To All,
Good Saturday morning January 11. The day is clear and beautiful and temps from 43 to 69. No wind and it never got high yesterday. The LA thing is a real tragedy that continues to reveal government at its worst for a long time and now it is catching up with those responsible.
I have some things that I may send out over the weekend for your entertainment and education as I am getting behind in my In box.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
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/
January. 11
1820—The schooner Lynx, commanded by Lt. J. R. Madison, departs St. Mary's, GA, bound for Kingston, Jamaica, to continue its service suppressing pirates. The ship is never heard from again and no trace of it or its 50 man crew is ever found.
1863—Iron side-wheel gunboat Hatteras gets duped by Confederate cruiser Alabama, masquerading as a British warship, and is sunk off the Galveston, TX, coast.
1900—During the Philippine Insurrection, the gunboat Princeton, commanded by H. Knox, takes possession of the Bataan Island group in the Philippines.
1905—The gunboat Petrel (PG 2) becomes the first U.S. Navy ship to enter Pearl Harbor, then Territory of Hawaii, by way of a newly-dredged channel.
1944—Torpedo bombing aircraft from USS Block Island (CVE 21) make first aircraft rocket attack on U-758.
1945 - The first elements of Marine Aircraft Group 24, commanded by Colonel Lyle H. Meyer, landed at Lingayen, Luzon, Philippine Islands, to provide close air support for Army forces. Over the next three months, MAG-24 and MAG-32 would fly a total of 8,842 combat sorties and drop more than 19,000 bombs as part of the Fifth Air Force in support of the Sixth Army.
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This Day in World History
January 11
0049 Julius Caesar leads his army across the Rubicon River, plunging Rome into civil war.
1843 Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star-Spangled Banner," dies in Baltimore.
1861 Alabama secedes from the Union.
1862 Lincoln accepts Simon Cameron's resignation as Secretary of War.
1887 At Fort Smith, Arkansas, hangman George Maledon dispatches four victims in a multiple hanging.
1904 British troops massacre 1,000 dervishes in Somaliland.
1916 Russian General Yudenich launches a WWI winter offensive and advances west.
1923 The French enter the town of Essen in the Ruhr valley, to extract Germany's resources as war payment.
1934 The German police raid the homes of dissident clergy in Berlin.
1940 Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., becomes the U.S. Army's first black general, his son would later become a general as well.
1941 Adolf Hitler orders forces to be prepared to enter North Africa to assist the Italian effort, marking the establishment of the Afrika Korps.
1942 Japan invades the Dutch East Indies at Borneo.
1943 The Soviet Red Army encircles Stalingrad.
1948 President Harry S. Truman proposes free, two-year community colleges for all who want an education.
1949 Negotiations in China between the Nationalists and Communists open as Tientsin is virtually lost to the Communists.
1964 A collection of previously unexhibited paintings by Pablo Picasso are displayed for the first time in Toronto.
1980 Honda announces it will build the first Japanese-owned passenger-car assembly plant in the United States--in Ohio.
1994 The Irish Government announces an end to a 15-year ban on broadcasting by the IRA and its political branch, Sinn Fein.
2003 Illinois Gov. George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on the state's death row in the wake of allegations that Chicago police detective and commander Jon Burge tortured confessions from some 200 suspects over a 19 year period.
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Thanks to the Bear and Dan Heller
The Bombing of North Vietnam(1965-1972). ROLLING THUNDER. COMMANDO HUNT. LINEBACKER. And the relentless search for the hundreds of aviation warriors we left behind in Southeast Asia as "Missing in Action." The priceless documents of TASK FORCE OMEGA, the record of five decades of the search for our missing accumulated by Patti Hopper and the families of those MIA in SEA, have been acquired and added to the RTR archives, thanks to Webmaster and owner of the RTR domain, Dan Heller.
Access: rollingthunderremembered.com
Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
rollingthunderremembered.com .
Skip,
A direct link for Task Force Omega files on Rolling Thunder Remembered is: TASK FORCE OMEGA SUMMARIES. There are about fifty posted thus far with many more on the way.
A link to Task Force Omega files can also be found on the homepage of Rolling Thunder Remembered. Also on the homepage is "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which links to RTR events on the given date the site is visited.
-Dan
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 "Saturday 11 January
January 11: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1549
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
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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Thanks to DR and Rich
Date: Fri, Jan 10, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Subject: Winter Wonderland
Hi to all -
1-10-2025 Winter Wonderland
Snow
All day yesterday we had those loud buzzing 'warnings' on phones, computers, TV, radio, etc. that snow was coming to Atlanta. In days gone by, when we lived up north, this would be no more than a reminder to take a light jacket with you as you went out. But, this is the south, and people here rarely see snow. And, they sure enough cannot drive on it. Of course, since this is a rare event, the city has very little in the way of snow removal equipment, so anything beyond the major highways must wait for spring to clear the accumulation of snow.
So, a couple of inches fell overnight. Everything shut down. No school, no mail delivery, most stores closed, and so on and so forth. Kids got to play in the snow - make snowmen and slide down the hill on anything resembling a sled. I bravely went out to clear my driveway, at least enough that I could get the car out. It did not take long to realize that this is something I should not be doing at my age. Did what I could, and sat down for a long while. No heart attack, yet. But, I did get to do a lot of small indoor chores today that have been put off as other activities took precedence.
