TheList 7027

The List 7027     TGB

To All,

Good Friday morning December 6, 2024. Clear skies this morning and tomorrow morning.

Good Bubbas Breakfast this morning and next Friday is the Tailhook get together at the office in Scripts Ranch. More to follow.

Testing went well last night for around 80 students and it took almost 4 hours.

Well the list of chores has to be attacked.

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

December 6 1861—During the Civil War, the side-wheel steam cruiser Augusta, commanded by Cmdr. Enoch G. Parrott, captures British blockade runner Cheshire off South Carolina.

1917—During World War I, German submarine U-53 torpedoes and sinks USS Jacob Jones (DD 61) off England with the loss of 64 lives. U-53's commanding officer, Hans Rose, in a rare gesture, reports the 38 survivors' drift location to the American base in Queenstown, Ireland.

1941—USS Decatur (DD 341), in Task Unit 4.1.4, while on escort duty with convoy ONS 39, carries out a depth charge attack on a suspicious contact in the North Atlantic.

1941—President Franklin D. Roosevelt sends a letter to the Japanese emperor reminding the Japanese leader of their country's long-standing relationship and his concern about developments occurring in the Pacific area.

1943—USS Raven (AM 55) rescues 16 survivors from U.S. tanker Touchet, which was sunk by German submarine U 193 three days earlier. The entire merchant complement of 50 men survived but 10 of the 30-man armed guard are lost with the ship.

1959—Cmdr. Lawrence E. Flint, Jr., piloting a McDonnell F4H-1 Phantom II powered by two GE J-79 engines, betters the existing world altitude record by reaching 98,560 feet above Edwards Air Force Base, CA. The previous record of 94,658 feet was reached in the USSR by a TU-431 jet. 

 

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Today in World History December 6

 

1492    Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Santo Domingo in search of gold.

1776    Phi Beta Kappa, the first scholastic fraternity, is founded at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg.

1812    The majority of Napoleon Bonaparte's Grand Armeé staggers into Vilna, Lithuania, ending the failed Russian campaign.

1861    Union General George G. Meade leads a foraging expedition to Gunnell's farm near Dranesville, Virginia.

1862    President Abraham Lincoln orders the hanging of 39 of the 303 convicted Indians who participated in the Sioux Uprising in Minnesota. They are to be hanged on December 26.

1863    The monitor Weehawken sinks in Charleston Harbor.

1865    The 13th Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery.

1876    Jack McCall is convicted for the murder of Wild Bill Hickok and sentenced to hang.

1877    Thomas A. Edison makes the first sound recording when he recites "Mary had a Little Lamb" into his phonograph machine.

1906    Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge flies a powered, man-carrying kite that carries him 168 feet in the air for seven minutes at Baddeck, Nova Scotia.

1917    The Bolsheviks imprison Czar Nicholas II and his family in Tobolsk.

1921    Ireland's 26 southern counties become independent from Britain forming the Irish Free State.

1922    Benito Mussolini threatens Italian newspapers with censorship if they keep reporting "false" information.

1934    American Ambassador Davis says Japan is a grave security threat in the Pacific.

1938    France and Germany sign a treaty of friendship.

1939    Britain agrees to send arms to Finland, which is fighting off a Soviet invasion.

1941    President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues a personal appeal to Emperor Hirohito to use his influence to avoid war.

1945    The United States extends a $3 billion loan to Great Britain to help compensate for the termination of the Lend-Lease agreement.

1947    Florida's Everglades National Park is established.

1948    The "Pumpkin Spy Papers" are found on the Maryland farm of Whittaker Chambers. They become evidence that State Department employee Alger Hiss is spying for the Soviet Union.

1957    Vanguard TV3 explodes on the launch pad, thwarting the first US attempt to launch a satellite into Earth's orbit.

1967    Adrian Kantrowitz performs first human heart transplant in the US.

1969    Hells Angels, hired to provide security at a Rolling Stones concert at the Altamont Speedway in California, beat to death concert-goer Meredith Hunter.

