To All
Good Friday Morning February 9, 2024. The rain stayed around the rest of the day and is back this morning.
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 9
1799—During the Quasi-War with France, USS Constellation, commanded by Capt. Thomas Truxtun, captures French frigate l'Insurgente off Saint Kitts and Nevis Island.
1942—While undergoing conversion at New York City pier 88, USS Lafayette (AP 53) catches fire resulting in the total loss of the ship.
1943—Organized Japanese resistance on Guadalcanal ends, bringing to a close the battle that started in August 1942.
1945—PV-1 Ventura patrol plane sinks small Japanese cargo vessel No.177 Nanshin Maru in Flores Sea west of Maumere.
1960—USS Sargo (SSN 583) becomes the third submarine to surface through the ice at the North Pole.
Thanks to Ted who was a fighter pilot on the USS Midway with me in 1972
"1943—USS Snook (SS 279) attacks a Japanese convoy off the west coast of Kyushu and sinks the transport Lima Maru and survives depth charges about 30 miles southeast of Goto Retto."
The Commanding Officer of the SNOOK during that attack was 36yr old LCDR Charles "Chuck" Triebel, (class '29, USNA). He had 5 war patrols as SNOOK's CO, and was among the top 10 submarine skippers for total tonnage sunk. Awarded 3 Navy Cross and 2 SS.
Ted said "He retired as a two Star and Ted said he was happy to see me go into aviation"
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This day in World History
February 9
1567 Lord Darnley, the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, is murdered in his sick-bed in a house in Edinburgh when the house blows up.
1799 The USS Constellation captures the French frigate Insurgente off the West Indies.
1825 The House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams, sixth U.S. President.
1861 Jefferson F. Davis is elected president of the Confederate States of America.
1864 Union General George Armstrong Custer marries Elizabeth Bacon in their hometown of Monroe, Mich.
1904 Japanese troops land near Seoul, Korea, after disabling two Russian cruisers.
1909 France agrees to recognize German economic interests in Morocco in exchange for political supremacy.
1916 Conscription begins in Great Britain as the Military Service Act becomes effective.
1922 The U.S. Congress establishes the World War Foreign Debt Commission.
1942 Chiang Kai-shek meets with Sir Stafford Cripps, the British viceroy in India.
1943 The Red Army takes back Kursk 15 months after it fell to the Germans
1946 Stalin announces the new five-year plan for the Soviet Union, calling for production boosts of 50 percent.
1951 Actress Greta Garbo gets U.S. citizenship.
1953 The French destroy six Viet Minh war factories hidden in the jungles of Vietnam.
1964 The U.S. embassy in Moscow is stoned by Chinese and Vietnamese students.
1978 Canada expels 11 Soviets in spying case.
1994 Nelson Mandela becomes the first black president of South Africa.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 5 February 2024 and ending Sunday, 11 February 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post of 28 April 2017… The TS/SI plan to destroy North Vietnam— Linebacker I/II — was on the shelf and ready to go on 5 February 1969… 27,000 American braves would perish (KIA) before the plan would be executed… Shame!…
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 "Friday 9 February
9: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=441
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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Thanks to Interesting Facts
6 Facts About Ancient Navigation
Thousands of years ago, the oceans seemed a lot wider, even unnavigable. Before mariners developed tried-and-true navigation techniques, sailing the seas involved a lot of guesswork — or, if you want it to sound cooler, "dead reckoning."
Slowly, our ancestors moved beyond their initial stabs in the dark. Some looked to the sky, using their new knowledge about the cosmos to help them better understand life on Earth. Others took a keen interest in the seas, learning to intuitively navigate the vast expanses based on their currents and swells. Nowadays, we have a relatively easy time getting around — thanks, GPS! — but it took a long time to get here. How were Polynesians able to cross thousands of miles of open ocean more than 3,000 years ago? Which seafaring society might have successfully used crystals to find their way? What persistent navigation myth just won't die? Read on and get your sea legs with these six facts.
