To All
Good Sunday Morning February 18, 2024. I hope that your long weekend is going well. The sun is expected to make an appearance this afternoon to help dry things out a bit. It may be the last we see of it for over a week as rain is coming back in a couple of days
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 18
1846—Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft issues the General Order to change "Larboard" to "Port" for identification of the left side of a sailing vessel.
1865—In order for CSS Charleston, CSS Chicora, and CSS Palmetto State not to be captured by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren's squadron during the evacuation of Charleston, SC, Confederate Capt. John R. Tucker, orders the ships be set afire and blown up.
1942—USS Truxtun (DD 229) and USS Pollux (AKS 2) sink during a heavy storm in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, with the loss of 204 lives.
1944—The amphibious force under Rear Adm. Harry W. Hill lands troops on Engebi Island, Eniwetok, securing the island before the end of the day.
1945—U.S. Navy destroyers engage Japanese vessels off Iwo and Chichi Jima. USS Waldron (DD 699) is damaged after intentionally ramming a gunboat; USS Dortch (DD 670) sinks auxiliary submarine chaser Ayukawa Maru north-northwest of Iwo Jima; USS Barton (DD 722), USS Ingraham (DD 694), and USS Moale (DD 693) operating near Chichi Jima, sink Japanese guardboats No.35 Nanshin Maru, No. 3 Kyowa Maru, and No.5 Kukuichi Maru.
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This day in History
February 18
1478 George, the Duke of Clarence, who had opposed his brother Edward IV, is murdered in the Tower of London.
1688 Quakers in Germantown, Pa. adopt the first formal antislavery resolution in America.
1813 Czar Alexander enters Warsaw at the head of his Army.
1861 Victor Emmanuel II becomes the first King of Italy.
1861 Jefferson F. Davis is inaugurated as the Confederacy's provisional president at a ceremony held in Montgomery, Ala.
1865 Union troops force the Confederates to abandon Fort Anderson, N.C.
1878 The bitter and bloody Lincoln County War begins with the murder of Billy the Kid's mentor, Englishman rancher John Tunstall.
1885 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, is published in New York.
1907 600,000 tons of grain are sent to Russia to relieve the famine there.
1920 Vuillemin and Chalus complete their first flight over the Sahara Desert.
1932 Manchurian independence is formally declared.
1935 Rome reports sending troops to Italian Somalia.
1939 The Golden Gate Exposition opens in San Francisco.
1943 German General Erwin Rommel takes three towns in Tunisia, North Africa.
1944 The U.S. Army and Marines invade Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific.
1945 U.S. Marines storm ashore at Iwo Jima.
1954 East and West Berlin drop thousands of propaganda leaflets on each other after the end of a month long truce.
1962 Robert F. Kennedy says that U.S. troops will stay in Vietnam until Communism is defeated.
1964 The United States cuts military aid to five nations in reprisal for having trade relations with Cuba.
1967 The National Art Gallery in Washington agrees to buy a Da Vinci for a record $5 million.
1968 Three U.S. pilots that were held by the Vietnamese arrive in Washington.
1972 The California Supreme Court voids the death penalty.
1974 Randolph Hearst is to give $2 million in free food for the poor in order to open talks for his daughter Patty.
1982 Mexico devalues the peso by 30 percent to fight an economic slide.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 12 February 2024 and ending Sunday, 18 February 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 5 May 2019… "Ho Chi Minh Trail Reviewed: Vietnam Death March," by Keith B. Richling (Washington Post, 26 April 1990)
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
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From Vietnam Air Losses site for "Sunday 18 February
18: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=448
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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. Lost words
Thanks to Gay
Do you remember this word? Would you believe the email spell checker did not recognize the word Mergatroyd? Heavens to Mergatroyd! (Try it)
The other day a person of my age said something to her son about driving a Jalopy and he looked at her quizzically and said "What the heck is a Jalopy?"
OMG (new phrase)! He never heard of the word jalopy!! She knew she was old..... but not that old. Well, I hope you are Hunky Dory after you read this and chuckle.
About a month ago, I illuminated some old expressions that have become obsolete because of the inexorable march of technology. These phrases included "Don't touch that dial," "Carbon copy," "You sound like a broken record" and "Hung out to dry."
Back in the olden days we had a lot of 'moxie.' We'd put on our best 'bib and tucker' to' straighten up and fly right'.
Heavens to Betsy! Gee whillikers! Jumping Jehoshaphat! Holy moley!
We were 'in like Flynn' and 'living the life of Riley'', and even a regular guy couldn't accuse us of being a knucklehead, a nincompoop or a pill. Not for all the tea in China!
Back in the olden days, life used to be swell, but when's the last time anything was swell?
Swell has gone the way of beehives, pageboys and the D.A.; of spats, knickers, fedoras, poodle skirts, saddle shoes and pedal pushers...AND DON'T FORGET.... Saddle Stitched Pants.