Birmingham, AL. 1-10-2025
California
All that was in stark contrast to the terrible fires in California. So far, more than 60 square miles of prime real estate have burned. And, it revealed a lot about what the government of that state has been doing. None of it was good. Of course, everyone is pointing fingers and trying hard to blame someone else, but when the good Lord speaks, that doesn't work. Seems His patience with all those folks has reached a limit, and he allowed them to literally burn down their own house. The worst fire event in US history. Its rivals, perhaps exceeds, the firebombing of Tokyo during WWII, when about 15 square miles of that city was burned to the ground, with a terrible death toll - over 100,000 people killed, more than in either of the A-bomb strikes.
The LA mayor was on a junket (on your dime) to Africa, having fun on your account, and returned to face the cameras. She stood there silent, looking miserable, and refusing to speak. Code Pink tried to blame Israel for the fires (yes, the fires would not have occurred if we had not sent money to Israel according to them). Sorry LA - it is your turn to 'reap the whirlwind - not the fault of Israel, Trump or anyone else but yourself. Decades of neglect of forest management (Europe has vast forest areas, and they clear brush, dead trees, and maintain those forests as they are better stewards of their land than the woke folks of California), refusing to build reservoirs (even though the government authorized and provided money to do so. California has greatly expanded its population without expanding its water storage. In fact, they deliberty dumped water runoff into the ocean rather than using it for farmland or water storage in order to 'save the smelt - a small bait fish). Adding insult to injury, the city cut the budget of the firefighters by more than $17 million, in order to care for the homeless and illegals. And, they sent their 'surplus' fire equipment to Ukraine. Yet the people in charge are among the highest paid civil servants in the nation. But, they whine, 'we have a budget crisis - we need more money!' Of course they do. Under Newsom, the state went from a comfortable surplus to bankrupt in just a few years. But, the politically connected all got filthy rich.
Mayor Bass
Biden got into the act, promising 100% federal coverage for fire costs. Compare that to how he treated the people of North Carolina, East Palestine, and other places. And, he wants to send ANOTHER $500 million to Ukraine. Next week, before he is history himself.
Speaking of history, did you see all these folks at the funeral for former President Jimmy Carter? Wow ! Daggers and misery. All these people who hate each other sitting together trying to look 'presidential'. Especially the women. You could freeze hell over with that atmosphere. Remember, Newsom just spent $25 million trying to 'Trump-proof' California. His future looks a bit dim by the light of all those fires. A lot of Hollywood types had their mansions burned down. Many people are without insurance, as the 'regulations' in California drove insurance companies out of the state. They will not be silent. Some may actually regret supporting all this woke nonsense. Rebuilding will be difficult thanks to all the 'regulations' and permits and so forth. It will not happen soon, or without massive cost. Of course, they will all look to the US Taxpayer to fund it for them.
Already, there is talk of prosecuting officials in California for 'criminal negligence.' Good idea, but it will not happen.
The NFL moved the playoffs out of LA due to the fires. Another chunk of revenue lost to the state. Much more is coming - all those people who were burned out will not be paying taxes any more. And all this comes after years and years of warnings from all sides about their abuse of land management, prioritizing illegals and homeless over citizens, and poor fiscal policy. The locals have no excuse.
Adam Carolla, a comedian and more, told of how he had applied to become a firefighter in LA a while back. He was told that he would have to get on a waiting list for seven years, as he was not black, Hispanic or female. The female fire chief, who is also an outspoken lesbian, broke the mold about how such folks were always prepared and able to handle any emergency.
Biden addressed the situation by talking about himself, as usual. He announced that he was a great grandfather. Nice, but not relevant to the situation on the ground. USA Today has not yet received the memo. The wrote a puff piece praising Biden for his honesty and integrity.
Could we see California declare bankruptcy? You can bet they will hold out their hat for handouts to clean up the mess. Reminds me of Greece. Greece has not just eternal monuments, but an eternal problem with handling money. For every worker in Greece doing an honest day's labor (take the olive industry, for example), there are two people working for the government to 'regulate' that industry. The honest worker will work 45 years or more, with few perks and benefits, for a modest retirement. The government worker will work perhaps 30 years (age 50 or so) and retire with full benefits and a nice pension, paid for by the honest workers. And, they had lots of holidays and other breaks during those working years. One result is that Greece has declared bankruptcy about nine times in my lifetime. This means they can refuse to pay their debts, and start spending once again. They LOVE the EU, as it means they can ask the other nations to pay for them. Half of the EU is there mostly for the money, not to actually contribute anything.
Walmart
Capital One did not buy Walmart. But they did form a partnership with them to provide credit card services. That means they get the money, but not the liability nor the work involved in operating a business.
Mike Waltz
He is the new incoming National Security Advisor. He said that the entire National Security Council will turn in their resignations by 12:01 on January 20, or be fired by 12:02. That flushing sound is the start of the swamp draining.
