To All
Good Thursday Morning February 1, 2024. The rain is just starting. I hope to see many of you at the Bubba Breakfast tomorrow morning. No visitors last night and I am just waiting for the last tree to start dropping its leaves.
Regards,
skip
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 1
1800—USS Constellation engages French frigate La Vengeance in a 5-hour battle during the Quasi War.
1902—USS Plunger (SS 2), the lead ship of the Plunger-class submarine, launches. She is commissioned Sept. 19, 1903, at the Holland Company yard at New Suffolk, Long Island, NY. Ensign Chester W. Nimitz is the submarines final commander when Plunger is decommissioned Nov. 6, 1909 at the Charleston Navy Shipyard.
1942—USS Enterprise (CV 6) and USS Yorktown (CV 5) make the first World War II air strike against the Japanese at their outposts in the Marshall Islands to protect the Trans-Pacific supply route to Australia.
1944—Three U.S. Navy submarines, Guardfish (SS 217), Hake (SS 256) and Seahorse (SS 304), attack Japanese convoys, sinking a destroyer, cargo ship and another vessel.
1945—USS Jenkins (DD 447), USS O'Bannon (DD 450), USS Bell (DD 587) and destroyer escort Ulvert M. Moore (DE 442) sink the Japanese submarine RO 115, 125 miles southwest of Manila.
1955—Task Force 43 is established to plan U.S. Navy Antarctic operations called Operation Deep Freeze.
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February 1
This Day in World History
1327 Edward III is coronated King of England.
1587 Elizabeth I, Queen of England, signs the Warrant of Execution for Mary Queen of Scots.
1633 The tobacco laws of Virginia are codified, limiting tobacco production to reduce dependence on a single-crop economy.
1793 France declares war on Britain and the Netherlands.
1861 A furious Governor Sam Houston storms out of a legislative session upon learning that Texas has voted 167-7 to secede from the Union.
1902 U.S. Secretary of State John Hay protests Russian privileges in China as a violation of the "open door policy."
1905 Germany contests French rule in Morocco.
1909 U.S. troops leave Cuba after installing Jose Miguel Gomez as president.
1930 A Loening Air Yacht of Air Ferries makes its first passenger run between San Francisco and Oakland, California..
1942 Planes of the U.S. Pacific fleet attack Japanese bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands.
1943 American tanks and infantry are battered at German positions at Faid Pass in North Africa.
1944 U.S. Army troops invade two Kwajalein Islands in the Pacific.
1945 U.S. Rangers and Filipino guerrillas rescue 513 American survivors of the Bataan Death March.
1951 Three A-bomb tests are completed in the desert of Nevada.
1960 Four black students stage a sit-in at a segregated Greensboro, N.C. lunch counter.
1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson rejects Charles de Gaulle's plan for a neutral Vietnam.
1965 Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and 770 others are arrested in protest against voter discrimination in Alabama.
1968 U.S. troops drive the North Vietnamese out of Tan Son Nhut airport in Saigon.
1968 South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu declares martial law.
1986 Two days of anti-government riots in Port-au-Prince result in 14 dead.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 29 January 2024 and ending Sunday, 4 February 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post of 27 April 2019… "No Easy Days"… Eight aircraft in the dirt and eight brave American aviators gone…
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
Many of you have probably met Dieter Dengler and know his story
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "Thursday 1 February
February 1: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=432
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
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One of the funniest comedians I ever saw was Foster Brooks at the 1973 Tailhook convention. He was dressed up as an Aussise Admiral and put on a drunk act that had us rolling on the floor because it tooki a few minutes to realize it was an act…..skip
Thanks to Micro…..Humor without 4 letter words, racial and ethnic slurs was possible then.
Why we miss Rodney Dangerfiel
With my old man I got no respect. I asked him, "How can I get my kite in the air?" He told me to run off a cliff.
I went to a massage parlor. It was self-service.
It's tough to stay married. My wife kisses the dog on the lips, yet she won't drink from my glass!
Last night my wife met me at the front door.
She was wearing a sexy negligee. The only trouble was, she was coming home.
A girl phoned me and said, 'Come on over. There's nobody home.' I went over. Nobody was home!
A hooker once told me she had a headache.
I was making love to this girl and she started crying. I said, 'Are you going to hate yourself in the morning?' She said, 'No, I hate myself now.'
My wife is such a bad cook, if we leave dental floss in the kitchen the roaches hang themselves.
