To All,
Good Saturday Morning July 20. Nice day here but headed toward 92 with some light winds expected. Good start today with breakfast with my friend Mac who has been on vacation for a couple weeks to Costa Rica and had a great time. Still unpacking and sorting here and learned some more about my brother in Law that we never knew. He had been accepted to the US Naval Academy in 1961 but did not go.
The list is a little long and a little late today but you only land first on the moon once.
Warm 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/. Go here to see the director's corner for all 83 H-Grams
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
July 20
1846 In the effort to negotiate a treaty with Japan, Commodore James Biddle arrives with the ship of the line, USS Columbus, and the sloop of war, USS Vincennes, at Edo (Yedo), Japan. These are the first U.S. warships to visit Japan.
1861 During the Civil War, the wooden screw gunboat, USS Albatross, commanded by Cmdr. G.A. Prentiss, recaptures the civilian schooner, Enchantress, off Hatteras Inlet. She is previously captured by the Confederate privateer, CSS Jefferson Davis, on July 6. Also on this date, the wooden screw steamship, USS Mount Vernon, commanded by Oliver S. Glisson, seizes the sloop, Wild Pigeon, on the Rappahannock River.
1942 Adm. William D. Leahy becomes Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and the Navy, the precursor to the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In Dec. 1944, Leahy is promoted to Fleet Admiral. Fleet Adm. Leahy also dies on this date in 1959.
1945 USS Threadfin (SS 410) sinks the Japanese minesweeper (W 39) northwest of Mokpo, Korea.
1960 In the first launch of the Polaris missile, USS George Washington (SSBN 598) successfully fires two operational Polaris missiles while submerged off Florida.
1969 Former Navy pilot Neil Armstrong is the first man to set foot on the moon, saying That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind." Armstrong is Commander of Apollo 11, which during its 8 day mission lands on the Sea of Tranquility. Michael Collins is the Command Module Pilot and Edwin Buzz E. Aldrin Jr., is the Lunar Module Pilot.
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This Day in History
July 20
1402 Tamerlane's Mongols defeat the Ottoman Turks at Angora.
1588 The Spanish Armada sets sail from Corunna.
1715 The Riot Act goes into effect in England.
1864 Confederate General John Bell Hood attacks Union forces under General William T. Sherman outside Atlanta.
1867 Imperial troops in Guizhou, China, kill 20,000 Miao rebels.
1881 Sioux chief Sitting Bull surrenders to the U.S. Army.
1917 Alexander Kerensky becomes the premier of Russia.
1942 The U.S. Army Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) begins its first training class at Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
1944 Adolf Hitler is wounded in an assassination attempt by German Army officers at Rastenburg.
1950 The U.S. Army's Task Force Smith is pushed back by superior North Korean forces.
1951 King Abdullah of Jordan is assassinated.
1969 Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first men to walk on the moon.
1976 The Viking spacecraft lands on Mars and begins taking soil samples
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 15 July 2024 and ending Sunday, 21 July 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 14 July 1969… The retreat from Vietnam began, the loss of brave hearts continued. Ten aircraft and seven aviators gone but not forgotten: Captain Jerry Coffee's brilliant poem for the ages: "One Last Roll For Me."…
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
(Please note the eye-watering ongoing revamp of the RTR website by Webmaster/Author Dan Heller, who has inherited the site from originators RADM Bear Taylor, USN, Retired, and Angie Morse, "Mighty Thunder")…
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. .Micro is the one also that goes into the archives and finds these inputs and sends them to me for incorporation in the List. It is a lot of work and our thanks goes out to him for his effort.
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "for 20 July
July 20: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=690
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 This Day in History
At 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, speaks these words to more than a billion people listening at home: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Stepping off the lunar module Eagle, Armstrong became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon.
The American effort to send astronauts to the moon has its origins in a famous appeal President John F. Kennedy made to a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth." At the time, the United States was still trailing the Soviet Union in space developments, and Cold War-era America welcomed Kennedy's bold proposal.
Did the US Go to the Moon to Beat the Soviets?
In 1966, after five years of work by an international team of scientists and engineers, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted the first unmanned Apollo mission, testing the structural integrity of the proposed launch vehicle and spacecraft combination. Then, on January 27, 1967, tragedy struck at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, when a fire broke out during a manned launch-pad test of the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn rocket. Three astronauts were killed in the fire.