Oh, my aching back! Kilroy was here, but he isn't anymore.
We wake up from what surely has been just a short nap, and before we can say, Well, I'll be 'a monkey's uncle!' Or, This is a 'fine kettle of fish'! We discover that the words we grew up with, the words that seemed omnipresent, as oxygen, have vanished with scarcely a notice from our tongues and our pens and our keyboards.
Poof, go the words of our youth, the words we've left behind. We blink, and they're gone.
Where have all those great phrases gone?
Long gone: Pshaw, The milkman did it. Hey! It's your nickel. Don't forget to pull the chain. Knee high to a grasshopper. Well, Fiddlesticks! Going like sixty. I'll see you in the funny papers. Don't take any wooden nickels. Wake up and smell the roses.
It turns out there are more of these lost words and expressions than Carter has liver pills. This can be disturbing stuff! ("Carter's Little Liver Pills" are gone too!) We of a certain age have been blessed to live in changeable times. For a child each new word is like a shiny toy, a toy that has no age. We at the other end of the chronological arc have the advantage of remembering there are words that once did not exist and there were words that once strutted their hour upon the earthly stage and now are heard no more, except in our collective memory. It's one of the greatest advantages of aging.
Leaves us to wonder where Superman will find a phone booth...
See ya later, alligator! After while, crocodile!
Okidoki
WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE FABULOUS 50'S...NO ONE WILL EVER HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AGAIN...WE WERE GIVEN ONE OF OUR MOST PRECIOUS GIFTS:
.............OUR MEMORIES!!.....
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
The shortest war in history lasted 38 minutes.
If only all wars were as short as the Anglo-Zanzibar War. Lasting only 38 minutes, this conflict — which took place off the coast of Tanzania in 1896 — is largely considered to be the shortest war in human history. Under the Heligoland-Zanzibar treaty, signed between Germany and Britain in 1890, the island archipelago known as Zanzibar was placed under British control, while mainland Tanzania remained the possession of Imperial Germany. Six years later, when the pro-British sultan of Zanzibar suddenly died, his cousin (and possible assassin) Khalid bin Barghash took on the role of sultan within hours of the leader's death — all without the blessing of the British.
Not too happy about this suspected coup, Britain's chief diplomat for the area, Basil Cave, was put in charge of resolving the conflict. By August 25, 1896, Khalid had gathered some 3,000 fighters and an impressive array of artillery around the palace to protect his reign. That evening, three British men-of-war were in the nearby harbor (joined by an additional two ships the following morning). Cave sent one last ultimatum on the evening of the 26th, demanding evacuation of the palace by 9 a.m. the following morning. Khalid replied one hour before the deadline: "We have no intention of hauling down our flag and we do not believe you would open fire on us." He was sorely mistaken, and the British opened fire at 9:02 a.m. After a 38-minute bombardment (although precise counts for the duration vary slightly) — during which Khalid escaped through a back exit — the palace lowered its flag and history's shortest war came to an end.
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.Thanks to Billy and Dr.Rich
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CHARLES A LINDBERGH — MAJOR CHARLES DAWSON MCALLISTER
I met Charles A. Lindbergh once when he visited the Airline Pilots Association. I never shook his hand but received a 'head-nod' greeting. I never did meet Charles Dawson McAllister and had never heard of him until Ralph Johnson spoke his name during his acceptance speech at Purdue University. Ralph was a month shy of turning 102. Purdue's Chancellor, Frances Cordova, presented Ralph with a Doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering for his countless contributions to aviation and, especially, aviation safety.
Ralph, never one to use the "I" word or the "me" word, told of being a student at Purdue when, then Major McAllister picked him up in a DeHavilland DH-4. Their plan on seeing a balloon launch near Rapid City was cut short when the old WWI Liberty engine failed. They landed in a farmer's corn field. The farmer took them pheasant hunting. The story was a hit to the huge audience at Purdue. But puzzling to Alan, Steve, and me.
We had never heard of McAllister! We looked at one-another shrugging our shoulders in question. Later, in the hotel room, I searched the internet and found a fascinating story which included the photo above and the story below...
On March 26, 1925, McAllister, 29 and Lindbergh, 22, were paired for a three-plane training run. Their instructor was the enemy. Lindbergh was the left-wing and McAllister the right, both behind a leader.
Lindbergh wrote in his account that after the leader pulled up, he kept diving at the target. When he pulled up, he hit the bottom of McAllister's plane. Lindbergh saw McAllister get ready to jump and then bailed out himself. McAllister remembers the crash a bit differently. He said he planned to watch Lindbergh, who had the habit of ignoring the instructor and doing as he pleased. "But I took my eyes off Lindbergh," he said, and when he looked back, Lindbergh was underneath. "I yanked back and tried to avoid him. The planes locked together, so we just jumped out." They floated earthward and into the record-books, and the two men met on the ground.
