To All,
Good Friday Morning April 12, 2024. I hope that many of you will attend the Tailhook get together tonight starting at 1700 at the Air and Space museum her in SanDiego. It is a great opportunity to see all the exhibits gather with friends. Hell we all flew many of the exhibits.
Back to cloudy days for a while with the chance of rain. My phone says no rain and my wife's says there will be rain. Typical Weather reports in San Diego
I hope you enjoy it and have a great weekend.
Today is my son's 44th birthday. I remember his birth very well. He was 13 weeks early. I well remember pushing the heavy Incubator through the basements between Sharp hospital and Children's hospital whit the nurse in tow. She could hardly move it. So for the next week I was going between both hospitals as both were in intensive care.
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
April 12
1861 The Civil War begins with Confederates firing on Fort Sumter, S.C. The Union Navy plays an integral part blockading Confederates, keeping them diplomatically and economically contained from other nations.
1911 Lt. Theodore Ellyson completes his aviator training at the Glenn Curtiss Aviation Camp at North Island, San Diego, Calif., and becomes Naval Aviator No. 1.
1944 USS Halibut (SS 232) sinks Japanese army passenger/cargo ship Taichu Maru despite the presence of at least three escort vessels.
1945 President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies at Warm Springs, Ga. Besides being the nations longest-serving president, he also was an Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
1962 U.S. Navy demonstrates new landing craft with retractable hydrofoils, LCVP (H), which are named Highlanders. The Navy eventually rejects the craft because it cant keep a straight path like a standard LCVP.
1981 The first re-useable Space Shuttle, Columbia (STS-1) is launched with an all-US Navy crew: Capt. John W. Young (Ret.) is the shuttles commander and Lt. Cmdr. Robert L. Crippen is the pilot.
1986 USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) is commissioned at Bath, Maine.
1993 Aircraft from USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and NATO forces begin enforcing the no-fly zone over the Bosnia in Operation Deny Flight.
2003 USS Mason (DDG 87) is commissioned at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is the 37th in the class and the ninth of the Flight IIA variant.
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This day in World History
April 12
1204 The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople.
1606 England adopts the Union Jack as its flag.
1770 Parliament repeals the Townsend Acts.
1782 The British navy wins its only naval engagement against the colonists in the American Revolution at the Battle of Saints, off Dominica.
1811 The first colonists arrive at Cape Disappointment, Washington.
1861 Fort Sumter is shelled by the Confederacy, starting America's Civil War.
1864 Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest captures Fort Pillow, in Tennessee.
1877 The first catcher's mask is used in a baseball game.
1911 Pierre Prier completes the first non-stop London-Paris flight in three hours and 56 minutes.
1916 American cavalrymen and Mexican bandit troops clash at Parral, Mexico.
1927 The British Cabinet comes out in favor of voting rights for women.
1944 The U.S. Twentieth Air Force is activated to begin the strategic bombing of Japan.
1945 President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies at Warm Spring, Georgia. Harry S. Truman becomes president.
1954 Bill Haley records "Rock Around the Clock."
1955 Dr. Jonas Salk's discovery of a polio vaccine is announced.
1961 Soviet Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin becomes first man to orbit the Earth.
1963 Police use dogs and cattle prods on peaceful civil rights demonstrators in Birmingham, Alabama.
1966 Emmett Ashford becomes the first African-American major league umpire.
1983 Harold Washington is elected the first black mayor of Chicago.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 8 April 2024 through Sunday, 14 April 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post of 30 June 2019…
B-52 Operation MENU targeting leaked to NVN… No surprises…?…
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
Flying near Hianan Island was always dangerous
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "Friday 12 April
12. https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=516
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.
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 Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend . The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
The Amazing Stories Behind 5 Famous Trees
Here's what we know about trees: They clean the air we breathe, provide us with snacks, and supply the lumber for our homes. But trees also hold secrets — scientists are still studying how their roots work and how they share resources with one another. We might not understand all their hidden abilities, but one thing we can take away from some of the world's most famous trees is their resilience, surviving in the most rugged conditions and standing witness to humanity's most difficult moments. These famed trees are reminders of how we, too, can stand tall and keep growing.
1 of 5
Endicott Pear Tree
Early settlers in America hoped to put down long-lasting roots. Some, like Massachusetts Governor John Endecott, did so literally. After arriving in the colonies in 1628, Endecott was granted 300 acres outside Salem, where he built a homestead and planted pear trees in the 1630s, likely in order to produce perry, a cider-like alcoholic drink. Endecott hoped his orchard would continue to produce for generations to come.