META
Their plan to stop 'fact-checking' has created chaos both internally and internationally. Foreign governments do not like that META will no longer do their censorship for them, and the liberal employees are going crazy - what to do - what to do?
House
They voted to apply sanctions on the ICC for issuing an arrest warrant on Netanyahu. Again, the liberal nations are in a panic. In our congress, 140 democrats voted against this action.
Argentina
Their leader, Javier Melei, has worked a miracle. From a failing state to one that is prosperous and successful in only months. Inflation is falling fast, business is booming, and people are happy. Crime is down. How did he do this? By reversing the trend of moving power to the government, and returning it to the people. In other words - democracy. The reality of which is most feared by those who would rule over us.
By contrast, nearby Venezuela, where dictator Madero lost the election and refused to step down, is facing another crisis. His days may be numbered as well. The people want the person they chose - Marice Colina Medado in place. With Trump standing in the background, Madero has little support and may read the writing on the wall.
Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream
Okay, they have been on the wrong side of politics for a long time now. They are very upset that Trump won, and are advocating for 'direct action against fascism' - that is a euphemism for violence - to prevent the inauguration on January 20. My guess is that this will not go well. Perhaps people will also stop buying their ice cream - even as good as it is.
Mexico
Their president is also not happy with Trump. Why, Trump will make him take back millions of his own people, and pay for them himself, rather than send them here to bleed our economy. He just suggested that we re-name this place America Mexicana. I doubt that will happen.
Look for a few more exciting events in the next few days. Nothing is out of bounds for the left at this point.
Rich
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A couple from Nice News
Health
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Medi Teddy: Preteen Invented Teddy Bears to Hide IV Medicine Bags
Kristie Kistner Photography
Sixty-three percent of children reported a fear of needles in a 2012 survey — and can we blame them? No one likes getting poked with sharp, pointy objects that draw blood. But while many of us only have to conquer that fear once or twice a year, pediatric IV and enteral feeding patients must encounter needles much more frequently.
Ella Casano knows about that firsthand. At age 7, she was diagnosed with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a rare disorder that can lead to internal bleeding. For seven years after her diagnosis, Casano received IV infusions every six to eight weeks, procedures that inspired her at just 10 years old to invent the Medi Teddy — a teddy bear medicine bag cover intended to comfort children in hospital rooms.
Here's how it works: Doctors and nurses secure a patient's IV bag onto the back of the cheery animal. They can deploy "Hope," a bear made from silicone and plastic (which friends and family can write sweet notes on with washable markers), or "Bailey," a softer version made with low pile plush fabric. Read our interview with Casano, now 18, to learn more.
I have that thing with needles since I had a rabies series when I was in the second grade at Fort Hood Texas and a big dog got in and I was one of five that got bitten. They could not find the dog so we all had to do the Rabies needle. Could not stand to even look at a needle and a year later when I got Polio and spent the summer in the hospital at the same place that pretty much did me in for needles. …..Skip
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The Buzz on MIT's Coffee Class, Where Java Tastings Are on the Syllabus
Jason Sparapani
At what might be the coolest college class ever, students can be found sipping cups of joe and making notes on what distinguishes a bad cup of coffee from a good one. The MIT course — Coffee Matters: Using the Breakerspace to Make the Perfect Cup — dives into the science of the peppy beverage.
It's estimated that 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed around the world every day, so it's no surprise the class, which debuted last spring, is a hit. "It's easy to drop people like us in, who love coffee, and, 'Oh my gosh, there's this class where we can go make coffee half the time and try all different kinds of things?'" senior Gabi McDonald told MIT News.
But the course is about much more than coffee. Jeffrey Grossman, the professor who designed and teaches the class, explained it gets students to brew up questions via hands-on learning. "The world is made of stuff, and these are the tools to understand that stuff and bring it to life," Grossman said. He added the goal is to give students an "exploratory, inspiring nudge" — the caffeine is just an added perk.
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I sure wish that Hoser was still around. He flew for Cal Fire for over 20 years and I will bet that he would have some unvarnished comments on this whole evolution …..skip
Thanks to Hank (old fighter pilot friend ...skip)
From a former California fire pilot now living here in Montana
Fighting Fire In California
Ray DiLorenzo
That's me flying over Mt. Palomar Observatory in San Diego County.
Visibility was at a premium that day, but we saved it.
Since the current news is totally devoted to the fires in California, and justifiably so, I thought I would talk about my experiences as a fire pilot. I flew fire for the state of California for 22 years, and after that, I had a 1-year contract with the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
I flew what is known as Air Attack. An AA is the plane that manages the fire. We plan with the ground incident commander (IC) how we are going to fight the fire, decide the resources we will need, the number of aircraft and ground firefighters, and where the safe zones or escape routes are for ground personnel in case of a blowout. We direct fire engines and crews to the fire, especially in remote areas. We look for lakes or water sources for helicopters to dip in, identify any towers or obstacles that could get in the way of the tankers and helicopters, decide which altimeter setting we will use so everyone is on the same page, notify the IC of any change in fire behavior, look for spot fires which could appear well outside the burn, and, the most nerve-wracking of all, act as air traffic control for all the aircraft that will soon crowd the sky, including media choppers who want to get their pictures in for the 5 o'clock news. All in a relatively small area.
