To All,
Good Friday morning 22 November. I hope that you all have a great weekend. Good classes last night getting students ready for testing after Thanksgiving. Lots of basics and kicking practice. Full day on the home front today. A couple of clear days ahead then mostly cloudy for a week or so.
Make it a GREAT Day
Regards,
Skip
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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 84 H-Grams .
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
November 22
1863—During the Civil War, the screw steam gunboat Aroostook captures schooner Eureka off Galveston, TX, which had been bound for Havana with a cargo of cotton. Also on this date, the side-wheel gunboat Jacob Bell transports and supports a troop landing at St. George's Island, MD, where some 30 Confederates, some of whom were blockade runners, are captured.
1943—USS Frazier's (DD 607) bow is badly damaged when she intentionally rams and eventually sinks Japanese submarine I-35 off Tarawa in tandem with USS Meade (DD 602). No injuries or casualties are suffered and two days later Frazier sails for repairs at Pearl Harbor.
1944—USS Besugo (SS 321) sinks the Japanese landing ship T-151 off the northern tip of Palawan while USS Guavina (SS 362) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Dowa Maru northwest of Borneo.
2017—A Navy C-2A Greyhound crashes in the Philippine Sea while enroute to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Search and rescue efforts recover eight Sailors and continue for two days. Three Sailors lose their lives in the crash.
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Today in World History
November 22
1220 After promising to go to the aid of the Fifth Crusade within nine months, Frederick II is crowned emperor by Pope Honorius III.
1542 New laws are passed in Spain giving Indians in America protection against enslavement.
1757 The Austrian army defeats the Prussians at Breslau in the Seven Years War.
1847 In New York, the Astor Place Opera House, the city's first operatic theater, is opened.
1902 A fire causes considerable damage to the unfinished Williamsburg bridge in New York.
1915 The Anglo-Indian army, led by British General Sir Charles Townshend, attacks a larger Turkish force under General Nur-ud-Din at Ctesiphon, Iraq, but is repulsed.
1919 A Labor conference committee in the United States urges an eight-hour workday and a 48-hour week.
1928 British King George is confined to bed with a congested lung; the queen is to take over duties.
1935 Pan Am inaugurates the first transpacific airmail service from San Francisco to Manila.
1936 1,200 soldiers are killed in a battle between the Japanese and Mongolians in China.
1942 Soviet troops complete the encirclement of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad.
1948 Ho Chi Minh's Democratic Republic of Vietnam requests admittance to the UN.
1963 Lee Harvey Oswald assassinates President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president.
1964 Almost 40,000 people pay tribute to John F. Kennedy at Arlington Cemetery on the first anniversary of his death.
1973 Great Britain announces a plan for moderate Protestants and Catholics to share power in Northern Ireland.
1980 Eighteen Communist Party secretaries in 49 provinces are ousted from Poland.
1982 President Ronald Reagan calls for defense-pact deployment of the MX missile.
1986 Justice Department finds memo in Lt. Col. Oliver North's office on the transfer of $12 million to Contras of Nicaragua from Iranian arms sale.
1988 First prototype of B-2 Spirit strategic stealth bomber unveiled for public viewing.
1989 Lebanese President Rene Moawad killed when a bomb explodes near his motorcade in West Beirut.
1990 Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher confirms the end of her premiership by withdrawing from the leadership election of the Conservative Party.
1995 The first feature-length film created entirely with computer generated imagery - Toy Story - premiers.
2004 The Orange Revolution, protesting a primary election believed to have been rigged, begins in the Ukraine. On Dec 26 Ukraine's Supreme Court orders a revote..
2005 Angela Merkel becomes the first woman ever to be Chancellor of Germany; the former research scientist had previously been the first secretary-general of the Christian Democratic Union.
2008 Hamas and Israel begin a cease-fire following eight days of violence and 150 deaths.
1963
John F. Kennedy assassinated……See more below
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Thanks to the Bear. .
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER ….
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
From Vietnam Air Losses site for Friday November 22
November 22: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=901
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature.
https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
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.
Thanks to Shadow…another trip down memory lane with a couple more to follow over the next couple of days
As YP would say Holy Chit
. Duc Pho
For those of you who rotated before me like Dan and Dale and Cuneo… life went on.
In February and March of 1967… the battalion was embarked on the USS Iwo Jima for a
Special Landing Force (SLF) Operation… It was called Beacon Hill I. It was comprised
of a whole Battalion Landing Team (BLT), including supporting arms (105 Howitzers).
Our first landing was at Duc Pho; south of Chu Lai. Jack had asked me to stay with the
battalion through the SLF… I was a "short timer" and could have stayed in Okinawa
where we'd pulled back to for training for one month, since I had less than 30 days before
rotation. I agreed and looked forward to operating off the carrier.
