To All,
May the forth be with you. Yes I am an old Star Wars Junkie
Good Saturday Morning May 4 . I hope that you all have a great weekend. My weed whacking chores have taken a turn for the better. My tree man made me an offer I could not refuse and he took care of the weeds on the other side of the bridle path that runs through the lower part of my property. They had grown to head high or better since the last time I took them down in late January thanks to all the rain we had. Now I just have to clean up inside my fence. I am still behind in my email so If I have not answered your email or neglected to add it to a list just let me know. Still catching up this morning. Only about 150 to go.
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 May 4
1917 Destroyer Division 8, commanded by Cmdr. Joseph K. Taussig, arrive at Queenstown, Ireland, to protect convoy escorts against German U-Boats.
1942 Battle of the Coral Sea begins when TF 17 attacks the Japanese Tulagi Invasion Force at Tulagi, Solomons.
1945 During the Okinawa Campaign, the Japanese attempt to land on Okinawa but are repulsed by the Allied naval forces. Kamikazes attack and sink: USS Luce (DD 522), USS Morrison (DD 560), USS LSM 190, USS LSM 194. Damaged by the suicide bombers are USS Birmingham (CL 62) and USS Sangamon (CVE 26).
1961 Cmdr. Malcolm D. Ross, pilot, and medical observer Lt. Cmdr. Victor A. Prather, Jr, ascend in two hours to more than 110,000 feet in Strato-Lab 5, setting altitude record for manned open gondola.
2013 USS Anchorage (LPD 23) is commissioned in her namesake city. The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock is the second ship to be named after the Alaskan city.
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THIS DAY IN WORLD HISTORY
May 4
1970 National Guard kills four students in Kent State shootings
On May 4, 1970, in Kent, Ohio, 28 National Guardsmen fire their weapons at a group of anti-war demonstrators on the Kent State University campus, killing four students, wounding eight and permanently paralyzing another. The tragedy was a watershed moment for a nation divided by the Vietnam War... read more
1886 The Haymarket Square Riot
2002 Nigerian aircraft crashes in crowded city
1776 Rhode Island becomes first colony to declare independence from England
1929 Legendary actress Audrey Hepburn is born
1948 Norman Mailer's first novel, "The Naked and the Dead," is published
1956 Gene Vincent records "Be-Bop-A-Lula"
1959 Ella Fitzgerald becomes first Black woman to win a Grammy Award
1994 A lawmaker introduces the pun "May the Fourth be with you" on the floor of U.K. Parliament
1961 The first Freedom Ride departs from Washington, D.C.
1990 Electric chair malfunctions in Florida, leading states to change execution methods
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1904 U.S. officially acquires the Panama Canal, takes over construction
1994 Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat sign accord for Palestinian self-rule
1924 Paris hosts its second Olympic Games
1966 Willie Mays breaks National League home run record
1865 President Lincoln is buried in Springfield, Illinois
1979 Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain's first female prime minister
1916 Germany agrees to limit its submarine warfare
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Thanks to Dr.Rich
. Dick Rutan has flown West
Thanks to Burt ...
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Richard Glenn Rutan flew west on Friday, May 3, 2024 at 7:08 PM PDT
The last time Dick Rutan flew towards the western horizon was on December 14, 1986 when he and copilot Jeana Yeager set the last great aviation record by flying around the world, nonstop and unrefueled, in nine days, three minutes and 44 seconds in an aircraft called 'Voyager,' designed by his younger brother, legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan.
A highly decorated Vietnam veteran, Dick Rutan flew 325 combat missions and was awarded the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with three silver oak leaf clusters, the Collier Trophy and was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross – twice.
During his time in the skies over Vietnam, Dick was a member of an elite group of Fast Forward Air Controllers, often loitering over enemy anti-aircraft positions for six hours or more in a single sortie. These extremely hazardous missions had the call sign 'Misty'; Dick Rutan was, and will forever be, Misty Four-Zero.
He spent his last day in the company of friends and family, including his brother, Burt, and passed away peacefully at Kootenai Health Hospital in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in the company of his loving wife of 25 years, Kris Rutan. He is survived by daughters Holly Hogan and Jill Hoffman, and his four grandchildren, Jack, Sean, Noelle, and Haley.
