To All,
Good Tuesday morning February 4. Cloudy this morning with temps from 48 to 62. Still lots to do here in the yard and the house. The last tree is still doing its thing.
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 86 H-Grams
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History February 4
1779 Capt. John Paul Jones takes command of Bonhomme Richard (formerly Duc de Duras), which was given to the United States by King Louis XVI of France. The name honors Benjamin Franklin, the American commissioner at Paris whose famous almanacs had been published in France under the title Les Maximes du Bonhomme Richard.
1813 During the War of 1812, the sloop ship Hornet, commanded by James Lawrence, captures and burns the British merchant ship Resolute off Pernambuco, Brazil.
1942 While the battle for Bataan rages throughout the night, USS Trout (SS-202) loads 20 tons of gold bars and 18 tons of silver coins as ballast to replace the weight of ammunition they had just delivered to US and Philippine forces in Manila.
1944 Destroyers Charrette (DD 581) and Fair (DE 35) sink Japanese submarine I 175, 100 miles north of Jaluit, Marshall Islands.
1944 PV-1 Ventura aircraft sink Japanese water tanker Goryu Maru off Emidj Island, Jaluit.
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This Day in World History
February 4
786 Harun al-Rashid succeeds his older brother the Abbasid Caliph al-Hadi as Caliph of Baghdad.
1194 Richard I, King of England, is freed from captivity in Germany.
1508 The Proclamation of Trent is made.
1787 Shay's Rebellion, an uprising of debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers against the new U.S. government, fails.
1795 France abolishes slavery in her territories and confers slaves to citizens.
1889 Harry Longabaugh is released from Sundance Prison in Wyoming, thereby acquiring the famous nickname, "the Sundance Kid."
1899 After an exchange of gunfire, fighting breaks out between American troops and Filipinos near Manila, sparking the Philippine-American War
1906 The New York Police Department begins finger print identification.
1909 California law segregates Caucasian and Japanese schoolchildren.
1915 Germany decrees British waters as part of the war zone; all ships to be sunk without warning.
1923 French troops take the territories of Offenburg, Appenweier and Buhl in the Ruhr as a part of the agreement ending World War I.
1932 Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt inaugurates the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, N.Y.
1941 The United Service Organization (U.S.O.) is formed to cater to armed forces and defense industries.
1944 The Japanese attack the Indian Seventh Army in Burma.
1945 The Big Three, American, British and Soviet leaders, meet in Yalta to discuss the war aims.
1966 Senate Foreign Relations Committee begins televised hearings on the Vietnam War.
1974 Newspaper heiress Patty Hearst is kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, beginning one of the most bizarre cases in FBI history.
1980 Syria withdraws its peacekeeping force in Beirut.
1986 The U.S. Post Office issues a commemorative stamp featuring Sojourner Truth.
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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 "Tuesday 4 February
February 4: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=989
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
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Thanks to Glenn. The only thing I missed was the whine of the Corsair.
The Japanese called it the Whistling death because of the sound it made. Vaught also made the Crusader and with the oil cooler door open and lot of smack on the airplane it made an awesome sound as you came into the break…We even had a hand signal for opening it skip
Think your readers will like this one.
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Thanks to Glenn. The only thing I missed was the whine of the Corsair.
The Japanese called it the Whistling death because of the sound it made. Vaught also made the Crusader and with the oil cooler door open and lot of smack on the airplane it made an awesome sound as you came into the break…We even had a hand signal for opening it skip
Think your readers will like this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl-aUbN3b5c
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This one from the archives is one you should read and remember it may save you one day.
Thanks to Boysie ... AND Dr. Rich
Nine Words Women Use
(1) Fine : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up. This means your facts may be right but you are still wrong.
(2) Five Minutes : If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
(3) Nothing : This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.
(4) Go Ahead : This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!
(5) Loud Sigh : This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)
(6) That's Okay : This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
(7) Thanks : A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome'.. That will bring on a 'whatever').
