To All
Good Saturday Morning February 24, 2024. ..As you all know I have a restriction on size for the list so unless I can provide a URL I can't send many pictures. But thanks to Cowboy he can put them into something I can send. He did that with the pictures of a number of the aircraft restorations that went out earlier from Black Shadow and I will send it in a bit. The sun is peeking out and the backyard and chickens are calling
Regards and enjoy your weekend,
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/
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
February. 24
Yesterday was the 78th Anniversary of the Iwo Jima Flag Raising.
1813—The sloop of war Hornet, commanded by Capt. James Lawrence, encounters HMS Peacock off British Guyana and easily wins the engagement.
1942—Task Force 16, commanded by Vice Adm. William F. Halsey Jr., leads the Wake Island Raid in an attempt to destroy the Japanese installations on the island.
1944—PBY-5As (VP 63) employing Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) gear, bomb and sink German submarine U 761 as she attempts to transit the Straits of Gibraltar.
1945—USS Lagarto (SS 371) sinks Japanese submarine I 371 and freighter Tatsumomo Maru off Bungo Strait, Kyushu.
1959—USS Galveston (CLG 3) fired the first Talos surface-to-air missile.
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Today in History: February 24
.0786 Pepin the Short of Gaul dies. His dominions are divided between his sons Charles (Charlemagne) and Carloman.
1525 In the first of the Franco-Habsburg Wars, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V captures the French king Francis I at the Battle of Pavia, Italy.
1538 Ferdinand of Hapsburg and John Zapolyai, the two kings of Hungary, conclude the peace of Grosswardein.
1803 Chief Justice John Marshall, by refusing to rule on the case of Marbury vs. Madison, asserts the authority of the judicial branch.
1813 Off Guiana, the American sloop Hornet sinks the British sloop Peacock.
1821 Mexico gains independence from Spain.
1836 Some 3,000 Mexicans launch an assault on the Alamo with its 182 Texan defenders.
1895 The Cuban War of Independence begins.
1908 Japan officially agrees to restrict emigration to the U.S.
1912 The Jewish organization Hadassah is founded in New York City.
1912 Italy bombs Beirut in the first act of war against the Ottoman Empire.
1914 Civil War soldier Joshua Chamberlain dies.
1916 A film version of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea opens in New York.
1921 Herbert Hoover becomes Secretary of Commerce.
1928 The New Gallery of New York exhibits works of Archibald Motley, its first show to feature a black artist.
1944 Merrill's Marauders, a specially trained group of American soldiers, begin their ground campaign against Japan into Burma.
1945 U.S. forces liberate prisoners of war in the Los Baños Prison in the Philippines.
1947 Franz von Papen is sentenced to eight years in a labor camp for war crimes.
1959 Khrushchev rejects the Western plan for the Big Four meeting on Germany.
1968 North Vietnamese troops capture the imperial palace in Hue, South Vietnam.
1972 Hanoi negotiators walk out of the peace talks in Paris to protest U.S. air raids on North Vietnam.
1991 General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the coalition army, sends in ground forces during the Gulf War.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 19 February 2024 and ending Sunday, 25 February 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post of 12 May 2019… The final flight of Major Wayne Pearson, USAF, the recovery of his remains and Arlington burial, and the 18 February 1969 speech of LGEN Lewis Walter criticizing media coverage of the war…
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 "Saturday 24 February
24: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1613
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 Shadow
Musings from a Covid haze
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Thanks to History Facts
What people ate for lunch in colonial America
There was no one typical day in colonial America — the experiences of colonial families differed based on their location, economic status, and individual circumstances. The colonial era not only spanned a large period of time — from the early 17th century to the late 18th century, before the United States became an independent nation — but it also covered a large and varied landscape. The 13 original American colonies stretched from Massachusetts to Georgia, and were populated by settlers from different parts of Europe whose beliefs, traditions, and lifestyles varied greatly.
Colonial settlements ranged from the growing urban centers of the Northeast to the rural agrarian communities of the Southern colonies, and the daily routines of families were impacted by their environment, which included the influence of Indigenous populations. Colonists often adopted or adapted aspects of Native American culture, including agricultural practices and culinary techniques, in order to survive. Weather conditions, seasons, and the availability of resources also played significant roles in shaping daily life in the colonies. But whether you were a farmer, a merchant, a tradesman, or a wife and mother, day-to-day life in the colonies consisted of long days, hard work, and community connections.