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.Thanks to Batch
The passing of Carl Warner
You may want to pass the following link to the Bubbas. Carl and I met in Beeville, TX in '68 as plow-back instructors in the F-9 Cougar. Carl was in VT-24 and I was in VT-25. We were squadron mates in VF-24 flying the F-8 off USS Hancock (CVA-19) during three deployments to Vietnam '71-'73.
No dates on Carl's internment at Arlington but the following link should have the dates when available.
Angle is amazing, but Carls passing has taken its toll.
Take care,
V/R, Batch
Carl Warner Obituary
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A request from Willy D.
One quick question on a totally unrelated matter.
A good friend passed away recently. His Memorial Service is scheduled at Fort Rosecrans in San Diego in mid-June.
He's a retired Naval Officer with four years on active duty.
His family is trying to arrange either a 21 or 3 gun salute. All the military agencies that handle military memorials and funerals tell us he's not qualified.
Am therefore wondering if you or anyone on The List is aware of any veterans groups, (VFWs or American Legions) in the San Diego area that might provide a gun salute at a military memorial service.
Thank you.
Warm regards,
Willy D.
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More sad news from Al on Fingers granddaughter…..skip
Kathy and Jack "Fingers" Ensch's 27 year old granddaughter, Sydney Timmons Stephens, passed away Monday, April 29, 2024 in Jacksonville Florida.
Sydney battled lymphoma and leukemia starting in 2021 and was able to go into complete remission. Following that, she married, became pregnant and one week after her son was born, it was discovered the cancer had returned even more aggressively then before. She went back into extensive chemo and medical treatments for the past year, but remission could not to be reached this time.
A website has been created to help fund the outstanding costs of the many of the treatments not covered by insurance during this past year, including a non-refundable reservation on a medical jet to fly Sydney to a Stem cell therapy program as a last ditch effort to save her life (which had to be cancelled at the last minute) - and funeral expenses.
Please share the campaign with your friends on social media. Thank you.
Kathy and Jack's address in Jacksonville is:
4337 Edgewater Crossing Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32257
Email: kandjensch@gmail.com
Below is the connection to the website.
Note: Givetaxfree.org is a non-profit crowd funding site. You are not obligated to add a donation to help cover their operating costs. You can choose to bypass this additional donation request by selecting the "custom amount" and putting in the amount you feel appropriate (even $0).
Campaign url: https://givetaxfree.org/campaigns/fund-for-family-of-sydney-timmons-stephens/
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 29 April 2024 through Sunday, 5 May 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 28 April 1969… JFK to Cronkite in September 1963: It is their war to win or lose. We can provide advisors but they must do the fighting. And then JFK, LBJ and Nixon sent more than 2-million Americans to fight an 11-year land war in Southeast Asia. 58,400 men and eight women didn't come home.
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. .
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "for 4 May .
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4: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1118
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 Lurch
I wonder why these old knuckleheads look familiar to me...
. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpvLye7fOT4
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.Thanks to History Facts
. Pigeons have always gotten a bad rap, especially when you consider the disparity between their reputation and that of the dove — which is actually just a pigeon with a better PR team. In addition to being much more intelligent than you may have realized, some members of the Columbidae bird family are even war heroes. This includes the three pigeons who were awarded a military medal in 1943, all of whom served in the U.K.'s Royal Air Force. White Vision, Winkie, and Tyke were the inaugural recipients of the Dickin Medal, which was created by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) to honor animals who aided Britain's efforts in World War II; the carrier pigeons delivered lifesaving messages that led to the rescue of ditched aircrews.
All three decorated pigeons traveled great distances to complete their duty, with Winkie flying some 120 miles in order to alert the RAF Leuchars air base of his handlers' predicament. The flight crews were located within 15 minutes, and all of them were saved. The birds' medals, meanwhile, included this citation: "for delivering a message under exceptionally difficult conditions and so contributing to the rescue of an Air Crew while serving with the RAF." In the 80 years since the Dickin Medal was created, a total of 32 messenger pigeons have received the medal alongside as many as 38 dogs, four horses, and one cat. The bronze medallion is inscribed with the words "for gallantry" and "we also serve."
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Thanks to STRATFOR and Brett.