Fires can be caused by arson (85%), lightning strikes, downed power lines, or accidents. A hunter, lost and without a cell signal to make a call, ignited a fire to attract attention. He did get attention. That fire burned tens of thousands of acres. Another man decided to mow his beautiful 20 acres in the heat of the day; he hit a rock that caused a spark. We saved his house, but those 20 acres looked like the moon when the fire got through with it . Two hunters started a fire trying to bird-dog a buck out of the brush. When we arrived, I could see one of the hunters look up at us and say, "Oh s**t!"
Some states, like Florida, have hurricanes. States like Kansas, Oklahoma, or Texas have tornadoes. California has earthquakes, mudslides, and fire—lots of fire. In the 22 years I flew fire, I only remember maybe 3 or 4 years that I would consider light fire years.
Being a one-party state contributes significantly to California's problems. The state effectively suppresses any dissenting views to a mere murmur. Their failure to manage water to capture snow runoff and rain, their failure to remove forest underbrush, and their ban on timber production and control burns all contribute to this. In California, owls and fish have priority. Their powerful environmental lobby, coupled with billions of dollars spent on the homeless, sanctuary illegal immigration, and a $100 billion high-speed rail boondoggle, the greatest infrastructure disaster in US history, has left Californians without adequate police and fire protection, despite paying the highest taxes in the country. Mayor Bass even diverted $20 million from the LAFD to projects like a gay men's chorus. Californians deserve better.
I will say this right off: I believe California has the finest firefighting air program in the world. They have the best equipment, the best aircraft, and some of the finest pilots I have ever flown with. They have the best stick and rudder pilots anywhere.
For air attack, we flew the OV-10 Bronco, the finest aircraft California could have picked for the job. The US Air Force, the Marine Corps, and the US Navy previously used them for observation and close air support. During a static display at an airshow, a former Marine approached me and shared that an OV-10 had saved his life in Vietnam. The Viet Cong held them down, but an OV-10 flew in and blasted the area. California got a hold of about 20 aircraft that were retired from the military. Like the tankers, they were all formerly military aircraft. The state spared no expense in rebuilding the aircraft for fire use. The OV-10 has two tandem seats, with the pilot up front and the air attack officer in the rear, with almost 360-degree visibility. The air attack officer is always either a battalion chief or a fire captain. He serves as the primary liaison between the tankers and the IC and typically possesses extensive training to effectively perform his duties.
I say typically because, like most large organizations, there is always some politics hanging in the air, pun intended. A fire captain or battalion chief sometimes decides he/she wants to be an AA officer because it looks good on his/her resume. Being an air attack instructor, Cal Fire would have me fly candidates before start time to see if they could handle the constant movement, change of direction, and steep turns. Some candidates change their minds. For five years, I was an AA instructor. Occasionally, candidates who shouldn't be in the program are admitted. At times, I've had to fill in the gaps for backseaters who were lagging behind. Some AA officers start slow and become the finest I've ever flown with. They just need a little help now and then. One AA over a large fire in the Lake Tahoe area kept asking me, Raybo, Raybo, what do I do next? I advised him when he needed it, and he did a fantastic job. Not all AA pilots do that, but I made it my business to learn the backseater's job. Being also an air attack instructor, It was easy for me to stabilize the situation.
I was on a 400-acre fire with about five other tankers, three or four contract helicopters, and a new AA officer in my backseat. An hour into the fire, I could tell he was getting in over his head, asking too many questions. At one point, I noticed he wasn't directing tankers anymore...silence. Through the intercom I said to him, "Hey, you ok?" All I heard was, in a soft voice, "I can't do this." I said to him, "Okay, relax, I have it. Do you need to rest, or do you want me to call for a relief air attack? "I can't do it" is all I heard. I called for a relief AA, and knowing that it could take 45 minutes to an hour, I took over, kept the flow going, and kept everything under control until the relief arrived. Some never get it.
Fires in California are divided into state or federal (fed) fires. Fighting a fire on state land is very different than working on fed land.
California Fires
I would say that around 95% of all fires in California are kept to less than 5 acres. We get a call; we are airborne in less than 5 minutes in most bases. We put the fire out and fly home. A California Highway Patrol helicopter will sometimes stumble upon a fire. When we arrive, we thank them and send them on their way. Sometimes they get somewhat possessive of the fire they discovered and refuse to leave. I told one CHP chopper that I couldn't bring in the tankers or the helicopters until he left, or he could take an orbit well above the fire and observe. He left. I understand that. Vegetation fires, or wildland fires, are the closest thing to military aerial combat a civilian pilot will ever get. It's addicting.
Fed Fires
Fires on federal land are different. You deal with either the US Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). For fires on fed land, Cal Fire is only obligated to conduct what we call initial attack. Reach the scene, stabilize the fire, advise the Feds on what they need in the coming days, and leave it to them.
They have a whole different philosophy. They are not fire fighters. They are fire managers. They will admit to that. They get to a fire and think whether should put it out or just let it burn. And there lies a problem: different priorities.
