To All,
Good Sunday Morning September 15. 2024. Well I am greeted by the night and morning low clouds followed by the afternoon clearing mantra of the local weatherman that is our standard weather pattern here. It all you have to know to be a weatherman in SoCal. The car movers did not show and we are having trouble getting it done. I have to put together a new roster for the start of classes tomorrow and make sure I have everyone's new rank correct. Got some things done yesterday and with the early morning lower temps this morning I may get some more of the outside stuff done. I hope that your weekend has been going well.
Warm Regards,
skip
Make it a good Day
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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
September. 15
1942 USS Wasp (CV 7) is torpedoed by a Japanese submarine while operating in the Southwestern Pacific in support of forces on Guadalcanal. USS O'Brien (DD 415) and USS North Carolina (BB 55) are also struck by torpedoes from the same submarine.
1943 USS Saufley (DD 465) and a Catalina Patrol Bomber piloted by Lt. W. J. Geritz from Patrol Squadron Twenty Three (VP 23) sinks the Japanese submarine RO-101 100 miles southeast of San Cristobal, Solomons.
1944 USS Pampanito (SS 383) and USS Sealion (SS 315) rescue 73 British and 54 Australian POWs who survive the loss of Japanese freighter, Rakuyo Maru, after she is sunk by Sealion on Sept. 12, about 300 miles west of Cape Bojeador, Luzon. There had been 1,300 men on board Rakuyo Maru when she is torpedoed.
1950 During the Korean War, after preliminary naval gunfire and air bombardment on Sept. 13, the First and Fifth Marines go ashore for the Inchon Invasion, which includes US Army and Korean forces.
2012 USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2) is christened and launched at Mobile, Ala. The joint high-speed vessel provides rapid transport of military equipment and personnel in theater.
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Today in WorlHistory: September 15
1588 The Spanish Armada, which attempted to invade England, is destroyed by a British fleet.
1776 The British occupy Manhattan.
1788 An alliance between Britain, Prussia and the Netherlands is ratified at the Hague.
1858 The Butterfield Overland Mail Company begins delivering mail from St. Louis to San Francisco. The company's motto is: "Remember, boys, nothing on God's earth must stop the United States mail!"
1862 Confederates capture Harpers Ferry, securing the rear of Robert E. Lee's forces in Maryland.
1891 The Dalton gang holds up a train and takes $2,500 at Wagoner, Oklahoma.
1914 President Woodrow Wilson orders the Punitive Expedition out of Mexico. The Expedition, headed by General John Pershing, had been searching for Pancho Villa, a Mexican revolutionary.
1916 Armored tanks are introduced by the British during the Battle of the Somme.
1928 Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming discovers, by accident, that the mold penicillin has an antibiotic effect.
1935 In Berlin, the Reich under Adolf Hitler adopts the swastika as the national flag.
1937 Prime Minister of England Neville Chamberlain flies to Germany to discuss the future of Czechoslovakia with Adolf Hitler.
1939 The Polish submarine Orzel arrives in Tallinn, Estonia, after escaping the German invasion of Poland.
1950 U.N. Forces, lead by the U.S. Marine Corps, invade occupied Korea at the port of Inchon. Considered the greatest amphibious attack in history, it is the zenith of General Douglas MacArthur's career.
1959 Nikita Khrushchev becomes first Soviet leader to visit the US. Note from Skip
I lived at Vandenberg AFB when this happened and they had Khrushchev on the train as it passed through the base property along the coast. There were helos escorting the train as it passed and they had Atlas Missiles on pads where he could not miss seeing them and the joke around the base was that the only way they could get them off the pads was with a lot of dynamite
1961 Hurricane Carla comes ashore in Texas, the second-most powerful ever to make landfall in that state.
1963 Four young African-American girls are killed by the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama.
1966 US President Lyndon Johnson urges Congress to adopt gun control legislation in the wake of Charles Whitman's sniper attack from the University of Texas's Texas Tower; in all, Whitman shot and killed 15 people before being shot dead himself by an Austin police officer.
1968 The USSR launches Zond 5, which becomes the first spaceship to orbit the moon and reenter Earth's atmosphere.
1971 The environmental group Greenpeace is founded.
1981 Sandra Day O'Connor is unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee to become the first female justice on the US Supreme Court.
1983 Menachem Begin resigns as premier of Israel.
1990 France announces it will send 4,000 troops to join those of other nations assembling in the Persian Gulf to protect Saudi Arabia and force Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein to withdraw troops from occupied Kuwait.
1998 MCI WorldCom begins operations after a landmark merger between World Com and MCI Communications.
2004 National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman announces a lockout of the players union.
2008 The largest Chapter 11 bankruptcy in US history is filed by Lehman Brothers financial services firm.
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Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For The List for the week beginning Monday, 9 September 2024 and ending on Sunday, 15 September 2024… Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post of 8 September 1969… Ho Chi Minh, dead at age 79. His will and final "pep talk" are included in this post. Also, the issue of whether our captured air crewmen—Yankee Air Pirates held in North Vietnam — were POWs or war criminals subject to trials and execution resurfaces.
(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 15 September
15-Sep: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1350
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 Interesting Facts
Daily Fact: One of your nostrils is always working harder than the other
People breathe primarily out of one nostril at a time.
