To All,
Good Tuesday morning December 31 the last day of 2024. I want to wish you all a happy New Year and many more. The weather is pea soup fog this morning. Cloudy all day 43 to 65.
Yesterday I filled up the all four green cans and they raked and blew all the rest into piles from some of the piles around the yard. The weed population is way down. I did not run into many so I used the seed whacker to get rid of those.
Warm Regards,
Skip
Make it a GREAT Day
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Go here to see the director's corner for all 85 H-Grams
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
December 31
1862—USS Monitor founders in a storm off Cape Hatteras, NC, and is lost. Ordinary Seaman John Jones of USS Rhode Island is awarded the Medal of Honor for his conduct while rescuing crewmen during the night.
1941—Adm. Chester W. Nimitz assumes command of U.S. Pacific Fleet.
1942—USS Essex (CV 9), the first of a new class of aircraft carriers, is commissioned at Norfolk, VA.
1943—USS Greenling (SS 213) sinks Japanese transport Shoho Maru southeast of Ponape and evades counterattacks by submarine chaser Ch 30.
1948—The last annual report by a Secretary of the Navy to Congress and the President is filed by Secretary of the Navy John L. Sullivan. Thereafter the Secretary of Defense reports annually to Congress.
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Today in World History December 31
1775 George Washington orders recruiting officers to accept free blacks into the army.
1852 The richest year of the gold rush ends with $81.3 million in gold produced.
1862 Union General William Rosecrans' army repels two Confederate attacks at the Battle of Murfreesboro (Stone's River).
1910 John B. Moisant and Arch Hoxsey, two of America's foremost aviators, die in separate plane crashes.
1911 Helene Dutrieu wins the Femina aviation cup in Etampes. She sets a distance record for women at 158 miles.
1915 The Germans torpedo the British liner Persia without any warning killing 335 passengers.
1923 The Sahara is crossed by an automobile for the first time.
1930 Brewery heir Adolphus Busch is kidnapped.
1941 General MacArthur reports that U.S. lines in Manila have been pushed back by the Japanese.
1942 After five months of battle, Emperor Hirohito allows the Japanese commanders at Guadalcanal to retreat.
1944 Hungary declares war on Germany.
1965 California becomes the largest state in population.
1977 Cambodia breaks relations with Vietnam.
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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 "Tuesday 31 December
31-Dec: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1523
This is one that has the information from HC-7 the rescue Helicoptor
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.
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 Servicemembers Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend last week and I forgot to forward. The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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I was almost ready to send out the List when this one popped into my IN box enjoy
Thanks to Micro
For the Start of the New Year!
Life-Changing Quotes to Think About
Here are 33 expressions that can serve as guideposts through life:
1. "The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson
3. "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." ~ William Arthur Ward
4. "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." ~ Henry Ford
5. "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." ~ Milton Berle
6. "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." ~ Francis of Assisi
7. "The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." ~ Henry David Thoreau
8. "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit.' Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." ~ Muhammad Ali
9. "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." ~ Nelson Mandela
10. "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." ~ Confucius
11. "The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self." ~ Dalai Lama
12. "When something bad happens you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you." ~ Dr. Seuss
13. "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." ~ Viktor E. Frankl
14. "Every time you borrow money, you're robbing your future self." ~ Nathan W. Morris
15. "Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants." ~ Epictetus
16. "Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving." ~ Warren Buffett
17. "The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money." ~ Anonymous
18. "You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb." ~ Andrew Carnegie
19. "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." ~ Frederick Douglass
20. "It is better to be alone, than to be in bad company." ~ George Washington
21. "When you blame others, you give up your power to change." ~ Robert Anthony
22. "What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so." ~ Mark Twain
23. "Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something." ~ Plato
24. "A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth." ~ Aesop
25. "Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay." ~ Dalai Lama
26. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do." ~ Jackson Brown, Jr.
27. "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." ~ John Wooden
28. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
29. "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." ~ Mark Twain
30. "It is never too late to be what you might have been." ~ George Eliot
31. "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples." ~ Mother Teresa
32. "May you live all the days of your life." ~ Jonathan Swift
33. "Moral character is the DNA of success and happiness." ~ (Me) Frank Sonnenberg
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From the archives and worth repeating
Crotchety, Older & Wiser
Thanks to DR
I found this timely, because today I was in a store that sells sunglasses, and only sunglasses. A young lady walks over to me and asks, "What brings you in today?" I looked at her, and said, "I'm interested in buying a refrigerator." She didn't quite know how to respond.
Am I getting to be that age?
I was thinking about how a status symbol of today is those cell phones that everyone has clipped onto their belt or purse. I can't afford one. So I'm wearing my garage door opener.
I was thinking about old age and decided that old age is when you still have something on the ball, but you are just too tired to bounce it.
I thought about making a fitness movie for folks my age and calling it 'Pumping Rust.'
When people see a cat's litter box they always say, "Oh, have you got a cat?" Just once I want to say, "No, it's for company!"
Employment application blanks always ask who is to be called in case of an emergency. I think you should write, 'An ambulance .'
The older you get the tougher it is to lose weight because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.
The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are XL.
The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble..
Did you ever notice: When you put the 2 words 'The' and 'IRS' together it spells: 'Theirs...'
Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
Some people try to turn back their "odometers." Not me. I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.
You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.
Ah! Being young is beautiful but being old is comfortable.
Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
May you always have Love to Share, Cash to Spare, And Friends who Care.
