To All,
Good Sunday morning December 1, 2024. Welcome to December. It is clear and cool right now and will get to 74 today. I hope that you all are having a great weekend. The Christmas tree is calling and needs to get assembled and decorated today. The replacement stand showed up last night late. Amazon can be a good thing and a curse. The ladies in our family thrive on it. I just have to break down the boxers to fit in the trash.
Regards,
Skip
Make it a GREAT 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 84 H-Grams
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History
1 December
1842—Midshipman Philip Spencer, Boatswain's Mate Samuel Cromwell, and Seaman Elisha Small of the Bainbridge-class brig Somers are executed for mutiny. Spencer was the son of then-Secretary of War, John Canfield Spencer.
1914—Rear Adm. Alfred Thayer Mahan dies. A graduate of the Naval Academy and a veteran of the Civil War, he served two tours as President of the Naval War College. He is also known for his numerous naval publications, notably "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History."
1921—The first flight of an airship filled with helium, the C-7, leaves Norfolk, VA, and arrives later that day in Washington, D.C. The airship is commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Lansdowne and piloted by Lt. Cmdr. Ralph F. Wood.
1943—USS Bonefish (SS 223) sinks Japanese transport Nichiryo Maru in the Celebes Sea while USS Pargo (SS 264) sinks the Japanese transport Shoko Maru north of Ulithi. Also on this date, USS Peto (SS 265) sinks Japanese transport Tonei Maru.
1945—Capt. Sue S. Dauser, Navy Nurse Corps, receives the first Distinguished Service Medal awarded to a nurse for her leadership of Navy nurses during World War II.
1984—USS Taylor (FFG 50) is commissioned. The ship is named after the late Jesse Junior Taylor, who gave his life attempting to save the life of a downed pilot during an attack on the key bridge near the North Vietnamese port of Haiphong, and consequently awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism.
2013—Pilots and Sailors of VP-16 arrive on station at Kadena Air Base Okinawa for the first deployment of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The P-8A eventually replaces the venerable P-3 Orion.
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This day in world history
December 1
1135... Henry I of England dies and the crown is passed to his nephew Stephen of Bloise.
1581... Edmund Champion and other Jesuit martyrs are hanged at Tyburn, England, for sedition, after being tortured.
1861... The U.S. gunboat Penguin seizes the Confederate blockade runner Albion carrying supplies worth almost $100,000.
1862... President Abraham Lincoln gives the State of the Union address to the 37th Congress.
1863... Belle Boyd, a Confederate spy, is released from prison in Washington.
1881... Virgil, Wyatt and Morgan Earp are exonerated in court for their action in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Ariz.
1900... Kaiser Wilhelm II refuses to meet with Boer leader Paul Kruger in Berlin.
1905... Twenty officers and 230 guards are arrested in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the revolt at the Winter Palace.
1908... The Italian Parliament debates the future of the Triple Alliance and asks for compensation for Austria's action in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
1909... President William Howard Taft severs official relations with Nicaragua's Zelaya government and declares support for the revolutionaries.
1916... King Constantine of Greece refuses to surrender to the Allies.
1918... An American army of occupation enters Germany.
1925... After a seven-year occupation, 7,000 British troops evacuate Cologne, Germany.
1933... Nazi storm troops become an official organ of the Reich.
1934... Josef Stalin's aide, Sergei Kirov, is assassinated in Leningrad.
1941... Japan's Tojo rejects U.S. proposals for a Pacific settlement as fantastic and unrealistic.
1941... Great Britain declares a state of emergency in Malaya following reports of Japanese attacks.
1941... The first Civil Air Patrol is organized in the United States.
1942... National gasoline rationing goes into effect in the United States.
1955... Rosa Parks refuses to sit in the back of a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, defying the South's segregationist laws.
1969... America's first draft lottery since 1942 is held.
1971... Indian Army recaptures part of Kashmir, which had been occupied by Pakistan.
1981... AIDS virus officially recognized.
