To All,
Good Monday morning February 3. Nice weekend here and today is supposed to cloud up a bit later. I hope that you all have a great week as we roll into the second month of 2025. Looking forward to the bubba Breakfast on Friday.
Warm Regards,
Skip
Make it a GREAT Day
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Go here to see the director's corner for all 86 H-Grams
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
February 3
1863 The "double-ender" side wheel steam gunboat USS Sonoma captures the blockade running British bark Springbok during the Civil War.
1917 President Woodrow Wilson, in an address to Congress, severs diplomatic relations with Germany after the country decides on the first of the month to reintroduce the policy of unrestricted U-boat warfare.
1944 PBY Catalinas and USAAF B-25s 5th Air Force aircraft attack a Japanese convoy west of New Hanover and sink a cargo ship, Nichiai Maru.
1944 USS Tambor (SS 198) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks Goyu Maru and merchant tanker Ariake Maru about 200 miles southeast of Shanghai.
2017 USS Enterprise hangar bay, Feb. 3. The ceremony marks the end the ship's nearly 55-year career, and is the first decommissioning of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This day in World History
3 February
1160 Emperor Frederick Barbarossa hurtles prisoners, including children, at the Italian city of Crema, forcing its surrender.
1238 The Mongols take over Vladimir, Russia.
1690 The first paper money in America is issued in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1783 Spain recognizes United States' independence.
1904 Colombian troops clash with U.S. Marines in Panama.
1908 The U.S. Supreme Court rules that union-sponsored boycotts are illegal, and applies the Sherman Antitrust Act to labor as well as capital.
1912 New U.S. football rules are set: field shortened to 100 yds.; touchdown counts six points instead of five; four downs are allowed instead of three; and the kickoff is moved from midfield to the 40 yd. line.
1917 A German submarine sinks the U.S. liner Housatonic off coast of Sicily. The United States severs diplomatic relations with Germany.
1920 The Allies demand that 890 German military leaders stand trial for war crimes.
1927 President Calvin Coolidge signs a bill creating the Federal Radio Commission to regulate the airwaves.
1943 Finland begins talks with the Soviet Union.
1944 The United States shells the Japanese homeland for the first time at Kurile Islands.
1945 The Allies drop 3,000 tons of bombs on Berlin.
1945 The month-long Battle of Manila begins.
1954 Millions greet Queen Elizabeth in Sydney on her first royal trip to Australia.
1962 President John F. Kennedy bans all trade with Cuba.
1966 Soviet Luna 9 achieves soft landing on the moon.
1971 OPEC decides to set oil prices without consulting buyers.
1984 The Environmental Protection Agency orders a ban on the pesticide EDB for grain products.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to the Bear and Dan Heller
Rollingthunderremembered.com .
Hello All,
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.
An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).
If you have any questions or comments about RTR/TFO, or have a question on my book, you may e-mail me directly at acrossthewing@protonmail.com. Thank you 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 "Sunday and Monday 2 and 3 February
February 2: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=3
February 3: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=438
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Super Bowl LIX
Let's remember the real heroes of the Super Bowl are the guys who deliver the pizzas.
A kid in 6th grade learning Roman numerals asked his teacher, "When are we going to use any of this in real life?"
Sadly the teacher responds, "Only once a year at Super Bowl time."
How people watch the Super Bowl…
• 60% eating snacks
• 30% just here for the commercials
• 6% looking for Taylor Swift
• 2% trying to figure out what number LIX is
• 2% pretending to be interested in the game
Five Reasons You Could Be a Super Bowl Ref
• You decide which outfit to wear each day with a coin toss.
• When calling your family to dinner, you issue a two-minute warning.
• The checkout clerk overcharged you and you yelled, "Penalty!"
• You're a pro at calling time-outs—just ask your kids.
• Vertical black and white stripes are super slimming.
From a dog's point of view, football is really just one long game of fetch.
53 millionaires walk into a bar to watch the Super Bowl, and the Bartender says, "Woah! It's the Dallas Cowboys! What can I get you guys?"
Why will all of the referees check their voicemail immediately after the Super Bowl?
So they can hear someone say, "No missed calls."
Here are some ways to liven up the Super Bowl:
• Less is more--topless cheerleaders and bottomless punters.
• Halftime entertainment? Televised invasion of Iran.
• Replace the football with a monkey on crack.
• When refs blows a call, they do a shot of tequila.
• End-zone/touchdown dances must interpret one of the four seasons.
• Invite Stevie Wonder to be a guest referee.
• Randomly set off fireworks right behind a coach to see how his quadruple bypass holds up.