What did Lindbergh say? "He didn't say anything. I did all the talking," McAllister said. Within an hour, both were back in the air. Nine days later they graduated from flight school.
The next time the two met, Lindbergh was the world-famous flier who had crossed the Atlantic in May 1927 and the grieving father whose son had been kidnaped and killed in 1932.
World War II had begun. Henry Ford had asked Lindbergh to help design a factory for building B-24 bombers in Detroit. Lindbergh went cross-country to learn about the bomber, and on April 16, 1942, he ended up in Albuquerque, NM, to see McAllister, who ran the nation's only B-24 training program.
"He had matured a lot," McAllister said. But he remembers Lindbergh as having little time for pleasantries.
The two first members of the Caterpillar Club were:
Henry Wacker, the chief mechanic, and John Boettner, the pilot. They became known as members one and two of the Caterpillar Club, an organization formed in November 1922 consisting of people who had used parachutes to make an emergency jump.
Fortunately, I never had need of a parachute albeit wore one often for aerobatics and in the T-28D in SE Asia. I did fly the jump airplane back in the late 50's/early 60s. I thought, "why jump out of a perfectly good airplane?
In 1922 Leslie Irvin agreed to give a gold pin to every person whose life was saved by one of his parachutes. At the end of the Second World War the number of members with the Irvin pins had grown to over 34,000 though the total of people saved by Irvin parachutes is estimated to be 100,000. Difficult to know the actual number today.
N'joy the day! If you are in Phoenix, it's a dandy! Last evening, Cheryl and I were treated to a magnificent sunset. Right now, we are being treated to a lovely sunrise...
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Thanks to Carl
Paul Douglas went to Marine boot camp at 50. Then he earned a Bronze Star and 2 Purple Hearts in WWII When he was wounded, he took off his rank insignia so he wouldn't receive special attention.
BY JEFF SCHOGOL | PUBLISHED FEB 11, 2022 1:53 PM https://taskandpurpose.com/unsung-heroes/marine-corps-oldest-recruit-paul-douglas-world-war-ii/
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Thanks to History Facts
Seagulls almost played an important role during WWI
Anyone who's ever brought food to the beach knows that seagulls are exceptional hunters when they want to be, a skill the British put to the test when they trained the scavenging seabirds to detect German submarines during World War I. This began in 1917, with Britain's Board of Invention and Research living up to its name by setting up a fake periscope that would feed wild gulls. If all went well, their thinking went, the birds would associate the sight of a periscope peeking above the water with a tasty meal — and any British sailors who spotted a flock of seagulls hovering above what appeared to be empty water would know there was a U-boat in their midst.
It didn't work, alas, as the birds knew no masters but themselves. A few soldiers had trouble abandoning the plan, however. One admiral tried a different approach by teaching the seagulls to defecate on the submarine's periscopes and blind the crew within, while the U.S. military considered its own version of the idea involving hand-raised birds from Lake Michigan, though neither effort moved forward. Seagulls are resourceful creatures, but it seems they're more motivated to dive-bomb loose fries than enemy watercraft.
By the Numbers
Species of seagull
50+
Submarines in the U.S. Navy
71
Year the first submarine was built
1620
Maximum longevity (in years) of the herring gull
49
DID YOU KNOW?
Seagulls can drink fresh water and salt water.
Not unlike certain other seabirds — including pelicans, penguins, and albatrosses — seagulls can drink both fresh water and salt water. They're able to do so thanks to a desalination filter that begins in their bills and ends in a salt gland above their eyes, which allows the crafty birds to excrete the salt through their nostrils — often by shaking their head. Though highly efficient, this filtration system can atrophy if it goes unused. Seabirds at wildlife rehab centers and zoos are often kept in salt water with this in mind, as it ensures their glands will stay in good condition and prevent saltwater poisoning if and when they're returned to the wild.
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From the archives and it also has only gotten worse
Thanks to Brett
Make Men Masculine Again - Allie Stuckey
Rape, murder, war – all have one thing in common: Men. The solution seems simple: make men less toxic – make men less masculine. In this video, Allie Stuckey, Host of "Allie" on CRTV & "Relatable" podcast, explains why demonizing masculinity is not the solution, but the problem.
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From the archives and worse than a year ago
. Thanks to Mugs
A pitiful situation, indeed! We've let the "Greatest Generation" down...........................
We pass this on in full agreement, but most of us are guilty of exactly the passive inaction that has led us down the slippery slope of accepting Saul Alinsky,s subtle, yet effective, outline for change, that brings us closer to socialism and the inevitable communism that follows behind it.
TELLING THE SAD TRUTH – NEVER SAID BETTER . . . . . AND FEARFUL
Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Franklin Graham was speaking at the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, when he said America will not come back. He wrote:
* "The American dream ended "The first term of Joe Biden has been the final nail in the coffin for the legacy of the white Christian males who discovered, explored, pioneered, settled and developed the greatest republic in the history of mankind.