The human nose is a biological wonder. It can smell up to 1 trillion odors, trap harmful debris in the air before it enters your lungs, and affect your sex life. But arguably its most important job is to condition the air you breathe before that air enters your respiratory tract. This means warming and humidifying the air before it passes to your throat and beyond. To do this, the nose undergoes a nasal cycle in which one nostril sucks in the majority of the air while the other nostril takes in the remaining portion. A few hours later (on average), the nostrils switch roles. This cycle is regulated by the body's autonomic nervous system, which swells or deflates erectile tissue found in the nose. Although we don't notice this switch throughout the day, if you cover your nostrils with your thumb one at a time, you'll likely observe that air flow through one is significantly higher than in the other. This is also why one nostril tends to be more congested than the other when you have a cold (the nondominant one gets more filled with mucus).
The human nose is unique among primates because of our brains.
IT'S A FACT
Our ancestors' skulls underwent a massive change some 2 million to 3 million years ago. As our brains grew, facial features shrank to make room. Unlike the flush nose of a chimpanzee, our nose likely took its current, protruding shape to give the brain some extra space.
There are a few possible reasons for this nasal back-and-forth. Some scientists theorize that the cycle actually improves our sense of smell. Because scent molecules degrade at differing rates, some smells are easier to identify through fast-moving air (in the dominant nostril), while others are more easily picked out in slower currents of the nondominant, usually more congested, nostril. Very few smells can get past our nose undetected thanks to this alternating nasal superpower.
Numbers Don't Lie
Approximate number of rhinoplasties (aka nose jobs) performed in the U.S. every year
220,000
Year Italian writer Carlo Collodi published "The Adventures of Pinocchio"
1883
Approximate amount of air (in liters) that passes through the human nose every day
20,000
Amount (in feet) of hair that a single nasal follicle will produce in a human life
6.5
The nose with the most sensitive sense of smell in the animal kingdom belongs to the _______.
The nose with the most sensitive sense of smell in the animal kingdom belongs to the African elephant.
THINK TWICE
The size of a human nostril is determined by climate.
Nostrils come in all shapes and sizes, and like most other parts of the human body, that's the result of millions of years of evolution. In 2017, scientists confirmed a long-held theory that climate plays a vital role in determining the size of our nostrils. People whose ancestors hail from warm, humid climates have little need for nostrils to humidify air before it enters the lungs. As a result, their nostrils are wider. But in cold, dry climates — where air easily irritates the lining of the nose and throat — smaller nostrils create a more "turbulent" air flow, causing the air to mix in the nose. This turbulent mixing interacts with the nose's mucus-covered lining, which warms and humidifies the air before it passes to the lungs. Over the long, grinding process of evolution, as humans traveled farther from the equator, smaller nostrils were naturally selected as better-suited for the cold and dry areas of the world.
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Thanks to Kit…This does bring back some memories. Flying the F-8 from the USS Hancock a WWII Essex class carrier now called the 27 Charlie because of a number of mods that were made to her was about half the size of the new carriers and was an entertaining life. skip
I saw this on Quora this morning and thought I would pass it along. Kit
Robert James
Former U.S. Naval Aviator, 153 combat missions. Top Gun at United States Navy (USN) (1964–1975)10mo
Does the pilot do anything after landing on an aircraft carrier?
You bet they do.
Of course it varies a little bit with each aircraft. My experience is a bit dated, but the general idea is still the same.
I flew the F-8 Crusader, a single engine, single seat supersonic fighter. Here was the routine:
At touch down I went to 100% power in case of a bolter. But normally the hook catches a wire and you come to a rather abrupt stop. As soon as the longitudinal g forces allow, you reduce the power to idle. You can do this easily during the final stages of the long roll out on a large carrier but on the 27 Charlie size carriers I operated on, the deceleration is so fierce and the roll out so short that you can't let go of the throttle; otherwise it will slam back to full power.
The airplane quickly comes to a stop and there is a bit hysteresis in the arresting gear system, so the plane will begin rolling backwards. It feels much like being stopped by a gigantic rubber band. At this moment, you touch the left brake just a little bit so that the nose pivots to your right as you are rolling backwards. The distance is only a few feet, but this part is important because if you let the nose pivot to the left, you're pointing toward the port side deck edge. Your goal is to turn the other way; to the right so you can clear the foul line before the next aircraft is on short final.
The wire should drop off the hook and if it does, the taxi director will give you the hook-up signal at which time you raise the hook. He will be standing just over the foul line at about your one o'clock position giving you the taxi ahead signal with some urgency, indicated by how quickly he is moving his hands. You add a big handful of power and that is OK at the moment because your tail pipe is pointed aft. Once you start rolling forward the Yellow Shirt will give you a right turn signal to get you across the foul line as quickly as possible. You reduce power to idle once again because sweeping the deck with your tail pipe when the engine is at high power is a good way to kill someone.
While all this is going on, as you're rolling back in the gear actually, you unlock the wing-fold safety latch and move the handle to fold the wings. If you don't do so immediately, expect the Yellow shirt to give you the wing fold signal because he wants you to be as narrow as possible as soon as possible.
Once the Fly III P.O. (Yellow Shirt) has you clear of the foul line and if the wire has been retracted, they can call for a clear-deck which is something your fellow pilot is hoping will happen very quickly because by now he's on short final. He does NOT want a foul-deck wave off because some dork "shit in the gear", a term meaning that you got hung up in the arresting gear somehow or screwed up by incorrectly performing the procedure I just outlined. Don't be that dork.