It was a particularly tough football game, and nerves were on edge. The Eagles had been the victim of three or four close calls and they were now trailing the Chiefs by a touchdown and a field goal. When the official called yet another close one in the Chiefs' favor, the Eagles' quarterback blew his top.
"How many times can you do this to us in a single game?" he screamed. "You were wrong on the out-of-bounds, you were wrong on that last first down and you missed an illegal tackle in the first quarter."
The official just stared.
The quarterback seethed, but he suppressed the language that might get him tossed from the game. "What it comes down to," he bellowed, "is that you stink!"
The official stared a few more seconds. Then he bent down, picked up the ball, paced off 15 yards, and put the ball down. He turned to face the steaming quarterback. The official finally replied, "And how do I smell from here?"
Patrick Mahomes, after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Chiefs flag in the window. "This house is yours for eternity, Patrick," said God. "This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here."
Patrick felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house. On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the corner. It was a three-story mansion with a blue and yellow sidewalk with lightning bolts, a 50-foot tall flagpole with an enormous Chargers logo flag, and in every window, a Chargers emblem. Patrick looked at God and said "God, I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was an all-pro quarterback, I won Super Bowls, and I even went to the Hall of Fame."
God said "So what's your point Patrick?"
"Well, why does Justin Herbert get a better house than me?"
God chuckled, and said "Patick, that's not Justin's house, it's mine."
Wishing the best for your team, while all I hope is that there are plenty of wings,
Al
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
5 Magical Facts About the History of Disney
S ince its humble start in the early 1920s, Walt Disney's namesake company has evolved into a global powerhouse that has shaped the world of animation, film, television, and theme parks throughout the past century.
Mickey Mouse's First Words Were "Hot Dog"
In 1929, one year and eight films after Mickey Mouse made his on-screen debut, the character entered the world of "talkies" — the name given to early films with spoken dialogue. In the 1929 cartoon short film The Karnival Kid, directed by Walt Disney and Iwerks, Mickey works as a hot dog vendor at a carnival, where he meets Minnie Mouse. As Mickey struggles to announce his cart's offerings to the bustling crowd, his voice finally breaks through as he exclaims, "Hot dog! Hot dog!"In previous films, Mickey had only made sounds such as whistling or laughing, which were voiced by Walt himself. But in The Karnival Kid, those first spoken words belonged to Carl Stalling, the Walt Disney Company's first music director (he later went on to compose scores for Looney Tunes). Minnie Mouse, who captivated Mickey's attention as a "shimmy dancer" in the film, was voiced by Walt; he also later took back sole voicing duties for Mickey until 1946.
Before Mickey Mouse, There Was Oswald the Rabbit
Walt Disney's entertainment empire is known as the "House of Mouse" thanks to Mickey, but at one point Disney's most famous critter was a rabbit. In the mid-1920s, Walt, together with his trusted collaborator, animator Ub Iwerks, produced the Alice Comedies, a combination live-action and animation series. In 1927, after five years on the series, Walt made a deal with Universal Studios to create an all-new, fully animated series. Universal chose the name Oswald for the main character out of a hat, and decided it should be a rabbit since there were already too many feline stars on the scene, including the famous Felix the Cat and even Julius the Cat, from Walt's own Alice Comedies.Universal rejected Walt and Iwerks' initial Oswald design because the character looked too old and tired. The two animators revised Oswald to be more affable and dynamic, laying the groundwork for a character that bore a striking resemblance to the figure we now know as Mickey Mouse. The new-and-approved Oswald the Lucky Rabbit debuted on September 5, 1927, in a short called Trolley Troubles, and audiences and critics took to the rabbit right away. The film's success prompted Walt and Iwerks to produce more Oswald films, but the partnership with Universal — and with Oswald — was short-lived. Disputes with studio exec Charles Mintz led to Walt's departure from the studio in 1928, and his newest character was left behind. Shortly after, however, the newly named Walt Disney Company began working on something else. Iwerks put the first Mickey Mouse sketches to paper at around the same time films started synchronizing voices and music. The Disney team debuted Mickey in a film called Steamboat Willie in November 1928, and over the next year, Mickey Mouse became a household name.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Was Disney's First Feature-Length Animated Film
Throughout the 1930s, Mickey Mouse and a growing cast of characters were both popular and lucrative for the Disney company, but in 1937, Walt debuted his most impressive creative and financial achievement yet. On December 21 — after three years of production, discouragement from critics (as well as Walt's wife, Lillian), and Walt's choice to mortgage his home to help pay for it — Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered to a rapt Hollywood crowd. After its U.S.-wide release on February 4, 1938, it went on to change Walt's company, and Hollywood, forever.Based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, Snow White featured innovative techniques such as Walt's proprietary multiplane camera and the use of Technicolor. It also broke new ground in the way of musical comedy, memorable characters, and emotional storytelling that defined many of the studio's classics for decades to come. The film quickly grossed $8 million (equal to almost $165 million today) — more than any film before it. In 1939, the film was honored with a special Academy Award for being "a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field for the motion picture cartoon"; the award featured a full-size Oscar statue and seven "dwarf" statuettes. Walt used the profit from what had been known as "Disney's Folly" to build Disney's new studio in Burbank, California, where the company still operates.