A coalition of blacks, Latinos, feminists, gays, government workers, union members, environmental extremists, the media, Hollywood, uninformed young people, the "forever needy," the chronically unemployed that do not want to work, illegal aliens and other "fellow travelers" have ended.........Norman Rockwell's America.
You will never again out-vote these people. It will take individual acts of defiance and massive displays of civil disobedience to get back the rights we have allowed them to take away. It will take zealots, not moderates and shy, not reach-across-the-aisle RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) to right this ship and restore our beloved country to its former status.
People like me are completely politically irrelevant, and I will probably never again be able to legally comment on or concern myself with the aforementioned coalition which has surrendered our culture, our heritage and our traditions without a shot being fired.
The Cocker spaniel is off the front porch, the pit bull is in the back yard, the American Constitution has been replaced with Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" and the likes of Chicago shyster David Axelrod along with international socialist George Soros have been pulling the strings on their beige puppet and have brought us Act 2 of the New World Order.
The curtain will come down but the damage has been done, the story has been told.
Those who come after us will once again have to risk their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to bring back the Republic that this generation has timidly frittered away due to white guilt and political correctness.."
Got the guts to pass it on? You bet I do and just did….
IN GOD WE TRUST
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This Day in U S Military History February 18
1944 – Following the usual pre-landing procedures, an intense bombardment and air strike look place on Engebi beginning at 0843. Two battalions of Marines landed and overcame enemy resistance very quickly. By 1600 the Island was reported secured. During the attack by the Marines on Engebi, elements of the 5th Amphibious Corp Recon Company and the Scout Company were methodically occupying the smaller islands along the reefs. Japanese resistance of Engebi, although ferocious, was marked by an obvious lack of preparation. Numerous underground shelters and coral lined pill boxes were found as were sniper positions in coconut trees. However, so rapid was the Marine advance that few requests were made upon the ships for call fires. In the attack on Engebi our losses wore 78 killed, 166 wounded, and 7 missing, for a total of 251. The number of Japanese dead buried on Engebi was 934. Sixteen prisoners were taken. So heavy and accurate was the Navy and air bombardment that observers stated destruction was greater than that which had occurred on Kwajalein. Practically all structures above ground were demolished. A prisoner stated that about half the defenders were killed or wounded prior to the landings. During the afternoon of 18 February, advance preparations were made for the attack on Eniwetok Island. The 106th Regimental Combat Team of the 27th Division was designated to make this assault.
1944 – The Germans commit 26th Panzer and 29th Panzergrenadier Divisions to the attack on Anzio. Strong allied artillery holds off and blunts the attacks. Kesselring and Mackensen realize that the Allied beachhead cannot be wiped out. The Germans launched a more intense assault against the 45th Division at dawn and destroyed one battalion of the 179th Infantry before pushing the remainder of the unit back a half mile farther to Lucas' final defensive line by midmorning. Fearing that the 179th Infantry was in danger of giving way, Lucas ordered Col. William O. Darby, founder of the WWII era Rangers, to take command of the unit and allow no further retreat. The regiment held, later counting 500 dead Germans in front of its positions. Elsewhere, the 180th and 157th regiments also held their positions in spite of heavy losses during three days of German attacks. By midday, Allied air and artillery superiority had turned the tide. When the Germans launched a final afternoon assault against the 180th and 179th regiments, it was halted by air strikes and massed mortar, machine gun, artillery, and tank fire. Subsequent enemy attacks on 19 and 20 February were noticeably weaker and were broken up by the same combination of Allied arms before ground contact was made The crisis had passed, and while harassing attacks continued until 22 February, VI Corps went over to the offensive locally and succeeded in retaking some lost ground.
1944 – American forces continue their raid on the Japanese base at Truk. Over the course of the two days, US aircraft log 1250 sorties. The Japanese lose 1 cruiser, 2 destroyers, several other warships and 140,000 tons of shipping to air attack. The battleships Iowa and New Jersey sink 1 cruiser and 2 destroyers. In addition 250 Japanese aircraft are reported destroyed. American submarines sink several more vessels. The US forces lose less than 30 planes and damage is sustained to the carrier Intrepid.