Despite the setback, NASA and its thousands of workers forged ahead, and in October 1968, Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, orbited Earth and successfully tested many of the sophisticated systems needed to conduct a moon journey and landing. In December of the same year, Apollo 8 took three astronauts around the far side of the moon and orbited it 10 times before returning, and in March 1969 Apollo 9 tested the lunar module for the first time while in Earth orbit. Then in May, the three astronauts of Apollo 10 took the first complete Apollo spacecraft in 31 orbits around the moon in a dry run for the scheduled July landing mission.
At 9:32 a.m. on July 16, with the world watching, Apollo 11 took off from Kennedy Space Center with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins aboard. Armstrong, a 38-year-old research pilot, was the commander of the mission. After traveling 240,000 miles in 76 hours, Apollo 11 entered a lunar orbit on July 19. The next day, at 1:46 p.m., the lunar module Eagle, manned by Armstrong and Aldrin, separated from the command module, where Collins remained. Two hours later, the Eagle began its descent to the lunar surface, and at 4:18 p.m. the craft touched down on the southwestern edge of the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong immediately radioed to Mission Control in Houston, Texas, a famous message: "The Eagle has landed."
Apollo 11: They Almost Forgot the American Flag
At 10:39 p.m., five hours ahead of the original schedule, Armstrong opened the hatch of the lunar module. As he made his way down the lunar module's ladder, a television camera attached to the craft recorded his progress and beamed the signal back to Earth, where hundreds of millions watched in great anticipation. At 10:56 p.m., Armstrong spoke his famous quote, which he later contended was slightly garbled by his microphone and meant to be "that's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." He then planted his left foot on the gray, powdery surface, took a cautious step forward, and humanity had walked on the moon.
"Buzz" Aldrin joined him on the moon's surface at 11:11 p.m., and together they took photographs of the terrain, planted a U.S. flag, ran a few simple scientific tests, and spoke with President Richard M. Nixon via Houston. By 1:11 a.m. on July 21, both astronauts were back in the lunar module and the hatch was closed. The two men slept that night on the surface of the moon, and at 1:54 p.m. the Eagle began its ascent back to the command module. Among the items left on the surface of the moon was a plaque that read: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon–July 1969 A.D–We came in peace for all mankind."
At 5:35 p.m., Armstrong and Aldrin successfully docked and rejoined Collins, and at 12:56 a.m. on July 22 Apollo 11 began its journey home, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:51 p.m. on July 24.
There would be five more successful lunar landing missions, and one unplanned lunar swing-by, Apollo 13. The last men to walk on the moon, astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of the Apollo 17 mission, left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. The Apollo program was a costly and labor-intensive endeavor, involving an estimated 400,000 engineers, technicians, and scientists, and costing $24 billion (close to $100 billion in today's dollars). The expense was justified by Kennedy's 1961 mandate to beat the Soviets to the moon, and after the feat was accomplished ongoing missions lost their viability.
Apollo 11
5 Terrifying Moments During the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Mission
The astronaut crew had to troubleshoot a series of problems throughout the historic 1969 flight.
This historic exchange on July 20, 1969 marked the end of a perilous journey to the lunar surface, but a multitude of threats still faced the pair of NASA astronauts during their surface operations—while Command Module Pilot Michael Collins looked down alone, orbiting high above the lunar landscape.
And, despite arriving in one piece, the expert touchdown was by no means certain. Below are five of the scariest moments during Apollo 11.
1. Missing the Mark on Touch-Down Amid Multiple Alarms
Apollo 11 Lunar Module
NASA
After arriving in lunar orbit and later separating from the Command Module to begin their landing sequence, Armstrong and Aldrin had little idea that their moon landing plans had already been modified by an overlooked effect of Newtonian physics.
A couple of hours earlier, as the spidery Lunar Module "Eagle" undocked from the Command Module "Columbia," residual pressure inside the tunnel that connected the two spacecraft before undocking wasn't sufficiently vented, causing Eagle to get an additional boost as it separated.
It was slight, but at around nine minutes before touchdown, Armstrong realized they were going to overshoot their landing site, estimating they'd miss by approximately three miles (which was a close educated guess, they actually missed by four). As the moon is littered with boulders and craters, the planned landing site was chosen as it was comparatively smooth. So with the modified flight plan, the duo had to find another suitable place to safely touch down.
As if that wasn't enough drama, the Eagle's computer had been distracting them with program alarms throughout their descent. Radio communications with Mission Control were also patchy. The recurring alarm was being triggered by the onboard landing computer that was warning of an overload. Fortunately, as the alarm was intermittent, Mission Control deemed the risk of computer overload low and green-lit the landing.