1971    Pakistan severs diplomatic relations with India after New Delhi recognizes the state of Bangladesh.

1973    US House of Representatives confirms Gerald Ford as Vice-President of the United States, 387–35.

1975    A Provisional IRA unit takes a couple hostage in Balcombe Street, London, and a 6-day siege begins.

1976    Democrat Tip O'Neill is elected speaker of the House of Representatives. He will serve the longest consecutive term as speaker.

1992    The Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, India, is destroyed during a riot that started as a political protest.

2006    NASA reveals photographs from Mars Global Surveyor that suggest the presence of water on the red planet.

 

On December 6, 1884, in Washington, D.C., workers place a nine-inch aluminum pyramid inscribed with "Laus Deo," meaning praise (be) to God, atop a tower of white marble, completing the construction of an impressive monument to the city's namesake and the nation's first president, George Washington.

As early as 1783, the infant U.S. Congress decided that a statue of George Washington, the great Revolutionary War general, should be placed near the site of the new Congressional building, wherever it might be. After then-President Washington asked him to lay out a new federal capital on the Potomac River in 1791, architect Pierre L'Enfant left a place for the statue at the western end of the sweeping National Mall (near the monument's present location).

It wasn't until 1832, however–33 years after Washington's death–that anyone really did anything about the monument. That year, a private Washington National Monument Society was formed. After holding a design competition and choosing an elaborate Greek temple-like design by architect Robert Mills, the society began a fundraising drive to raise money for the statue's construction. These efforts–including appeals to the nation's schoolchildren–raised some $230,000, far short of the $1 million needed. Construction began anyway, on July 4, 1848, as representatives of the society laid the cornerstone of the monument: a 24,500-pound block of pure white marble.

Six years later, with funds running low, construction was halted. Around the time the Civil War began in 1861, author Mark Twain described the unfinished monument as looking like a "hollow, oversized chimney." No further progress was made until 1876–the centennial of American independence–when President Ulysses S. Grant authorized construction to be completed.

Made of some 36,000 blocks of marble and granite stacked 555 feet in the air, the monument was the tallest structure in the world at the time of its completion in December 1884. In the six months following the dedication ceremony, over 10,000 people climbed the nearly 900 steps to the top of the Washington Monument. Today, an elevator makes the trip far easier, and more than 800,000 people visit the monument each year. A city law passed in 1910 restricted the height of new buildings to ensure that the monument will remain the tallest structure in Washington, D.C.—a fitting tribute to the man known as the "Father of His Country."

 

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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

This was quite an effort by the Helos and the PJs on the ground to rescue these men

From Vietnam Air Losses site for Friday 6 December

December 6: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=918

 

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 Barrett

 

"The thing is, helicopters are different from planes. An airplane by its very nature wants to fly and, if not interfered with too strongly by unusual events or by a deliberately incompetent pilot, it will fly. A helicopter does not want to fly. It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other and, if there is any disturbance in this delicate balance, the helicopter stops flying; immediately and disastrously. There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter."

 

"This is why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality, airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant extroverts, and helicopter pilots are brooding introspective anticipators of trouble. They know if something bad has not happened it is about to."

 

Harry Reasoner

 

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For you history buffs like me

6 Empires That Changed the World

WORLD HISTORY

Much of human history has been defined by the actions of around 50 to 70 empires that once ruled large swathes of people across vast chunks of the globe. Each of these empires, whether large or small, for ill or for good, has influenced world history. It's hard to say which has had the greatest impact on society — it is, after all, somewhat subjective and hard to measure — but some have undeniably shaped the course of human history, forever and irrevocably. Here are six such empires, from the mighty Persians to the globe-spanning British.

 

Persian Empire

Around 550 BCE, Cyrus II of Persia — later to be known as Cyrus the Great — conquered a number of neighboring kingdoms, including Media and Babylon, and brought them together under his control. In so doing, he founded the first Persian Empire, also known as the Achaemenid Empire. Centered in modern-day Iran, it became one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Egypt and the Balkans to parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. For more than two centuries, the empire was a global center of culture, religion, science, arts, and technology. But then came the Persian ruler Xerxes, whose failed invasion of Greece in 480 BCE brought about a period of decline. Weakened, the Persian Empire eventually fell in 330 BCE at the hands of the invading armies of Alexander the Great of Macedonia.