1967 – J. Robert Oppenheimer, the "father of the atomic bomb," dies in Princeton, New Jersey, at the age of 62. An expert in quantum theory and nuclear physics, he was enlisted into the fledgling U.S. atomic weapons program in 1941. In 1942, the "Manhattan Project," as the program became known, was greatly expanded, and Oppenheimer was asked to establish and direct a secret laboratory to carry out the assignment. He chose Los Alamos, a site in the New Mexico desert that he had visited earlier in life, and together with some of the world's top physicists began work on the bomb. On July 16, 1945, the world's first atomic bomb was exploded at the "Trinity" test site in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and only three weeks later the United States dropped the first of two bombs on Japan. Over 200,000 Japanese eventually perished as a result of the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Oppenheimer regretted the use of the terrible weapon he had helped build, and he worked with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to win approval for international control of atomic energy. The USSR refused to support the U.S. plan, and in 1949 the Soviets successfully detonated their first atomic weapon. The loss of U.S. atomic supremacy, coupled with revelations that Los Alamos scientist Klaus Fuchs had given nuclear secrets to the Soviets, led President Harry S. Truman to approve development of the hydrogen bomb. Oppenheimer strongly opposed development of the H-bomb, which was theorized to be hundreds of times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Japan. On November 1, 1952, the first "superbomb" was successfully detonated in the Pacific. In 1953, because of both his opposition to the hydrogen bomb and his admitted leftist leanings in the 1930s, Oppenheimer lost his security clearance and was ousted from the AEC. The case stirred wide controversy, and many people came to his defense. After leaving the government, he returned to teaching. He died in 1967.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
* FERNANDEZ, DANIEL
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry (Mechanized) 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Cu Chi, Hau Nghia Province, Republic of Vietnam, 18 February 1966. Entered service at: Albuquerque, N. Mex. Born: 30 June 1944, Albuquerque, N. Mex. c.o. No.: 21, 26 April 1967. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Fernandez demonstrated indomitable courage when the patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company and driven back by the intense enemy automatic weapons fire before it could evacuate an American soldier who had been wounded in the Viet Cong attack. Sp4c. Fernandez, a sergeant and 2 other volunteers immediately fought their way through devastating fire and exploding grenades to reach the fallen soldier. Upon reaching their fallen comrade the sergeant was struck in the knee by machine gun fire and immobilized. Sp4c. Fernandez took charge, rallied the left flank of his patrol and began to assist in the recovery of the wounded sergeant. While first aid was being administered to the wounded man, a sudden increase in the accuracy and intensity of enemy fire forced the volunteer group to take cover. As they did, an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the group, although some men did not see it. Realizing there was no time for the wounded sergeant or the other men to protect themselves from the grenade blast, Sp4c. Fernandez vaulted over the wounded sergeant and threw himself on the grenade as it exploded, saving the lives of his 4 comrades at the sacrifice of his life. Sp4c. Fernandez' profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 18, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
18 February
1918: "Lafayette Escadrille" transferred to American forces as the 103d Pursuit Squadron and began operations on the front under tactical control of the French. The "Lafayette Escadrille" was a unit in the French military comprised of American volunteers who joined the fight before the United States entered World War I. (4) (24) The 95th Aero Squadron, the first proper US fighter unit, arrived in France. (5)
1921: Airmail pilot Carroll C. Eversole made the first emergency free-type parachute escape from a plane near Minneapolis, Minn. The jump took place at 800 feet from a De Havilhand DH-4, which had lost its propeller and had gone into a dive and spin. (24)
1930: Lt L. F. Schoenhair used a Lockheed Vega-Wasp 450 to set several world and American speed records with payload, including records of 185.49 MPH for 100 kilometers with a 500-kilo load, 176.0 MPH for 100 kilometers, and 168.27 MPH for 500 kilometers with a 100-kilo load. (5)
1938: WOMEN'S EVENT. Jacqueline Cochran received The General William Mitchell Memorial Plaque for her achievements in aeronautics, based on her speed records. (24)
1943: The first class of 39 flight nurses graduated from the U. S. Army Air Forces School of Air Evacuations at Bowman Field, Ky. (24)
1957: Through 20 February, the first national scientific symposium on problems with space travel held. (24)
1958: At the Arnold Research and Development Center, Tullahoma, Tenn., a wind tunnel test attained an airflow speed of 32,400 MPH for one-tenth of a second. (5)
1959: The 576th Strategic Missile Squadron at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., received the first Atlas D missile. (6)
1963: At the Atlantic Missile Range, the first dual launch of Hound Dog missiles succeeded. (6)
1965: USAF jets soloed for the first time without Vietnamese Air Force crewmembers in an attack against enemy targets in South Vietnam. The USAF flew Martin B-57 Canberras and North American F-100 Super Sabres against the Viet Cong near An Khe. (21)
1972: Pacific Air Forces assigned its first C-9A aeromedical aircraft to the 20th Operations Squadron at Clark AB, Philippines. The C-9s replaced the C-118s. (17)
1977: The Space Shuttle made its first captive flight atop a carrier aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. (16) (26)
1978: Rockwell International received an $18.9 million contract to build a spacecraft to carry the Teal Ruby experiment. This payload included a downward-looking infrared sensor with a mosaic focal plane to measure aircraft signatures and background flux at infrared wavelengths. (5)
1986: Through 22 February, the 129th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group and the 41st Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron used four H-3s, two HH-53s, and three C-130s to rescue 33 flood victims in the Russian and Yuba River valleys of Northern California. The helicopters also delivered over 3,000 sandbags to Army troops responding to the disaster site. (16) (26)
1994: Operation DENY FLIGHT. The USAF deployed aircraft, five KC-135s, to France for the first time in 20 years. The tankers flew from French bases to refuel aircraft flying over Bosnia and Herzegovina for the operation. (21) The last F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft left USAFE. They flew from Spangdahlem AB, Germany, to Nellis AFB, Nv. (16) (26)
1997: Operation ASSURED LIFT. Through 3 March, five C-130s from the 3d Air Expeditionary Group's 37 AS airlifted 1,160 African peacekeepers and 452 tons of cargo from various African countries to Liberia to restore order after a civil war there. (21)
1999: Operation DEEP FREEZE. The last US Navy LC-130 left Antarctica to end naval support DEEP FREEZE. Operational support switched in 1998 to the New York ANG's 109th Airlift Wing. (32)
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Thanks to Brett
Stratfor snippets - Kuwait, Venezuela, Mali/Niger/Burkina Faso, China,. .