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This is the program that Shadow demonstrated in his article a couple weeks back
Thanks to Mike
USMC "Carrier On Land" Air Base At Chu Lai, Viet Nam
VMFA 323 was first F-4 unit there. One Quote From Col Robert Johnson...Lots of great A-4 Info, pictures and Clips:
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'Thanks to Barrel and to Cowboy for finding the URL
The Train
As we approach the New Year, please take a ride on this train and reflect on the wisdom within it. Have a Happy ride and I hope it is a long one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmtyvQw5ROk
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Thanks to the Bear
Skip… For your consideration as a Special post of "The List" … And for what it's worth, for me, Carter will always be "the cardigan sweater" CinC. I was working for George Haering in the Pentagon "A" Ring in those days when Carter imposed his energy saving edict of thermostats set at 65-degrees in Executive Branch buildings in Washington, including the Pentagon. Sweaters were required to survive the Winters of 1977 and 1978… Bear
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Cox, Samuel J SES USN NHHC WASHINGTON DC (USA)" <samuel.j.cox4.civ@us.navy.mil>
Date: December 30, 2024 at 6:28:26 AM MST
To: "Cox, Samuel J SES USN NHHC WASHINGTON DC (USA)" <samuel.j.cox4.civ@us.navy.mil>, samuel.cox@navy.mil
Cc: samuel cox <80sjcox@gmail.com>
Subject: Passing of President Jimmy Carter
Fellow Flag Officers,
It is with deep regret I inform you of the passing of President James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. on 29 December 2024 at age 100. President Carter entered the U.S. Naval Academy in July 1943 and graduated with distinction in June 1946 with the wartime-accelerated class of 1947. He served as a Surface Line Officer until transferring to submarine duty before being selected as one of the first officers in the Navy nuclear power program. He resigned his commission in October 1953 upon the death of his father and need to attend to his family's peanut farm. He subsequently went on to serve as the 39th President of the United States, from 1977-1981. He was the fifth consecutive President to have prior Navy service, although the only President to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. He established the "Carter Doctrine" in 1980, declaring that the U.S. has vital interests in the Persian Gulf and the U.S. would use force to defend them if necessary.
Per Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, "President Carter exemplifies not only service to nation but embodiment of the very highest ideals of our nation – his life is an inspiration to all of us to expand our own conceptions of what it means to serve, what it means to make a difference."
(See attachment if that is easier to read than e-mail text.)
Naval Service:
James Earl (Jimmy) Carter, Jr, was born in Plains, Georgia on 1 October 1924, to Lillian Gordy and James Earl Carter. Carter grew up in a rural atmosphere and attended public schools. Although a Navy career was an unusual aspiration from that part of Georgia, he was influenced at a very young age by his uncle, Tom Gordy, an enlisted Navy radioman. (Tom Gordy would be captured by the Japanese at the start of WWII on Guam and would survive as a prisoner of war.) Jimmy became interested in the U.S. Naval Academy and decided he wanted to go there before he was in the first grade. In grammar school he read books about the Navy and Annapolis. Without revealing his age, he wrote to the Naval Academy and obtained the catalog with entrance requirements, and then studied accordingly. He graduated from Plains High School in 1941.
Jimmy was not selected on his first attempt to enter the Naval Academy, so he studied for a year at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, Georgia. He received an appointment from Congressman Stephen Pace in 1942 for admission in 1943. He then attended the Georgia Institute of Technology in the Naval Reserve Officer training program to study mathematics in order to prepare for the Naval Academy entrance exams. He entered the Naval Academy in June 1943 with the Class of 1947. Due to the need for officers to man the vastly expanded fleet during World War II, the normal four-year program was accelerated to three years, so Midshipman Carter graduated in June of 1946.
While at the Naval Academy, Midshipman Carter studied to become an expert at ship and aircraft recognition. He learned to fly (under supervision) an OS2U two-seat scout seaplane. His first summer cruise was aboard the battleship USS NEW YORK (BB-34,) steaming in the Atlantic between Norfolk and the Caribbean, where he manned a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun during alerts. At one point the NEW YORK maneuvered radically to avoid a submarine contact and one of the elderly ship's four propellers broke a blade. He was also disturbed when another midshipman accidently dropped a kapok life-jacket into the water, and it sank. Midshipman Carter was again at sea in the summer of 1945 when the atomic bombs were dropped and World War II ended. He marveled that he had never even heard so much as a rumor regarding the existence of this weapon; he and his classmates had all expected to be involved in what was anticipated to be a very bloody invasion of Japan.
The "Lucky Bag" (Yearbook) entry for Jimmy Carter, written as they are by another midshipman, is revealing. It says, "…Studies never bothered Jimmy. In fact the only times he opened his books were when his classmates desired help on problems. This lack of study did not, however, prevent him from standing in the upper part of his class. Jimmy's many friends will remember him for his cheerful disposition and his ability to see the humorous side of any situation."
Midshipman Carter was also one of the few midshipmen who befriended and supported fellow midshipman Wesley Brown, the first Black graduate of the Naval Academy.
Midshipman Carter graduated 59th in a class of 820 (with distinction) and received an ensign's commission in June 1946.
After WW II all Academy graduates had to serve two years on surface ships (except those going Marine Corps) before applying for submarine or aviation duty. Assignment selection was based on drawing lots; Midshipman Carter's name was drawn almost last, giving him almost last choice. As a result he was assigned to the Norfolk-based USS WYOMING (E-AG 17, ex-BB 32) an elderly battleship, commissioned in 1912 and relegated to duties as a training ship by 1930 (however due to gunnery training duties, WYOMING actually fired more ammunition than any U.S. ship during World War II.)
By the end of the war WYOMING had been converted to an experimental test platform for electronics and gunnery, with prototypes of radar, fire control, communications, navigation and gunnery equipment. Ensign Carter was assigned as the radar and Combat Information Center (CIC) officer. The purpose of the ship was to use lessons learned from the kamikaze attacks off Okinawa during World War II to develop improved anti-aircraft warfare capability. According to Ensign Carter's account, he "learned to repair electronic equipment, to conduct photographic analysis of gunnery using 35 mm motion-picture cameras, and to assess statistically the performance of radar, guns, gyroscopic compasses, and navigation equipment."