(8) Whatever : Is a woman's way of saying...Go to Hell...
(9) Don't worry about it, I got it : Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' (For the woman's response refer to # 3).
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Now this is something we need in this country.
History Facts
Should aging rulers have to pass a physical test? It's been done
After 30 years of rule, Egyptian pharaohs had to run a race to prove physical fitness.
Egyptian pharaohs were seen by their subjects as gods — but sometimes, those "gods" had to prove their worth. This occurred at a jubilee-style celebration meant to reaffirm an aging ruler's kingship, known as the Heb-Sed or Sed festival. The tradition dates back to the first dynasty of ancient Egypt, around 3000 BCE, and usually took place in the 30th year of a pharaoh's reign (and every three years after that). The event was filled with sacrifices, crownings, and other lavish displays; the Heb-Sed of Amenhotep III, for instance, featured the construction of temples and colossal sculptures all along the Nile valley. But the main event was a footrace run by the pharaoh — dressed in a kilt with an attached animal tail — to demonstrate their physical fitness.
According to Egyptologists, ancient Egyptians likely related the health of their ruler to the overall health and virility of the kingdom. If a pharaoh couldn't complete the race, it signaled that it was time to make way for a younger, healthier leader. Of course, thousands of years before modern medicine, 30 years was a long life span, and only a small percentage of pharaohs lived long enough to celebrate a Heb-Sed. Not all of them passed the test: Although a simple footrace may seem like a relatively easy method for reaffirming your reign, pharaohs were not nearly as svelte or athletic as hieroglyphics and ancient carvings would have us believe. Many kings and queens were plagued with various maladies caused by inbreeding, as well as obesity: A pharaoh's diet, often filled with beer, wine, bread, and honey, contained an awful lot of sugar.
By the Numbers
Dynasties in ancient Egypt (roughly 3100 BCE to 332 BCE)
31
Year the world's oldest footrace was held in Carnwath, Scotland
1508
Age Pepi II became pharaoh, beginning the longest reign in ancient Egypt
6
Years of reign celebrated by a British monarch's Golden Jubilee
50
DID YOU KNOW?
King Tut wasn't a particularly important pharaoh.
Ask the average person to name some ancient Egyptian pharaohs and Tutankhamun, known more commonly as King Tut, would likely make the list. His name became famous when his remarkably well-preserved tomb was discovered in the 1920s, but Tutankhamun was arguably one of the least memorable leaders of his era. Becoming pharaoh at around 9 years old, he reigned for only a decade before dying mysteriously. His most notable accomplishment was reversing the monotheistic inklings of his father, Akhenaten, and returning the kingdom to its old pantheon of gods. Little else is known of his rule, however. Scholars and Egyptologists theorize that Tutankhamun may have been a puppet of royal advisers and priests, and thus his reign left little mark on Egyptian history.
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Thanks to Brett
Geopolitical Futures:
Keeping the future in focus
https://geopoliticalfutures.com
Daily Memo: European Automakers Take a Hit on Mexico Tariffs
U.S. duties on goods from Mexico are already having ripple effects.
By Geopolitical Futures
European impact. Shares of European automakers dropped substantially following the Trump administration's announcement of 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico, a key production hub for many European car brands. Shares of Volkswagen and Stellantis fell 6.7 percent and 7 percent, respectively, while BMW and Mercedes-Benz Group declined 6.5 percent and 5.3 percent. German automakers produced 716,000 passenger cars in Mexican factories in 2023.
Panama's response. After a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said Panama will not renew a 2017 memorandum of understanding establishing participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to seize the Panama Canal due to concerns about Chinese influence over the waterway. The deal pledged Chinese funds and support for infrastructure and development projects in Panama.
Going abroad. Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Saudi Arabia over the weekend for his first official overseas visit. He met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss developments in Syria and opportunities for cooperation. The Saudi foreign minister visited Damascus last month.