As the minutes ticked down, and the pair watched the lunar surface getting closer by the second, another problem became clear: they were burning more fuel than calculated. Due to their overshot landing, they were nearly running on empty so there was even more urgency to find a landing spot.
"You never [want to] go under the 'Dead Man's Curve,'" Flight Controller Steve Bales later recalled in an interview. "It was an altitude [where] you just don't have enough time to do an abort before you had crashed … Essentially, you're a dead man."
With only 30 seconds of fuel left in the tank, Armstrong guided the Eagle softly down onto its impromptu landing site that, moments later, would become "Tranquility Base"—the first (temporary) human outpost on the moon.
2. Post-Landing Explosion?
Apollo 11 Mission Operations Control Room
As the adrenaline ebbed and the astronauts carried out their post-landing tasks, another problem was brewing. Although it had been shut down, sensors were detecting a pressure build-up in the landing engine fuel line. This could mean only one thing: ice had accumulated in the line, plugging it, and the backed-up fuel vapor was getting heated by the hot engine.
Discussions between NASA and Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, the company that oversaw the Lunar Module's development, deemed this increase in pressure a hazard that may trigger a deadly explosion if not remedied. So they drew up plans to vent the syste "We all felt that the consequences of an explosion, even of the relatively small amount of fuel remaining in that short section of line, was unpredictable and unacceptable," wrote aerospace engineer and "Father of the Lunar Module" Thomas J. Kelly in his book 2001 book, Moon Lander.
Before the instructions could be relayed to Armstrong and Aldrin, however, the ice plug thawed, the gas was released, and the problem remedied itself.
3. Dangers of Moon Dust
NASA
BUZZ ALDRIN'S BOOTPRINT FROM THE APOLLO 11 MISSION, ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS TAKEN ON THE MOON.
Even though the ground beneath Tranquility Base had the appearance of being free from any boulders that may have damaged the Lunar Module as it touched down, before Apollo 11, scientists couldn't be absolutely sure that Armstrong and Aldrin would land on stable ground. What if the stuff acted like quicksand? There was also the possibility that the fluffy accumulations of moon dust covered jagged shards of rock that could cause injuries to moonwalkers or to the lander itself.
Although previous robotic missions, such as the Surveyor landers, were designed to study the lunar surface as a prelude to planning later Apollo missions, it wasn't until Armstrong's "one small step" crunched into the grey powder that NASA was sure the surface was safe for extravehicular activity (EVA).
Apollo 11: Handmade Parts
While this may be a minor point in the annals of the Apollo Program, lunar dust is no joke. Created over billions of years by meteorite impacts, the moon lacks processes that would erode these minuscule particles into smoother shapes. Apollo astronauts found the abrasive dust to be more than a nuisance.
Later missions after Apollo 11 featured longer EVAs, and there are reports about these tiny shards of rock permeating Lunar Module interiors, coating helmet visors, jamming zippers and even penetrating layers of protective spacesuit material.
"All of the astronauts complained of the problems with dust," said Brian O'Brien, a Rice University professor from 1963 to 1968 who built radiation and dust experiments for the Apollo missions. "The very access to the moon stirs up dust. And the walking of an astronaut or the movement of a rover stirs up dust. The dust will travel ballistically, because there's no atmosphere, and it will stick to anything and everything."
4. Alien Infections?
Apollo 11 Quarantine
NASA
PRESIDENT NIXON VISITING THE APOLLO 11 ASTRONAUTS, WHO WERE CONFINED TO THE MOBILE QUARANTINE FACILITY.
Though scientists are now acutely aware of the impacts of space radiation and dust on astronaut health, in those pioneering days of 1969, there was some degree of trial and error.
By 1969, only landed a handful of robotic landers had touched down on the lunar surface. And while these landers confirmed that the moon's surface was rocky, dusty, covered in craters and devoid of complex life forms, some precautions for possible infection by alien microbes had to be taken—but only after the Apollo astronauts became infected by these hypothetical space germs.
After risking their lives for the advancement of humanity, Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins had the dubious pleasure of being stuck in planetary protection quarantine on their return, just in case a deadly space-borne plague had hitched a ride with them.
As soon as their re-entry capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, the trio was transferred to a mobile quarantine facility inside which they were transported to NASA Lunar Receiving Laboratory at Johnson Space Center where they had access to a larger quarantine facility until their release on August 10, 1969.
5. Alternate Reality: A President's Announcement of Mission Failure
Probably the most terrifying moment of the Apollo 11 landing, however, didn't actually happen.