That hope was at least partially satisfied. Some 131 years after his death, a local reverend noted in his diary that the governor's plantings had dwindled save for one lone pear tree. In 1809, pears from that remaining tree were harvested and sent to former President John Adams. At the turn of the 20th century, newspaper reports highlighted the tree's longevity, noting it still produced pears with "not of too pleasant flavor." In the centuries since its planting, the pear tree has survived years of neglect, harsh New England weather, and vandalism to become the oldest living cultivated fruit tree in America. (The tree's name is now usually spelled "Endicott," the family's modern spelling of their name.)
2 of 5
Methuselah
The oldest living trees in the world in the White Mountains. Methuselah, a bristlecone pine hidden within California's Inyo National Forest, takes its name from the Bible's longest-living figure, though it put down roots some 2,700 years before the birth of Jesus. Nestled within California's White Mountains, the nearly 4,800-year-old tree lives within a grove of fellow bristlecones that may reach around 5,000 years of age. That long life span isn't because of their location — the Inyo National Forest is known for being a hostile environment for plant life, combining high altitude with extreme temperatures that only the most persistent lifeforms can endure. Bristlecone pines grow slowly, an estimated inch per century, in effect making these resilient trees defenseless against vandalism and over-trafficking (one reason the U.S. Forest Service gives for not publicizing Methuselah's exact location). The Guinness Book of World Records currently considers Methuselah the oldest living individual tree in the world.
3 of 5
Emancipation Oak
Trees provide oxygen, shade, and in some cases, a refuge from the world around us. The Emancipation Oak, shading the entrance of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, is one such tree; its limbs offered sanctuary to Black students during the height of the Civil War. Mary Smith Kelsey Peake, a free Black woman, began teaching formerly enslaved students at the base of the tree in 1861, a risk she undertook at a time when laws forbade the education of Black and enslaved people. The tree's proximity to a Union Army base offered security — earlier in 1861, Union leaders had declared that enslaved people who reached Union lines would not be returned, bringing a wave of escapees to Fort Monroe, located in Confederate territory.
In 1863, an audience gathered beneath the tree's branches to hear the Emancipation Proclamation — the first reading of the document in a southern U.S. state. Five years later, Mary Smith Kelsey Peake's efforts would be recognized with the opening of what would later become Hampton University, near where she began teaching. The Emancipation Oak is now on the Virginia Landmarks Register, and in 2010, President Barack Obama recognized the tree's significance by planting a sapling from the Emancipation Oak on White House grounds.
4 of 5
Hyperion
Finding the world's tallest tree is no easy feat, but one section of California keeps unearthing record-breaking trees that compete for the title. Countless timber titans are hidden deep within Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Redwood National Park along the state's northwest coast. Researchers believe the area provides the perfect conditions for sky-high coast redwood trees: mild 40- to 60-degree temperatures paired with 60 inches of rain each year that allow for continuous growth. That's likely how Hyperion, the world's tallest tree, reached its stunning height of over 380 feet, far surpassing landmarks like the Statue of Liberty or Big Ben.
Discovered in 2006, Hyperion replaced the former reigning champ Stratosphere Giant, a fellow redwood that held the title for four years. But it's unsurprising that any redwood tree receives the designation; many are able to reach staggering heights thanks to their generous 700-year life spans, with some surpassing 2,000 years old.
If you're interested in hiking out to find Hyperion, know that it won't be easy. Efforts have been made to keep the tree's location secret in an effort to protect it from vandalism and foot traffic that could degrade its surrounding ecosystem.
5 of 5
Hibakujumoku
Ginkgo biloba trees are known for their ability to survive earthquakes, fires, and all manner of natural disasters. But no one could have guessed the slender trees with fan-shaped leaves would endure one of the darkest moments in modern human history: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The devastation in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, left 5 square miles of destruction and an estimated 140,000 people dead. The initial blast, paired with high levels of radiation, killed off most trees and vegetation within the area. But by the following spring of 1946, Hiroshima residents realized that their singed, barkless ginkgo trees had once again bloomed, inspiring hope among survivors in the difficult days ahead. The surviving 170 trees, called hibakujumoku or "survivor trees," are labeled with plaques that share their story and stand as reminders of resiliency, reconciliation, and peace — themes that transcend any season.
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1861
April 12
Civil War begins as Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter
The bloodiest four years in American history begin when Confederate shore batteries under General P.G.T. Beauregard open fire on Union-held Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston Bay. During the next 34 hours, 50 Confederate guns and mortars launched more than 4,000 rounds at the poorly supplied fort. On April 13, U.S. Major Robert Anderson surrendered the fort. Two days later, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 volunteer soldiers to quell the Southern "insurrection."
