To All,
Good Monday Morning August 12. I hope that you all had a great weekend.
Warm Regards,
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HAGD
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From the archives
Thanks to Dr. Rich
Ah those were the days ----something to get your blood pumping on a Monday morning…skip
People Are Awesome - Fighter Pilots 2023
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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:
August 12
1898 USS Mohican and USS Philadelphia (C 4) crew members take part in official ceremonies marking the assumption of sovereignty of the Hawaiian Islands by the United States.
1918 The Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels approves the acceptance of women in the Marine Corps. The following day, Aug. 13, Opha M. Johnson becomes the first woman Marine.
1942 USS Cleveland (CL 55) demonstrates the effectiveness of radio-proximity fuze (VT-fuze) against aircraft by successfully destroying three drones with proximity bursts fired by her five inch guns.
1944 USS Pompon (SS 267) and USS Puffer (SS 268) attack Japanese convoys and damage and sink Japanese destroyers.
1957 The first test of the Automatic Carrier Landing System is completed by Lt. Cmdr. Don Walker when he lands a F3D Skyknight on board USS Antietam (CV 36).
1988 USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) is commissioned at New York City. The cruiser is the third ship named after naval battle in a New York lake where Commodore Thomas McDonough defeated a larger and more heavily armed British squadron Sept. 11, 1814.
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Today in World History August 12
0030 Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt, commits suicide.
1099 At the Battle of Ascalon 1,000 Crusaders, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, route an Egyptian relief column heading for Jerusalem, which had already fallen to the Crusaders.
1687 At the Battle of Mohacs, Hungary, Charles of Lorraine defeats the Turks.
1762 The British capture Cuba from Spain after a two month siege.
1791 Black slaves on the island of Santo Domingo rise up against their white masters.
1812 British commander the Duke of Wellington occupies Madrid, Spain, forcing out Joseph Bonaparte.
1863 Confederate raider William Quantrill leads a massacre of 150 men and boys in Lawrence, Kansas.
1864 After a week of heavy raiding, the Confederate cruiser Tallahassee claims six Union ships captured.
1896 Gold is discovered near Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. After word reaches the United States in June of 1897, thousands of Americans head to the Klondike to seek their fortunes.
1898 The Spanish American War officially ends after three months and 22 days of hostilities.
1908 Henry Ford's first Model T rolls off the assembly line.
1922 The home of Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C. is dedicated as a memorial.
1935 President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Bill.
1941 French Marshal Henri Philippe Petain announces full French collaboration with Nazi Germany.
1961 The erection of the Berlin Wall begins, preventing access between East and West Germany.
1969 American installations at Quan-Loi, Vietnam, come under Viet Cong attack.
1972 As U.S. troops leave Vietnam, B-52's make their largest strike of the war.
1977 Steven Biko, leader of the black consciousness movement in South Africa, is arrested.
1977 Space shuttle Enterprise makes its first free flight and landing.
1978 Tel al-Zaatar massacre at Palestinian refugee camp during Lebanese Civil War.
1979 Massive book burnings by press censors begin in Iran.
1981 Computer giant IBM introduces its first personal computer.
1985 Highest in-flight death toll as 520 die when Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashes into Mount Takamagahara.
1992 The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is concluded between the United States, Canada and Mexico, creating the world's wealthiest trade bloc.
2000 Russian Navy submarine K-141 Kursk explodes and sinks with all hands during military exercises in the Barents Sea.
2005 An LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) sniper mortally wounds Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, at the minister's home.
2012 Summer Olympics come to a close in London.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 12 August 2024 and ending Sunday 18 August 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
From the archives of Dan Heller's world-class website rollingthunderremembered.com post for 10 August 1969… In the words of Robert McNamara in his 1995 book, "In Retrospect": "We were wrong." And he cites eleven reasons for our defeat in Vietnam.
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 12 August An escape attempt that did not go well
12-Aug: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1298
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
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Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Olympics Wrap-Up
Sadly, being a procrastinator prevented me going to the Olympics. For the Olympics one needs to be an amateurcrastinator.
If laziness was an Olympic sport, I would shoot for coming in fourth so I would not have to walk up to the podium.
My tryout for the Olympic diving team was a flop, but I made quite a splash with the judges.
The reason I didn't compete in boxing at the Paris Olympics this summer…Eiffel over too many times.
Books never written:
"The Olympic Trials" by Willy Qualify.
"How to Do Gymnastics" by Tom E. Tuck.
"How to Win at the Olympics" by Vick Tori.