Polynesians Were Pioneers of the Open Ocean
In the early days of ocean navigation, explorers stayed pretty close to the shoreline and used visible landmarks to mark their position. However, Polynesians, the first developers of open ocean exploration, set off from New Guinea and moved eastward in about 1500 BCE. After first traveling to the adjacent Solomon Islands, they gradually journeyed farther and farther east. Their vessel of choice was a double canoe with two hulls connected by crossbeams, kind of like a catamaran.Venturing out into the open ocean, these explorers eventually reached Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and Tahiti. They then traveled more than 2,600 miles north to Hawaii — longer than the distance across the U.S. from Portland, Maine, to Seattle, Washington. By roughly 1,000 or possibly 1,200 CE, the descendants of those early explorers populated the entire Polynesian Triangle, the three corners of which are Hawaii, Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island), and New Zealand.The Polynesians didn't have any navigational instruments that we know of, so how did they do it? Although their navigation techniques were passed down orally, historians think they navigated using stars, ocean swells, the sun, the moon, and migratory birds. Some Pacific Islanders navigated simply by using the waves themselves. In 1976, a group of Polynesian canoeing enthusiasts made the Tahiti-Hawaii trip using no navigational instruments and a traditional voyaging canoe — a feat that's since been repeated several times.
Some Early Nautical Charts Were Made From Shells and Sticks
A nautical chart provides not only topographical information, but also details about the behavior of the sea, such as how tidal patterns interact. Today, we can easily read this data on screens and paper, but ancient Micronesian navigators called ri-metos recorded their knowledge using elaborate "stick charts" made from palm strips, coconut strips, and cowrie shells. As you might imagine, these charts weren't especially portable, so they were designed to be memorized before a voyage. The charts didn't follow any kind of uniform style, and some of them were only designed to be read by the person who created them, so they can be hard for modern viewers to interpret. We do know, though, that some charts depicted general ocean patterns, while others contained precise piloting instructions.
Early Magnetic Compasses Bore Little Resemblance to Their Modern Counterparts
Today, magnetic compasses are so ubiquitous that we just call them "compasses." They contain a magnetized needle that naturally lines up with the Earth's magnetic field, so the ends point to magnetic north and magnetic south (moving targets that are fairly close to true north and true south, but that can lead to errors when traveling very far north or very far south).Scientists don't know for sure who made the first compass, but they believe the first compasses to be used for navigation came from 11th- or 12th-century China. The first European usage of a compass was recorded at the end of the 12th century. These early prototypes used lodestones (pieces of naturally-occurring magnetic ore) or needles magnetized with lodestones that were then attached to sticks or corks so they could float in water. At first, magnetic compasses were used primarily as backup navigation aids, but as engineers got more savvy, compasses became more reliable. By the 13th century, the compass's design had graduated to a magnetized needle mounted on a pin at the bottom of a bowl. In time, a directional card with the 32 principal points of direction began to be mounted beneath the needle. The design of the card itself evolved, too: The north point was first marked by a spearhead and a "T" for the Latin word Tramontana, meaning "the north wind." Around 1490, these symbols were replaced with a fleur-de-lis, which is still commonly seen on compasses today.
Astrolabes Weren't Just Used for Navigation
The concept of an astrolabe, a device used to measure the positions of celestial bodies, dates back to ancient Greece in the third or second century BCE — although its exact origin is unclear. By the ninth century CE, astrolabes were highly developed and utilized in Arabic cultures. The devices made their way back to Europe in the 12th century, and the mariner's astrolabe was a standard piece of navigational equipment by the end of the 15th century, just in time for the Age of Exploration.Astrolabes are used to determine the locations of celestial bodies relative to the user. A disk called a "mater" holds a series of smaller rotating and sliding disks — one with Earth's latitude lines and another with well-known constellations and stars. A straight "rule," or bar, spins around that, and a sight helps determine the altitude of the sun or another star that can then be used as an anchor point. Astrolabes often came with specific plates that corresponded to the different latitudes of certain large cities, because the sky's geography is affected by one's latitude.While these devices were very useful for navigation, it wasn't their only claim to fame: In the Islamic world, they helped determine prayer times and the direction of Mecca. During the Middle Ages in Europe, they were consulted to help with decision-making, much like modern horoscopes. And more mundanely, they could also be used for making topographical surveys.