Kuwait: Royal Decree Dissolves National Assembly
What Happened: The Kuwaiti emir issued a royal decree dissolving the National Assembly due to its members allegedly violating the constitution by using "offensive and inappropriate" language, France 24 reported on Feb. 15. The decree came a day after ministers boycotted a parliamentary session that included remarks viewed as criticizing the emir, which is prohibited in Kuwait.
Why It Matters: The dissolution of the National Assembly highlights the persistent deadlock between the elected parliamentarians and the ruling al-Sabah family. The deadlock has prevented key resolutions, including reforms for economic diversification. The emir will likely call for another parliamentary election in the upcoming months, though a new election will be unlikely to solve the tension between the emir and the National Assembly.
Background: Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah became the new emir in December 2023 after being the defacto ruler since 2021. He criticized Cabinet members and parliamentarians for not fulfilling their "national obligations" in his inaugural speech. In addition, he dissolved the National Assembly as crown prince in May 2023 and called for new elections in June.
Venezuela: Maduro Government Expels Local U.N. Office
What Happened: Venezuela's Foreign Ministry suspended the Caracas-based technical office of the U.N. high commissioner for human rights and demanded that the 13 staff members working there leave the country within 72 hours, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 15.
Why It Matters: With recent arrests of opposition figures, the dismantling of press freedoms, and the emergence of laws targeting nongovernmental organizations and non-profit organizations in Venezuela, this move is the most recent in a long series of decisions that the Venezuelan government has taken to silence critics of President Nicolas Maduro. The suspension of the U.N. office's activities will severely hamper the progress of human rights investigations currently underway in Venezuela, and it serves as a warning to other groups conducting this type of work locally. As elections approach (they are tentatively scheduled for the latter half of 2024), Maduro will probably continue to eliminate international oversight mechanisms and remove external scrutiny, heightening the risk of further democratic backsliding leading up to elections.
Background: The local U.N. office had for years reported on issues impacting human rights in Venezuela, producing investigations and recommendations for the international community. The U.N. Human Rights Council established an international fact-finding mission in September 2019 to carry out a one-year investigation into previous human rights violations that occurred in Venezuela. Its mandate was later extended until September 2024.
Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso: Juntas Confirm Plans To Form Confederation
What Happened: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso confirmed their commitment to form a confederation following a trilateral meeting of ministerial delegations, Radio France Internationale reported on Feb. 15. In addition, ministers called to "urgently" draft provisions ensuring the free movement of people and goods between the three countries.
Why It Matters: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso confirming their commitment to form a confederation highlights their juntas' ambition to expand trilateral cooperation beyond the field of security. The formation of a confederation between the three countries would suggest that Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are likely to announce their departure from the West African CFA franc area and the establishment of a common currency in the medium term. Furthermore, calls to establish trilateral provisions to guarantee the free movement of goods and people raise the likelihood that the junta-led countries will also look to exit the West African Economic and Monetary Union in the medium term, as current free movement provisions between the three countries are guaranteed through their membership of the organization.
Background: The meeting comes after Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso announced their departure from the Economic Community of West African States in late January. It also follows Nigerien junta leader Abdourahamane Tiani confirming that the three countries were working on plans to develop a common currency.
China: 'Whitelist' Real Estate Mechanism Makes Swift Progress but Lacks a Permanent Fix
What Happened: China's "whitelist" real estate mechanism that matches banks with developers to receive loans to complete unfinished projects has made rapid progress since its launch in late January, Reuters reported on Feb. 16. Five state-owned banks have been matched with 8,200 residential projects in that time, up from mere dozens at the beginning of the month, with a sixth bank likewise approving loans to later be matched with whitelisted projects.