Before we went ashore… the area was bombarded with leaflets to warn the civilian
population we were coming, and of course it gave the enemy a heads up as well. What
ever… the civilians didn't get the word… or if they did, they felt it was going to be a dog
and pony show with no real fire works.
Two things happened… first we prepped the area with naval gunfire… and rockets. The
Navy had these PBMR's (I think that was the designation)… they looked like converted
LST's with battery after battery of 122 MM rockets deck mounted. These were big
suckers and it was awesome to see them fire off… just like in the movies; with sound
affects! They just hammered the coastline with these things. It was reassuring to us
Marines… that this would not be a "hot beach" when we landed.
Unfortunately… many of the locals decided to form a welcoming committee and got
wiped out in the process. They knew we were coming, just didn't know the rockets and
Naval Gunfire would arrive before we did. I can't remember how many were killed, but it
was a lot. Of course today, it would have been an international incident of the first order.
Like I've said, War is an ugly business.
The landing was in two phases… we rode in on helo's and the rest of the battalion came
ashore in landing craft… just like "John Fucking Wayne". Mike boats, LCM's and
AMTRAC's.
We set up a base camp just inside an estuary… and sent out patrols from there. You know,
sometimes in the middle of all the crap… you just couldn't help but stop and think what a
beautiful place this was if there wasn't a war going on. The area we were in was right out
of a Hollywood movie set… for a Bob Hope/Bing Crosby Road show! We had a lagoon
and tidal pool area, complete with coconut palms that leaned over the water and lush
tropical vegetation all around… in the dead calm of an afternoon, you half expected Mitzi
Gaynor or some other starlet to come out of the jungle with a simian wrapped around
her… it was that beautiful.
Instead, we got the Viet Cong version of "Bed Check Charlie"… Some where in that
beautiful setting… there was a little Gomer… that did his utmost to ruin our day. Just
about everyday at sunset, this guy would pop up out of a spider hole somewhere and fire
off about two or three rounds. He never did hit anybody, got close a couple of times, but
he was more of a nuisance than a threat. We sent out numerous patrols to look for him,
but we never found him. One day, Jack finally had enough of him and decided that we'd
make an all out effort to silence him once and for all. We waited for him to shoot… and
he did… one guy thought he saw a muzzle flash and we laid it all on the spot… mortars,
105's and a true "mad moment" of machine gun and recoilless rifle fire… it went on for
about 15 minutes. We succeeded in rendering the beautiful setting into another type…
and we waited. No more shots were fired and Jack was confident we'd finally gotten the
son of a bitch.
The next afternoon… he was back. Jack was really pissed now and laid it on again… this
time it went on for about 20 minutes… when it was over… our pristine maritime forest
now looked like a moonscape…Jack finally said out loud; "That ought to take care of the
bastard"! I think half the area heard him say it… and then; "Ping"!... Our little gomer
sends a little forget me not… that ricocheted off an amtrac… and believe it or not… a
cheer went up from all the Marines. We just had to admire the spunk of this little
character… he had guts, even though he was a shitty shot. I guess he appreciated our
good humor, for he never shot at us again. I hope he lived a long life.
About the third day on the beach, the new X.O. and I go up on an aerial recon… he was
new in country and wanted a look at the area. While airborne, one of our patrols came
into contact and was asking for an extraction. They felt they were sufficiently
outnumbered so as to be in peril. We were right near their position, so we flew over to see
if we could be of help. They had set up a perimeter on this little hilltop, surrounded by
elephant grass. As we flew over, we could see them, but no enemy. Meantime, I'm trying
to co-ordinate the extraction.
To the new X.O…. it looked pretty benign. I'm sure he thought the young lieutenant was
over-reacting and he looks over at me and says, "Why don't we land and see if we can
help them out"? I looked over at him and immediately thought to myself, now what the
fuck do you think you and I can help with, when we have two .45 pistols between us? I
didn't say it though and we had the helo go in for a landing to drop us off… just as we go
into a hover… the shit hits the fan and we take round after round of incoming fire. We
jump out and the helo takes off!
It wasn't the first time a new guy had conspired to ruin my day… We're there about a
minute and there was heavy contact along the south side of the hill… the X.O. then looks
at me and says, "I think you should change that extraction from a "priority to an
emergency"… No shit!
Thankfully, the firing died down… but we knew they were still there and they knew
where we were too. Shortly, I received a call that there were five H-34's coming our way.