Sometimes problems occur when we have multiple jurisdictions or responsibilities, like we are seeing in Los Angeles. The LAFD may choose to not call Cal Fire, especially significant where time is critical. In Southern California, you have the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), LA County, San Diego County, Riverside, etc. Some fire departments think they can handle anything. The great Oakland Firestorm of 1991 is an example. It was the greatest urban fire at that time for life and property loss. A small fire was 'put out' but left unattended. It rekindled and the rest is history. Cal Fire came in much later when Oakland had to call for help.
One morning, we received an early call to respond to a 75-acre fed fire. We arrived with 3 tankers, established communication, and began dropping retardant on the fire. After several drops, the IC released us back to base. The air attack officer explained to him that we were not quite finished. A few more drops would put it to bed. He disagreed and insisted that we leave. Why? That fire became the Star Fire, which burned thousands of acres and took several weeks to put out.
Another incident I remember well was a 700-acre fire on fed land. The Forest Service people were already on it when we arrived. That means it was getting out of control, and they decided to get help from the state. Cal Fire engines and ground crews arrived a short time after we arrived. We divide fires into flanks, left and right, the head, the base, the shoulders, etc. They are described as slow, moderate, or rapid spread—slope- or wind-driven. I watched as the right flank was being fought by Cal Fire and the left flank by fed crews. The right flank was being put out by what is called a mobile attack. That is, a fire engine(s) drives along the line of fire with a firefighter walking ahead of the engine with a hose blasting the line of fire, putting it out. Sometimes we use a bulldozer that scrapes the ground. Very effective.
The fed left flank looked very busy with people running to and fro with no fire being put out. The next day, the Cal Fire battalion chief on the fire said to me, "Can you believe they had tents set up, a kitchen ready to go, and an IC telling me how we were going to fight the fire in the next few days? I told him we're going to put this fire out this afternoon and go home."
And that is the Fed way. Manage the fire, and when you can't manage it, then get help. The only thing we can figure is that they must get hazard duty pay and overtime, leaving very little desire to put the fire out. Many fires have gotten out of control by milking them.
The fires in Southern California are fierce. The land is dry, sometimes not having rain for 8 months or more. A relative humidity of less than 25% or in the teens is especially dangerous. Deep canyons and multi-million dollar homes pepper the area, which typically experiences strong winds like the infamous Santa Ana winds. Unfortunately, when the winds get to a certain level, usually 30 mph. or so, the air show is over. You can't drop retardant in high wind. It goes everywhere except the intended target, and it is extremely dangerous to the pilots having to control their aircraft at low altitude.
One fire I will never forget was in Southern California. It was a huge Santa Ana wind fire with thousands of homes burned to the ground. While in a group of pilots waiting to check into a hotel in the evening, a woman from an evacuated family approached me to inquire about the status of her house on a specific road. I explained to her with compassion that I had no way of knowing. She thanked me for my service and walked slowly away. That's what it's about—people.
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Thanks to Bruce
See attachment about the USS Shangri La
We could write one about the USS Hancock and the USS Oriskany and have many of the same comments. All were Essex class straight deck carriers built tin WWII and converted to Angle deck carriers under the 27C mod. Skip
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Thanks to Mike
Birthplace Of US Naval Aviation: What To Know About Naval Air Station North Island
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From the Archives
Thanks to YP
Two under Bridge No Chit flying stories, spoken unto a reasonably sober YP with straight face:
1. Golden Gate Bridge flown under by one of the Crusader Hot Dogs. You get to throw a dart.
2. Coronado Bridge fly under. This is a His Bartness story, and we all know he would NEVER lie. Back when FIGHTERTOWN's competing fighters were the Double Barreled Fantoom and the Boom Boom Goes My Burner Crusader, there were no points for second place, which neither community would ever admit knowing anything about. A Fantoom driver, call sign Red Flash (yes, I know) and his scopie were doing mad things out in the Op Area, when Red Flash had had enough of the Crusader boochit, and announced over hot mike that he was gonna fly under the Coronado Bridge. Bad, bad idea, said scopie. Yup, I''m gonna do it! Nay, Nay, plead his scopie.
The next black night out in the OP Area, Red Flash announced, HERE WE GO!
They turned in, snuck down to two feets above the water, squawked nothing, and said nothing. Red Flash found the Coronado Bridge, flew under it very rapidly, and then LIT ONE BURNER, zoomed up onto the night, and disappeared, back to FIGHTERTOWN MUCH LATER.
All Highest Starry persons were very cross about this. Crusader flight schedules were closely scrutenized, and Crusader skippers and pilots were tortured some.
The perp was never found, and Fantoomery smiled secret smiles and snockered.
TINS.
YP
On Jan 10, 2022, at 2:01 PM, Barrett Tillman <btillman63@hotmail.com> wrote:
Gotta wonder what the chaps at The Club did. Prob'ly gave Pollock a grand send-off with hoofprints on the ceiling and smashed furnitutre.
