Good Saturday morning February 22. The weather is another good day here with warmer temps and no clouds we are really drying out now from the rain. My daughter's twice daily feeding and mucking the horses is getting a bit easier for her without everything being wet. Got a couple new chicken Hutches to put together today.
Have a great weekend wherever you are.
Warm Regards,
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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/
February. 22
February. 22
1909—The Great White Fleet returns to Hampton Roads, Va., following its 14-month round-the-world cruise.
1943—USS Iowa (BB 61), the lead ship of the last class of American fast battleships, is commissioned.
1944—U.S. Navy Task Group (TG) 39.4, commanded by Capt. Arleigh Burke, bombards Japanese airstrips, pier area, and anchorages at Kavieng, New Ireland Island, while DESRON 12 shells Rabaul.
1945—USS Becuna (SS 319) sinks Japanese merchant tanker Nichiyoku Maru off Cape Padaran Bay despite the presence of two escort vessels.
1974—Lt. j.g. Barbara Ann (Allen) Rainey becomes the first Navy-designated female aviator.
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THIS DAY IN WORLD HISTORY
February 22
1349 Jews are expelled from Zurich, Switzerland.
1613 Mikhail Romanov is elected czar of Russia.
1797 The last invasion of Britain takes place when some 1,400 Frenchmen land at Fishguard in Wales.
1819 Spain signs a treaty with the United States ceding eastern Florida.
1825 Russia and Britain establish the Alaska/Canada boundary.
1862 Jefferson Davis is inaugurated president of the Confederacy in Richmond, Va. for the second time.
1864 Nathan Bedford Forrest's brother, Jeffrey, is killed at Okolona, Mississippi.
1865 Federal troops capture Wilmington, N.C.
1879 Frank Winfield Woolworth's 'nothing over five cents' shop opens at Utica, New York. It is the first chain store.
1902 A fistfight breaks out in the Senate. Senator Benjamin Tillman suffers a bloody nose for accusing Senator John McLaurin of bias on the Philippine tariff issue.
1909 The Great White Fleet returns to Norfolk, Virginia, from an around-the-world show of naval power.
1911 Canadian Parliament votes to preserve the union with the British Empire.
1920 The American Relief Administration appeals to the public to pressure Congress to aid starving European cities.
1924 Columbia University declares radio education a success.
1926 Pope Pius rejects Mussolini's offer of aid to the Vatican.
1932 Adolf Hitler is the Nazi Party candidate for the presidential elections in Germany.
1935 All plane flights over the White House are barred because they are disturbing President Roosevelt's sleep.
1942 President Franklin Roosevelt orders Gen. Douglas MacArthur to leave the Philippines.
1951 The Atomic Energy Commission discloses information about the first atom-powered airplane.
1952 French forces evacuate Hoa Binh in Indochina.
1954 U.S. is to install 60 Thor nuclear missiles in Britain.
1962 A Soviet bid for new Geneva arms talks is turned down by the U.S.
1963 Moscow warns the U.S. that an attack on Cuba would mean war.
1967 Operation Junction City becomes the largest U.S. operation in Vietnam.
1984 Britain and the U.S. send warships to the Persian Gulf following an Iranian offensive against Iraq
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1980
Can you believe this was 45 years ago
February 22
U.S. hockey team beats the Soviets in the "Miracle on Ice"
In one of the most dramatic upsets in Olympic history, on February 22, 1980, the underdog U.S. hockey team, made up of college players, defeats the four-time defending gold-medal winning Soviet team at the XIII Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. The Soviet squad, previously regarded as the finest in the world, fell to the youthful American team 4-3 before a frenzied crowd of 10,000 spectators. Two days later, the Americans defeated Finland 4-2 to clinch the hockey gold.
The Soviet team had captured the previous four Olympic hockey golds, going back to 1964, and had not lost an Olympic hockey game since 1968. Three days before the Lake Placid Games began, the Soviets routed the U.S. team 10-3 in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Americans looked scrappy, but few blamed them for it—their average age, after all, was only 22, and their team captain, Mike Eruzione, was recruited from the obscurity of the Toledo Blades of the International League.
Few had high hopes for the seventh-seeded U.S. team entering the Olympic tournament, but the team soon silenced its detractors, making it through the opening round of play undefeated, with four victories and one tie, thus advancing to the four-team medal round. The Soviets, however, were seeded No. 1 and as expected went undefeated, with five victories in the first round
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
February 22
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 "Saturday 22 February
February 22: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2705
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 Bill….Just like it was yesterday. It brings back so many memories Seventy years of life as we knew it--in 5 minutes Wasn't this just yesterday!!!!???