I'm so ugly I stuck my head out the window and got arrested for mooning.
The other day I came home early and a guy was jogging, naked. I asked him, 'Why?' He said, 'Because you came home early.'
My wife's such a bad cook, the dog begs for Alka-Seltzer.
I know I'm not sexy. When I put my underwear on I can hear the Fruit-of-the-Loom guys giggling.
My wife is such a bad cook. In my house we pray after the meal.
My wife likes to talk to me during sex; last night she called me from a hotel.
It's been a rough day. I got up this morning and put a shirt on and a button fell off. I picked up my briefcase, and the handle came off. I'm afraid to go to the bathroom.
I was such an ugly kid! When I played in the sandbox, the cat kept covering me up.
I could tell my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and radio.
I was such an ugly baby that my mother never breast fed me. She told me that she only liked me as a friend.
I'm so ugly my father carried around a picture of the kid that came with his wallet
When I was born, the doctor came into the waiting room and said to my father, "I'm sorry. We did everything we could, but he pulled through anyway."
I'm so ugly my mother had morning sickness AFTER I was born
I remember the time that I was kidnapped and they sent a piece of my finger to my father He said he wanted more proof.
Once when I was lost, I saw a policeman, & asked him to help me find my parents. I said to him, "Do you think we'll ever find them?" He said, "I don't know kid. There's so many places they can hide."
My wife made me join a bridge club. I jump off next Tuesday
I'm so ugly, I once worked in a pet shop, and people kept asking how big I'd get.
I went to see my doctor. "Doctor, every morning when I get up and I look in the mirror I feel like throwing up. What's wrong with me?" He said: "Nothing, your eyesight is perfect."
I went to the doctor because I'd swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills. My doctor told me to have a few drinks and get some rest.
One year they wanted to make me a poster boy -- for birth control.
My uncle's dying wish was to have me sitting in his lap; he was in the electric chair.
THAT'S WHY WE MISS
RODNEY DANGERFIELD
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Thanks to History Facts
10 Facts About the First 10 Constitutional Amendments
Do you know the first 10 amendments?
The U.S. Constitution is among the most important and esteemed texts in American history. Since its ratification on June 21, 1788, this living document has served as the groundwork for the country's government on both the federal and state levels. It's also constantly evolving: The Constitution has been amended 27 times over the years, beginning with the certification of the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, in 1791. Here's a closer look at each of those first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
The First Amendment Was Introduced by James Madison
Long before he assumed the role of commander in chief, America's fourth President, James Madison, introduced the Bill of Rights to Congress, starting with the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. Madison drafted the Bill of Rights in 1789. A representative of Virginia, he based the First Amendment's text on the Virginia Declaration of Rights, as well as the English Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta.
The Second Amendment Was Agreed Upon as a Compromise
The right to bear arms as defined by the Second Amendment has been a controversial topic for ages, even dating back to when it was first agreed upon. Like much of the Bill of Rights, the final text was a compromise between pro-government Federalists and rival Anti-Federalists, who argued over whether an adequately armed population could deter potential government oppression. Anti-Federalists fought for a Second Amendment that preserved the right of the people to fight back against government oppression, while Federalists maintained that those fears were overblown.
The Third Amendment Has Never Been Argued in Front of the Supreme Court
While many constitutional amendments have been the subject of heated judicial debate, the Third Amendment has never been the focus of a U.S. Supreme Court case. The amendment forbids the government from forcing citizens to house soldiers in their private homes without their consent during peacetime. It is one of the more universally agreed-upon elements of the Constitution.
An Exemption to the Fourth Amendment Was Created for Cars
The Fourth Amendment was ratified in 1791, establishing rules against warrantless searches by law enforcement. Given that the amendment was ratified long before cars existed, it wasn't until the 1925 case Carroll v. United States that vehicle searches were first debated on a judicial level. The case ultimately established an exemption to the Fourth Amendment that permits warrantless vehicle searches, provided there is probable cause to suspect there is contraband inside.
"Due Process" Was Added to the Fifth Amendment at New York's Request
The "due process" clause — which guarantees fair treatment under the law — is an integral component of the Fifth Amendment, which protects those accused of criminal activity against self-incrimination and prohibits "double jeopardy" (being prosecuted twice for the same offense twice), among other protections. In essence, the concept of due process ensures that every American will be treated fairly in court, but it may never have existed if not for a request made by delegates from the state of New York, which had a similar concept included in its own Bill of Rights Statute. The request led James Madison to draft due process into the Fifth Amendment.
