To All,
Good Wednesday Morning August 21.Another nice day here. I hope that you all are having a good Week.
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
Today in Naval and Marine Corps History
Aug. 21
1858 The brig, USS Dolphin, captures the slave ship, Echo, with 300 Africans on board off the north coast of Cuba. She is taken to Charleston, S.C., and those saved from slavery are later sent back to Africa.
1883 The installation of the first electric lighting on board a U.S. Navy ship is completed on board USS Trenton.
1918 During World War I, while piloting a Navy seaplane near Pola, Ensign Charles H. Hammann lands on the Adriatic Sea to rescue Ensign George H. Ludlow, whose aircraft is shot down by Austro-Hungarian forces. Though Hammann's plane is not designed for two persons, and despite the risk of enemy attack, he successfully completes the rescue and returns to the base at Porto Corsini, Italy. For Hamman's actions on this occasion, he is awarded the Medal of Honor. USS Hammann (DD 412) and USS Hammann (DE 131) are named in his honor.
1965 Gemini V is launched. Astronauts are Gordon Cooper, Jr., USAF, (Command Pilot) and Lt. Cmdr. Charles Conrad Jr., USN, (Pilot). They complete 120 orbits in almost eight days at an altitude of 349.8 km. Recovery is by helicopter from USS Lake Champlain (CVS 39).
1980 USS Truxtun (CGN 35) rescues 42 Vietnamese refugees and USS Merrill (DD 976) rescues 62 Vietnamese refugees, over 200 miles southeast of Saigon.
1993 USS Tempest (PC 2) is commissioned at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va. The third Navy ship to be named Tempest, the Cyclone-class coastal patrol ship.
2017 The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) is involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Ten Sailors lose their lives and the ship suffers significant damage to the hull resulting in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery, and communications rooms.
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This day in World History August 21
1129... The warrior Yoritomo is made Shogun without equal in Japan.
1525... Estevao Gomes returns to Portugal after failing to find a clear waterway to Asia.
1794... France surrenders the island of Corsica to the British.
1808... Napoleon Bonaparte's General Junot is defeated by Wellington at the first Battle of the Peninsular War at Vimeiro, Portugal.
1831... Nat Turner leads a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia that kills close to 60 whites.
1858... The first of a series of debates begins between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. Douglas goes on to win the Senate seat in November, but Lincoln gains national visibility for the first time.
1863... Confederate raiders under William Quantrill strike Lawrence, Kansas, leaving 150 civilians dead.
1864... Confederate General A.P. Hill attacks Union troops south of Petersburg, Va., at the Weldon railroad. His attack is repulsed, resulting in heavy Confederate casualties.
1915... Italy declares war on Turkey.
1942... U.S. Marines turn back the first major Japanese ground attack on Guadalcanal in the Battle of Tenaru. See more below
1944... The Dumbarton Oaks conference, which lays the foundation for the establishment of the United Nations, is held in Washington, D.C.
1945... President Harry S. Truman cancels all contracts under the Lend-Lease Act.
1959... Hawaii is admitted into the Union.
1963... The South Vietnamese Army arrests over 100 Buddhist monks in Saigon.
1968... Soviet forces invade Czechoslovakia because of the country's experiments with a more liberal government.
1972... US orbiting astronomy observatory Copernicus launched.
1976... Mary Langdon in Battle, East Sussex, becomes Britain's first firewoman.
1976... Operation Paul Bunyan: after North Korean guards killed two American officers sent to trim a poplar tree along the DMZ on Aug. 18, US and ROK soldiers with heavy support chopped down the tree.
1986... In Cameroon 2,000 die from poison gas from a volcanic eruption.
1988... Ceasefire in the 8-year war between Iran and Iraq.
1989... Voyager 2 begins a flyby of planet Neptune.
1991... Communist hardliners' coup is crushed in USSR after just 2 days; Latvia declares independence from USSR.
1994... Ernesto Zedillo wins Mexico's presidential election.
1996... The new Globe theater opens in England.
2000... Tiger Woods wins golf's PGA Championship, the first golfer to win 3 majors in a calendar year since Ben Hogan in 1953.
2001... NATO decides to send a peacekeeping force to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
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OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 19 August 2024 and ending Sunday, 25 August 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)…
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post of 19 August 1969..
As more than half-a-million young Americans departed the scene of the historic 1969 Woodstock Music Festival in Bethel, N.Y. to resume their protests of the Vietnam war in their respective hometowns in America, nearly 250 caskets containing the remains of the brave young men who had perished on the battlefields of Southeast Asia during the week of Woodstock were arriving home from the war. Alas, the war had more than three years and twenty thousand American KIAs to go. Remember?