Ensign Carter described his time aboard WYOMING as, "the work was interesting but the duty was terrible." This had mostly to do with the very poor material condition of an undermanned and overworked ship (only two-thirds of a normal crew) and resulting poor morale amongst the crew. The WYOMING was also deemed to be "unsafe" and was not permitted alongside the piers in Norfolk, having to anchor on the far side of the harbor. Liberty was by ferry only, and relatively rare, resulting in little time spent with his new bride Rosalynn.
WYOMING was decommissioned in July 1947. Ensign Carter and much of WYOMING's crew transferred to the somewhat less old former battleship USS MISSISSIPPI (E-AG 128, ex-BB 41) which was being converted to an experimental test ship. (During her service as a battleship, MISSISSIPPI had a reputation as the fastest-firing battleship in the fleet, but had suffered two major accidental turret explosions, both in turret No. 2, one in 1924 that killed 48 men and one in 1943 that killed 43 men.) MISSISSIPPI would subsequently be the test platform for the launch of the RIM 2 Terrier Surface-to-Air Missile system. Ensign Carter served as the Training and Education Officer aboard MISSISSIPPI.
Ensign Carter applied and was selected for submarine duty. He reported to the U.S. Navy Submarine School at Submarine Base New London, Connecticut in June 1948. Carter would later say, "I always found the submarine force to be exciting and challenging, and the next five years proved to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable periods of my life." Upon graduating in December 1948, Ensign Carter left in Rosalyn and his son in Plains with his parents and transferred to Pearl Harbor to join diesel submarine USS POMFRET (SS 391,) which deployed two days later on 4 January 1949 to the Far East.
During POMFRET's trans-Pacific transit, the submarine was on the surface at night in a severe storm when Ensign Carter was washed off the bridge by a large wave. Fortunately he landed on top of the 5-inch gun about 30-feet aft of the conning tower and was able to maintain his grip on the gun barrel to avoid being washed overboard and lost at sea. The submarine was unable to communicate due to the storm, and at one point was reported as possibly lost by Pacific Fleet Headquarters, to the consternation of POMFRET's wives in Pearl Harbor. Ensign Carter considered it lucky that Rosalynn was still in Plains and did not get this disturbing word.
For the next months POMFRET operated along the coast of China between Hong King and Tsingtao observing and reporting activity as the Chinese Communists closed in on the last Nationalist strongholds during the Chinese Civil War. POMFRET also operated in the Yellow Sea, serving as a practice target for U.S. and British surface ships, while running target drills on them as well. The situation ashore was so tense that at one point a jeep with POMFRET's commanding officer was fired on by Nationalist soldiers, with a bullet piercing the roof.
Ensign Carter earned his qualification as a Submarine Officer in February 1949. While on POMFRET he served variously as Communications Officer, Sonar Officer, Electronics Officer, Gunnery Officer and Supply Officer. On 9 March, he served as the approach officer for a simulated torpedo firing at target ships, and scored a "hit." After returning from the China deployment on 25 March, POMFRET operated out of Pearl Harbor for a year and a half before transferring to San Diego. He was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) on 5 June 1949. (The seemingly slow promotion was due to early graduation from the Academy and not due to performance.)
Lieutenant (junior grade) Carter detached from POMFRET on 1 February 1951. He was then assigned as the Engineering Officer on the pre-commissioning detail for USS K-1 (SSK 1). K-1, the first postwar submarine built, was under construction by Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corporation, Connecticut. For several months, LTJG Carter was the only Navy person on the sub as it was being built. The K-1 (later renamed BARRACUDA) was designed to be extremely quiet, with the mission of hunting submerged submarines while being submerged herself. After K-1's commissioning on 10 November 1951, LTJG Carter served as Engineering Officer and Electronic Repair Officer before becoming Executive Officer. During this tour he qualified for submarine command. His "command thesis" described a new technique for determining the distance to a target ship using information derived from passive listening equipment only. During one torpedo test-firing, a boat trying to recover the torpedo was holed by the torpedo and had to be beached to prevent sinking; K-1's only "kill." Carter described submarine duty as "tough, dangerous and demanding. Yet we submariners liked the service, enjoyed the physical and personal closeness, and were proud of the high standards and professional demands made on us."
As soon as LTJG Carter learned of the Navy's nascent nuclear power program, he applied for what he considered, "the finest Navy billet available to any officer of my rank – the development of the first atomic submarines." A key step to being selected was an interview with then-Captain Hyman Rickover. Carter's description of the interview;
"It was the first time I met (Admiral) Rickover, and we sat in a large room by ourselves for more than two hours, and he let me choose any subject I wished to discuss. Very carefully, I chose those about which I knew the most at the time – current events, seamanship, music, literature, naval tactics, electronics, gunnery – and he began to ask me questions of increasing difficulty. In each instance he soon proved I knew relatively little about the subject I had chosen.
He always looked right into my eyes, and he never smiled. I was saturated with cold sweat.
Finally, he asked me a question, and I thought I could redeem myself. He said, "How did you stand in your class at the Naval Academy?" Since I had completed my sophomore year at Georgia Tech before entering Annapolis as a plebe, I had done very well, and I swelled my chest with pride and answered, "Sir, I stood 59th in a class of 820!" I sat back waiting for the congratulations – which never came. Instead, the question: "Did you do your best?" I started to say, "Yes, Sir," but I remembered who this was, and recalled several times at the Academy when I could have learned more about our allies, our enemies, weapons, strategy and so forth. I was just human. I finally gulped and said, "No, sir, I didn't always do my best."
He looked at me for a long time, and then turned around his chair to end the interview. He asked one final question, which I have never been able to forget – or to answer. He said, "Why not?" I sat there for awhile, shaken, and then slowly left the room."
Carter would later say that besides his parents (and Rosalynn,) Admiral Rickover was the most influential person in his life, and it was his inability to answer Rickover's question that would serve as the drive and motivation for all that followed and to always do his best (and would also be the genesis of the title of Carter's 1975 book as he commenced a run for the Presidency, "Why not the best?")