The Sixth Amendment Didn't Include State Court Cases for 172 Years
The Sixth Amendment protects the rights of those facing criminal charges, such as the right to a fair and speedy trial by an impartial jury, as well as legal representation. It has provided the right to a free defense counsel on a federal level since its ratification in 1791, but it wasn't until 1963 that the amendment was expanded to include felony cases facing state prosecution. The expansion was a result of the landmark decision in the case Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the court ruled that states must provide attorneys to any criminal defendant unable to afford their own counsel.
The Seventh Amendment Still Applies to Cases That Exceed a Value of Just $20
The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a trial by jury in federal civil cases, but only regarding issues where the value exceeds $20 — a stipulation that's still in place today. The amendment was ratified in 1791, so in modern terms, that $20 would be roughly equal to around $650. However, the text of the amendment still reads "twenty dollars."
The Eighth Amendment Was Taken Nearly Verbatim From the English Bill of Rights
The Eighth Amendment — which reads, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" — was taken nearly verbatim from the English Bill of Rights of 1689. While many other amendments from the Bill of Rights were influenced by the British Constitution, the Eighth Amendment is notable for its highly similar wording.
The Ninth Amendment Doesn't List Any Specific Rights
While the first eight amendments clearly define the rights they're meant to protect, the Ninth Amendment is significantly more abstract in nature. It was put in place to reaffirm that rights shouldn't be denied solely because they aren't explicitly stated in the Constitution. The entirety of the amendment reads, "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
The 10th Amendment Has Never Been Invoked to Protect Individual Citizens
The 10th Amendment essentially establishes the concept of states rights, and underscores the limits of the federal government as restricted to the powers enumerated in the Constitution. The text reads, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Though the 10th Amendment has been invoked many times with regard to protecting state's rights, it's never been invoked by an individual citizen in a case against the federal government.
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Thanks to Jim…This is worth your time to watch
best ww-2 documrntary on.naval.aviation youtube -
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This is one of the MOH folks from yesterday. A USMC fighter pilot in WWII
Thanks to Barrett
Skip, I got to know Jeff DeBlanc fairly well. One of the funniest and most accomplished people I've known. His Cajun accent alone was enough to draw smiles, especially when he said he went USMC "Because as a True Southerner Ah could not abide the Yankee Army."
Education PhD and gold medalist in senior olympics.
Barrett
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
NASA's famous cat video
NASA streamed a cat video to Earth from 19 million miles away.
On October 13, 2023, NASA launched a spacecraft on a six-year journey to reach a metal-rich asteroid known as Psyche, nestled between Mars and Jupiter. The mission's primary goal is to understand the building blocks of planet formation by analyzing Psyche's iron composition. But another technology demonstration piggybacked on the mission: The Deep Space Optical Communications experiment used an onboard flight laser transceiver to phone ultra-high definition video back to Earth, as part of an attempt to improve data-beaming capabilities.
During those experiments, on December 11, 2023, NASA streamed a preloaded 15-second test video from the spacecraft back to Earth — a journey of some 19 million miles. After 101 seconds, NASA received the high-res video, which displayed graphics including the spacecraft's orbital path and technical information about the laser system. But the star of the show was undeniably an orange tabby named Taters, the feline companion of a NASA employee, who spent his 15 seconds of fame chasing a laser pointer on a couch. (The technical graphics were superimposed over Tater's antics.) According to NASA, the successful demonstration proved that such technologies will be "essential to achieving our future exploration and science goals." After all, Martian astronauts need to binge-watch cat videos, too.
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6 Important Questions About Cats, Answered
Cats have strange habits that defy easy explanation. No matter how much water you put out for your kitty in his own fancy bowl, he'll insist on drinking from a faucet. Despite buying Princess (or Luna, or Bella) a steady supply of expensive toys, she still prefers the shipping boxes they came in. Scientists have tried to get to the bottom of some of these bewildering behaviors. Let's take a look at what they've found.
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Why Do Cats Purr?