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/QoDXTAajEzY?rel=0
Sixty years of life as we knew it--in 5 minutes. Another bit of nostalgia about a past. However, you probably will remember much of this being a part of your life. Brings back many memories! Even if you're a bit younger, there will be things that you will remember i.e. records. Enjoy!
After moving all over the country from Kindergarten to 11th grade there is not one thing that I do not remember. It is really a walk down memory lane. I have more than a few of them in my garage.
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N4410F... Or Truth is Stranger Than Fiction
By Shadow
I was asked to write a piece on an airplane I once owned... and what it led to. It's a long story, hard to believe... from how I acquired it to its final flight. Try as I may... I just don'think I could condense it down to one piece. So what i thought I would do a series and if someone wants to use it... fine. If not... well it's a fun story anyway. I think I'll start with the fun part. Back in the 80's... I found myself the owner of one C-123K "Provider" aircraft. Looked somewhat like a C-130, with two recip and two jet engines. I also got a C-131 Convair transport. It had a cavernous cargo bay and rear ramp that you could drive a truck or something larger inside. I'd acquired the airplane in a trade with the Air Force Museum at Wright-Pat.
My acquisition of the airplane also coincided with the halcyon days of airborne deliver of agricultural products from south of the border. When I met with Dick Upstrom, the Director of the Air Force Museum and made the deal (pending my inspection and acceptance of the two airplanes), I made a comment that would haunt me for years to come. Some aircraft the museum had traded had already been confiscated after drug runs. It wasn't lost on Dick or myself... that this was not good for the Museum's reputation. I looked Dick in the eye and said... "Well, at least with me, you can be assured these airplanes won't end up as dopers". Of course, it never occurred to me that a "Government Sanctioned" drug run would be in the airplanes future... along with some other nefarious events. Little did I know that I was about to get a worldly education that this former marine could have never imagined.
When I went out to Tucson to inspect the airplanes and log books, I took my best friend at the time, Harry Doan with me. Harry knew more about "BIG" airplanes and round engines than I did and I trusted his judgement better than my own. Hell, I was an F-4 pilot... didn't know chit about transports or trash haulers! Harry felt the Convair could easily be sold to Resorts International... since they were running a fleet of those airplanes to their various resorts and casinos. The C-123K was the big unknown? I was the first individual to own one. Before inspecting it... Harry opined it could be worth a million dollars or a fraction of that... there was just no way to know at that point. I'd be in uncharted territory.
Once Harry inspected the airplane... he became more enthused than I was... told me he would buy it himself if I wanted a quick sale (at a reduced price of course). I called Dick and said we have a deal and then Harry and I flew over to San Diego to look at some Corsair parts. While there, we stopped in at Del Mar and visited the Southern Cal Expo Fairgrounds. While there, I bought a belt for my blue jeans. It was a simple belt, with a brass buckle that was a reproduction of an old west deputy marshall's badge. Actually I picked it because it was the smallest buckle they had... and it didn't say "Keep on
Truckin'" or "Peterbilt"... which didn't fit my self image at the time. And little did I know, that innocuous little belt buckle would end up being worth thousands of dollars before things were over.
Once all the papers were signed... I had both airplanes towed over to Western International Aviation... and John Gasho put the word out I had the airplanes for sale. He also informed me that Roy Reagan and Pat Ross had an STC to put the C-123K into the "Restricted" category so it could haul cargo and quoted me what it would cost. Frankly, I was a bit strapped for cash at that point and decided I'd wait to sell the Convair before I started on the STC. Fairly quickly, John called and gave me the number of a broker in Phoenix that said he had a buyer for the Convair. I called the guy and he wanted me to fly out the next day and get the deal done quickly. I called John and told him and asked that he call Roy and Pat and gave the go ahead to start the STC process... Turned out they were already in Tucson and said they could get the job done while I was there... John's guys started the de-cocooning process in prep to get the C-123 flyable. Things were moving quickly.
I caught a flight two days later... It was summer and over 100 degrees in Tucson and I decided to fly out in shorts. I went to the hotel and called the broker and he and his customers were to meet me later that evening. We met in the hotel and arrived at a sales price and they made a substantial cash deposit and said they would have the rest of the money wired in within two days. We shook hands and they left.
The next morning I drove out to John's place (Western International) and was amazed at how quick his guys had started work on the C-123, along with Roy and Pat. They told me the airplane was in primo shape and they ought to be ready to start the engines by the end of the day or the next morning. I hung around and tried not to get in the way. Late that afternoon, they called for a fuel truck and prepared to start the engines. Now as I said... I was a novice around round engines at the time. Most of my experience involved jets. I stood out by the wingtip as Roy and Pat fired up the right
engine. As soon as it fired off... My heart leaped up into my throat; as a stream of yellowish green flame came out of the stacks about 20 feet behind the engine! Holy chit! It was on fire! At least that's what I thought when I saw it. John was standing next to me and got a kick out of my reaction. He later said I turned white... and as the flames dissipated... he turned and said... "Don't worry... that's just the preservative they put in the engines when they put it in storage that's burning off". I said... "Well you could have at least warned me... almost gave me a heart attack"!