1986... Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North pleads the 5th Amendment before a Senate panel investigating the Iran-Contra arms sale.
1988... Benazir Bhutto, politician, becomes the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Pakistan and the first woman elected to lead a Muslim state
1989... East Germany's parliament changes its constitution, abolishing a section that gave the Communist Party the leading role in the state.
1990... Channel Tunnel sections from France and the UK meet beneath the English Channel.
1991... Ukraine's voters overwhelmingly approve a referendum for independence from the USSR.
2001... Trans World Airlines' final flight following the carrier's purchase by American Airlines; TWA began operating 76 years earlier. The final flight, 220, piloted by Capt. Bill Compton, landed at St. Louis International Airport.
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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 Sunday December 1
December 1 https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=349
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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PONDERISMS
I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.
Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
Never take life seriously Nobody gets out alive anyway.
There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.
Life is sexually transmitted.
Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?'
Who was the first person to say, 'See that chicken there? I'm going to eat the next thing that comes out of its butt.'
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?
If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride; he sticks his head out the window?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
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From the archives
Thanks to Robert
Awesome! Really great--Wonderful too!
Subject: Empathy
Empathy - The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
These eleven short stories are all very good stories and make us think twice about the daily happenings in our lives as we deal with others!!
1.. Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I'm working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said; "Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile."
2.. Today, after my 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn't recognize her. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said;
"On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center."
3.. Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died;
He licked the tears off my face.
4.. Today at 7 AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went into work. At 3 PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too.
A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job. I start tomorrow.
5.. Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother's hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died.
She simply said, "I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often."
6.. Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About 5 seconds after he passed,
I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.
7.. Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, "Why?" She replied, "So you can help me save the planet." I chuckled again and asked, "And why do you want to save the planet?"
Because that's where I keep all my stuff," she said.
8.. Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter's antics, I suddenly realized that,
I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.
9.. Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said,
"I hope you feel better soon."
10. Today, I was feeling down because the results of a biopsy came back malignant. When I got home, I opened an e-mail that said, "Thinking of you today. If you need me, I'm a phone call away."
It was from a high school friend I hadn't seen in 10 years.
11. Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn't eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating.
The first thing the man said was, "We can share it."
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
I am glad I have 'you' to send these to.
These are worth passing on....hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
No matter how big a hammer you use, you can't pound common sense into stupid people.
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From the archives..some things are just worth repeating
Thanks to Robert
Awesome! Really great--Wonderful too!
Subject: Empathy
Empathy - The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
These eleven short stories are all very good stories and make us think twice about the daily happenings in our lives as we deal with others!!
1.. Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I'm working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said; "Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile."
2.. Today, after my 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn't recognize her. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said;
"On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center."
3.. Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died;
He licked the tears off my face.
4.. Today at 7 AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went into work. At 3 PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too.
A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job. I start tomorrow.
5.. Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother's hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died.
She simply said, "I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often."
6.. Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About 5 seconds after he passed,
I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.
From Skip..I had the same reaction when my father passed away.
7.. Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, "Why?" She replied, "So you can help me save the planet." I chuckled again and asked, "And why do you want to save the planet?"
Because that's where I keep all my stuff," she said.
8.. Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter's antics, I suddenly realized that,
I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.
9.. Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said,
"I hope you feel better soon."
10. Today, I was feeling down because the results of a biopsy came back malignant. When I got home, I opened an e-mail that said, "Thinking of you today. If you need me, I'm a phone call away."
It was from a high school friend I hadn't seen in 10 years.
11. Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn't eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating.
The first thing the man said was, "We can share it."
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
I am glad I have 'you' to send these to.
These are worth passing on....hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
No matter how big a hammer you use, you can't pound common sense into stupid people.
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Thanks to DR
From Ray DiLorenzo
DR "handler"
Subject: Just A Phone Call
In the face of full assault 'resist', Trump is, luckily, already taking the lead
Just A Phone Call
Democracy, Leadership & Other Things
Ray DiLorenzo
Benjamin Franklin's response to Elizabeth Willing Powel's question: "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" "A republic, if you can keep it." 9/17/1787
If you asked whether we have a democracy or a republic, I would have to answer, Yes!