Purring is a specialty among cats in the subfamily Felinae, which includes domestic cats (Felis catus) as well as lynxes, bobcats, and other small wild cats. In these species, a bone in the throat called the hyoid is fixed in position; in non-purring cats like lions and jaguars, the hyoid is somewhat flexible. This difference suggests the bone has something to do with purring, but scientists are still debating the mechanism behind it. One theory holds that laryngeal muscles can rapidly open and close around the vocal cords, resulting in a purr.
Cats purr for several reasons: when they are content, want food, feel nervous, or are in pain. Experts say cats also purr just after they give birth or when they're injured or sick, leading bioacoustician Elizabeth von Muggenthaler to suggest that purring might be a way for a cat to heal itself.
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Why Does Catnip Make Cats High?
About 70% of cats are susceptible to the intoxicating effects of nepetalactone, the active compound in catnip. One whiff and these kitties are temporarily reduced to drooling, meowing messes, often rolling around in or rubbing their faces on the catnip source. That's because nepetalactone is a volatile organic molecule that binds to receptors in a cat's nose, stimulating neurons that activate the olfactory bulb, amygdala, hypothalamus, and other areas of the brain, causing a euphoric effect. The buzz seems to wear off after 10 or 15 minutes, leaving cats extremely chill thereafter.
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Why Do Cats Love Boxes?
Not just boxes — cats will gladly jump into an open suitcase, storage bin, paper bag, or even a square-shaped optical illusion painted on the floor. Cats have an instinct to hide, and boxes offer a semi-enclosed space where they can huddle into a corner and have a good vantage point for spotting danger. Boxes also present a cozy spot to curl up for a nap. In the past decade, a few researchers have looked into how cats seem to squeeze themselves into uncomfortable or too-small containers. One 2014 paper even asked if cats were actually liquids since they appear to adapt their shape to fill a container. More research is needed.
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Why Do Cats Knead?
A nursing kitten often presses its mom's belly with its front paws; this kneading action stimulates the flow of milk. But many full-grown cats continue the behavior, "making biscuits" on pillows, soft blankets, towels, or their owners. Veterinarians think adult cats knead when they're feeling safe and relaxed and to show affection to humans and other cats. The act of kneading can also calm cats, like a form of feline self-care. Making biscuits may also be a sign that a cat is marking its territory with the scent glands located between its toes.
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Why Do Cats Drink Out of Faucets When Their Water Bowl Is Right There?
You take great care in providing fresh, filtered water to your finicky feline. But they still prefer to perch on the bathroom sink and awkwardly drink from the faucet. The reason might be linked to domestic cats' evolution from their desert-dwelling ancestors. According to veterinarian Marty Becker, cats may sense that still water is stagnant and unhealthy. Kneeling down at a water bowl to drink might make them feel vulnerable, especially if they can't see other cats or people behind them. Running water might signal a fresher source of hydration, and the sound and movement of a dripping faucet may pique their interest. On the other hand, your cat might simply prefer the taste of the dripping tap, or just doesn't like the water bowl you picked out. To keep your cat out of the sink or bathtub (and save water), try a recirculating fountain.
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Why Do Cats Typically Land on Their Feet?
In his book Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics, Gregory J. Gbur suggests that falling cats land on their feet due to a combination of four movements identified by earlier physicists: pulling in paws to rotate its body, tweaking its momentum by extending paws at certain moments, bending at the waist to counter-rotate the front and hind sections of its body, and rotating its tail to change direction. The key movement, he told Ars Technica, is the "bend and twist": "The cat bends at the waist and counter-rotates the upper and lower halves of its body in order to cancel those motions out. When one goes through the math, that seems to be the most fundamental aspect of how a cat turns over." The whole chain of movements is called the cat righting reflex — and though they instinctively land right side up, they don't always land on their feet.
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
https://geopoliticalfutures.com
Daily Memo: A Shift in Russian Wartime Policy?
By: George Friedman
Feb 1, 2024
Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti published a statement made by President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that we regard as a significant shift in Russian foreign policy. He said the demilitarized zone in Ukraine should be pushed back farther away from Russian territories – far enough that it would be safe from "long-range weapons of foreign production … which the Ukrainian authorities use to shell peaceful cities." After all, the purpose of the conflict, he said, was to protect the Russian motherland.
In other words, Putin wants to put Russian territory out of reach of Ukrainian missiles, whatever distance that might require. He said nothing of whether it would put Ukraine out of range of Russian missiles.
Apart from some cryptic messages over the past month, this is the first clear indication that Putin would be open to a negotiated end to the war. Any discussion on the location and size of an area from which attacks would fall short of Moscow would demand as much, especially if it means pushing the line all the way back to Ukraine's western border.