(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 21 August You need to read this one it is all about An A-6 strike that did not go well
21-Aug: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1310
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 Shadow
Guys,
Black can confirm… Glenn was the real deal! John Verdi who served with him in Korea Loved the guy. Real Leader and warrior. Verdi was a squadron check pilot and led Glenn on his first few missions in Korea. In fact, he gave Glenn his nickname in the squadron "Old Magnet Ass"! He had warned Glenn he was flying too slow on his runs… "This ain't WW II, these guys can shoot if they have enough time… Pick up your speed". A few days later Glenn took some substantial hits, and was lucky to make it back. After that, he picked up his speed and had a new nickname!
Verdi highly regarded Glenn and they corresponded up until the end, when Verdi went missing. He also opined that the Marine Corps did him (Glenn) dirty in the end, out of pure jealousy. They denied "John" a Command... after he went back to the corps after being an astronaut with NASA. Black can also attest… if Verdi said someone was a leader and warrior… you could take it to the bank; in his time and in his prime… the man was a stud!
Shadow
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Thanks to History Facts
4 Secrets of the CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency has its fingers in many pies, from counterterrorism to offensive cyber operations and covert paramilitary actions. The mere mention of the CIA brings with it a certain mystique, conjuring up images of secret agents, globe-trotting spies, and clandestine activities. It's no surprise, then, that the agency has featured heavily in numerous Hollywood movies, from Spy Game and Zero Dark Thirty to The Bourne Identity and Bridge of Spies.
The CIA was formed in 1947 by President Harry Truman, partly as a replacement for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which was disbanded after World War II. As a civilian intelligence service and part of the U.S. Intelligence Community, it is officially tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world. Unlike the FBI, the CIA has no law enforcement function — it's also not allowed to collect information regarding "U.S. Persons," although the agency's actions have often proven controversial in that regard. Unsurprisingly, the CIA has kept — and uncovered — many secrets over the decades. Here are some of the most fascinating secrets from the agency's history, from innovative spy techniques to daring covert missions.
The CIA Had Plenty of Secret Gadgets
The CIA created a range of secret gadgets that could have been straight out of a James Bond movie. The extensive list of low- and high-tech trickery includes hollow silver dollars for holding messages or film; miniature compasses hidden in cufflinks; pigeon-mounted mini cameras; a listening device designed to look like tiger excrement; and a robot fish called Charlie that secretly collected water samples. Perhaps most impressive of all was the "insectothopter," a tiny robotic dragonfly that could eavesdrop on otherwise inaudible conversations.
The CIA Used the Skyhook Before Bond and Batman
In 1962, the CIA launched a mission — code-named Project COLDFEET — to investigate an abandoned Soviet research station on a floating ice island in the Arctic. Getting there was easy enough: Two Navy pilots secretly parachuted down onto the ice and began their search for information. The tricky part was how to recover the pilots and the information they had retrieved, as it was impossible to land an aircraft on the ice. So, the CIA decided to use its new Fulton surface-to-air recovery system, colloquially known as the Skyhook. The agents on the ground deployed a helium balloon that lifted a 500-foot line into the air. A slow-moving B-17 plane, with the Skyhook device attached to its nose, then flew overhead and snagged the line with the agents attached to the end of it, sweeping them into the air, at which point they were winched aboard the aircraft. Sound familiar? You might have seen the Skyhook used later by James Bond in 1965's Thunderball and Batman in 2008's The Dark Knight.
More from History Facts
What's the Difference Between a President and a Prime Minister?
FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT AND WINSTON CHURCHILL
Governments have played a crucial role in human history for thousands of years. Their structure has evolved significantly over time, and while modern political systems vary, many countries now are led by either a president or a prime minister. Though the core roles of these high-ranking officials are fundamentally similar, there are several distinctions between the two positions, including the types of governments they represent, how they are elected, how long they keep their title, and their specific powers.
Head of State vs. Head of Government
A president is almost always the head of state as well as the head of government — not only do they participate in policymaking, but they also may oversee the military and represent the nation diplomatically. A prime minister, meanwhile, is typically the head of government, and while they're often the most recognizable figurehead of a country, a separate individual serves as the head of state. In a parliamentary system, the prime minister works closely with the legislative body, Parliament, and must maintain its confidence to stay in power. In constitutional monarchies, such as Canada, the U.K., and Japan, the PM leads Parliament while the head of state may be a king, queen, or emperor. Other countries have both a president and a prime minister. For instance, in parliamentary republics such as Finland and India, a president serves as the head of state and a prime minister governs. A semi-presidential system, such as in France, also has both a president and a prime minister, but the president typically holds significant power. In countries where the president is also the head of government, such as the U.S., the role includes several executive duties: enacting and enforcing the laws created by Congress, negotiating treaties, appointing Cabinet members and judges, and deploying military forces. A prime minister, meanwhile, also leads their country's government, overseeing the federal agenda, directing policy development and decisions, and choosing Cabinet members who will carry out the work. Even though a PM is not an official head of state, they often undertake diplomatic functions as a prominent representative of the country.