Despite the interview, LTJG Carter was selected for the Navy nuclear power program, detaching from K-1 on October 1952 (after having been promoted to lieutenant in June 1952.) Lieutenant Carter then reported for duty at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Division of Reactor Development in Schenectady New York. During periods from 3 November 1952 to 1 March 1953, he served on temporary duty with the Naval Reactors Branch, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington DC to assist "in the design and development of nuclear propulsion plants for naval vessels." During this period Carter made multiple visits to the Hanford Works in Washington State where plutonium was made and to Idaho where the NAUTILUS prototype reactor was built. He also assisted construction of a prototype nuclear reactor (liquid metal cooled) at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.
Following a partial meltdown of the NRX research reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, Canada, LT Carter was directed to lead a 23-person team to assist with the clean-up, disassembling the damaged nuclear reactor core. An exact duplicate of the reactor was built to practice each move required, as each person could only spend 90-seconds at the hot core location. Although radiation was known to be dangerous, just how dangerous was not yet well known and Carter received many times the radiation dosage that would be considered safe today.
From 1 March to 8 October 1953, LT Carter was assigned to lead the team that was training on the liquid metal (sodium) beryllium moderated nuclear reactor that would eventually be the power plant for the second U.S. nuclear submarine, USS SEAWOLF (SSN 575,) which commenced construction in 1953 and would be commissioned in 1957. SEAWOLF would be the only U.S. submarine to have this type of reactor. (The first nuclear submarine, USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571) and all other U.S. submarines since used water as a coolant, and even SEAWOLF's liquid metal reactor was replaced within a year after commissioning.)
Had LT Carter remained in the Navy, he most likely would have served as the Engineering Officer for SEAWOLF, and given his experience with the one-of-a-kind reactor might have become Executive Officer sooner than normal. Some accounts claim he was to be the first Commanding Officer of SEAWOLF, but that is unlikely. He almost certainly would have had a stellar Navy career.
LT Carter's father became very ill and died in July 1953. With extreme reluctance, LT Carter decided to resign his commission after seven years as an officer to attend to the family farm. This was also over the objection of Rosalynn, who apparently very much preferred the Navy life to a peanut farm in Georgia – but she stuck with Jimmy for 77 years despite that. LT Carter was honorably discharged on 9 October 1953 at Headquarters, Third Naval District in New York City, but remained in the U.S. Naval Reserve. On 7 December 1961 he transferred to the retired reserve with the rank of lieutenant at his own request.
Presidency:
There will be many accounts of Jimmy Carter's term as President, so this will focus on his impact on U.S. national defense and the U.S. Navy.
During the 1980 State of the Union Address, President Carter enunciated what would become known as the "Carter Doctrine." The exact words were, "Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf Region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force." This doctrine, and the subsequent "Reagan Corollary" have had profound effect on U.S. Navy operations, deployments and even force structure in the years since. The Carter Doctrine resulted in the significantly enhanced and continuing U.S. Navy presence in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf.
Related to the Carter Doctrine was the activation of the Rapid Deployment Force, which evolved into the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force and eventually the establishment of U.S. Central Command. The establishment of "CENTCOM" was not especially welcomed by the U.S. Navy, but it has had major impact on U.S. Navy deployments.
In that same 1980 State of the Union address, President Carter also stressed the importance of Sea Power, stating, "Sea Power is indispensable to our global position – in peace and war. Our shipbuilding program will sustain a 550-ship navy in the 1990's and we will continue to build the most capable ships afloat. The program I have proposed will assure the ability of our Navy to operate in high threat areas, to maintain control of the seas and protect vital lines of communication – both military and economic – and to provide the strong maritime component of our rapid deployment forces. This is essential for operation in remote areas of the world, where we cannot predict far in advance the precise location of trouble, or preposition equipment on land."
Other diplomatic agreements during the Carter Administration also had effect on U.S. Navy operations and force structure. The Camp David Accords, personally brokered by President Carter, and the subsequent peace treaty between Egypt and Israel have resulted in the Suez Canal remaining open ever since, enhancing the strategic mobility of the U.S. Navy. This peace treaty was one of the most difficult, and momentous, diplomatic achievements since World War II.
The establishment of formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China by the Carter Administration lessened tensions and put a stop to the periodic Taiwan Straits crises that disrupted U.S. Navy force deployments, at least for a while. The Carter Administration also finessed a way to maintain "informal" relations with Taiwan.
The signing and ratification of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties (formally known as "The Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal" and "The Panama Canal Treaty,") recognized Panamanian sovereignty (starting in 1999,) while guaranteeing U.S. access and U.S. right to defend the canal against any threat that might interfere with its continued neutral service to ships of all nations. Although heavily criticized, these treaties also possibly forestalled violent disruptions to the canal.
The Carter Administration also negotiated the second Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II) Treaty with the Soviet Union in 1979. Although neither the U.S. Senate, nor the Soviets, chose to ratify the treaty, both sides adhered to the negotiated numbers of strategic nuclear weapons, even after the 1985 expiration, a fact that also significantly affected U.S. Navy force structure, particularly with regard to ballistic missile submarines and cruise missiles.
The Carter Administration also negotiated an agreement with the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) to deploy nuclear Pershing II medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) to Germany and ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCM) to other NATO countries to counter the deployment of Soviet SS-20 mobile nuclear MRBM's, with the caveat that if the Soviets desisted, the deployment would be cancelled. The Soviets deployed the SS-20's anyway, and the Pershings and GLCMs were deployed during the Reagan Administration.
As with any President, Carter came in for extreme criticism from political opponents. A frequent charge was, "Jimmy Carter is weak on defense." Candidate Carter did in fact campaign on a platform of reducing the defense budget (while increasing resources devoted to moving toward energy independence.) Nevertheless, Navy budgets under Carter increased, although initially not enough to keep pace with inflation.