We passed the word to the troops and separated everyone into groups of 6 or 8 (I can't
remember). Naturally we send the X.O. out on the first bird… but since I was controlling
the aircraft, I would be on the last bird out with a fire team for support.
Now I knew there was a medium to heavy machine gun on the south side of the hill… so
I instructed the helicopters to land from the north… and after they were loaded, to either
roll left or right off the hill or pedal turn and go back out the way they'd come in… each
pilot acknowledged my instructions and did as suggested. The first three birds came in
and lifted off without a hitch… as the fourth one came in, he started taking heavy fire…
our little piece of real-estate was fast becoming an even hotter "LZ". Things were getting
a little exciting. I called the last helo and suggested they get in quick, as we didn't know
exactly how many of them there were… but we damn sure knew we were few. He "rogered"
and came on down… He took fire coming in, but oddly not as much as the helo
before him (maybe they were re-loading).
As he touched down and we scrambled to the helo… it dawned on me that I had not told
this particular pilot about the machine gun… but I assumed he'd heard my other
transmissions… but to be sure, as I climbed in the door, I grabbed the crew chief and
yelled at him over the din of the noise and told him to remind the pilot to go left, right or
back out… he shook his head, spoke into his mike and I looked up to the pilot on the
right and saw a thumbs up. I then felt the old 1820 straining and we started to lift off. I'm
still standing in the door with the crew chief… about ten feet above the ground I started
feeling a vibration and noise that just didn't seem right… the blades started to cavitate
and it felt like we were losing lift! All at once, the pilot dumped the collective and we
went straight down the hill… exactly where I'd told him not to go!
The crew chief and I were still standing in the door… as we reached the elephant grass at
the bottom of the hill, we're picking up speed and finally we bottomed out just above the
elephant grass and started to climb… just then, right before our eyes, this Gomer jumps
up out of the deep grass with one of these barrel fed machine guns and lets loose… he
couldn't have been more than 30 yards away!
Instinct… is a funny thing. Both the crew chief and I had the exact same reaction! As the
rounds started hitting the helicopter… both of us ducked and threw our arms up in front
of our faces… like that would do a damn bit of fucking good! A milli-second later… I
looked up and saw the M-60 in the door and yelled at him… "Shoot the son of a bitch"!
By the time he reacted, we were outta there… We then checked to see if anyone was
hit… incredibly, no one had gotten a scratch even though the helicopter was riddled. We
continued climbing and I finally sat down on one of the canvas seats and strapped in. I
marveled at the little bullet holes in the helicopters skin… still amazed no one was hit.
We finally got up to about 1500 feet… Just as I was thinking about how the sounds of the
bullets hitting the helicopter reminded me of the butts on the rifle range… I look out the
big door and see billows of smoke! Holy Shit!
The crew chief yells out above the noise to strap in tight, "We're going down"! Funny
how your mind works in a time like this? My mind flashed on the H-34 that I'd seen take
a hit from a 105 round at the Rockpile… that magnesium son of a bitch burnt out before
it hit the ground. I said a silent prayer to the Big Guy, "God, please don't let us catch on
fire". It was absolutely terrifying!!!
A second later, the engine quit and the nose pushed over… Two things… first I was
amazed on how much residual noise the transmission produced… and second, as I stared
out the door, trying to keep breathing… I couldn't help but notice how the horizon had
moved up into the top right hand corner of the door… just like one of those little pictures
on the AQT/FAR Exam for flight training I'd taken and passed before leaving for
Vietnam!
Now if somebody can tell me how or why the mind works in such a way, in a situation
like that… I'll kiss his butt in Grand Central Station… give me an hour with a
tambourine to draw up a crowd! Amazing what goes through your mind when you think
you're gonna die. Those were my honest to God thoughts.
The next thing I thought of was… this is going to hurt… real bad! We're coming out of
the sky like a falling rocket! As the ground gets closer… I see water… and I think maybe
the pilot is as afraid of fire as much as I was… and was going to put us in the drink…
then just as I anticipated impact… the helicopter goes into a 2 to 3 "G" pull up… that was
absolutely terrifying when you weren't expecting it (I know all about auto-rotations now)
… the horizon now jumps to the top left hand corner of the door and it feels almost like
we've stopped; suspended in the air… the nose then slowly comes down and I feel the
tail wheel hit something… followed by the main mounts hitting the sand. We were down!
I un-hooked my seat belt and scrambled toward the door… just as I'm on my way out, the
crew chief grabs me and yells; "The rotor blades, the rotor blades"!