 

Roman Empire

Following a period of unrest and civil wars — including the assassination of Julius Caesar — the Roman Republic came to an end and Augustus Caesar was crowned the first ruler of the new Roman Empire in 27 BCE. At its height in 117 CE, Rome controlled all the land from Western Europe to the Middle East, and was the most powerful political and military entity the world had yet seen. The impact of the Roman Empire on the modern world is hard to overstate. Our art, architecture, laws, technology, and engineering — even the very words we speak — have all been heavily influenced by the ancient Romans. But even an empire as mighty as Rome was destined to fall. A series of Gothic invasions heralded a general decline, and in 476 CE, the Western Roman Empire fell. The Eastern Roman Empire — also known as the Byzantine Empire — remained until 1453, but the glory days of the Roman Empire had reached their end.

Related:

 

Han Dynasty

Founded in 206 BCE and established by a commoner named Liu Bang, the Han dynasty was the second great imperial dynasty of China. It spanned more than four centuries and is considered a golden age in Chinese history. Despite much political turbulence, the dynasty helped cement Confucianism as the state religion and opened up a world-changing trade route with Europe: the Silk Road. The Han dynasty is also known for its many innovations that shaped the world as we know it today. Developments in everything from record-keeping to agriculture and health care had a global impact, while inventions such as the rudder, the blast furnace, the wheelbarrow, suspension bridges, and paper forever changed the way we live.

 

Mongol Empire

At the height of its powers, the Mongol Empire covered around 9 million square miles, making it the largest contiguous land empire the world has ever seen. The empire was founded by Genghis Khan, a former tribal leader, in 1206. Genghis' early victories gave him control of the whole of what is now Mongolia. He and his fearsome armies then engaged in a period of aggressive expansion that conquered most of Eurasia, leaving a trail of ruin in its wake. But the Mongol Empire was far more complex than its notorious hordes would suggest. Under Genghis and his successors, the Mongols reformed his people's laws, created a military-feudal form of government, and enhanced trade (including along the Silk Road) throughout his conquered territories. His armies, meanwhile, were quick to adopt advanced technologies of the time, such as powerful siege weapons and possibly gunpowder, while perfecting their mounted hit-and-run tactics. The Mongols were also innovators who, through their expansion, helped introduce military technology to new lands, including their famed composite bow and stirrups.  

 

Ottoman Empire

From humble beginnings as a provincial principality in Anatolia (part of modern-day Turkey), the Ottoman Empire rose to become one of the most powerful and long-lasting empires in history, spanning an incredible six centuries from the early 1300s to the aftermath of World War I. The Islamic superpower ruled large swathes of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa, and reached the height of its powers under the appropriately named Suleiman the Magnificent. Suleiman, who ruled the empire from 1520 to 1566, brought about a golden age of geographic expansion, trade, economic growth, and huge cultural and artistic developments, while forging an empire that embraced ethnic diversity and religious tolerance.

 

British Empire

The British Empire remains the largest empire the world has ever seen. Beginning with overseas colonies in the Americas in the 16th century, British expansion then accelerated in the 18th century, particularly in Asia. With the aid of the London-based East India Company, the empire established trading posts around the world, which in turn developed into a worldwide system of dependencies, including colonies and protectorates. At its height in the early 20th century, the British Empire covered around 25% of the world's land surface, including large parts of North America, Australia, Africa, and Asia. In 1913, it ruled over some 412 million inhabitants in its entirety — about 23% of the world's population at the time. Such a vast territory was unsustainable, however, and, as more and more nations fought for their independence, the empire began to crumble. But the influence of the British Empire upon the world was massive — and remains a hugely controversial subject. Once a source of pride in Britain, the nation's imperial past is now more often seen as a dark and often brutal period of colonialism. Since the decline of the empire, more than 60 countries have gained their independence from the United Kingdom.