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
More notes on the loss of the Mig -23
'MORNIN' Welcome to EYE CANDY con't…. More of Toro's digital art and historic perspective:
Several former USN pilots responded and mentioned their time over The Dragon's Jaw, a very difficult bridge. The Vietnamese called it "Thanh Hoa Bridge" spanning the "Song Ma" river three miles north of Than Hoa Thanh Hóa (Vietnamese: [tʰajŋ̟ hwǎ) is the capital of Thanh Hóa Province. The city is situated in the east of the province on the Ma River (Sông Mã), less than 100 miles south of capital Hanoi and 1560 kilometers (969 miles) north of Ho Chi Minh City. Thanh Hoa became one of the most populous cities in North Central Coast after expanding in 2012 with a population of approximately 400,000
MiG 23UB "Flogger" over Willow Run Airport, A bad day for Dan Filer, pilot/owner...
The variable wing MiG-23 was the Russian counterpart to the General Dynamics F-111 'Aardvark'
The preliminary report adds new details concerning both the mechanical issue and the crew's response to the problem.
After launching from runway 23 of Willow Run airport (YIP) in Ypsilanti, Michigan as part of the Thunder Over Michigan air show, the MiG-23 pilot executed a right turn into a so-called "banana pass" – a low-level knife-edge pass along the runway.
As pilot and aircraft owner Dan Filer banked out of the pass, he noticed the Soviet-made jet's afterburner did not ignite, after which the MiG began to lose airspeed, the NTSB says of Filer's recounting to investigators.
In response, Filer adjusted the MiG-23's variable geometry wings into the fully forward position of 16° sweep to maximise lift. The former US Navy aviator was in the process of troubleshooting the problem, according to safety investigators, when the rear seat observer argued for and executed ejection procedures.
According to Filer, if either crew member initiates an ejection, both seats are ejected.
When asked for his recollection of the incident, the unnamed second seat observer told the NTSB that he and Filer agreed the MiG was experiencing an engine problem, and determined they did not have sufficient altitude to safely reach a runway at YIP.
"He said they were compressed for time and needed to get out," the NTSB report says of the back seat crew member.
When asked if he pulled the ejection handles, the rear seat observer said, "he could not specifically remember, but thinks he would have pulled them", the NTSB says.
Multiple videos and photographs of the incident emerged on social media, showing the single-engined jet flying low over several pleasure boats in a shallow left turn, with the MiG-23's variable wings in the forward position.
The pilot and back seat crew member suddenly eject in quick succession from the tandem cockpit, marked by the flash and smoke of two small explosions.
The derelict airframe continues banking to left as two orange and white parachutes deploy amid a shower of debris. Several seconds later a plume of thick black smoke is seen rising above the tree line where the doomed jet impacted the ground.
Both flight crew were recovered, with unspecified non-life-threatening injuries. No serious injuries occurred on the ground, although the MiG narrowly missed an apartment complex near the impact site.
Photographer Scott Belanger captured high-resolution photos of the MiG-23's doomed flight, including the moment the pilot ejected.
Known to NATO air forces as the "Flogger," the Soviet Union designed the MiG-23 to replace the widely fielded MiG-21, according to the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
The MiG-23MS variant was "designed for foreign export and was less capable than domestic Soviet versions", according to the museum. The jet that crashed in Michigan was a two-seat MiG-23UB training variant.
The type was first delivered in 1973, with more than 5,000 being produced in total.
The variable geometry design is described by the US Air Force (USAF) as being similar to the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. The pilot-adjustable wings could be set for low-speed take-off or supersonic flight.
Throughout several decades of the Cold War, the USAF covertly acquired Soviet MiG-17, MiG-21 and MiG-23 fighters to conduct secret flight testing and adversary air training under a secret programme designated Constant Peg.
The service acquired a MiG-23 in 1980, according to the USAF, which is now on display at the air force museum.
According to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), at whose 2023 air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin Filer's MiG-23 had appeared just before the Michigan crash, the now destroyed fighter was imported from the Czech Republic.
The former Grumman A-6 Intruder pilot also purchased as many as 17 single-seat Floggers, according to the EAA, including aircraft from Poland and Bulgaria. Filer told the EAA he later donated those to various air museums.