The Workday Started Before Dawn
The workday in colonial America typically began before dawn and lasted until the sun went down, and throughout the day, families dedicated themselves to tasks essential for their survival. The morning started with a modest breakfast of bread and milk, porridge, or cornmeal mush with cider or beer before the work began. This sustenance was much-needed: Depending on the time of year, weather, and season, the typical workday could be up to 12 hours long, six days a week. Men were expected to provide for their family, and while farming was the primary occupation throughout the colonies, there were a variety of other jobs to be filled, particularly as towns started to grow. Men worked as blacksmiths, carpenters, silversmiths, and in other skilled trades and crafts that contributed to the local economy. Women typically worked in the home, managing all aspects of the household and childcare, including meal preparation and basic education of the children. In addition, married women in non-farming families often worked alongside their husbands in shops or trades, and unmarried or widowed women took jobs as seamstresses, midwives, or tavern keepers. Children often assisted their parents in their work, learning valuable skills for their future roles in the community.
"Dinner" Was at Lunchtime
In the colonial era, the midday meal was called "dinner," and it was the biggest, heartiest meal of the day. Those who worked in town in trades and shops could go to a common hall for a meal of stew made from pork or poultry, and seasonal vegetables such as corn and cabbage. The midday break provided a short period of rest from work, allowing families to connect with neighbors and strengthen social bonds. For many colonial settlements, the local economy also relied heavily on indentured and enslaved labor. Indentured servants brought from Europe and enslaved individuals, predominantly of African descent, played essential roles in supporting colonial households. Their contributions, though often overlooked, were integral to the success of farms and trades and the day-to-day functioning of many households. Farm laborers, including enslaved workers, would have their dinner brought to them where they worked in the fields.
The Seasons Had a Big Impact on Daily Life
During peak agricultural seasons, such as planting in springtime and harvesting in the fall, the workday for farming families was extended, as all members of the family dedicated themselves to essential tasks on the farm. The demanding nature of these seasons required longer hours to ensure a successful harvest and sustained livelihood. On the other hand, in the winter months or during inclement weather, when outdoor activities were limited, the workday might be shorter. Families would then focus on indoor tasks and household chores, such as preparing food for storage, or weaving and mending clothing.Clothes were generally made from locally sourced materials, particularly sheep's wool and cultivated cotton and flax, and families produced their own textiles through spinning and weaving. Everyday clothing was modest and simple, reflecting the practical needs of daily life. Men typically wore shirts, waistcoats, and breeches, while women donned dresses with full skirts covered by long aprons. Both men and women also wore leather shoes or boots, as well as hats made of felt or animal pelts.
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Leisure Time Meant Music, Games, and Social Events
Not unlike today, evenings were a time for more leisurely activities at home or in town. Large families were common in colonial America, and homes were generally modest in size, with a central hearth for cooking and heating that also provided a place for families to spend time together at the beginning and end of the day. After a light supper of leftovers, the family would often gather around the hearth for warmth and engage in storytelling, handiwork, or quiet chores by candlelight. Homemade entertainment, such as playing musical instruments, singing songs, or playing simple games, were also popular ways for families to spend what little free time they had. Outside of the home, attending church services, gathering in common halls and taverns, and participating in organized social gatherings like fairs and dances offered a chance for neighbors to interact, share meals, and reinforce their sense of community.At the end of the evening, families would retire to their beds, which were made of woven sacks known as "ticks." Beds were stuffed with straw or chaff and sometimes layered with a softer feather-stuffed tick and homemade quilts for warmth. Because there were few rooms in the average home, there were rarely any designated sleeping quarters; rather, people slept in living areas with multiple family members sharing a room. Older children slept in one bed and infants and very young children slept next to their mother. With the natural rhythm of daylight and limited artificial lighting, bedtime was early by modern standards — and a necessity for preparing for the long days of physical labor.
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I think I had this in the List a while ago but this one seems to have more info…skip
Thanks to Interesting Facts
In World War II, the British had a plan to make aircraft carriers out of ice.
It was 1942, and, among many other challenges, wartime Great Britain had a big problem: Nazi U-boats. These German submarines destroyed U.K.-bound merchant ships laden with much-needed food and supplies, and the attacks became so frequent that from March to September of that year they sank close to 100 merchant ships a month. Airplanes at the time couldn't fly far enough from land-based airstrips to protect these ships in the ocean, and this aviation limitation left a 300-mile lane of unprotected waters known as "the mid-Atlantic Gap." Britain's legendary prime minister, Winston Churchill, was desperate to close this gap by any means necessary, and dreamed of building floating islands where planes could refuel. Unfortunately, aircraft carriers were few and far between, and steel was hard to come by during the war effort, when it was needed for weapons, tanks, ships, and more.
