To All,
Good Tuesday Morning September 17. 2024. . Well the first classes went well last night and we picked up about 17 new students and a few that took the summer off. The Vette is on its way to Idaho in covered transport and a Russian crew that did not speak much English and had some problems with the 6 speed in the Vette but it went ok. One of them took video of the entire car inside and out but I had also done it before they came.
A bit late this morning as I had an earlier appointment with my dermo lady. She looked me all over and then got her nitro gun out to spray areas and also cut out a thing on my write that had been bothering me and send it out for a biopsy. Then she told me that I had to go through the treatment on my face and head for cancer again and scare all my students
By the way there is a harvest moon tonight. Should be big and bright
Warm Regards and have a great week,
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. 17
1787 The Continental Convention signs the Constitution of the United States at Philadelphia, Pa., replacing the Articles of the Confederation. Named in honor of the Constitution, USS Constitution is launched in 1797 and to date is the world's oldest commissioned U.S. Navy ship in service.
1852 A party of Marines from USS Jamestown land at Buenos Aires, Argentina, to protect Americans during a revolution. During this time, USS Jamestown serves as part of the Brazil Squadron.
1861 During the Civil War, a landing party from USS Massachusetts takes possession of Ship Island, Miss., forcing the Confederates to evacuate.
1902 Landing parties of Marines and Sailors from the sternwheel gunboat USS Cincinnati go ashore at Coln, Panama (later Colombia) to protect American property during a period of unrest.
1944 The Naval Task Force under Rear Adm. William H. P. Blandy lands Army troops on Angaur, Palau Islands, supported by Navy carrier aircraft from USS Wasp (CV 7)and shore bombardment from USS Tennessee. Two days later, Marines land. On Sept. 20, the island is declared secure.
2011 USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) 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 World History September 17
1787 The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia approves the constitution for the United States of America.
1796 President George Washington delivers his "Farewell Address" to Congress before concluding his second term in office.
1862 The Battle of Antietam in Maryland, the bloodiest day in U.S. history, commences. Fighting in the corn field, Bloody Lane and Burnside's Bridge rages all day as the Union and Confederate armies suffer a combined 26,293 casualties.
1868 The Battle of Beecher's Island begins, in which Major George "Sandy" Forsyth and 50 volunteers hold off 500 Sioux and Cheyenne in eastern Colorado.
1902 U.S. troops are sent to Panama to keep train lines open over the isthmus as Panamanian nationals struggle for independence from Colombia.
1903 Turks destroy the town of Kastoria in Bulgaria, killing 10,000 civilians.
1916 Germany's "Red Baron," Manfred von Richthofen, wins his first aerial combat.
1917 The German Army recaptures the Russian Port of Riga from Russian forces.
1939 With the German army already attacking western Poland, the Soviet Union launches an invasion of eastern Poland.
1942 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill meets with Soviet Premier Josef Stalin in Moscow as the German Army rams into Stalingrad.
1944 British airborne troops parachute into Holland to capture the Arnhem bridge as part of Operation Market-Garden. The plan called for the airborne troops to be relieved by British troops, but they were left stranded and eventually surrendered to the Germans.
1947 James Forestall is sworn in as first the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
1957 The Thai army seizes power in Bangkok.
1959 The X-15 rocket plane makes its first flight.
1962 The first federal suit to end public school segregation is filed by the U.S. Justice Department.
1976 The Space Shuttle is unveiled to the public.
1978 Egypt and Israel sign the Camp David Accords.
1980 Nationwide independent trade union Solidarity established in Poland.
1983 Vanessa Williams becomes the first black Miss America; relinquished crown early after scandal over nude photos.
2001 The New York Stock Exchange reopens for the first time since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers; longest period of closure since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
2006 Alaska's Fourpeaked Mountain erupts for the first time in at least 10,000 years.
2011 Occupy Wall Street movement calling for greater social and economic equality begins in New York City's Zuccotti Park, coining the phrase "We are the 99%."
1862 Battle of Antietam breaks out
Beginning early on the morning of September 17, 1862, Confederate and Union troops in the Civil War clash near Maryland's Antietam Creek in the bloodiest single day in American military history.
The Battle of Antietam marked the culmination of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the Northern states. Guiding his Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River in early September 1862, the general daringly divided his men, sending half of them, under the command of General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, to capture the Union garrison at Harper's Ferry.
President Abraham Lincoln put Major General George B. McClellan in charge of the Union troops responsible for defending Washington, D.C., against Lee's invasion. Over the course of September 15 and 16, the Confederate and Union armies gathered on opposite sides of Antietam Creek.
Fighting began in the foggy dawn hours of September 17. As savage and bloody combat continued for eight hours across the region, the Confederates were pushed back but not beaten, despite sustaining some 15,000 casualties.
By the time the sun went down, both armies still held their ground, despite staggering combined casualties–nearly 23,000 of the 100,000 soldiers engaged, including more than 3,600 dead. McClellan's center never moved forward, leaving a large number of Union troops that did not participate in the battle.