"The Marathon" by Will E. Makit.
Daffynition:
Olympiads—Commercials shown during the Summer and Winter Games.
After Nigeria was unable to win any medals in the Paris Olympics, the Nigerian Sports Minister personally offered to refund all the expenses of fans who traveled to France. He said he just needed their bank details and PINs to complete the transaction.
Why does Cinderella never win the Olympics?
She has a pumpkin for a coach and runs away from the ball.
Why were the swimming elephants thrown out of the Olympics?
Because they couldn't keep their trunks up!
Why can't tomatoes win races against lettuce at the Summer Games?
Because the lettuce are always a head, and the tomatoes are always trying to ketchup!
Olympic Results for Sailing were…
Austria took the gold medal.
Slovenia took the silver medal.
The Somalians have taken the boats.
I recently competed in the…
Suntanning Olympics, I only got bronze.
Insomnia Olympics, you snooze, you lose.
Seafood Olympics, I got the prawns medal.
Did you see that gymnast from North Korea in the Olympics?
She didn't win gold but her execution was flawless.
And then there was the gymnast who walked into a bar…
He got a two-point deduction and ruined his chances of a medal.
Did you hear about the marathon runner who was arrested?
They were charged with resisting a rest.
What does a sprinter eat before a race?
Nothing, they fast!
I see you won a silver medal at the Olympics. What's it for?
It's for telling knock knock jokes.
And what's that gold medal for?
Athlete: For stopping.
What did the French anxious swimmers say getting into the green pool water?
At least we're not in Seine!
An Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman trying to get into the Olympics with no tickets.
The Englishman found a large wooden pole lying on the ground near him. He picked it up, put it under his arm, walked in the gate, and said, "Bentley, England, pole vaulting," and they let him in.
The Scotsman picked up a manhole cover, put it under his arm, walked in the gate, and said "McGregor, Scotland, discus," and they let him in.
The Irish man picked up a roll of barbed wire, put it under his arm, walked in the gate, and said, "Murphy, Ireland, fencing."
Have a great week,
Al
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My computer ate this a couple of times so I am trying again…skip
Thanks to Dr.Rich
Dick Rutan's Celebration of LIfe .. video by Bill Whittle ... 🫡🇺🇸‼️
Caution damp keyboard may develop, and a lot of pride in your chest … It was a VERY memorable day celebrating Dick's amazing life.
Sorry for duplicates .. combined a couple of lists … ENJOY, preferably w. many of your aviation compadres, and with a beer .. per Dick's request!!
No limits on distribution. Do send it to your list.
Burt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI0g9amSDXI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI0g9amSDXI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI0g9amSDXI
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81 years ago In August of 1942 The battle for Guadalcanal was in full swing. With Admiral Cox and his H-Grams and some inputs from Ed Beakley's Remembered Sky after the H-gram this is a start to look back to how the US Navy's Aircraft Carrier became what it is today.
Guadalcanal H-grams
H-Gram 009 provides an overview of the Battle of Guadalcanal and the first major night surface action, the Battle of Savo Island. The U.S. Marine Corps landings on Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942 caught the Japanese completely by surprise, with minimal resistance on Guadalcanal itself and only spirited but short resistance on islands near Tulagi (across what would become known as "Ironbottom Sound") from Guadalcanal. The Marines captured the unfinished airfield on Guadalcanal, which would be subsequently finished and named Henderson Field and then would become the objective of the fierce and bloody battles ashore, at sea, and in the air.
During the course of the Guadalcanal campaign, the U.S. would lose two aircraft carriers (Wasp and Hornet—CV-8), five U.S. (and one Australian) heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, 15 destroyers, and numerous other smaller vessels—plus extensive damage to many more ships. The U.S. Navy and Marines would lose about 400 aircraft during the course of the campaign. At sea, the Japanese navy actually lost somewhat fewer personnel than the United States—about 3,800 men—but more than 7,000 Japanese army troops would go down with sunken troop transports, and more than 20,000 would be lost on the island itself. The Imperial Japanese Navy would lose two battleships and a light carrier, plus two heavy cruisers and multiple destroyers. It was the loss of the two battleships that actually caused the Japanese navy to stop feeding ships into the meat grinder off Guadalcanal, in the end limiting their efforts to inadequate attempts by destroyers (the "Tokyo Express") to resupply Japanese troops on the island. Ultimately, the Japanese executed one of the most successful deception operations of the war when they evacuated their last surviving troops from Guadalcanal in February 1943.