THE WEEKLY RUNDOWN
RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL SHAPE THE COMING WEEK
KEY DEVELOPMENTS WE'RE TRACKING
Panama holds general elections. Panamanians will vote May 5 to select their next president and all 71 members of the National Assembly. The front-runner, conservative Jose Raul Mulino, on May 3 survived a last-minute legal challenge to his candidacy on the grounds that he was not formally selected through a primary, as he replaced former President Ricardo Martinelli, who was barred from running due to a money laundering conviction. Polls indicate 35% support for Mulino, while the next closest candidates, Ricardo Lombana of the center-right Another Way Movement and former President Martìn Torrijos of the center-right People's Party, both have less than 16% support. Regardless of who wins, Panama's next president will face increased political tensions that will risk triggering mass protests, and economic challenges that will strain the country's ability to improve its investment climate and modernize infrastructure including the Panama Canal.
Xi Jinping visits France, Hungary and Serbia. Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Europe for the first time since 2019 for a five-day visit starting May 5 that will take him to Paris, Budapest and Belgrade. During the trip, he will seek to ease trade tensions with the European Union and provide new momentum to Chinese economic presence and influence in Central and Eastern Europe by announcing new investment and Belt and Road Initiative projects. In France, Xi will meet French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with whom he will seek to downplay China's role in supporting Russia's military effort in Ukraine while promoting the benefits for Europe of maintaining positive trade and economic relations with China. Against the backdrop of an increasingly assertive Brussels' on derisking from China, Xi will also seek to convince Macron to push for a more pragmatic EU China policy. Any commitment from Paris to ease up on this or for detente in the Indo-Pacific, however, is highly unlikely.
Putin's inauguration, government formation and Victory Day. Vladimir Putin will be inaugurated for his fifth term May 7 as Russia's president in a large ceremony at the Kremlin. The inauguration will automatically trigger the resignation of the government, and the process of forming a new Cabinet will begin. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is likely to keep his post and could be confirmed by the State Duma as soon as May 8, but the reshuffle of the Cabinet will likely take around a week and result in the elevation of younger officials to ministerial roles, including potential successors to Putin. The following day, Putin will host a gathering with foreign heads of state marking the 10th-anniversary summit of the Eurasian Economic Union. Most attendees will likely stay for the annual May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow. Putin's remarks at the event will likely seek to glorify further sacrifices from the Russian people in support of the war in Ukraine.
Chad holds presidential elections. Chad will hold a first-round presidential vote May 6, with junta leader Mahamat Deby Itno largely considered the front-runner. The elections come amid a much-delayed transition process toward civilian leadership following Deby's coup in April 2021, when he seized power following the death of his father and former President Idriss Deby Itno. While the elections are broadly expected to be neither free nor fair, former opposition figure and current Prime Minister Succes Masra's campaign has enjoyed political momentum in recent weeks, which could force Deby into a June 22 runoff. Should Deby win the election in the first round, the opposition, including Masra supporters, could protest. While the government probably would crack down on protesters, ongoing anti-Deby demonstrations could pave the way for a military coup as opportunistic leaders seek to leverage discontent with Deby's rule to seize power. This could result in Chad departing from its broadly pro-Western stance in favor of alignment with Russia, as new rulers would likely attempt to leverage anti-French sentiment among the public to consolidate power.
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Thanks to History Facts
What Everyday Life Was Like in Ancient Rome
. Ancient Roman history is usually dominated by larger-than-life rulers such as Julius Caesar and eloquent senators such as Cicero. However, these men led an empire of millions of everyday citizens who were usually less concerned with conquering the world than they were with putting bread on the table and simply enjoying life. A look at the lives of typical Roman citizens reveals a culture that in many fundamental ways is not so different from ours; the ancient Romans worked, played, socialized, and expressed themselves — albeit often quite rudely. Here are six facts that offer a glimpse of what it was like to be an average citizen in one of the world's largest and most influential empires.
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No Matter Where You Went, You Could Always Find a Public Bath
The Romans were masterful architects of public baths, called thermae. These were complex facilities with elaborate heating systems where Romans from all walks of life came together to relax, socialize, and of course, get clean. Bathing in the Roman thermae wasn't just a simple dip in the water — there was a whole process involved. A visitor would begin by doing some light exercise followed by a hot bath, then a warm bath, and then a cold bath; they could also spend time in a steam room or get a massage. Public baths were a central part of Roman culture, and some citizens even considered them a symbol of Roman identity. In fact, baths were such an essential component of daily life that they were built in nearly every part of the Roman Empire, even in its most remote regions. Roman thermae could be found as far north as the British Isles and as far south as Egypt.