• Crew: 1 sat on a Mikoyan KM-1M ejection seat
• Length: 54 ft 9 in
• Wingspan: 45 ft 10 in fully spread
25.52 ft fully-swept
• Height: 15 ft 10 in
• Wing area: 402.0 sq ft fully-spread
367.7 sq ft fully-swept
• Airfoil: root: TsAGI SR-12S (6.5%); tip: TsAGI SR-12S (5.5%)
• Gross weight: 32,717 lb
• Max takeoff weight: 39,242 lb
• Fuel capacity: 1,130 US gal internal with provision for up to 3x 210 US gal; 180 drop-tanks
• Powerplant: 1 × Khatchaturov R-35-300 afterburning turbojet, 18,800 lbf thrust with variable-geometry nozzles dry, 127.49 kN (28,660 lbf) with afterburner
Performance
• Maximum speed: 1,600 mph / M2.35 at altitude
870 mph / M1.14 at sea level
• Range: 1,200 mi, 1,000 nmi) clean
• Combat range: 900 mi with standard armament, no drop-tanks
1,470 mi; with standard armament and 3x 210 US gal drop-tanks
• Service ceiling: 60,700 ft)
• g limits: +8.5
• Rate of climb: 45,000 ft/min at sea level
• Wing loading: 76 lb/sq ft
• Thrust/weight: 0.91
• Take-off distance: 1,480 ft
• Landing distance: 2,260 ft
Armament
• Guns: 1 × 23 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannon with 200 rounds
• Hardpoints: 2 × fuselage, 2 × wing glove and 2 × wing pylons with a capacity of up to 4,400 lb of stores, with provisions to carry combinations of:
• Rockets:
• S-5
• S-8M
• S-24B
• Missiles:
• Air-to-air missiles:
• 4 × R-60 or 2 x R-73
• 2 × R-23 or R-24
• 2 × R-13M or R-13M1
• 2 × R-3S
• Air-to-surface missiles:
• Kh-23 Grom
• Bombs: Up to 1,100 lb bombs per hardpoint
Douglas A1 "Skyraider" what a versatile airplane especially during the Vietnam War in its SAR role. The late John Gearhart was forced to belly-land his Skyraider with a load of bombs beneath the wings. He was unable to Jetson his bomb load, unable to lower the gear. He gingerly landed and walked away likely scratchin' his head and smilin' !
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Thanks to Dictionary Scoop
ALL MYTHS HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, RIGHT?
You Won't Believe These 10 Myths Originated In Real People
Published on August 20, 2024
While most myths are based on fiction, some are based on real-life individuals. Greek, Egyptian, and medieval figures that once were thought to be inventions have turned out to be real people thanks to archaeological findings. So, scroll down and learn more about 10 larger-than-life characters that actually existed.
1
Prince Paris of Troy
Paris, the handsome Trojan prince from The Iliad who abducted Helen, was in fact a real person. The city of Troy was located on the west coast of Anatolia (modern Turkey), and it might have been known as Wilusa, during the Bronze Age.
A surviving treaty from this period was signed between a man named Alaksandu (which sounds very similar to Prince Paris's second name, Alexander) probably from Wilusa/Troy, and Muwatalli II of the Hittites. Also, other historical documents hint that Alaksandu lived in and ruled Troy/Wilusa.
2
King Priam of Troy
Since we are talking about Troy, Paris wasn't the only Trojan who might've been real; his father, King Priam, might have been a legitimate Trojan ruler. In the Late Bronze Age, the Hittites ran into some trouble with an individual named Piyaramadu, who was a rebel who took over Troy/Wilusa.
3
Croesus
The phrase "rich as Croesus" is used to describe a semi-legendary monarch who was extremely wealthy. But Croesus was a real sixth-century BC ruler of Lydia (in Anatolia), who was both rich and martial, conquering many Greek towns that were located in what is now Turkey.
4
Cincinnatus
The Roman general Cincinnatus was a military man who only reluctantly assumed power when the Romans faced a dangerous rival group called the Aequi. They called Cincinnatus to defend them who, at the time, was busy working on his tiny farm outside the city.
After defeating the enemy in just one day, Cincinnatus remained in power long enough to ensure Rome was safe. As soon as the crisis ended, he went home and started farming again. The humility and courageous character of this general inspired George Washington.
5
Semiramis
According to an ancient legend, the Assyrian queen Semiramis was the daughter of a goddess. She invented the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and became a prominent ruler in her own right.
This might seem a bit far-fetched but "Semiramis" was the Greek name for a real ancient Assyrian queen, Sammu-ramat, who lived in the 9th BC. This queen was the wife of King Shamshi-Adad V and the mother of King Adad-Nirari III, but also maintained a lot of power in her own right.
6
Imhotep
Imhotep was a real-life person, who served as the Egyptian pharaoh Djoser's architect, healer, and minister. He served as the pharaoh's right hand and even helped design his famous step pyramid. His popularity was such that, eventually, he was deified and worshiped as a real god.