There are several ways the proposal could fail – if indeed this leads to an official proposal – but there are some reasons for cautious optimism. For one thing, Russia has failed to execute a decisive offensive. Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian public seems eager to continue the war. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just tried to fire his commanding general, a hardliner who wanted Zelenskyy to be more aggressive or quit. The reality is that no matter its stated goals, Kyiv wants to end the war, and to do so it will have to cede some territory. In May 2023, Ukraine proposed a 120-kilometer (75-mile) demilitarized zone. It's possible this is the beginning of Russia's answer.
Meanwhile, Hungary's foreign minister is visiting Ukraine. The government in Budapest has been close to Russia, and though it is a member of Russia's enemy, NATO, it is no friend to Ukraine. This makes for a confusing negotiating platform, but clarity is not helpful at this moment. Hungarian mediation was suggested at the beginning of the war, and the visit by the foreign minister around the time Putin's statement was published suggests a quiet consultation might have taken place.
It seems as though Putin has submitted his terms for at least a cessation of combat. And though we don't know the maximum range of every missile Ukraine has or will possess in the future, eventual cessation appears to be the logical outcome.
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This Day in U S Military History
February 1
1942 – U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls-Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater. These were tactical airstrikes and naval artillery attacks by United States Navy aircraft carrier and other warship forces against Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) garrisons in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. The Japanese garrisons were under the overall command of Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, commander of the 4th Fleet. Japanese aircraft in the islands belonged to the IJN's 24th Air Flotilla under Rear Admiral Eiji Gotō. The U.S. warship forces were under the overall command of Vice Admiral William Halsey, Jr. The raids were carried out by two separate U.S. carrier task forces. Aircraft from Task Force 17 (TF 17), commanded by Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher and centered on the carrier USS Yorktown, attacked Jaluit, Mili, and Makin (Butaritari) islands. The Yorktown aircraft inflicted moderate damage to the Japanese naval installations on the islands and destroyed three aircraft. Seven Yorktown aircraft were lost, as well as a floatplane from one of TF 17's cruisers. Aircraft from TF 8, commanded by Halsey and centered on the carrier USS Enterprise, struck Kwajalein, Wotje, and Taroa. At the same time, cruisers and destroyers bombarded Wotje and Taroa. The strikes inflicted light to moderate damage on the three islands' naval garrisons, sank three small warships and damaged several others, including the light cruiser Katori, and destroyed 15 Japanese aircraft. The heavy cruiser USS Chester was hit and slightly damaged by a Japanese aerial bomb, and six Enterprise aircraft were lost. TFs 8 and 17 retired from the area immediately upon completion of the raids.
1943 – Japanese forces on Guadalcanal Island, defeated by Marines, start to withdraw after the Japanese emperor finally gives them permission. On July 6, 1942, the Japanese landed on Guadalcanal Island, part of the Solomon Islands chain, and began constructing an airfield. In response, the U.S. launched Operation Watchtower, in which American troops landed on five islands within the Solomon chain, including Guadalcanal. The landings on Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tananbogo met with much initial opposition from the Japanese defenders, despite the fact that the landings took the Japanese by surprise because bad weather had grounded their scouting aircraft. "I have never heard or read of this kind of fighting," wrote one American major general on the scene. "These people refuse to surrender." The Americans who landed on Guadalcanal had an easier time of it, at least initially. More than 11,000 Marines landed, but 24 hours passed before the Japanese manning the garrison knew what had happened. The U.S. forces quickly met their main objective of taking the airfield, and the outnumbered Japanese troops temporarily retreated. Japanese reinforcements were landed, though, and fierce hand-to-hand jungle fighting ensued. The Americans were at a particular disadvantage because they were assaulted from both sea and air, but when the U.S. Navy supplied reinforcement troops, the Americans gained the advantage. By February 1943, the Japanese retreated on secret orders of their emperor. In fact, the Japanese retreat was so stealthy that the Americans did not even know it had taken place until they stumbled upon abandoned positions, empty boats, and discarded supplies. In total, the Japanese lost more than 25,000 men compared with a loss of 1,600 by the Americans. Each side lost 24 warships.