On the morning of September 18, both sides gathered their wounded and buried their dead. That night, Lee turned his forces back to Virginia.
Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, that declared slaves in rebel territories "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."
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Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For "The List" for the week of 16 September 2024…. Bear
BEAR SENDS… OPERATION COMMANDO HUNT (1968-1972) From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com… This post concludes the inclusion of Rolling Thunder and Commando Hunt reposts in "The List." For the past 44-weeks, I have provided access to archive entries covering Commando Hunt operations for the period November 1968 through mid-September 1969. These posts are permanently available at the following link.
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/commando-hunt-post-list/
The RTR website is the domain and property of author Dan Heller and reflects his dedication and commitment to extending the site and archive into the future. The Yankee Air Pirates of Rolling Thunder and Commando Hunt and their 1965-1972 fight with North Vietnam will NOT be forgotten, thanks to Dan's assumption of this task. The RTR site is now world class and in great hands…
It has been my honor and duty to create and turnover this journal of our air war in North Vietnam to Dan Heller. It has also been a pleasure to repost the history of both Rolling Thunder and Commando Hunt ops in Skip Leonard's incomparable daily post and history lesson for the last three years. It was Skip's extraordinary commitment of twenty-years to his daily history lesson that inspired me to create Rolling Thunder Remembered in 2016… Skip goes on. I'm done… Glory gained and duty done, I now retire to my cave on Mount Ogden to contemplate my navel… Bear
(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 17 September
17-Sep: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=3009
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 Barrett
I've shared the Corrigan item with my aviation group, adding this:
Reminds me:
Allegedly a Miramar F-8 aviator ran out of JP far offshore and exercised the black & yellow handle.
Time passed.
Eventually he fetched up at the Long Green Table, invited to explain himself.
IIRC he claimed that his gyro compass malfunctioned and he couldn't read the wet compass on the canopy bow
because...
wait for it...
here it comes...
THE SETTING SUN WAS IN HIS EYES.
Note from skip
We had a young gent who was on his first solo in the F-8 (no instructor pilot tucked alongside).. It was a beautiful day but had a lot of haze and visibility was only a couple of miles. He was out over the water south west of Miramar and having trouble finding his way back to Miramar. He was on base radio and was getting help Sort of. Someone told him to fly east and he would hit land and be able to see the Salton sea. So he did and told us that he could see water just over the coast and there were some islands in it. Every one yelled that that he was too far south and to turn north because there were no islands in the Salton Sea. He ended up ejecting and his aircraft landed in the water at the north end of the Salton sea. The Mexicans gave him back to us at the border a bit later. The tail of the F-8 was sticking out of the water for a bit . I do not remember that we salvaged anything from it . Scott 'Ruby might know.
What became part of every brief after that was you do not head east but northeast to return to Miramar from the warning areas
skip
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Https://CaptainBillyWalker.com
(480) 773-2823
From Skip…Be sure to go to Captain Billy's site…You can get lost for hours there in the history of aviation
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Thanks to Scott,Paul and Ken
Subject: Re: 100 Missions: Surviving Vietnam
They called it Thud ridge for a reason.
On the 65 deployment on the Midway, we deployed with our three aircraft and had seven shot up. I have the distinction of being the only guy that did not hit. Just goes to show that all the superior skill and cunning can never beat superstition, black magic, and pure dumb luck. It certain wasn't lack of effort on their part. We lost one to a PT boat, Willie was a three-fifths black ace, and once - blew up plugged into a whale tanker trying to get some fuel into him. Texaco took a dim view of that.. We never had an airframe long enough to pull a calendar inspection on one. Willie quit after that deployment, and I understand he became an air traffic controller.
In the early days, there were no rules, or approved procedures. We made things up as we went along. Started out our minimum flight altitude was 2,000 feet AGL. There were three two-bit bridges between Vinh and Dong Hoi along route one, and some idiot wanted to know what the understructure wanted to look like. Said we could not get an accurate view from 2,000 feet. So our altitude restriction was eliminated. Dumb. We all knew that a 500 pound bomb would take it out, but some idiot wanted to know REALLY wanted to know. On one of the bridges we hit, the attack pukes started dropping their ordnance. There was a small village next to the bridge. Unfortunately the attack guys could not hit the bridge, but they did real good on the village. Finally, some guy decided the bridge was the safest place to be and rode his bicycle out on the bridge. One of the attack guys finally got lucky and hit the bridge with a 500 pounder - poor guy disappeared.
There were some low hills SE of Vinh along the coast, With a shallow valley running SE to NW. We used to use that go into the Vinh area - until they put a six-pack of 37MM there.
The RF8A has some poor design features. Among them was that there were places in the bird where PC1 and PC2 lines were actually tied together. Marv took a single small arms round that cut both lines. When he ran out of hydraulic fluid, the nose pitched down and he ejected. Over water fortunately.