The annual Navy budget that President Carter inherited from the previous administration was $36.5 Billion. This was raised to $39.5B in 1978 and 41.6B in 1979. However, the 1980 Navy budget was increased to $47B, and the 1981 budget (which the Reagan Administration inherited) was $57B, with a building program for a 550-ship Navy by the 1990's.
President Carter was not enamored of big-ticket expensive items like B-1 bombers (which he cancelled) and aircraft carriers (he acquiesced to Congressional authorization for USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71,) which had initially been cancelled by the Ford Administration and vetoed in 1979 by President Carter before being included in the 1980 budget.) Carter was, however, very concerned about how far military pay had fallen behind the civilian sector and supported military pay raises of 6.2% for 1978, 5.5% for 1979, 7.0% for 1980 and 11.7% for 1981, and although the 14.3% for 1982 was signed by President Reagan, that is what had been submitted in the Carter budget. Cumulatively, the raises resulted in the greatest increase in military pay since the Civil War, and no pay raise since has even come close (6.6% in 2002.)
President Carter also chose Admiral Tom Hayward to be the Chief of Naval Operations, upon Admiral James L. Holloway's regular retirement in 1978. When President Carter and CNO Hayward assumed their jobs, all the metrics were heading in the wrong direction – recruitment, retention, readiness, morale, and others. These metrics bottomed out during the Carter Administration and when the oiler USS CANISTEO (AO-99) was unable to get underway for lack of crew it was headline news. However, by the end of the Carter Administration, these metrics were already on the upswing.
During the Carter Administration, the USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN-69) was commissioned and the CARL VINSON (CVN-70) was launched. The F/A-18 Hornet, made its first flight and would become a mainstay of U.S. carrier aviation for decades.
Nine of the first ten LOS ANGELES-class nuclear fast attack submarines were commissioned during the Carter Administration, seven of them in the last two years. The first three OHIO-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines were launched or laid down during his administration.
The Carter Navy budget invested heavily in the AEGIS radar/weapon systems. The first AEGIS Cruiser, USS TICONDEROGA (CG-47) was ordered, and design work commenced for what would be the ARLEIGH BURKE (DDG-51)-class AEGIS destroyers. Some TICONDEROGA-class and the ARLEIGH BURKE-class continue in service to this day. President Carter also agreed to finish, rather than scrap, the four KIDD-class (upgraded SPRUANCE) destroyers that were being built for the Iranian Navy when the revolution occurred.
A number of advances were not public at the time, such as a shift within the Department of Defense toward a countervailing nuclear deterrent strategy, to give more options besides Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD,) where both sides just incinerated each other's cities. The purpose of the strategy was to hold at risk, with precise targeting, Soviet nuclear installations, and to show that even if the Soviets attempted a precision nuclear strike it would still be a loser – for both sides. To execute this strategy required precision targeting of our own, which led to acceleration of deployment and backfitting of the Trident missile system on older ballistic missile submarines and acceleration of the development of the Trident D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missile that would have the necessary accuracy for a true countervailing strategy.
Also within the Carter Defense budget were major increased investments in stealth technology – for aircraft and ships, as well as modern digital technology and precision-guided weapons – the first Tomahawk cruise missile prototype tests occurred during this Administration – a weapon system that has been used by the U.S. many times in the years since.
Two major international watershed events during the Carter Administration were the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (which resulted in the Carter Doctrine) and the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Perhaps President Carter's biggest mistake was going against his own judgement and acquiescing to entreaties to allow the deposed Shah of Iran into the United States for medical treatment, which led directly to the take-over of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by Iranian "students," resulting in 53 U.S. diplomatic personnel being held hostage (52 of them for ultimately 444 days.)
President Carter would come under intense criticism for the failure of Operation Eagle Claw, an attempt to rescue the hostages, criticism that CNO ADM Hayward said was unjustified. A critical part of the mission were eight RH-53D helicopters launched from USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) in the North Arabian Gulf. One of the helicopters made an emergency landing due to a possible cracked rotor blade and was abandoned. Another encountered a severe sandstorm and aborted due to disabled electrical systems and no instruments. Of the six helicopters that arrived at the Desert One rendezvous point, one had a malfunctioning secondary hydraulic system. A minimum of six helicopters had been established as the pre-planned abort threshold. When the on-scene commander recommended mission abort, President Carter concurred. In brown-out conditions, one of the helicopters subsequently collided with an EC-130 and eight U.S. servicemen (five USAF and three USMC) and one Iranian civilian died in the resulting explosion and fire. The five mostly intact helicopters and nine bodies were left behind. The mission was considered a debacle.
As Commander-in-Chief, Carter took responsibility for the failure, which would have severe negative effect on his subsequent Presidential campaign, along with the refusal of the Iranians to release the hostages (until minutes after the change of administrations,) as well as the continuing high unemployment and high inflation. Nevertheless, President Carter made a point of flying out to USS NIMITZ as the carrier was returning to port from the particularly arduous deployment. He deliberately timed his visit so it would not interfere with the homecoming with loved ones at Pier 12 in Norfolk. He told the crew of NIMITZ, "…I am absolutely convinced that your presence there … has been a major factor in protecting the lives of the 53 American hostages who are still held, because the clear knowledge of American military strength is the surest guarantee that when your presence was felt, stability prevailed and the hostages were indeed protected in their lives."
A case can be made that President Carter's vocal emphasis on human rights was a significant factor in the end of the Warsaw Pact and then of the Soviet Union.
Following his term in office, President Carter continued supporting human rights and other humanitarian causes. His post-presidency is beyond the scope of this note, but the list of his awards and recognition goes on for many pages. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for "his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."
The third and final unit of the SEAWOLF-class nuclear fast attack submarine was christened the JIMMY CARTER by sponsor First Lady Rosalynn Carter in 2004 and subsequently commissioned as USS JIMMY CARTER in 2005. In a fitting tribute to President Carter's unique attributes, the JIMMY CARTER has unique modifications to conduct missions of great importance to U.S. national security.