EPCOT Was Originally Supposed to Be a Futuristic City
EPCOT, which stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, was originally conceived by Walt Disney not as a theme park, but as a utopian city where people would live and work, that would showcase the latest innovations in technology, urban planning, and social organization. Walt first announced his intention to build EPCOT in October 1966, but after his death just two months later, on December 15, his plans were significantly scaled down before more or less being scrapped altogether. EPCOT opened in 1982 as the second of four theme parks in the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and it does retain some elements of Disney's futuristic vision, such as the iconic Spaceship Earth attraction, depicting the history of human communication, and the monorail that transports guests around the park. Walt's dream city may not have materialized, but the concept is still referenced by modern smart city proponents, and EPCOT remains a place that inspires curiosity.
Walt Disney Had His Own Apartment at Disneyland
In 1954, even though he was busy helming his latest animation project, Lady and the Tramp, Walt Disney was known to frequently make the 37-mile drive from Disney's Burbank studio to Anaheim, California, where Disneyland was being built. He spent a considerable amount of time on site, working, overseeing the park's construction, and trying to get rest when he could, and so he had his own apartment built at the park.Located on top of the firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A., and overlooking Disneyland's town square, the apartment was also the perfect place for Walt to delight in watching the park's guests enjoy his vision after it opened in July 1955. Emile Kuri, an Academy Award-winning set designer for his work on Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, was hired to design and furnish Walt's home away from home. Its Victorian-era decor captured the nostalgic charm of Main Street, and after Walt's death in 1966, the apartment was preserved as a tribute to the park's founder. To this day, a lamp remains lit in the apartment's window at all times in his honor.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
From the archives
Thanks to Mike
The "M" word
Jeff Foxworthy writes.......
Have you ever wondered why it's OK to make jokes about Catholics, Jews, Christians, the Pope, the Irish, the Italians, the Polish, the Hungarians, the Chinese, the French (including French Canadians), the elderly, bad golfers, men/women, blacks/whites, red necks, etc, but its insensitive to make jokes about the Muslims?
Well, it's time to level the playing field and be politically incorrect, by including our friends, the Muslims, on this grandiose list.
So Jeff Foxworthy did his part to include the Muslims on his list ...
1. If you grow and refine heroin for a living, but morally object to the use of liquor, You may be a Muslim.
2. If you own a $3,000 machine gun and a $5,000 rocket launcher, but can't afford shoes, You may be a Muslim.
3. If you have more wives than teeth, You may be a Muslim.
4. If you wipe your butt with your bare hand, but consider bacon to be unclean, You may be a Muslim.
5. If you think vests come in two styles, Bullet-proof and suicide, You may be a Muslim.
6. If you can't think of anyone that you haven't declared jihad against, You may be a Muslim
7. If you consider television dangerous, but routinely carry explosives in your clothing, You may be a Muslim.
8. If you were amazed to discover that cell phones have uses, other than setting off roadside bombs, You may be a Muslim.
9. If you have nothing against women and think every man should own at least four, then you, too, may be a Muslim.
10. If you find this offensive and do not forward it, you are part of the problem here in America
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
History Facts
From the Archives
1959
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper" die in a plane crash
Rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City on a flight headed for Moorhead, Minnesota. Investigators blamed the crash on bad weather and pilot error. Holly and his band, the Crickets, had just scored a No. 1 hit with "That'll Be the Day."
The 1950s
After mechanical difficulties with the tour bus, Holly had chartered a plane for his band to fly between stops on the Winter Dance Party Tour. However, Richardson, who had the flu, convinced Holly's band member Waylon Jennings to give up his seat, and Ritchie Valens won a coin toss for another seat on the plane.
Holly, born Charles Holley in Lubbock, Texas, and just 22 when he died, began singing country music with high school friends before switching to rock and roll after opening for various performers, including Elvis Presley. By the mid-1950s, Holly and his band had a regular radio show and toured internationally, playing hits like "Peggy Sue," "Oh, Boy!," "Maybe Baby" and "Early in the Morning." Holly wrote all his own songs, many of which were released after his death and influenced such artists as Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney.