Although the U.S. landing caught the Japanese navy by surprise, it reacted swiftly with characteristic aggressiveness, first with land-based air attacks on 7 and 8 August, and then a night surface action on 8–9 August. This first naval action would be known as the Battle of Savo Island, and would be the worst defeat at sea suffered by the U.S. Navy in history. In what should have been an evenly matched battle between a Japanese force of five heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and a destroyer against an Allied force of four U.S. heavy cruisers, one Australian heavy cruiser, and six U.S. destroyers, the Japanese achieved tactical surprise and the result was a debacle. The heavy cruisers Astoria (CA-34), Quincy (CA-39), Vincennes (CA-44), and HMAS Canberra were sunk, with only minimal damage to the Japanese (993 U.S. and 84 Australian sailors, and 58 Japanese sailors were killed). Fortunately, the Japanese commander chose not to attack into the vulnerable U.S. troop transports and supply ships that were sitting ducks still in the act of off-loading. H-Gram 009 contains an overview of the Battle of Savo Island, and attachment H-009-1 "Defeat at Savo Island" has full detail of this disaster, termed by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest J. King as "the blackest day of the war," most of which was kept secret from the American public during the war due to wartime censorship.
Following the defeat at Savo Island, U.S. surface forces quickly vacated the waters near Guadalcanal, followed a day later by the transports. The three supporting U.S. aircraft carriers had also moved further away due to concern for air and submarine attack. It was during this period that the myth that the U.S. Navy "abandoned" the Marines of Guadalcanal took root, when in fact the Navy was running supplies into Guadalcanal at night on four fast destroyer-transports, three of which would be lost in the process, losing more men than the Marines lost in the famous Battle of Bloody Ridge (12–14 September 1942). H-Gram 010 provides an overview of the challenges of supplying the Marines on Guadalcanal (so much so that it became known to those on the island as Operation Shoestring rather than the formal name, Operation Watchtower). This includes the sacrifice of TRANSDIV 12, plus the major Japanese navy offensive push that resulted in the carrier versus carrier action known as the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, as well as actions by Japanese submarines south of Guadalcanal.
H-Gram 010's attachment H-010-1 "Operation Shoestring" provides additional detail on the logistics issues at Guadalcanal, as well as on the valiant fight of the destroyer-transports Gregory (APD-3) and Little (APD-4) against a much superior force of Japanese destroyers; both APD skippers were lost in the battle with their ships, as was the TRANSDIV 12 commander, Hugh Hadley. (The destroyer named in honor of Hadley—DD-774—would be heavily damaged by kamikazes at Okinawa on 10 May 1945, but in the process shoot down more than 23 Japanese aircraft, the all-time record for a single ship in a single day's engagement.)
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Thanks to Brett
ASSESSMENTS
The Weekly Rundown: Awaiting Iranian Retaliation, Bangladesh's New Government
Aug 12, 2024
Nicolas Maduro on Aug. 7, 2024, in Caracas, Venezuela.
(YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
What We're Tracking
The Middle East's wait for Iranian retaliation, Israeli negotiators' return to talks. Iran and its network of allies and proxies are still debating when and where to strike Israel in response to the July 31 assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran's April retaliatory launch of a barrage of missiles and drones in response to an Israeli strike in Damascus took around 12 days, a product of both Iran debating a viable attack that would avoid triggering a major war and Tehran showcasing that it would retaliate. Meanwhile, Israeli-Hamas hostage talks are set to resume Aug. 15. While unlikely to produce a deal in the near term, the talks do show that some of the underlying dynamics of regional instability remain unchanged even after Israel's escalation in Iran. Meanwhile, Hezbollah — which has its own retaliation to conduct against Israel for the July 30 assassination of its military chief in Beirut — is also due to strike, though whether that strike will take place during the Iranian retaliation remains under discussion between the Lebanese militant group and its sponsors in Tehran.
Latin American leaders' efforts to calm Venezuela's election crisis. The presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Gustavo Petro and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, respectively, are considering a call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Aug. 12 in a bid to promote negotiations with the opposition to cool the risk of further violent unrest. The three countries reiterated calls Aug. 8 for Venezuela's National Electoral Council to publish verifiable voting tallies supporting its claim that Maduro won the July 28 vote despite opposition publication of 83.5% of the vote tallies showing challenger Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia with a 37-point advantage over Maduro. While the United States and some Latin American countries have recognized Gonzalez as the winner, Maduro has cracked down on demonstrators and intensified political persecution of the opposition since election day.