7
King Arthur
Maybe he was not the legendary king who ripped a sword out of a stone or had a powerful magician at his side, but Arthur was a genuine historical figure leading the Roman-British against the invading Anglo-Saxons during the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
His involvement at the Battle of Badon, in particular, is supportable but also exemplifies the problematic nature of the historical narrative, recording he slew 960 men in battle, quite an impossible number.
8
The "Beast", from the "Beauty and the Beast"
The incredible story of "Beauty and the Beast" might have been based on a real person, Petrus Gonsalvus, a young boy from the 16th century. Petrus suffered a severe case of hypertrichosis, a condition that causes a person to grow hair all over their body, often referred to as "werewolf syndrome."
Gonsalvus was 10 years old when he was sent to the King of France to operate as a court jester. Eventually, King Henry's wife, Catherine de Medici, found Gonsalvus a wife. Though it took some getting used to, the beauty fell in love with the "beast." They remained married for 40 years and had seven kids together, four of which also had hypertrichosis.
9
Amazons
According to Greek mythology, the Amazons were a race of legendary female warriors. This was disputed until modern archaeological discoveries gave new life to the claims. Believed to be descendants of Ares, the God of War, and Harmonia, the Goddess of Harmony, these women supposedly dedicated their lives to the perfection of martial prowess.
Recent archaeological findings have uncovered numerous burial sites of female Sarmatian warriors. With as many as twenty percent of all warrior tombs in the ancient territory containing women, this discovery has provided new impetus to believe in the Amazons as real historical individuals.
10
Dracula
One of the most supernatural characters in our list is based on a real-life individual. Count Dracula, the literary villain created by Bram Stoker was, at least partially, based on Vlad III, also known as Vlad Dracula, a Romanian prince who employed some gruesome tactics to defend his territory of Wallachia, a region south of Transylvania.
During his lifetime, Vlad was known for his enjoyment of torture and killing, reportedly impaling tens of thousands of enemies on stakes and then feasting among his victims.
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Thanks to Barrett ...
Fascinating!
Who'd a thunk?
Why US planes Only had 1 Roundel
Wonder if there's documentation on the asymmetric view presented to Enemy Aircraft.
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Looks like Boeing is in trouble again
Thanks to Michael ...
Boeing's next generation widebody – the 777X, with several size variants – faces new challenges today. It's years behind schedule, and the airframe manufacturer's test fleet has just been grounded.
As first reported by The Air Current, a Boeing 777-9 test plane operated a Kona flight on Friday. When inspected after the flight, Beoing found "cracks in the thrust link structure." Furthermore, there's also been an issue with the mounting of the engine to the plane on Boeing's other two test 777-9s.
Each engine has two thrust links which "transfer thrust loads from the engine to the aft lower engine mount." If one fails, they're designed so that the engine will still be carried by the structure.
The design of the 777X thrust link is not common with other aircraft currently in operation. The plane's engines are larger and heavier than those on existing Boeing
Over 500 planes have been ordered, with first delivery most recently expected in 2026. At least 403 777-9 orders have been reported, along with 43 -8s and 55 -8 freighters. The largest order came from Emirates. Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, ANA, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Korean Air are all reported large customers. No U.S. airline has ordered one.
It's unclear how a pause in testing will affect this schedule – that will be determined by any findings. The plane's first test flight was four years ago.
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Thanks to Dr. Rich
Heck, I can't Even Throw the Ball Straight Up and Catch it Again...
Thanks to John H. ...
AMAZING‼️ Enjoy‼️
5 Women Stand In A Line. But Play Close Attention To The One On The Far Left (madlyodd.com)
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Thanks to Mike
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."
Winston Churchill
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Thanks to MIke
While this may not rise to the level of "stolen valor," but stretching the facts of your military service comes close. Find it hard to believe that someone in the public eye would even attempt to alter the character of their service.
Lie About Military Service, Lie About Anything
By Andy Joppa
A man's military record is often the most sacred of his contributions to the cause of America's freedom. His courageous acts should be celebrated but they must never be embellished for any purpose…private or public. Every embellishment…every distortion…throws shade on all the actions of the fine men who were willing to give so much to sustaining our nation's greatness. By my reckoning, lying about your military record is one of the blackest marks a person can have on his character. This is followed closely by lying to diminish another warrior's contribution.
I am Vietnam veteran. My base…Binh Thuy, in the Mekong Delta, was attacked more than any other American air base in our history…most of that occurred while I was there from January 3rd, 1968, to December 16th, 1968. I am proud of having been able to make that limited contribution to my country as did my father to a much greater extent in WWII (Silver Star and two purple hearts) and grandfather (WWI) before me.