As early as 1858, the ongoing conflict between North and South over the issue of slavery had led Southern leadership to discuss a unified separation from the United States. By 1860, the majority of the slave states were publicly threatening secession if the Republicans, the anti-slavery party, won the presidency. Following Republican Abraham Lincoln's victory over the divided Democratic Party in November 1860, South Carolina immediately initiated secession proceedings. On December 20, the South Carolina legislature passed the "Ordinance of Secession," which declared that "the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states, under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved." After the declaration, South Carolina set about seizing forts, arsenals, and other strategic locations within the state. Within six weeks, five more Southern states–Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana–had followed South Carolina's lead.
In February 1861, delegates from those states convened to establish a unified government. Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was subsequently elected the first president of the Confederate States of America. When Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, a total of seven states (Texas had joined the pack) had seceded from the Union, and federal troops held only Fort Sumter in South Carolina, Fort Pickens off the Florida coast, and a handful of minor outposts in the South. Four years after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, the Confederacy was defeated at the total cost of 620,000 Union and Confederate soldiers dead.
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Growing up Jimmy Stewart was one of my favorite Actors. I found out later that he suffered from PTSD from flying over Germany and that some of his acting was his PTSD coming out when he got into certain parts of his script. I will look for that article that I had in the list many years ago….skip
Thanks to Mike
Jimmy Stewart's Vietnam Bombing Mission
Guam, Feb 1966. A B-52 back from a highly classified Arc Lite bombing run over Vietnam was headed in for what was supposed to be a routine landing. The crew had done so dozens of times without incident. So, this time should be no different, right? However, when Capt. Bob Amos heard his co-pilot, Capt. Lee Myers, exclaim nervously, "The flaps are splitting!" Amos's heart dropped. There's nothing worse than being responsible for the wreck of your bomber back on home base, the damage to your crew, and, oh, yeah….. for the death of a internationally famous decorated American war hero and a Hollywood legend….their very highly classified passenger.
By J. David Truby, PhD as it appeared in the FLIGHT JOURNAL magazine.
Jimmy Stewart was their secret passenger on that flight! Yup, that Jimmy Stewart.
Immediately, Amos ordered the the flaps pulled out and up, declaring a major emergency.
Why was 58 year old Jimmy Stewart even in Vietnam and on that flight ?
Jimmy Stewart on set and reading—what else?—an aviation magazine. (Photo courtesy of Jack Cook)
James Maitland Stewart didn't always aspire to be a successful actor. Growing up in Indiana, PA, a small rural town with its own small rural grass trip airport, young Jimmy Stewart took a keen interest in aviation. But, it wasn't until he graduated from Princeton University and became an MGM contract player that the actor began to pursue his love of aeronautics. In 1935, Stewart obtained his private pilot license, upgrading it to a commercial license in 1938. A movie star by then, he owned a Stinson 105, which he used to fly home, CA to PA, to visit his parents quite often.
Stewart discussing his flight with other USAF officers. (Photo courtesy of the author)
The 6'3", 138-pound actor was drafted, then rejected due to his inability to meet the WWII weight requirements. However, due to his strong sense of duty and his wish to carry on his family's military tradition, Stewart almost made the weight, but, the Army cut him their break and enlisted him as a private in the U.S. Army in March 1941, weeks after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in "The Philadelphia Story" and nine months prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He went to flight school immediately.
Due to his education and flight experience, Stewart was commissioned as a second lieutenant and became a U S Army Air Corps flight instructor. Rising through the ranks, his celebrity status and the power of MGM relegated him stateside to "safe" assignments. But, using his own rep and some "Up The chain HQ" contacts, Captain Stewart became operations officer of the 703rd Bombardment Squadron, 445th Bombardment Group,
flying B-24s over Europe from England.
Within three weeks, he was promoted to commanding officer and flew his first combat mission in December 1943. By the end of a successful WWII career, Stewart earned the rank of major, as well as many awards, including multiple Distinguished Flying Crosses and the Croixde Guerre avec Palme presented to him by France.
His WWII career was not all the glossy glamour offered by the media and Hollywood. The most honest account of Jimmy Stewart's WWII heroic and scary PTSD experience, known then as Battle Fatigue, is the crux of Robert Matzen's truly superb book, MISSION: JIMMY STEWART AND THE FIGHT FOR EUROPE.
Post-WWII saw Stewart retiring from active duty, but he remained in U.S Air Corps as a reserve officer where he was promoted to brigadier general and commanded Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Ga. However, retirement did not tame the adventurous spirit of the aging actor who quietly requested to visit Vietnam for an "Active Duty Reserve Tour."