Bangladesh's new government steers the country toward fresh elections. In the coming week, the newly sworn-in interim government will focus on stabilizing Bangladesh after deadly protests by ensuring public safety and overseeing free and fair elections, addressing a major grievance of opposition parties. This follows the appointment of Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government Aug. 8. Other members of the interim government include human rights defenders, legal experts, the founders of nongovernmental organizations, economists, academics, a retired military officer and two student-led movement coordinators. Although demonstrations have declined and business and transportation services have resumed, the risk of protests by the Awami League, the former ruling party, remains due to its lack of representation in the interim government. This could complicate the electoral process and exacerbate Bangladesh's economic issues, including high inflation and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
The ongoing potential for far-right riots in the United Kingdom. Further unrest is possible next week across the United Kingdom following a wave of far-right anti-immigrant rioting that swept the country in the wake of the July 29 Southport mass stabbing. Widespread riots have been taking place for more than a week in multiple towns and cities across the United Kingdom, causing significant violence, vandalism, looting and localized transport disruptions. But the scale and intensity of the riots has declined considerably in the past few days as British authorities carried out hundreds of arrests. Various large counterprotests are planned across the country in the coming days, while more far-right demonstrations may take place even though organizers are refraining from sharing public information about their plans for fears of encountering a large police and security response. Further violent unrest is possible next week, particularly near mosques and buildings hosting asylum seekers, and so are violent clashes between rival political activists. But demonstrations are likely to eventually fizzle out in the coming days as the authorities continue to crack down on the rioters.
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
Thanks to Interesting Facts
This one is personal. After my operation three years ago I developed the hiccups and there was nothing they could do to stop them for over three days. I was thinking of my father who once had them for over a month during a trip to Europe. Finally a nurse came in with a small pill and said try this one that she had received from a doctor. It worked and I wrote down the name. During a subsequent stay I developed them again and I told them to get some more for me. This was an entirely different crew and they had no idea about the medicine. Finally I had to sign a paper before I could take one because no one on the staff had any experience with it and they did not know about side effects. it worked again
The longest case of hiccups was 68 years.
No one likes hiccups. Luckily, these involuntary spasmodic interruptions usually last only a few minutes. On rare occasions, hiccups persist for a few days, and even more rarely still they persist for longer than a month (in which case they can be considered "intractable"). Then there's the strange case of Charles Osborne, who was afflicted with a continuous case of hiccups for 68 years — recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest case of hiccups in history. Osborne's story began with an accident on June 13, 1922, in which he accidentally slipped and fell. His doctor later said he popped a blood vessel in his brain the size of a pin, and theorized that Osborne must have damaged the incredibly small area of the brain that controls and inhibits hiccups.
Osborne's diaphragm spasmed 20 to 40 times a minute, on average, during his waking hours — meaning he hiccuped roughly 430 million times throughout his life. To cope with this never-before-seen disorder, Osborne learned breathing techniques that effectively masked his constant hiccuping. Later in life, Osborne appeared in magazines and on late-night television shows to talk about his ailment. In 1978, Osborne told the Associated Press that he'd "give everything I got in the world if I could get rid of them." Although he traveled the world in search of a cure — even offering $10,000 to anyone who could find one — the best he could do was cope with the affliction. Finally, in 1990, his diaphragm suddenly ended its 68-year-long spasmodic episode on its own. Sadly, Osborne died less than a year later, but he was at least able to experience the final days of his life sans hiccups.
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Thanks to History Facts
Michelangelo's David was censored by Queen Victoria.
ARTS & CULTURE
T he statue of David is among Michelangelo's greatest masterpieces, but the sculpture isn't without detractors. One such critic was none other than Queen Victoria, who reigned over England from 1837 until 1901, centuries after the original David was sculpted in 1504. In 1857, a plaster replica of the David was shipped to Great Britain as a gift to Victoria from Leopold II, the grand duke of Tuscany. While the queen accepted the diplomatic gesture with grace, she was, according to some anecdotal reports, left aghast by the statue's blatant nudity. The work was sent to be displayed at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, where curators crafted a plaster fig leaf to obscure the reproductive organ that some found offensive. This leaf was attached with the help of "strategically placed hooks" that allowed it to be lowered in place in anticipation of any visits from female members of the royal family, as the statue otherwise remained uncensored. The leaf — a replica of which can still be found in the museum's collection — was last used during the first half of the 20th century, leaving the replica of David fully nude as Michelangelo initially intended.