A speech, prepared for then-President Richard Nixon in the event of mission failure, was released to the public 30 years later, detailing the White House's response should the unthinkable have happened. Any number of things could have gone wrong during that pioneering mission, so, to prepare, the president was ready to address the nation when it became obvious the mission was lost.
The text ends on a poignant note: "For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind."
The "In Event of Moon Disaster" speech was never read but was instead filed away as a reminder that space exploration is a dangerous endeavor that has claimed the lives of many brave explorers since the beginning of the space age. Meanwhile, the men of Apollo 11 became the first humans to set foot—and survive—on an alien world.
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From the archives
Thanks to Dr. Rich
Men Are Just Happier People!
What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress - $5,000. Tux rental - $100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Two pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes - one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache... You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier!
NICKNAMES
· If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
· If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.
EATING OUT
· When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, outcome the pocket calculators.
MONEY
· A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
· A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS
· A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
· The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
ARGUMENTS
· A woman has the last word in any argument.
· Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
FUTURE
· A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
· A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
MARRIAGE
· A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
· A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
DRESSING UP
· A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
· A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
NATURAL
· Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
· Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
OFFSPRING
· Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
· A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!
Confession: I'll buy an item that's substantially reduced even if I don't need it, too.
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Thanks to Mud
Reagan apologized after telling this one, but I'm not going to apologize for passing it on. It's hilarious and appropriate for now. Enjoy. 😁😂
S/F,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysdQOEdfefg
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
The Golden Gate Bridge was almost painted black and yellow.
The Golden Gate Bridge is the most recognizable part of San Francisco's misty skyline, not least because of its vibrant orange color, but the iconic structure was almost painted an entirely different hue. The idea of connecting parts of California's Marin County with San Francisco via a bridge dates back to 1869, but plans for the architectural wonder didn't take shape until 1916. Despite a hefty $35 million bill amid the Great Depression, the bridge project broke (underwater) ground in 1933. When it came time to choose a paint color two years into the build — a necessity to prevent rust on the steel caused by the underlying salt water — there was no obvious choice. The U.S. Navy recommended a black-and-yellow-striped design intended to increase visibility for ships and airplanes operating in foggy weather. Architect Irving Morrow rejected the idea (along with the commonly used gray and silver), settling on the vivid "International Orange" after seeing the bridge primed in a vermillion hue and believing the color would complement the surrounding landscape while providing high visibility. The bridge officially opened on May 27, 1937, painted in its gleaming new hue.
Exactly how the Golden Gate maintains its iconic glow is something of a maintenance marvel that's shrouded in myth. Popular theories suggest that the 1.7-mile overpass is entirely repainted from end to end annually, or just once every seven years, but in fact caretakers continuously have paint brushes in hand. Crews note areas of the bridge where paint has worn away, then spot-paint sections as needed. The work is tedious, requiring high climbs atop the structure's 746-foot towers and its underbelly, which sits just 200 feet above the bay. Workers use specialized equipment and brushes to remove old paint, prime the underlying steel, and lacquer on the standout shade. The bridge has only been fully repainted one time — beginning in 1968 — to remove its failing, original lead-based paint; the task took 27 years and wasn't finished until 1995.
The Golden Gate Bridge isn't named for its color.
While the Golden Gate Bridge does seem to shimmer in the California sun, it wasn't named for its vibrant paint job. The moniker actually refers to the Golden Gate Strait, the underlying waterway connecting the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Captain and explorer John C. Frémont came up with the name in 1846, inspired by the similarities between the 377-foot-deep channel and Istanbul's Golden Horn harbor. Incidentally, Frémont — who later held political office in California, ran as the nation's first Republican presidential candidate in 1856 (losing to James Buchanan), and served as a Union general in the Civil War — has been timelessly memorialized on street signs and city designations, including a bridge bearing his own name in Portland, Oregon.
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This Day in U S Military History…….July 20
1953 – U.S. Air Force Major Stephen L. Bettinger qualified as the 40th and last ace of the Korean War. Because he was shot down during this engagement and subsequently captured, he was not officially credited with his fifth victory until after his repatriation.
1960 – In first launch of Polaris missile, USS George Washington (SSBN 598) successfully fires 2 operational Polaris missiles while submerged off Florida.