On 17 February 2023, the former Maury Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy was renamed in honor of President Jimmy Carter. The Hall's new mission is to serve as the academic center for political science, language and humanities majors.
For Passing Notes I normally include a concluding paragraph to put the officer's career in historic context. I believe that would be a bit presumptuous for a President of the United States and his career speaks for itself. Nevertheless, the link below to an article by Steve Schmidt makes for very interesting reading and perspective, perhaps a bit different than "conventional wisdom" in the military.
https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/godspeed-president-carter/comments
I'll leave the last word to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, "What he – with Mrs. Carter always by his side – has accomplished in the four decades since their time in the White House is truly remarkable – his actions around the globe have made an incredible difference – simply put, he has made the world a better place."
Rest in Peace President Carter
Very respectfully,
Sam
Samuel J. Cox (SES)
RADM, USN (Ret)
Director of Naval History
Curator for the Navy
Director Naval History and Heritage Command
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Today's Interesting Fact
As common eating utensils, chopsticks in Asia are about 2,000 years older than the fork in Europe.
By the time most people in Europe started eating with forks, chopsticks had already been around in Asia for millennia. The versatile utensil is believed to have been invented in China roughly 5,000 years ago, although it was initially little more than twigs used for cooking rather than eating (compared to human fingers, chopsticks were a much safer way to grab food from boiling water). None other than Confucius is credited with helping to make chopsticks popular as eating utensils sometime after 400 BCE. A man who espoused nonviolence, the philosopher believed that knives evoked bloodshed and the "honorable and upright man … allows no knives on his table." (Chopsticks, then, were a more peaceful way to pick up food compared to spearing it with a knife.)
Chopsticks gradually made their way beyond China's borders and were the utensil of choice in other Asian countries such as Japan and Vietnam by 500 CE. Forks, meanwhile, slowly gained popularity throughout Europe after initially being used in their two-tined form by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians for cooking. Around the 11th century, they were introduced as eating utensils in Italy and France from the Byzantine Empire — still in two-pronged form — but were widely frowned upon for centuries as unnecessarily luxurious or effeminate. Medieval Europe ate mostly with rounds of stale bread used as a platform for meat and vegetables, as well as knives and spoons, which had been ubiquitous since ancient times. It wasn't until around the 18th century that the use of forks — finally with three and four tines — became commonplace in much of Europe, in a slow process befitting their status as a late-to-the-party addition to the table.
With many years in the far east on cruises I spent a lot of time ashore eating and chop sticks were something I learned to use and still have them and use them for eating certain foods. When you went ashore as a group there were many times that your expertise at chop sticks was challenged and if you lost you could buy for the entire group.. Passing one grain of rice between partners was one of them.
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This Day in United States Military History
December 31
1941 – Admiral Chester W. Nimitz assumes command of U.S. Pacific Fleet.
1941 – America's last automobiles with chrome-plated trim were manufactured on this day. Starting in 1942, chrome plating became illegal. It was part of an effort to conserve resources for the American war effort. The chrome wasn't missed too much. Virtually no automobiles were produced in the U.S. from 1942 through the end of World War II.
1942 – Commissioning of USS Essex (CV-9), first of new class of aircraft carriers, at Norfolk, VA
1942 – After five months of battle, Emperor Hirohito allowed the Japanese commanders at Guadalcanal to retreat.
1943 – Both the US 5th Army and the British 8th Army continue their offensive operation in Italy without significant success.
1944 – Operation Nordwind, the last major German offensive on the Western Front begins. The goal of the offensive was to break through the lines of the U.S. 7th Army and French 1st Army in the Upper Vosges mountains and the Alsatian Plain, and destroy them. This would leave the way open for Operation Dentist (Unternehmen Zahnarzt), a planned major thrust into the rear of the U.S. 3rd Army which would lead to the destruction of that army. Operation Nordwind, although costly for both sides, was ultimately unsuccessful, and the failure of the offensive allowed the U.S. 7th Army to contain the German push towards Strasbourg. Any gains attained by the offensive were negated by the later Operation Undertone.
1944 – On Leyte, various Japanese counterattacks in the northwest are repulsed by American forces. Up to this point, the Japanese have suffered about 70,000 casualties, almost all killed, in the battles on Leyte. American casualties number 15,500 dead and wounded. The US 6th Army is being withdrawn from the island, in preparation for the invasion of Luzon, and the US 8th Army is replacing it.
1944 – The British 30th Corps (part of US 1st Army) captures Rochefort on the western tip of the German-held Ardennes salient.
1945 – The ratification of the UN Charter was completed.
1946 – President Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II.
1968 – The bloodiest year of the war comes to an end. At year's end, 536,040 American servicemen were stationed in Vietnam, an increase of over 50,000 from 1967. Estimates from Headquarters U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam indicated that 181,150 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were killed during the year. However, Allied losses were also up: 27,915 South Vietnamese, 14,584 Americans (a 56 percent increase over 1967), and 979 South Koreans, Australians, New Zealanders, and Thais were reported killed during 1968. Since January 1961, more than 31,000 U.S. servicemen had been killed in Vietnam and over 200,000 U.S. personnel had been wounded. Contributing to the high casualty number was the Tet Offensive launched by the communists. Conducted in the early weeks of the year, it was a crushing military defeat for the communists, but the size and scope of the attacks caught the American and South Vietnamese allies completely by surprise. The early reporting of a smashing communist victory went largely uncorrected in the media and this led to a psychological victory for the communists. The heavy U.S. casualties incurred during the offensive coupled with the disillusionment over the earlier overly optimistic reports of progress in the war accelerated the growing disenchantment with President Johnson's conduct of the war. Johnson, frustrated with his inability to reach a solution in Vietnam, announced on March 31, 1968, that he would neither seek nor accept the Democratic nomination for president. Johnson's announcement did not dampen the wave of antiwar protests that climaxed with the bloody confrontation between protesters and police outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.
