed from professional to personal, with one observer describing the seamstress as "the only person in Washington who could get along with Mrs. Lincoln." The widow pleaded with Keckley to move with her to Chicago after leaving the White House, and she later enlisted her confidant's help in an ill-fated attempt to sell off personal possessions. However, their relationship came to an end after Keckley revealed too many private details in her 1868 memoir, Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House.
6 of 7
Mary Todd Lincoln Was Committed to a Mental Institution by Her Surviving Son
As a mother who'd lost three sons to various diseases — and her husband to an assassin — Mary was understandably troubled after she had a premonition of misfortune befalling her lone surviving son, Robert, fueling a confrontation between the two in 1875. Agitated by years of Mary's increasingly erratic behavior, Robert took her to court for insanity proceedings, and personally testified to her "unsound mind" to get her committed to Bellevue Place Sanitarium in Batavia, Illinois. Whatever distress she was enduring at the time, Mary was shrewd enough to behave under close watch while smuggling letters to influential allies, who managed to secure her release to her eldest sister's care after a few months.
7 of 7
Mary Todd Lincoln May Have Suffered From a Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Mary's list of physical and mental issues has long been a source of fascination for armchair psychologists and real-life physicians. Some have posthumously diagnosed her with illnesses ranging from Lyme disease to diabetes, but in 2016, one doctor put forth an intriguing theory that she may have suffered from a condition called pernicious anemia. Often brought about by the body's inability to absorb vitamin B12, pernicious anemia can lead to such symptoms as headaches, fever, swelling, mouth soreness, and shortness of breath — all of which were experienced by the First Lady. Had she enjoyed access to the B12 shots that became available after WWII, she may have had a somewhat easier time in her later years and been remembered differently by history.
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1977: President Carter pardons draft dodgers
On January 21, 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands of men who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.
In total, some 100,000 young Americans went abroad in the late 1960s and early '70s to avoid serving in the war. Ninety percent went to Canada, where after some initial controversy they were eventually welcomed as immigrants. Still others hid inside the United States.
In addition to those who avoided the draft, a relatively small number—about 1,000—of deserters from the U.S. armed forces also headed to Canada. While the Canadian government technically reserved the right to prosecute deserters, in practice they left them alone, even instructing border guards not to ask too many questions.
How WWII and Vietnam Veterans Were Treated Differently
For its part, the U.S. government continued to prosecute draft evaders after the Vietnam War ended. A total of 209,517 men were formally accused of violating draft laws, while government officials estimate another 360,000 were never formally accused. If they returned home, those living in Canada or elsewhere faced prison sentences or forced military service.
During his 1976 presidential campaign, Jimmy Carter promised to pardon draft dodgers as a way of putting the war and the bitter divisions it caused firmly in the past. After winning the election, Carter wasted no time in making good on his word. Though many transplanted Americans returned home, an estimated 50,000 settled permanently in Canada.
Back in the U.S., Carter's decision generated a good deal of controversy. Heavily criticized by veterans' groups and others for allowing unpatriotic lawbreakers to get off scot-free, the pardon and companion relief plan came under fire from amnesty groups for not addressing deserters, soldiers who were dishonorably discharged or civilian anti-war demonstrators who had been prosecuted for their resistance.
Years later, Vietnam-era draft evasion still carries a powerful stigma. Though no prominent political figures have been found to have broken any draft laws, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and Vice Presidents Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney—none of whom saw combat in Vietnam—have all been accused of being draft dodgers at one time or another. Donald Trump received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War, once for bone spurs in his heels. Although there is not currently a draft in the U.S., desertion and conscientious objection have remained pressing issues among the armed forces during the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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The name Uncle Sam may have come from a New York meat merchant.
U.S. HISTORY
FACTS
Every country needs a national symbol to represent its noble struggle, and the United States has one of the most recognizable: Uncle Sam, who is said to be named after a New York meat merchant. Samuel Wilson of Troy, New York, was himself known as Uncle Sam, an affectionate nickname that became familiar to millions of Americans after he supplied thousands of barrels of beef and pork to hungry troops during the War of 1812. The barrels had "U.S." stamped on them to indicate that they were government property, but the initials came to be associated with Uncle Sam among grateful soldiers.