Another crash victim, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, 28, started out as a disk jockey in Texas and later began writing songs. Richardson's most famous recording was the rockabilly "Chantilly Lace," which made the Top 10. He developed a stage show based on his radio persona, "The Big Bopper."
The third crash victim was Ritchie Valens, born Richard Valenzuela in a suburb of Los Angeles, who was only 17 when the plane went down but had already scored hits with "Come On, Let's Go," "Donna" and "La Bamba," an upbeat number based on a traditional Mexican wedding song (though Valens barely spoke Spanish). In 1987, Valens' life was portrayed in the movie La Bamba, and the title song, performed by Los Lobos, became a No. 1 hit. Valens was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
Singer Don McLean memorialized Holly, Valens and Richardson in the 1972 No. 1 hit "American Pie," which refers to February 3, 1959 as "the day the music died."
Great song and one of the longest that played on the radio 5 minutes. I remember driving up to Monterrey for safety school and it was on about every hour or less. I think I had it memorized by the time I got there…..skip
Do yourself a favor and watch this. Well done and with some added "explanations"
Great memories !
Follow the lyrics closely together with the photos. They synchronize beautifully to explain each verse. Although Don McClean only released the song in 1971, for those of us who grew up in the 50's and 60's this is a great piece with some very poignant moments in the history of those times. And for those of you who did not, it's a taste of what you missed.
"American Pie" was the name of the plane in which Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper were killed when it crashed in 1958 – and I knew the chorus about music dying on that day. Having listened to American Pie for many years. thinking I understood what was being sung....now realize that I only got very little of it. However ,when the words are put together with pictures and film clips the song takes on a new meaning. It took a lot of thought to produce this and it brings back lots of memories and makes the lyrics really come alive!
Those were the days and we were very fortunate to grow up during that period. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhX3b1h7GQw&feature=youtube
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Common Sense Returns to DoD
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Identity Months Dead at DoD
Jan. 31, 2025
Guidance from the Secretary of Defense: "Identity Months Dead at DoD"
Our unity and purpose are instrumental to meeting the Department's warfighting mission. Efforts to divide the force – to put one group ahead of another – erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution.
Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month. Service members and civilians remain permitted to attend these events in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours.
Installations, units, and offices are encouraged to celebrate the valor and success of military heroes of all races, genders, and backgrounds as we restore our warrior culture and ethos. We are proud of our warriors and their history, but we will focus on the character of their service instead of their immutable characteristics.
This guidance is effectively immediately.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
https://geopoliticalfutures.com
Daily Memo: A General Overview of the Chinese Military
For now, the risk of armed conflict with the U.S. is low.
By Victoria Herczegh and Andrew Davidson
Feb 3, 2025
The modernization of China's military over the past few years has raised justifiable questions over whether Beijing can someday challenge the U.S.-led international order. But the answer to that question depends on what China intends to do – and is capable of doing – with its growing military capabilities.
China boasts the world's largest standing military with more than 2 million active-duty soldiers and another 500,000 reserves. It is rapidly expanding its navy, which it intends to use in places like the South China Sea to secure maritime trade routes. The construction of a fourth aircraft carrier (and plans for a fifth) enhances this naval presence. Even so, its military as constituted today doesn't pose much of an offensive threat in the region, let alone the world. The military should be seen primarily as a deterrent against threats that can, in time, project power regionally. China is currently more concerned about internal issues and national defense. Border security is vital in this regard – in the south for political stability and in the west for economic security.
The structure of the military reflects as much. It has divided its ground forces into regional commands to decentralize command structure and to execute specific tasks. Every military theater command is orientated toward a different area: Eastern (East China Sea, Japan, Taiwan), Southern (South Central China, Vietnam), Northern (Mongolia, Russia, Korean Peninsula), Central (Beijing, military reserve) and Western. The largest is the Western Theater Command, which is aimed at India, Central Asia and the western provinces of Tibet and Xinjiang. The latter two are especially revealing: They show how seriously Beijing takes threats posed by its restive reaches. Security there is vital for trade routes established with Central Asian nations and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. This is the same reason that Beijing is expanding its navy so quickly. Sea-based routes account for 60 percent of exports, on which China's economy relies. Yet China is hemmed in by what's known as the first island chain, a string of nations more-or-less friendly to the U.S. If Washington closed these transport routes, it would bring the Chinese economy to its knees. Thus Beijing has every intention of shoring up western, land-based routes to ensure a viable alternative in a worst-case scenario.