I think it was Ray that took a small arms round that went into the tail section. Entered the burner and did not come out the other side. We assumed it was a pretty much spent round and got spit out the ass-end. Seemed to run all right, so we put some scotch weld on the fuselage to smooth out the skin and flew it that way until we lost that bird.
The RF8A would do at least 650 knots in basic engine. Max trap weight for the RF8A was, 4,200 pounds. When they went to the G model, they added 1,700 pounds - mainly survivability improvements, and things like incorporating a starter probe in the engine. Before that, if you took a cross country, you had to bring a separate starter probe if you landed somewhere for fuel - and the return flight. We liked to stop at the AFB in New Mexico because for what ever reason, they had a starter probe. Carried the probe in the flare compartment.
The basic procedure for low level flight at high speed was to set the radar altimeter at 100 feet and keep the red light on. One thing you never did was put your head in the cockpit during those conditions. The cumulous granitous will get you every time.
One of the main things I learned on the 65 deployment was what to do and more importantly what NOT to do. Ray Dunkin (OINC) and I disagreed about a lot of things, but we finally got together on flying combat photo. Also, when a bird was reasonably safe to fly and when it was not safe to fly. My experiences paid off during the 71 deployment.
Time to close.
Scott
________________________________________
From: paulringwood@sbcglobal.net <paulringwood@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: RE: 100 Missions: Surviving Vietnam
Hi Ken,
No, there was no mission limit for the Navy.
The 105's flew only at the beginning of the war before a lot of lessons learned came about. I think Scott can better attest to the severe losses RF-8's took early in the war compared to the later part. Basically, we started flying at higher altitudes. The 105, although fast, was not as maneuverable as the F-4. The F-105 actually was mission trained as a bomber, and did not get much air combat maneuvering training. When laden with bombs, it could barely turn out of its own way. I remember reading that book decades ago and remember thinking the same thing as you. They did press the weather more, and they lost a lot to Migs. By the time we got there in 71/72, air superiority was so great on our side and the lessons learned from the Ault Report during the almost 4 years of not flying over the North benefited Navy fighter pilots that we did not experience the same amount of Mig encounters and had great success when we did. The fighter guys in our air wing were always complaining that the MIgs never came up to greet us. We had one suspected A-7 shoot down by a Mig, but that was never confirmed. On the other hand, our fighters accounted for 5 Mig kills on the 72 cruise. One other factor was that the only US plane that had overwhelming success in the early days of the war was the F-8. The bad guys were actually frightened of the F-8, and we photo guys benefited from that because they did not know we were unarmed. Our F-8 pilot friend, Jerry Tucker, actually got credited with a Mig kill because he approached a Mig, and the guy ejected without actually getting into a dog fight or getting shot at!
I heard Col Old's daughter speak last year at a DFC Society meeting, and she was terrific.
Keep it comin',
Paul
Note Paul and I flew the RF-8G on the 72 cruise on the USS Midway/ We had 2 shot down one rescued and one POW and two F-4 escorts shot down 2 rescued and two POW.
From: Kenneth Jack <ken.dar.jack@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2020 5:18 AM
To: Morgan, Jim Col AF/VFP63 <mugsm@gvtc.com>; 'Scott Ruby' <ruby_scott@msn.com>; Leonard Johnson <lenedjohnjr@icloud.com>; Andre Coltrin <bcpacking@yahoo.com>; Psul Ringwood <paulringwood@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: 100 Missions: Surviving Vietnam
Guys,
I saw a documentary on the Smithsonian Channel this week with the subject title. It was about the AF missions and featured Col. Robin Olds, Ed Rasmus (his biographer with his daughter) and others. The F-105 was the main feature because of the high losses they suffered. However, the F-4 vs MiGs were part of the story. Lots of good photography and stories about their lives.
To counter the morale issues with the losses, they implemented the "100 missions and go home" program.
It brought be to think about the Navy aviators: I don't recall any mention about that. If so, can you help me out with that part of the story?
What I don't understand about the high loss rate of the F-105s is, from the videos, their low-level high-speed approach to the target was the same as the RF-8s.
I highly recommend the documentary.
Ken
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The Weekly Rundown: Mexico Ratifies a Controversial Judicial Reform, the U.N. Votes on a Palestinian Resolution
Sep 16, 2024
A special session of the U.N. General Assembly is held on the Palestinian bid for full membership to the United Nations at the U.N. headquarters in New York City on May 10, 2024.
What We're Tracking
A U.N. vote on ending Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories. On Sept. 18, the U.N. General Assembly will likely vote on a draft resolution aligning with the International Court of Justice's July advisory opinion that said Israel's presence in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank was "unlawful" and that Israel was obligated to end its presence in the territories "as soon as possible." Many of the countries that recognize Palestine as a state will likely back the resolution. But despite supporting a two-state solution, the United States will likely vote against it as Washington has reiterated support for Israel's right to defend itself amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. If the resolution passes, Israel will face increased international pressure to withdraw from the two Palestinian territories. But if the resolution does not have U.S. backing, Israel is highly unlikely to change its military operations or consider ending its presence in Gaza and the West Bank. However, there is a chance that the United States may support similar resolutions in the future if Washington decides to increase pressure on Israel toward a pathway to Palestinian statehood, which would become more likely if Democratic candidate Kamala Harris wins the U.S. presidential election in November.