We do live in a republic, as told by Ben Franklin to a woman's query. But, as of late, it has become muddled. Our republic chooses its leaders by a form of democracy. It is not an absolute democracy that most people would understand. It's a representative democracy that protects everyone, both majority and minority.
The founders had no intention of creating a democracy as we understand it. What was most important to the early American was liberty. In many cases liberty and democracy are incompatible. No one wants the majority to dictate to anyone or gang up on the minority.
Liberty poses that the role of government is to protect the rights of individuals. Democracy suggests that governmental decisions are made according to the will of the majority. Hence, lawfare in many parts of the country. And how is the will of the people formed? Today, it's by mass media, Hollywood, our embattled education system that doesn't teach civics, love of country or God, and, of course, big tech.
Power is shared in America. Our legislative branch represents both the states and the people. The House represents the people, while the Senate represents the states.
Democrats like to scream about the Electoral College, but it is brilliant. Without it, we would elect our leaders based on mob rule. Sort of like 3 wolves and 2 lambs voting on what to have for lunch. The minority would be denied representation and voice.
Every presidential candidate must win the states, not just the people. Otherwise, only the largest cities would decide who our leaders will be, disregarding the needs of everyone else.
We live in difficult times. Our form of government is under attack like never before in modern times. Democrats, like their namesake, want a pure democracy. Or so they say. Republicans, like their namesake, want to keep what our founders so magnificently designed. In reality, Democrats only want to win. They don't really care about democracy or how they win. They just insist on winning. That is why they complain about the electoral college, change election law, and come up with anything else they can think of to maintain their hold on power.
To the modern democrat, having millions and millions of needy people is their ticket to ride to the power they so desperately want.
They become particularly mercenary when they lose both the electoral college and the popular vote. They believe that their only remaining option is to organize and resist until the government loses its ability to govern. Every move Trump makes, whether good or bad, will be resisted. Democrats even now are trying to get Airbnb to not accept reservations for the inauguration. They have announced their continuation of sanctuary cities and even sanctuary states. They don't care about the thousands of deaths, rapes, thefts, child abuse, drunk driver arrests, or crime in general. Don't forget these illegal migrants are not vetted. We don't know who they are or their background.
It's difficult to express this, but it's imperative that someone openly confront the parties diverse views on what our country stands for. As I wrote the previous sentence, I looked at the right side of my ultra wide monitor and there was a story in Friday's (11/29/2024) Breitbart that headlined: Democrat Floats Secession To Resist Trump: NY, CT, VT, MA should Join Canada.
The hatred is there and it is spreading. It's mainly coming from the Left. Known pundits, politicians, and celebrities have encouraged people to not invite MAGA friends or family members to their Thanksgiving dinner, calling them trolls. Other Democrats encourage their constituents to get in the faces of Republicans. Democrats are yelling, "Resist, resist." And this is not new. Are these Democratic states preparing to go their own way? Or, do they believe that we will simply surrender and assist them in destroying our country to appease their liberal religion? It was Obama that said, 'Elections have consequences,' but these Democrats are simply not going to accept it.
Our elections have become confused, filled with opportunities for fraud. By design, today's elections are muddled because Democrats want it that way. After the Covid-19 scam scheme, yes, scam, they had the opportunity to change election law to make it as loose as possible. What legislator, governor, or whatever with any amount of common sense would allow an election without any requirement for a voter to prove who they are? Who would want ballot boxes everywhere unsupervised? Well, plenty. Indeed, at least 12 states permit individuals to vote in federal elections without the need to present any form of identification. And they are all predominantly Democrat states. Another 5 states allow voting with only a cursory proof of identification like a bill or other mail. No photo ID required. Videos show ballot boxes being filled in the middle of the night. It makes one think the deranged are in charge. And maybe they are.
The founding fathers did not expect 'democracy' or our republic to work like this.