There is, however, one thing I always make obvious about my time in the Nam…especially when I'm talking to a Marine, Seal, or Army combat troop. I was in the Air Force. I administered non-tactical radios and MARS on my base. I wasn't in the field. I slept in a comfortable bed and ate great food. I didn't have my life put at risk under the demanding conditions that they experienced. I didn't suffer in the jungles of Vietnam. I never want to diminish their heroism by including my story alongside theirs. I didn't want to steal any of their glory.
The political Left is guilty of the two types of lies to which I alluded. They lied about George W. Bush's record. GWB's military record wasn't dramatic but it was honorable and well served. The Left was exposed for that lie, a lie that was authored by Dan Rather of CBS news and echoed by every MSM outlet.
In that same time, they lied about the quality of John Kerry's Vietnam record. The Left would have you believe that 250 combat veterans distorted John Kerry's war experiences and the reasons that he received combat medals. The media even invented a term that has stayed in our vocabulary…swift boating.
They sold the American people a lie…a lie about Kerry that was disputed by 250 men who knew him best in Vietnam. With the MSM behind Kerry the truth was defeated. I believed the 250 for many reasons, not the least of which was his accusing our troops of acting like the forces under Genghis Khan when Kerry appeared before Congress.
We all have to make our own decisions about these types of things. Perhaps they matter too much…but they do and should, matter. Right now, we being asked to judge the military difference between JD Vance and Tim Walz. This will not be the major difference between them but it may put more emphasis on the other factors as they emerge.
Vance's record is straight forward. He enlisted in the Marines and served honorably in a combat zone, while not actually being involved with combat itself. It is what it is, and Vance has never made it other than that. He served his country as it asked.
Walz's record is open to serious conjecture. He apparently served well in the national guard rising to the top level of the enlisted ranks…seemingly well done to this point. However, a challenge has been made by several men who served under him that he walked away from his unit just before they were being shipped to a combat zone.
The Tim Walz narrative is that he served overseas in combat zones while in the National Guard, retiring as a command sergeant major. The only problem is that this narrative contains a series of distortions.
First, Walz implied he'd served in Afghanistan when he never got further east than a comfortable assignment to Italy. That means that his whole story about being a gun-toting combat vet to justify his dream of destroying the Second Amendment is ridiculous.
Second, he only had a conditional promotion to command sergeant major, after which he was demoted to master sergeant because he did not complete his obligation to serve for a minimal amount of time. It's that decision to leave before the promotion became permanent that highlights Walz's real problem.
Third, and most seriously, when Walz's unit was going to be sent to Iraq at the height of the war, he abruptly retired. That not only jettisoned his promotion, but it left his unit high and dry with the absence of their leading non-com. This was posted by a member of Walz former unit after deployment…" When my unit in the 4th Infantry Division was notified of deployment to Iraq, I answered the call. The man Democrats want to be Vice President abandoned his unit because he was and is a coward."
I obviously don't have any firsthand knowledge of Walz's record. It seems, however, to have embellishments and distortions. You must decide how you feel about all of this. If these things matter…and they should…then his record must be weighed and considered within his political candidacy. You only have to imagine what the MSM would do to JD if the situations were reversed.
As I've examined his record as a congressman and then governor, I can find numerous situations where how Walz handled his military circumstance is how he's handled his political career.
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This Day in U S Military History
1778 – The Siege of Pondicherry was the first military action on the Indian subcontinent following the declaration of war between Great Britain and France in the American War of Independence. A British force besieged the French-controlled port of Puducherry in August 1778, which capitulated after ten weeks of siege. Following the American victory at Saratoga in October 1777, France decided to enter the American War of Independence as an ally to the United States. Word first reached the French Indian colony of Pondicherry in July 1778 that France and Britain had recalled their ambassadors, a sign that war was imminent. The British colonies had already received orders to seize the French possessions in India and begun military preparations. The siege would last almost 2 months. Between 6 and 13 October the British siege operations continued, but heavy rains hampered them. The British succeeded in draining the northern ditch, which the French unsuccessfully attempted again to flood. On 14 October the walls of the two bastions the British had targeted lay in ruins, and preparations began for an assault. Bellecombe was also running out of ammunition. After holding a war council on 15 October, he sent a truce flag to Munro the next day. He signed the terms of capitulation on 18 October.
1883 – The first installation of electric lights in a US Navy warship took place during the summer of 1883. Earlier that spring, seven electric power companies were asked by the Bureau of Navigation to submit bids for installing lights in USS Trenton, then currently berthed at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn. Only one, the Edison Company for Isolated Lighting, submitted a bid of $5,500 to install one L dynamo & one Armington-Sims engine complete to supply light via insulated wiring to 104 16-candle power lamps, 130 10-candle power lamps, and 4 32-candle power lamps. The ensuing contract also included 238 key sockets, 6 extra brushes, 1 automatic regulator and 1 dynamo foundation. Lieutenant.Commander. R. B. Bradford, executive officer of the ship, oversaw the installation of this equipment in Trenton between 7 June and 21 August 1883. Owing to the need to maintain the engine and dynamo, the system was only run at night.