Energy investment. Azerbaijani state-owned oil company SOCAR signed a deal with Israeli company Union Energy to acquire a 10 percent stake in one of the largest gas fields in the Mediterranean. The Tamar field is located 24 kilometers (15 miles) off the coast of the Israeli city of Ashkelon.
Investor oversight. The Japanese government will expand screening requirements for overseas companies and individuals investing in Japanese firms. Foreign investors will be required to report to the Japanese government before investing in listed companies in industries considered relevant to national security interests. The measures are likely aimed at preventing the leaking of technologies and other sensitive information.
AI investment. Japanese tech firm SoftBank Group and artificial intelligence giant OpenAI agreed to establish a new joint venture called SB OpenAI Japan to promote artificial intelligence services for corporations. The firms announced last month that they would create a new company with Oracle Corp. to build AI infrastructure in the United States worth at least $500 billion.
Uranium exports. Russian exports of unprocessed aluminum to South Korea increased by roughly 25 percent last year to $863 million, the highest total since 2006, Russia's RIA Novosti reported, citing South Korean figures. Moreover, Russian exports of enriched uranium to South Korea nearly doubled in 2024 to $649.5 million.
Targeting troops. Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi condemned recent violent attacks against troops in the country, calling them "unacceptable" and urging investigations. Three attacks over the weekend left two people dead and several injured. The incidents included separate explosions at two army recruitment centers and a shooting of a serviceman escorting conscripts.
Russia and India. A delegation of Russian officials, led by the speaker of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, arrived in India for talks. Volodin called India one of Russia's most important partners in Asia and said bilateral trade increased fivefold over the past five years.
Iran and Azerbaijan. An adviser to the president of Azerbaijan was in Iran for official talks. He met with his Iranian counterpart to discuss bilateral relations and prospects for cooperation on regional issues, as well as with the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. He also held talks with the chair of Iran's Strategic Council for Foreign Relations.
Iran and Kazakhstan. Iran and Kazakhstan held talks over the weekend on increasing bilateral trade. In the first 11 months of 2024, trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $296 million, an 8.1 percent increase over the same period the previous year.
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Thanks to Brett
"Green" California Emitting Massive CO2, Wildfires Biggest Environmental Disaster in Years
By Mick Farthing
Life in the Golden State isn't so golden these days. Between skyrocketing crime rates, a homelessness crisis that would make third-world countries blush, and an exodus of taxpaying citizens that resembles a mass migration, California's Democrat leadership keeps proving that everything liberals touch eventually turns to dust.
Governor Gavin Newsom continues to lecture the rest of America about climate change while forcing electric vehicles down Californians' throats.
It's the same old story – liberal politicians telling hardworking Americans how to live their lives while their own policies crumble faster than San Francisco's downtown district.
Remember when President Trump warned about proper forest management in 2020? The mainstream media mocked him, Democrat politicians sneered, and late-night comedians had a field day.
But as usual, Trump's practical approach proved prescient – and now we have the numbers to prove it.
The Los Angeles Times reported in January 2025 that California's federal lands lost six times more carbon than any other state during the 17-year period from 2005 to 2021.
In 2020 alone, the state's federal lands released more carbon than any other year in the study period due to a record-setting fire season that burned over 4 million acres.
The Green Dream Goes Up in Smoke
While California's environmental regulators were busy implementing restrictive emissions policies, Mother Nature had other plans.
The state that prides itself on leading the climate charge is actually leading the nation in carbon emissions – just not the way they intended.
Recent UCLA research reveals the devastating toll: over $250 billion in wildfire losses, at least 28 deaths, and more than 16,000 structures destroyed in 2024 alone.
Electric Vehicle Mandate Backfires
In a twist that perfectly illustrates the short-sightedness of Democrat policies, those mandatory electric vehicles that Newsom's administration is forcing on California residents are creating their own environmental crisis.
During wildfires, their lithium-ion batteries release toxic hazardous waste into the air – adding insult to injury for communities already struggling with smoke damage.