One day, a potential solution arrived when Lord Louis Mountbatten, the head of Britain's Combined Operations Command (and beloved uncle of the future Prince Philip), presented Churchill with a strange chunk of ice. This wasn't any normal piece of ice, however: It was pykrete (named after its creator Geoffrey Pyke), which was a type of ice reinforced with wood pulp. The result was a material that melted very slowly, and for Churchill, a vision of a fleet of aircraft carriers made from pykrete came into focus. The proposed pykrete ship would've been the biggest "ship" ever constructed, displacing 26 times more water than the largest ship at the time and requiring 26 electric motors for propulsion. A 60-foot-long prototype was soon constructed in Alberta, Canada, that weighed as much as five blue whales. But by 1943, things had changed. Escort carriers had arrived in the Atlantic and long-range aircraft such as the B-24 Liberator had closed the gap for good. Despite pykrete's amazing ability to hold its shape, the dream of an iceberg aircraft carrier soon melted away.
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Thanks to Bruddah
I believe that Biden and Blinky knew exactly what they were doing by egging on the faux NATO invitation to Ukraine. They knew the Russians would invade over that issue because they said they would. Obama looked the other way when he "had more flexibility" and Pooty took Crimea. I can't help but to believe that this ongoing fight is but an extension of that flexibility. Obama supported the Ukes when he gave them MRE's and blankies.
Democrats are quite adept a projecting their sins on Republicans, specifically Trump. So when they repeat their mantra that Trump is colluding with the Russians, that should tell us that is exactly what they are themselves doing.
The Ukraine-Russia war is a nice Democrat made crisis to make the UniPartiers all that much richer, help out the Davos WEFOWO's goal of destroying the American middle class and keeping our eyes and anger off our wide open borders. What sense does it make to get all gunsched up over Ukraine's national sovereignty while we are forfeiting our own?
These people are beginning to piss me off.
Bruddah
From Shadow
Mike,
I wish it were so… but you have to understand… what you see on the TV of the heroic efforts of the supposed Ukraine patriots… is 90% propaganda and 10% truth. When you see all those neocons, former Generals and media types pronouncing how they have fought the Russians to a standstill… you need to stop and think about it. Outrageous claims of the Russians having lost over a hundred thousand KIA since the war began… is just preposterous. We didn't lose half that many in over ten years in Vietnam. Second… if Putin really wanted to make an all out effort (small tactical nukes. Etc.)… the war would be over in hours. And frankly, I've been there and when I was… most Ukraines spoke Russian, not some local dialect… many still identified themselves as Russians.
What most Americans don't understand… is the real game is a series of skirmishes between two mafia like despots. Zelenski is just as corrupt and venal as Putin. There is no freedom under his regime in Ukraine. The corruption that existed before him is the same today… different players, same game! You can bet your bippy that at least half our foreign aid to them has been siphoned off by the "Z-Man" and his cohorts. Corruption is a way of life for both countries… their mafias are one and the same.
I got back to what I said… if you really want to stop this thing… no more aid until both parties sit down to negotiate. Biden and the Democrats (and a lot of RINO's) demand that Israel stop, pause and negotiate… well, kiss my ass… how about putting the same demands on Ukraine?
Bottom line… you can't believe what you see or what you hear through media propaganda. There are no saints in the fight… one regime is just as corrupt and guilty as the other… Without Blinken and Biden offering NATO sponsorship for Ukraine… none of this would have happened in the first place. Putin has openly admitted this.
Shadow
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Thanks to Shadow
Covid Musings II
More Rants:
Everywhere you look in this nation today we see nothing but chaos, pestilence and lies. Day after day, we get hammered with the border crisis, a rogue Justice Department and one crazy event after another. It becomes one of those deals where so much is going on, we can't see the forest for the trees. The sad thing is we really forgot to focus on the very first thing and most important thing the Biden Administration did right off the bat. If you wanted to destroy an economy almost over night… you do it by crippling of our oil and gas industry… all in the name of Global Warming. Folks, if you just use your common sense you'd realize the whole scam is nothing but a big lie. It's bullshit… championed by the biggest fraud and bullshitter of them all, John Kerry and the Democratic party. What a POS! That was the beginning off the end.
The Good Lord blessed this country with bountiful resources… not the least of which was our oil and gas reserves, second to none. For decades, going back to before WW II, we Americans had the lowest gas and oil prices in the world. Even when the fuel crisis hit, back in the Carter Administration… we American's were paying a fraction of what Europeans were paying for gas and oil. It continued that way up until the Biden Administration. It was the one single advantage this nation had over all the other economies in the world. I'll never forget when in England back in the early 2000's when a friend stopped to fill up his little Hyundai mini-van… the price he paid to fill it up was the equivalent of over $100 dollars U.S.! I was thinking, "How the hell can people make a living with prices like these"?
Stop and think about it…. Virtually every commodity we buy… is affected by the cost of gas and oil! Everything and I do mean everything is dependent either directly or indirectly dependent on the gas and oil industry. From raw manufacturing to agriculture to getting goods to market… everything revolves around the price of energy. Want to stifle an economy artificially... drive up the cost of gas and oil. Want to start rapid inflation, drive up the cost of gas and oil… overnight, the economy goes in the tank (no pun intended). The Biden Administration did the one thing they could to destroy our nation's economy virtually over night. It wasn't just the pipeline, they choked off leases and installed new regulations across the board and then blamed it on the oil and gas industry… you know, those scandalous profiteers! When the truth is, it was the government, not the industry that is to blame.