However, even the original David statue endured years of unceremonious censorship. Upon its unveiling in Florence in 1504, the sculpture was covered with a garland made of 28 copper leaves to cover its nakedness, and the garland remained around David's waist until at least the mid-16th century. Concurrently, around the year 1541, the Vatican implemented a "Fig Leaf Campaign" to censor nudity in art that it deemed offensive. At first, the Catholic Church sought to cover up the naked figures in Michelangelo's painting "The Last Judgment," as well as similar works. Thankfully, many of these once-censored works of art have since been restored to their original condition.
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
The Most Tornado-Prone States
Tornadoes can strike almost anywhere in the United States, but some states are hit far more frequently than others. Understanding where tornadoes are most common can help prepare residents and inform safety measures. Here's a look at the states with the highest tornado activity.
1. Texas: The Tornado Leader
Texas stands out as the state with the most tornadoes annually. Averaging 151 tornadoes each year, Texas is the undisputed leader in tornado activity. The state's vast size and diverse weather patterns contribute to this high frequency, making it a focal point for storm chasers and meteorologists alike.
2. Kansas: Heart of Tornado Alley
Kansas comes in second, with an average of 91 tornadoes per year. Situated in the heart of Tornado Alley, Kansas experiences frequent severe storms, particularly in the spring and early summer. The flat terrain and meeting of cool and warm air masses create ideal conditions for tornado formation.
3. Oklahoma: A Close Contender
Oklahoma averages 68 tornadoes annually, placing it third on the list. Known for its severe weather, Oklahoma's residents are no strangers to tornado warnings and drills. The state's central location in Tornado Alley means it often experiences some of the most powerful and destructive tornadoes.
4. Florida: Tornadoes in the Sunshine State
Florida might be famous for its hurricanes, but it also sees a significant number of tornadoes, averaging 60 per year. Unlike the central plains, Florida's tornadoes are often associated with tropical storms and hurricanes, which can spawn multiple tornadoes as they move inland.
5. Nebraska: Consistent Tornado Activity
Nebraska rounds out the top five, with an average of 55 tornadoes each year. Much like Kansas and Oklahoma, Nebraska's position within Tornado Alley means it frequently experiences severe weather conditions conducive to tornado formation.
Other Notable Mentions: Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, and Alabama
These four other states also see a high number of tornadoes annually. Illinois averages 54 tornadoes, Iowa 52, while both Mississippi and Alabama average 50 tornadoes each year. These states, particularly Mississippi and Alabama, are part of a region known as Dixie Alley, which has seen increasing tornado activity in recent years.
Tornado Season and Frequency
The U.S. averages 1,333 tornadoes annually, with more than half occurring between April and June. Tornado season can vary by region, with the Great Plains experiencing peak activity in the spring, while Dixie Alley sees more tornadoes in the late fall and winter.
Understanding where tornadoes are most common helps communities prepare and stay safe. From Texas to Nebraska, these states are on the frontline of tornado activity, making it crucial for residents to be aware and ready for severe weather strikes.
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This Day in U S Military History
12 August
1898 – The brief and one-sided Spanish-American War comes to an end when Spain formally agrees to a peace protocol on U.S. terms: the cession of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Manila in the Philippines to the United States pending a final peace treaty. The Spanish-American War had its origins in the rebellion against Spanish rule that began in Cuba in 1895. The repressive measures that Spain took to suppress the guerrilla war, such as herding Cuba's rural population into disease-ridden garrison towns, were graphically portrayed in U.S. newspapers and enflamed public opinion. In January 1898, violence in Havana led U.S. authorities to order the battleship USS Maine to the city's port to protect American citizens. On February 15, a massive explosion of unknown origin sank the Maine in the Havana harbor, killing 260 of the 400 American crewmembers aboard. An official U.S. Naval Court of Inquiry ruled in March, without much evidence, that the ship was blown up by a mine but did not directly place the blame on Spain. Much of Congress and a majority of the American public expressed little doubt that Spain was responsible, and called for a declaration of war. In April, the U.S. Congress prepared for war, adopting joint congressional resolutions demanding a Spanish withdrawal from Cuba and authorizing President William McKinley to use force. On April 23, President McKinley asked for 125,000 volunteers to fight against Spain. The next day, Spain issued a declaration of war. The United States declared war on April 25. On May 1, the U.S. Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey destroyed the Spanish Pacific fleet at Manila Bay in the first battle of the Spanish-American War. Dewey's decisive victory cleared the way for the U.S. occupation of Manila in August and the eventual transfer of the Philippines from Spanish to American control. On the other side of the world, a Spanish fleet docked in Cuba's Santiago harbor in May after racing across the Atlantic from Spain. A superior U.S. naval force arrived soon after and blockaded the harbor entrance. In June, the U.S. Army Fifth Corps landed in Cuba with the aim of marching to Santiago and launching a coordinated land and sea assault on the Spanish stronghold. Included among the U.S. ground troops were the Theodore Roosevelt-led "Rough Riders," a collection of Western cowboys and Eastern blue bloods officially known as the First U.S. Voluntary Cavalry. On July 1, the Americans won the Battle of San Juan Hill, and the next day they began a siege of Santiago. On July 3, the Spanish fleet was destroyed off Santiago by U.S. warships under Admiral William Sampson, and on July 17 the Spanish surrendered the city–and thus Cuba–to the Americans. In Puerto Rico, Spanish forces likewise crumbled in the face of superior U.S. forces, and on August 12 an armistice was signed between Spain and the United States. On December 10, the Treaty of Paris officially ended the Spanish-American War. The once-proud Spanish empire was virtually dissolved, and the United States gained its first overseas empire. Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the United States, the Philippines were bought for $20 million, and Cuba became a U.S. protectorate. Philippine insurgents who fought against Spanish rule during the war immediately turned their guns against the new occupiers, and 10 times more U.S. troops died suppressing the Philippines than in defeating Spain.