Following the Money Trail of Failed Policies
The financial impact extends far beyond the burn zones. According to 2025 research, residents exposed to wildfire smoke face increased credit card debt (averaging $1,400 per household), rising loan delinquencies, and health problems that keep them from work.
Insurance markets are destabilizing, with premiums skyrocketing and coverage becoming increasingly scarce in fire-prone areas.
Common Sense Solutions Ignored
President Trump's 2020 warnings about forest management weren't just political rhetoric – they were practical solutions based on decades of forestry experience.
While Democrats continued blaming climate change, they ignored basic land management principles that could have prevented this disaster.
The result? California now emits more carbon from wildfires than all its vehicle regulations could ever hope to offset.
Key Takeaways:
• California's recent wildfires created the worst carbon emissions crisis in America, six times higher than any other state.
• Liberal environmental regulations backfired spectacularly; the fires have caused $250 billion in losses and devastated communities.
• Trump has warned for years that Democrats' far-left environmental policies would lead to disaster in California.
• Green energy mandates created new hazards as EV batteries become toxic fire threats.
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Thanks to Best News
It has been said that one should never let the facts get in the way of a good story, and Democrats wailing about Donald Trump's deportation push are adhering to this truism.
Extremists are flooding social media with crying videos over the prospect of punting criminals back across the border, but they are ignoring the facts.
But Elon Musk just dropped a terrifying truth bomb on the Left about Trump's deportations.
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics
Now that the adults are back in charge, changes are coming quickly. The last few weeks brought the creation of counters used by the leftist mainstream media to track the number of deportations under Donald Trump's leadership, but how accurate are these numbers?
How does Trump's program truly compare with his recent predecessors?
Leave it to billionaire entrepreneur and close Trump confidant Elon Musk to shine the light of truth on how the Republican stacks up with other Commanders-in-Chief.
For example, Democrat darling Barack Obama earned the nickname "Deporter-in-Chief" for his surprising tally of deportations.
The two-term President totaled some 3.2 million expulsions from 2009-2017.
George W. Bush's eight years in office saw approximately 2 million illegal aliens expelled, with another 870,000 under Bill Clinton's administration.
By contrast, Trump's first term witnessed roughly 1 million deportations.
There are several factors to note here.
One is the startling number of illegal aliens allowed to pour into the country for the past four years under the Joe Biden White House.
That, of course, means Trump has much more work to do than former Presidents who did not have to clean up such a mess.
Then there's the deterrent factor.
The enormous groups marching toward the U.S. southern border, which has become a common sight on the news for the past four years, will soon be a thing of the past.
Who in their right mind will make such a journey when they know they will just be turned back?
The numbers for ICE deportations are up to around 1,000 per day after only a week of Donald Trump being back in the White House, and they will undoubtedly increase as raids proceed in cities under siege from Biden's mass migration scheme.
But, as Elon Musk correctly noted, it is grossly inaccurate to paint Trump as the first President to oversee massive deportations.
Trump administration's sweeps for illegal immigration have spread to the nation's largest city
New York City residents awakened Tuesday morning to a markedly different era as new Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined heavily armed ICE agents in the first Big Apple raid.
Her entourage began with who was described as a "criminal alien with kidnapping, assault, and burglary charges."
That was the first of what will be many such raids, even in cities that self-righteously declared themselves to be "sanctuaries."
Without question, the left-wing media will portray Trump as the embodiment of evil and his push to make Americans safe as a crime against humanity.
What they will conveniently ignore—because it defeats their narrative—are the deportation numbers put up by his predecessors.