Though the army clearly has the ability to amass forces at China's borders, there's little reason to believe it could successfully venture beyond them. Even if Beijing weren't so preoccupied with internal security, the fact remains that long-range logistical support has never been truly tested. Deploying large combat forces far from home is currently not seen as sustainable. Its logistical needs are too many, and its overseas bases are too few.
In other words, despite the military's many improvements, it still suffers from many problems that will prevent it from challenging the West anytime soon. First, it is untested. It has plenty of new weapons platforms, but it lacks the experience in using them, and they have yet to be used in prolonged combat situations.
Second, it has recruitment problems. The People's Liberation Army is part conscript, part volunteer, and it needs about 400,000 young people each year to volunteer to fill up the army's personnel pool. About 35 percent of the PLA consists of two-year conscripts drawn from poorer rural areas who see service as a better way to make money than staying home. Over the past few years, extra conscription rounds were also held for university graduates who did not manage to find jobs appropriate for their qualifications in the armed forces. These efforts have an important domestic aim: to lower the country's high youth unemployment rate. But since pay for new recruits is still generally low, attracting a sufficient number of talented volunteers remains difficult. The PLA has been charged by Beijing with expanding the scope for potential recruitment, so it launched special high school courses meant to cultivate talent early. It has also supported the return of veterans with command experience or tech expertise. (Importantly, poor morale and leadership work against recruitment. Broadly speaking, non-commissioned officers tend to assume their roles without sufficient – or any – military experience beyond basic training. Officers are trained longer and more thoroughly, so they tend to feel superior to NCOs. Unsurprisingly, there are socioeconomic undertones at play.)
Third, there is a corruption problem. High-ranking officials are increasingly found guilty of "procurement violations" – purchasing weapons of flawed or questionable quality at a lower cost than the budget allocated for the procurement and pocketing the rest. There are reports of procurement-related investigations virtually every month, and it apparently affects several different departments of the PLA. This indicates a widespread lack of transparency for the central government, which is supposed to know in detail the steps and circumstances of each procurement process. More than just a matter of underhanded dealing, the corruption in question is so systemic that the leadership has lost some degree of control over the military. The purges and reshufflings that characterized military leadership in 2024 are thus likely to continue.
In China, the fates of the military and society are intertwined: Military power is widely considered essential to maintaining national security, safeguarding national sovereignty and projecting China's global influence. And building a mighty military force is a demonstration to the people that the country is stable and thriving. Which is why the biggest issues within the PLA reflect the biggest issues within Chinese society: a general discontent due to financial uncertainty, social inequality and an overall bleak outlook on life. Resolving these issues has been the focus of President Xi Jinping's recent speeches addressing national security. "Social governance malfunctions" and "domestic dangers" have been described as the top concerns for the country, with other perils, including pressure from the U.S., being mentioned only briefly.
Two measures currently underway – the substantial stimulus measures meant to revive the country's lagging economy and the efforts to regain full control over and modernize the military – are self-reinforcing. If the economy manages to regain traction, measures to reform the military will also become easier to implement. New recruits can be offered better wages, high school military programs and courses can get a bigger budget, and longer, more frequent, more targeted and higher quality training can take place in the PLA. Technological capabilities can also receive a steadier inflow of money. Under such circumstances, China could root out the most pressing problems and achieve the desired level of modernization. But that could take as long as 15 years, and in the meantime, the risk of escalation to armed conflict with the U.S. remains low.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in U S Military History
February 3
1943 – The U.S. transport ship "Dorchester," which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a torpedo. Four Army chaplains gave their life belts to four other men, and went down with the ship. The torpedoing of the transport Dorchester off the coast of Greenland saw CGC Comanche and Escanaba respond. The crew of Escanaba used a new rescue technique when pulling survivors from the water. This "retriever" technique used swimmers clad in wet suits to swim to victims in the water and secure a line to them so they could be hauled onto the ship. Although Escanaba saved 133 men (one died later) and Comanche saved 97, over 600 men were lost, including the famous "Four Chaplains".