 

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From the archives

3 December 1945

December 3, 2023Aviation"Winkle" Brown, Air Force Cross, Aircraft Carrier, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd., De Havilland DH.100 Sea Vampire Mk.10, Distinguished Service Cross, HMS Ocean (R68), King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air, LZ551/G, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Test PilotBryan Swopes

3 December 1945: The first landing and takeoff aboard an aircraft carrier by a jet-powered aircraft were made by Lieutenant-Commander Eric Melrose Brown, M.B.E., D.S.C., R.N.V.R., Chief Naval Test Pilot at RAE Farnborough, while flying a de Havilland DH.100 Sea Vampire Mk.10, LZ551/G. The ship was the Royal Navy Colossus-class light aircraft carrier, HMS Ocean (R68), under the command of Captain Casper John, R.N.

For his actions in these tests, Lieutenant-Commander Brown was invested an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.), 19 February 1946.

LZ551 was the second of three prototype DH.100 Vampires, which first flew 17 March 1944. The airplane was used for flight testing and then in 1945, was modified for operation for carriers. It was named "Sea Vampire" and reclassified as Mk.10.

The DH.100 was a single-seat, single-engine fighter powered by a turbojet engine. The twin tail boom configuration of the airplane was intended to allow a short exhaust tract for the engine, reducing power loss in the early jet engines available at the time.

LZ551/G was originally powered by a Halford H.1 turbojet which produced 2,300 pounds of thrust (10.231 kilonewtons) at 9,300 r.p.m. This engine was produced by de Havilland and named Goblin.

The Vampire entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1945 and remained a front-line fighter until 1953. 3,268 DH.100s were built. There were two prototype Sea Vampires (including LZ551) followed by 18 production Sea Vampire FB.5 fighter bombers and 73 Sea Vampire T.22 two-place trainers.

 

Captain Eric ("Winkle") Brown, RNAS, aboard HMS Ocean, 3 December 1945. (Daily Mail)

Lieutenant-Commander Eric ("Winkle") Brown, MBE, DSC, RNVR, with the second prototype de Havilland DH.100, LZ551, aboard HMS Ocean, 3 December 1945. (Daily Mail)

HMS Ocean was built at the Alexander Stephen and Sons yard on the Clyde, Glasgow, Scotland. The ship was launched in 1944 and commissioned 8 August 1945. Classed as a light fleet carrier, HMS Ocean was 630 feet (192 meters) long at the water line, with a beam of 80 feet, 1 inch (24.41 meters) and standard draft of 18 feet, 6 inches (5.64 meters) at 13,190 tons displacement; 23 feet, 3 inches (7.09 meters), at full load displacement (18,000 tons). The aircraft carrier's  flight deck was 695 feet, 6 inches (212.0 meters) long. Ocean was driven by four Parsons geared steam turbines producing 40,000 shaft horsepower, and had a maximum speed of 25 knots (28.8 miles per hour/46.3 kilometers per hour). HMS Ocean had a crew of 1,050 sailors, and could carry 52 aircraft.

HMS Ocean served for twelve years before being placed in reserve. Five years later, she was scrapped at Faslane, Scotland.

Captain Eric Melrose Brown, C.B.E., D.S.C., A.F.C., KCVSA, Ph.D., Hon. F.R.Ae.S., R.N., is one of aviation's greatest test pilots. He was born at Leith, Scotland, 21 January 1918, the son of Robert John Brown and Euphemia Melrose Brown. His father, a Royal Air Force officer, took him for his first flight at the age of 8. He was educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh, Scotland; Fettes College; and at the University of Edinburgh. He received a Master of Arts degree from the university in 1947.

Eric Brown volunteered for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, 4 December 1939. Having previously learned to fly at the University Air Squadron, Brown was sent to a Flying Refresher Course at RNAS Sydenham, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Brown received a commission as a temporary Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, 26 November 1940. He briefly served with No. 801 Squadron before being transferred to No. 802 Squadron. He flew the Grumman G-36A Martlet Mk.I (the export version of the U.S. Navy F4F-3 Wildcat fighter) from the escort carrier HMS Audacity (D10) on Gibraltar convoys.