Vikings May Have Used Crystals to Navigate
The Vikings, a group of seafaring Scandinavian warriors, were also skilled ocean navigators. They began to populate Iceland — around 500 miles from their native Norway — in about 900 CE, even eventually reaching North America. The specifics of their navigation techniques are somewhat mysterious, but recent research indicates they may have used crystals. Because they sailed their longships in the far North Atlantic, Viking travelers benefitted from up to 24 hours of continuous daylight, but they encountered a lot of fog, too. Ancient Norse literature mentions "sunstones," stones that helped their holders find the sun — and scientists now think these may have really existed. In 2011, researchers used calcite crystals to pinpoint the location of the sun within 1 degree. It's not magic, although it sounds like it: Through polarization, crystals can show sunlight patterns that can't be seen with the naked eye.Another study from 2014 suggests these crystals may have been used in conjunction with a sun compass. Researchers simulated 3,600 trips between Norway and Greenland at the spring equinox and summer solstice, two dates marked on a disc believed to be a component of a sun compass. They found that by checking the crystals every few hours, the computer-generated voyages successfully reached Greenland 92% of the time.That study hasn't been replicated in the real world yet, but it offers some clues to how Viking navigators were able to navigate without the use of magnetic compasses or astrolabes.
Navigators Knew the Earth Was Round Earlier Than You Might Think
There's a persistent myth that Christopher Columbus "proved" the Earth was round in the 15th century during his voyage from Europe to the Americas, but he was many centuries too late. In fact, formally educated people knew the world wasn't flat starting way back in the third century BCE, while scientists and mathematicians may have known as early as the sixth century BCE. Columbus' surprise landing in the Americas had nothing to do with thinking the Earth was flat — he just thought the global circumference to be smaller than it is and believed he'd end up in Asia. This tenacious myth comes from a highly embellished 1828 biography of Columbus written by Washington Irving, better known for fictional works such as "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle."Like the aforementioned scientists and scholars, mariners were aware of the world's roundness very early on. Sailors observed that when viewing distant ships, the tops of sails and masts were visible before the decks and hulls of the vessels to which they were attached. And as they traveled to different points of the Earth, they also noted being able to see different constellations. Celestial navigation would have been pretty difficult otherwise.
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Thanks to Clint
Subject: Fwd: Thomas Jeffersoon
There's no doubt that 99% of Americans do not know the historical background of our third president, Thomas Jefferson and never will. Read on, and pass it on.
Subject: Fwd: FW: Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson's name was removed from a public school in California because of his unworthiness. The same goes for these reprobates; George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Here is some good ideals that can help understand what it means to live and be a real American.
Thomas Jefferson
His portrait is on the $2.00 Dollar Bill.
There are two parts to this.
Be sure to read the 2nd part
Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.
At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
Also could write in Greek with one hand, while writing the same in Latin with the other.
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 23, started his own law practice.
At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America," and retired from his law practice.
At 32, was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.
At 33, took three years to revise Virginia's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia, succeeding Patrick Henry.
At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected President of the American Philosophical Society.
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of the Republican Party.
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the nation's size.
At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, retired to Monticello.
At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, almost single-handedly, created the University of Virginia and served as its' first president.
At 83, died on the 50th Anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, along with John Adams.
Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied, the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, His laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today.
Jefferson really knew his stuff...
A voice from the past to lead us in the future:
John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the White House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement:
"This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House, with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone"
"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe." -- Thomas Jefferson
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." -- Thomas Jefferson
"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its' own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on, would save one-half the wars of the world." -- Thomas Jefferson
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them." -- Thomas Jefferson
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." -- Thomas Jefferson
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -- Thomas Jefferson
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson
"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes, the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." -- Thomas Jefferson
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Thanks to Carl
(The first sentence sums it up nicely! "HAND SALUTE" to a REAL American!)
February 8, 2023
A Good Samaritan from Alabama secretly paid for people's prescriptions for a decade
By Rajan Laad
An act of true selflessness is very rare in this era of egotism, narcissism, and self-centeredness.
Even people claiming to perform acts of charity in secret find ways to make their kindness public in order to be celebrated. These generous individuals readily talk at length about not wanting to talk about their charity.
Just as you begin to lose faith in mankind, a rare instance of true selflessness presents itself.
The Good Samaritan in question was Hody Childress from Geraldine, Alabama who passed away on Jan. 1, 2023 at the age of 80.
It was only upon his passing that many living in his neighborhood and beyond learned of Childress's act of kindness for which he ensured he earned no public appreciation while he lived.
For every month for more than a decade, Childress had made anonymous cash donations to the Geraldine Drugs pharmacy, with a goal to help neighbors struggling to pay for prescription medication.
Childress's family and donors from across the United States have vowed to continue his legacy.
So who was Childress?
Childress was an Air Force veteran and a farmer.
He leaves behind his wife, Martha Jo Childress; daughter, Tania Nix; his son, Douglas, his step-children, sister, brothers, and grandchildren.