1969 – At 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, speaks these words to more than a billion people listening at home: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." A moment later, he stepped off the lunar landing module Eagle and became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. The American effort to send astronauts to the moon has its origins in a famous appeal President John F. Kennedy made to a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth." At the time, the United States was still trailing the Soviet Union in space developments, and Cold War-era America welcomed Kennedy's bold proposal. In 1966, after five years of work by an international team of scientists and engineers, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted the first unmanned Apollo mission, testing the structural integrity of the proposed launch vehicle and spacecraft combination. Then, on January 27, 1967, tragedy struck at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, when a fire broke out during a manned launch-pad test of the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn rocket. Three astronauts were killed in the fire. Despite the setback, NASA and its thousands of employees forged ahead, and in October 1968, Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, orbited Earth and successfully tested many of the sophisticated systems needed to conduct a moon journey and landing. In December of the same year, Apollo 8 took three astronauts to the dark side of the moon and back, and in March 1969 Apollo 9 tested the lunar module for the first time while in Earth orbit. Then in May, the three astronauts of Apollo 10 took the first complete Apollo spacecraft around the moon in a dry run for the scheduled July landing mission. At 9:32 a.m. on July 16, with the world watching, Apollo 11 took off from Kennedy Space Center with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins aboard. Armstrong, a 38-year-old civilian research pilot, was the commander of the mission. After traveling 240,000 miles in 76 hours, Apollo 11 entered into a lunar orbit on July 19. The next day, at 1:46 p.m., the lunar module Eagle, manned by Armstrong and Aldrin, separated from the command module, where Collins remained. Two hours later, the Eagle began its descent to the lunar surface, and at 4:18 p.m. the craft touched down on the southwestern edge of the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong immediately radioed to Mission Control in Houston, Texas, a famous message: "The Eagle has landed." At 10:39 p.m., five hours ahead of the original schedule, Armstrong opened the hatch of the lunar module. As he made his way down the lunar module's ladder, a television camera attached to the craft recorded his progress and beamed the signal back to Earth, where hundreds of millions watched in great anticipation. At 10:56 p.m., Armstrong spoke his famous quote, which he later contended was slightly garbled by his microphone and meant to be "that's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." He then planted his left foot on the gray, powdery surface, took a cautious step forward, and humanity had walked on the moon. "Buzz" Aldrin joined him on the moon's surface at 11:11 p.m., and together they took photographs of the terrain, planted a U.S. flag, ran a few simple scientific tests, and spoke with President Richard M. Nixon via Houston. By 1:11 a.m. on July 21, both astronauts were back in the lunar module and the hatch was closed. The two men slept that night on the surface of the moon, and at 1:54 p.m. the Eagle began its ascent back to the command module. Among the items left on the surface of the moon was a plaque that read: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon–July 1969 A.D–We came in peace for all mankind." At 5:35 p.m., Armstrong and Aldrin successfully docked and rejoined Collins, and at 12:56 a.m. on July 22 Apollo 11 began its journey home, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:51 p.m. on July 24. There would be five more successful lunar landing missions, and one unplanned lunar swing-by, Apollo 13. The last men to walk on the moon, astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of the Apollo 17 mission, left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. The Apollo program was a costly and labor intensive endeavor, involving an estimated 400,000 engineers, technicians, and scientists, and costing $24 billion (close to $100 billion in today's dollars). The expense was justified by Kennedy's 1961 mandate to beat the Soviets to the moon, and after the feat was accomplished ongoing missions lost their viability.
1976 – On the seventh anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, the Viking 1 lander, an unmanned U.S. planetary probe, becomes the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of Mars. Viking 1 was launched on August 20, 1975, and arrived at Mars on June 19, 1976. The first month of its orbit was devoted to imaging the surface to find appropriate landing sites. On July 20, 1976, the Viking 1 lander separated from the orbiter, touched down on the Chryse Planitia region of Mars, and sent back the first close-up photographs of the rust-colored Martian surface. In September 1976, Viking 2–launched only three weeks after Viking 1–entered into orbit around Mars, where it assisted Viking 1 in imaging the surface and also sent down a lander. During the dual Viking missions, the two orbiters imaged the entire surface of Mars at a resolution of 150 to 300 meters, and the two landers sent back more than 1,400 images of the planet's surface.
1999 – After 38 years at the bottom of the Atlantic, astronaut Gus Grissom's "Liberty Bell Seven" Mercury capsule was lifted to the surface.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
CROSIER, WILLIAM H. H.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company G, 149th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Peach Tree Creek, Ga., 20 July 1864. Entered service at: Skaneateles, N.Y. Birth: Skaneateles, N.Y. Date of issue: 12 January 1892. Citation: Severely wounded and ambushed by the enemy, he stripped the colors from the staff and brought them back into the line.