Stewart's P-51c courtesy Was assembled out of a number of air frames . Photo Stan Piet
It had been 22 years since he earned his first Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944 for leading B-24 missions over Germany. His purpose for flying to Vietnam was to boost Air Force morale. But, this brave and confident combat veteran could not sit idly by and boost by words alone. Through his career as a reserve officer, Stewart had qualified as a lead Strategic Air Command (SAC) bomber pilot in the B-36, the B-47, and the B-52.
As he was qualified to fly the B-52 and wanted to fly on an active bombing mission to observe how the younger pilots and their crews were handling themselves in the Vietnam war which was very different than the one in which Stewart earned his deserved reputation…and so he did..
Arriving at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in February 1966, Stewart was scheduled for an Arc Light bombing run. Operation Arc Light was the deployment of B-52s to provide close air support mass bombings of enemy base camps, supply lines and troop concentrations. Stewart's crew's objective was to strike active Viet Cong units in South Vietnam. However, his being on this specific mission was kept a secret from press and crew alike. It was kept classified due to fear that if leaked, the intelligence would allow for very concentrated, specific enemy interception. The Soviets and the North Vietnamese openly offered $$$ rewards for the death or capture of American celebrities during the war. The crew's prior knowledge could've rattled the nerves of the soldiers already concerned about anti-aircraft fire, including reportedly newer model soviet AA rockets, plus MiG fighters.
Above: Stewart, home from WW II in 1945, with his dad in Stewart Hardware in Indiana, Pennsylvania. (Photo courtesy of the author) Right: Lt. Col. James Stewart in a July 1944 post bombing mission briefing. Stewart had a dangerously distinguished WW II career in the U.S. Army Air Forces. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force) Above: Lt. Col. Jimmy Stewart receiving the Croix de Guerre. (Photo courtesy of Jack Cook) Left: Lt. Col. Stewart chatting with the crew of a B-24. (Photo courtesy of Jack Cook)
For sure, pre-flight news of Jimmy Stewart aboard would have attracted that deadly enemy attention.
On February 20, 1966, Capt. Bob Amos, of the 763th Bombardment Squadron, 454thBombardment Wing, 3rd Air Division, was prepping for his mission the following day. Checking his flight schedule, he was surprised to see "Brigadier General Stewart" as a part of his crew. Questioning his squadron commander, Amos was surprised by his response.
"You know, Bob, it's Brig. Gen. Jimmy Stewart, the actor!"
Amos was excited to tell the men on his crew. Capt. Lee Meyers, Capt. Irby Terrell, Capt. Kenny Rahn and Tech. Sergeant Demp Johnson, along with Amos, were a seasoned lead crew with over 20 successful combat missions under their wings. This young crew was anxious to show the elder statesman Stewart what the new guard was made of.
Official USAF photo of Brig. Gen. James M. Stewart. Not your average movie star! (Photo courtesy of the USAF)
After the mission briefing, Capt Amos felt confident the sortie would go according to plan. On February 21st, Tech. Sgt. Johnson brought fresh eggs, bacon, bread and cheese for the long flight that was expected to last up to 13 hours. The six-man crew, including Stewart, rode in Green-2, the second aircraft in the 30-airplane bomber stream. It was a textbook flight. The checklists were completed. The engines roared to life. The mid-air refueling was spot on. Despite the crew's anxiety of having Stewart's life in their hands, the mission was as flawless as it could get.
Sitting in the instructor pilot seat, Stewart was highly impressed by the goings on around him. When they approached the coast of South Vietnam, Stewart moved to the edge of his seat to get a better view of the bomb impacts of the aircraft ahead of them. At 33,500 feet, Green-2's "Time to Go" indicator started the countdown. At zero, 51 M-117, 750-pound bombs began their descent, all landing successfully within the desired Circular Error of Probability.
With the mission completed successfully and the B-52s safely out of Vietnamese airspace, the electric frying pan got plugged in and a welcomed breakfast was prepared. Enjoying his hearty provisions of fresh bacon, scrambled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches, Stewart congratulated the famished crew on how they celebrated their successful bomb run.
"Wellll," he drawled, "this sure is a helluva lot different from our mission returns over Germany all those years ago."
The safe return was nearing its end, when approaching Guam airspace, when the co-pilot uttered those fateful words, "The flaps are splitting!" That meant the B-52 was headed for a total disaster. Knowing that a "flaps-up" landing might still be possible, though, Amos, nevertheless, feared the dramatically different approach of a nose-up crash landing.