It has been especially frustrating to the lucid American as of late. The government has been telling us for years that the immigration system is broken. And yet, we see our 'leaders' ignoring immigration law. So, what is really broken? When they propose answers, it never includes a wall or practical solutions. The countries these migrants are coming from have vast amounts of poor and uneducated. We can all understand their plight. But without secure borders, we are no longer a country. The poem on the Statue of Liberty, "Give us your poor, your tired..." is just that, a poem. It is not an immigration policy. These migrants are not arriving with any amount of resources. The majority of them are impoverished and don't care a whit about living off our taxpayers. Democrats love that, millions of people arriving in our country and NEEDY. Just what they want to control and maintain power. The current chaos is what they want! That is the only conclusion as to their motivation that makes sense.
Then along comes Donald Trump. He wins the election, makes a phone call—just a phone call, mind you—to the Mexican president before he is even inaugurated, and he gets her to stop the migrants from crossing our southern border. We stand in awe at something we haven't seen in so many years... leadership. Leadership like that is so rare as to be worthy of a patent or a head on Mt. Rushmore.
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This Day in U S Military History
December 1
1943 – The first operational use of the American P-51D Mustang is in a fighter sweep over occupied Belgium. The P-51 was designed as the NA-73 in 1940 at Britain's request. The design showed promise and AAF purchases of Allison-powered Mustangs began in 1941 primarily for photo recon and ground support use due to its limited high-altitude performance. But in 1942, tests of P-51s using the British Rolls-Royce "Merlin" engine revealed much improved speed and service ceiling, and in Dec. 1943, Merlin-powered P-51Bs first entered combat over Europe. Providing high-altitude escort to B-17s and B-24s, they scored heavily over German interceptors and by war's end, P-51s had destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft in the air, more than any other fighter in Europe. Mustangs served in nearly every combat zone, including the Pacific where they escorted B-29s to Japan from Iwo Jima. Between 1941-5, the AAF ordered 14,855 Mustangs (including A-36A dive bomber and F-6 photo recon versions), of which 7,956 were P-51Ds. During the Korean War, P-51Ds were used primarily for close support of ground forces until withdrawn from combat in 1953.
1947 – The Corps' first helicopter squadron, HMX-1, was commissioned at Quantico. HMX-1's greatest distinction may be its special place in history as the first U.S. Marine Corps helicopter squadron ever established. The establishment of HMX-1 started a revolution in Marine Corps aviation and tactical doctrine. On 23 May 1948, the first airborne ship-to-shore movement began at Onslow Beach, Camp Lejeune, N.C. The first wave of the assault commenced with all five HO3S-1s taking off from Palau and arriving 30 minutes later in the land-ing zone. HMX-1 pilots made continuous flights, putting 66 Marines in the right place at the right time. With the helicopter firmly entrenched in Marine warfighting doctrine, HMX-1's mission evolved into developmental testing of new helicopter systems and products destined for the Fleet Marine Force. Today HMX-1 is the Marine unit tasked with helicopter transportation of the President.
1950 – Eighth Army and X Corps began withdrawing in the face of the massive Chinese offensive. The U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, the British 27th Brigade and the Turkish Brigade, began to fight their way south from the Kunu-ri area through the bloody Gauntlet, under continuous fire from Chinese forces occupying the terrain commanding the route to safety. The 2nd Infantry Division was virtually destroyed during the Battle of Kunu-ri where over 4,000 men were lost. The division's overall combat capability was rated equivalent to a single regimental combat team by the end of the action. The ROK Capitol Division withdrew under heavy pressure to Pukchong.
1950 – Task Force MacLean/Faith, composed of elements of the U.S. 7th Infantry Division's 31st and 32nd Infantry Regiments, was annihilated east of the Chosin/Changjin Reservoir. Only 385 soldiers of its 3,200-man force were able-bodied following their withdrawal.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
SOWERS, MICHAEL
Rank and organization: Private, Company L, 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Place and date: At Stony Creek Station, Va., 1 December 1864. Entered service at: Allegheny County, Pa. Born: 14 September 1844, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa. Date of issue: 16 February 1897. Citation: His horse having been shot from under him he voluntarily and on foot participated in the cavalry charge made upon one of the forts, conducting himself throughout with great personal bravery.