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This Day in U S Military History
February 4
1777 – George Washington appoints Nathaniel Sackett as spymaster over what will become the Culper Ring of spies. During the American War of Independence the Culper ring was assigned to obtain intelligence on the plans of the British enemy forces in New York. His work involved the recruitment of agents and informers, behind the enemy lines, if necessary paid from a purse of $500 sanctioned by Washington. Nathaniel was recommended to General Washington by William Duer, a Continental Congressman, with whom Nathaniel served on the New York committee for detecting and defeating conspiracies. Taking his instructions personally from Washington, Nathaniel set up an intelligence-gathering network in the New York area. He was soon reporting information gathered in the field to Duer and through him to Washington. The Culpers were extremely successful, the more so for having to develop tradecraft as they went, with an intricate arrangement of dead drops and codes.
1779 – John Paul Jones takes command of Bonhomme Richard. Bonhomme Richard, formerly Duc de Duras, was a warship in the Continental Navy. She was originally an East Indiaman, a merchant ship built in France for the French East India Company in 1765, for service between France and the Orient. She was placed at the disposal of John Paul Jones, who renamed the vessel in honor of Benjamin Franklin, by King Louis XVI of France as a result of a loan to the United States by French shipping magnate, Jacques-Donatien Le Ray.
1861 – The Apache Wars begin. A group of unidentified Indians stole cattle and kidnapped the stepson of the rancher John Ward near Sonoita, Arizona, Arizona. Ward sought redress from the nearby American army. Lieutenant George N. Bascom was dispatched and Ward accompanied the detail. Bascom set out to meet with Cochise near Apache Pass and the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach station to secure the cattle and Ward's son. Cochise was unaware of the incident, but he offered to seek those responsible. Dissatisfied, Bascom accused Cochise of having been involved. He took Cochise and his group of family members under arrest in the negotiating tent. Angered, Cochise slashed his way from the tent and escaped. After further failed negotiations, Cochise took a member of the stage coach station hostage after an exchange of gunfire. With Bascom unwilling to exchange prisoners, Cochise and his party killed the members of a passing Mexican wagon train. The Apache killed and ritually mutilated nine Mexicans, and took three whites captive, but killed them later. They were unsuccessful in attempting an ambush of a Butterfield Overland stagecoach. With negotiations between Cochise and Bascom at an impasse, Bascom sent for reinforcements. Cochise killed the remaining four captives from the Butterfield Station and abandoned negotiations. Upon the advice of military surgeon, Dr. Bernard Irwin, Bascom hanged the Apache hostages in his custody. The retaliatory executions became known as the Bascom Affair; they initiated another eleven years of open warfare between the varying groups of Apache and the United States settlers, the U.S. Army and the Confederate Army.
1899 – After an exchange of gunfire, fighting broke out between American troops and Filipinos near Manila, sparking the Philippine-American War (also referred to as the Philippine Insurrection of 1899). American soldiers patrolling in Santa Mesa opened fire on Filipino soldiers near a bridge over the San Juan River.
1941 – The United Service Organization, a civilian agency, is founded. The organization was formed to offer support for U.S. service members and their families, and sent many actors, musicians, and other performers to entertain the troops. In 1948, the original USO was disbanded, but formed again the following year, and still exists today, providing recreation, entertainment, children's programs and other services to U.S. military families. Bob Hope made annual trips to entertain overseas troops from World War II through Desert Storm in 1991.
1962 – The first U.S. helicopter is shot down in Vietnam. It was one of 15 helicopters ferrying South Vietnamese Army troops into battle near the village of Hong My in the Mekong Delta. The first U.S. helicopter unit had arrived in South Vietnam aboard the ferry carrier USNS Core on December 11, 1961. This contingent included 33 Vertol H-21C Shawnee helicopters and 400 air and ground crewmen to operate and maintain them. Their assignment was to airlift South Vietnamese Army troops into combat
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
GEDEON, LOUIS
Rank and organization: Private, Company G, 19th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Mount Amia, Cebu, Philippine Islands, 4 February 1900. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Birth: Pittsburgh, Pa. Date of issue: 10 March 1902. Citation: Singlehanded, defended his mortally wounded captain from an overwhelming force of the enemy.
ADAMS, STANLEY T.