Now you get turned over to the Fly II P.O. working the midships area who directs you toward the bow. You will be turned over to a sequence of Yellow Shirts under who's direction you will taxi quickly to the bow. Normally the F-8s parked along the port side forward and if you happen to be the first aboard you can expect some 20 year old youngster to guide you forward while your port main tire is literally a few inches from the deck edge. Don't worry, this guy who is just barely old enough to shave is only a year or two younger than you are but both of you have met the challenge of the huge responsibility given to you by the Navy. This young man, like you, is performing a very dangerous job requiring the utmost precision, dedication, skill, training, and (once in a while) a little bit of bravery.
Since the nose gear of the F-8 is behind the pilot's seat, as you reach the bow, your ass will be literally hanging out over blue water passing under the carrier. At this point the Yellow Shirt gives you a hard right turn signal along with a "hold the right brake" signal so that you pivot about 60 degrees or so. You get the hold brake signal from him and a "chocks in" signal, both given above the waist so you know it's for you. Immediately, he gives the same "chocks in" signal, but this time below his waist so the deck crew tending to your aircraft know it's for them.
A moment after that he gives them the "chains on" signal which looks very much like a football cheer leader fluttering her pom-pons after a touch down. Meanwhile you're getting the "wing down" signal, and the cut engine signal. You shut down the engine, open the canopy, release your harness and leg restraint cords, and exit the airplane using the steps your plane captain, a Brown Shirt, just unfolded out of the side of your airplane. You give him a thumbs up, shout in his ear "Good Aircraft" and work your way aft to the safety of the island. The Yellow Shirt who parked you is now working the airplane which landed behind you and this is now the focus of your attention. It had better be if you want to stay alive. The next minute could be more dangerous than the combat mission from which you just returned unless you're paying particular attention.
The key to not getting killed around these airplanes moving around the deck is to get very close them, which is not the tactic you might imagine. If you can touch the airplane, you can take your eyes off of it for a moment to plan your next move and still keep track of what it's doing. Often you need to cross its path, so if it's an A-4 you duck under the tail pipe staying as close to the airplane as you can. If it's an F-8, your task is more difficult. You can't duck the tail pipe and if you duck the intake you had better do it when the engine is at idle power and the plane is stopped because that maneuver requires you to be very close and just ahead of the nose gear. Or you might be able to dash in front of it if there is enough room to stay well clear of that deadly intake. You sure don't want to be caught behind an F-8 when it is turning in a direction that will put you in the exhaust blast and be knocked down, blown into a turning propeller, or blown over the side. So you have to be careful. Don't count anyone yelling "Watch Out!". It's so noisy that you can't hear anyone so you have to keep your head on a swivel.
With a little careful dodging and maneuvering you finally arrive at the safety of the island and make your way below to your ready room.
That's pretty much it. Done correctly, you don't have to go home to Mom in a rubber bag. No Naval Aviator wants to do that. How embarrassing.
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This Day in U S Military History…….15 September
1944 – Elements of the US 1st Marine Division (Rupertus), part of 3rd Amphibious Corps (Geiger), land on the southwest coast of Peleliu. The naval force commanded by Admiral Oldendorf remains in support. The Japanese garrison is consists of a regiment of 14th Division under the command of Colonel Nakagawa. There is limited resistance on the beaches. American attempts to advance inland, however, meet strong resistance. By the end of the day, the beachhead is only a few hundred yards wide.
1972 – ARVN forces recapture Quang Tri City after four days of heavy fighting, with the claim that over 8,135 NVA had been killed in the battle. The North Vietnamese forces had launched a massive offensive, called the Nguyen Hue or "Easter Offensive," on March 31, with three main attacks aimed at Quang Tri south of the Demilitarized Zone, Kontum in the Central Highlands, and An Loc just 60 miles north of Saigon. This invasion included 14 divisions and 26 separate regiments, a total force numbering over 120,000 troops, and was designed to knock South Vietnam out of the war and inflict a defeat on the remaining U.S. forces (which numbered less than 70,000 by this date due to President Nixon's Vietnamization policy and the American troop withdrawal schedule). The North Vietnamese attack was characterized by conventional combined arms attacks by tank and infantry forces supported by massive artillery barrages, resulting in some of the heaviest fighting of the war. The South Vietnamese forces and their American advisors supported by U.S. tactical airpower and B-52 bombers were able to hold at An Loc and Kontum despite being vastly outnumbered, but the South Vietnamese forces at Quang Tri faltered under the communist assault and were quickly overwhelmed. It was only after President Thieu fired the I Corps commander and replaced him with Major General Ngo Quang Truong, arguably one of the best officers in the South Vietnamese army, that the ARVN were able to stop the North Vietnamese. Truong took measures to stabilize the situation and the South Vietnamese began to fight back. After a tremendously bloody four-and-a-half-month battle in which 977 South Vietnamese soldiers perished, Truong and his troops retook Quang Tri from the North Vietnamese, winning a major victory. President Nixon used this as proof positive that his Vietnamization policy had worked and that the South Vietnamese were prepared to take over responsibility for the war.
2010 – Operation Dragon Strike, to reclaim the strategic southern province of Kandahar, which was the birthplace of the Taliban movement. The area where the operation took place has been dubbed "The Heart of Darkness" by Coalition troops.The main force leading the operation were units from the 101st Airborne Division. Some of the heaviest of the fighting during the operation had been in the Zhari District, which is on the main highway to Kandahar and a major insurgent supply route into the city, the Arghandab District and the Panjwaye District. By the end of December 2010, the operation's main objectives had been accomplished. The majority of Taliban forces in Kandahar had withdrawn from the province, and much of their leadership was said to have been fractured.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
FOUT, FREDERICK W.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, 15th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery. Place and date: Near Harpers Ferry, W. Va., 15 September 1862. Entered service at: Indianapolis, Ind. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 2 November 1896. Citation: Voluntarily gathered the men of the battery together, remanned the guns, which had been ordered abandoned by an officer, opened fire, and kept up the same on the enemy until after the surrender.