1944 – American forces invade and take control of the Marshall Islands, long occupied by the Japanese and used by them as a base for military operations. The Marshalls, east of the Caroline Islands in the western Pacific Ocean, had been in Japanese hands since World War I. Occupied by the Japanese in 1914, they were made part of the "Japanese Mandated Islands" as determined by the League of Nations. The Treaty of Versailles, which concluded the First World War, stipulated certain islands formerly controlled by Germany–including the Marshalls, the Carolines, and the Marianas (except Guam)–had to be ceded to the Japanese, though "overseen" by the League. But the Japanese withdrew from the League in 1933 and began transforming the Mandated Islands into military bases. Non-Japanese, including Christian missionaries, were kept from the islands as naval and air bases–meant to threaten shipping lanes between Australia and Hawaii–were constructed. During the Second World War, these islands, as well as others in the vicinity, became targets of Allied attacks. The U.S. Central Pacific Campaign began with the Gilbert Islands, south of the Mandated Islands; U.S. forces conquered the Gilberts in November 1943. Next on the agenda was Operation Flintlock, a plan to capture the Marshall Islands. Adm. Raymond Spruance led the 5th Fleet from Pearl Harbor on January 22, 1944, to the Marshalls, with the goal of getting 53,000 assault troops ashore two islets: Roi and Namur. Meanwhile, using the Gilberts as an air base, American planes bombed the Japanese administrative and communications center for the Marshalls, which was located on Kwajalein, an atoll that was part of the Marshall cluster of atolls, islets, and reefs. By January 31, Kwajalein was devastated. Repeated carrier- and land-based air raids destroyed every Japanese airplane on the Marshalls. By February 3, U.S. infantry overran Roi and Namur atolls. The Marshalls were then effectively in American hands–with the loss of only 400 American lives.
1944 – General George C. Marshall, in a memorandum to President Roosevelt dated February 3, 1944, wrote: 'The fact that the ground troops, Infantry in particular, lead miserable lives of extreme discomfort and are the ones who must close in personal combat with the enemy, makes the maintenance of their morale of great importance. The award of the Air Medal has had an adverse reaction on the ground troops, particularly the Infantry Riflemen who are now suffering the heaviest losses, air or ground, in the Army, and enduring the greatest hardships.' The Air Medal had been adopted two years earlier to raise airmen's morale.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
HORTON, JAMES
Rank and organization: Captain of the Top, U.S. Navy. Born: 1850, Boston, Mass. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 326, 18 October 1884. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Constitution, at sea, 13 February 1879, Horton showed courageous conduct in going over the stern during a heavy gale and cutting the fastenings of the ship's rudder chains.
*BIANCHI, WILLIBALD C.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts. Place and date: Near Bagac, Bataan Province, Philippine Islands, 3 February 1942. Entered service at: New Ulm, Minn. Birth: New Ulm, Minn. G.O. No.: 11, 5 March 1942. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy on 3 February 1942, near Bagac, Province of Bataan, Philippine Islands. When the rifle platoon of another company was ordered to wipe out 2 strong enemy machinegun nests, 1st Lt. Bianchi voluntarily and of his own initiative, advanced with the platoon leading part of the men. When wounded early in the action by 2 bullets through the left hand, he did not stop for first aid but discarded his rifle and began firing a pistol. He located a machinegun nest and personally silenced it with grenades. When wounded the second time by 2 machinegun bullets through the chest muscles, 1st Lt. Bianchi climbed to the top of an American tank, manned its antiaircraft machinegun, and fired into strongly held enemy position until knocked completely off the tank by a third severe wound.
*PEDEN, FORREST E.
Rank and organization: Technician 5th Grade, U.S. Army, Battery C, 10th Field Artillery Battalion, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Biesheim, France, 3 February 1945. Entered service at: Wathena, Kans. Birth: St. Joseph, Mo. G.O. No.: 18, 13 February 1946. Citation: He was a forward artillery observer when the group of about 45 infantrymen with whom he was advancing was ambushed in the uncertain light of a waning moon. Enemy forces outnumbering the Americans by 4 to 1 poured withering artillery, mortar, machinegun, and small-arms fire into the stricken unit from the flanks, forcing our men to seek the cover of a ditch which they found already occupied by enemy foot troops. As the opposing infantrymen struggled in hand-to-hand combat, Technician Peden courageously went to the assistance of 2 wounded soldiers and rendered first aid under heavy fire. With radio communications inoperative, he realized that the unit would be wiped out unless help could be secured from the rear. On his own initiative, he ran 800 yards to the battalion command post through a hail of bullets which pierced his jacket and there secured 2 light tanks to go to the relief of his hard-pressed comrades. Knowing the terrible risk involved, he climbed upon the hull of the lead tank and guided it into battle. Through a murderous concentration of fire the tank lumbered onward, bullets and shell fragments ricocheting from its steel armor within inches of the completely exposed rider, until it reached the ditch. As it was about to go into action it was turned into a flaming pyre by a direct hit which killed Technician Peden. However, his intrepidity and gallant sacrifice was not in vain. Attracted by the light from the burning tank, reinforcements found the beleaguered Americans and drove off the enemy.