Having shot down several enemy aircraft, including two Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor four-engine patrol bombers, Brown was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. HMS Audacity was sunk by enemy submarines in the Atlantic, 21 December 1941. Brown was one of only 24 to escape from the sinking ship, but only he and one other survived long enough in the frigid water to be rescued.

Brown was promoted to lieutenant, 1 April 1943. After a number of operational assignments, Lieutenant Brown was assigned to the Naval Test Squadron at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down, in December 1943. The following month Brown was named Chief Naval Test Pilot at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. He held that post until 1949.

In July 1945, Eric Brown was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-commander (temporary), and then, following the war, he was transferred from the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve to the Royal Navy, and appointed a lieutenant with date of rank to 1 April 1943.

Lieutenant Brown was awarded the King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in the New Year's Honours List, 1949. Brown returned to No. 802 Squadron during the Korean War, flying from the aircraft  carriers HMS Vengeance (R71) and HMS Indomitable (92). He was promoted to lieutenant-commander, 1 April 1951. In September 1951, Brown resumed flight testing as an exchange officer at the U.S. Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland.

In 1953, Lieutenant-Commander Brown was a ship's officer aboard HMS Rocket (H92), an anti-submarine frigate. He was promoted to commander, 31 December 1953. After a helicopter refresher course, Brown commanded a Search-and-Rescue (SAR) helicopter flight aboard HMS Illustrious. He next commanded No. 804 Squadron based at RNAS Lossiemouth, then went on to command RNAS Brawdy at Pembrokeshire, Wales.

From 1958 to 1960, Commander Brown was the head of the British Naval Air Mission to Germany. He then held several senior positions in air defense within the Ministry of Defence. He was promoted to captain 31 December 1960.

From 1964 to 1967, Brown was the Naval Attache at Bonn, Germany. He next commanded RNAS Lossiemouth, 1967–1970.

Captain Brown's final military assignment was as Aide-de-camp to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

Eric M. Brown was invested a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.), 3 July 1945, for landings of a de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito aboard HMS Indefatigable, 2 May 1944. On 1 January 1970, Captain Brown was named a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.) in the Queen's New Years Honours List.

Captain Eric Melrose Brown, C.B.E., D.S.C., A.F.C., K.C.V.S.A., Ph.D. Hon. F.R.Ae.S., R.N., retired from active duty 12 March 1970.

At that time, he had accumulated more than 18,000 flight hours, with over 8,000 hours as a test pilot. Captain Brown had flown 487 different aircraft types (not variants), a record which is unlikely to ever be broken. Brown made more landings on aircraft carriers than any other pilot, with 2407 landings, fixed wing, and 212 landings, helicopter. He made 2,721 catapult launches, both at sea and on land.

In 1982 and 1983, Captain Brown served as president of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Eric "Winkle" Brown died at Redhill, Surrey, England, 21 February 2016, at the age of 97 years.

 

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 Thanks to 1440

 

Syrian Rebels Take Hama

A coalition of Syrian rebels captured the country's fourth-largest city of Hama yesterday, forcing the Syrian army further south. The conquest follows last week's takeover of the commercial capital, Aleppo, with the group reportedly continuing south toward Homs in the direction of the capital, Damascus (see map). 

 

The swift advance has surprised observers (see why) amid the fourth year of a relatively quiet ceasefire to the country's 13-year civil war. Before last week, the Russia- and Iran-backed Assad regime controlled roughly 70% of the country, with the rest divided among radical Islamists, Kurdish separatists, and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Leading the well-armed advance is former al-Qaida affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, long in control of the northwestern Idlib province.

 

Some governments, including neighbor Israel, are preparing for the possible collapse of the Assad regime. Roughly 900 US troops have been stationed in the country for years, officially to fight the long-degraded ISIS.