The name took off, and before long illustrations of Uncle Sam began appearing in print. Cartoonists such as Thomas Nast and Joseph Keppler depicted the patriotic figure as a thin and bearded older man with a top hat and coattails, popularizing the image we recognize today. The origin of the name "Uncle Sam" remains disputed, however, and some historians have noted that references to the name appeared in newspapers before Wilson ever stamped "U.S." on his meat barrels. Still, the legend is widely accepted, and Congress even passed a resolution in 1961 recognizing Wilson as Uncle Sam's namesake. Today, the figure is inextricably linked with America, but he wasn't the first personification of the country. He was preceded by Brother Jonathan, a rustic but good-natured character who originated in New England during the American Revolution.
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HISTORY AS WE REMEMBER
Thanks to Bill….Just like it was yesterday. It brings back so many memories Seventy-to eighty years of life as we knew it--in 5 minutes Wasn't this just yesterday!!!!???
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/QoDXTAajEzY?rel=0
Sixty years of life as we knew it--in 5 minutes Another bit of nostalgia about a past. However, you probably will remember much of this being a part of your life. Brings back many memories! Even if you're a bit younger, there will be things that you will remember i.e. records. Enjoy!
After moving all over the country from Kindergarten to 11th grade there is not one thing that I do not remember. It is really a walk down memory lane. I have more than a few of them in my garage.
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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/
Feb. 23, 1912
In Washington, D.C., as the Army became more firmly wedded to airplanes, it issued War Department Bulletin No. 32 to establish new ratings for "military aviator." It stipulates that prospective candidates must reach and hold an altitude of 2,500 feet in a 15 mph wind, and also make a dead-stick landing within 150 feet of designated areas.
Feb. 24, 1955
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Robert B. Carney directed the use of the term "angled" in lieu of "canted," "slanted," and "flamed" to describe the deck of aircraft carriers in which the landing runway was offset at an angle from the line of the keel.
Feb. 25, 1931
The Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics issued a new pilot training syllabus, which added advanced seaplane training courses and reinstated bombing and torpedo courses and observation and gunnery courses that were dropped in November 1929. These changes expanded the regular flight course to 258.75 hours or, for those also taking advanced combat, to 282.75 hours. The new syllabus also expanded the ground school course to 386.5 hours, with a short course in photography among the additions.
Feb. 26, 1974
The A-10A prototype fired its GAU-8/A gun for the first time during an inflight test at Edwards AFB, California.
Feb. 27, 1928
Pilot Cmdr. Theodore G. Ellyson (Naval Aviator No. 1) and crewmembers Lt. Cmdr. Hugo Schmidt and Lt. Roger S. Ransehousen died when their XOL-7 observation amphibian, BuNo A-7335, crashed into the Chesapeake Bay while en route from NAS Hampton Roads, Va., to Annapolis, Md. Portions of the amphibian's tail and wing drifted onto a beach several days later. Ellyson, Daedalian Founder Member #4377, had received the Navy Cross for his service with submarine chasers in World War I, and the destroyer Ellyson (DD 454, later DMS 19) was named in his honor.
Feb. 28, 1994
Two F-16s from Ramstein AB, Germany, shot down 4 Serbian Jastreb-Galeb aircraft over Bosnia, the first aerial combat in NATO history, during Operation DENY FLIGHT.
Feb. 29, 1964
President Lyndon B. Johnson publicly acknowledged the existence of the Lockheed A-12 "Oxcart" Mach 3+ spy plane program.
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This Day in U S Military History
February 22
1909 – The Great White Fleet returned to Norfolk, Va., from an around-the-world show of naval power. 1st US fleet to circle the globe. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various escorts. Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy capability. Hoping to enforce treaties and protect overseas holdings, the U.S. Congress appropriated funds to build American sea power. Beginning with just 90 small ships, over one-third of them wooden, the navy quickly grew to include new modern steel fighting vessels. The hulls of these ships were painted a stark white, giving the armada the nickname "Great White Fleet".
1943 – The USS Campbell, CG, rammed the U-606 in the North Atlantic after the U-boat was forced to surface after being attacked by the Polish destroyer Burza. The U-boat sank before a boarding party could reach the submarine. The Campbell rescued five of the U-606's crew. Due to the collision, Campbell's engine room was flooded and she lost power but was towed to safety, repaired, and returned to service.
1945 – The naval gun and air bombardment (by US Task Forces 52, 54 and 58) continues. Elements of the US 5th Amphibious Corps continue to make slow progress toward Mount Suribachi to the south and the airfield to the north (most of which has now been captured). There are Japanese counterattacks and infiltration attempts during the night.