Childress's personal life was far from easy.
He lost his first wife after a long illness and his father and his middle child, a son, in a tornado during the 1970s.
But personal tragedies did not make Childress bitter or cynical, in fact, these tragedies may have been the driving force behind his helping the less fortunate.
"'I want it to be anonymous. I don't want to know any details on who you use it on, just tell them this is a blessing from the Lord,'" he told Brooke Walker, pharmacist and co-owner of Geraldine Drugs to whom he would hand over his monthly charitable donations of $100.
Geraldine is a close-knit community of about 1,000 residents.
From the accounts reported in the media, it seems like the kind of town we saw in movies during the golden era of Hollywood and the U.S., where everyone was kind, friendly and generous.
Geraldine has a tradition of neighbors helping one another, as well as a number of people who need the help. About 19 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data from 2020, which is higher than the national average.
When he wasn't helping people, Childress enjoyed cultivating his garden, the products of which were fresh strawberries or tomatoes that he handed out freely all around Geraldine.
"He'd make peanut brittle for my staff and drop it off," said Walker.
When he became too ill with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to leave his home, he confided his secret charity to his daughter, Tania, who handed over his money for him. She pledged to continue the charity.
Walker estimates that the total amount of Childress's contributions was roughly $10,000. Walker said Childress never ever missed a month in contributions.
Walker said Childress's kindness helped at least two people a month who didn't have the funds or insurance or whose benefits didn't cover their prescription medicine.
Last fall, one of those beneficiaries was Eli Schlageter, who works part-time on a poultry farm run by Childress's son, Douglas, and founded by Childress.
When Walker told Eli's mother, who is a secretary for the principal at Geraldine High School, that money from an anonymous donor would cover the cost of her medication, she was overcome by emotion.
However, they never knew the identity of their benefactor until it was reported by the media.
Eli's mother said. "What he doesn't know, now that he's in heaven, is that he helped a kid that works on a farm that he started. Look at that circle."
The nature of the news media is such that the focus is always on the unusual and the abnormal which compels them to traverse into dark territories which spread despair. The unfortunate result is the lights of hope that can illuminate society are overlooked.
It is therefore a very pleasant surprise that the Washington Post, the New York Times, NPR, CBS News, NBC News, etc. took a break from running PR campaigns for the Democrats and carried this news.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCv0V4iwayw
This reportage had an impact.
Since the news of Childress's largess was reported, Tania and the pharmacist Brooke Walker received numerous calls and messages on social media from across the United States from people eager to donate to this worthy cause.
Walker received a check from someone in Tennessee.
Another individual from Miami called Walker to say that unless he needed the money, he was going to approach his local pharmacy and start his own Hody Childress account.
Another individual from Washington state called Walker and informed her that he wanted to donate a year's worth of funds in Childress's name to pay for prescription bills.
The other impact of this wide reportage is that it debunks the relentless vicious spurious campaign by the Democrats, the news media, and showbiz against people who live in Southern states such as Alabama.
These states are derisively referred to as flyover countries just because they voted for Trump. The residents of these states are usually portrayed as bitter, bigoted, anachronistic, violent, and intolerant ignoramuses.
Childress's generosity and his unwillingness to receive any recognition for it and the close knit community of Geraldine emphatically debunk that bogus narrative.
Not that residents Alabama or any of the Southern states need to defend or seek approval from others, but an accurate depiction is essential to bridge the widening division across the country.
It is essential that this trend of reporting acts of kindness continue; perhaps every news outfit should dedicate a small daily or perhaps weekly news segment to heroes and Good Samaritans like Childress.
Childress's kindness is similar to acts of heroism witnessed in recent times.
Late year, Army veteran Richard Fierro's fearless actions saved lives at a mass shooting at a nightclub in Colorado late last year. Louie Suljovic and Cazim Suljovic placed themselves in harm's way to save a 61-year-old woman from being attacked and robbed outside their New York restaurant. A few weeks back, the heroic efforts of California delivery driver Ervin Ruhe, Jr. helped save a dog from a burning vehicle.
It is about time that these real-life heroes and good Samaritans are consistently celebrated for their courage and kindness.
Perhaps Childress will be the subject of books, documentaries, and movies.
Childress should posthumously be given the Presidential Medal of Honor.
If Biden doesn't do it, perhaps President Trump will in 2025.
In the end, a society that celebrates heroism and selflessness will encourage and perpetuate heroism and selflessness.