HALLING, LUOVI
Rank and organization: Boatswain's Mate First Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 7 August 1867, Stockholm, Sweden. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 172, 4 October 1904. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Missouri, for heroism in attempting to rescue from drowning Cecil C. Young, ordinary seaman, 15 September 1904.
PETERS, ALEXANDER
Rank and organization: Boatswain's Mate First Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 16 November 1869, Russia. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 172, 4 October 1904. Citation: For heroism in attempting to rescue from drowning Cecil C. Young, ordinary seaman, 15 September 1904, while serving on board the U.S.S. Missouri.
HAYDEN, DAVID E.
Rank and organization: Hospital Apprentice First Class, U.S. Navy, serving with the 2d Battalion, 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines. Place and date: Thiaucourt, France, 15 September 1918. Entered service at: Texas. Born: 2 October 1897 Florence, Tex. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. During the advance, when Cpl. Creed was mortally wounded while crossing an open field swept by machinegun fire, Hayden unhesitatingly ran to his assistance and, finding him so severely wounded as to require immediate attention, disregarded his own personal safety to dress the wound under intense machinegun fire, and then carried the wounded man back to a place of safety.
*PIKE, EMORY J.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Division Machinegun Officer, 82d Division. Place and date: Near Vandieres, France, 15 September 1918. Entered service at: Des Moines, lowa. Birth: Columbia City, lowa. G.O. No.: 16, W.D., 1919. Citation: Having gone forward to reconnoiter new machinegun positions, Lt. Col. Pike offered his assistance in reorganizing advance infantry units which had become disorganized during a heavy artillery shelling. He succeeded in locating only about 20 men, but with these he advanced and when later joined by several infantry platoons rendered inestimable service in establishing outposts, encouraging all by his cheeriness, in spite of the extreme danger of the situation. When a shell had wounded one of the men in the outpost, Lt. Col. Pike immediately went to his aid and was severely wounded himself when another shell burst in the same place. While waiting to be brought to the rear, Lt. Col. Pike continued in command, still retaining his jovial manner of encouragement, directing the reorganization until the position could be held. The entire operation was carried on under terrific bombardment, and the example of courage and devotion to duty, as set by Lt. Col. Pike, established the highest standard of morale and confidence to all under his charge. The wounds he received were the cause of his death.
*BAUSELL, LEWIS KENNETH
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 17 April 1924, Pulaski, Va. Accredited to: District of Columbia. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleliu Island, Palau Group, 15 September 1944. Valiantly placing himself at the head of his squad, Cpl. Bausell led the charge forward against a hostile pillbox which was covering a vital sector of the beach and, as the first to reach the emplacement, immediately started firing his automatic into the aperture while the remainder of his men closed in on the enemy. Swift to act, as a Japanese grenade was hurled into their midst, Cpl. Bausell threw himself on the deadly weapon, taking the full blast of the explosion and sacrificing his own life to save his men. His unwavering loyalty and inspiring courage reflect the highest credit upon Cpl. Bausell and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
ROUH, CARLTON ROBERT
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Peleliu Island, Palau group, 15 September 1944. Entered service at: New Jersey. Born: 11 May 1919, Lindenwold, N.J. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while attached to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleliu Island, Palau group, 15 September 1944. Before permitting his men to use an enemy dugout as a position for an 81-mm. mortar observation post, 1st Lt. Rouh made a personal reconnaissance of the pillbox and, upon entering, was severely wounded by Japanese rifle fire from within. Emerging from the dugout, he was immediately assisted by 2 marines to a less exposed area but, while receiving first aid, was further endangered by an enemy grenade which was thrown into their midst. Quick to act in spite of his weakened condition, he lurched to a crouching position and thrust both men aside, placing his own body between them and the grenade and taking the full blast of the explosion himself. His exceptional spirit of loyalty and self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain death reflects the highest credit upon 1st Lt. Rouh and the U.S. Naval Service.
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.
*LOPEZ, BALDOMERO
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: During Inchon invasion in Korea, 15 September 1950. Entered service at: Tampa, Fla. Born: 23 August 1925, Tampa, Fla. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a marine platoon commander of Company A, in action against enemy aggressor forces. With his platoon 1st Lt. Lopez was engaged in the reduction of immediate enemy beach defenses after landing with the assault waves. Exposing himself to hostile fire, he moved forward alongside a bunker and prepared to throw a hand grenade into the next pillbox whose fire was pinning down that sector of the beach. Taken under fire by an enemy automatic weapon and hit in the right shoulder and chest as he lifted his arm to throw, he fell backward and dropped the deadly missile. After a moment, he turned and dragged his body forward in an effort to retrieve the grenade and throw it. In critical condition from pain and loss of blood, and unable to grasp the hand grenade firmly enough to hurl it, he chose to sacrifice himself rather than endanger the lives of his men and, with a sweeping motion of his wounded right arm, cradled the grenade under him and absorbed the full impact of the explosion. His exceptional courage, fortitude, and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon 1st Lt. Lopez and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for September 15, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
15 September
1924: With radio controls rather than a pilot, an N-9 seaplane flew for 40 minutes at the Naval Proving Grounds at Dahlgren, Va. Although the N-9 sank upon landing, the test proved the practicality of radio control.