1944 – American operations against the Kwajalein Atoll continue. On Roi US forces are mopping up. There is heavy fighting on Namur. US Task Force 52 (Admiral Turner) provides naval support for the landing of the 7th Infantry Division (General Corlett) on Kwajalein. Here, the Americans overrun a third of island, despite heavy Japanese resistance.
1945 – The American advance on all fronts is slowed by fierce Japanese resistance. US 1st Corps is heavily engaged near Rosario and San Jose while US 11th Corps is struggling to make more ground across the neck of the Bataan Peninsula.
1945 – American USAAF B-24 and B-29 bombers raid Iwo Jima in preparation for the landings later in the month. They drop a daily average of 450 tons of bombs over the course of 15 days (6800 tons).
1951 – The 23rd Regimental Combat Team, of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, engaged the Chinese Communist Forces in the Battle of the Twin Tunnels, killing an estimated 1,300 Chinese. U.S. casualties included 45 killed, four missing and 207 wounded in action.
1958 – Elvis Presley records his last single, "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck," before joining the army. Elvis had topped the charts eight times since April 1956, when "Heartbreak Hotel" hit No. 1. Drafted in 1958, Elvis enlisted in the army in March that year and served until 1960. When he joined the army, his monthly salary dropped from $100,000 to $78. Fortunately, his manager had already recorded enough material to keep Elvis singles on the charts during most of The King's army service.
1968 – U.S. troops drove the North Vietnamese out of Tan Son Nhut airport in Saigon.
1968 – South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu declared martial law.
1968 – During the Vietnam War, Saigon's police chief Nguyen Ngoc Loan executed a Viet Cong officer with a pistol shot to the head in a scene captured in a famous news photograph.
1999 – The Morse code SOS was officially retired and replaced by the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
2003 – Space shuttle Columbia broke apart in flames over Texas, killing all 7 astronauts just 16 minutes before they were supposed to glide to ground in Florida. The astronauts included Michael P. Anderson (b.1959), David M. Brown (b.1956), Laurel Clark (b.1962), Kalpana Chawla (b.1962), Rick Husband (b.1957), William C. McCool (b.1961) and Ilan Ramon (b.1954). An explosion in the wheel well under the left wing was later suspected as the cause.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*ANDERSON, RICHARD BEATTY
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 26 June 1921, Tacoma, Wash. Accredited to: Washington. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 4th Marine Division during action against enemy Japanese forces on Roi Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1 February 1944. Entering a shell crater occupied by 3 other marines, Pfc. Anderson was preparing to throw a grenade at an enemy position when it slipped from his hands and rolled toward the men at the bottom of the hole. With insufficient time to retrieve the armed weapon and throw it, Pfc. Anderson fearlessly chose to sacrifice himself and save his companions by hurling his body upon the grenade and taking the full impact of the explosion. His personal valor and exceptional spirit of loyalty in the face of almost certain death were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
KNAPPENBERGER, ALTON W.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, 1 February 1944. Entered service at: Spring Mount, Pa. Birth: Cooperstown, Pa. G.O. No.: 41, 26 May 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict with the enemy, on 1 February 1944 near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy. When a heavy German counterattack was launched against his battalion, Pfc. Knappenberger crawled to an exposed knoll and went into position with his automatic rifle. An enemy machinegun 85 yards away opened fire, and bullets struck within 6 inches of him. Rising to a kneeling position, Pfc. Knappenberger opened fire on the hostile crew, knocked out the gun, killed 2 members of the crew, and wounded the third. While he fired at this hostile position, 2 Germans crawled to a point within 20 yards of the knoll and threw potato-masher grenades at him, but Pfc. Knappenberger killed them both with 1 burst from his automatic rifle. Later, a second machinegun opened fire upon his exposed position from a distance of 100 yards, and this weapon also was silenced by his well-aimed shots. Shortly thereafter, an enemy 20mm. antiaircraft gun directed fire at him, and again Pfc. Knappenberger returned fire to wound 1 member of the hostile crew. Under tank and artillery shellfire, with shells bursting within 15 yards of him, he held his precarious position and fired at all enemy infantrymen armed with machine pistols and machineguns which he could locate. When his ammunition supply became exhausted, he crawled 15 yards forward through steady machinegun fire, removed rifle clips from the belt of a casualty, returned to his position and resumed firing to repel an assaulting German platoon armed with automatic weapons. Finally, his ammunition supply being completely exhausted, he rejoined his company. Pfc. Knappenberger's intrepid action disrupted the enemy attack for over 2 hours.