HAPEMAN, DOUGLAS
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, 104th Illinois Infantry. Place and date: At Peach Tree Creek, Ga., 20 July 1864. Entered service at: Ottawa, Ill. Born: 15 January 1839, Ephratah, Fulton County, N.Y. Date of issue: 5 April 1898. Citation: With conspicuous coolness and bravery rallied his men under a severe attack, re-formed the broken ranks, and repulsed the attack.
SHANES, JOHN
Rank and organization: Private, Company K, 14th West Virginia Infantry. Place and date: At Carters Farm, Va., 20 July 1864. Entered service at:——. Birth: Monomgalis County, W.Va. Date of issue: 31 January 1896. Citation: Charged upon a Confederate fieldpiece in advance of his comrades and by his individual exertions silenced the piece.
PENN, ROBERT
Rank and organization: Fireman First Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 10 October 1872, City Point, Va. Accredited to: Virginia. G.O. No.: 501, 14 December 1898. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Iowa off Santiago de Cuba, 20 July 1898. Performing his duty at the risk of serious scalding at the time of the blowing out of the manhole gasket on board the vessel, Penn hauled the fire while standing on a board thrown across a coal bucket 1 foot above the boiling water which was still blowing from the boiler.
*COLLIER, GILBERT G.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Cpl.), U.S. Army, Company F, 223d Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Tutayon, Korea, 19-20 July 1953. Entered service at: Tichnor Ark. Born: 30 December 1930, Hunter, Ark. G.O. No.: 3, 12 January 1955. Citation: Sgt. Collier, a member of Company F, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. Sgt. Collier was pointman and assistant leader of a combat patrol committed to make contact with the enemy. As the patrol moved forward through the darkness, he and his commanding officer slipped and fell from a steep, 60-foot cliff and were injured. Incapacitated by a badly sprained ankle which prevented immediate movement, the officer ordered the patrol to return to the safety of friendly lines. Although suffering from a painful back injury, Sgt. Collier elected to remain with his leader, and before daylight they managed to crawl back up and over the mountainous terrain to the opposite valley where they concealed themselves in the brush until nightfall, then edged toward their company positions. Shortly after leaving the daylight retreat they were ambushed and, in the ensuing fire fight, Sgt. Collier killed 2 hostile soldiers, received painful wounds, and was separated from his companion. Then, ammunition expended, he closed in hand-to-hand combat with 4 attacking hostile infantrymen, killing, wounding, and routing the foe with his bayonet. He was mortally wounded during this action, but made a valiant attempt to reach and assist his leader in a desperate effort to save his comrade's life without regard for his own personal safety. Sgt. Collier's unflinching courage, consummate devotion to duty, and gallant self-sacrifice reflect lasting glory upon himself and uphold the noble traditions of the military service.
*LIBBY, GEORGE D.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 3d Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Taejon, Korea, 20 July 1950. Entered service at: Waterbury, Conn. Birth: Bridgton, Maine. G.O. No.: 62, 2 August 1951. Citation: Sgt. Libby distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. While breaking through an enemy encirclement, the vehicle in which he was riding approached an enemy roadblock and encountered devastating fire which disabled the truck, killing or wounding all the passengers except Sgt. Libby. Taking cover in a ditch Sgt. Libby engaged the enemy and despite the heavy fire crossed the road twice to administer aid to his wounded comrades. He then hailed a passing M-5 artillery tractor and helped the wounded aboard. The enemy directed intense small-arms fire at the driver, and Sgt. Libby, realizing that no one else could operate the vehicle, placed himself between the driver and the enemy thereby shielding him while he returned the fire. During this action he received several wounds in the arms and body. Continuing through the town the tractor made frequent stops and Sgt. Libby helped more wounded aboard. Refusing first aid, he continued to shield the driver and return the fire of the enemy when another roadblock was encountered. Sgt. Libby received additional wounds but held his position until he lost consciousness. Sgt. Libby's sustained, heroic actions enabled his comrades to reach friendly lines. His dauntless courage and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself and uphold the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 20, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
20 July
1918: The 148th Aero Squadron began operations with the RAF in the field from Capelle Airdrome, near Dunkirk. (24)
1937: First shoulder sleeve insignia authorized for an independent American air unit, General Headquarters Air Force. (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force F-80s shot down two enemy aircraft for the last aerial victories until November, a sign that UN forces had attained air superiority. (28)
1953: The Martin B-57A first flew at Baltimore. It was our version of the English Electric Canberra twin-jet bomber. (12)