1925: RS-1, the first great semi-rigid helium airship built in America, was completed at Scott Field. (24)
1938: The Army Air Corps earned the Collier Trophy for developing the XC-35 with a pressurized cabin. (24)
1939: Jacqueline Cochran flew a Seversky Monoplane at 305.9 MPH to set an international record for 1,000 kilometers.
1942: Using Fifth Air Force transports, the 126th Infantry Regiment became the first US infantry unit to reach Seven Mile Airdrome, near Ports Moresby, New Guinea. (21)
1944: OPERATION INTERLUDE. Southwest Pacific Area forces invaded the island of Morotai in the Moluccas Islands, Netherlands East Indies. FEAF units supported the operation with attacks against Japanese bases on nearby islands. The landings on Morotai were unopposed and construction of two airdromes began at once. The island was within fighter range of the southern Philippines. The 310th Bombardment Wing (Medium) disembarked on 18 September, and the ground echelons of several FEAF flying units followed. Wama Drome, the first to be finished, became operational on 4 October. The second, Pitoe Drome, had one runway done on 17 October and was ready for aircraft on 24 November with two 8,000-foot paved runways. (17)
1945: The production contract for the Republic-Ford JB-2 rocket ended after 1,391 rockets were delivered to the USAAF. Though production was halted in mid-September 1945 testing was continued at Eglin Field with JB-2s already constructed.
1948: Maj Richard L. Johnson set a 679-MPH world speed record over a 3-kilometer course in a North American F-86A Sabre at Muroc. (9)
1950: Operation FOX ABLE THREE/MACKAY TROPHY. The 27th Fighter-Escort Wing (FEW) flew 180 F-84E Thunderjets from Bergstrom AFB, Tex., to Furstenfeldbruck, Germany, in this two-phased ferry mission to earn the Mackay Trophy. In Phase I, 90 F-84s left Texas, but due to mechanical problems only 84 landed in Germany on 18 September after flying 5,858 miles in 16 hours 3 minutes of actual flying time (see 15 October for Phase II). (1) KOREAN WAR. The USMC invaded Wolmi-do Island in Inchon Harbor at dawn. Later that afternoon, after a 45-minute naval and air bombardment, the main U.S. X Corps used the high tide to land at Inchon. USN and USMC aircraft from carriers covered the amphibious assault. At the same time, FEAF air raids in South Korea prepared the way for the Eighth Army to advance from the Pusan perimeter. (28)
1951: The DoD opened the Joint Parachute Test Facility with USN and USAF units under the Bureau of Aeronautics at NAS El Centro.
1952: The USAF added weather reconnaissance over areas of joint air-ground operations to TAC's mission. (11)
1954: A MATS four-engine plane averaged 341 MPH to set a transatlantic speed record of 11 hours 48 minutes for propeller-driven aircraft in a flight from Westover AFB to Germany. (24)
1956: The activation of the 701st Missile Wing made it the first missile wing in the USAF and USAFE. It would be equipped with Matador missiles. (4) (26)
1958: Through 15 December, SAC's 42 BMW at Loring AFB, conducted a B-52 airborne alert test, named Head Start I. (1)
1959: In a tethered test, a full-size model Minuteman missile completed its first attempted launch from an underground launching pad at Edwards AFB. (6)
1960: Capt William Habluetzel and Lt John Hargreaves completed a 30-day, 8-hour simulated moon journey in a 12-foot by 8-foot long box at Brooks AFB. (24)
1961: CHECKMATE II. Through 22 September, NATO's largest and most complex training exercise in Southern Europe involved thousands of American, Turkish, and Greek armed forces personnel in a maneuver in Turkish Thrace. (24)
1962: HARMON INTERNATIONAL TROPHY. Maj Fitzhugh Fulton flew a B-58 Hustler to a new altitude record with payload, 11,023 pounds to 85,360 feet, near Edwards AFB. For this flight, Fulton later received the Harmon International Trophy as the World's most outstanding aviator in 1962. (24)
1970: TROPIC MOON. The 13 BS deployed to Ubon RTAFB to use B-57Gs on night interdiction bombing missions. As part of the Tropic Moon III program, Martin modified 16 B-57B Night Intruders withdrawn from Vietnam service. Westinghouse Electric, Martin and AFSC combined to give the -G model a true night bombing capability by designing the bomber to independently detect, track, and bomb ground targets at night. (17)
1972: The 42 BMW at Loring AFB became the first B-52 unit with SRAMs to achieve operational status. (6)
1979: Through 22 September, 8 C-130s from AFRES and ANG units in California and Wyoming flew 254 sorties to drop 732,000 gallons of fire retardant on fires in southern California. This operation was one of the largest fire-fighting operations on record. (21)
1981: At Griffiss AFB, a 416 BMW B-52G crew conducted the first ALCM training flight. (1) The 9 SRW at Beale AFB received Lockheed's first TR-1A reconnaissance plane (No. 80-1066). It was an improved, bigger version of the U-2 that could fly at day and night in all weather above 70,000 feet. (1)
1982: MACKAY TROPHY. From the 19 BMW at Robins AFB Capt. Ronald L. Cavendish and his crew successfully landed their B-52 Stratofortress after the aircraft lost both of its rudder-elevator hydraulic systems. The crew earns the Mackay Trophy for this feat, which had never been accomplished without significant damage to or complete destruction of the aircraft. (The crew of E-21 from the 19th Bombardment Wing at Robins AFB, Ga.: Cavendish, 2nd Lt. Frank A. Boyle, 1st Lt. Michael J. Connor, 1st Lt. James D. Gray, Capt. Ronald D. Nass, 1st Lt Gerald E. Valentini, and TSgt. Ronald B. Wright.)