After the recips, they started the jets and that went a lot smoother. Those little J-85's kicked up quite a dust storm... which was somehow reassuring. After the engine runs we had a meeting and they told me t hey had another days work and then would be ready to fly the airplane over to Tucson International to prepare for the FAA inspection.
The next day... I went over in my blue jeans, with my new belt and decided I would give a hand to John's guys and help clean up the inside of the airplane. I was also expecting the Convair buyers to show up with a check or cash to complete the sale. They in fact showed up around 10:00 o'clock with a third person they said was their pilot. The broker wasn't with them. I took them over to the airplane and they climbed up the stairs and got in the cockpit. I'm standing between the pilot and one of the buyers... and I notice the pilot kept staring at my crotch. The guy was a little older and I was getting the feeling this guy may be a bit... "Trey Gay"! Didn't give me a warm and fuzzy at all! We climbed down and they told me they were heading to their bank and should be back around one o'clock. I walked them over to their car and as they got ready to leave… I couldn't help but notice the pilot was still oggleing my junk from the back seat. What a weirdo!
They left and John and I and Sharon (his wife) went to lunch. Around 2:30, the buyers had not shown back up. I'm out by the C-123, when Sharon yells that I have a phone call. I walk to the office and get on the phone... It was the broker from Phoenix. He got right to the point... "Roy, I gotta ask you... are you now or have you ever been...a member of any law enforcement agency or drug enforcement agency... Federal, State or otherwise"? My immediate response was... "You gotta be shitting me"! He immediately came back with... "That's not an answer you son of a bitch... Yes or No"? I was stunned! What the hell was this all about? I finally got out... "No... of course not"! He then said... "Then where the hell did you get the belt buckle"? I looked down and saw it! This beautiful little brass belt buckle with a star in the center and a ring around it
that was inscribed with the following... "Deputy U.S. Marshall"! As my mind was trying to process what the hell was going on... I muttered out... "I bought it at the fair in San Diego when Doan and I were out there last month... What's this all about"?
He came back with... "Man, you scared the shit out of the buyers... The deals off"! I said, "You're kidding... Call them back... I need the money"! He said... "They're gone… probably in Mexico by now... They are really spooked... You really screwed the pooch with that belt buckle"! Funny what goes through your mind at a time like this? I finally said... "What about the deposit"? He shocked me when he said... "What deposit? I don't know anything about a deposit"? Now that was a bold faced lie, as he had been present when the buyers had handed over a substantial stack of $100 dollar bills as a deposit
on the airplane. He then finally ended the conversation with... "If they gave you a nonrefundable deposit and didn't finish the deal... then I guess it is found money"? With that, he hung up.
By then John and Sharon were looking a me and wondering what the hell was going on? After I hung up I looked at them and said... "You're not gonna believe this"! I told them everything and both couldn't contain themselves... they were laughing so hard...especially when I told them about the pilot staring at my crotch and me thinking he was gay. It wasn't my junk he was looking at the whole time, but the belt buckle. John then said... "I've seen a lot of crazy stuff in this business... but that's a new one on me"! If I thought the whole thing was one of the most bizarre things I'd ever experienced... it was
nothing compared to what happened three days later. BTW... I still have the belt buckle!
Things slid a day on the C-123 as we waited for a nose gear steering cable to be repaired and re-routed. Once it was fixed... I was told that Pat and Roy would fly the airplane over to the International Airport the next morning around 0800. They would take off from a dirt strip behind Gasho's business, that they shared with Bob's Air Park. It was actually just a dirt road. Well I showed up around 0730 and the C-123 was no where to be seen! John came out of the office and said that Pat and Roy had flown it over to the International at around 0530 that morning. He laughed and said... "They were thinking that if you almost had a heart attack when the engines started and all that flame came out... seeing them taking
off from that little dirt road might give you a real one"! He then said... everything went perfect and they were gonna spend the rest of the day getting ready for the FAA Inspection and don't bother them, let them do their job, you'll just be in the way. I know when I'm not wanted and went over to Pima Air Museum to kill some time. Came back and had lunch with John and Sharon at the "Triple T" truck stop and then went back to the hotel. Met them again for dinner and called it a night.