1955: The NB-36H, with an atomic reactor, made its first flight without activating the reactor. The plane carried the reactor aboard for structural and systems feasibility studies. (24)
1956: The Navy commissioned the USS Thetis Bay, the first helicopter assault carrier, at San Francisco. (24)
1960: A 6511th Parachute Test Group C-130 dropped 40,500 pounds of cargo by parachute to set a new world record. The group, which belonged to the ARDC, broke an earlier record of 35,000 pounds. (24) The USS George Washington became the first sub to launch a Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris missile while submerged. It flew from a point 30 miles off Cape Canaveral 1,150 miles away down the Atlantic Missile Range. Two hours later, the sub launched a second missile. (16)
1961: The first Titan I equipped with rocket decoys launched from Cape Canaveral. It released 10 decoys over the Atlantic, which allowed downrange tracking stations to practice in distinguishing between decoys and real reentry vehicles. (6)
1962: The US Weather Bureau transmitted photos made by TIROS V of cloud formations west of Australia to Australia. This effort was the first transmission of TIROS photos for foreign weather analysis. (24)
1963: Operation FARM GATE/MACKAY TROPHY: Under hostile fire, Capt Warren P. Tomsett flew his C-47, the "Extol Pink," of the 1st Air Commando Wing to evacuate wounded soldiers from Loc Ninh, Laos. Tomsett and his crew (Capt John R. Ordemann, Capt Donald R. Mack, TSgt Edsol P. Inlow, and SSgts Jack E. Morgan and Frank C. Barrett) later received the Mackay Trophy for 1963. (21) The Air Force launched its 100th Agena missile. The United Technology Center successfully fired the Titan III-C'd solid fuel rocket motor. (5)
1964: NASA's SERT I (Space Electric Rocket Test) marked the first operation in space of an electric rocket engine.
1966: OPERATION TALLY HO. During early 1966, USAF aircraft flew over 3,000 sorties per month. With lines of communication cut or disrupted, harassed day and night, the enemy concentrated on infiltration through the demilitarized zone. This gave birth to Operation Tally Ho, which scheduled 2,600 sorties a month above the demilitarized zone against the enemy. (17)
1968: Exercise GUARD STRIKE II. The largest joint Army and ANG field training exercise ever staged to this date within the CONUS began. (16)
1969: APOLLO XI/FIRST MAN ON THE MOON. Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., flew the lunar module Eagle to the Sea of Tranquility, where Armstrong took the first step on the moon. (26) (See 16 July for full details of mission)
1970: Electronics System Division at Hanscom Field turned over the Compass Link photo relay system to the AFCS. Compass Link used three ground stations and two satellites to transmit exposed film from SEA to the Pentagon via electronic signals and laser beams. (26)
1973: Dr. Malcom R. Currie, Director of Defense and Engineering, asked the USAF to develop an ALCM, from the SCAD program. (6)
1974: Alexander Kartevelli, who designed the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, the X-12 Rainbow, the F-84, and F-105, died at age 77. The Thunderbirds made their first public demonstration with T-38 aircraft at the International Air Show in Everett, Washington. (11)
1982: The F-16E/XL made its first flight at Edwards AFB. (16)
1987: General Dynamics delivered the first of eight F-16C/Ds to Turkey from its Fort Worth plant. The next 152 F-16s would be built in Turkey under a special licensing agreement.
1999: During a two-hour flight, Col Clyde D. Moore II flew F-22 No. 1 over Mach 1.5 without afterburners for a sustained period to meet a "super cruise" test milestone. (3)
2001: During his "Mission X" flight, Maj Arthur Tomassetti (USMC) took off from Edwards AFB in the X-35B at 100 knots in STOVL mode, converted to conventional flight at about 180 knots, accelerated to Mach 1.05 at 25,000 feet. He then returned to Edwards and converted to the STOVL mode to complete a vertical landing. This marked the first time that either of the JSF demonstrators had achieved both extremes of speed during a single flight. (3)
2002: Through 2 August, five C-5s flew 23 combat missions from a forward operating location to Kandahar to redeploy more than 780 troops and 1,350 short tons of equipment from Canada's Princess Patricia's Light Infantry Regiment. The five C-5 aircraft, with three crews each from Travis AFB and Dover AFB and a C-5 leadership package with a seventh aircrew and 44 maintenance personnel, operated from the same forward operating location as the 782d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. A 31-person Tanker Airlift Control Element from the 615th Air Mobility Operations Group supported the C-5s at Kandahar. This redeployment demonstrated that the USAF's largest jet transport aircraft could successfully operate at a remote, austere airfield. (22)
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Thanks to Brett
FAMOUS FLIGHTS
THE MARTIN B-10 BOMBER and the 1934 ALASKA FLIGHT (Part I)
by Jeffery S. Underwood
(Published in, The USAF: A Complete History, 2006)
The first modern bomber delivered in large quantities, the Martin B-10 bomber incorporated numerous technological advances, and it greatly influenced the development of air power doctrine during the interwar years. Nevertheless, the B-10 remains largely forgotten, overshadowed by the more famous Boeing B 17.