In all the excitement… he was still doing his job… It'd have been a hell of a thing to
have survived this and then get hit in the head with a rotor blade… I acknowledged him
with a head nod and looked out the door… and there was the pilot; laying face down in
the sand… I looked over my left shoulder and saw the co-pilot reaching over his head,
pulling on a handle that I was later to learn was the rotor brake… at the same instant, I
can hear snapping and crackling like we were burning, I looked back at the pilot and said
to myself, "Fuck this, I'm outta here too"… and I dove to the sand along side my new
hero… we lay there for a moment or two… listening to the rotors winding down and the
engine snap, crackling and popping… we finally rolled over and I looked at him and said,
"Sir, I thought we were fuckin' dead"! He said, "You don't know the half of it, I can't
believe we didn't catch on fire"... We actually hugged each other!
The rest of it was anti-climatic… we'd taken multiple hits in the oil tank and lines…
that's where all the smoke was coming from… it was spraying on the exhaust. The pilot
had shut the engine down before it seized… but I have to tell you, it was absolutely core
chilling, terrifying in the cabin… when you didn't know what was going on… I've hated
helicopters every since.
Over the years I have been haunted by this event and the other helicopter getting hit and
burning… often in my dreams, there has been not only smoke, but fire in our crash…
Why we didn't catch on fire is beyond me… and obviously the pilot as well… when we
talked about it afterwards and he had the same fears I did.
After another chopper picked us up and returned us to base camp… Westerman and the
XO met the helicopter and seemed genuinely concerned about my well being. Blackjack
must have been feeling a little guilty about bringing me along on this Operation while
letting others stay in Okinawa who weren't as close to rotation as I was… and the XO for
making a stupid decision to get involved with the platoon. I was just happy to be alive…
what the fuck… just another day in beautiful Vietnam.
Shadow
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Thanks to Shadow. Here is just one of the many aircraft restored by Black Shadow Aviation over the years. They are in many museums all over the world.
: BTW... My old Corsair still lives... in Brazil of all places!
Thanks to Shadow
I'd lost track of the Brazilian F4U-1 birdcage (VF-17 only flew "bubble" -1As in combat but so what?) and found this update on the museum status. What a collection!
Here's the airframe background including Shadow's magnificent restoration.
http://www.ratomodeling.com.br/references/f4u_bu17995/
https://warbirdsnews.com/aviation-museum-news/brazils-tam-airlines-museum-set-to-reopen.html
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
Around one in four people sneeze when they see a bright light.
Sunlight tends to be good for us. It helps our bodies create vitamin D and mood-lifting serotonin, and even syncs our circadian rhythms. However, some people experience an unexpected side effect after glancing into the sun: sneezing. As many as one in four people have the reaction, appropriately called ACHOO syndrome (short for autosomal dominant compelling helio-ophthalmic outburst). The sun isn't the only thing to blame — the reaction can occur when moving from dark to light settings, after seeing bright lights, or even from witnessing a camera flash.
ACHOO syndrome — also called "photic sneeze reflex" or "sun sneezing" — isn't an allergy. While researchers aren't entirely sure why it happens, one theory is that it's caused by a nervous system misfire involving the trigeminal nerve, which connects the eyes and nose with the brain. Within seconds of seeing bright light, the pupils of the eyes contract and stimulate this nerve, possibly causing the nose to accidentally sneeze. People who experience ACHOO syndrome may get a runny nose and watery eyes, too, though these symptoms tend to disappear within a few minutes. Sun sneezing also has a genetic component; children of parents who have the photic sneeze reflex have a 50% chance of experiencing the same phenomenon.
Some people diagnosed with ACHOO syndrome also reflexively sneeze when undergoing anesthesia, though for the most part the condition is more of an annoyance than a health concern. While there's no treatment for sun sneezing, it is possible to reduce occurrences of the involuntary reaction with a few handy accessories, like hats and sunglasses, which block sudden bursts of light.
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. I still remember it like it was yesterday…skip
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is assassinated in 1963 while traveling through Dallas, Texas, in an open-top convertible.
First lady Jacqueline Kennedy rarely accompanied her husband on political outings, but she was beside him, along with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, for a 10-mile motorcade through the streets of downtown Dallas on November 22. Sitting in a Lincoln convertible, the Kennedys and Connallys waved at the large and enthusiastic crowds gathered along the parade route. As their vehicle passed the Texas School Book Depository Building at 12:30 p.m., Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired three shots from the sixth floor, fatally wounding President Kennedy and seriously injuring Governor Connally. Kennedy was pronounced dead 30 minutes later at Dallas' Parkland Hospital. He was 46.
Vice President Lyndon Johnson, who was three cars behind President Kennedy in the motorcade, was sworn in as the 36th president of the United States at 2:39 p.m. He took the presidential oath of office aboard Air Force One as it sat on the runway at Dallas Love Field airport. The swearing in was witnessed by some 30 people, including Jacqueline Kennedy, who was still wearing clothes stained with her husband's blood. Seven minutes later, the presidential jet took off for Washington.