1970 – Congress authorized the Eisenhower dollar coin.
1971 – The gradual U.S. withdrawal from the conflict in Southeast Asia is reflected in reduced annual casualty figures. The number of Americans killed in action dropped to 1,386 from the previous year total of 4,204. South Vietnam losses for the year totalled 21,500 men, while the combined Viet Cong and North Vietnamese total was estimated at 97,000 killed in action. After 10 years of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, a total of 45,627 American soldiers had been killed. The U.S. troop levels, which started the year at 280,000, were down to 159,000. This troop reduction was a direct result of the shifting American goal for the Vietnam War-no longer attempting a military victory, the U.S. was trying to gracefully extricate itself from the situation by transferring responsibility for the war to the South Vietnamese.
1972 – With the end of Linebacker II, the most intense U.S. bombing operation of the Vietnam War, U.S. and communist negotiators prepare to return to the secret Paris peace talks scheduled to reconvene on January 2. In a statement issued in Paris, the Hanoi delegation to the public peace talks asserted that the U.S. bombing did not succeed in "subjugating the Vietnamese people," and called attention to the losses of U.S. planes and the unfavorable world reaction to the raids. Despite the public denial that the Linebacker II raids forced them back, the communists returned to the negotiating table. When the negotiators met in January, the talks moved along quickly and on January 23, 1973, the United States, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), and the Viet Cong signed a cease-fire agreement that took effect five days later. In 1972, the American troop level in South Vietnam was reduced from 159,000 to only 24,000. Under the terms of the Paris Peace Accords, all of the personnel would be withdrawn by March 1973.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BOURKE, JOHN G.
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Place and date: At Stone River, Tenn., 31 December 1862-1 January 1863. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Date of issue: 16 November 1887. Citation: Gallantry in action.
FARQUHAR, JOHN M.
Rank and organization: Sergeant Major, 89th Illinois Infantry. Place and date: At Stone River, Tenn., 31 December 1862. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Birth: Scotland. Date of issue: 6 August 1902. Citation: When a break occurred on the extreme right wing of the Army of the Cumberland, this soldier rallied fugitives from other commands, and deployed his own regiment, thereby checking the Confederate advance until a new line was established.
FOLLETT, JOSEPH L.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company G, 1st Missouri Light Artillery. Place and date: At New Madrid, Mo., 3 March 1862; at Stone River, Tenn., 31 December 1862. Entered service at: St. Louis, Mo. Birth: Newark, N.J. Date of issue: 19 September 1890. Citation: At New Madrid, Mo., remained on duty though severely wounded. While procuring ammunition from the supply train at Stone River, Tenn., was captured, but made his escape, secured the ammunition, and in less than an hour from the time of his capture had the batteries supplied.
FREEMAN, HENRY B.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 18th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Stone River, Tenn., 31 December 1862. Entered service at: Mount Vernon, Ohio. Birth: Mount Vernon, Ohio. Date of issue: 17 February 1894. Citation: Voluntarily went to the front and picked up and carried to a place of safety, under a heavy fire from the enemy, an acting field officer who had been wounded, and was about to fall into enemy hands.
PHISTERER, FREDERICK
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 18th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Stone River, Tenn., 31 December 1862. Entered service at: Medina County, Ohio. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 12 December 1894. Citation: Voluntarily conveyed, under a heavy fire, information to the commander of a battalion of regular troops by which the battalion was saved from capture or annihilation.
PRENTICE, JOSEPH R.
Rank and organization: Private, Company E, 19th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Stone River, Tenn., 31 December 1862. Entered service at: ——. Born: 6 December 1838, Lancaster, Ohio. Date of issue: 3 February 1894. Citation: Voluntarily rescued the body of his commanding officer, who had fallen mortally wounded. He brought off the field his mortally wounded leader under direct and constant rifle fire.
VANCE, WILSON
Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 21st Ohio Infantry. Place and date: At Stone River, Tenn., 31 December 1862. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Hancock County, Ohio. Date of issue: 17 September 1897. Citation: Voluntarily and under a heavy fire, while his command was falling back, rescued a wounded and helpless comrade from death or capture.
WAGG, MAURICE
Rank and organization: Coxswain, U.S. Navy. Born: 1837, England. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 45, 31 December 1864. Citation: Served on board the U.S.S. Rhode Island, which was engaged in saving the lives of the officers and crew of the Monitor off Hatteras, 31 December 1862. Participating in the hazardous task of rescuing the officers and crew of the sinking Monitor, Wagg distinguished himself by meritorious conduct during this operation.
WHITEHEAD, JOHN M.
Rank and organization: Chaplain, 15th Indiana Infantry. Place and date: At Stone River, Tenn., 31 December 1862. Entered service at: Westville, Ind. Born: 6 March 1823, Wayne County, Ind. Date of issue: 4 April 1898. Citation: Went to the front during a desperate contest and unaided carried to the rear several wounded and helpless soldiers.