Aircraft design and construction underwent a revolution toward the end of the 1920s as all-metal monoplanes replaced the wood and fabric biplanes. At its new factory near Baltimore, Maryland, the Glenn L. Martin Company took the lead in bomber design with its all-metal Model 123. Built as a private venture, the Model 123's advanced elements included a monocoque fuselage, a streamlined midwing with the twin-engines fitted into the leading edges rather than placed into nacelles, and a retractable undercarriage. To carry its bomb load internally, the aircraft had a deep belly, which gave it a whale-like appearance.
On 19 July 1934, Lt. Col. Henry "Hap" Arnold, who later commanded the AAF in World War II, successfully led a flight of 10 YB-10s from Washington, D.C., to Fairbanks, Alaska, and back. For this round-trip flight of 7,360 miles, much of it over uncharted territory, Arnold won the 1934 Mackay Trophy. Besides demonstrating the reliability and speed of the B 10, the Alaska flight proved that the AAC could rapidly move its modern aircraft to defend any part of North America.
Part 2
Arnold's team departed Washington the following morning--their first stop, Wright Field. On the next leg, two aircraft developed engine trouble and returned to Dayton. After quick repairs, they caught up with the others at Minneapolis. The remainder of the journey to Fairbanks was marked by smooth airplane performance and warm welcomes at every landing place. On 22 July, Arnold decided to lay-over one day so that the mechanics could accomplish required periodic checks and maintenance on the bombers. The publicity portion of the mission tried Arnold's patience. "I am getting good willed to death," Hap complained. He could not wait to reach the wilderness areas of Fairbanks. "When we get out of the entertainment area, we will all be much better off. The people are all wonderfully hospitable, too much so but I guess that is all in the game."
The radios that were installed at Wright Field worked tremendously. According to Arnold they had a "wonderfully big range." In fact, this Alaska flight was the first Air Corps long-distance mission that maintained continual contact with ground stations along their entire route of flight, even deep into Canada--a tribute to the equipment and the logistic planning. Moreover, the B-10s made the journey from Whitehorse to Fairbanks in four and one-half hours. The same journey took two weeks by boat and one month overland. The harsh terrain and lack of improved roads only emphasized the practical aspects of air travel in the Yukon. The expedition staged sporadic photo operations out of Fairbanks and Anchorage for the next two weeks, even finding an opportunity to stop off in Juneau to accept a totem pole from the mayor of the city.
THE MARTIN B-10 BOMBER and the 1934 ALASKA FLIGHT (Part III)
by Dik Daso
(Published in, Hap Arnold and the Evolution of American Airpower, 2000)
The only glitch in the mission occurred on a flight out of Anchorage. A member of the photo team, not one of the regular crew, took off and both engines quit soon after takeoff and he landed in Cooks Inlet. The pilot had mishandled the fuel control switches and had cut the fuel to the engines. The decision to allow a pilot from outside of the mission team to fly the B-10 was one which Arnold certainly regretted and took responsibility for. Nowhere in Arnold's correspondence did he ever lay blame for the accident, not even upon the inexperienced pilot.
Through superhuman diligence, the ditched B-10 rejoined the rest of the contingent at Fairbanks one week later. The mechanics had not only saved Arnold's reputation after he had made an unwise decision but had also saved the Air Corps considerable embarrassment. To Arnold, those young men were heroes in many ways.
After one month's preparation, Arnold had taken his planes 8,000 miles, in constant radio contact with the ground, with only one major foul-up, and no aircraft losses along the way. Although the round-trip distance to Alaska was 7,360 miles, aerial mapping missions were flown while deployed there and a continuation of the flight westward to March Field and then back east. The total mileage flown on the mission, according to Arnold's trip diary, was 18,010 flight miles at an average speed of 168 miles per hour. The success of the mission earned Arnold the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and a second Mackay Trophy. It also proved that long-range bombers could threaten once impenetrable and isolated territorial boundaries, both those of potential enemies and those of the United States.
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