The next day, November 23, President Johnson issued his first proclamation, declaring November 25 to be a day of national mourning for the slain president. On that Monday, hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of Washington to watch a horse-drawn caisson bear Kennedy's body from the Capitol Rotunda to St. Matthew's Catholic Cathedral for a requiem Mass. The solemn procession then continued on to Arlington National Cemetery, where leaders of 99 nations gathered for the state funeral. Kennedy was buried with full military honors on a slope below Arlington House, where an eternal flame was lit by his widow to forever mark the grave.
Lee Harvey Oswald, born in New Orleans in 1939, joined the U.S. Marines in 1956. He was discharged in 1959 and nine days later left for the Soviet Union, where he tried unsuccessfully to become a citizen. He worked in Minsk and married a Soviet woman and in 1962 was allowed to return to the United States with his wife and infant daughter.
Lee Harvey Oswald: Plan, Chaos or Conspiracy?
In an excerpt from his new book, author Steven M. Gillon details the final hours of Lee Harvey Oswald's life.
In early 1963, he bought a .38 revolver and rifle with a telescopic sight by mail order, and on April 10 in Dallas he shot at and missed former U.S. Army general Edwin Walker, a figure known for his extreme right-wing views. Later that month, Oswald went to New Orleans and founded a branch of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, a pro-Castro organization. In September 1963, he went to Mexico City, where investigators allege that he attempted to secure a visa to travel to Cuba or return to the USSR. In October, he returned to Dallas and took a job at the Texas School Book Depository Building.
Less than an hour after Kennedy was shot, Oswald killed a policeman who questioned him on the street near his rooming house in Dallas. Thirty minutes later, Oswald was arrested in a movie theater by police responding to reports of a suspect. He was formally arraigned on November 23 for the murders of President Kennedy and Officer J.D. Tippit.
On November 24, Oswald was brought to the basement of the Dallas police headquarters on his way to a more secure county jail. A crowd of police and press with live television cameras rolling gathered to witness his departure. As Oswald came into the room, Jack Ruby emerged from the crowd and fatally wounded him with a single shot from a concealed .38 revolver. Ruby, who was immediately detained, claimed that rage at Kennedy's murder was the motive for his action. Some called him a hero, but he was nonetheless charged with first-degree murder.
Jack Ruby Kills Lee Harvey Oswald
In October 1966, the Texas Court of Appeals reversed the decision on the grounds of improper admission of testimony and the fact that Ruby could not have received a fair trial in Dallas at the time. In January 1967, while awaiting a new trial, to be held in Wichita Falls, Ruby died of lung cancer in a Dallas hospital.
The official Warren Commission report of 1964 concluded that neither Oswald nor Ruby were part of a larger conspiracy, either domestic or international, to assassinate President Kennedy. Despite its firm conclusions, the report failed to silence conspiracy theories surrounding the event, and in 1978 the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded in a preliminary report that Kennedy was "probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy" that may have involved multiple shooters and organized crime. The committee's findings, as with those of the Warren Commission, continue to be disputed by some.
Jack Ruby, originally known as Jacob Rubenstein, operated strip joints and dance halls in Dallas and had minor connections to organized crime. He features prominently in Kennedy-assassination theories, and many believe he killed Oswald to keep him from revealing a larger conspiracy. In his trial, Ruby denied the allegation and pleaded innocent on the grounds that his great grief over Kennedy's murder had caused him to suffer "psychomotor epilepsy" and shoot Oswald unconsciously. The jury found Ruby guilty of "murder with malice" and sentenced him to die.
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Thanks to 1440
50 Years of Lucy
Sunday will mark 50 years since the discovery of the "Lucy" fossil in Ethiopia, a 3.2-million-year-old specimen whose rare completeness has made it the reference point for subsequent hominin fossil discoveries. The 3.5-foot-tall, 40% complete Australopithecus afarensis fossil is currently housed in the National Museum of Ethiopia (see facts and photos).
Paleoanthropologists first discovered her elbow Nov. 24, 1974, at an excavation site in Hadar, Ethiopia, eventually identifying and arranging over 40 skeletal parts. Named after a Beatles song, she was the first hominin fossil to surpass 3 million years in age and proved our human ancestors evolved to walk on two legs prior to our increase in brain size. For decades, she was believed to be the earliest known ancestor of our genus and held up as the matriarch of humanity.
Older, less complete hominin specimens have since been identified, prompting debate over which species is most closely linked to modern humans. Read about more recent discoveries here.