1987: The USAF redefined a base as "any installation that is a self-supporting center of operations." As a result, Arnold Air Force Station (AFS), Tenn., Los Angeles AFS and Onizuka AFB, Calif., became Air Force bases.
1989: McDonnell Douglas delivered the 500th AH-64 Apache helicopter to the Army. (20)
1991: The C-17A Globemaster III first flew in a trip from Long Beach to the AFFTC at Edwards AFB. (16) (26) The T-1 Jayhawk prototype specialized undergraduate pilot trainer flew at Edwards AFB. It resembled the Beechjet 400A corporate transport. (16) (26)
1993: Boeing converted the first B-52H for conventional warfare missions at Wichita. (20)
1995: HURRICANE MARILYN. Through 21 August USAF, Reserve, and ANG aircraft flew 996 tons of relief cargo to the Virgin Islands after the storm blasted the eastern Caribbean area. The C-17 made its first appearance in a disaster relief operation. (16)
1996: Operation PACIFIC HAVEN. USAF airlifters carried thousands of Kurdish refugees from Northern Iraq to Andersen AFB, where they were processed for resettlement in the U.S. (21)
2001: Operation NOBLE EAGLE. In the first five days after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, 35 ANG fighter units supplied 603 sorties, while the 18 ANG tanker wings flew 72 sorties to offload 3.2 million pounds of fuel. (32) 16
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Shadow 4 of 7
How I Got An R.G. Smith Original
Douglas Aircraft at Long Beach back in the 60's had some giants working there… I was
fortunate to have met a lot of them… First Buddy Gilman, then Harry Gann, Ed
Heinemann, Russ Sleigh and of course R.G. Smith.
Like any other Naval Aviator with any sense of aviation history and/or art… I coveted an
R.G. Smith original. Of course, I was also smart enough to know that short of stealing
one… it wasn't going to happen. Since that wasn't an option, I knew I was SOL. I used to
go see Harry Gann on occasion at the plant to cumshaw something or another for the
squadron or some other need. Usually while I was there, we'd drop by Bob's office to see
what his latest creation was. I was in awe… not just of his ability to catch the nuances of
airplanes… but his clouds and oceans were the best I've ever seen. My favorite American
painters from an early age were R.G. Smith and Charles Russell. I just loved their
composition, sky and backgrounds… both had an uncanny way of putting it on canvas.
R.G. had a secretary in those days by the name of Norma… she was more like a "guard
dog"… did her best to keep anyone she could away from Bob… she only tolerated me
because she liked Harry. One day Bob was showing us his latest Blue Angel painting
when I noticed a background painting of clouds and ocean waters sitting on the floor…
obviously an un-finished piece. I remarked how beautiful it was and Bob said he hadn't
decided what airplane to put on it yet. (Evidently he did that quite often… do a scene
first; then add a plane to it) I then opined out loud, that I'd give anything I had, for one of
R.G.'s paintings… Norma heard me and yelled from across the room… "Forget it… You
can't afford it"! Her tone was not only aggressive, but abrasive as well. I saw R.G.
flinch… but I never expected what he would do.
He gave Norma a glare and said, "Tell you what Roy… I go hiking on the John Muir
trail". "For years I've been trying to find one of those Air Force Arctic Parka's… the
one's with the wolf fur collar and hood… If you can find me one of those, I'll make you
the same deal I offered Admiral so and so… I'll do you a painting". Norma said, "Fat
chance, if the Admiral couldn't do it, a Marine sure can't". Bob then explained that he
was told by the Admiral, the Air Force no longer had them, they'd gone to a synthetic
material because of the animal rights folks… but they just weren't the same… he only
wanted an original. I figured I'd call every surplus store in L.A., but also figured I would
probably not find one.
Harry and I left Bob's office and I got in my car to drive back to El Toro.
Ever do a good deed… without thinking what a dramatic effect it would have down the
road of life? Something you thought was so small… but turned out to be a big thing. As I
drove along, I thought of something… figured it was a million to one shot… but it was
worth exploring.
About four years prior to this time, I was ferrying an A-4 back east… It was a dog poo
winter day… and my transponder went tango uniform between Miramar and Dyess AFB
in Texas. There was freezing rain and I was glad to get on the ground, after an excellent
GCA by the Air Force Bubbas. As I taxied to the transient line, Ground Control informed
me that Center would not let me take off until the transponder was fixed… so much for
my stop over flight plan. I went into Base Ops and explained my predicament… They
called the duty techs over and I went out to the aircraft to show them where the
transponder was located. I borrowed a speed wrench and cranked up the nose cone to get
to it… they took one look at it and said, "We don't have one… we'll have to have one
flown in". By this time, I was soaked to the bone and so cold I was shaking. We went
back into Base Ops and I told the Duty Officer that it looked like I'd be spending the
night. He checked and got me a room at the BOQ (actually I think they called it a VOQ).
And then called for transportation. While he was doing this, I called the squadron on
autovaughn and told them of my situation… said I hoped to get out of there the next day.