1942 – On Guadalcanal, Japanese Colonel Ichiki's force of 1000 men attack the American positions across the Tenaru River. The American strength and defenses are unexpected and the Japanese force is destroyed. The Marines continue to receive shipments of supplies and some reinforcements.
1945 – Haroutune (Harry) Krikor Daghlian, Jr. (May 4, 1921 – September 15, 1945), an Armenian American physicist with the Manhattan Project, accidentally irradiated himself during a critical mass experiment at the remote Omega Site facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, resulting in his death 25 days later. Daghlian was irradiated as a result of a criticality accident that occurred when he accidentally dropped a tungsten carbide brick onto a 6.2 kg delta phase plutonium bomb core. This core, available at the close of World War II and later nicknamed the "Demon core", also resulted in the death of Louis Slotin in a similar accident, and was used in the Able detonation, during the Crossroads series of nuclear weapon testing.
1965 – It is revealed by MACV headquarters (Headquarters Military Assistance Command Vietnam) in Saigon that U.S. pilots have received approval to destroy any Soviet-made missiles they see while raiding North Vietnam. This was a major change from previous orders that restricted them to bombing only previously approved targets.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
HAMMANN, CHARLES HAZELTINE
Rank and organization: Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserve Fleet. Born: 16 March 1892, Baltimore, Md. Appointed from: Maryland. Citation: For extraordinary heroism as a pilot of a seaplane on 21 August 1918, when with 3 other planes Ens. Hammann took part in a patrol and attacked a superior force of enemy land planes. In the course of the engagement which followed the plane of Ens. George M. Ludlow was shot down and fell in the water 5 miles off Pola. Ens. Hammann immediately dived down and landed on the water close alongside the disabled machine, where he took Ludlow on board. Although his machine was not designed for the double load to which it was subjected, and although there was danger of attack by Austrian planes, he made his way to Porto Corsini.
SMITH, JOHN LUCIAN
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Marine Corps, Marine Fighter Squadron 223, Place and date: In the Solomon Islands area, August-September 1942. Entered service at: Oklahoma. Born: 26 December 1914, Lexington, Okla. Other Navy award: Legion of Merit. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and heroic achievement in aerial combat above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 223 during operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands area, August-September 1942. Repeatedly risking his life in aggressive and daring attacks, Maj. Smith led his squadron against a determined force, greatly superior in numbers, personally shooting down 16 Japanese planes between 21 August and 15 September 1942. In spite of the limited combat experience of many of the pilots of this squadron, they achieved the notable record of a total of 83 enemy aircraft destroyed in this period, mainly attributable to the thorough training under Maj. Smith and to his intrepid and inspiring leadership. His bold tactics and indomitable fighting spirit, and the valiant and zealous fortitude of the men of his command not only rendered the enemy's attacks ineffective and costly to Japan, but contributed to the security of our advance base. His loyal and courageous devotion to duty sustains and enhances the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*YOUNG, MARVIN R.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, (Mechanized), 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Ben Cui, Republic of Vietnam, 21 August 1968. Entered service at: Odessa, Tex. Born: 11 May 1947, Alpine, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Young distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a squad leader with Company C. While conducting a reconnaissance mission in the vicinity of Ben Cui, Company C was suddenly engaged by an estimated regimental-size force of the North Vietnamese Army. During the initial volley of fire the point element of the 1st Platoon was pinned down, sustaining several casualties, and the acting platoon leader was killed. S/Sgt. Young unhesitatingly assumed command of the platoon and immediately began to organize and deploy his men into a defensive position in order to repel the attacking force. As a human wave attack advanced on S/Sgt. Young's platoon, he moved from position to position, encouraging and directing fire on the hostile insurgents while exposing himself to the hail of enemy bullets. After receiving orders to withdraw to a better defensive position, he remained behind to provide covering fire for the withdrawal. Observing that a small element of the point squad was unable to extract itself from its position, and completely disregarding his personal safety, S/Sgt. Young began moving toward their position, firing as he maneuvered. When halfway to their position he sustained a critical head injury, yet he continued his mission and ordered the element to withdraw. Remaining with the squad as it fought its way to the rear, he was twice seriously wounded in the arm and leg. Although his leg was badly shattered, S/Sgt. Young refused assistance that would have slowed the retreat of his comrades, and he ordered them to continue their withdrawal while he provided protective covering fire. With indomitable courage and heroic self-sacrifice, he continued his self-assigned mission until the enemy force engulfed his position. By his gallantry at the cost of his life are in the highest traditions of the military service, S/Sgt. Young has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for August 21, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