POWERS, LEO J.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 133d Infantry, 34th Infantry Division. Place and date: Northwest of Cassino, Italy, 3 February 1944. Entered service at: Alder Gulch, Mont. Birth: Anselmo, Nebr. G.O. No.: 5, 15 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. On 3 February 1944, this soldier's company was assigned the mission of capturing Hill 175, the key enemy strong point northwest of Cassino, Italy. The enemy, estimated to be at least 50 in strength, supported by machineguns emplaced in 3 pillboxes and mortar fire from behind the hill, was able to pin the attackers down and inflict 8 casualties. The company was unable to advance, but Pfc. Powers, a rifleman in 1 of the assault platoons, on his own initiative and in the face of the terrific fire, crawled forward to assault 1 of the enemy pillboxes which he had spotted. Armed with 2 handgrenades and well aware that if the enemy should see him it would mean almost certain death, Pfc. Powers crawled up the hill to within 15 yards of the enemy pillbox. Then standing upright in full view of the enemy gunners in order to throw his grenade into the small opening in the roof, he tossed a grenade into the pillbox. At this close, the grenade entered the pillbox, killed 2 of the occupants and 3 or 4 more fled the position, probably wounded. This enemy gun silenced, the center of the line was able to move forward again, but almost immediately came under machinegun fire from a second enemy pillbox on the left flank. Pfc. Powers, however, had located this pillbox, and crawled toward it with absolutely no cover if the enemy should see him. Raising himself in full view of the enemy gunners about 15 feet from the pillbox, Pfc. Powers threw his grenade into the pillbox, silencing this gun, killing another German and probably wounding 3 or 4 more who fled. Pfc. Powers, still acting on his own initiative, commenced crawling toward the third enemy pillbox in the face of heavy machine-pistol and machinegun fire. Skillfully availing himself of the meager cover and concealment, Pfc. Powers crawled up to within 10 yards of this pillbox fully exposed himself to the enemy gunners, stood upright and tossed the 2 grenades into the small opening in the roof of the pillbox. His grenades killed 2 of the enemy and 4 more, all wounded, came out and surrendered to Pfc. Powers, who was now unarmed. Pfc. Powers had worked his way over the entire company front, and against tremendous odds had single-handedly broken the backbone of this heavily defended and strategic enemy position, and enabled his regiment to advance into the city of Cassino. Pfc. Powers' fighting determination and intrepidity in battle exemplify the highest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces.
MURPHY, RAYMOND G.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Korea, 3 February 1953. Entered service at: Pueblo, Colo. Born: 14 January 1930, Pueblo, Colo. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a platoon commander of Company A, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Although painfully wounded by fragments from an enemy mortar shell while leading his evacuation platoon in support of assault units attacking a cleverly concealed and well-entrenched hostile force occupying commanding ground, 2d Lt. Murphy steadfastly refused medical aid and continued to lead his men up a hill through a withering barrage of hostile mortar and small-arms fire, skillfully maneuvering his force from one position to the next and shouting words of encouragement. Undeterred by the increasing intense enemy fire, he immediately located casualties as they fell and made several trips up and down the fire-swept hill to direct evacuation teams to the wounded, personally carrying many of the stricken marines to safety. When reinforcements were needed by the assaulting elements, 2d Lt. Murphy employed part of his unit as support and, during the ensuing battle, personally killed 2 of the enemy with his pistol. With all the wounded evacuated and the assaulting units beginning to disengage, he remained behind with a carbine to cover the movement of friendly forces off the hill and, though suffering intense pain from his previous wounds, seized an automatic rifle to provide more firepower when the enemy reappeared in the trenches. After reaching the base of the hill, he organized a search party and again ascended the slope for a final check on missing marines, locating and carrying the bodies of a machine gun crew back down the hill. Wounded a second time while conducting the entire force to the line of departure through a continuing barrage of enemy small-arms, artillery, and mortar fire, he again refused medical assistance until assured that every one of his men, including all casualties, had preceded him to the main lines. His resolute and inspiring leadership, exceptional fortitude, and great personal valor reflect the highest credit upon 2d Lt. Murphy and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 3, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
3 February
1928: Lt L. A. Sutton began a series of tests at Wright Field to study aircraft spinning characteristics. For his work, he received the Mackay Trophy. (24)