It was a Sunday… and the base was pretty much shut down.
Dyess was a SAC base… Lots of Buff's and humongous runways… While waiting for
my ride, a couple of Air Force flight crew went into the Base Ops cafeteria… Couldn't
help but admire their nice flight suits. Back in those days, the Navy and Marine Corps
were still wearing the original, baggy, sloppy; first issue NOMEX suits that were
impossible to look good in. The suckers were a grease and oil magnets to boot. Oh well…
at least we still had our leather jackets.
Looking out into the rain, I was thinking… and it dawned on me, that maybe since it was
a Sunday, they might have a duty section at their flight equipment shop… and since I had
nothing but time to kill… I might try to swap my baggies for one of their new issue jobs.
About that time a van pulled up and I assumed it was my ride to the BOQ. I grabbed my
overnight bag and flight gear and threw it in the back… once again getting soaked in the
rain. As I got in the front, I looked at the young airman and asked, "Do you guys have a
flight equipment shop around here"? He said there was, but didn't know if anyone would
be there on a Sunday… He said he'd swing by there on the way to the "Q".
A couple of minutes later he pulls up in front of a low, white, spread out building
common of Air Force bases around the world built during and right after WW II. The
driver said, "This is the place… but I don't know if anyone is here". I got out and walked
up to the door… it was locked. I looked inside and thought I saw movement and knocked.
I stood there getting soaked again and finally someone comes to the door… it opens and
this Tech Sgt. Gives me the once over and asks, "What can I do for you sir"?
I told him about my tale of woe… and that since I had nothing but time… was wondering
if I could talk them out of a new flight suit in exchange for my old baggies. The guy was
cool… "That's a neat flight jacket you got there"… I shot back, "Forget it… no way
Jose"… He then smiled and said, "Why don't you step in and let's negotiate a little bit". I
said I would, but my transportation was waiting… he said let him go we'll call him back
later or run you over ourselves. I went back, got my stuff and walked back in the
building.
It was nice and toasty inside… The Tech said, "Coffee Sir"? I said thanks. As he poured, I
noticed a table with a deck of cards… about that time, another Sgt. came out from the
back of the building. Turned out, they had the duty for the weekend and were playing two
man Spades to kill some time. I sat down with them and for the next three hours, we
played cards and swapped stories. Before it was over… these two guys loaded me up…
four flight suits and a bag of goodies. I was over whelmed! They called for a van and for
some reason I wrote their names down… as I was waiting, I noticed the sign out front
with the Units title, etc.
I don't honestly know if it was because I was ex-enlisted or just my normal inclination…
but I had made it a habit to give out "atta boys"…to my troops. Often I'd write a short
note or take some young gent aside and convey to them that I had noticed their efforts
and I appreciated it. It seemed to work and I enjoyed a good working relationship with
my men.
The next morning, my replacement part came in and I launched for home plate… That
night, I sat down and wrote a note to the Commanding Officer of the Unit at Dyess… I
laid it on a little… claiming I'd torn my flight suit and that the two Sgt's had not only
replaced it… but provided a warm cup of coffee and some good conversation on a rainy
day… I concluded by saying that… "The Marine Corps was looking for a few good
men"… and we would be lucky to recruit young men the likes of Tech Sgt. So and so and
Sgt. So and so… please extend my thanks and gratitude.
I mailed it the next morning and promptly forgot about it. About three weeks later, I came
in off a flight and was told the Skipper wanted to see me up in his office. I walked in and
he sat back, looking quite cool in his new Air Force issue flight suit (I was no fool) and
said, "What the fuck are you doing, writing Three Star Generals"? I looked at him and
said, "Boss, I've never written to a General in my life". He cracked a smile and said. "Oh
no… look at this". He handed me a letter on Official stationary… at the top was a nice
blue flag with three white stars on it… as I read it, I couldn't help but smile… The
General at Dyess had somehow gotten a hold of my letter and was writing my Boss in
reply. It was a nice letter. He simply said that in the twilight of his career and the
beginning of mine… it was encouraging to know there were young officers that still
cared about people and for my Boss to thank me for him, for taking the time to write the
note… as he would personally thank the two Sgts. for me. I looked up at the Boss and he
said… "Good job… You can keep it". I still have it somewhere in my files.
About two weeks went by and I received a phone call from the Tech Sgt… He said,
"Sir… if you ever come through Dyess again… anything short of a B-52… is yours…
You're not gonna believe what happened"! He went on to say the General had called a
Wing formation and had called him and the other Sgt. Out, front and center… He then
read my letter to the men and his reply… he gave each one of them a certificate and that
somehow translated into points toward their next promotion. I couldn't believe how
something so small had snow balled. I told the Sgt. they owed me nothing… that I was
grateful for their generosity… and was surprised at the turn of events. I hung up and felt
good about things.
Fast forward back to my drive back to El Toro from Long Beach… For some reason I
was thinking about this and thought, "What the hey… it's worth a shot". I walked in the
Maintenance Department where my office was… checked my inbox and noticed on the
flight schedule I was to finish a test hop on a bird following an engine change the next
morning. I went in and picked up the phone, got a hold of the base locater at Dyess… I
honestly didn't remember the names of the two Sgts. and had no reason to believe they
might still be stationed there… it was strictly a shot in the dark. The base locater
connected me with the Survival shop and a Master Sgt. Answered the phone… I started to
explain that I'd been there years before and the Master Sgt. interrupted me… "Is this Lt.