DENEEF, MICHAEL
Rank and organization: Captain of the Top, U.S. Navy. Born: 1851, Massachusetts. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 201, 18 January 1876. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Swatara at Para, Brazil, 1 December 1875. Displaying gallant conduct, Deneef jumped overboard and rescued one of the crew of that vessel from drowning.
*FAITH, DON C., JR.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, commanding officer, 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Place and date: Vicinity Hagaru-ri, Northern Korea, 27 November to 1 December 1950. Entered service at: Washington, Ind. Born: 26 August 1918, Washington, Ind. G.O. No.: 59, 2 August 1951. Citation: Lt. Col. Faith, commanding 1st Battalion, distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in the area of the Chosin Reservoir. When the enemy launched a fanatical attack against his battalion, Lt. Col. Faith unhesitatingly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire as he moved about directing the action. When the enemy penetrated the positions, Lt. Col. Faith personally led counterattacks to restore the position. During an attack by his battalion to effect a junction with another U.S. unit, Lt. Col. Faith reconnoitered the route for, and personally directed, the first elements of his command across the ice-covered reservoir and then directed the movement of his vehicles which were loaded with wounded until all of his command had passed through the enemy fire. Having completed this he crossed the reservoir himself. Assuming command of the force his unit had joined he was given the mission of attacking to join friendly elements to the south. Lt. Col. Faith, although physically exhausted in the bitter cold, organized and launched an attack which was soon stopped by enemy fire. He ran forward under enemy small-arms and automatic weapons fire, got his men on their feet and personally led the fire attack as it blasted its way through the enemy ring. As they came to a hairpin curve, enemy fire from a roadblock again pinned the column down. Lt. Col. Faith organized a group of men and directed their attack on the enemy positions on the right flank. He then placed himself at the head of another group of men and in the face of direct enemy fire led an attack on the enemy roadblock, firing his pistol and throwing grenades. When he had reached a position approximately 30 yards from the roadblock he was mortally wounded, but continued to direct the attack until the roadblock was overrun. Throughout the 5 days of action Lt. Col. Faith gave no thought to his safety and did not spare himself. His presence each time in the position of greatest danger was an inspiration to his men. Also, the damage he personally inflicted firing from his position at the head of his men was of material assistance on several occasions. Lt. Col. Faith's outstanding gallantry and noble self-sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty reflect the highest honor on him and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army. (This award supersedes the prior award of the Silver Star (First Oak Leaf Cluster) as announced in G.O. No. 32, Headquarters X Corps, dated 23 February 1951, for gallantry in action on 27 November 1950.)