The Left (read that Democrats) have embraced so called Environmentalism… as a new form of religion. They are as dogmatic and unyielding as any nut case Mullah in the Middle East! They're in our face at every turn and like a religious zealot, the never yield to common sense or rationality. These are the people who are controlling our lives in today's world. They are pious, self assured, elitists… and wrong!
How's this for common sense? They boldly tell us we need to spend Trillions of dollars over the next decade to prevent the earth's temperature from increasing by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius over the next millnnium. What a crock! Of course their doomsday crock of harebrained ideas only apply to us and Europe… But China, India, Pan Asia and Africa get a pass… just developing nations you know… they can't afford it. Hint… we can't afford it either! First of all… there is no finite truth their schemes would even work… just a few natural disasters and volcano eruptions throws their whole plan out the window. I've said it a thousand times… "Consensus is not science! If it were, the earth would still be flat! True science demands proof (truth)… not some harebrained Hockey Stick Theory that can't be proved"! It's a scam folks… plain and simple.
They go on to claim that hurricanes and tornadoes are becoming more severe and frequent… ALL BECAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING. Again it is bullshit! One of the blessings if my life was I grew up as the son of one of the Navy's Hurricane Hunters… leaned a lot about Hurricanes. As a former Naval Aviator, learned a lot more. Trust me… the most severe hurricanes to ever hit this country was long before these con artists ever came with their scam theories. And if last year is any indicator… they are less frequent and/or devastating. Climate ebbs and flows… Mother Nature controls it… not mankind. And as the old saying goes… "Don't f—k with Mother Nature! She'll get you every time"!
I'm fed up with all these so called "smart" people… I'm begging to think their degrees are mostly in the socialism or con artist variety…. Not hard science. They pimp their theories with self assuredness and an equally squalid group called the media… repeat their vanity and lies every day. Tell a lie long enough, loud enough and frequent enough… some weak minded idiot will believe it.
Again… I'm fed up!.. More tomorrow.
Shadow
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Thanks to Brett
This is beautiful and how all life should be
. EVERY NOW AND THEN SOMEONE POSTS A REFRESHING VIEW OF HUMANITY.....THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS AND WORTH A VIEW.....1 MINUTE VIDEO
> https://twitter.com/itsmeriya123/status/1760826918105203088
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Thanks toYP
Absolutely. Somewhere in this mess, the POTUS Potted Plant and his son have their fingers in the honey pot.
YP
On Feb 24, 2024, at 6:10 AM, roy stafford <rwstafford1@comcast.net> wrote:
What most Americans don't understand… is the real game is a series of skirmishes between two mafia like despots. Zelenski is just as corrupt and venal as Putin. There is no freedom under his regime in Ukraine. The corruption that existed before him is the same today… different players, same game! You can bet your bippy that at least half our foreign aid to them has been siphoned off by the "Z-Man" and his cohorts. Corruption is a way of life for both countries… their mafias are one and the same.
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My apologies top Barrett. He sends me a lot of these little snippits and I file them in the Barrett folder and forget to add them to the List. Here are a couple of the latest and I will do better in the future. He has written great books about naval aviation and I think I have read most of them but he also is a long range shooter and who could not like that.
Thanks to Barrett
. Skip, ref:
7 Interesting Facts About Animal Patterns
From leopard-print clothing to tabby cats to ladybugs, we're surrounded by beautiful animal patterns. While some provide obvious camouflage for their wearer, others have more mysterious origins. Some are more complicated than they seem, or make more sense in the context of the food chain.
In the mid-late 80s I covered a Soldier of Fortune convention for a newspaper. As you'd expect, there were all manner of wares for sale, mostly of a tactical-practical nature.
But
I mosied past a booth run by two matronly ladies selling leopard-spotted and zebra- and tiger-striped men's briefs, much like the TV Maytag repairman: loneliest person in town. One lady said, "I don't understand it, Gertrude. The bikers really go for this stuff!"
I kept on mosying...
Barrett
And another from Barrett
A CV67 XO related a Fleet Week visitation by The Family, some of whom stayed on board.
After their departure some towels and robes with JFK logos were um missing...
Sidebar: When Caroline Kennedy was floated as ambassador to Japan, somebody (obviously not a Democrat) asked if she spoke the lingo. She did not, and it didn't matter. A GOP wag noted, however, that her father had some familiarity with the Japanese navy...
CV names: at Hook 80-something the editor (crusty old photo chief) and I cornered John Lehman. The chief asked, "SecNav, why can't we name carriers for historic ships instead of Vinson?" (Stennis was being considered, I believe.)