An intense, emergency procedure rolled out . Asked by the 3rd Air Division commander, Maj. Gen. William J. Crumm, if the flaps were indeed split, Amos radioed, "There was a mild rolling moment to the left…could have been from the B-52 in front of us….By the time, the tail gunner got a view of the flaps, both of them were back in the up position." Moving Stewart into position on the lower deck for the possibility of a bailout, Amos decided the flap extension should be executed again.
He told Gen Stewart, " Sir, if I lose control of the aircraft, I will call out on the intercom ' BAIL OUT' three times and activate the bailout light. The navigator will be the first to go, creating a large hole by his downward ejection seat. Do you understand, Gen. Stewart?"
"Yes, Capt. Amos, I understand," Stewart, a veteran of many serious WWII combat flight emergencies, calmly replied.
Proceeding to the planned bail out area, the crew began to calculate the flaps-up landing data…figuring THIS IS IT!. With everyone in position for the possible bail out, Amos ordered, "Lower the flaps!"
The gauge indicted the flaps splitting, but the flaps were extending normally with no evidence of rolling. Amos radioed to the command post, "It was a bad flap gauge…we think."
Knowing that Jimmy Stewart was aboard Green-2, the airfield was a flurry of activity. Emergency equipment and VIP staff in case of a flaps-up landing. However, there was to be no flaps-up landing that day. Touching down after 12 hours and 50 minutes in the air, the plane was greeted by the huge crowd at Andersen Field. Stewart suggested a commemorative picture of the Green-2 crew before being whisked to the "Beer Barrel," an on-post celebratory facility just as its name implied. Meanwhile the crew attended the debriefing before also making its way to the celebration.
Before leaving the base the next day, Brig Gen Stewart requested a special audience with Capt. Amos. He thanked him and his crew for their cool and professional demeanor during their mission and in-flight emergency. It was his last combat flight, and it certainly was a mission he would never forget.
He later said, "I remembered Gen George Patton's speech where he said 'No man wins a war by dying for his country. He wins it by making the enemy die for his country.' But, in real war, things are never that black and white."
Which may have been why Vietnam was not over for Jimmy Stewart, as tragedy struck his family three years later. In June of 1969, his stepson, 24 year old USMC lst Lt Ronald McLean, was killed on an ambushed recon mission near the DMZ. It was a huge blow for the entire family and their friends.
Brig. Gen. James Stewart had retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1968. He never spoke of his classified mission in Vietnam. Capt Amos never did, either. He went on to fly 34 combat missions over Vietnam in the B-52F, and later 126 missions in F-105Ds. He retired as a Colonel in 1984.
Col Amos said only of that mission, "It was a great experience for us all and a huge honor for us to have Brig Gen. Stewart fly with us. He is truly the same modest gentleman in person as he portrayed in his many films."
Mostly, the mission was kept a secret due to its almost deadly consequences, but also because Stewart was always a modest man. He took pride in his military achievements without flaunting them. He was a keen observer and a quiet doer. And, he never wanted to create a hassle due to his celebrity status, especially for the crew that never saw an obstacle it couldn't overcome, except that one time when it almost crashed with one of America's greatest real and true icons aboard.
© J David Truby 2018
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This Day in U S Military History…….April 12
1862 – Union volunteers led by James J. Andrews stole a Confederate train near Marietta, Ga., but were later caught. This episode inspired the Buster Keaton comedy "The General." The Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews' Raid was a military raid in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J. Andrews, commandeered a train and took it northward toward Chattanooga, Tennessee, doing as much damage as possible to the vital Western and Atlantic Railroad (W&A) line from Atlanta to Chattanooga as they went. They were pursued by Confederate forces at first on foot, and later on a succession of locomotives. Because the Union men had cut the telegraph wires, the Confederates could not send warnings ahead to forces along the railway. Confederates eventually captured the raiders and executed some quickly as spies, including Andrews; some others were able to flee. Some of the raiders were the first to be awarded the Medal of Honor by the US Congress for their actions. As a civilian, Andrews was not eligible.
1911 – LT Theodore Ellyson qualifies as first naval aviator.