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This Day in U S Military History February 9
1922 – World War I left a mountain of debt in its wake: Great Britain owed the U.S. government over four billion dollars, while France and Italy racked up war-related loans of roughly $3 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively. Alhough President Woodrow Wilson blindly insisted on full repayment of all debts to the U.S., the reality was far thornier, as the European governments were simply too strapped for cash to make good on their loans. Britain attempted to broker a deal for the reciprocal remittance of the debts, but Wilson rebuffed the offer. The debt dilemma festered into the early 1920s, stirring-up bitter and often anti-foreign feelings on both sides of the Atlantic. In hopes of resolving the issue, Congress convened on February 9, 1922, and voted in favor of establishing the World War Foreign Debt Commission. The Commission rounded the money owed to the U.S. to $11.5 billion and established a sixty-two-year term, at 2 percent interest, for the repayment of the debts. However, by 1925, the U.S. could no longer ignore fiscal reality: the loans would never be repaid in full. Despite his initial refusal to scuttle the debts, President Calvin Coolidge relented and cancelled good chunks of various governments' outstanding debts.
1942 – The Normandie, regarded by many as the most elegant ocean liner ever built, burns and sinks in New York Harbor during its conversion to an Allied trip transport ship. Built in France in the early 1930s, the Normandie ruled the transatlantic passenger trade in its day. The first major liner to cross the Atlantic in less than four days, its masterful engineering was only surpassed by its design excellence. The 1,000-foot ship's distinctive clipper-ship bow was immediately recognizable, and its elaborate architecture and decorations popularized the Moderne style. After the American entrance into World War II, it was seized by the U.S. Navy for the Allied war effort and renamed the U.S.S. Lafayette. However, on February 9, 1942–just days before it was to be completed for trooping–a welder accidentally set fire to a pile of flammable life preservers with his torch, and by early the next morning the ship lay capsized in the harbor, a gutted wreck. It was later towed south to New Jersey and scrapped.
1942 – Congress pushes ahead standard time for the United States by one hour in each time zone, imposing daylight saving time–called at the time "war time." Daylight saving time, suggested by President Roosevelt, was imposed to conserve fuel, and could be traced back to World War I, when Congress imposed one standard time on the United States to enable the country to better utilize resources, following the European model. The 1918 Standard Time Act was meant to be in effect for only seven months of the year–and was discontinued nationally after the war. But individual states continued to turn clocks ahead one hour in spring and back one hour in fall. The World War II legislation imposed daylight saving time for the entire nation for the entire year. It was repealed Sept. 30, 1945, when individual states once again imposed their own "standard" time. It was not until 1966 that Congress passed legislation setting a standard time that permanently superceded local habits.
1965 – A U.S. Marine Corps Hawk air defense missile battalion is deployed to Da Nang. President Johnson had ordered this deployment to provide protection for the key U.S. airbase there. This was the first commitment of American combat troops in South Vietnam and there was considerable reaction around the world to the new stage of U.S. involvement in the war. Predictably, both communist China and the Soviet Union threatened to intervene if the United States continued to apply its military might on behalf of the South Vietnamese. In Moscow, some 2,000 demonstrators, led by Vietnamese and Chinese students and clearly supported by the authorities, attacked the U.S. Embassy. Britain and Australia supported the U.S. action, but France called for negotiations.
1971 – The "Apollo 14" spacecraft returned to Earth after man's third landing on the moon.
1972 – The aircraft carrier USS Constellation joins aircraft carriers Coral Sea and Hancock off the coast of Vietnam. From 1964 to 1975, there were usually three U.S. carriers stationed in the water near Vietnam at any given time. Carrier aircraft participated in the bombing of North Vietnam and also provided close air support for U.S. and South Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam. In 1972, the number of U.S. carriers off Vietnam increased to seven as part of the U.S. reaction to the North Vietnamese Eastertide Offensive that was launched on March 30–carrier aircraft played a major role in the air operations that helped the South Vietnamese defeat the communist invasion.