Arms folded, toe tapping. "You don't have to deal with Congress. I do."
"Sir, are you saying that congress will spend $2-3 billion on a ship named Vinson but not Langley or Essex?"
"That's about the size of it."
Since then some of us have suggested reviving Midway or Coral Sea but Beltway Intel holds that it'll never happen because it might offend a Westpac partner. Reminds me that in 09 CNO's Midway Night oration omitted The J Word; next year there was I believe one J Word. It's cited in my CV-6 book. (An exchange officer did note that the RN's Trafalgar Night included at least passing mention of France.)
Barrett sends
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This Day in U S Military History
1944 – Maj. Gen. Frank Merrill's guerrilla force, nicknamed "Merrill's Marauders," begin a campaign in northern Burma. In August 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed to create an American ground unit whose sole purpose would be to engage in a "long-range penetration mission" in Japanese-occupied Burma. This mission would consist of cutting Japanese communications and supply lines and otherwise throwing the enemy's positions into chaos. It was hoped that this commando force could thus prepare the way for Gen. Joseph Stillwell's Chinese American Force to reopen the Burma Road, which was closed in April 1942 by the Japanese invaders, and once again allow supplies and war material into China through this route. Within the military, a type of "Help Wanted" ad was put up with the president's authority, an appeal for applicants to participate in a "dangerous and hazardous mission." About 3,000 soldiers volunteered from stateside units to create what was officially called the 5307th Composite Unit, code named "Galahad." It would go into history as Merrill's Marauders, after Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill, their commander. Brigadier General Merrill trained his men in the art of guerrilla warfare in the jungles of India, for secrecy's sake. The commando force was formed into six combat units–Red, White, Blue, Green, Orange, and Khaki–with 400 men in each (the remaining 600 men or so were part of a rear-echelon headquarters that remained in India to coordinate the air-drops of equipment to the men in the field). The Marauders' mission began with a 1,000-mile walk through dense jungle, without artillery support, into Burma. On February 24, 1944, they began their Burmese campaign, which, when done, consisted of five major and 30 minor engagements with a far more numerous Japanese enemy. They had to carry their supplies on their backs and on pack mules, and were resupplied only with airdrops in the middle of the jungle. Merrill's Marauders succeeded in maneuvering behind Japanese forces to cause the disruptions necessary to throw the enemy into confusion. They were so successful, the Marauders managed even to capture the Myitkyina Airfield in northern Burma. When their mission was completed, all surviving Merrill's Marauders had to be evacuated to hospitals to be treated for everything from exhaustion and various tropical diseases to malnutrition or A.O.E. ("Accumulation of Everything"). They were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation in July 1944, which was re-designated the Presidential Unit Citation in 1966. Every member of the commando force also received the Bronze Star, a very rare distinction for an entire unit. Merrill remained in the Far East and was made an aide to General Stillwell.
1968 – The Tet Offensive ends as U.S. and South Vietnamese troops recapture the ancient capital of Hue from communist forces. Although scattered fighting continued across South Vietnam for another week, the battle for Hue was the last major engagement of the offensive, which saw communist attacks on all of South Vietnam's major cities. In the aftermath of Tet, public opinion in the United States decisively turned against the Vietnam War. As 1968 began–the third year of U.S. ground-troop fighting in Vietnam–U.S. military leadership was still confident that a favorable peace agreement would soon be forced on the North Vietnamese and their allies in South Vietnam, the Viet Cong. Despite growing calls at home for an immediate U.S. withdrawal, President Lyndon Johnson's administration planned to keep the pressure on the communists through increased bombing and other attrition strategies. General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. operations in Vietnam, claimed to see clearly "the light at the end of the tunnel," and Johnson hoped that soon the shell-shocked communists would stumble out of the jungle to the bargaining table. However, on January 30, 1968, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese launched their massive Tet Offensive all across South Vietnam. It was the first day of Tet–Vietnam's lunar new year and most important holiday–and many South Vietnamese soldiers, expecting an unofficial truce, had gone home. The Viet Cong were known for guerrilla tactics and had never launched an offensive on this scale; consequently, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces were caught completely by surprise. In the first day of the offensive, tens of thousands of Viet Cong soldiers, supported by North Vietnamese forces, overran the five largest cities of South Vietnam, scores of smaller cities and towns, and a number of U.S. and South Vietnamese bases. The Viet Cong struck at Saigon–South Vietnam's capital–and even attacked, and for several hours held, the U.S. embassy there. The action was caught by U.S. television news crews, which also recorded the brutal impromptu street execution of a Viet Cong rebel by a South Vietnamese military official. As the U.S. and South Vietnamese fought to regain control of Saigon, the cities of Hue, Dalat, Kontum, and Quangtri fell to the communists. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces recaptured most of these cities within a few days, but Hue was fiercely contested by the communist soldiers occupying it. After 26 days of costly house-to-house fighting, the South Vietnamese flag was raised again above Hue on February 24, and the Tet Offensive came to an end. During the communist occupation of Hue, numerous South Vietnamese government officials and civilians were massacred, and many civilians died in U.S. bombing attacks that preceded the liberation of the city. In many respects, the Tet Offensive was a military disaster for the communists: They suffered 10 times more casualties than their enemy and failed to control any of the areas captured in the opening days of the offensive. They had hoped that the offensive would ignite a popular uprising against South Vietnam's government and the presence of U.S. troops. This did not occur. In addition, the Viet Cong, which had come out into the open for the first time in the war, were all but wiped out. However, because the Tet Offensive crushed U.S. hopes for an imminent end to the conflict, it dealt a fatal blow to the U.S. military mission in Vietnam. In Tet's aftermath, President Johnson came under fire on all sides for his Vietnam policy. General Westmoreland requested 200,000 more troops to overwhelm the communists, and a national uproar ensued after this request was disclosed, forcing Johnson to recall Westmoreland to Washington. On March 31, Johnson announced that the United States would begin de-escalation in Vietnam, halt the bombing of North Vietnam, and seek a peace agreement to end the conflict. In the same speech, he also announced that he would not seek reelection to the presidency, citing what he perceived to be his responsibility in creating the national division over Vietnam.