1945 – While on a vacation in Warm Springs, Georgia, President Roosevelt suffers a stroke and dies. His death marked a critical turning point in U.S. relations with the Soviet Union, as his successor, Harry S. Truman, decided to take a tougher stance with the Russians. By April 1945, Roosevelt had been elected president of the United States four times and had served for over 12 years. He had seen the United States through some of its darkest days, from the depths of the Great Depression through the toughest times of World War II. In early 1945, shortly after being sworn in for his fourth term as president, Roosevelt was on the verge of leading his nation to triumph in the Second World War. Germany teetered on the brink of defeat, and the Japanese empire was crumbling under the blows of the American military. In February 1945, Roosevelt traveled to Yalta in the Soviet Union to meet with Russian leader Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to discuss the postwar world. Roosevelt returned from these intense meetings drawn and sick. He vacationed in Warm Springs, Georgia, but the rest did not lead to recuperation. On April 12, 1945, he suffered a massive stroke and died. Roosevelt left a controversial legacy in terms of U.S.-Soviet relations. Critics charged that the president had been "soft" on the communists and naive in dealing with Stalin. The meetings at Yalta, they claimed, resulted in a "sellout" that left the Soviets in control of Eastern Europe and half of Germany. Roosevelt's defenders responded that he made the best of difficult circumstances. He kept the Grand Alliance between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain intact long enough to defeat Germany. As for Eastern Europe and Germany, there was little Roosevelt could have done, since the Red Army occupied those areas. Roosevelt's successor, Harry S. Truman, decided that a "tougher" policy toward the Soviets was in order, and he began to press the Russians on a number of issues. By 1947, relations between the two former allies had nearly reached the breaking point and the Cold War was in full swing.
1945 – Japanese Kamikaze attacks achieve hits on several of the radar picket ships as well as 2 battleships and 8 other vessels. USS Mannert L. Abele, a destroyer, is sunk by a Japanese Baka rocket-propelled piloted missile. The picket destroyer patrols, which provide the radar early warning of Kamikaze strikes, are vulnerable but give American fighter aircraft time to intercept the suicide planes. British carriers attack Sakashima Gunto. On Okinawa, fighting continues on the Motobu Peninsula, in the north, and around Kakazu, in the south, along the Japanese held Shuri Line but US 10th Army forces make little ground in these areas.
1981 – The space shuttle Columbia is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, becoming the first reusable manned spacecraft to travel into space. Piloted by astronauts Robert L. Crippen and John W. Young, the Columbia undertook a 54-hour space flight of 36 orbits before successfully touching down at California's Edwards Air Force Base on April 14. On September 17, 1976, NASA publicly unveiled its first space shuttle, the Enterprise, during a ceremony in Palmdale, California. Development of the aircraft-like spacecraft cost almost $10 billion and took nearly a decade. In 1977, the Enterprise became the first space shuttle to fly freely when it was lifted to a height of 25,000 feet by a Boeing 747 airplane and then released, gliding back to Edwards Air Force Base on its own accord. Regular flights of the space shuttle began on April 12, 1981, with the launching of Columbia. Launched by two solid-rocket boosters and an external tank, only the aircraft-like shuttle entered into orbit around Earth. When the mission was completed, the shuttle fired engines to reduce speed and, after descending through the atmosphere, landed like a glider. Early shuttles took satellite equipment into space and carried out various scientific experiments. On January 28, 1986, NASA and the space shuttle program suffered a major setback when the Challenger exploded 74 seconds after takeoff and all seven people aboard were killed. In September 1988, space shuttle flights resumed with the successful launching of the Discovery. Since then, the space shuttle has carried out numerous important missions, such as the repair and maintenance of the Hubble Space Telescope and the construction and manning of the International Space Station. To date, there have been more than 100 space shuttle flights.
1983 – Following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service in 1947, the Army began to develop further its own aviation assets (light planes and rotary wing aircraft) in support of ground operations. The Korean War gave this drive impetus, and the war in Vietnam saw its fruition, as Army aviation units performed a variety of missions, including reconnaissance, transport, and fire support. After the war in Vietnam, the role of armed helicopters as tank destroyers received new emphasis. In recognition of the growing importance of aviation in Army doctrine and operations, Aviation became a separate branch on April 12, 1983, and a full member of the Army's combined arms team.
2009 – Captain Richard Phillips of the MV Maersk Alabama, who was abducted by Somali pirates, is rescued. On April 9, a standoff had begun between the USS Bainbridge and the pirates in the Maersk Alabama's lifeboat, where they were holding Captain Phillips hostage. Three days later, Navy marksmen opened fire and killed the three pirates on the lifeboat, and Phillips was rescued in good condition. The actual lifeboat in which Captain Phillips was held hostage is now on display at the National Navy SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, FL.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
DENHAM, AUSTIN
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1849, England. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Kansas near Greytown, Nicaragua, 12 April 1872. Displaying great coolness and self-possession at the time Comdr. A. F. Crosman and others were drowned, Denham, by heroism and personal exertion, prevented greater loss of life.