1918 – SECNAV approves acceptance of women as yeoman (F) in U.S. Navy.
1918 – The Secretary of the Navy authorized the enlistment of women into the Marine Corps Reserve.
1941 – The House passes an extension of the draft period from one year to thirty months (and a similar increase for service in the National Guard) after considerable debate. The bill is passed by one vote (203-202) in the House, so it would be incorrect to suggest that American political opinion is strongly in favor of a more aggressive international policy at this point.
1941 – Churchill and Roosevelt conclude their meeting at Placentia Bay. It is agreed to send strong warnings to the Japanese and it is understood the America will almost certainly enter the war if Japan attacks British or Dutch possessions in the East Indies or Malaysia. A message is also sent to Stalin, proposing a meeting in Moscow. The conference is most remembered for the agreement later called the Atlantic Charter. This is a statement of principles governing the policies of Britain and the USA and states that all countries have the right to hold free elections and to be free from foreign pressure. The conference also gives British and American staffs an opportunity to get to know each other and to work together.
1942 – Strong American forces are landed on Espiritu Santu to build a supply base for the Guadalcanal campaign.
1942 – USS Cleveland (CL-55) demonstrates effectiveness of radio-proximity fuze (VT-fuze) against aircraft by successfully destroying 3 drones with proximity bursts fired by her five inch guns.
1944 – The first PLUTO (Pipe Line Under The Ocean) becomes operational carrying fuel from the Isle of Wight to Cherbourg.
1944 – The US 15th Corps (part of US 3rd Army) captures Alencon and advances to the outskirts of Argentan where the German 116th Panzer Division is located.
1944 – Italian based American bombers attack the Bordeaux-Merignac airfield and then fly on to Britain.
1944 – Elements of US 5th Army complete the capture of Florence.
1944 – LT Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., USNR, the older brother of John F. Kennedy, was killed with his co-pilot in a mid-air explosion after taking off from England in a PB4Y from Special Attack Unit One (SAU-1). Following manual takeoff, they were supposed to parachute out over the English Channel while the radio-controlled explosive filled drone proceeded to attack a German V-2 missile-launching site. Possible causes include faulty wiring or FM signals from a nearby transmitter.
1945 – Over Japan, B-29 Superfortress bombers continue attacks on targets.
1945 – The battleship USS Pennsylvania is damaged by an attack from a Japanese torpedo bomber off the island of Okinawa. Meanwhile, A Japanese submarine sinks the American destroyer Thomas F. Nickel and the landing craft Oak Hill.
1957 – In first test of Automatic Carrier Landing System, LCDR Don Walker is landed on USS Antietam.
1958 – USS Nautilus (SSN-571) arrives Portland, England completing first submerged under ice cruise from Pacific to Atlantic Oceans.
1959 – The 1st ship firing of a Polaris missile was from Observation Island.
1960 – USAF Major Robert M White takes X-15 to 41,600 m.