Why It Matters: The whitelist mechanism is intended to inject capital via loans and build confidence in China's struggling real estate sector, which accounts for around a quarter of China's gross domestic product. The rapid pace of matching suggests regulators are exerting strong pressure on banks to issue loans, given that banks risk defaults by lending to shaky developers. Early positive signs for the whitelist mechanism lower the risk of construction-related unrest, and the mechanism could slow a complete housing free fall in the short term if it maintains its pace, though with 20 million unfinished projects this remains a tall order. Even if projects continue to be matched with banks at this high rate, the provision of new loans for the completion of housing projects, from which developers have already received their revenues, is unlikely to substantially contribute to developers' income streams, so the mechanism is unlikely to be a catalyst for a genuine real estate recovery.
Background: Implemented on Jan. 26, the whitelist real estate mechanism involves city governments matching unfinished residential projects eligible for financial assistance to banks. They are also collaborating with financial institutions to fulfill the requirements of these projects.
Russia: Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Dead
What Happened: Russia's prison service said that the country's most prominent opposition leader, 47-year-old Alexei Navalny, died at an Arctic penal colony where he was serving a long jail term, Reuters reported Feb. 16. Navalny's supporters have called for protest actions inside and outside Russia in the coming days and during Russia's March 15-17 presidential election.
Why It Matters: Navalny's death will radicalize some regime opponents and lead protest activity in the coming days and leading up to the election. However, his death will also serve as justification for preemptive repressions by Russian authorities that will prevent the protests from having a significant political effect. Navalny's death could lead to slightly higher numbers of opposition supporters participating in the election. Still, as many will spoil their ballots as an act of protest, this will likely help the Kremlin receive an even higher percentage of the vote while buttressing turnout rates. In the longer term, Navalny's death will likely intimidate future regime opponents, bolstering the Russian regime while having no significant effect on Russia's relations with the West or the rest of the world.
Background: The named cause of death was a thrombus following a walk on prison grounds. Navalny was first detained on Jan. 17, 2021, immediately upon returning to Russia after rehabilitating in Germany from an apparent poisoning that Western governments attributed to the Novichok nerve agent administered to Navalny at the hands of Russia's FSB on Aug. 20, 2020.
EU: Brussels Approves State Support for Hydrogen Infrastructure Projects
What Happened: The European Commission approved the "Hy2Infra" project, an Important Project of Common European Interest, or IPCEI, to support the development of hydrogen infrastructure across the bloc, according to a Feb. 15 press release from the commission. EU member states are allowed to provide support to IPCEIs directly under EU state aid rules.
Why It Matters: By supporting the gradual development of an EU-wide hydrogen infrastructure, the initiative is expected to help the bloc boost its supply of renewable hydrogen, a key element in both its energy security and net-zero emissions transition strategies. EU member states such as Germany whose industries rely on natural gas are betting on renewable hydrogen to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as the steel, cement and chemical industries by increasing domestic production as well as imports of the fuel. But for a rapid market ramp-up, the development of infrastructure able to produce, store and transport hydrogen to its demand centers across Europe is crucial. Hy2Infra will contribute to the development of 3.2 gigawatts of large-scale electrolyzers to produce green hydrogen domestically, 2,700 kilometers (about 1,678 miles) of repurposed and newly constructed pipelines, 370 gigawatt-hours of storage facilities, and 6,000 tons of import infrastructure. German state aid will account for 4.6 billion euros ($4.95 billion), to be spent on 24 infrastructure projects across the country, underscoring Germany's ability to benefit the most from exemptions under EU state aid rules thanks to larger fiscal resources compared with other EU countries.
Background: Under Hy2Infra, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia, will allocate up to 6.9 billion euros in state aid to 32 companies across 33 projects along the hydrogen value chain. Public funding is expected to unlock an additional 5.4 billion euros in private investments. However, with different timelines for each project, the overall completion of Hy2Infra is expected in 2029.
Senegal: Constitutional Court Rules Against Election Delay
What Happened: The Senegalese Constitutional Council ruled that the government's recent decision to postpone the presidential election from Feb. 25 to Dec. 15 is unconstitutional, Jeune Afrique reported on Feb.15. In its ruling, the council said the government should hold the election as soon as possible and that President Macky Sall's mandate cannot be extended.
Why It Matters: Given operational and logistical constraints, it appears unlikely that authorities will organize elections before Sall's tenure expires on April 2, so Sall would have to cede power to the head of the National Assembly on April 3 while election preparations are underway to be compliant with the Constitutional Council ruling. If Sall accepts the council's ruling that elections should be held as soon as possible but refuses to step down in the interim, opposition groups will very likely sustain current levels of unrest. In an even lower likelihood scenario, Sall could reject the council's ruling altogether, which would likely plunge the country into a sustained period of highly violent and disruptive unrest and may trigger backlash from the Economic Community of West African States and/or the African Union.
Background: The ruling came as a surprise, as the council has repeatedly ruled in favor of Sall on electoral disputes throughout his tenure. In its ruling, the council discussed "the impossibility of organizing the presidential election on the date initially planned" (Feb. 25) but said the government should hold the election as soon as possible. Sall originally planned to stay in office until the next election in December.