*POWER, JOHN VINCENT
Rank and organization. First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 20 November 1918, Worcester, Mass. Appointed from: Massachusetts. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as platoon leader, attached to the 4th Marine Division, during the landing and battle of Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1 February 1944. Severely wounded in the stomach while setting a demolition charge on a Japanese pillbox, 1st Lt. Power was steadfast in his determination to remain in action. Protecting his wound with his left hand and firing with his right, he courageously advanced as another hostile position was taken under attack, fiercely charging the opening made by the explosion and emptying his carbine into the pillbox. While attempting to reload and continue the attack, 1st Lt. Power was shot again in the stomach and head and collapsed in the doorway. His exceptional valor, fortitude and indomitable fighting spirit in the face of withering enemy fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
DIX, DREW DENNIS
Rank and Organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, U.S. Senior Advisor Group, IV Corps, Military Assistance Command. Place and date: Chau Doc Province, Republic of Vietnam, 31 January and 1 February 1968. Entered service at: Denver, Colo. Born: 14 December 1944, West Point, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Dix distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while serving as a unit adviser. Two heavily armed Viet Cong battalions attacked the Province capital city of Chau Phu resulting in the complete breakdown and fragmentation of the defenses of the city. S/Sgt. Dix, with a patrol of Vietnamese soldiers, was recalled to assist in the defense of Chau Phu. Learning that a nurse was trapped in a house near the center of the city, S/Sgt. Dix organized a relief force, successfully rescued the nurse, and returned her to the safety of the Tactical Operations Center. Being informed of other trapped civilians within the city, S/Sgt. Dix voluntarily led another force to rescue 8 civilian employees located in a building which was under heavy mortar and small-arms fire. S/Sgt. Dix then returned to the center of the city. Upon approaching a building, he was subjected to intense automatic rifle and machine gun fire from an unknown number of Viet Cong. He personally assaulted the building, killing 6 Viet Cong, and rescuing 2 Filipinos. The following day S/Sgt. Dix, still on his own volition, assembled a 20-man force and though under intense enemy fire cleared the Viet Cong out of the hotel, theater, and other adjacent buildings within the city. During this portion of the attack, Army Republic of Vietnam soldiers inspired by the heroism and success of S/Sgt. Dix, rallied and commenced firing upon the Viet Cong. S/Sgt. Dix captured 20 prisoners, including a high ranking Viet Cong official. He then attacked enemy troops who had entered the residence of the Deputy Province Chief and was successful in rescuing the official's wife and children. S/Sgt. Dix's personal heroic actions resulted in 14 confirmed Viet Cong killed in action and possibly 25 more, the capture of 20 prisoners, 15 weapons, and the rescue of the 14 United States and free world civilians. The heroism of S/Sgt. Dix was in the highest tradition and reflects great credit upon the U.S. Army.
*STEINDAM, RUSSELL A.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Troop B, 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry, Division. Place and date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 1 February 1970. Entered service at: Austin, Tex. Born: 27 August 1946, Austin, Tex. Citation: for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Steindam, Troop B, while serving as a platoon leader, led members of his platoon on a night ambush operation. On the way to the ambush site, suspected enemy movement was detected on 1 flank and the platoon's temporary position was subjected to intense small arms and automatic weapons fire as well as a fusillade of hand and rocket-propelled grenades. After the initial barrage, 1st Lt. Steindam ordered fire placed on the enemy position and the wounded men to be moved to a shallow bomb crater. As he directed the return fire against the enemy from his exposed position, a fragmentation grenade was thrown into the site occupied by his command group. Instantly realizing the extreme gravity of the situation, 1st Lt. Steindam shouted a warning to alert his fellow soldiers in the immediate vicinity. Then, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, 1st Lt. Steindam deliberately threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the full and fatal force of the explosion as it detonated. By his gallant action and self-sacrifice, he was able to save the lives of the nearby members of his command group. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by 1st Lt. Steindam were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 1, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1 February