An IMF team visits Kenya for a fact-finding mission. Officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are expected to advance a fact-finding mission in Kenya after arriving in the country earlier this month. This comes as the Kenyan government increased its fiscal deficit projection for fiscal year 2024/2025 from 3.3% to 4.3% following President William Ruto's scrapping the controversial Finance Bill 2024 in late June after protesters stormed parliament. The IMF mission will assess the government's compliance with the fiscal consolidation targets outlined in Kenya's 2021 IMF support package. Its findings will influence whether the fund's board will complete the seventh review of Kenya's support program, which is expected to result in the disbursement of around $600 million later this month but has been delayed due to the scrapping of the Finance Bill 2024, which aimed to raise $2.3 billion in new revenue via a series of contentious tax hikes. While the IMF appears willing to prove lenient, the staff mission comes as the government is awaiting a ruling by the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of Kenya's Finance Bill 2023. Should the Supreme Court rule that the Finance Bill 2023 is unconstitutional, it would expand Kenya's funding gap by another $1.66 billion and risk compelling the government to press ahead with a fresh round of tax hikes to secure the completion of the seventh IMF review, which would risk triggering a new round of protests.
China celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival. From Sept. 15-17, China will have a public holiday in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Crowding in urban shopping areas and at travel hubs is expected, as the festival is a popular time for shopping and often sees a large proportion of Chinese people travel to spend time with family. For this reason, the Mid-Autumn Festival period tends to be a good time to take the pulse of Chinese travel, retail and other consumption as indicators for the health of the Chinese economy, which is experiencing a sustained downturn in consumer and business sentiment. South Korea and Japan will also celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, with the South Korean government concerned this year that the hospital system, already strained by a shortage of doctors and nurses amid a prolonged labor dispute, will experience further delays and cancellation of health services during this holiday season.
Mexico's president signs controversial judicial reform into law. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will on Sept. 15 enact a constitutional reform that will restructure the country's judicial branch, including providing for the election of judges by popular vote. The event will occur amid celebrations ahead of Mexico's Independence Day on Sept. 16. The reform will likely undermine the judiciary's impartiality by exposing judges to influence from political, economic and criminal interests, likely benefiting the government and state-owned companies in disputes with private sector players and curtailing contract enforceability. The reform is also likely to further undermine checks and balances on Mexico's executive branch, enabling it to introduce interventionist policies that will deteriorate the country's business environment in the long term. In the coming days, small and isolated protests are likely to primarily target government buildings, resulting mostly in traffic jams and indirect safety risks to bystanders when demonstrators clash with police forces.
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This Day in U S Military History
September 17
1787 – The Constitution of the United States of America is signed by 38 of 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Supporters of the document waged a hard-won battle to win ratification by the necessary nine out of 13 U.S. states. The Articles of Confederation, ratified several months before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, provided for a loose confederation of U.S. states, which were sovereign in most of their affairs. On paper, Congress–the central authority–had the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war, and regulate currency, but in practice these powers were sharply limited because Congress was given no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops. By 1786, it was apparent that the Union would soon break up if the Articles of Confederation were not amended or replaced. Five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss the issue, and all the states were invited to send delegates to a new constitutional convention to be held in Philadelphia. On May 25, 1787, delegates representing every state except Rhode Island convened at Philadelphia's Pennsylvania State House for the Constitutional Convention. The building, which is now known as Independence Hall, had earlier seen the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Articles of Confederation. The assembly immediately discarded the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation and set about drawing up a new scheme of government. Revolutionary War hero George Washington, a delegate from Virginia, was elected convention president. During an intensive debate, the delegates devised a brilliant federal organization characterized by an intricate system of checks and balances. The convention was divided over the issue of state representation in Congress, as more-populated states sought proportional legislation, and smaller states wanted equal representation. The problem was resolved by the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house (House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states in the upper house (Senate). On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was signed. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states. Beginning on December 7, five states–Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut–ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. In June, Virginia ratified the Constitution, followed by New York in July. On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution–the Bill of Rights–and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States. Today, the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world.
1796 – President George Washington delivered his "Farewell Address" to Congress before concluding his second term in office. Washington counseled the republic in his farewell address to avoid "entangling alliances" and involvement in the "ordinary vicissitudes, combinations, and collision of European politics." Also "we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies."
1908 – Orville Wright's passenger on a test flight was Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge. They were circling the landing field at Fort Myer, Va., when a crack developed in the blade of the aircraft's propeller. Wright lost control of the Flyer and the biplane plunged to the ground. Selfridge became powered flight's first fatality, and Wright was seriously injured in the crash. But despite the tragic mishap, the War Department awarded the contract for the first military aircraft to Wright.