*COOK, DONALD GILBERT
Rank and organization: Colonel, United States Marine Corps, Prisoner of War by the Viet Cong in the Republic of Vietnam. Place and date: Vietnam, 31 December 1964 to 8 December, 1967. Entered Service at: Brooklyn, New York. Date and place of birth: 9 August 1934, Brooklyn New York. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while interned as a Prisoner of War by the Viet Cong in the Republic of Vietnam during the period 31 December 1964 to 8 December 1967. Despite the fact that by so doing he would bring about harsher treatment for himself, Colonel (then Captain) Cook established himself as the senior prisoner, even though in actuality he was not. Repeatedly assuming more than his share of their health, Colonel Cook willingly and unselfishly put the interests of his comrades before that of his own well-being and, eventually, his life. Giving more needy men his medicine and drug allowance while constantly nursing them, he risked infection from contagious diseases while in a rapidly deteriorating state of health. This unselfish and exemplary conduct, coupled with his refusal to stray even the slightest from the Code of Conduct, earned him the deepest respect from not only his fellow prisoners, but his captors as well. Rather than negotiate for his own release or better treatment, he steadfastly frustrated attempts by the Viet Cong to break his indomitable spirit. and passed this same resolve on to the men whose well-being he so closely associated himself. Knowing his refusals would prevent his release prior to the end of the war, and also knowing his chances for prolonged survival would be small in the event of continued refusal, he chose nevertheless to adhere to a Code of Conduct far above that which could be expected. His personal valor and exceptional spirit of loyalty in the face of almost certain death reflected the highest credit upon Colonel Cook, the Marine Corps, and the United States Naval Service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for 31 December, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
31 December
1908: Wilbur Wright flew 77 miles in 2 hours 20 minutes 23 seconds at LeMans, France, to set a record for duration and distance. He also won the Michelin Trophy and $4,000. (9)
1910: Whipple Hall, a promoter from the Curtiss Aircraft Company, came to Hawaii with J. C. "Bud" Mars. Mars then became the first person to fly a fixed-wing aircraft in Hawaii. He took off from Moanalua Gardens in a Curtiss P-18, circled the field four times and landed safely. (http://www.pacificaerospace.org/history.html)
1913: COLLIER TROPHY. Orville Wright demonstrated his automatic stablizer at Dayton. He received the trophy for this event. (24)
1934: Helen Richey, first woman aviator to pilot an airmail transport on regular schedule, flew from Washington DC to Detroit, Mich., in a trimotored Ford 12 passenger transport. Central Airlines, Incorporated, appointed her as copilot. (24)
1938: Boeing's Model 307 Stratoliner, the first passenger aircraft with a pressurized cabin, completed its first flight. (20)
1944: WORLD WAR II. Far East Air Forces launched a total of 163,397 sorties during 1944, of which 145,640 were considered effective. Fighters conducted the most sorties, with 100,998 sorties airborne and 90,240 effective. The command dropped 92,134 tons of bombs, expended 39,481,000 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition, and destroyed 2,518 enemy aircraft. The command suffered a total of 3,732 casualties 1,360 dead, 1,206 wounded, and 1,166 either missing, captured, or interned. Aircraft losses totaled 2,584 aircraft of all types. (17)
1948: Allied aircraft logged the 100,000th flight of the Berlin Airlift. (26)
1951: KOREAN WAR. The 315th Air Division airlifted 85,713 troops, 10,379 tons of cargo, and 6,249 evacuees in 6,032 sorties during the month. Search and rescue units flew 410 sorties on search, orbit, evacuation, and rescue missions. Helicopters flew 175 critically wounded patients and rescued 5 people from behind enemy lines. The 3d Air Rescue Squadron helicopters also flew from enemy territory 37 prisoners of war who had escaped. United Nations reconnaissance aircraft secured intelligence information on enemy ground dispositions, air targets, vehicle movements, airfield status, and weather.
1957: The USAF accepted the first BOMARC area defense missile.
1958: McDonnell Aircraft Company received a contract for the GAM-72A Quail decoy missile. It had a General Electric J-85 engine. (6)
1962: The Navy ended its long history of lighter-than-air flight by disposing of its last airship, spare parts, and equipment. (16) (24)
1963: The Strategic Air Command declared the 374th Strategic Missile Squadron, the last of six Titan II squadrons, operational at Little Rock AFB, Ark., to complete the Titan II deployment program. (6) President Johnson approved the U-2 flights over SEA. The first Strategic Air Command U-2s arrived in the Far East in early February 1964. (1)
1967: The Air Force launched a TIROS satellite from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. This was the 700th major launch from that base since 1959. (16) From Skip My dad got stationed there about this time and I got to watch most of these until I went away to college in the fall of 1961. I watched Thor,Atlas and Titan missiles soar into the air both day and night and also saw some spectacular explosions of those that did not go well.
1969: The 498th Tactical Missile Group inactivated on Okinawa to end the deployment of CGM-13B Mace tactical missiles there. (17)
1971: SOUTHEAST ASIA COMBAT OPERATIONS. Pacific Air Forces tactical forces flew 450,031 combat sorties to drop 642.9 thousand tons of munitions in Southeast Asia in 1971, while losing 87 aircraft (70 to combat). Sorties totaled 87,052 attack sorties and 12,554 B-52 sorties, while KC-135s performed over 62,500 refuelings. Tactical airlift operations within the Republic of Vietnam moved 2,282,883 passengers and 283,556 tons of cargo. (17)
1972: SOUTHEAST ASIA COMBAT OPERATIONS. Pacific Air Forces tactical forces flew 254,895 combat sorties to drop 899.5 thousand tons of munitions in Southeast Asia in 1972, while suffering the loss of 194 aircraft. The sorties included 115,298 attack sorties and 28,383 B-52 Arc Light sorties. KC-135s accomplished 111,770 aerial refuelings. (17)
1981: USAFE's first operational F-16s arrived at Hahn AB for duty with the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing. (16) (26)
1989: Martin Marietta launched its first commercial Tital III booster from Cape Canaveral. The two stage rocket placed Skynet 4A (a British Communications satellite) and JCSAT 2 (a Japanese TV relay satellite) in orbit. (8: Mar 90)
2001: Operation ENDURNG FREEDOM/NOBLE EAGLE SUMMARY. From 11 September through the end of 2001, Air Mobility Command aircraft flew 1,757 airlift missions in support America's war against terrorism outside the US with C-17s and C-5s flying 45 percent and 29 percent of the missions, respectively. Tanker aircraft played a critical role by performing 953 air refueling missions—838 for KC-135s and 115 for KC-10s. For the NOBLE EAGLE homeland defense mission in the continental U. S., Air Mobility Command completed 228 airlift missions with C-130s conducting 53 percent of the flights. (22)
2006: The first group of 10 F-117s officially retired at Holloman AFB, N. Mex., to make way for new incoming F-22A Raptors
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