1991 – After six weeks of intensive bombing against Iraq and its armed forces, U.S.-led coalition forces launch a ground invasion of Kuwait and Iraq. On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, its tiny oil-rich neighbor, and within hours had occupied most strategic positions in the country. One week later, Operation Shield, the American defense of Saudi Arabia, began as U.S. forces massed in the Persian Gulf. Three months later, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq if it failed to withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991. At 4:30 p.m. EST on January 16, 1991, Operation Desert Storm, a massive U.S.-led offensive against Iraq, began as the first fighter aircraft were launched from Saudi Arabia and off U.S. and British aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. All evening, aircraft from the U.S.-led military coalition pounded targets in and around Baghdad as the world watched the events transpire in television footage transmitted live via satellite from Baghdad and elsewhere. Operation Desert Storm was conducted by an international coalition under the command of U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf and featured forces from 32 nations, including Britain, Egypt, France, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. During the next six weeks, the allied force engaged in a massive air war against Iraq's military and civil infrastructure, encountering little effective resistance from the Iraqi air force. Iraqi ground forces were also helpless during this stage of the war, and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's only significant retaliatory measure was the launching of SCUD missile attacks against Israel and Saudi Arabia. Saddam hoped that the missile attacks would provoke Israel, and thus other Arab nations, to enter the conflict; however, at the request of the United States, Israel remained out of the war. On February 24, a massive coalition ground offensive began, and Iraq's outdated and poorly supplied armed forces were rapidly overwhelmed. By the end of the day, the Iraqi army had effectively folded, 10,000 of its troops were held as prisoners, and a U.S. air base had been established deep inside Iraq. After less than four days, Kuwait was liberated, and a majority of Iraq's armed forces had either been destroyed or had surrendered or retreated to Iraq. On February 28, U.S. President George Bush declared a cease-fire, and Iraq pledged to honor future coalition and U.N. peace terms. One hundred and twenty-five American soldiers were killed in the Persian Gulf War, with another 21 regarded as missing in action.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
COOLEY, RAYMOND H.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Lumboy, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 24 February 1945. Entered service at: Richard City, Tenn. Born: 7 May 1914, Dunlap, Tenn. G.O. No.: 77, 10 September 1945. Citation: He was a platoon guide in an assault on a camouflaged entrenchment defended by machineguns, rifles, and mortars. When his men were pinned down by 2 enemy machineguns, he voluntarily advanced under heavy fire to within 20 yards of 1 of the guns and attacked it with a hand grenade. The enemy, however, threw the grenade back at him before it could explode. Arming a second grenade, he held it for several seconds of the safe period and then hurled it into the enemy position, where it exploded instantaneously, destroying the gun and crew. He then moved toward the remaining gun, throwing grenades into enemy foxholes as he advanced. Inspired by his actions, 1 squad of his platoon joined him. After he had armed another grenade and was preparing to throw it into the second machinegun position, 6 enemy soldiers rushed at him. Knowing he could not dispose of the armed grenade without injuring his comrades, because of the intermingling in close combat of the men of his platoon and the enemy in the melee which ensued, he deliberately covered the grenade with his body and was severely wounded as it exploded. By his heroic actions, S/Sgt. Cooley not only silenced a machinegun and so inspired his fellow soldiers that they pressed the attack and destroyed the remaining enemy emplacements, but also, in complete disregard of his own safety, accepted certain injury and possible loss of life to avoid wounding his comrades.