The next morning I drove over to the International Airport. I got there about 0730 and Roy and Pat were already inside, painting markings on the floor and laying out all the log books and paperwork. Roy took me aside and said the FAA was supposed to show up any minute... That he wanted me to stay out of the way and not talk to them at all...in fact, he suggested I either go back to my car or stay well outside the airplane. They knew what they doing and I couldn't help at all, but I could say something wrong if asked anything by the FAA. I understood the logic of what he was saying and I walked out to the left wingtip of the airplane and stood in the shade. Almost immediately, an FAA vehicle showed up and the inspector got out and climbed in the airplane with Roy and Pat to do his thing. After about five minutes... this red, crew cab, beat up, four wheel drive pickup... pulls up between me and the crew door of the airplane. Out steps this "scruffy" looking guy. He has on dirty blue jeans and a dirty baseball cap... Long hair in a pony tail and looked like a cross between a Desert Rat and a Hippie. He boldly walks over to the crew door and asks Pat if he was the owner of the C-123? Pat points him to me and goes back inside. He walks over and says... "You own this airplane"? I said, "Yeah" and he then says..."What are you gonna do with it... is it for sale"? I looked at him and said... "Everything I have is for sale except my wife and kids". He then asks... "How much"? Frankly, don't know why I did... but I ball's up and blurted out... "I figure it's gotta be worth a million bucks ". He gave me a funny look and then asked who was in the airplane... I told him the guys getting the STC and the FAA inspector. He then says... "Get in the ruck and let's go talk". What happened after that is the most bizarre experiences I think I've ever had… and one of the dumbest decisions I think I ever made.
I get in the truck and this guy drives over to an empty spot on the ramp about half way between the airplane and the FBO... and then he stops. He shuts the engine off and gives me that funny look again... stares at me for a minute and then says... "There's a suitcase on the rear seat... grab it and put it on the seat between us". I crawl over the seat and grab it and pull it up front. It was a cheap, shabby looking, imitation leather suitcase; with a zipper that ran around the edge... fit the drivers persona perfectly. I set it between us and he then says... "Un-zip it"! I do and pull back the top and all of a sudden... I'm staring at more money than I've ever seen in my entire life! Bundles and bundles of $100 dollar bills! The driver looks at me and says... "There's $870,000 dollars in there, plus or minus a couple of thousand... You can count it if you want... Take it or leave it"!
Wanna know what goes through your mind when something like this happens? First was a heart felt... "Thank you God"! Then you think... "Holy Shit"... followed by... "Howthe hell am I gonna get this home... no way I'm gonna get on an airplane with it"?
"Better buy a car and drive home"... "Nobody will believe this"! And a hundred other thoughts follow that. I finally look up and said... "Mister" (I had just elevated this "Desert Rat" to "Mister" status in a heart beat)... "You just bought an airplane"! He gave me a quick smile and said... "Cool"! He starts the engine back up and I look over an say... "Tell you what... Drive up to the FBO and I'll get a Bill of Sale and sign it now". He looks back and says... "You can mail it to me... I trust you". I'm totally baffled by that... but hey... as long as I've got the money, I'll do what ever he wants! I then said... "Well drive back to the plane and I'll tell Pat and Roy that you now own the airplane". He then says... "I'll tell them... if I were you, I'd be thinking how you're gonna get back home with all that money"... and he smiled for the first time. Got to hand it to him... he was thinking along the same lines that I was. I then said... "I'm parked over by the fence, if you'll drop me off over there, I'll get your address and be on my way". He heads over slowly and then I said the dumbest thing I've ever said in my life.
"What are you gonna do with the airplane"? He slows to a stop and says... "What the fuck do you think I'm gonna do with it? I'm gonna make the biggest haul of coke in history... with that big mother... I've been waiting for years for a plane like this"! In an instant... My hubris and fighter pilot ego... were overwhelmed by my naivety...ignorance, bullheadedness, lack of knowledge of the law and a hundred other good reasons to not say what I did.
I looked at him and said... "Man, I can't sell you that airplane... You could have told me you were gonna haul bananas to Costa Rica and I would have taken your money. But you telling me you're gonna haul dope... One of two things are gonna happen. This is either a setup... or you're so brazen and stupid and you're gonna get caught and my knowing... will get me in jail too... No way"! With that... he slammed on his breaks, looks at me and says... "You're a fucking idiot… Get out"! And he promptly dumped me out on the ramp... he backed away at least a hundred yards so I couldn't read his license plate, turned around and drove off. It was a long walk back to the plane and my mind was going a hundred miles a minute.
When I think back on it... even to this day... I can't believe what a dumb shit I was. But hey... I never went jail and I could sleep at night (not really)... when I didn't think about it.