Stafford"… I said, "Well it's Captain now… but yes, that's me"… He said, "I'm former
Tech Sgt. Jones… I was one of the guys you wrote the letter about"! I couldn't believe it!
We talked about the letters and what all had happened over the years and then he said…
"I still feel like I owe you for my promotion… what can I do for you"? I then told him I
had a friend, who was a really neat guy and he had been looking all over for one of their
Arctic Parkas with the Wolf fur collar… He responded that the Air Force had gone to a
synthetic, imitation fur… that the originals were no longer in the system. I told him I
knew that, but my friend wanted one of the originals… He then said… "Any good supply
Sgt worth his salt… had probably squirreled away a few such items for a rainy day"…
Give me your address, "What size do you want"? I almost fell out of my chair… this was
too easy. I'd been out at Long Beach on my lunch hour and now less than two hours later,
I was on the verge of the coup of a lifetime.
I said, "Let me call you back". I ran upstairs to the schedule guys and convinced them to
let me do the final check card on the engine change during an out and in to Dyess… I
could get in a training hop in for one of the new backseaters during the process… They
agreed and I went back down and called Dyess again. I told him I should get to Dyess
about 0830 their time… That I'd be coming in a Phantom this time. At 0600 the next
morning I launched for Dyess.
I landed and as I taxied into the line, I saw my friend waiting… We shut down and as we
walked up to Base Ops… He came over and saluted and said, "Long time, no see,
Captain". We shook hands and talked for a little bit and he said come out to my car… He
reached in and pulled out two parkas… still sealed in their original bag. I couldn't believe
it. I thanked him profusely and we made our way back into Ops. My backseater brought
over our return flight plan, which I signed. I thanked the good Sgt again… and within just
a few minutes we were on our way back to El Toro.
After landing, we debriefed, I grabbed a shower and by 1500… I was standing at R.G.'s
door with Harry Gann… As we walked in, Norma looked up and absolutely scowled…
I'd put the parka's in a big paper bag… as Bob came out from behind his easel… you
could see the smoke coming from Norma's ears. Bob shook our hands… and asked what
brought us back so soon. I handed the bag to Bob and he opened it, pulled out a parka and
he couldn't believe it… Norma walked over and said, "No way"… it was hard to tell if
she meant… No way I had pulled it off… or no way in hell are you going to get a
painting for this! And to be honest… I really didn't expect it… it really wasn't a fair
trade. And I told Bob that… that also seemed to mollify Norma a little bit… I told him I
was just happy I could help him out. Bob then asked me how I'd found them and I told
him the story. He opined that was incredible… that he'd been trying to find one for years.
He then said… "What kind of plane do you want me to paint"? I looked over at Norma
and if looks could kill… I assured Bob he didn't have to do it… it wasn't fair. He said, "I
insist"… I said… "My Dad flew as a tail gunner in SBD's at Guadalcanal… if I ever got
a painting, that's what I'd want". But I once again told him he didn't owe me anything…
I didn't expect it… and once again I was just glad to be of service… especially since the
Admiral couldn't do it… as I said that, I gave Norma my best SEG.
As Harry and I left… I could feel Norma's daggers shooting into my back. I told Harry
that after I left, to go back and tell Bob and Norma, that I really didn't expect a
painting… and to forget about it… my real joy was being able to pull it off… Besides, I
was afraid Norma would put a contract out on me if he did. He said he would.
About a month later, my wife received a phone call from R.G. He knew I was on the
boat… and wanted Wendy to meet him at Neiuport 17 in Santa Ana… that he had a
surprise for me, when I flew off the ship. They met for brunch and Eggs Benedict the
next morning… R.G. showed up with Norma in tow… and presented Wendy with a huge
painting of an SBD over the Pacific… storm clouds in the background. Wendy said
Norma fumed all through the meal.
When I flew off the boat a week later… Wendy and the kids picked me up at the hangar and drove me home… When I walked in the house… hanging there on the wall… right in the living room… was the painting. I was stunned! It was beautiful! I just couldn't believe it. The next morning, I drove out to Long Beach and thanked Bob profusely…
That I couldn't believe it… and that I would cherish it until I could pass it on to my
father. I actually got teary eyed… Bob seemed a little embarrassed… but was gracious as
usual.
Years later… My Dad passed away and the painting hung in our family room. It was a
wonderful daily reminder of my Dad… and his and R.G.'s generation and their sacrifices
for the rest of us. Over the years I would run into Bob on occasion (the last time was
Tailhook '91)… and I always went out of my way to thank him again and again.
Right after Bob died, Bob Rasmussen was at my house… he'd come over to inspect
progress on some work we were doing for the Museum in Pensacola and I'd left some
paper work at home. He went with me to retrieve it… as he walked into the family room
he stopped dead in his tracks… He looked at the painting and said, "My God… That's an
R. G. Smith original"! I assured him it was… and told him the story behind it. Later Bob
asked me if I knew what it was worth and I said no… but it didn't matter… it was
priceless as far as I was concerned. He then said, "Roy… That ought to be in the
Museum… so others can see it". He didn't push it… in fact he said it almost in passing…
As time went by… what he had said came back to me… and the more I thought about
it… I warmed up to the idea. I called my Mom for her approval and we decided we'd
donate the painting to the Museum on the condition that it always be on display and that a plaque, noting it was donated in my father's memory be attached.
I know it was there for a number of years as I would visit the Museum on business fairly often… And hopefully, that is still where it is today…. If not, I want it back!
Shadow
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