1911: The Wright Company certified Burgess and Curtiss in Marblehead, Mass., as the first licensed aircraft manufacturers in the US. (12) (24)
1928: A joint Army-Navy nomenclature for aircraft engines became effective. In this system, engines received standard type names based on cubic inches of piston displacement. For example, a V-type Curtiss D-12 engine became the Curtiss V-1150 and the air-cooled radial J-5 Whirlwind became the Wright R-790. (5)
1942: Task Force 8 and 17 with the USS Enterprise and Yorktown began the first carrier offensive on enemy bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. (24)
1943: Navy PBY's rescued Brig Gen Nathan F. Twining, the Thirteenth Air Force Commander, and 14 others near New Hebrides Islands. They ditched their plane on the way from Guadalcanal to Espiritu Santo and spent six days in life rafts. (24)
1945: Boeing received a contract for a straight wing XB-47; it was changed later in September to a swept wing design. (12)
1950: Continental Air Command (CONAC) directed to set up a civil air raid warning system. (24)
1956: McDonnell Douglas selected as the prime contractor for the GAM-72A Quail missile. (6)
1957: The Boeing Airplane Company announced the delivery of the world's first jet tanker, the KC-135, to the USAF. (See 28 June 1957) (24)
1958: SAC activated the 4320 SMW (later the 706 SMW), its first Atlas wing, at Francis E. Warren AFB. (6) The US and UK agreed to deploy four squadrons of Thor missiles in Great Britain, with operational capability to be achieved by December 1958. (6)
1959: The USAF transferred the operational control of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line to the Royal Canadian Air Force. (16) (24)
1960: SAC activated its first Titan I squadron, the 848 SMS, at Lowry AFB, Colo. (6) (12)
1961: The Ballistic Missile Early Warning System site at Thule, Greenland, became operational. (1) From Cape Canaveral, the USAF's first launch of a solid-propellant Minuteman I was a success. The missile, under full guidance, flew 4,600 miles to the target area. (6) (12) A 4135 SW squadron at Eglin AFB became SAC's first B-52 unit to be declared operationally ready with GAM-72A Quail missiles. (6)
1964: The acquisition phase of the Atlas program ended. (5)
1965: The USAF assumed responsibility for ICBM and space vehicle support functions on the Pacific Missile Range Test from the USN. It assigned this responsibility to the Air Force Western Test Range, National Range Division, AFSC. (5) First Minuteman II squadron, the 447 SMS, activated at Grand Forks AFB. (6) (12) Travis AFB received the first C-141 modified for Minuteman missile airlift. These C–141s recycled missiles between SAC depots and missile bases. (18)
1966: The Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards AFB began training six USAF and two Navy pilots for the Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL) program. (3)
1969: AFRES tactical airlift units paradropped a record of 6,182 troops during training operations at Fort Benning, Ga. (16)
1972: The Boeing Company facility in Renton rolled out the first avionics testbed aircraft for the Air Force AWACS. A 30-foot rotodome topped the modified Boeing 707-320. (5) At St. Paul, Minn., Matt A. Wiederkehr used a Raven S50A hot air balloon to set an 8-hour, 48- minute FAI record for duration in subclass AX-6 (1,200 to 1,600 cubic meters capacity) balloons. (9)
1983: The 868th Tactical Missile Training Squadron started training specialists at Davis-Monthan AFB to operate the Ground Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCM) to be deployed in Europe. (26)
1995: Operation SAFE PASSAGE. Through 20 February, after Cuban refugees rioted, C-5s, C-141s, and C-130s airlifted some 7,300 Cuban from their camps in Panama to Guantanamo Bay NAS, Cuba, in this operation. (16)
1997: Two 509 BW B-2 pilots emerged from perhaps the longest simulator flight in Air Force history at Whiteman AFB. The 44.4-hour simulator flight, called Vigilant Spirit II, ended on 1 February for Maj Steve Moulton and Capt Jeff Long. The test tried to determine how fatigue impacted pilot abilities to perform a long mission safely. It used sleep, dietary strategies and seat exercises to reduce fatigue. (AFNEWS Article 970175, 18 Feb 97) Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical's BQM-145A Peregrine, a composite Medium Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MR UAV), made its first flight from Mojave Airport, Calif., on a programmed flight path toward the Precision Impact Range Area at Edwards. An unplanned engine shutdown caused it to make an early soft landing via its parachute recovery system. (3)
2001: Operation JOINT FORGE. Lt Col Mark Stephens, the 179th Airlift Wing's Vice Commander (Ohio ANG), became the first Air Guardsmen to assume command of both active duty and ANG forces in this operation to resupply multinational peacekeepers in Bosnia. He was based at Ramstein AB, Germany. He served as the Director of Operations until 5 March 2001, when the 179th returned to Ohio.
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