1972 – Three U.S. pilots are released by Hanoi. They were the first POWs released since 1969. North Vietnamese officials cautioned the United States not to force the freed men to "slander" Hanoi, claiming that "distortions" about Hanoi's treatment of POWs from a previous release of prisoners in 1969 caused Hanoi to temporarily suspend the release of POWs. The conditions for their release stipulated that they would not do anything to further the U.S. war effort in Indochina. The rest of the POWs were released in March 1973 as part of the agreement that led to the Paris Peace Accords.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*MONEGAN, WALTER C., JR.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company F, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Near Sosa-ri, Korea, 17 and 20 September 1950. Entered service at: Seattle, Wash. Born: 25 December 1930, Melrose, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rocket gunner attached to Company F, and in action against enemy aggressor forces. Dug in on a hill overlooking the main Seoul highway when 6 enemy tanks threatened to break through the battalion position during a predawn attack on 17 September, Pfc. Monegan promptly moved forward with his bazooka, under heavy hostile automatic weapons fre and engaged the lead tank at a range of less than 50 yards. After scoring a direct hit and killing the sole surviving tankman with his carbine as he came through the escape hatch, he boldly fired 2 more rounds of ammunition at the oncoming tanks, disorganizing the attack and enabling our tank crews to continue blasting with their 90-mm guns. With his own and an adjacent company's position threatened by annihilation when an overwhelming enemy tank-infantry force bypassed the area and proceeded toward the battalion command post during the early morning of September 20, he seized his rocket launcher and, in total darkness, charged down the slope of the hill where the tanks had broken through. Quick to act when an illuminating shell lit the area, he scored a direct hit on one of the tanks as hostile rifle and automatic-weapons fire raked the area at close range. Again exposing himself, he fired another round to destroy a second tank and, as the rear tank turned to retreat, stood upright to fire and was fatally struck down by hostile machine gun fire when another illuminating shell silhouetted him against the sky. Pfc. Monegan's daring initiative, gallant fighting spirit and courageous devotion to duty were contributing factors in the success of his company in repelling the enemy, and his self-sacrificing efforts throughout sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country .
*PILILAAU, HERBERT K.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Pia-ri, Korea, 17 September 1951. Entered service at: Oahu, T.H. Born: 10 October 1928, Waianae, Oahu, T.H. G.O. No.: 58, 18 June 1952. Citation: Pfc. Pililaau, a member of Company C, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. The enemy sent wave after wave of fanatical troops against his platoon which held a key terrain feature on "Heartbreak Ridge." Valiantly defending its position, the unit repulsed each attack until ammunition became practically exhausted and it was ordered to withdraw to a new position. Voluntarily remaining behind to cover the withdrawal, Pfc. Pililaau fired his automatic weapon into the ranks of the assailants, threw all his grenades and, with ammunition exhausted, closed with the foe in hand-to-hand combat, courageously fighting with his trench knife and bare fists until finally overcome and mortally wounded. When the position was subsequently retaken, more than 40 enemy dead were counted in the area he had so valiantly defended. His heroic devotion to duty, indomitable fighting spirit, and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry, and the U.S. Army.
*MORRIS, MELVIN
Rank and Organization: Staff Sergeant. U.S. Army. 3d Company. Place and Date: September 17, 1969, Chi Lang, Vietnam. Born: January 7, 1942, Okmulgee, OK . Departed: No. Entered Service At: Fort Bragg, NC. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: . Citation: Melvin Morris is being recognized for his valorous actions on Sept. 17, 1969, while commanding the Third Company, Third Battalion of the IV Mobile Strike Force near Chi Lang. Then-Staff Sgt. Morris led an advance across enemy lines to retrieve a fallen comrade and single-handedly destroyed an enemy force that had pinned his battalion from a series of bunkers. Staff Sgt. Morris was shot three times as he ran back toward friendly lines with the American casualties, but did not stop until he reached safety.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for September 17, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
17 September
1908: Lt Thomas E. Selfridge, flying as a passenger with Orville Wright, died when the Wright Flyer crashed at Fort Myer. This event was the world's first fatal airplane accident. Wright also received serious injuries. (12) Two Navy observers, Lt George C. Sweet and Naval Constructor William McEntee, reviewed the Wright flying machine demonstrations at Fort Myer. (29)
1909: Orville Wright flew his Wright Flyer to a FAI altitude record of 564 feet in Berlin, Germany. (9)
1911: Calbraith Perry Rodgers flew a Burgess-Wright Biplane, the Vin Fiz, on the first transcontinental flight. He flew 3,390 miles from Sheepshead Bay to Long Beach after 76 stops and 20 crashes, arriving on 11 December. He was attempting to win a $50,000 prize from Willam Randolph Hearst for flying coast-to-coast in 30 days. The plane was named for Rodgers' sponsor, a grape soda. (20) (24)
1941: During Louisiana maneuvers, the Army dropped parachute troops for the first time in a tactical exercise. The Army acquired 13 DC-3s for the event. (21) (24)
1944: Operation MARKET GARDEN. 1,546 allied planes and 478 gliders carried 35,000 troops for an airborne assault between Eindhoven and Arnhem in Holland to secure the Rhine. (18) (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. The USMC captured Kimpo Airfield. To support the Eighth Army offensive, Fifth Air Force F-51s and F-80s flew napalm attacks, killing an estimated 1,200 enemy soldiers in Tabu-dong, Yongchon, and other strongholds near the Naktong River. FEAF began a week of dropping four million psychological warfare leaflets. (28)
1951: The 62 TCW's activation at McChord AFB made it the first TAC unit with C-124s assigned. (11)
1952: E. J. Smith flew a Bell helicopter (47D1) to a FAI nonstop distance record by flying 1,217 miles from Fort Worth to Niagara Falls.