"The Brits were the best partiers." --Robin Olds
Hmmm...upon checking:
Hawker Hunter Tower Bridge incident - Wikipedia
The Hawker Hunter Tower Bridge incident occurred on 5 April 1968, when Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hunter pilot Alan Pollock performed unauthorised low flying over several London landmarks and then flew through the span of Tower Bridge on the River Thames.His actions were to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the RAF and as a demonstration against the Ministry of Defence
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Pollock's unit was posted to North Africa without him while he remained on a charge.[3] He was subsequently invalided out of the RAF on medical grounds.[3] This avoided a court martial and the embarrassment to the government of Pollock publicising the reason for his stunt and perhaps receiving the support of the public.[3]
The RAF placed Pollock in a "psychiatric hold" for two days. Demonstrations of support for his conduct was expressed by British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), which sent him a keg of beer, and six members of the House of Commons spoke on Pollock's behalf in Parliament. In 1982, the RAF officially exonerated Pollock for his demonstration flight celebrating its 50th anniversary.[5]
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This Day in U S Military History
January 11
1775 – Francis Salvador, the first Jew to be elected in the Americas, takes his seat on the South Carolina Provincial Congress. In June 1776, Salvador, a Patriot, became known as the "Southern Paul Revere" when he warned Charleston, South Carolina, of the approaching British naval fleet. Thanks to Salvador's intelligence information, Fort Sullivan in Charleston harbor was able to prepare for the British attack, and the half-completed fort successfully repelled an attack by a British fleet under Sir Peter Parker. On August 1 of the same year, while leading a militia group under the general command of Major Wilkinson, Salvador and his men were ambushed by a group of Cherokees and Loyalists near present-day Seneca, South Carolina. Salvador was wounded and then scalped by the Cherokees. He was the first recorded Jewish soldier killed in the American War for Independence.
1944 – Aircraft from Escort Carrier USS Block Island make first aircraft rocket attack on German submarine. Departing San Diego in May 1943 Block Island steamed to Norfolk, Va., to join the Atlantic Fleet. After two trips from New York to Belfast, Ireland, during the summer of 1943 with cargoes of Army fighters, she operated as part of a hunter-killer team. During her four anti-submarine cruises Block Island's planes sank two submarines. At 2013, 29 May 1944, Block Island was torpedoed by U-549 which had slipped undetected through her screen. The German submarine put one and perhaps two more torpedoes into the stricken carrier before being sunk herself by the avenging Eugene E. Gilmore (DE-686) and Ahrens (DE-575). Block Island (CVE-21) received two battle stars for her service.
1944 – Franz Kettner, a private in the German army and a prisoner of war at Camp Hearne in Texas, is killed by a Nazi kangaroo court. Internment camps for German prisoners of war were dominated by Nazi enforcers, who killed as many as 150 of their fellow prisoners during World War II. Only seven were officially considered murder. Kettner's wrists were slashed so that his death would be recorded as a suicide. Even the smallest infraction could put German prisoners at risk. Those who talked to guards, spoke English, or refused to parrot the Nazi line were often beaten or killed. American camp officials generally looked the other way because they appreciated the discipline and order that the Nazis provided in the camps. Prisoners who were not ethnically German and had been conscripted into service were particularly in danger from their fellow prisoners. In the later part of 1943, a rash of murders were committed at camps all across America. When Corporal Johann Kunze was beaten to death in an Oklahoma camp for allegedly providing Americans with information, five Nazi sergeants were charged with his murder. They were hanged in 1945 and became the first foreign prisoners of war to meet that fate in the United States. Hans Geller, a prisoner in Arkansas, was killed by his fellow soldiers despite a stellar war record as a paratrooper for the German army. His only mistake was his fluency in English. Eventually, American officials began separating the Nazis from the anti-Nazi Germans, and three camps were set aside for those who opposed Hitler. Despite Nazi threats that those who opposed them would be in bad shape when the war was over, anti-Nazi prisoners were often put in positions of power by Americans when they were repatriated. The Nazis, on the other hand, were widely scorned after Hitler's defeat.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
MAUS, MARION P.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 1st U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Sierra Madre Mountains, Mex., 11 January 1886. Entered service at: Tennallytown, Montgomery County, Md. Birth: Burnt Mills, Md. Date of issue: 27 November 1894. Citation: Most distinguished gallantry in action with hostile Apaches led by Geronimo and Natchez.
WEISBOGEL, ALBERT
Rank and organization: Captain of the Mizzen Top, U.S. Navy. Born: 1844, New Orleans, La. Accredited to: Louisiana. G.O. No.: 207, 23 March 1876; 212, 9 June 1876. Second award. Citation: For gallant conduct in jumping overboard from the U.S.S. Benicia, at sea, and rescuing from drowning one of the crew of that vessel on 11 January 1874
*GAMMON, ARCHER T.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 9th Armored Infantry Battalion, 6th Armored Division. Place and date: Near Bastogne, Belgium, 11 January 1945. Entered service at: Roanoke, Va. Born: 11 September 1918, Chatham, Va. G.O. No.: 18, 13 February 1946. Citation: He charged 30 yards through hip-deep snow to knock out a machinegun and its 3-man crew with grenades, saving his platoon from being decimated and allowing it to continue its advance from an open field into some nearby woods. The platoon's advance through the woods had only begun when a machinegun supported by riflemen opened fire and a Tiger Royal tank sent 88mm. shells screaming at the unit from the left flank. S/Sgt. Gammon, disregarding all thoughts of personal safety, rushed forward, then cut to the left, crossing the width of the platoon's skirmish line in an attempt to get within grenade range of the tank and its protecting foot troops. Intense fire was concentrated on him by riflemen and the machinegun emplaced near the tank. He charged the automatic weapon, wiped out its crew of 4 with grenades, and, with supreme daring, advanced to within 25 yards of the armored vehicle, killing 2 hostile infantrymen with rifle fire as he moved forward. The tank had started to withdraw, backing a short distance, then firing, backing some more, and then stopping to blast out another round, when the man whose single-handed relentless attack had put the ponderous machine on the defensive was struck and instantly killed by a direct hit from the Tiger Royal's heavy gun. By his intrepidity and extreme devotion to the task of driving the enemy back no matter what the odds, S/Sgt. Gammon cleared the woods of German forces, for the tank continued to withdraw, leaving open the path for the gallant squad leader's platoon.