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The Empire's Cities Were Filled With Graffiti
Archaeological evidence from well-preserved ancient Roman cities such as Pompeii and Herculaneum reveals that, much like people in modern society, the denizens of ancient Rome liked to express themselves through some good old-fashioned graffiti. Since the ancient Romans lived a few millennia before the invention of spray paint, they had to make do by scratching and carving their designs and messages into plaster surfaces around the empire's cities. Graffiti carved by everyday Romans can be found on the walls of bars, public baths, and other places where people commonly went to socialize. Ancient Roman street art ranged from simple drawings of stick figures and animals to colorful, R-rated jokes and insults. While some of the more famous Romans, such as emperors and statesmen, were commemorated through huge monuments and stately statues, graffiti was often a common person's best shot at leaving their mark on the world, and many ancient graffiti artists included their names in the messages they left, to be remembered by future generations — even if it was just for a rude boast or scatological joke.
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The Roman Workday Ended at Noon
The ancient Romans didn't have clocks they could use to count the hours of the day. Instead, they kept track of the time using the position of the sun, and employed devices such as sundials to divide the day and night into 12 evenly spaced units called "hora" (hours). Since tracking the sun was the Roman citizen's principal timekeeping method, the workday was structured around solar positions that were easy to measure with the naked eye, such as sunrise, noon, and sunset. For this reason, a typical citizen would usually start their workday at dawn, which marked the first "hora" of the day, and stop working at noon. This left the rest of the afternoon open for leisure, and citizens from all levels of Roman society would spend that time attending sporting events, theatrical performances, and the all-important public baths.
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The Roman People Loved to Gamble
A love of gambling extended to all levels of ancient Roman society. Less-wealthy citizens would place bets on a wide variety of board games and dice games, which they played in taverns, city streets, and other public spaces, while the rich would build private gaming rooms in their homes. Romans would also frequently bet on the outcomes of gladiator fights and chariot races. (For the most part, only men were permitted to gamble, though women were allowed to participate in games of chance during special festivals.) Even the Roman emperors got in on the action. Rulers such as Augustus and Nero were known for their gaming habits, and for betting small fortunes on a single throw of the dice. Roman Emperor Claudius even had a custom-made carriage built with a gaming table so that he could gamble while traveling.
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The Roman Forum Was the Center of Public Life
With its location right in the middle of the city, the Roman Forum was quite literally the center of everyday life in ancient times. It was where the typical Roman citizen could shop, talk, and find entertainment. It was also the site of most of the city's public gatherings, the Roman courts of law, and the meeting place of the Roman Senate. What's more, the forum housed some of Rome's most important religious sites, including multiple temples dedicated to Roman deities. In other words, if you were a Roman citizen, chances were good that you'd be making frequent visits to the forum for everything from daily errands to grand citywide ceremonies.
There Was a Temple Where Citizens Could Go to Worship Caesar
One prominent temple in the Roman Forum was dedicated not to the worship of a mythological god, but to the former dictator of Rome, Julius Caesar. During the funeral games held in Caesar's honor shortly after his assassination in 44 BCE, a comet appeared in the sky for seven days, which the Roman populace interpreted as a divine omen that Caesar's soul had ascended to the status of divinity. This popular belief that Caesar had become a god was codified into law two years later in 42 BCE, when the Roman Senate officially declared him a deity. After this, a temple was built in the forum in Caesar's honor. It even had an altar where Roman citizens would offer sacrifices to the deified leader, just as they would to supernatural Roman gods such as Jupiter and Saturn.
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. Thanks to Mugs
MAY 3, 1802: HOW THE D.C. GOT IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
It was never supposed to be in a "state," else they would have just put in one.
In 1790, a year after George Washington took office as president, Congress authorized him to find a site along the Potomac River for the new nation's capital. It was the first time a country had ever established its permanent capital by legislative action. The president ended up choosing a spot just a few miles upstream from his home at Mount Vernon, Virginia.
Surveyors staked out an area of one hundred square miles straddling the river. The idea was to create a special territory, not part of any state, to contain the capital city. The land came from Maryland and Virginia, and the territory was named the "District of Columbia" ("D.C." for short) in honor of Christopher Columbus.