One last anecdote... As I said... I had mostly flown Fighter/Attack aircraft at this stage of my life. I'd made arrangements with a friend of mine to store the airplane at his facility at Long Beach airport (closer than Florida). Roy and Pat were gonna fly it there for me. At the last minute, Roy had to leave and I was now gonna be part of the flight crew. I talked to pat the day before and asked if there was anything else I needed to get to make the trip. Pat suggested I get some oil, just in case we might need some. I asked if a case or two was needed and Pat laughed and said... "You jet pilots don't know anything... Get a couple of 50 gallon drums! (The airplane had a replenishment system that allowed you to pump oil into the tanks while in flight) I got the oil. As things turned out my wife and kids were in San Diego visiting her Left Wing, Democrat voting; siblings and parents (I was not a favored son in law). Now I had told Wendy and the kids about the airplane, but knew they had no concept of its size and bulk. Since we were heading in that general direction (west)... I thought, why not? I'll stop at Palomar where I used to fly out of when we lived in La Costa... Told Pat about my plan and he was good with it. Called Wendy and told her to drive up from San Diego and meet me... "Oh... and call a couple of friends for me". Can't blame me for showing off a bit... can you? Last thing anybody saw me fly out of that airport was in my T-34. Pat and I met at the plane the next morning... did a walk around and climbed in. As he closes the crew door after we did an internal walk around... he looks at me and says… "You jump in the left seat". I climb up into the cockpit and Pat talks me through the start process and we get the recips going. Taxiing was a new experience, in that I had a little steering wheel off to my left to turn with... instead of differential braking or nose gear steering through switch on the yoke. I got us to the hold short line and we did our run-up and everything checked 5 X 5. Pat says... "Your airplane, you wanna fly it"? Now I'd read the pilots manual... but I'd never flown anything like it before. I talked Pat through the numbers and procedures and he confirmed everything and I said... "I'll give it a go, but back me up in case I start to do something stupid". Pat assured me he would. Then he says... "Do you want to take off with just the recips... or do you want the jets too"? I thought about it and said... "Since it'll be my first takeoff... Let's use them all". Pat smiled and we started the jets. I pulled on the runway and used the little toggle switches that were the throttles for the jets... and ran them up to 100%. I pushed the yoke forward like in the A-4... released the brakes and came on with the recips.
Now we were really light... Just Pat and me and the two fifty gallon drums of oil. But I was surprised that I actually felt a little push back in the seat. We accelerated smartly and in no time I rotated. Then I was really surprised! That big pig climbed like a homesick angel! I looked at the VSI and I was climbing well over 1,500 feet a minute. I continued the climb to 6,500 feet and leveled off. Once level, Pat says to me... "Eh Roy... if you don't shut down those jets... We won't have enough fuel to make Gila Bend... much less San Diego"! Just as I'd been surprised to feel a push back in the seat on takeoff... I was even more surprised to go forward in the straps when I toggled the jet throttles down from 100% to idle. After that... the excitement was mostly over until we approached Palomar. The airplane just kind of wallowed along at less than 150 knots.
As impressed as I was with the takeoff performance... I was equally unimpressed with its' cruise performance. Coming over the mountains passing Escondido... I called in to Palomar tower for landing instructions. "Palomar Tower... Fairchild 4410 Foxtrot for landing"… Palomar gives me the runway and tells me to call "The Lake" when I reach it. It was a fix that all pilots who flew out of Palomar were familiar with and I "Rogered" his instructions. Approaching the lake I saw a Cessna at about my 10 o'clock and pointed him out to Pat.
Just then, the Cessna must have spotted me and he calls Palomar and asked what his traffic was? Palomar comes back with... "It's a Fairchild PT-19... a two seat WW II trainer". My neighbor had a PT-19 that he and I flew regularly out of Palomar and that's what he thought we were. The Cessna calls back and says... I see my traffic, but that's no trainer... IT's BIG"!
The tower then calls me and says... "4410 Foxtrot... Say type aircraft". I called back andsaid... "Fairchild C-123K"! He then says... "What's that"? I said, "Well if it helps… we have two turning and two burning". "You're on fire"?! I laughed and said, "No... we have two recips and two jets for power". About that time he evidently saw me with his binoculars and said... "You're a C-130"? I said, "No... A C-123K". "OK".
Pat then looks at me and says... "Wanna do an 'Assault' landing... That'll really impress them"? I said OK and Pat says... "Put it right on the end of the runway... shove the yoke forward and I'll go into reverse thrust... I'll yell you when to get on the brakes". It was one of those rare times when the first time you did something... it turned out perfect!