1958: Capt Charles E. Gibbs flew a 92 AREFS KC-135 from Fairchild AFB to four closed-circuit FAI records: distance without refueling, 3,125.56 miles; speed for 2,000 kilometers, 589.3 MPH, with payloads of 2,204.6, 4,409.2, 11,023, and 22,046 pounds; speed for 5,000 kilometers, 587.1 MPH; and speed for 5,000 kilometers, 587.136 MPH, with the same payloads. (1)
1959: KEY EVENT. After being dropped from a B-52 near Edwards AFB, Scott Crossfield flew the X-15 to over 1,400 MPH and 50,000 feet in altitude in the plane's initial powered test. (3) (9)
1964: President Johnson announced that the US had an over-the-horizon radar that could see around the earth's curvature to detect missiles shortly after their launch. (5) (16)
1965: Exercise NICE WAY. Through 21 September, as war broke out between Pakistan and India, MATS directed 7 C-130s from Exercise Deep Furrow in Turkey to evacuate 650 Americans from Pakistan. In the exercise, C-130s carried about 375 nationals, who had fled to Afghanistan from Pakistan, back to Turkey. (2) (18) The Air Force Systems Command received the Gen Thomas D. White award for its outstanding contribution to the nation's aerospace progress in 1964. (16)
1970: Gunship developer, pilot, and program director, Maj Ronald W. Terry, received the 1969 Harold Brown Award for achievement in research and development. Major Terry worked for the Gunship program office at Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson AFB. (16)
1976: The first Space Shuttle, the Enterprise, rolled out at Palmdale. (12)
1980: For the Glory Trip 77 operational missile test, Vandenberg AFB launched a Minuteman III on a 5,600-mile flight to near Kwajalein. This was the longest Minuteman flight to date.
1987: In a five-hour flight from Rockwell's Palmdale facility, Maj H. Brent Hedgpeth and Lt Col Robert A. Chamberlain flew the 70th production B-1B 2,700 miles to 18 world speed and payload records in the unlimited weight class.
2001: The Air Staff accelerated a program to field the Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) on the B-52H. Subsequently, the AFFTC at Edwards AFB trimmed the testing plan from five months to six weeks. After that first accelerated program, the AFFTC sped up several test programs for Operation Enduring Freedom. (3)
2002: The USAF changed the Raptor's official designation from F-22 to F/A-22 to highlight its ground attack capabilities. (3) The Air National Guard's last B-1B left the 116th Bomb Wing (Georgia ANG) at Robins AFB to the "bone yard" at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. Later, the 116th merged with the USAF's 93d Air Control Wing (ACW) to form the 116th ACW, the USAF's first "blended wing," and fly the E-8C JSTARS. (32)
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Shadow 5 of 7
ADJUSTING TO CIVILIAN LIFE
It was back in the early 70's… One of our backseaters, whom we shall refer to as "Fast
Eddie"… was encouraged to leave the Corps by his young wife. Being based in Southern
California, she was into the "lifestyle" and was becoming more anti-war, anti-military
and most certainly anti-Marine Corps... by the day. For Fast Eddie, it was a difficult
decision… he loved the flying and the Corps, but ultimately decided he loved her more.
He put in his letter and entered civilian life.
It was not an easy transition for Eddie and he continued to drop by the Ready Room
about once a month and occasionally a Friday "Happy Hour" at the O'Club. A lot of us
felt for Eddie, he was a fish out of water. Even though he was now a certified civilian, he
still wore his "High and Tight" haircut and his new civilian job defiantly didn't fit his
own self image… to add insult to injury, the change in occupation was doing nothing to
save his foundering marriage.
Six months after leaving the Corps, Fast Eddie showed up in the Ready Room one Friday
afternoon just as "Doc" and I were de-briefing from an exhilarating "low level" we'd just
completed. I've never seen a more hang dog looking individual… he looked like the
proverbial "Whupped Puppy".