George Washington hired French engineer Pierre L'Enfant to plan the city that would lie within the new District. In 1791, the District's commissioners decided to name that city "Washington" in honor of the first president. The federal government moved there in 1800.
On May 3, 1802, Washington was incorporated as a city, with a city council elected by local residents, and a mayor appointed by the president. People began to refer to the capital city inside the District of Columbia as "Washington, D.C."-- just as they might write "Albany, N.Y." or "Charleston, S.C."
For a long time Washington remained a relatively small town, and much of the land inside the District of Columbia lay undeveloped. In 1846 Congress decided it would never need the District's land on the south side of the Potomac River, so it returned that portion to the state of Virginia. But of course the city did eventually grow, especially after World War II. Today it fills virtually the entire District of Columbia.
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Friendly visitor while napping ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlGfi2ofzFc
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This Day in U S Military History……May 4
1626 – Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on what is now Manhattan Island. Peter Minuit became director-general of New Netherlands. Indians sold Manhattan Island for $24 (1839 dollars) in cloth and buttons. The 1999 value would be $345. The site of the deal was later marked by Peter Minuit Plaza at South Street and Whitehall Street.
1942 – Aircraft from the USS Yorktown positioned 100 miles south of Guadalcanal, attack Japanese forces off Tulagi. The Yorktown then returns south to join the American Task Force 17 which is assembling to engage the Japanese. American actions are dictated by their code breaking which has revealed many of the Japanese plans to them.
1945 – On Luzon, the US 25th Division, part of US 1st Corps, capture Mount Haruna, west of the Balete Pass. Northwest of Manila, elements of the US 11th Corps attack toward Guagua but are forced back by Japanese defenses. On Mindanao, the US 24th Division mops up in around Davao while elements of the US 31st Division patrol north of Zibawe. Elements of the US 41st Division reach Parang, north of Cotabato while other forces land north of Digos, near Santa Cruz. On Negros, the Americal Division attempts to reopen its supply lines, which have been cut by the Japanese forces, in the eastern part of the island.
1945 – Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov informs U.S. Secretary of State Stettinius that the Red Army has arrested 16 Polish peace negotiators who had met with a Soviet army colonel near Warsaw back in March. When British Prime Minister Winston Churchill learns of the Soviet double-cross, he reacts in alarm, stating, "There is no doubt that the publication in detail of this event…would produce a primary change in the entire structure of world forces." Churchill, fearing that the Russian forces were already beginning to exact retribution for losses suffered during the war (the Polish negotiators had been charged with "causing the death of 200 Red Army officers"), sent a telegram to President Harry Truman to express his concern that Russian demands of reparations from Germany, and the possibility of ongoing Russian occupation of Central and Eastern Europe, "constitutes an event in the history of Europe to which there has been no parallel." Churchill clearly foresaw the "Iron Curtain" beginning to drop. Consequently, he sent a "holding force" to Denmark to cut off any farther westward advance by Soviet troops.
1977 – The US and Vietnam open the first round of negotiations in Paris on normalizing relations. The US pledges not to veto Vietnam's entrance to the UN and to lift its trade embargo once diplomatic relations are established.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
CUMMINGS, AMOS J.
Rank and organization: Sergeant Major, 26th New Jersey Infantry. Place and date: At Salem Heights, Va., 4 May 1863. Entered service at: Irvington, N.J. Born: 15 May 1841, Conklin, N.Y. Date of issue. 28 March 1894. Citation: Rendered great assistance in the heat of the action in rescuing a part of the field batteries from an extremely dangerous and exposed position.
*McVEANE, JOHN P.
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company D, 49th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Fredericksburg Heights, Va., 4 May 1863. Entered service at: Buffalo, N.Y. Birth: Canada. Date of issue: 21 September 1870. Citation: Shot a Confederate color bearer and seized the flag; also approached, alone, a barn between the lines and demanded and received the surrender of a number of the enemy therein.
SHAW, GEORGE C.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 27th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Fort Pitacus, Lake Lanao, Mindanao, Philippine Islands, 4 May 1903. Entered service at: Washington, D.C. Birth: Pontiac, Mich. Date of issue: 9 June 1904. Citation: For distinguished gallantry in leading the assault and, under a heavy fire from the enemy, maintaining alone his position on the parapet after the first 3 men who followed him there had been killed or wounded, until a foothold was gained by others and the capture of the place assured.