We stopped right at a 1,000 feet! Don't know if it impressed them... but it sure as hell impressed me! Spent about an hour on the ground at Palomar showing family and friends the airplane and my kids decided they wanted to ride with me up to Long Beach. We took off and leveled at 1,500 feet to fly up the coast and let the kids do a little sight seeing. Nearing Laguna Beach... I called Coast Approach for flight following... Their first response was… "Are you the C-123"? I affirmed that and they asked where I was landing and I told them Long Beach.
Pat then said... "Funny they knew what kind of plane we were, without us telling them? Think maybe 'Big Brother' is curious"? That was the end of the first part of the saga. Had another perfect landing and I dropped Pat off at John Wayne airport to catch his flight and drove back to San Diego.
As crazy, wild, bizarre and crazy as it was... It was nothing compared to what was to come!
Next... The "Fat Lady" sings.
Shadow
P.S.
Oh... and Big Brother was watching... which I was soon to find out.
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Thanks to Carl
(READ this article about an amazing hero denied his recognition for valor in fierce combat so long ago! Several photos in link!)
How Green Beret Paris Davis' teammates fought the Pentagon for his Medal of Honor
"We could have given up at any time in that nine years and it would have gone nowhere."
BY DAVID ROZA | PUBLISHED FEB 21, 2023 6:27 PM EST
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This Day in U S Military History
February 22
1909 – The Great White Fleet returned to Norfolk, Va., from an around-the-world show of naval power. 1st US fleet to circle the globe. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various escorts. Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy capability. Hoping to enforce treaties and protect overseas holdings, the U.S. Congress appropriated funds to build American sea power. Beginning with just 90 small ships, over one-third of them wooden, the navy quickly grew to include new modern steel fighting vessels. The hulls of these ships were painted a stark white, giving the armada the nickname "Great White Fleet".
1943 – The USS Campbell, CG, rammed the U-606 in the North Atlantic after the U-boat was forced to surface after being attacked by the Polish destroyer Burza. The U-boat sank before a boarding party could reach the submarine. The Campbell rescued five of the U-606's crew. Due to the collision, Campbell's engine room was flooded and she lost power but was towed to safety, repaired, and returned to service.
1945 – The naval gun and air bombardment (by US Task Forces 52, 54 and 58) continues. Elements of the US 5th Amphibious Corps continue to make slow progress toward Mount Suribachi to the south and the airfield to the north (most of which has now been captured). There are Japanese counterattacks and infiltration attempts during the night.
1994 – CIA operative Aldrich Ames is arrested for selling secrets to the Soviet Union. Ames had access to the names and identities of all U.S. spies in Russia, and by becoming a double agent he was directly responsible for jeopardizing the lives of CIA agents working in the Eastern bloc. At least 10 men were killed after Ames revealed their identities, and more were sent to Russian gulags. Maria del Rosario Casas Ames, Aldrich's wife and an ex-CIA employee herself, was also charged for her role in accepting approximately $2.7 million (the most the Soviets ever paid a foreign spy) for providing the highly confidential information to the KGB. It was the Ames' spending that finally led to their downfall, but for many years no one questioned their ability to buy expensive cars and homes (paid for with cash) on his government salary. Ames picked up the cash at secret drops in the Washington, D.C., area and in unauthorized travels to Colombia and Venezuela. Aldrich Ames was the biggest success of the Soviet Union's reinvigorated espionage program. After the disastrous invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the Russians decided that spying was their best bet for improving their strategic position vis-ý-vis the United States. Dimitri Yakushkin was put in charge of a team called Group North. Yakushkin put more emphasis and money into clandestine operations and was rewarded when they turned Ames into a double agent. Ames, who had worked for the CIA since 1962, and whose main duties had included contacting Soviet sources, was the crown jewel for Group North. His information destroyed almost the whole American intelligence program in Russia. Later, a Senate Intelligence Committee issued a report that harshly criticized the CIA leadership for their negligence in allowing Ames to get away with his subterfuge for so long.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
WILLIAMS, ANTHONY
Rank and organization: Sailmaker's Mate, U.S. Navy. Born: 1822, Plymouth, Mass. Accredited to: Maine. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865. Citation: Served as sailmaker's mate on board the U.S.S. Pontoosuc during the capture of Fort Fisher and Wilmington, 24 December 1864 to 22 February 1865. Carrying out his duties faithfully throughout this period, Williams was recommended for gallantry and skill and for his cool courage while under the fire of the enemy throughout these various actions.
CHAMBERS, JUSTICE M.