Doc looked up from the charts and said, "Why the long face Fast Eddie? You look like
you've lost your best friend". Eddie slumped in a Ready Room chair and said, "Worse
than that". Fast Eddie then went on to tell us his beautiful significant other, had just run
off with a pettifogging lawyer from up the street… to add insult to injury, this was less
than 60 days after he'd invested in some expensive cosmetic surgery to help increase her
"self image"… a procedure very popular in Southern California in those days. Eddie was
hurt and pissed… not only had she talked him into leaving the military… what with the
recovery period, he'd had little time to enjoy the benefits of her "New You"
improvements. Add to that, she'd taken to calling him "boring" in the final weeks of their
co-habitation. She'd really done a number on him… she'd turned his life upside-down
and then walked… performing a little evisceration on his "self image" on the way out the
door. Eddie slumped in the chair, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes and as he let
out a gasp of air… Doc and I looked at each other and realized we had a friend in need of
our help.
DOC AND SHADOW TO THE RESCUE
Counseling from a fighter pilot is not what a normal civilian would be used to… not
much sympathy; usually a "quit feeling sorry for yourself and get on with it" type of
thing… but Fast Eddie was a special case. He had been one of us.
Doc took the lead and decided that the number one priority should be repairing Eddie's
damaged ego, to hell with the soon to be ex-wife… "Boring" was not an acceptable
description for a retired warrior. Doc, being possessed of great intellect and insight then
proceeded to fill Fast Eddie in on some of the facts of modern civilian life. As I listened, I
could see where he was going and became a co-conspirator. Doc explained to Eddie that
he was definitely not boring… that civilians wouldn't know true greatness if it hit them
upside the head… However, "When in Rome…" Doc then told Eddie that even though
she was a "bitch"… Eddie himself was somewhat to blame. While she had obviously
rejected our military culture… Eddie himself hadn't really let go. He still dressed and
looked like he was in the Marine Corps. Short hair, razor creases on his trousers and spit
shined shoes. He stood out amongst his civilian brethren like the proverbial sore thumb.
Slowly but surely, Doc grabbed Fast Eddie's undivided attention; "You gotta lighten up
man… let your hair grow out… buy some tight pants… get some silk shirts and a gold
chain with a Krugerrand on the end… if you're gonna be a civilian, ya gotta look the
part"! Doc's mind started running rampant… describing all manner of changes to Eddie's
life style, culminating in the coup de gras… he told Eddie that along with the other
changes he'd suggested… that the surest guarantee to any future recreational sex… was
to invest in the number one status symbol of the day… the ubiquitous conversion van…
you know the ones I'm talking about; wet bar and waterbed in back, Levelour blinds on
the windows and an awesome sound system. On the back of the van, a ten foot aerial, that
guaranteed good FM reception even in Laguna Canyon.
By the time Doc got through, Eddie was coming out of his funk and swore he was going
to turn over a new leaf, put the past behind him and get with the program. As he left the
Ready Room, Doc and I shook hands (high fiving wasn't in vogue at that time) feeling
pretty good about ourselves and feeling we'd done a good thing.
THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
Over the next two or three months we'd get an occasional report on Fast Eddie… true to
his word, he'd let his hair grow and began dressing more fashionably for the day. One
squadron mate even sighted him wearing an open shirt and Puka Shells in a local disco.
About a month after that… To mine and Doc's horror and surprise, Fast Eddie limps into
the Ready Room. He was a mess… two black eyes, bandages on his face, stitches in his
ear… he looked like he'd just punched out of an F-4 at Mach I or higher… "Geezus…
Eddie, what happened to you", Said Doc?
As Eddie slowly and in obvious pain, sat down… he said, "It's all your and Shadow's
fault"! He then told us his tale of woe.
After leaving us that fateful day, he made up his mind to turn over a new leaf. He let his
hair grow… and jumped with both feet into the lifestyle of Southern California's civilian
culture. About a month after our meeting he went to the local Chevy dealer and plunked
down a hefty down payment on a "special order" conversion van… it had all the bells and
whistles… water bed, bar, mood lights, blinds and the best stereo you could buy at the
time… and the ten foot tall aerial on the back for uninterrupted FM reception… life was
good, even the ex was snooping around… secretaries were flirting and he knew that once
he got the van… his future… and most importantly, his sex life… was no longer just on
the up stroke… it was going to happen… he was on a roll.
Just five days earlier, his new van was delivered… as luck would have it; he picked it up
on a Friday afternoon. After getting a thorough checkout, he drove home, showered,
shaved and at about 9:00 PM set out for the Saddle Back Inn in Santa Ana (the local
Friday night body exchange headquarters) to try his luck. As he pulled up under the
portico for Valet Parking… he see's a vision. Standing on the steps of the entrance is one
tall, blond, drink of water… glass of Chardonnay in hand, straight black skirt, slit up the
side to here, pouty lips… and she was zeroed in on Fast Eddie… eye contact… in the
parlance of the fighter community, he was "Judy", locked on! As he opened the door to
take the ticket and give his keys to the Valet… the blond says, "God, that's a great
looking van… Is it yours"? Eddie nodded and then he heard the magic words… "Take me
for a ride"?