*WINDRICH, WILLIAM G.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company I, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Vicinity of Yudam-ni, Korea, 1 December 1950. Entered service at: Hammond, Ind. Born: 14 May 1921, Chicago, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a platoon sergeant of Company I, in action against enemy aggressor forces the night of 1 December 1950. Promptly organizing a squad of men when the enemy launched a sudden, vicious counterattack against the forward elements of his company's position, rendering it untenable, S/Sgt. Windrich, armed with a carbine, spearheaded the assault to the top of the knoll immediately confronting the overwhelming forces and, under shattering hostile automatic-weapons, mortar, and grenade fire, directed effective fire to hold back the attackers and cover the withdrawal of our troops to commanding ground. With 7 of his men struck down during the furious action and himself wounded in the head by a bursting grenade, he made his way to his company's position and, organizing a small group of volunteers, returned with them to evacuate the wounded and dying from the frozen hillside, staunchly refusing medical attention himself. Immediately redeploying the remainder of his troops, S/Sgt. Windrich placed them on the left flank of the defensive sector before the enemy again attacked in force. Wounded in the leg during the bitter fight that followed, he bravely fought on with his men, shouting words of encouragement and directing their fire until the attack was repelled. Refusing evacuation although unable to stand, he still continued to direct his platoon in setting up defensive positions until weakened by the bitter cold, excessive loss of blood, and severe pain, he lapsed into unconsciousness and died. His valiant leadership, fortitude, and courageous fighting spirit against tremendous odds served to inspire others to heroic endeavor in holding the objective and reflect the highest credit upon S/Sgt. Windrich and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*ALBANESE, LEWIS
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 5th Battalion (Airmobile), 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 1 December 1966. Entered service at: Seattle, Wash. Born: 27 April 1946, Venice, Italy. G.O. No.: 12, 3 April 1968. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Albanese's platoon, while advancing through densely covered terrain to establish a blocking position, received intense automatic weapons fire from close range. As other members maneuvered to assault the enemy position, Pfc. Albanese was ordered to provide security for the left flank of the platoon. Suddenly, the left flank received fire from enemy located in a well-concealed ditch. Realizing the imminent danger to his comrades from this fire, Pfc. Albanese fixed his bayonet and moved aggressively into the ditch. His action silenced the sniper fire, enabling the platoon to resume movement toward the main enemy position. As the platoon continued to advance, the sound of heavy firing emanated from the left flank from a pitched battle that ensued in the ditch which Pfc. Albanese had entered. The ditch was actually a well-organized complex of enemy defenses designed to bring devastating flanking fire on the forces attacking the main position. Pfc. Albanese, disregarding the danger to himself, advanced 100 meters along the trench and killed 6 of the snipers, who were armed with automatic weapons. Having exhausted his ammunition, Pfc. Albanese was mortally wounded when he engaged and killed 2 more enemy soldiers in fierce hand-to-hand combat. His unparalleled actions saved the lives of many members of his platoon who otherwise would have fallen to the sniper fire from the ditch, and enabled his platoon to successfully advance against an enemy force of overwhelming numerical superiority. Pfc. Albanese's extraordinary heroism and supreme dedication to his comrades were commensurate with the finest traditions of the military service and remain a tribute to himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 1, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1 December
1914: Through 16 December, Lts Herbert A. Dargue and Joseph O. Mauborgne first demonstrated two-way radiotelegraphy between the air and ground to the Army, while flying a BurgessWright plane in the Philippines. (20) (24)
1921: The U. S. Navy dirigible C-7, the first airship to use helium rather than hydrogen, made its first flight. Lt Cmdr R. F. Wood flew it from Hampton Roads, Va., to Washington, DC, and back. (21)
1935: A mass flight of 29 bombers from the 7th Bombardment Group left Hamilton Field, Calif., and reached Vero Beach, Fla., in 21 hours 50 minutes. (24)
1939: Ensign A. L. Terwilliger became a Master Horizontal Bomber, the first Naval Aviator in a fleet squadron to do so. (24)
1942: BEGINNING OF THE "HUMP" AIRLIFT. Air Transport Command activated its IndiaChina Division to provide airlift support to the Chunking government and American airmen fighting in China. The airlift from bases in India over an air route through the Himalayan Mountains, called the "Hump," became the greatest sustained an intensive use of air transport to that date. (18)