*KINSER, ELBERT LUTHER
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 21 October 1922, Greeneville, Tenn. Accredited to: Tennessee. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while acting as leader of a Rifle Platoon, serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, in action against Japanese forces on Okinawa Shima in the Ryukyu Chain, 4 May 1945. Taken under sudden, close attack by hostile troops entrenched on the reverse slope while moving up a strategic ridge along which his platoon was holding newly won positions, Sgt. Kinser engaged the enemy in a fierce hand grenade battle. Quick to act when a Japanese grenade landed in the immediate vicinity, Sgt. Kinser unhesitatingly threw himself on the deadly missile, absorbing the full charge of the shattering explosion in his own body and thereby protecting his men from serious injury and possible death. Stouthearted and indomitable, he had yielded his own chance of survival that his comrades might live to carry on the relentless battle against a fanatic enemy. His courage, cool decision and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*POWERS, JOHN JAMES
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Born: 13 July 1912, New York City, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. Other Navy award: Air Medal with 1 gold star. Citation: For distinguished and conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, while pilot of an airplane of Bombing Squadron 5, Lt. Powers participated, with his squadron, in 5 engagements with Japanese forces in the Coral Sea area and adjacent waters during the period 4 to 8 May 1942. Three attacks were made on enemy objectives at or near Tulagi on 4 May. In these attacks he scored a direct hit which instantly demolished a large enemy gunboat or destroyer and is credited with 2 close misses, 1 of which severely damaged a large aircraft tender, the other damaging a 20,000-ton transport. He fearlessly strafed a gunboat, firing all his ammunition into it amid intense antiaircraft fire. This gunboat was then observed to be leaving a heavy oil slick in its wake and later was seen beached on a nearby island. On 7 May, an attack was launched against an enemy airplane carrier and other units of the enemy's invasion force. He fearlessly led his attack section of 3 Douglas Dauntless dive bombers, to attack the carrier. On this occasion he dived in the face of heavy antiaircraft fire, to an altitude well below the safety altitude, at the risk of his life and almost certain damage to his own plane, in order that he might positively obtain a hit in a vital part of the ship, which would insure her complete destruction. This bomb hit was noted by many pilots and observers to cause a tremendous explosion engulfing the ship in a mass of flame, smoke, and debris. The ship sank soon after. That evening, in his capacity as Squadron Gunnery Officer, Lt. Powers gave a lecture to the squadron on point-of-aim and diving technique. During this discourse he advocated low release point in order to insure greater accuracy; yet he stressed the danger not only from enemy fire and the resultant low pull-out, but from own bomb blast and bomb fragments. Thus his low-dive bombing attacks were deliberate and premeditated, since he well knew and realized the dangers of such tactics, but went far beyond the call of duty in order to further the cause which he knew to be right. The next morning, 8 May, as the pilots of the attack group left the ready room to man planes, his indomitable spirit and leadership were well expressed in his own words, "Remember the folks back home are counting on us. 1 am going to get a hit if 1 have to lay it on their flight deck." He led his section of dive bombers down to the target from an altitude of 18,000 feet, through a wall of bursting antiaircraft shells and into the face of enemy fighter planes. Again, completely disregarding the safety altitude and without fear or concern for his safety, Lt. Powers courageously pressed home his attack, almost to the very deck of an enemy carrier and did not release his bomb until he was sure of a direct hit. He was last seen attempting recovery from his dive at the extremely low altitude of 200 feet, and amid a terrific barrage of shell and bomb fragments, smoke, flame and debris from the stricken vessel.
*FOURNET, DOUGLAS B.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Place and date: A Shau Valley, Republic of Vietnam, 4 May 1968. Entered service at: New Orleans, La. Born: 7 May 1943, Lake Charles, La. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Fournet, Infantry, distinguished himself in action while serving as rifle platoon leader of the 2d Platoon, Company B. While advancing uphill against fortified enemy positions in the A Shau Valley, the platoon encountered intense sniper fire, making movement very difficult. The right flank man suddenly discovered an enemy claymore mine covering the route of advance and shouted a warning to his comrades. Realizing that the enemy would also be alerted, 1st Lt. Fournet ordered his men to take cover and ran uphill toward the mine, drawing a sheath knife as he approached it. With complete disregard for his safety and realizing the imminent danger to members of his command, he used his body as a shield in front of the mine as he attempted to slash the control wires leading from the enemy positions to the mine. As he reached for the wire the mine was detonated, killing him instantly. Five men nearest the mine were slightly wounded, but 1st Lt. Fournet's heroic and unselfish act spared his men of serious injury or death. His gallantry and willing self-sacrifice are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for May 4 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1911: The War Department decided to send the Army's first Wright plane to the Smithsonian Institution.