Eddie maintained his cool and did not take the Valet's arm off at the elbow retrieving his
keys and said, "Sure, jump in". He opened the door and as she stepped in the van, the slit
went even higher… almost to heaven. As he pulled out onto Interstate 5… the blond leans
back and strokes the velour seats and said, "God, I love vans"! Fast Eddie agreed and
became light headed as all the blood rushed from his head. He headed south toward
Capistrano.
As he drove along, the blond looked in the back and saw the fully stocked wet bar. She
asked Eddie if he wanted a drink and he said yes. As she crawls back between the seats,
she pulls the skirt higher in order to make the transition and Eddie loses even more blood
from his brain group. Once back there she raves about the waterbed… Eddie then
demonstrates the mood lights and turns on the sound system… she hands Eddie his drink,
throws herself back and lets out a moan and says, "God, I love this, it turns me on"!
At this point, between the lack of blood and his increasing excitement… Eddie is at a loss
for words… He pulls off the Interstate and cuts over to PCH and heads for Laguna Beach.
All through the canyons, the big aerial does its' job and the mood music goes on
uninterrupted and static free. The blond is lying on the bed and Eddie tilted the mirror so
he could view the vision while driving. Passing through Laguna, heading toward Newport
Beach, the blond sits up and said, "I love the waterbed… have you christened it yet"?
Eddie thought he knew what she meant… but to be safe he said, "What do you mean"?
She said, "You know, made love on it"! Eddie told her no, he'd just picked it up that day.
She then said, "Wanna do it now"?
As the impact of what she was offering registered in his blood starved brain, Eddie saw
the exit for South Coast Plaza and tires screeching, he pulled into the far end of its'
massive parking lot. Lurching to a stop, he almost vaulted into the back… as he arrived
on the bed; he saw the little black dress disappearing over the blonds head… what he saw
exceeded his wildest dreams! She was awesome, a dream! He now knew what he'd heard
about unbridled, raw passion… he was so aroused, "If a cat would scratch it… sparks
would fly"!
Clothes went flying (mostly his) and they tore into each other like he'd never experienced
in his life. Not two minutes into their mad love making, the blond looks up at Eddie and
says, "Hit me, slap me, I like it"! It took a couple of seconds for things to register in
Eddies head… he suddenly realized the blond was into "kink"! Eddie didn't know
whether to poo or go blind! All he knew was that he had never experienced anything like
this in his entire life… did not want to spoil the moment… and was willing to try to help
her (at least until he finished) get off… Eddie lightly brought his hand against her
buttocks… The reaction he got was totally unexpected.
"No dammit… hit me hard… I like pain, I get off on it"! All of a sudden, blood started
rushing back into Eddie's brain as the reality of what she was saying, sunk in. Now
Eddie, like most of us was not into "kink"… he certainly wasn't into S&M. As he pushed
up, with his hands sinking into the waterbed… he told her he was sorry, he just wasn't
into that.
The blond screamed, pushed him off and said, "God Dammit, do it; you'll like it"! Eddie
now had all the blood back in his brain as it rapidly drained from his nether regions… as
the most exciting sexual experience of his life came to a screeching halt; he looked at her
and said, "I'm sorry, I can't".
At this point, the blond turned into a raving maniac… she screamed, threw him off and
started biting, scratching and pounding him with her fists… Eddie was coming unglued
as well… He had to get away from her! The fact that they were both naked not
withstanding… Eddie threw open the sliding door of the van and jumped out into the
parking lot. What he didn't count on was her coming right out after him! She was still
screaming, she was going to get what she wanted! As Eddie ran around the back of the
van trying to get away from this psycho… she followed him. As she got to the back of the
van, she grabbed the 10 foot aerial, and with super human strength, snapped it off and
proceeded to whip Eddie with it! She was doing serious damage! Eddie finally got it
away from her, just before she was about to kill him it seemed.
Luckily for Eddie, someone saw a naked man and woman in the parking lot in a
desperate struggle and called the police. The problem was that when they arrived, Eddie
had her pinned to the ground… and to the cops, he looked forever like a rapist caught n
the act. What saved him was when he let her up… she started screaming and going
psycho, all over again.
When the cops finally sorted things out, they trussed her up and called for an ambulance
for Eddie. He was rushed to the hospital.
In the stark light of the Emergency Room, Fast Eddie is laying there when the surgeon
came in to access his condition… He asked Eddie what had caused his injuries, what he
was beaten with, etc.
Eddie told us he relayed the whole story of the psycho to the doctor, how she ripped the
aerial off the van and beat him to a pulp… as he looked up at the doctor with his one
good eye… the doctor leaned over him, with a half smile on his face and said, "I guess
that explains everything… but young man, I gotta say it… you absolutely have the worst
case of van aerial disease I've ever seen in my life"!
Why does shit like this always happen to Marines?
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