Rank and organization: Master Sergeant (then Sfc.), U.S. Army, Company A, 19th Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Near Sesim-ni, Korea, 4 February 1951. Entered service at: Olathe, Kans. Born: 9 May 1922, DeSoto, Kans. G.O. No.: 66, 2 August 1951. Citation: M/Sgt. Adams, Company A, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy. At approximately 0100 hours, M/Sgt. Adams' platoon, holding an outpost some 200 yards ahead of his company, came under a determined attack by an estimated 250 enemy troops. Intense small-arms, machine gun, and mortar fire from 3 sides pressed the platoon back against the main line of resistance. Observing approximately 150 hostile troops silhouetted against the skyline advancing against his platoon, M/Sgt. Adams leaped to his feet, urged his men to fix bayonets, and he, with 13 members of his platoon, charged this hostile force with indomitable courage. Within 50 yards of the enemy M/Sgt. Adams was knocked to the ground when pierced in the leg by an enemy bullet. He jumped to his feet and, ignoring his wound, continued on to close with the enemy when he was knocked down 4 times from the concussion of grenades which had bounced off his body. Shouting orders he charged the enemy positions and engaged them in hand-to-hand combat where man after man fell before his terrific onslaught with bayonet and rifle butt. After nearly an hour of vicious action M/Sgt. Adams and his comrades routed the fanatical foe, killing over 50 and forcing the remainder to withdraw. Upon receiving orders that his battalion was moving back he provided cover fire while his men withdrew. M/Sgt. Adams' superb leadership, incredible courage, and consummate devotion to duty so inspired his comrades that the enemy attack was completely thwarted, saving his battalion from possible disaster. His sustained personal bravery and indomitable fighting spirit against overwhelming odds reflect the utmost glory upon himself and uphold the finest traditions of the infantry and the military service.
*GONZALEZ, ALFREDO
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Near Thua Thien, Republic of Vietnam, 4 February 1968. Entered service at: San Antonio, Tex. Born: 23 May 1946, Edinburg Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as platoon commander, 3d Platoon, Company A. On 31 January 1968, during the initial phase of Operation Hue City, Sgt. Gonzalez' unit was formed as a reaction force and deployed to Hue to relieve the pressure on the beleaguered city. While moving by truck convoy along Route No. 1, near the village of Lang Van Lrong, the marines received a heavy volume of enemy fire. Sgt. Gonzalez aggressively maneuvered the marines in his platoon, and directed their fire until the area was cleared of snipers. Immediately after crossing a river south of Hue, the column was again hit by intense enemy fire. One of the marines on top of a tank was wounded and fell to the ground in an exposed position. With complete disregard for his safety, Sgt. Gonzalez ran through the fire-swept area to the assistance of his injured comrade. He lifted him up and though receiving fragmentation wounds during the rescue, he carried the wounded marine to a covered position for treatment. Due to the increased volume and accuracy of enemy fire from a fortified machine gun bunker on the side of the road, the company was temporarily halted. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sgt. Gonzalez exposed himself to the enemy fire and moved his platoon along the east side of a bordering rice paddy to a dike directly across from the bunker. Though fully aware of the danger involved, he moved to the fire-swept road and destroyed the hostile position with hand grenades. Although seriously wounded again on 3 February, he steadfastly refused medical treatment and continued to supervise his men and lead the attack. On 4 February, the enemy had again pinned the company down, inflicting heavy casualties with automatic weapons and rocket fire. Sgt. Gonzalez, utilizing a number of light antitank assault weapons, fearlessly moved from position to position firing numerous rounds at the heavily fortified enemy emplacements. He successfully knocked out a rocket position and suppressed much of the enemy fire before falling mortally wounded. The heroism, courage, and dynamic leadership displayed by Sgt. Gonzalez reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 4, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
4 February
1948: Otto Praeger, the founder of US airmail service, died. (24)