Ecuador: President Noboa Ratifies U.S.-Ecuador Military Cooperation Agreements
What Happened: Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa signed two decrees ratifying the status of forces and operations against illicit transnational maritime activities agreements between Ecuador and the United States, AP reported on Feb. 15.
Why It Matters: While the United States has provided millions of dollars of security equipment, technical assistance and logistical support to Ecuador in recent weeks, the ratification of military cooperation agreements represents a new phase in Ecuador's "internal armed conflict" against gangs and criminal networks. These agreements set the framework for U.S. military personnel to begin operating in Ecuador, which could lead to joint operations. Deepening security cooperation with the United States will provide a much-needed boost to domestic Ecuadorian forces and will likely enable Ecuador's military to deploy more sophisticated military technology into the field. Joint maritime operations to counteract illicit activity will probably have the most significant impact, as Ecuador's gangs have bolstered their resources in recent years through drug trafficking throughout key port cities such as Guayaquil and Esmeraldas.
Background: The status of forces agreement sets the rules and conditions by which U.S. military and civilian personnel associated with the U.S. Department of Defense — including contractors — can operate in Ecuador. U.S. forces in Ecuador will receive "privileges, exemptions and immunities," and their conduct in-country will be regulated under the jurisdiction of U.S. command structures. U.S. military aircraft, ships and vehicles will be able to move freely in Ecuadorian territory, and the agreement facilitates U.S. imports of equipment, supplies and technology. The maritime activities agreement provides the structure by which U.S. and Ecuadorian forces will carry out joint maritime operations against drug trafficking networks, illicit maritime activity, migrant smuggling and trafficking, and illegal fishing.
Egypt: Cairo Constructs Wall Inside Sinai Peninsula To Contain Any Palestinian Overflow
What Happened: Egypt is building a 20-square kilometer (7.7-square mile) walled enclosure with a capacity for 100,000 people and is setting up basic facilities as a contingency plan if Palestinians break through the Egypt-Gaza border during an anticipated Israeli offensive in Rafah, Reuters reported on Feb. 16.
Why It Matters: Damage to the Egypt-Gaza border wall during the offensive would likely enable Palestinians to enter the enclosure. Egyptian security forces will try to limit the number of Palestinians who cross over, but there are diplomatic and political constraints on Egypt using lethal force against Palestinians. If the number of fleeing Palestinians exceeds the enclosure's capacity, they could breach the walls and spill over into the Sinai Peninsula, which could enable Hamas members and other militants to escape Gaza into Egypt. Tension between Israel and Egypt over the Rafah offensive will likely lead to reduced diplomatic and economic cooperation, but Egypt is unlikely to suspend the Camp David Accords due to U.S. pressure and the need for some coordination along the border.
Background: Egypt views Palestinians entering the Sinai Peninsula as a violation of its sovereignty and has warned against this since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. Egypt has increased border security with 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers in preparation for Israel's Rafah offensive. Arab states and the United States have said Palestinians should not be displaced from Gaza amid Arab concerns that they would not be able to return. Palestinians previously breached the Gaza-Egypt border in 2008 after a Hamas explosion damaged part of a wall and enabled tens of thousands of Palestinians to enter the Sinai Peninsula.
Russia, Ukraine: Fall of Avdiivka Likely Imminent as Ukrainian Withdrawal Begins
What Happened: Ukrainian forces withdrew from some positions in the city of Avdiivka, Reuters reported on Feb. 16. Russian troops captured the Zenit fortification system on the city's southern outskirts on Feb. 15, prompting Ukrainian sources to say it was just a matter of time before they will have to surrender the city.
Why It Matters: The loss of Zenit and the beginning of withdrawals confirms that Ukrainian forces will soon abandon Avdiivka, which will be significant for both tactical and political reasons. Politically, it is a blow to Kyiv and a boost to Moscow because Avdiivka was one of the few remaining heavily fortified towns in Ukrainian hands on the former front line with Russian separatist forces since 2014. Seizing the city was a priority for Moscow to push the frontline away from Donetsk, and the forthcoming victory will likely figure heavily into Russian President Vladimir Putin's reelection campaign. Ukraine's loss of Avdiivka is also tactically significant because it will enable Russia to more effectively distribute its forces in the area while forcing the Ukrainians to retreat to less fortified positions. However, the strategic worth of Russia's capture of Avdiivka is dubious because Ukrainians will simply retreat a few miles to new positions outside with the city that Russian forces are unlikely to quickly penetrate, making it doubtful that seizing Avdiivka was worth the loss of Russian troops and equipment.
Background: Russian troops began their active assault on Avdiivka on Oct. 10, 2023, meaning the operation to take control of the city has been ongoing for 130 days. For comparison, the Russian army spent 292 days capturing the less fortified city of Bakhmut.
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