21 August
1918: For saving a downed US Navy pilot near an Austrian naval base at Pola, Ensign Charles H. Hammann became the first naval aviator to receive the Medal of Honor. (24)
1923: First airways lighting occurred when 18- and 36-inch electric arc beacons were used to light 42 landing fields on a route between Chicago and Cheyenne. They were visible for 50 miles. (24)
1943: First Los Angeles to New York airfreight service started. (24)
1944: The F8F Bearcat first flew. 1948: In his final report as CSAF, Gen Carl Spaatz disclosed the development of a supersonic guided atomic missile with a 5,000-mile range. (24)
1953: A Boeing P2B-1S (B-29 Superfortress) dropped the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket at 34,000 feet above Edwards AFB. From that altitude, Lt Col Marion E. Carl (USMC) flew the aircraft to 83,235 feet to set a world record. (20) (24)
1956: Flying an F8U-1 Crusader over California's Mojave Desert, Cmdr Robert W. Winslow (USN) set a speed record for US combat planes of 1,015.428 MPH. (24)
1957: Lt Cmdr James M. Pruitt flew his twin-jet A3D Skywarrior from Hawaii to California to set a FAI record of 4 hours 12 minutes for the 2,438-mile eastward transpacific flight. (9)
1961: A test pilot exceeded Mach 1 in the new Douglas DC-8 jet airliner during an experimental flight. (24) Construction on first Minuteman I (Model B) operational facilities began at Ellsworth AFB. (6)
1965: GEMINI V. Through 29 August, Astronauts L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. and Charles Conrad, Jr. (USN) set eight records in the Gemini V mission: (1) longest flight--190 hours 55 minutes; (2) national man-hours in space--641 hours and 24 minutes; (3) longest multimanned flight--190 hours 55 minutes; (4) most orbits for manned flight--120; (5) most manned flights--9; (6) first man with a second flight--Cooper; (7) most flight time--Cooper; and (8) longest space flight-- Cooper and Conrad. The capsule splashed down 600 miles east of Jacksonville after a 3,309,506-mile flight. (9)
1967: With a special coating of heat resisting material and protective white paint, Maj William J. Knight flew the X-15 at 3,409 MPH (Mach 6.5) above Edwards AFB. It was the X-15's first flight with an ablative coating. (3)
1968: An Air Force UH-1F helicopter evacuated 260 people and 52,000 pounds of personal belongings and food during a 4-day period to aid flood victims in northeastern Nicaragua. (16) (26)
1970: An A-7D Corsair completed its first aerial refueling over Death Valley, Calif. A KC-97L tanker from the Illinois ANG provided the fuel. (3)
1972: Fourth and last Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO), named Copernicus, launched to observe interstellar gases, young hot stars, and X-ray stars and other phenomena. It was our costliest and heaviest unmanned satellite (4,900 pounds) to date.
1987: At Seattle, a Boeing 767 modified for the Strategic Defense Initiative Airborne Optical Adjunct mission, first flew. It carried a special infrared sensor built by the Hughes Aircraft Company.
1990: Operation DESERT SHIELD. In the first two weeks of the operation, the Air Force deployed six fighter wings to the area, while SAC increased refueling and reconnaissance flights over the region. (20)
1998: Maj. Michael J. Brill, a full-time air reserve technician with the 419 FW, 466 FS, at Hill AFB, became the first Air Force pilot to amass more than 4,000 total flying hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. According to Lockheed-Martin officials, more than 3,000 pilots have topped the 1,000- hour mark in an F-16; more than 400 pilots have surpassed 2,000 hours; and 21 have more than 3,000 hours. (AFNEWS, 26 Aug 98)
2002: The first Lockheed-Martin Atlas V lifted off from Cape Canaveral to inaugurate a new type of launch missile. Under the USAF's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program, the system used a standard booster and added supplemental boosters to handle various payloads. (21) An AFFTC F-22 launched a radar-guided AIM-120 missile over the Pacific Test Range while flying at Mach 1.2. This event was the first supersonic launch of an air-to-air missile for the new fighter. (3)
2003: The Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB received a Czech L-39 Albatross for a six-month trial of its flight capabilities. Warsaw Pact countries used the L-39 as a trainer and light-attack jet, and the USAF studied it as a partial replacement for its retired T-39 fleet. (3)
2007: The A-10C Thunderbolt II achieved its Initial Operational Capability at Moody AFB, Ga. The A-10C received modifications to install the "hands-on-throttle and stick," a situational awareness data link, and an ability to drop Joint Direct Attack Munitions and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers. (AFNEWS, "A-10 Thunderbolt II Gets Technological Thumbs Up," 27 Aug 2007.)
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