LEVITOW, JOHN L.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, 3d Special Operations Squadron. place and date: Long Binh Army post, Republic of Vietnam, 24 February 1969. Entered service at: New Haven, Conn. Born: 1 November 1945, Hartford, Conn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Levitow (then A1c.), U.S. Air Force, distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while assigned as a loadmaster aboard an AC-47 aircraft flying a night mission in support of Long Binh Army post. Sgt. Levitow's aircraft was struck by a hostile mortar round. The resulting explosion ripped a hole 2 feet in diameter through the wing and fragments made over 3,500 holes in the fuselage. All occupants of the cargo compartment were wounded and helplessly slammed against the floor and fuselage. The explosion tore an activated flare from the grasp of a crewmember who had been launching flares to provide illumination for Army ground troops engaged in combat. Sgt. Levitow, though stunned by the concussion of the blast and suffering from over 40 fragment wounds in the back and legs, staggered to his feet and turned to assist the man nearest to him who had been knocked down and was bleeding heavily. As he was moving his wounded comrade forward and away from the opened cargo compartment door, he saw the smoking flare ahead of him in the aisle. Realizing the danger involved and completely disregarding his own wounds, Sgt. Levitow started toward the burning flare. The aircraft was partially out of control and the flare was rolling wildly from side to side. Sgt. Levitow struggled forward despite the loss of blood from his many wounds and the partial loss of feeling in his right leg. Unable to grasp the rolling flare with his hands, he threw himself bodily upon the burning flare. Hugging the deadly device to his body, he dragged himself back to the rear of the aircraft and hurled the flare through the open cargo door. At that instant the flare separated and ignited in the air, but clear of the aircraft. Sgt. Levitow, by his selfless and heroic actions, saved the aircraft and its entire crew from certain death and destruction. Sgt. Levitow's gallantry, his profound concern for his fellowmen, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
*WILBANKS, HILLIARD A.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force, 21st. Tactical Air Support Squadron, Nha Trang AFB, RVN. Place and date: Near Dalat, Republic of Vietnam, 24 February 1967. Entered service at: Atlanta, Ga. Born: 26 July 1933, Cornelia, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As a forward air controller Capt. Wilbanks was pilot of an unarmed, light aircraft flying visual reconnaissance ahead of a South Vietnam Army Ranger Battalion. His intensive search revealed a well-concealed and numerically superior hostile force poised to ambush the advancing rangers. The Viet Cong, realizing that Capt. Wilbanks' discovery had compromised their position and ability to launch a surprise attack, immediately fired on the small aircraft with all available firepower. The enemy then began advancing against the exposed forward elements of the ranger force which were pinned down by devastating fire. Capt. Wilbanks recognized that close support aircraft could not arrive in time to enable the rangers to withstand the advancing enemy, onslaught. With full knowledge of the limitations of his unarmed, unarmored, light reconnaissance aircraft, and the great danger imposed by the enemy's vast firepower, he unhesitatingly assumed a covering, close support role. Flying through a hail of withering fire at treetop level, Capt. Wilbanks passed directly over the advancing enemy and inflicted many casualties by firing his rifle out of the side window of his aircraft. Despite increasingly intense antiaircraft fire, Capt. Wilbanks continued to completely disregard his own safety and made repeated low passes over the enemy to divert their fire away from the rangers. His daring tactics successfully interrupted the enemy advance, allowing the rangers to withdraw to safety from their perilous position. During his final courageous attack to protect the withdrawing forces, Capt. Wilbanks was mortally wounded and his bullet-riddled aircraft crashed between the opposing forces. Capt. Wilbanks' magnificent action saved numerous friendly personnel from certain injury or death. His unparalleled concern for his fellow man and his extraordinary heroism were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 24, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
24 February
1908: The US awarded its first airship contract to Capt Thomas S. Baldwin. (5)
1914: Due to a large number of accidents and deaths, an Army board at the Signal Corps Aviation School, San Diego, condemned all pusher airplanes. This recommendation basically condemned all Wright aircraft, all pushers. (5) (21)
1915: Tests on the Macy automatic pilot began at San Diego with Raymond V. Morris, a Curtiss test pilot, at the controls. (24)
1949: Republic unveiled its XF-91 jet rocket interceptor at its Farmingdale factory, Long Island. (24) A two-stage rocket, a WAC (Without Altitude Control) Corporal mounted on a V-2 first stage, attained a 250-mile altitude and 5,000 MPH at White Sands Proving Ground. (24)
1954: President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a National Security Council recommendation to build the DEW Line. (20)
1955: Convair's R3Y-1 Tradewind flew cross-country from San Diego to Patuxent River in 6 hours, averaging 403 MPH. This feat made the 80-ton aircraft the world's fastest water-based air transport. (24)
1958: General Curtis E. LeMay, VCSAF, said the Air Force wanted to establish a single tanker force to support all combat operations requiring air refueling. (18)
1960: A Titan I, launched from Cape Canaveral, flew 5,000 miles down the Atlantic missile range on its first full-range flight test. Its reentry vehicle landed in the target area, making the event highly successful. (6) (24)
1961: Cape Canaveral launched the first Atlas E. It flew over 7,000 miles down the Atlantic Missile Range, using an all-inertial guidance system. (6)
PROJECT ASSET
1965: The 1,175-pound reentry glider, last in a series of six, launched from Cape Kennedy, Fla., by a Thor-Delta booster into a 13,300-mile suborbital flight. ASSET, or Aerothermodynamic Elastic Structural Systems Environmental Tests was an experimental US space project involving the testing of an uncrewed sub-scale reentry vehicle.