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1916: Katherine Stinson gave a short aerobatic show over New York at night. At first, she planned a daytime show at the Sheepshead Bay Speedway, but she arrived too late in her biplane to be assembled for the show. To keep from disappointing her audience, she took off, climbed to 3,000 feet, and performed two loops that could be traced from her plane's lights. She landed on the racetrack below by using red flares as lights. (7)
1927: Capt Hawthorne C. Gray (Air Corps) flew a free balloon to 42,470 feet at Scott Field. (24)
1929: Two Navy officers, Lt Thomas G. W. Settle and Ensign W. Bushnell, won the National Balloon Race for subclass A-7 through A-9 balloons (1600-4000 cubic meters with a FAI distance record of 952 miles) from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Savage Harbor, Prince Edward Island. Their flight also set a 43-hour, 20-minute FAI duration record for subclass A-6 (1200 to 1600 cubic meter) balloons. (9) (24)
1942: BATTLE OF CORAL SEA. Through 8 May, the Battle of Coral Sea featured the first naval engagement fought by aircraft as the opposing ships made no contact. Although both sides lost a carrier (the Japanese Shoho and the USS Lexington), the U.S. successfully thwarted a Japanese invasion of Port Moresby, New Guinea, where they would have been able to launch an invasion of Australia. (20) (21)
1950: The Northrop YRB-49A flies for the first time Near Hawthorne, California. The experimental flying-wing design is powered by four internal Allison J-35 turbojet engines housed within 172 feet of the wingspan and two more were mounted under the wings. The sole prototype reconnaissance platform flew only 13 flights before testing ended abruptly on 26 April 1951.
1952: KOREAN WAR. In air operations, 25 F-86s strafed and destroyed 5 of 24 YAK-9s parked in revetments at Sinuiju Airfield in extreme northwestern Korea. (28)
1961: Cmdr Malcolm D. Ross and Lt Cmdr Victor A. Prather (both Navy Reserve) reached a FAI record balloon altitude of 113,739.9 feet in a two-place open gondola. Launched from the USS Antietam near the Mississippi River mouth, the balloon reached its maximum altitude in 2 hours
36 minutes. The death of Commander Prather, who fell from the recovery helicopter's sling after being pulled from the water, marred this achievement. (9)
1962: At Lowry AFB, the 725 SMS became the first Titan I unit to achieve alert. (7)
1966: USAF A-1E Skyraider pilots flew their first strikes against targets in North Vietnam.
1968: Gen Carl Spaatz (USAF retired) received the Thomas D. White National Defense Award for 1968. (16)
1963: A TWA Boeing Star Stream established a record for a jet- powered passenger transport by covering the San Francisco to Paris route in 9 hours 55 minutes.
1970: A SAC task force of four B-52s won the Blue Steel Trophy for the best combined bombing and navigation results in the RAF Strike Command's bombing and navigation competition at RAF Station Marham, England. (26)
1979: The A-10B flew its first flight at Edwards AFB. (3)
1982: Through 8 May, the E-3A Sentry AWACS deployed to Turkey for the first time. (16) (26)
1989: During a 4-8 May mission, Air Force Maj Mark Lee on the Space Shuttle Atlantis released the Magellan probe that would map Venus with synthetic aperture radar. (20)
1990: The Hughes/Raytheon AIM-120A Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile demonstrated its ability to achieve multiple kills against multiple targets. On the Gulf Test Range near Eglin AFB, an F-15 flying 650 MPH at 15,000 feet fired two missiles at two QF-100 drones at 10,000 feet and two more at two drones at 5,000 feet. The test resulted in three direct hits and one pass within lethal distance. (20)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. An F-16CJ shot down a MiG-29 over Kosovo. It was the fifth and last USAF aerial victory in the operation. (21) Operation ALLIED FORCE. Through 6 May, the 161st Air Refueling Wing (Arizona ANG) deployed nearly 300 members and six KC-135s o Europe to support NATO's war against Yugoslavia. (32)
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