1969 – Viet Cong forces launch a new offensive with attacks on 150 cities, towns, and bases, including Da Nang and Hue. The heaviest attacks were aimed at the area adjacent to the Cambodian border northwest of Saigon; an estimated 2,000 Communists attacked Tay Ninh, Quan Loi, Loc Ninh, and An Loc. Further north, North Vietnamese commandos fought their way into the U.S. First Marine Division headquarters in Da Nang. They were eventually driven out by the Marines, who killed 40 Communist soldiers, sustaining five killed and 23 wounded in the process.
1972 – As the last U.S. ground troops left Vietnam, B-52's made their largest strike of the war.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*WORLEY, KENNETH L.
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Bo Ban, Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 12 August 1968. Entered service at: Fresno, Calif. Born: 27 April 1948, Farmington, N. Mex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner with Company L, 3d Battalion, in action against enemy forces. After establishing a night ambush position in a house in the Bo Ban, Hamlet of Quang Nam Province, security was set up and the remainder of the patrol members retired until their respective watch. During the early morning hours the marines were abruptly awakened by the platoon leader's warning that "grenades" had landed in the house. Fully realizing the inevitable result of his actions, L/Cpl. Worley, in a valiant act of heroism, instantly threw himself upon the grenade nearest him and his comrades, absorbing with his body, the full and tremendous force of the explosion. Through his extraordinary initiative and inspiring valor in the face of almost certain death, he saved his comrades from serious injury and possible loss of life although 5 of his fellow marines incurred minor wounds as the other grenades exploded. L/Cpl. Worley's gallant actions upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
ALVARADO, LEONARD L.
Rank and Organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army. Place and Date: Phuoc Long Province, Vietnam, August 12, 1969. Born: February 13, 1947, Bakersfield, CA. Entered Service At: Bakersfield, CA. G.O. Number: .Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: . Citation: Alvarado distinguished himself on Aug. 12, 1969, while serving as a rifleman during a mission to relieve a sister platoon, in Phuoc Long Province, Vietnam. Alvarado was killed in action after disrupting an enemy raid and saving the lives of several comrades, leaving behind his wife and young daughter.
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This Day in Aviation History" brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.
Aug. 11, 1921
The practical development of carrier arresting gear began when pilot Lt. Alfred M. Pride, Daedalian Founder Member #13030, taxied an Aeromarine plane onto a dummy deck and engaged arresting wires at NAS Hampton Roads, Virginia. These tests resulted in the development of arresting gear for Langley (CV 1) that consisted essentially of athwartship wires attached to weights along with fore and aft wires.
Aug. 12, 1944
Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., USNR, of VPB-110, temporarily assigned to Special Air Unit 1, and Lt. Wilford J. Willy participated in a mission in a PB4Y-1 Liberator, BuNo 32271, against a German V-1 flying bomb launching site in German-occupied France. The weight of the Liberator, which carried 21,170-pounds of high explosives, precluded take off by remote control, so Kennedy and Willy voluntarily made the takeoff from Winfarthing (Fersfield), England. The men remained with the drone to ensure the assumption of control by two "mother" planes — one used as insurance against potential equipment failure in the primary — and were then to bail out over England. At 1820, the Liberator suddenly exploded killing Kennedy and Willy. No cause was ever determined. The two each received the Navy Cross posthumously and the destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD 850) was named in his honor.
Aug. 13, 1918
During a patrol from NAS Dunkirk, France, pilot Ens. Julian F. Carson sighted a surfaced U-boat. The Germans challenged the plane and opened fire with their deck gun, hitting the aircraft in several places with fragments. Carson returned fire and bombed the submarine as it attempted to submerge, which drove the boat back to the surface at a sharp angle. The U-boat stayed there briefly and then slid stern first underwater. The French credited Carson with sinking the craft and awarded him the Croix de Guerre. Carson was Daedalian Founder Member #5848.
Aug. 14, 1912
Sgt. Vernon Burge received rating as the U.S. Army's first enlisted pilot on Aug. 14, 1912. He spent 10 years in the enlisted corps before receiving his commission in World War I, and then served the next 25 years as an officer. Burge, Daedalian Founder Member #345, retired as a colonel. He died at the age of 82 in 1971. He is buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. A bronze sculpture of Burge, honoring all enlisted pilots, is on display at Gunter Annex, Alabama, adjacent to the U.S. Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall.
Aug. 15, 1949
Lt. Gen. Harold L. George, wartime Chief of Air Transport Command and then vice president and general manager of Hughes Aircraft Company, received the Air Force Association Award for his contribution to American airpower. General George was one of the original 35 Daedalian Charter Members, Founder Member #8, and the first national commander, serving from 1934-36.