1949: The Civil Aeronautics Authority authorized planes to use ground-controlled approach radar as a "primary aid" for landings in bad weather. (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Fifth Air Force modified a few B-26s to drop flares, because the flaredropping C-47s that flew with B-26 night raiders were too slow. (28)
1958: Keel of the USS Enterprise, the first nuclear-powered carrier, laid at Newport News, Va. (16)
1960: At Cape Canaveral, Fla., the Jupiter Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile's last research and development launch was a success. (6)
1962: The Kennedy administration ordered Greek-letter names used for military satellites to keep their purpose and performance secret in reports to the United Nation. (24)
1965: In its first flight, the XC-142A Vertical and/or Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft showed its ability to move forward at 25 MPH without stalling. (5) Air Defense Command fighter pilots intercepted a BOMARC drone target for the first time. It was flying more than 1,500 MPH at more than 50,000 feet in altitude. (16) (26)
1966: An F-111A made a high-speed, low-level test flight of 1,844 miles from Edwards AFB, Calif., to Eglin AFB, Fla. (3) The Department of Defense and National Air and Space Administration signed an agreement to coordinate their manned space flight programs. The agreement established a joint Manned Space Flight Policy Committee to determine policy on manned space flight programs. (16)
1967: The 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan received its first two RF-4C Phantoms. This delivery marked the first overseas deployment of the RF-4C outside of Vietnam. The squadron's last RF-101C Voodoo left Okinawa in December 1966. (17)
1969: The XB-70 Valkyrie flew its last flight from Edwards AFB, Calif., to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. (3) (26)
1970: Cessna delivered the final T-37B to Craig AFB, Ala. (5)
1971: A Navy P-3C Orion achieved a world's record for altitude in horizontal flight of 13,686 meters (44,900 feet). (5)
1974: FLAME EXPERIMENT. A Pedro Recruit sounding rocket, with a carbon-phenolic nosetip, made a first live flight at Wallops Island, Va., after an air launch by an F-4. The launch was conducted as part of the Fighter Launched Advanced Materials Experiment (FLAME). (5)
1976: Operation EARTHQUAKE. A 7.5 earthquake hit southern Guatemala, killing 23,000 people and leaving 1.5 million people homeless. Through 30 June, the Military Airlift Command supported earthquake relief efforts by sending two C-5, 29 C-141, and 33 C-130 missions to airlift 696 workers and 926 tons of emergency equipment and supplies to that country. (2)
1984: At the Sikorsky facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., the HH-60D completed its first flight. (3)
1985: After studying the use of women in missile crews, the Strategic Air Command decided to use gender-specific (all-female) crews in Minuteman units. The first class of six female Titan II launch control officers started Minuteman qualification training at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., in October. They were scheduled for duty with the 351st Strategic Missile Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo., in January 1986. (1)
2002: Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. An unmanned aerial vehicle destroyed an enemy target for the first time in this operation when a MQ-1B Predator fired a Hellfire missile to kill a group of senior al Qaeda members in southeastern Afghanistan. (21)
2005: Operation DEEP FREEZE. A 452nd Air Mobility Wing C-141C (No. 66-0152) from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., flew the last scheduled C-141 Starlifter mission to McMurdo Research Station, Antarctica. That flight ended 39 years of C-141 to support to Operation DEEP FREEZE. In October 2005, support for McMurdo Research Station transferred to C-17s from McChord AFB, Wash. (22) Two Boeing X-45A Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles flew a simulated combat mission for their fiftieth flight at Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards AFB, Calif. The Peacekeeper test had two X-45s fly to an exercise area, where they autonomously identified two separate pop-up threats, planned their attacks, and jointly "destroyed" them. Afterwards, they returned to Edwards and landed. (3)
2007: For days prior to Super Bowl 41, the 125th Fighter Wing (Florida Air National Guard) from Homestead Air Reserve Base at Jacksonville, Fla., flew F-15s on low-level patrols over local airports and the Miami Dolphin Stadium. (AFNEWS, "F-15s Kept Eyes in the Sky for Super Bowl," 7 Feb 2007.)
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