Begun in 1960, ASSET was originally designed to verify the superalloy heat shield of the X-20 Dyna-Soar (artist's conception below) prior to full-scale crewed flights. The vehicle's biconic shape and low delta wing were intended to represent Dyna-Soar's forward nose section, where the aerodynamic heating would be the most intense; more than an estimated 4000 °F at the nose cap. Following the X-20 program's cancellation in December 1963, completed ASSET vehicles were used in reentry heating and structural investigations with hopes that data gathered would be useful for the development of future space vehicles, such as the Space Shuttle.
1966: At Vandenberg AFB, two 341 SMW combat crews fired two Minuteman I (Model A) missiles simultaneously for the first time to examine multiple-firing techniques. This also marked the first salvo launch down the Western Test Range. (1) (6)
1967: MEDAL OF HONOR. In an unarmed and unarmored O-1 Bird Dog aircraft flying near Di Linh in South Vietnam, Capt Hilliard A. Wilbanks attacked a large body of Vietcong that had attacked a much smaller South Vietnamese ranger force. He used smoke rockets and rifle fire to draw enemy fire and interrupt its advance. He sacrificed his life to protect the withdrawing rangers and received a Medal of Honor for his bravery. (21)
1968: Lockheed rolled out the C-5A Galaxy at its plant in Marietta. (3)
1969: MEDAL OF HONOR. While dropping flares near Saigon, A1C John L. Levitow, a loadmaster, saved the lives of eight crewmembers and their AC-47 aircraft when it sustained a hit from an 82-mm mortar shell. Bleeding from over 40 shrapnel wounds, Levitow dragged another crewmember away from the open cargo door and, without regard for his life, threw himself on a live flare, dragged it to the cargo door, and pushed it out just as it ignited. Levitow then lapsed into unconsciousness. He was the first Air Force enlisted man to receive the Medal of Honor since World War II. (18)
1979: An Atlas booster successfully launched Space Test Program Flight P78-1 from Vandenberg AFB. As its primary payload, the spacecraft carried a gamma spectrometer sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). (5)
1982: NATO's new airborne early warning force at Geilenkirchen AB, Germany, received the first of 18 authorized E-3As. (4) The USAF selected the F-15E over the F-16E for its new dual-role fighter. The USAF planned to buy 393 aircraft with deliveries scheduled to begin in 1988. (30)
1984: Gen Charles A. Gabriel announced the selection of the F-15E as the next dual-role combat fighter. The USAF, however, decided to continue testing on the General Dynamics F-16XL. (3) MAC flew two C-141 missions from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Cherry Point, N.C., to support the withdrawal of US Marines from Lebanon. (16) (26)
1991: Operation DESERT STORM. The ground campaign opened against Iraq. US-backed coalition air forces flew 3,000 sorties in support. Previously, C-130s airlifted Army XVIII Airborne Corps elements from eastern Saudi Arabia to Rafha on the Iraqi border. Flying 300+ sorties a day at 10-minute intervals, the C-130s delivered 13,843 troops and 9,396 tons of cargo. General Norman H. Schwartzkopf's "Hail Mary" maneuver allowed coalition forces to surround Iraq's Republican Guard. In 100 hours, continuous air attacks then allowed the coalition forces to overwhelm the Iraqi ground forces. (16) (21)
1998: President William J. Clinton signed an executive order to call-up of 500 Guardsmen and Reservists for up to 270 days to support military operations in Southwest Asia. (32)
1999: The Orbital Sciences Corporation's X-34 technology-testbed demonstrator airframe arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB for vibration and flight certification tests. It was an unmanned rocket powered vehicle designed to be launched from a modified jetliner, reach orbit, and return to a conventional runway. (3)
2001: Lt Col Stayce D. Harris became the first black female to command a USAF flying squadron, the 729 AS at March AFB. (21)
2005: The AFFTC completed software upgrade testing of the B-1B Lancer to integrate the GBU-38 (500 pound JDAM) munition. (3)
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