Aug. 16, 1909
Acting Secretary of the Navy George von L. Meyer disapproved a request by the Bureau of Equipment for authority to advertise for the construction of "two heavier than air flying machines," with the comment: "The Department does not consider that the development of an aeroplane has progressed sufficiently at this time for use in the Navy."
Aug. 17, 1946
First Sgt. Lawrence Lambert became the first person in the U.S. to be ejected from an aircraft by ejection seat, in a P-61 flying at 302 MPH and 7,800 feet, over Patterson Field in Dayton, Ohio. Lambert, assigned to the Air Material Command Parachute Branch, was an 11-year veteran of the Air Corps. He had made 58 parachute jumps before the test. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for August 12, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
12 August
1908: Lts Frank P. Lahm, Bejamin D. Foulois,, and Thomas E. Selfridge began the first, official American airship tests at Fort Myer. (24) (See 28 August)
1918: Civilian pilots began flying airmail for the Post Office Department. (5)
1930: Capt Frank Hawks broke his previous round-trip transcontinental record of 27 June 1929 by 9 hours 33 minutes for a flight from New York to Los Angeles and back. He reached Los Angeles in 12 hours 25 minutes 3 seconds and returned to New York in 14 hours 50 minutes. (9)
1941: Capt Homer Boushey, Jr., flew an Ercoupe civilian airplane on the first successful rocket- assisted takeoff at Wright Field. (21) (24)
1945: From bases in China, Fourteenth Air Force attacked troops and convoys in Changsha corridor, China. (5)
1950: KOREAN WAR. USN Task Force 77 moved up Korea's west coast to attack interdiction targets in N. Korea, leaving all close air support and interdiction strikes in S. Korea to FEAF. More than forty B-29s attacked the Rashin port in northeast Korea, near the Soviet border. (28)
1957: With Lt Cmdr James M. Pruitt (USN) as the pilot, a Douglas A3D twin-jet Skywarrior flew from Hawaii to California. It covered the 2,438 miles in 4 hours 12 minutes to set a record for the eastward flight.
1960: Echo I, a passive communications satellite, placed in orbit. Maj Robert M. White flew the X-15 to a new FAI record of 136,500 feet to break Capt Iven Kincheloe's 1956 record of 126,200 feet in the X-2. (9) (24)
1961: The USS Abraham Lincoln set a record for underwater launchings by firing six Polaris missiles in one day. (16) (24)
1962: After two years in orbit, the Echo I satellite established that inflatable structures could function in space for long periods. In its 9,000 orbits, the aluminized mylar plastic balloon covered 277,257,677.67 miles while supporting some 150 communications experiments. (24)
1971: 2Lt Robert Stratton weighed 1,520 pounds for 45 seconds to establish a record for sustained high-G endurance. He set the record in a USAF School of Aerospace Medicine study.
1972: Lt Col Wendell Shawler became the first USAF pilot to fly the F-15. (3) At Indianola, Ind., Wilma Piccard flew 17.6 miles in a Piccard S-10 balloon to set a FAI distance record for subclass A-1 balloons (under 250 cubic meters). (9)
1977: The Space Shuttle Enterprise, a test vehicle designed to operate in the atmosphere, completed its first launch, descent, and landing from the back of a 747 at 22,800 feet above Edwards AFB. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center conducted the test program. (21)
1985: Through 15 October, a 436 MAW C-5A Galaxy delivered 35 tons of equipment, including three helicopters, to assist over 2 million flood- and famine-stricken victims in Western Sudan. The helicopters distributed grain to famine victims that were cut off from road and rail transportation. (16)
1987: Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space and the Associate Administrator for the Office of Exploration in NASA, released a study on long range goals for the US space effort. It recommended four endeavors: using space to study Earth, exploring the solar system, setting up an outpost on the moon, and making a manned expedition to Mars.
1991: The F-15 STOL demonstrator made its last flight at Edwards AFB, validating the F-15's Autonomous Landing Guidance System during a night landing at Edwards. (30)
1992: Operation PROVIDE TRANSITION. Through 7 October, C-130s helped Angola prepare for its first democratic elections by flying 8,805 demobilized soldiers home after 16 years of civil war and 265 tons of cargo on 326 sorties. (16) (18)
2005: From the Virginia ANG's 192 FW, Lt Col Phillip Guy became the first pilot to complete F-22 initial qualification training, while TSgt Scott Browning and TSgt David Dehart became the ANG's first F-22 maintainers. After completing training, Guy moved from Richmond IAP to Langley AFB, Va., to begin the wing's integration with the 1 FW. (32)
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