1994 – CIA operative Aldrich Ames is arrested for selling secrets to the Soviet Union. Ames had access to the names and identities of all U.S. spies in Russia, and by becoming a double agent he was directly responsible for jeopardizing the lives of CIA agents working in the Eastern bloc. At least 10 men were killed after Ames revealed their identities, and more were sent to Russian gulags. Maria del Rosario Casas Ames, Aldrich's wife and an ex-CIA employee herself, was also charged for her role in accepting approximately $2.7 million (the most the Soviets ever paid a foreign spy) for providing the highly confidential information to the KGB. It was the Ames' spending that finally led to their downfall, but for many years no one questioned their ability to buy expensive cars and homes (paid for with cash) on his government salary. Ames picked up the cash at secret drops in the Washington, D.C., area and in unauthorized travels to Colombia and Venezuela. Aldrich Ames was the biggest success of the Soviet Union's reinvigorated espionage program. After the disastrous invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the Russians decided that spying was their best bet for improving their strategic position vis-ý-vis the United States. Dimitri Yakushkin was put in charge of a team called Group North. Yakushkin put more emphasis and money into clandestine operations and was rewarded when they turned Ames into a double agent. Ames, who had worked for the CIA since 1962, and whose main duties had included contacting Soviet sources, was the crown jewel for Group North. His information destroyed almost the whole American intelligence program in Russia. Later, a Senate Intelligence Committee issued a report that harshly criticized the CIA leadership for their negligence in allowing Ames to get away with his subterfuge for so long.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
WILLIAMS, ANTHONY
Rank and organization: Sailmaker's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 1822, Plymouth, Mass. Accredited to: Maine. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served as sailmaker's mate on board the U.S.S. Pontoosuc during the capture of Fort Fisher and Wilmington, 24 December 1864 to 22 February 1865. Carrying out his duties faithfully throughout this period, Williams was recommended for gallantry and skill and for his cool courage while under the fire of the enemy throughout these various actions.
CHAMBERS, JUSTICE M.
Rank and organization: Colonel. U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 3rd Assault Battalion Landing Team. 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division. Place and date: On Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. from 19 to 22 February 1945. Entered service at: Washington, D.C. Born: 2 February 1908, Huntington, W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the 3d Assault Battalion Landing Team, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, from 19 to 22 February 1945. Under a furious barrage of enemy machinegun and small-arms fire from the commanding cliffs on the right, Col. Chambers (then Lt. Col.) landed immediately after the initial assault waves of his battalion on D-day to find the momentum of the assault threatened by heavy casualties from withering Japanese artillery, mortar rocket, machinegun, and rifle fire. Exposed to relentless hostile fire, he coolly reorganized his battle-weary men, inspiring them to heroic efforts by his own valor and leading them in an attack on the critical, impregnable high ground from which the enemy was pouring an increasing volume of fire directly onto troops ashore as well as amphibious craft in succeeding waves. Constantly in the front lines encouraging his men to push forward against the enemy's savage resistance, Col. Chambers led the 8-hour battle to carry the flanking ridge top and reduce the enemy's fields of aimed fire, thus protecting the vital foothold gained. In constant defiance of hostile fire while reconnoitering the entire regimental combat team zone of action, he maintained contact with adjacent units and forwarded vital information to the regimental commander. His zealous fighting spirit undiminished despite terrific casualties and the loss of most of his key officers, he again reorganized his troops for renewed attack against the enemy's main line of resistance and was directing the fire of the rocket platoon when he fell, critically wounded. Evacuated under heavy Japanese fire, Col. Chambers, by forceful leadership, courage, and fortitude in the face of staggering odds, was directly instrumental in insuring the success of subsequent operations of the 5th Amphibious Corps on Iwo Jima, thereby sustaining and enhancing the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
MONTGOMERY, JACK C.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 45th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near, Padiglione, Italy, 22 February 1944. Entered service at: Sallisaw, Okla. Birth: Long, Okla. G.O. No.: 5, 15 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 22 February 1944, near Padiglione, Italy. Two hours before daybreak a strong force of enemy infantry established themselves in 3 echelons at 50 yards, 100 yards, and 300 yards, respectively, in front of the rifle platoons commanded by 1st Lt. Montgomery. The closest position, consisting of 4 machineguns and 1 mortar, threatened the immediate security of the platoon position. Seizing an Ml rifle and several hand grenades, 1st Lt. Montgomery crawled up a ditch to within hand grenade range of the enemy. Then climbing boldly onto a little mound, he fired his rifle and threw his grenades so accurately that he killed 8 of the enemy and captured the remaining 4. Returning to his platoon, he called for artillery fire on a house, in and around which he suspected that the majority of the enemy had entrenched themselves. Arming himself with a carbine, he proceeded along the shallow ditch, as withering fire from the riflemen and machinegunners in the second position was concentrated on him. He attacked this position with such fury that 7 of the enemy surrendered to him, and both machineguns were silenced. Three German dead were found in the vicinity later that morning. 