HOWARD, JAMES H. (Air Mission)
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Over Oschersleben, Germany, 11 January 1944. Entered service at: St. Louis, Mo. Birth: Canton, China. G.O. No.: 45, 5 June 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Oschersleben, Germany, on 11 January 1944. On that day Col. Howard was the leader of a group of P51 aircraft providing support for a heavy bomber formation on a long-range mission deep in enemy territory. As Col. Howard's group met the bombers in the target area the bomber force was attacked by numerous enemy fighters. Col. Howard, with his group, and at once engaged the enemy and himself destroyed a German ME. 110. As a result of this attack Col. Howard lost contact with his group, and at once returned to the level of the bomber formation. He then saw that the bombers were being heavily attacked by enemy airplanes and that no other friendly fighters were at hand. While Col. Howard could have waited to attempt to assemble his group before engaging the enemy, he chose instead to attack single-handed a formation of more than 30 German airplanes. With utter disregard for his own safety he immediately pressed home determined attacks for some 30 minutes, during which time he destroyed 3 enemy airplanes and probably destroyed and damaged others. Toward the end of this engagement 3 of his guns went out of action and his fuel supply was becoming dangerously low. Despite these handicaps and the almost insuperable odds against him, Col. Howard continued his aggressive action in an attempt to protect the bombers from the numerous fighters. His skill, courage, and intrepidity on this occasion set an example of heroism which will be an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces.
SHOMO, WILLIAM A. (Air Mission)
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps, 82d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. Place and date: Over Luzon, Philippine Islands, 11 January 1 945. Entered service at: Westmoreland County, Pa. Birth: Jeannette, Pa. G.O. No.: 25, 7 April 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Maj. Shomo was lead pilot of a flight of 2 fighter planes charged with an armed photographic and strafing mission against the Aparri and Laoag airdromes. While en route to the objective, he observed an enemy twin engine bomber, protected by 12 fighters, flying about 2,500 feet above him and in the opposite direction Although the odds were 13 to 2, Maj. Shomo immediately ordered an attack. Accompanied by his wingman he closed on the enemy formation in a climbing turn and scored hits on the leading plane of the third element, which exploded in midair. Maj. Shomo then attacked the second element from the left side of the formation and shot another fighter down in flames. When the enemy formed for Counterattack, Maj. Shomo moved to the other side of the formation and hit a third fighter which exploded and fell. Diving below the bomber he put a burst into its underside and it crashed and burned. Pulling up from this pass he encountered a fifth plane firing head on and destroyed it. He next dived upon the first element and shot down the lead plane; then diving to 300 feet in pursuit of another fighter he caught it with his initial burst and it crashed in flames. During this action his wingman had shot down 3 planes, while the 3 remaining enemy fighters had fled into a cloudbank and escaped. Maj. Shomo's extraordinary gallantry and intrepidity in attacking such a far superior force and destroying 7 enemy aircraft in one action is unparalleled in the southwest Pacific area.