Rank and organization: Colonel. U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 3rd Assault Battalion Landing Team. 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division. Place and date: On Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. from 19 to 22 February 1945. Entered service at: Washington, D.C. Born: 2 February 1908, Huntington, W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the 3d Assault Battalion Landing Team, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, from 19 to 22 February 1945. Under a furious barrage of enemy machinegun and small-arms fire from the commanding cliffs on the right, Col. Chambers (then Lt. Col.) landed immediately after the initial assault waves of his battalion on D-day to find the momentum of the assault threatened by heavy casualties from withering Japanese artillery, mortar rocket, machinegun, and rifle fire. Exposed to relentless hostile fire, he coolly reorganized his battle-weary men, inspiring them to heroic efforts by his own valor and leading them in an attack on the critical, impregnable high ground from which the enemy was pouring an increasing volume of fire directly onto troops ashore as well as amphibious craft in succeeding waves. Constantly in the front lines encouraging his men to push forward against the enemy's savage resistance, Col. Chambers led the 8-hour battle to carry the flanking ridge top and reduce the enemy's fields of aimed fire, thus protecting the vital foothold gained. In constant defiance of hostile fire while reconnoitering the entire regimental combat team zone of action, he maintained contact with adjacent units and forwarded vital information to the regimental commander. His zealous fighting spirit undiminished despite terrific casualties and the loss of most of his key officers, he again reorganized his troops for renewed attack against the enemy's main line of resistance and was directing the fire of the rocket platoon when he fell, critically wounded. Evacuated under heavy Japanese fire, Col. Chambers, by forceful leadership, courage, and fortitude in the face of staggering odds, was directly instrumental in insuring the success of subsequent operations of the 5th Amphibious Corps on Iwo Jima, thereby sustaining and enhancing the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
MONTGOMERY, JACK C.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 45th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near, Padiglione, Italy, 22 February 1944. Entered service at: Sallisaw, Okla. Birth: Long, Okla. 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 22 February 1944, near Padiglione, Italy. Two hours before daybreak a strong force of enemy infantry established themselves in 3 echelons at 50 yards, 100 yards, and 300 yards, respectively, in front of the rifle platoons commanded by 1st Lt. Montgomery. The closest position, consisting of 4 machineguns and 1 mortar, threatened the immediate security of the platoon position. Seizing an Ml rifle and several hand grenades, 1st Lt. Montgomery crawled up a ditch to within hand grenade range of the enemy. Then climbing boldly onto a little mound, he fired his rifle and threw his grenades so accurately that he killed 8 of the enemy and captured the remaining 4. Returning to his platoon, he called for artillery fire on a house, in and around which he suspected that the majority of the enemy had entrenched themselves. Arming himself with a carbine, he proceeded along the shallow ditch, as withering fire from the riflemen and machinegunners in the second position was concentrated on him. He attacked this position with such fury that 7 of the enemy surrendered to him, and both machineguns were silenced. Three German dead were found in the vicinity later that morning. 1st Lt. Montgomery continued boldly toward the house, 300 yards from his platoon position. It was now daylight, and the enemy observation was excellent across the flat open terrain which led to 1st Lt. Montgomery's objective. When the artillery barrage had lifted, 1st Lt. Montgomery ran fearlessly toward the strongly defended position. As the enemy started streaming out of the house, 1st Lt. Montgomery, unafraid of treacherous snipers, exposed himself daringly to assemble the surrendering enemy and send them to the rear. His fearless, aggressive, and intrepid actions that morning, accounted for a total of 11 enemy dead, 32 prisoners, and an unknown number of wounded. That night, while aiding an adjacent unit to repulse a counterattack, he was struck by mortar fragments and seriously wounded. The selflessness and courage exhibited by 1st Lt. Montgomery in alone attacking 3 strong enemy positions inspired his men to a degree beyond estimation.