1st Lt. Montgomery continued boldly toward the house, 300 yards from his platoon position. It was now daylight, and the enemy observation was excellent across the flat open terrain which led to 1st Lt. Montgomery's objective. When the artillery barrage had lifted, 1st Lt. Montgomery ran fearlessly toward the strongly defended position. As the enemy started streaming out of the house, 1st Lt. Montgomery, unafraid of treacherous snipers, exposed himself daringly to assemble the surrendering enemy and send them to the rear. His fearless, aggressive, and intrepid actions that morning, accounted for a total of 11 enemy dead, 32 prisoners, and an unknown number of wounded. That night, while aiding an adjacent unit to repulse a counterattack, he was struck by mortar fragments and seriously wounded. The selflessness and courage exhibited by 1st Lt. Montgomery in alone attacking 3 strong enemy positions inspired his men to a degree beyond estimation.
FOX, WESLEY L.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Leesburg, Va. Born: 30 September 1931, Herndon, Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as commanding officer of Company A, in action against the enemy in the northern A Shau Valley. Capt. (then 1st Lt.) Fox's company came under intense fire from a large well concealed enemy force. Capt. Fox maneuvered to a position from which he could assess the situation and confer with his platoon leaders. As they departed to execute the plan he had devised, the enemy attacked and Capt. Fox was wounded along with all of the other members of the command group, except the executive officer. Capt. Fox continued to direct the activity of his company. Advancing through heavy enemy fire, he personally neutralized 1 enemy position and calmly ordered an assault against the hostile emplacements. He then moved through the hazardous area coordinating aircraft support with the activities of his men. When his executive officer was mortally wounded, Capt. Fox reorganized the company and directed the fire of his men as they hurled grenades against the enemy and drove the hostile forces into retreat. Wounded again in the final assault, Capt. Fox refused medical attention, established a defensive posture, and supervised the preparation of casualties for medical evacuation. His indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger inspired his marines to such aggressive action that they overcame all enemy resistance and destroyed a large bunker complex. Capt. Fox's heroic actions reflect great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and uphold the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
LANG, GEORGE C.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. place and date: Kien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Brooklyn, N.Y. Born: 20 April 1947, Flushing, N.Y . Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Lang, Company A, was serving as a squad leader when his unit, on a reconnaissance-in-force mission, encountered intense fire from a well fortified enemy bunker complex. Sp4c. Lang observed an emplacement from which heavy fire was coming. Unhesitatingly, he assaulted the position and destroyed it with hand grenades and rifle fire. Observing another emplacement approximately 15 meters to his front, Sp4c. Lang jumped across a canal, moved through heavy enemy fire to within a few feet of the position, and eliminated it, again using hand grenades and rifle fire. Nearby, he discovered a large cache of enemy ammunition. As he maneuvered his squad forward to secure the cache, they came under fire from yet a third bunker. Sp4c. Lang immediately reacted, assaulted his position, and destroyed it with the remainder of his grenades. After returning to the area of the arms cache, his squad again came under heavy enemy rocket and automatic weapons fire from 3 sides and suffered 6 casualties. Sp4c. Lang was 1 of those seriously wounded. Although immobilized and in great pain, he continued to direct his men until his evacuation was ordered over his protests. The sustained extraordinary courage and selflessness exhibited by this soldier over an extended period of time were an inspiration to his comrades and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
*LAW, ROBERT D.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company 1 (Ranger), 75th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. place and date: Tinh Phuoc Thanh province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Born: 15 September 1944, Fort Worth, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Law distinguished himself while serving with Company 1. While on a long-range reconnaissance patrol in Tinh Phuoc Thanh province, Sp4c. Law and 5 comrades made contact with a small enemy patrol. As the opposing elements exchanged intense fire, he maneuvered to a perilously exposed position flanking his comrades and began placing suppressive fire on the hostile troops. Although his team was hindered by a low supply of ammunition and suffered from an unidentified irritating gas in the air, Sp4c. Law's spirited defense and challenging counterassault rallied his fellow soldiers against the well-equipped hostile troops. When an enemy grenade landed in his team's position, Sp4c. Law, instead of diving into the safety of a stream behind him, threw himself on the grenade to save the lives of his comrades. Sp4c. Law's extraordinary courage and profound concern for his fellow soldiers were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army
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Thanks to Carl
(READ this article about an amazing hero denied his recognition for valor in fierce combat so long ago! Several photos in link!)