2001 – The US nuclear submarine Greeneville struck the Japanese fishing boat, Ehime Maru, near Oahu with 35 people on board including 13 students. Nine people were missing. The sub was practicing a rapid ascent and had 15 civilian guests onboard. It was later revealed that civilian visitors sat at 2 of the subs 3 main controls when it surfaced. Capt. Scott Waddle, the sub skipper, was relieved of duty pending investigation.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*CICCHETTI, JOSEPH J.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division. Place and date: South Manila, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 9 February 1945. Entered service at: Waynesburg, Ohio. Birth: Waynesburg, Ohio. G.O. No.: 115, 8 December 1945. Citation: He was with troops assaulting the first important line of enemy defenses. The Japanese had converted the partially destroyed Manila Gas Works and adjacent buildings into a formidable system of mutually supporting strongpoints from which they were concentrating machinegun, mortar, and heavy artillery fire on the American forces. Casualties rapidly mounted, and the medical aid men, finding it increasingly difficult to evacuate the wounded, called for volunteer litter bearers. Pfc. Cicchetti immediately responded, organized a litter team and skillfully led it for more than 4 hours in rescuing 14 wounded men, constantly passing back and forth over a 400-yard route which was the impact area for a tremendous volume of the most intense enemy fire. On 1 return trip the path was blocked by machinegun fire, but Pfc. Cicchetti deliberately exposed himself to draw the automatic fire which he neutralized with his own rifle while ordering the rest of the team to rush past to safety with the wounded. While gallantly continuing his work, he noticed a group of wounded and helpless soldiers some distance away and ran to their rescue although the enemy fire had increased to new fury. As he approached the casualties, he was struck in the head by a shell fragment, but with complete disregard for his gaping wound he continued to his comrades, lifted 1 and carried him on his shoulders 50 yards to safety. He then collapsed and died. By his skilled leadership, indomitable will, and dauntless courage, Pfc. Cicchetti saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers at the cost of his own.
*BENNETT, THOMAS W.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, 2d Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry. Place and date: Chu Pa Region, Pleiku Province, Republic of Vietnam, 9-11 February 1969. Entered service at: Fairmont, W. Va. Born: 7 April 1947, Morgantown, W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Cpl. Bennett distinguished himself while serving as a platoon medical aidman with the 2d Platoon, Company B, during a reconnaissance-in-force mission. On 9 February the platoon was moving to assist the 1st Platoon of Company D which had run into a North Vietnamese ambush when it became heavily engaged by the intense small arms, automatic weapons, mortar and rocket fire from a well fortified and numerically superior enemy unit. In the initial barrage of fire, 3 of the point members of the platoon fell wounded. Cpl. Bennett, with complete disregard for his safety, ran through the heavy fire to his fallen comrades, administered life-saving first aid under fire and then made repeated trips carrying the wounded men to positions of relative safety from which they would be medically evacuated from the battle position. Cpl. Bennett repeatedly braved the intense enemy fire moving across open areas to give aid and comfort to his wounded comrades. He valiantly exposed himself to the heavy fire in order to retrieve the bodies of several fallen personnel. Throughout the night and following day, Cpl. Bennett moved from position to position treating and comforting the several personnel who had suffered shrapnel and gunshot wounds. On 11 February, Company B again moved in an assault on the well fortified enemy positions and became heavily engaged with the numerically superior enemy force. Five members of the company fell wounded in the initial assault. Cpl. Bennett ran to their aid without regard to the heavy fire. He treated 1 wounded comrade and began running toward another seriously wounded man. Although the wounded man was located forward of the company position covered by heavy enemy grazing fire and Cpl. Bennett was warned that it was impossible to reach the position, he leaped forward with complete disregard for his safety to save his comrade's life. In attempting to save his fellow soldier, he was mortally wounded. Cpl. Bennett's undaunted concern for his comrades at the cost of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*PROM, WILLIAM R.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Company 1, 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Near An Hoa, Republic of Vietnam. 9 February 1969. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Born: 17 November 1948, Pittsburgh, Pa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machinegun squad leader with Company 1, in action against the enemy. While returning from a reconnaissance operation during Operation TAYLOR COMMON, 2 platoons of Company 1 came under an intense automatic weapons fire and grenade attack from a well concealed North Vietnamese Army force in fortified positions. The leading. element of the platoon was isolated and several marines were wounded. L/Cpl. Prom immediately assumed control of 1 of his machineguns and began to deliver return fire. Disregarding his safety he advanced to a position from which he could more effectively deliver covering fire while first aid was administered to the wounded men. Realizing that the enemy would have to be destroyed before the injured marines could be evacuated, L/Cpl. Prom again moved forward and delivered a heavy volume of fire with such accuracy that he was instrumental in routing the enemy, thus permitting his men to regroup and resume their march. Shortly thereafter, the platoon again came under heavy fire in which 1 man was critically wounded. Reacting instantly, L/Cpl. Prom moved forward to protect his injured comrade. Unable to continue his fire because of his severe wounds, he continued to advance to within a few yards to the enemy positions. There, standing in full view of the enemy, he accurately directed the fire of his support elements until he was mortally wounded. Inspired by his heroic actions, the marines launched an assault that destroyed the enemy. L/Cpl. Prom's indomitable courage, inspiring initiative and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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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/.