FOX, WESLEY L.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Leesburg, Va. Born: 30 September 1931, Herndon, Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as commanding officer of Company A, in action against the enemy in the northern A Shau Valley. Capt. (then 1st Lt.) Fox's company came under intense fire from a large well concealed enemy force. Capt. Fox maneuvered to a position from which he could assess the situation and confer with his platoon leaders. As they departed to execute the plan he had devised, the enemy attacked and Capt. Fox was wounded along with all of the other members of the command group, except the executive officer. Capt. Fox continued to direct the activity of his company. Advancing through heavy enemy fire, he personally neutralized 1 enemy position and calmly ordered an assault against the hostile emplacements. He then moved through the hazardous area coordinating aircraft support with the activities of his men. When his executive officer was mortally wounded, Capt. Fox reorganized the company and directed the fire of his men as they hurled grenades against the enemy and drove the hostile forces into retreat. Wounded again in the final assault, Capt. Fox refused medical attention, established a defensive posture, and supervised the preparation of casualties for medical evacuation. His indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger inspired his marines to such aggressive action that they overcame all enemy resistance and destroyed a large bunker complex. Capt. Fox's heroic actions reflect great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and uphold the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
LANG, GEORGE C.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. place and date: Kien Hoa province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Brooklyn, N.Y. Born: 20 April 1947, Flushing, N.Y . Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Lang, Company A, was serving as a squad leader when his unit, on a reconnaissance-in-force mission, encountered intense fire from a well fortified enemy bunker complex. Sp4c. Lang observed an emplacement from which heavy fire was coming. Unhesitatingly, he assaulted the position and destroyed it with hand grenades and rifle fire. Observing another emplacement approximately 15 meters to his front, Sp4c. Lang jumped across a canal, moved through heavy enemy fire to within a few feet of the position, and eliminated it, again using hand grenades and rifle fire. Nearby, he discovered a large cache of enemy ammunition. As he maneuvered his squad forward to secure the cache, they came under fire from yet a third bunker. Sp4c. Lang immediately reacted, assaulted his position, and destroyed it with the remainder of his grenades. After returning to the area of the arms cache, his squad again came under heavy enemy rocket and automatic weapons fire from 3 sides and suffered 6 casualties. Sp4c. Lang was 1 of those seriously wounded. Although immobilized and in great pain, he continued to direct his men until his evacuation was ordered over his protests. The sustained extraordinary courage and selflessness exhibited by this soldier over an extended period of time were an inspiration to his comrades and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
*LAW, ROBERT D.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company 1 (Ranger), 75th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. place and date: Tinh Phuoc Thanh province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Born: 15 September 1944, Fort Worth, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Law distinguished himself while serving with Company 1. While on a long-range reconnaissance patrol in Tinh Phuoc Thanh province, Sp4c. Law and 5 comrades made contact with a small enemy patrol. As the opposing elements exchanged intense fire, he maneuvered to a perilously exposed position flanking his comrades and began placing suppressive fire on the hostile troops. Although his team was hindered by a low supply of ammunition and suffered from an unidentified irritating gas in the air, Sp4c. Law's spirited defense and challenging counterassault rallied his fellow soldiers against the well-equipped hostile troops. When an enemy grenade landed in his team's position, Sp4c. Law, instead of diving into the safety of a stream behind him, threw himself on the grenade to save the lives of his comrades. Sp4c. Law's extraordinary courage and profound concern for his fellow soldiers were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Arm
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 22 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
22 February
1921: Jack Knight, Ernest M. Allison, and five others flew the first transcontinental airmail flight from San Francisco, Calif., to New York, N. Y., in 33 hours 30 minutes, using US-built De Havilland DH-4s. Knight also flew at night from North Platte, Nebr., to Chicago, Ill. (9) (21)
1945: Operation CLARION. Aircraft from Eighth, Ninth, and Fifteenth Air Forces began an all-out assault on German communications and other transportation targets. (24)
1962: EXERCISE BANYAN TREE. USAF and USA elements from the Strike Command began this exercise in Panama's Rio Hato training area. (24)
1967: Operation JUNCTION CITY. 23 USAF C-130s carried 700 troops from the 173d Airborne Brigade on the first parachute personnel drop in the Vietnam War. Heavy drops of equipment and supplies followed the personnel drop. (16) (17)
1968: The first AC-130A gunship deployed to Southeast Asia in 1967 and returned later in December to the US for refurbishment. On 22 February 1967, the aircraft redeployed to Ubon Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, while seven more C-130s were being modified as gunships for deployment in Southeast Asia by year's end. The USAF also activated the 16th Special Operations Squadron on 30 October 1968 as a gunship unit for the AC-130As. (17)
1973: CEASE FIRE IN LAOS. After signing the cease-fire for S. Vietnam on 27 January, the U. S. redirected most of its air operations against N. Vietnamese forces in Laos. In addition to the 4,482 attack sorties flown by the Royal Lao Air Force, the USAF flew 50 B-52 Arc Light sorties and 4,000 tactical sorties in January. After the 22 February cease-fire, the Laotian government requested three B-52 strikes on 23 February to answer N. Vietnamese violations. B-52s also flew 41 more sorties on 15, 16, and 17 April. These were the final B-52 strikes against targets in Laos. (17)
1977: The Carter Administration ended Minuteman III production. (6)
1978: From Vandenberg AFB, Calif., an Atlas F booster placed the first Navigation System Timing and Ranging (NAVSTAR 1), a Global Positioning Satellite, into orbit. On 31 March, the satellite became operational. (26)
1998: Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen asked for a Presidential Selective Reserve Call-Up to support operations against Iraq in Southwest Asia. (32)
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