1944: Project ORDCIT. Through 16 December, the Jet Propulsion Lab at Camp Irwin, Calif., launched 24 Private "A" rockets. This activity occurred 11 months after the project started. (6)
1949: The Navy dedicated its supersonic wind tunnel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It could produce 3,000-MPH speeds. (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. The USS Cape Esperance arrived in Japan with 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing F-86s. In the war's first prolonged fighter attack, six MiG-15s battled with three B-29s for six minutes, damaging them considerably despite the F-80 escorts. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command evacuated some 1,500 United Nations casualties from Pyongyang. (28)
1955: President Dwight D. Eisenhower assigned the highest national priority to Thor and Jupiter missile development, and thus placed the intermediate range ballistic missile program on an equal rank with the intercontinental ballistic missile program. (6)
1958: An Army Nike-Hercules missile destroyed a XQ-5 drone flying at 63,000 feet at 1,500 MPH. (24)
1960: The Strategic Air Command activated the 4602d Strategic Wing at Hill AFB, Utah, for the rail mobile Minuteman program. (1) (6)
1961: Capt Bruce K. Lloyd and Cmdr E. H. Roulstone (U. S. Navy) flew a HSS-2 Seaking helicopter to 182.8, 179.5, and 175.3 MPH average speeds for courses of 62, 310, and 620 miles along Long Island Sound, N. Y. (24) The Strategic Air Command activated the first Minuteman I squadron, the 10th Strategic Missile Squadron, at Malmstrom AFB, Mont. (1) (6)
1964: Four F-4C Phantom II jets landed at MacDill AFB, Fla., after an 18-hour flight of 10,000 miles and many KC-135 refuelings. The flight set an unofficial endurance record for fighters, while evaluating the F-4C's abilities in a sustained, long-range flight. It also examined the physiological and psychological effects on crews under those conditions. At Dyess AFB, Tex., the first Atlas F missile came off alert with the 578th Strategic Missile Squadron. (6)
1965: CUBAN REFUGEE AIRLIFT: Through 30 June 1966, Military Air Transport Service airlifters moved 26,745 Cuban refugees in 291 flights. (18) 1967: The Strategic Air Command inactivated the Blue Scout Emergency Rocket Communication System (ERCS) sites in Nebraska. (6)
1971: First Minuteman III missile wing equipped with Multiple Independently-Targetable Reentry Vehicles became operational at Minot AFB, N. Dak.
1974: The USAF consolidated the airlift resources of the Tactical Air Command and Military Airlift Command to implement the 1974 decision to have a single airlift manager. (2) (18)
1978: The Strategic Air Command received the last Minuteman from Air Force Plant 77 at Ogden, Utah. (12)
1983: At Edwards AFB, Calif., the YA-10B completed its last test flight in a single-seat night attack evaluation program. On 16 December 1983, the Air Force placed this aircraft in storage, and it subsequently went on display in the Edwards AFB aircraft museum. (3) (16) The USAF ended training programs for Titan II missile crews. (16) (26)
1984: The C-5A entered service with the Air Force Reserves at Kelly AFB, Tex. (16) (26)
1989: In the ninth test flight, a B-52 launched a Tacit Rainbow loitering anti-radiation missile from a high altitude. It traveled to the Naval Weapons Center Test Range at China Lake, Calif., where it loitered, and made a partially successful diving attack. (8: Feb 90) Through 9 December, the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing flew patrols over the Philippines Islands in response to an attempted coup against President Corazon Aquino. (16)
1990: Two MH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters of the 38th Rescue Squadron at Osan Air Base, S. Korea, rescued 22 shipwrecked sailors from a grounded Panamanian vessel near Kunsan. (16) (26)
2003: Colonel Linda K. McTeague assumed command of the 113th Wing (DC Air National Guard). She became the first woman to command an Air National Guard wing. (32)
2004: The Air Force announced that the 192d Fighter Wing (Virginia Air National Guard) would partner with the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Va., to train on the F/A-22 Raptor. (32)
2005: At Edwards AFB, Calif., an Air Force Flight Test Center F/A-22 pilot successfully launched a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) with an active guidance system at high supersonic speed on a test range. The supersonic munition allowed the Raptor to deliver a precision weapon from a much greater distance than any other aircraft. (3)
2006: The F-15 Eagle East Coast Demonstration Team, one of seven single-ship demonstration teams in to Air Combat Command, concluded 27 years of performance history. The 20-man F-15 team stood down to stand up an F-22 Raptor team. The Command subsequently selected Maj Paul Moga as the F-22 team's first pilot. (AFNEWS, "F-15 Demo Team Transitions to F-22," 8 Dec 2006)
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