 

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This Day in U S Military History

December 6

1917 – At 9:05 a.m., in the harbor of Halifax in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, the most devastating manmade explosion in the pre-atomic age occurs when the Mont Blanc, a French munitions ship, explodes 20 minutes after colliding with another vessel. As World War I raged in Europe, the port city of Halifax bustled with ships carrying troops, relief supplies, and munitions across the Atlantic Ocean. On the morning of December 6, the Norwegian vessel Imo left its mooring in Halifax harbor for New York City. At the same time, the French freighter Mont Blanc, its cargo hold packed with highly explosive munitions–2,300 tons of picric acid, 200 tons of TNT, 35 tons of high-octane gasoline, and 10 tons of gun cotton–was forging through the harbor's narrows to join a military convoy that would escort it across the Atlantic. At approximately 8:45 a.m., the two ships collided, setting the picric acid ablaze. The Mont Blanc was propelled toward the shore by its collision with the Imo, and the crew rapidly abandoned the ship, attempting without success to alert the harbor of the peril of the burning ship. Spectators gathered along the waterfront to witness the spectacle of the blazing ship, and minutes later it brushed by a harbor pier, setting it ablaze. The Halifax Fire Department responded quickly and was positioning its engine next to the nearest hydrant when the Mont Blanc exploded at 9:05 a.m. in a blinding white flash. The massive explosion killed more than 1,800 people, injured another 9,000–including blinding 200–and destroyed almost the entire north end of the city of Halifax, including more than 1,600 homes. The resulting shock wave shattered windows 50 miles away, and the sound of the explosion could be heard hundreds of miles away. Coast Guardsmen from the CGC Morrill were landed to provide assistance. This disaster led to the creation of captains of the ports for the major U.S. ports. The Coast Guard was tasked with the new duty.

 

1941 – President Roosevelt-convinced on the basis of intelligence reports that the Japanese fleet is headed for Thailand, not the United States-telegrams Emperor Hirohito with the request that "for the sake of humanity," the emperor intervene "to prevent further death and destruction in the world." The Royal Australian Air Force had sighted Japanese escorts, cruisers, and destroyers on patrol near the Malayan coast, south of Cape Cambodia. An Aussie pilot managed to radio that it looked as if the Japanese warships were headed for Thailand-just before he was shot down by the Japanese. Back in England, Prime Minister Churchill called a meeting of his chiefs of staff to discuss the crisis. While reports were coming in describing Thailand as the Japanese destination, they began to question whether it could have been a diversion. British intelligence had intercepted the Japanese code "Raffles," a warning to the Japanese fleet to be on alert-but for what? Britain was already preparing Operation Matador, the launching of their 11th Indian Division into Thailand to meet the presumed Japanese invasion force. But at the last minute, Air Marshall Brooke-Popham received word not to cross the Thai border for fear that it would provoke a Japanese attack if, in fact, the warship movement was merely a bluff. Meanwhile, 600 miles northwest of Hawaii, Admiral Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, announced to his men: "The rise or fall of the empire depends upon this battle. Everyone will do his duty with utmost efforts." Thailand was, in fact, a bluff. Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii was confirmed for Yamamoto as the Japanese target, after the Japanese consul in Hawaii had reported to Tokyo that a significant portion of the U.S. Pacific fleet would be anchored in the harbor-sitting ducks. The following morning, Sunday, December 7, was a good day to begin a raid. "The son of man has just sent his final message to the son of God," FDR joked to Eleanor after sending off his telegram to Hirohito, who in the Shinto tradition of Japan was deemed a god. As he enjoyed his stamp collection and chatted with Harry Hopkins, his personal adviser, news reached him of Japan's formal rejection of America's 10-point proposals for peace and an end to economic sanctions and the oil embargo placed on the Axis power. "This means war," the president declared. Hopkins recommended an American first strike. "No, we can't do that," Roosevelt countered. "We are a democracy and a peaceful people."

1948 – The "Pumpkin spy papers" were found on the Maryland farm of Whittaker Chambers. They became evidence that State Department employee Alger Hiss was spying for the Soviet Union.

1950 – Fifth Air Force jets and Australian F-51 Mustangs were credited with killing 2,500 enemy troops in an attack near Pyongyang. This did not, however, prevent the Chinese communists from occupying the North Korean capitol.