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This Day in U S Military History
22 November
1718– Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard, is killed off North Carolina's Outer Banks during a bloody battle with a British navy force sent from Virginia. Believed to be a native of England, Edward Teach likely began his pirating career in 1713, when he became a crewman aboard a Caribbean sloop commanded by pirate Benjamin Hornigold. In 1717, after Hornigold accepted an offer of general amnesty by the British crown and retired as a pirate, Teach took over a captured 26-gun French merchantman, increased its armament to 40 guns, and renamed it the Queen Anne's Revenge. During the next six months, the Queen Anne's Revenge served as the flagship of a pirate fleet featuring up to four vessels and more than 200 men. Teach became the most infamous pirate of his day, winning the popular name of Blackbeard for his long, dark beard, which he was said to light on fire during battles to intimidate his enemies. Blackbeard's pirate forces terrorized the Caribbean and the southern coast of North America and were notorious for their cruelty. In May 1718, the Queen Anne's Revenge and another vessel were shipwrecked, forcing Blackbeard to desert a third ship and most of his men because of a lack of supplies. With the single remaining ship, Blackbeard sailed to Bath in North Carolina and met with Governor Charles Eden. Eden agreed to pardon Blackbeard in exchange for a share of his sizable booty. At the request of North Carolina planters, Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia dispatched a British naval force under Lieutenant Robert Maynard to North Carolina to deal with Blackbeard. On November 22, Blackbeard's forces were defeated and he was killed in a bloody battle of Ocracoke Island. Legend has it that Blackbeard, who captured more than 30 ships in his brief pirating career, received five musket-ball wounds and 20 sword lacerations before dying.
1906– The "S-O-S" (SOS) distress signal was adopted at the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in Berlin. Considerable discussion ensued and finally SOS was adopted. The thinking was that three dots, three dashes and three dots could not be misinterpreted. It was to be sent together as one string.
1910– Amy Elizabeth Thorpe, a Minnesota-born British spy known as "Cynthia" was born in Minneapolis. She has been described as World War II`s "Mata Hari." Family and friends called her Betty. William Stephenson, who ran Great Britain's World War II intelligence activities in the Western Hemisphere, would one day give her a code name–"Cynthia." She reputedly was one of the most successful spies in history.
1935– Pan Am inaugurated the first transpacific airmail service, San Francisco to Manila. The Pan Am China Clipper under Captain Ed Musick took off from Alameda Point bound for the Philippines. It was the company's first trans-Pacific flight. The plane was a 25-ton Martin M-130 flying boat with a wingspan of 130 feet, and was the largest aircraft in world service.
1943– On the Tarawa Atoll, there is heavy fighting. The American marines are advancing. On Makin Atoll, the American infantry occupy most of Butaritari by nightfall. On Abimama Atoll, there are American landings.
1952 – Captain Cecil G. Foster of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing became the 23rd ace of the Korean War.
1953 – A great boon to ocean navigation for aircraft surface vessels was the completion of four new LORAN stations in the Far East. The stations were built at Mikayo Jima, Ryuku Islands; Bataan and Cantanduanes Islands, Philippines; and Anguar, Palau Island in the Carolinas chain. Now replaced by the more accurate LORAN-C network, these stations on sparsely-populated, remote and typhoon-battered islands.