February 7, 1984
During mission STS-41-B, NASA astronauts Captain Bruce McCandless II, United States Navy, and Colonel Robert L. Stewart, United States Air Force, left the Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099) on the first untethered space walk. Stewart retired as a Brigadier General and is Daedalian Member Number 7311.
February 8,1918
General Order 299 specified that all U.S. Army Air Service airplanes assigned to the AEF would be marked with a roundel (or cocarde) of three concentric circles. The outer circle was to be painted red and have a diameter approximately equal to the chord of the wing. A blue circle had a diameter two-thirds the length of the chord, and an inner white circle was one-third the chord in diameter. Two roundels were painted on the upper surface of the airplane's top wing, just inside the aileron. Two more roundels were painted on the lower surface of the bottom wing. The roundel was replaced in 1919.
February 9, 1914
Second Lieutenant Henry Burnet Post, 25th Infantry Regiment, United States Army, was "Killed in hydroplane No. 10 accident at Signal Corps Aviation School, San Diego, Calif., at 9.35 a.m. Feb. 9, 1914. (in line of duty)" Lt. Post is Daedalian Founder Number 1381.
February 10, 1994
First Lieutenant Jean Marie ("Jeannie") Flynn, United States Air Force, the first woman selected by the Air Force for training as a combat pilot, completed six months of training on the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle with the 555th Fighter Wing ("Triple Nickel") at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Her call sign is "Tally." She is now Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt and is still actively serving. Maj. Gen. Leavitt is Daedalian Member Number 11,134.
February 13, 1923
Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager, United States Air Force (Retired), was born at Myra, West Virginia.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 9, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
9 February
1914: Lt Henry B. Post exceeded his previous altitude records by reaching 12,140 feet. During his descent, the aircraft sustained damage and crashed, killing Post. (5)
1916: Cpl Albert D. Smith set an 8-hour, 42-minute world seaplane duration record in a Martin S-Hall Scott 125 at San Diego, Calif. (24)
1934: President Franklin D. Roosevelt directed the Army Air Corps to provide airmail delivery service. (18)
1944: More than 250 bombers and fighters, one of the largest forces to operate from Allied bases in the Solomon Islands to date, raided Rabaul, New Britain. (24)
1945: The Yalta Conference between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin ended. (4)
1952: KOREAN WAR. 10 medium bombers used radar aiming methods to drop 100 tons of 500- pound bombs, rendering the north by-pass Chongju rail bridge unserviceable. (28)
1961: General Thomas D. White, CSAF, transferred all space surveillance functions from the Air Force's Air Research and Development Center to the Air Defense Command, which established the Space Detection and Tracking System (SPADATS). (24)
1962: A Military Air Transport Service Boeing 707 set a new record for commercial airplanes by flying from Hawaii to California in 3 hours 49 minutes with 159 passengers on board. (24)
1963: The Boeing 727 first flew. (5)
1969: The Boeing 747 "Jumbo Jet" first flew. (5) A Department of Defense Tactical Communications Satellite (TACSAT I) launched from the Eastern Test Range, Fla., into a synchronous equatorial orbit over the Pacific. The $30-million, 1,600-pound cylindrical satellite, the free world's largest to date, tested the feasibility of using a satellite system to communicate over great distances with small military units, aircraft, ships, and small ground stations. (26)
1972: The Boeing EC-137D testbed aircraft for the USAF Airborne Warning and Control System made its first flight. (5)
1978: An Atlas booster, launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., successfully carried the first Fleet Satellite Communications System (FLTSATCOM) satellite into orbit. On 4 April, it was declared operational. (5)
1980: The AGM-109 flew a successful last flight in the Air Launched Cruise Missile fly-off competition. (3)
1983: The first rewinged C-5A made its first flight from Lockheed's plant in Marietta, Ga. (5)
2002: At Edwards AFB, Calif., Lt Col Michael Sizoo successfully completed the first two sorties in a reconditioned T-3A Firefly for a test and evaluation program. (3)
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