1972 – Fighting in South Vietnam intensifies as the secret Paris peace talks resume after a 24-hour break. The renewed combat was a result of both sides trying to achieve a positional advantage in the countryside in preparation for the possibility that a cease-fire might be worked out in Paris. Tan Son Nhut, one of two major airports near Saigon, is hit by the heaviest communist rocket attack in four years. One U.S. rescue helicopter was destroyed and a fuel dump was set ablaze. In response, U.S. planes bombed suspected Viet Cong positions within 10 miles of the airport. These strikes were followed by South Vietnamese troop attacks against the area from which the rockets were fired. Elsewhere in South Vietnam, fighting continued around Quang Tri, south of the Demilitarized Zone. Quang Tri fell to the North Vietnamese during their spring offensive earlier in the year. South Vietnamese forces reclaimed the city from the communists in September, but fighting continued in the areas around the city.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

DITZENBACK, JOHN

 Rank and organization: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1828, New York, N.Y. Accredited to: Indiana. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served on board the U.S. Monitor Neosho during the engagement with enemy batteries at Bells Mills, Cumberland River, near Nashville, Tenn., 6 December 1864. Carrying out his duties courageously during the engagement, Ditzenback gallantly left the pilot house after the flag and signal staffs of that vessel had been shot away and, taking the flag which was drooping over the wheelhouse, made it fast to the stump of the highest mast remaining, although the ship was still under a heavy fire from the enemy.

 

FERRELL, JOHN H.

Rank and organization: Pilot, U.S. Navy. Entered service at: Illinois. Born: 15 April 1823, Tennessee. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served on board the U.S. Monitor Neosho during the engagement with enemy batteries at Bells Mills, Cumberland River, near Nashville, Tenn., 6 December 1864. Carrying out his duties courageously during the engagement, Ferrell gallantly left the pilothouse after the flag and signal staffs of that vessel had been shot away and, taking the flag which was drooping over the wheelhouse, make it fast to the stump of the highest mast remaining although the ship was still under a heavy fire from the enemy.

 

LITEKY, ANGELO J.

Rank and organization: Chaplain (Capt.), U.S. Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 199th Infantry Brigade. place and date: Near Phuoc-Lac, Bien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 6 December 1967 . Entered service at: Fort Hamilton, N.Y. Born: 14 February 1931, Washington, D.C. Citation: Chaplain Liteky distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while serving with Company A, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was participating in a search and destroy operation when Company A came under intense fire from a battalion size enemy force. Momentarily stunned from the immediate encounter that ensued, the men hugged the ground for cover. Observing 2 wounded men, Chaplain Liteky moved to within 15 meters of an enemy machine gun position to reach them, placing himself between the enemy and the wounded men. When there was a brief respite in the fighting, he managed to drag them to the relative safety of the landing zone. Inspired by his courageous actions, the company rallied and began placing a heavy volume of fire upon the enemy's positions. In a magnificent display of courage and leadership, Chaplain Liteky began moving upright through the enemy fire, administering last rites to the dying and evacuating the wounded. Noticing another trapped and seriously wounded man, Chaplain Liteky crawled to his aid. Realizing that the wounded man was too heavy to carry, he rolled on his back, placed the man on his chest and through sheer determination and fortitude crawled back to the landing zone using his elbows and heels to push himself along. pausing for breath momentarily, he returned to the action and came upon a man entangled in the dense, thorny underbrush. Once more intense enemy fire was directed at him, but Chaplain Liteky stood his ground and calmly broke the vines and carried the man to the landing zone for evacuation. On several occasions when the landing zone was under small arms and rocket fire, Chaplain Liteky stood up in the face of hostile fire and personally directed the medivac helicopters into and out of the area. With the wounded safely evacuated, Chaplain Liteky returned to the perimeter, constantly encouraging and inspiring the men. Upon the unit's relief on the morning of 7 December 1967, it was discovered that despite painful wounds in the neck and foot, Chaplain Liteky had personally carried over 20 men to the landing zone for evacuation during the savage fighting. Through his indomitable inspiration and heroic actions, Chaplain Liteky saved the lives of a number of his comrades and enabled the company to repulse the enemy. Chaplain Liteky's actions reflect great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 6, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