1963– President John F. Kennedy is assassinated during a visit to Dallas, Texas. His death caused intense mourning in the United States and brought Vice President Lyndon Johnson to the presidency. Kennedy's untimely death also left future generations with a great many "what if" questions concerning the subsequent history of the Cold War. In the years since Kennedy's death, a number of supporters argued that had he lived he would have done much to bring the Cold War to a close. Some have suggested that he would have sharply curtailed military spending and brought the arms race under control. The most persistent claim, which served as the centerpiece of Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK, is that Kennedy would have withdrawn U.S. troops from Vietnam after being re-elected in 1964. Stone went on to charge that right-wing militants in the U.S. government coordinated the assassination plot. It is difficult to say what Kennedy would have done had he not been killed in November 1963, but the arguments raised by Stone and others do not seem supported by the available evidence. During his brief presidency, Kennedy consistently requested higher military spending, asking for billions in increased funding. After the humiliating defeat at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, his administration approved Operation Mongoose, a CIA program that involved plots to destabilize the communist government in Cuba. There was even discussion about assassinating Cuban leader Fidel Castro. In Vietnam, Kennedy increased the number of U.S. advisers from around 1,500 when he took office, to more than 16,000 by the time of his death. His administration also participated in the planning of the coup that ultimately overthrew South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, who was murdered by his own military just three weeks prior to Kennedy's assassination. If Kennedy was going to become less of a cold warrior after 1964, there was little to suggest this change prior to November 22, 1963.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*BONNYMAN, ALEXANDER, JR.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. Born: 2 May 1910, Atlanta, Ga. Accredited to: New Mexico. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of the 2d Battalion Shore Party, 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division, during the assault against enemy Japanese-held Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, 20-22 November 1943. Acting on his own initiative when assault troops were pinned down at the far end of Betio Pier by the overwhelming fire of Japanese shore batteries, 1st Lt. Bonnyman repeatedly defied the blasting fury of the enemy bombardment to organize and lead the besieged men over the long, open pier to the beach and then, voluntarily obtaining flame throwers and demolitions, organized his pioneer shore party into assault demolitionists and directed the blowing of several hostile installations before the close of D-day. Determined to effect an opening in the enemy's strongly organized defense line the following day, he voluntarily crawled approximately 40 yards forward of our lines and placed demolitions in the entrance of a large Japanese emplacement as the initial move in his planned attack against the heavily garrisoned, bombproof installation which was stubbornly resisting despite the destruction early in the action of a large number of Japanese who had been inflicting heavy casualties on our forces and holding up our advance. Withdrawing only to replenish his ammunition, he led his men in a renewed assault, fearlessly exposing himself to the merciless slash of hostile fire as he stormed the formidable bastion, directed the placement of demolition charges in both entrances and seized the top of the bombproof position, flushing more than 100 of the enemy who were instantly cut down, and effecting the annihilation of approximately 150 troops inside the emplacement. Assailed by additional Japanese after he had gained his objective, he made a heroic stand on the edge of the structure, defending his strategic position with indomitable determination in the face of the desperate charge and killing 3 of the enemy before he fell, mortally wounded. By his dauntless fighting spirit, unrelenting aggressiveness and forceful leadership throughout 3 days of unremitting, violent battle, 1st Lt. Bonnyman had inspired his men to heroic effort, enabling them to beat off the counterattack and break the back of hostile resistance in that sector for an immediate gain of 400 yards with no further casualties to our forces in this zone. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
SHOUP, DAVID MONROE
Rank and organization: Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps, commanding officer of all Marine Corps troops on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, and Gilbert Islands, from 20 to 22 November 1943. Entered service at: Indiana. Born: 30 December 1904, Tippecanoe, Ind. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of all Marine Corps troops in action against enemy Japanese forces on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, from 20 to 22 November 1943. Although severely shocked by an exploding enemy shell soon after landing at the pier and suffering from a serious, painful leg wound which had become infected, Col. Shoup fearlessly exposed himself to the terrific and relentless artillery, machinegun, and rifle fire from hostile shore emplacements. Rallying his hesitant troops by his own inspiring heroism, he gallantly led them across the fringing reefs to charge the heavily fortified island and reinforce our hard-pressed, thinly held lines. Upon arrival on shore, he assumed command of all landed troops and, working without rest under constant, withering enemy fire during the next 2 days, conducted smashing attacks against unbelievably strong and fanatically defended Japanese positions despite innumerable obstacles and heavy casualties. By his brilliant leadership daring tactics, and selfless devotion to duty, Col. Shoup was largely responsible for the final decisive defeat of the enemy, and his indomitable fighting spirit reflects great credit upon the U.S. Naval Service .
Note from Skip. When I was 11 we were stationed at Loring AFB that had just been changed from Limestone AFB and the first time I went to the O Club I remember seeing a large plaque on the wall with Major Loring's picture and the citation for his Medal of Honor. It was very sobering to read what he did then and I always wondered how he had the courage to do it.
*LORING, CHARLES J., JR.
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Air Force, 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing. Place and date: Near Sniper Ridge, North Korea, 22 November 1952. Entered service at: Portland, Maine. Born: 2 October 1918, Portland, Maine. Citation: Maj. Loring distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While leading a night of 4 F-80 type aircraft on a close support mission, Maj. Loring was briefed by a controller to dive-bomb enemy gun positions which were harassing friendly ground troops. After verifying the location of the target, Maj. Loring rolled into his dive bomb run. Throughout the run, extremely accurate ground fire was directed on his aircraft. Disregarding the accuracy and intensity of the ground fire, Maj. Loring aggressively continued to press the attack until his aircraft was hit. At approximately 4,000 feet, he deliberately altered his course and aimed his diving aircraft at active gun emplacements concentrated on a ridge northwest of the briefed target, turned his aircraft 45 degrees to the left, pulled up in a deliberate, controlled maneuver, and elected to sacrifice his life by diving his aircraft directly into the midst of the enemy emplacements. His selfless and heroic action completely destroyed the enemy gun emplacement and eliminated a dangerous threat to United Nations ground forces. Maj. Loring's noble spirit, superlative courage, and conspicuous self-sacrifice in inflicting maximum damage on the enemy exemplified valor of the highest degree and his actions were in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Air Force.