1943: The North American P-51A Mustang first flew. (5)
1944: Eighth Air Force sent 1,200 B-17s, B-24s, and escort fighters to raid Emden and Wilhelmshaven, Germany. (24) Col Philip Cochran led five P-51s on the first air commando attack on Japanese forces in the Chinese-Burma-India theater. (21)
1945: Over 1,200 American bombers and 900 fighters conducted the most concentrated raid on Berlin to date, dropping 2,266 tons of bombs. (4) (24)
1946: At Columbus, Ohio, the US AAF disclosed the development of a plane with automatic devices for takeoff, flight, and landing. The pilot only had to monitor the equipment. (24)
1953: Through 17 February, Air Rescue Service aircrews flew 198 sorties in SA-16s, H-19s, C-47s, and C-82s to evacuate 161 persons and deliver 32,900 pounds of relief supplies during floods in the Netherlands. (2)
1961: PROJECT LOOKING GLASS. After six months of tests, SAC initiated continuous airborne command post operations. The EC-135 Airborne Command Post planes and their equipment gave SAC an ability to launch manned bombers and ICBMs in the event of a nuclear attack. (1)
1964: Maj Gen T. C. Bedwell, Jr., Commander of Aerospace Division at Brooks AFB, Tex., reported that four airmen spent 30 days in pure oxygen with no apparent ill effects. (8: Feb 90)
1965: NASA launched OSO-11 (Orbiting Solar Observatory) to study the sun's corona and other phenomena. In late November 1965, after the vehicle had made 4,100 orbits and relayed 2,200,000 pieces of information, NASA halted the data transmission when it became impossible to control the vehicle's attitude. (5)
1966: NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) successfully tested for the first time by NASA and the Atomic Energy Commission at Nuclear Rocket Development Station, Jackass Flats, Nev. The test was a part of the overall Rover program to develop nuclear propulsion for space exploration. (5)
1968: The Arnold Engineering Development Center used a laser beam for the first time as a light source for photographing aircraft and missile models at high velocity. (16) (26)
1970: The 36 ARRS at Yokota AB rescued 44 and 59 seaman involved in two ship sinkings in the North Pacific, the Liberian freighter Antonious Demades and the Japan's freighter California Maru. (16) (26)
1973: Boeing received a contract for two E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Posts, with an option for a third. (12)
1983: SAC finished retrofitting 300 Minuteman III ICBMS with new reentry systems to modernize America's retaliatory capability. (26)
1984: FOURTH CHALLENGER MISSION. Capt Bruce McCandless (USN) became the first human satellite, when he took the Manned Maneuvering Unit out into space to make the first spacewalk without a lifeline. Two communications satellites, Western Union's Westar VI and Indonesia's Palapa B2, were launched into useless orbit. The Challenger also became the first spacecraft to return to its launch site when Vance Brand and Lt Cmdr Robert Gibson landed it at Cape Kennedy on 11 February. (3) (8: Feb 90) SECAF Verne Orr decided to buy 120 F110 and 40 F100 engines for the Alternate Fighter Engine competition. (12) USAFE's first EF-111A Raven arrived at RAF Upper Heyford for the 20 TFW. (16) (26)
1985: MAC C-141 Starlifters moved 500 tents from Howard AFB to Central Argentina after a 26 January earthquake destroyed the homes of nearly 12,000 people. (16)
1989: The SECDEF implemented a new anti-drug mission for the armed forces, including patrols by USAF fighters and airborne early warning systems over drug corridors from South and Central America. (16)
1995: Lt Col Eileen M. Collins (USAF) became the first female Space Shuttle pilot. (16) Eight C-141s carried 410 Nepalese troops from Katmandu to Haiti for service with the UN peacekeeping forces. (26)
2001: Boeing's X-32A flew its 66th sortie at Edwards AFB to complete the concept demonstrator flight test program. The six military and contractor test pilots flew 50 flight hours in the Joint Strike Fighter and met all test objectives. (3)
2001: In an operation to deliver relief supplies to earthquake victims in India, AMC C-5s deliver cargo to Guam where four C-17s pick up the load and deliver it to the devastated regions. KC-135s refuel the Globemasters on the journey across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. More than 30,000 are suspected dead and hundreds of thousands are homeless in Bhuj, India. (C-17 at Katmandu)
2007: The F-22 Raptor flew in its first Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev. In the exercise, 94th Fighter Squadron pilots from Langley AFB, Va., flew their F-22s against Red Flag aggressors. Besides the F-22s, more than 200 aircraft participated, including the B-2 Spirit, F-117 Nighthawk, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the Royal Air Force's GR-4 Tornados and Royal Australian Air Force's F-111 Aardvark. (AFNEWS, "F-22 Makes Mark at Red Flag," 15 Feb 2007.)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SkipsList" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to skipslist+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/skipslist/CACTjsm2Q6wSaRQx18gZsNedwNUU30GKmwwt1E11%2B%3DhCNU1J4Gw%40mail.gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.