How Green Beret Paris Davis' teammates fought the Pentagon for his Medal of Honor
"We could have given up at any time in that nine years and it would have gone nowhere."
BY DAVID ROZA | PUBLISHED FEB 21, 2023 6:27 PM EST
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 22 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
22 February
1921: Jack Knight, Ernest M. Allison, and five others flew the first transcontinental airmail flight from San Francisco, Calif., to New York, N. Y., in 33 hours 30 minutes, using US-built De Havilland DH-4s. Knight also flew at night from North Platte, Nebr., to Chicago, Ill. (9) (21)
1945: Operation CLARION. Aircraft from Eighth, Ninth, and Fifteenth Air Forces began an all-out assault on German communications and other transportation targets. (24)
1962: EXERCISE BANYAN TREE. USAF and USA elements from the Strike Command began this exercise in Panama's Rio Hato training area. (24)
1967: Operation JUNCTION CITY. 23 USAF C-130s carried 700 troops from the 173d Airborne Brigade on the first parachute personnel drop in the Vietnam War. Heavy drops of equipment and supplies followed the personnel drop. (16) (17)
1968: The first AC-130A gunship deployed to Southeast Asia in 1967 and returned later in December to the US for refurbishment. On 22 February 1967, the aircraft redeployed to Ubon Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, while seven more C-130s were being modified as gunships for deployment in Southeast Asia by year's end. The USAF also activated the 16th Special Operations Squadron on 30 October 1968 as a gunship unit for the AC-130As. (17)
1968: Apollo V, an unmanned earth orbital mission, launched from Kennedy Space Center on the fourth Saturn IB flight. This mission also included the first flight of the 31,700-pound lunar module (LM-1 Lunar Module-1 being moved into position for mating with Spacecraft Lunar Module Adapter (SLA)-7 in the Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building. LM-1 and SLA-7 flew on the Apollo 5 (LM-1/Saturn 204) unmanned space mission.)
1973: CEASE FIRE IN LAOS. After signing the cease-fire for S. Vietnam on 27 January, the U. S. redirected most of its air operations against N. Vietnamese forces in Laos. In addition to the 4,482 attack sorties flown by the Royal Lao Air Force, the USAF flew 50 B-52 Arc Light sorties and 4,000 tactical sorties in January. After the 22 February cease-fire, the Laotian government requested three B-52 strikes on 23 February to answer N. Vietnamese violations. B-52s also flew 41 more sorties on 15, 16, and 17 April. These were the final B-52 strikes against targets in Laos. (17)
1977: The Carter Administration ended Minuteman III production. (6)
1978: From Vandenberg AFB, Calif., an Atlas F booster placed the first Navigation System Timing and Ranging (NAVSTAR 1), a Global Positioning Satellite, into orbit. On 31 March, the satellite became operational. (26)
DESERT STORM
1991: F-111F Aardvarks initiated "smart bomb" attacks against hardened aircraft shelters at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. The attacks were so successful, Iraqi fighters started flying to Iran to escape destruction.
During Desert Storm, F-111Fs completed 3.2 successful strike missions for every unsuccessful one, better than any other U.S. strike aircraft used in the operation. The group of 66 F-111Fs dropped almost 80% of the war's laser-guided bombs, including the penetrating bunker-buster GBU-28. Eighteen F-111Es were also deployed during the operation (highlighted in the Military.com link below). The F-111s were credited with destroying more than 1,500 Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles. Their use in the anti-armor role was dubbed "tank plinking". (This strike package included an EF-111 Raven
1998: Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen asked for a Presidential Selective Reserve Call-Up to support operations against Iraq in Southwest Asia. (32)
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