FRITZ, HAROLD A.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Place and date: Binh Long Province, Republic of Vietnam, 11 January 1969. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 21 February 1944, Chicago, 111. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. (then 1st Lt.) Fritz, Armor, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader with Troop A, near Quan Loi. Capt. Fritz was leading his 7-vehicle armored column along Highway 13 to meet and escort a truck convoy when the column suddenly came under intense crossfire from a reinforced enemy company deployed in ambush positions. In the initial attack, Capt. Fritz' vehicle was hit and he was seriously wounded. Realizing that his platoon was completely surrounded, vastly outnumbered, and in danger of being overrun, Capt. Fritz leaped to the top of his burning vehicle and directed the positioning of his remaining vehicles and men. With complete disregard for his wounds and safety, he ran from vehicle to vehicle in complete view of the enemy gunners in order to reposition his men, to improve the defenses, to assist the wounded, to distribute ammunition, to direct fire, and to provide encouragement to his men. When a strong enemy force assaulted the position and attempted to overrun the platoon, Capt. Fritz manned a machine gun and through his exemplary action inspired his men to deliver intense and deadly fire which broke the assault and routed the attackers. Moments later a second enemy force advanced to within 2 meters of the position and threatened to overwhelm the defenders. Capt. Fritz, armed only with a pistol and bayonet, led a small group of his men in a fierce and daring charge which routed the attackers and inflicted heavy casualties. When a relief force arrived, Capt. Fritz saw that it was not deploying effectively against the enemy positions, and he moved through the heavy enemy fire to direct its deployment against the hostile positions. This deployment forced the enemy to abandon the ambush site and withdraw. Despite his wounds, Capt. Fritz returned to his position, assisted his men, and refused medical attention until all of his wounded comrades had been treated and evacuated. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Capt. Fritz, at the repeated risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect the greatest credit upon himself, his unit, and the Armed Forces.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for January 11, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
11 January
1932: Regular air cargo transport service began for the Army Air Corps with assignment of cargo planes to geographical air depots at Sacramento, Calif., San Antonio, Tex., Fairfield, Ohio, and Middletown, Pa. The squadrons flew Bellanca Y1C-14s along with other aircraft. Major Hugh J. Knerr, Chief of the Materiel Division's Field Service Section proposed this basic transport system. Previously, Martin bombers, De Havilland DH-4s, and other aircraft moved equipment and passengers on an "as needed" basis. (18)
1935: In a Lockheed Vega, with a Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo from Honolulu to Oakland, Calif. Her 18-hour, 16-minute trip established a Federation Aeronautique Internationale record. (9) (24)
1937: First experimental YB-17 Flying Fortress delivered to the Army Air Corps. (12)
1941: The Army Air Corps tested radio-controlled robot planes from the ground and from another plane. (24)
1944: MEDAL OF HONOR. 1944: In a bombing mission to Oschersleben, Germany, Lt Col James H. Howard was leading a P-51 fighter escort group, when numerous German fighters attacked. Not waiting for his group to reassemble, Howard attacked 30 enemy planes, destroying three and damaging several others. Even when three guns stopped working and his fuel tanks neared empty, Howard continued to protect the bombers. For more than a half-hour, Howard defended the heavy bombers of the 401st Bomb Group against the swarm of Luftwaffe fighters, repeatedly attacking the enemy and shooting down as many as six. Even after three of his four guns were out of action, he continued to dive on enemy airplanes. For his actions that day, he received the Medal of Honor.
Howard was an ace in two operational theaters during World War II, with six kills over Asia with the Flying Tigers of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) in the Pacific, and six kills over Europe with the United States Army Air Forces.
1944 A Navy TBF-1C Avenger used forward-firing rockets for the first time against a German submarine. (20)
1950: Lockheed delivered the first two-seat F-94A Starfire all-weather jet fighter to the USAF. (5)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Improved weather allowed Fifth Air Force and Far East Air Forces Bomber Command to again fly close air support missions for X Corps in north central South Korea. (28)
1954: The USAF approved the building of five Texas towers for the nation's air defense system. (24)
1961: Pacific Air Forces provided a camera-equipped SC-47 and crew to the Attache's office in Vientiane, Laos. The crew flew 38 reconnaissance missions over Laos until the aircraft was shot down over the Plain of Jars on 24 March. (17)
1962: Maj Clyde P. Evely flew a B-52H from Okinawa, Japan, to Madrid, Spain, and set 12 Federation Aeronautique Internationale flight records, including a nonstop, nonrefueled flight of 12,532 miles in 21 hours 52 minutes. His speed records included: Tokyo, Japan, to Madrid, Spain, at 328.78 miles per hour; Seattle, Wash., to Madrid at 456.97 miles per hour; and Fort Worth, Tex., to Washington DC at 604.44 miles per hour. (1) (9)
1967: SCRAMJET. A supersonic combustion ramjet made a first, partly successful flight, when it separated from a Scout booster, but failed to perform some secondary missions. (5)
1975: After communist forces besieged Phnom Penh, Cambodia, USAF planes began airlifting military equipment and supplies to the city. (16) (26)
1981: Boeing Company delivered the first two Air Launched Cruis Missiles to the 416th Bombardment Wing at Griffiss AFB, N.Y., for initial use in environmental testing and maintenance training. (1) (6) (16)
2002: The United States Transportation Command,the Air Mobility Command, and its Air Reserve Component and began an 11-day exercise to test a commercial jet transport in the military aeromedical evacuation mission. A US Airways Boeing 767 with seats and other internal fixtures removed was converted into a flying ambulance fitted with oxygen tanks, an independent electrical supply, and 87 litters. The aeromedical crew practiced scenarios involving aircraft depressurization, ditching in water, and caring for a various simulated injuries. Leaving Scott AFB, Ill., the converted 767 stopped at McChord AFB, Wash., Charleston AFB, S. C., Travis AFB, Calif., Andrews AFB, Md., and Kelly AFB, Tex. The flying time between the five bases was long enough to simulate missions from overseas to the continental US. (22)
2007: The RC-135 Rivet Joint claimed a record after being continuously deployed for 6,000 days. Airmen in the 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, the 55th Operations Group, and the 55th Aircraft Maintenance Unit from Offutt AFB, Neb., maintained the RC-135 in Southwest Asia since 9 August 1990. (AFNEWS, "Reconnaissance Aircraft, Team reach Milestone," 11 Jan 2007.)
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