HILL, GEORGE
Rank and organization: Chief Quarter Gunner, U.S. Navy. Born: 1844, England. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Kansas, Hill displayed great coolness and self-possession at the time Comdr. A. F. Crosman and others were drowned, near Greytown, Nicaragua, 12 April 1872, and by extraordinary heroism and personal exertion, prevented greater loss of life.
JOHNSON, JOHN
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1839, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Kansas near Greytown, Nicaragua 12 April 1872, Johnson displayed great coolness and self-possession ai the time Comdr. A. F. Crosman and others were drowned and, by extraordinary heroism and personal exertion, prevented greater loss of life.
O'NEAL, JOHN
Rank and organization: Boatswain's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 1841, Ireland. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Kansas, O'Neal displayed great coolness and self-possession at the time Comdr. A. F. Crosman and others were drowned near Greytown, Nicaragua, 12 April 1872, and by personal exertion prevented greater loss of life.
PILE, RICHARD
Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1849, West Indies. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Kansas, Pile displayed great coolness and self-possession at the time Comdr. A. F. Crosman and others were drowned, near Greytown, Nicaragua, 12 April 1872, and by his extraordinary heroism and personal exertion prevented greater loss of life.
SMITH, JAMES
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1838, Hawaiian Islands. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Kansas, Smith displayed great coolness and self-possession at the time Comdr. A. F. Crosman and others were drowned near Greytown, Nicaragua, 12 April 1872, and by extraordinary heroism and personal exertion, prevented greater loss of life.
SLETTELAND, THOMAS
Rank and organization: Private, Company C, 1st North Dakota Infantry. Place and date: Near Paete, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 12 April 1899. Entered service at: Grafton, N. Dak. Birth: Norway. Date of issue: 11 March 1902. Citation: Single-handed and alone defended his dead and wounded comrades against a greatly superior force of the enemy.
ERWIN, HENRY E. (Air Mission)
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 52d Bombardment Squadron, 29th Bombardment Group, 20th Air Force. Place and date: Koriyama, Japan, 12 April 1945. Entered service at: Bessemer, Ala. Born: 8 May 1921, Adamsville, Ala. G.O. No.: 44, 6 June 1945. Citation: He was the radio operator of a B-29 airplane leading a group formation to attack Koriyama, Japan. He was charged with the additional duty of dropping phosphoresce smoke bombs to aid in assembling the group when the launching point was reached. Upon entering the assembly area, aircraft fire and enemy fighter opposition was encountered. Among the phosphoresce bombs launched by S/Sgt. Erwin, 1 proved faulty, exploding in the launching chute, and shot back into the interior of the aircraft, striking him in the face. The burning phosphoresce obliterated his nose and completely blinded him. Smoke filled the plane, obscuring the vision of the pilot. S/Sgt. Erwin realized that the aircraft and crew would be lost if the burning bomb remained in the plane. Without regard for his own safety, he picked it up and feeling his way, instinctively, crawled around the gun turret and headed for the copilot's window. He found the navigator's table obstructing his passage. Grasping the burning bomb between his forearm and body, he unleashed the spring lock and raised the table. Struggling through the narrow passage he stumbled forward into the smoke-filled pilot's compartment. Groping with his burning hands, he located the window and threw the bomb out. Completely aflame, he fell back upon the floor. The smoke cleared, the pilot, at 300 feet, pulled the plane out of its dive. S/Sgt. Erwin's gallantry and heroism above and beyond the call of duty saved the lives of his comrades.