6 December

 

1907: Lt Thomas E. Selfridge flew Alexander Graham Bell's kite, Cygnet I. It was towed by a motorboat tug and stayed aloft for 7 minutes over Bras d'Or Lake, Nova Scotia. (24)

1944: In New York, Roy W. Howard, President of Scripps-Howard Newspapers, received the Frank M. Hawks Memorial Award from the American Legion's Air Service Post 501 for outstanding aid and cooperation in developing aviation. (24)

1950: KOREAN WAR. The 27 FEW, a SAC unit from Bergstrom AFB, launched the first F-84E Thunderjet mission in the war from Taegu airfield. (1) (28)

1954: The Curtiss-Wright Corporation revealed the existence of what was believed to be the first rocket engine with throttle control. This control made extended flight range in supersonic airplanes possible. (24)

1957: The Vanguard vehicle failed in its attempt to launch the first US satellite. It exploded on its launch platform. (21)

1959: At Edwards AFB, Cmdr Lawrence E. Flint (USN) flew McDonnell's F4H Phantom II to 98,560 feet to set a FAI record. (9) (24) Capt Walter J. Hodgson flew an H-43B helicopter at Bloomfield, Ct., to a 29,846-foot altitude record for Class E1D helicopters. (3) First Martin Titan II, a large two-stage ICBM, launched. (12)

1961: In a joint Navy-Air Force ceremony, new wings were pinned on American astronauts, Cmdr Alan B. Shepard (USN) and Capt Virgil I Grissom. The new design displayed a shooting star superimposed on the traditional aviator wings of the respective services.

1963: Maj Robert W. Smith piloted the NF-104A Aerospace Trainer, with its ballistic controls (attitude control nozzles on the wing tips, nose, and tail) and a 6,000-pound thrust rocket engine, to 120,800 feet above Edwards AFB. (3)

1966: The first of five Applications Technology Satellites (ATS-1), carrying 15 communications, technology, and scientific experiments, launched at Cape Kennedy. On 9 December, ATS-1 took the world's first high-quality photos of the earth from synchronous orbit altitudes.

1983: The United States and Germany signed the cooperative Patriot/Roland air defense agreement. (4) The National Transonic Tunnel, a wind tunnel to test ultra-fast aircraft, dedicated at Langley AFB. (26)

1985: The Air Force accepted the 18th and last C-23A Sherpa. On 7 December, the C-23 joined the 10 MAS at Zweibruken AB, Germany, with a mission to deliver engines and spares throughout the theater. (8: Dec 90) At Barksdale AFB, La., SAC's KC-10 Extender squadron, the 32 AREFS, reached full operational capability. (16) (26)

1989: Boeing rolled the prototype MH-47E helicopter at Ridley Township, Pa. It had oversized composite fuel pods, an air-to-air refueling system, an internal cargo handling system, and a rescue hoist and Fastrope rappelling system among its new features. The Army expected the first of 50 such helicopters to be delivered in 1992. (8: Feb 90)

1991: Following Cyclone Zelda, the 834th Airlift Division sent six C-130 Hercules with supplies to provide relief to people at Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. (16) (26)

1992: Through 20 December, six C-5 missions moved 415 tons of engineering vehicles and equipment to Islamabad, Pakistan, to help with flood damage. (16)

1995: Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR. USAF airlifters started moving troops and equipment to Bosnia to support this NATO operation to implement peace between Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia. (16) (26)

2002: The AFFTC at Edwards AFB had the X-45A UCAV and a Global Hawk airborne on test missions at the same time. This marked the first time that two unmanned aircraft from two different programs were airborne simultaneously. (3)

2005: During a ten-second ground test at Edwards AFB, the Airborne Laser's megawatt-class chemical laser released enough energy to destroy a ballistic missile in its boost phase. The test met a major program milestone. (3)

 

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