STONE, JAMES L.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company E 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Near Sokkogae, Korea, 21 and 22 November 1951. Entered service at: Houston Tex. Born: 27 December 1922, Pine Bluff, Ark. G.O. No.: 82, 20 October 1953. Citation: 1st Lt. Stone, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When his platoon, holding a vital outpost position, was attacked by overwhelming Chinese forces, 1st Lt. Stone stood erect and exposed to the terrific enemy fire calmly directed his men in the defense. A defensive flame-thrower failing to function, he personally moved to its location, further exposing himself, and personally repaired the weapon. Throughout a second attack, 1st Lt. Stone; though painfully wounded, personally carried the only remaining light machine gun from place to place in the position in order to bring fire upon the Chinese advancing from 2 directions. Throughout he continued to encourage and direct his depleted platoon in its hopeless defense. Although again wounded, he continued the fight with his carbine, still exposing himself as an example to his men. When this final overwhelming assault swept over the platoon's position his voice could still be heard faintly urging his men to carry on, until he lost consciousness. Only because of this officer's driving spirit and heroic action was the platoon emboldened to make its brave but hopeless last ditch stand.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 22, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
22 November
1
909: The Wright Company incorporated with $1,000,000 in capital stock to make flying machines. (12)
1935: A Pan Am Airways pilot, Capt Edwin C. Musick, began the first transpacific airmail flight in a Martin 130 China Clipper. He flew from San Francisco to Manila, via Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island, and Guam. (21)
1944: RAID ON MOROTAI. Japanese aircraft staged through bases on Halmahera Island and attacked FEAF installations on Morotai. The raid resulted in 2 killed and 15 injured with 15 aircraft destroyed and 8 damaged. This attack was one of 82 conducted against the Morotai bases between 15 September and 1 February 1945. (17)
1949: The USN announced that the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket had surpassed the speed of sound at Muroc. (9) (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR/MEDAL OF HONOR. While leading a flight of four F-80s against enemy gun positions in Korea, Maj Charles J. Loring deliberately crashed his damaged aircraft into enemy gun emplacements. For that sacrifice, he earned the Medal of Honor. (26) (28) KOREAN WAR. A 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron pilot, 1Lt Cecil G. Foster, scored his fifth MiG kill in MiG Alley to add his name to the list of aces. (28)
1961: Lt Col Robert B. Robinson (USMC) set a world record in a McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II, by flying 1,605 MPH over a l5- and 35-kilometer course at Edwards AFB. (9)
1966: The 321 SMW at Grand Forks became the first complete Minuteman II wing, when it received its last flight of missiles. (6)
1972: The first B-52 Stratofortress to be lost to enemy action fell prey to a surface-to-air missile over North Vietnam. The aircraft made it back to Thailand, where the crew ejected safely. (16)
1976: The USAF accepted its last F-111F at the General Dynamics plant in Fort Worth. (12)
1978: A C-141 flew six medical specialists from Boston, Mass., to Algiers, Algeria, to aid the critically ill President of Algeria. (16)
1982: President Reagan decided to deploy the M-X in the "Dense Pack" closely spaced basing mode at Francis E. Warren AFB. (1) (6) Davis-Monthan AFB placed Titan II site 570-9, the first to be inactivated, in caretaker status. (6)
1988: At Palmdale, Northrop unveiled the B-2 Stealth Bomber. (20)
1989: The Space Shuttle Discovery launched at night (the fourth time in our space program's history) to place a satellite (probably a signals intelligence) in orbit. This flight, the fifth dedicated to the DoD, ended at Edwards AFB after 5 days six minutes and 46 seconds in space. (8: Feb 90) In a 5-hour, 48-minute test flight, Northrop's B-2A bomber continued its flight control and systems checkout. (8: Feb 90)
2000: Lockheed Martin's X-35A completed its concept demonstrator flight test program. Company test pilot Tom Morgenfeld (Great F-8 pilot) flew the aircraft back to Lockheed's facility at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale. The aircraft flew 27 sorties for 27.4 flight hours at Edwards. (3) The AFFTC at Edwards AFB began flight testing the Bell Textron CV-22 tilt-rotor air vehicle. It was the Air Force version of the MV-22 Osprey.
2002: The second X-45A UCAV, nicknamed Red, successfully achieved all objectives in its first flight, a 30-minute sortie above Edwards AFB. (3)
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