*HASTINGS, JOE R.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 386th Infantry, 97th Infantry Division. Place and date: Drabenderhohe, Germany, 12 April 1945. Entered service at: Magnolia, Ohio. Birth: Malvern, Ohio. G.O. No.: 101, 8 November 1945. Citation: He fought gallantly during an attack against strong enemy forces defending Drabenderhohe, Germany, from the dug-in positions on commanding ground. As squad leader of a light machinegun section supporting the advance of the 1st and 3d Platoons, he braved direct rifle, machinegun, 20mm., and mortar fire, some of which repeatedly missed him only by inches, and rushed forward over 350 yards of open, rolling fields to reach a position from which he could fire on the enemy troops. From this vantage point he killed the crews of a 20mm. gun and a machinegun, drove several enemy riflemen from their positions, and so successfully shielded the 1st Platoon, that it had time to reorganize and remove its wounded to safety. Observing that the 3d Platoon to his right was being met by very heavy 40mm. and machinegun fire, he ran 150 yards with his gun to the leading elements of that unit, where he killed the crew of the 40mm. gun. As spearhead of the 3d Platoon's attack, he advanced, firing his gun held at hip height, disregarding the bullets that whipped past him, until the assault had carried 175 yards to the objective. In this charge he and the riflemen he led killed or wounded many of the fanatical enemy and put 2 machineguns out of action. Pfc. Hastings, by his intrepidity, outstanding leadership, and unrelenting determination to wipe out the formidable German opposition, cleared the path for his company's advance into Drabenderhohe. He was killed 4 days later while again supporting the 3d Platoon.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for April 12, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
12 April
1927: Clarence D. Chamberlin and Bert B. Acosta set a new American duration record of 51 hours 11 minutes 25 seconds in Miss Columbia, a Bellanca aircraft with a Wright J5 Whirlwind engine. They circled New York City. The flight prepared them for a nonstop flight attempt across the Atlantic. (24)
1930: The Army Air Corps set a world record for altitude combat formation flying at Mather Field. In this effort, Capt Hugh M. Elmendorf led 19 P-12s of the 95th Pursuit Squadron to 30,000 feet to break the previous 17,000-foot record. (24)
1942: Brig Gen Ralph Royce led three B-17s and 10 B-25s in an attack on Japanese shipping and installations in the Philippines. These planes, based at Darwin, Australia, staged at Mindanao in the Philippines and returned to complete a 4,000-mile round trip. (24)
1947: Through 15 April, Capt William P. Odom (pilot), T. Carroll Sallee (navigator) and Milton Reynolds (owner) flew the Reynolds Bombshell, a converted A-26, from La Guardia Field on a 20,000-mile around-the-world flight. They landed back at La Guardia after a 78-hour, 56- minute flight. Because they did not apply to the FAI before the flight, their effort was declared an unofficial record. (9) (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. To date, the heaviest concentration of B-29s against a single bridge encountered the largest and most determined enemy counter air effort, resulting in the war's largest jet air battle so far. In the battle, 46 B-29s with 100 escorting fighters attacking the Yalu River Bridge at Sinuiju encountered as many as 125 MiGs. The MiGs shot down three bombers and damaged seven others, while B-29 gunners destroyed seven MiGs. The F-86 pilots downed four more, by far the highest daily MiG tally thus far. Despite numerous direct hits, the bridge remained standing. (28)
1959: Through 19 April, the first World Congress of Flight, sponsored by the Air Force Association, met in Las Vegas. (24)
1960: Operation BLUE NOSE. A 4135 SW B-52G crew at Eglin AFB launched a Hound Dog missile at the end of a 20-hour, 30-minute flight to the North Pole and back. This test verified the ability of the B-52 and missile to operate in temperatures as low as 75 degrees below zero. (1)
1962: From Point Mugu, the US Army launched its first Nike-Zeus 3-stage anti-missile. (16) (24)
1965: SAC took the last Atlas F missiles from alert with the 551 SMS at Lincoln AFB to phaseout this weapon system. (6)
1966: SAC B-52s hit targets in North Vietnam for the first time, when they attacked a supply route in the Mu Gia Pass, 85 miles north of the border. (16) (26) Three C-141s from Travis AFB tested for the first time the use of C-141s for mass airdrops of troops and equipment in an exercise at Fort Bragg. (18)
1972: FINAL TROPIC MOON MISSION. The 13 BS flew Tropic Moon night B-57G combat missions from 15 September 1970 through 12 April 1972 at Ubon RTAFB. In May, its personnel and equipment moved to Forbes AFB, Ks. The 13th inactivated on 30 September 1973. (17)
1981: SPACE SHUTTLE'S MAIDEN VOYAGE. The Space Shuttle Columbia with Capt Robert Crippen (USN) and John Young on board launched on the first flight of a reusable spacecraft. On 14 April, they returned from space and landed at Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB for the first time. USAF space tracking and communications systems under ADC's and the Air Force Communications Command's (AFCC') operational control supported this mission. (3) (12) (16)
1981: SPACE SHUTTLE'S MAIDEN VOYAGE. (Click link for YouTube video of the launch)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdKltNx42AQ
1991: F-15 Eagle aircrews, stationed at Galena Airport, Alaska, intercepted their first Soviet AN-74 Coaler aircraft. (16)
1993: Operation DENY FLIGHT. NATO initiated sorties to protect zones in Bosnia from hostile aircraft. The USAF provided most of the resources for this operation. (16) (21)
1999: The ANG Director, Maj Gen Paul A. Weaver, Jr., activated a Crisis Action Team at Andrews AFB, Md., to handle ANG tanker issues related to Operation Allied Force in Bosnia. (32)
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