Good Tuesday morning February 25. I hope that your week is off to a good start. I have two Doctor appointments this morning starting at 0700 so I am up early and getting this List out. I hope there are not too many mistakes
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. 25
1861—The sloop of war Saratoga of the U.S. African Squadron captures the slaver sloop Express.
1917—Marines and a naval landing force from USS Connecticut (BB 18), USS Michigan (BB 27), and USS South Carolina (BB 26) move into Guantanamo City, Cuba to protect American citizens during the sugar revolt.
1933—USS Ranger (CV 4), the US Navy's first true aircraft carrier, is launched.
1944— USS Hoe (SS 258) attacks a Japanese convoy at the mouth of Davao Gulf, sinking the fleet tanker Nissho Maru and damaging the fleet tanker Kyokuto Maru, while USS Rasher (SS 269) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Ryusei Maru and freighter Tango Maru off the north coast of Bali.
1991—During Operation Desert Storm, USS Wisconsin (BB 64) and USS Missouri (BB 63) provide naval gunfire support and other operations.
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Today in World History: February 25.
1570 Pope Pius V issues the bull Regnans in Excelsis which excommunicates Queen Elizabeth of England.
1601 Robert Devereux, the second Earl of Essex and former favorite of Elizabeth I, is beheaded in the Tower of London for high treason.
1642 Dutch settlers slaughter lower Hudson Valley Indians in New Netherland, North America, who sought refuge from Mohawk attackers.
1779 The British surrender the Illinois country to George Rogers Clark at Vincennes.
1781 American General Nathaniel Greene crosses the Dan River on his way to attack Cornwallis.
1791 President George Washington signs a bill creating the Bank of the United States.
1804 Thomas Jefferson is nominated for president at the Democratic-Republican caucus.
1815 Napoleon leaves his exile on the island of Elba, returning to France.
1831 The Polish army halts the Russian advance into their country at the Battle of Grochow.
1836 Samuel Colt patents the first revolving cylinder multi-shot firearm.
1862 Confederate troops abandon Nashville, Tennessee, in the face of Grant's advance. The ironclad Monitor is commissioned at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
1865 General Joseph E. Johnston replaces John Bell Hood as Commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee.
1904 J.M. Synge's play Riders to the Sea opens in Dublin.
1910 The 13th Dalai Lama flees from the Chinese and takes refuge in India.
1913 The 16th Amendment to the constitution is adopted, setting the legal basis for the income tax.
1919 Oregon introduces the first state tax on gasoline at one cent per gallon, to be used for road construction.
1926 Poland demands a permanent seat on the League of Nations council.
1928 Bell Labs introduces a new device to end the fluttering of the television image.
1943 U.S. troops retake the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia, where they had been defeated five days before.
1944 U.S. forces destroy 135 Japanese planes in Marianas and Guam.
1952 French colonial forces evacuate Hoa Binh in Indochina.
1956 Stalin is secretly disavowed by Khrushchev at a party congress for promoting the "cult of the individual."
1976 The U.S. Supreme Court rules that states may ban the hiring of illegal aliens.
1964
Young Muhammad Ali knocks out Sonny Liston for first world title
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
February 25
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 25 February
February 24: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1010
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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From the List archives for your perusal
(Forgot he had two MOH! Phyllis Schlafly at the Eagle Forum always referenced and quoted Smedley Butler. Notice the highlighted number of general and admirals today! Several sources say we have more Navy admirals today than ships!)
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2020/02/no_author/where-have-you-gone-smedley-butler/
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
.My dad had one blue eye and one brown eye…I got two blue…skip
All blue-eyed people likely descended from a single ancestor.
Eyes are said to be the windows to the soul, but they're also a glimpse at humanity's genetic past. Scientists estimate that between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, the eye color of all Homo sapiens was brown — likely an evolutionary advantage, as the melanin pigment offers some protection from UV radiation. But then, something changed. Sometime during the Neolithic expansion in Europe, an individual was born with a mutation to the OCA2 gene. This gene code controls melanin production in the iris, and the mutation caused this person's eyes to turn blue rather than the usual brown. Because blue eyes can only form as a result of this mutation, scientists theorize that all blue-eyed people — about 10% of the world population — are a relative of this original lone blue-eyed ancestor.
Strangely, this mutation doesn't actually turn your eyes blue — in fact, blue eyes are technically not blue at all. The eye's iris is predominantly made up of two layers: the stroma and the epithelium. Brown eyes have a brown-black melanin pigment in both these layers (though the stroma absorbs the most light), which produces the color brown. Blue eyes, on the other hand, have no melanin pigment in the stroma; in fact, blue eyes have no pigment at all. Instead, they are a reflection of white light in a process called the Tyndall effect. Because blue wavelengths of light are the shortest, they are reflected the most by the fibers in the eyes, which absorb the longer red-orange wavelengths. This bit of complicated optics is similar to how the atmosphere reflects sunlight, turning the sky (and the ocean) a dazzling blue. So while the overall effect is that people have "blue" eyes, from a pigment perspective, the truth is that they really don't have any color at all.
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Humans are less genetically diverse than other primates.
Humans are the least genetically diverse among the great apes. This means that we're a relatively young species, as enough time hasn't passed for mutations to accumulate (200,000 years is a geologic blink of an eye). It also means that Homo sapiens likely sprung from a surprisingly small population — around just 10,000 breeding pairs or so. This is likely because early humans appear to have survived two genetic bottlenecks while exiting Africa, both of which caused the population to plummet. One theory suggests humans almost went extinct 74,000 years ago due to a massive volcanic eruption, but other studies question if that "eruption" was actually an epidemic. Usually, this low diversity can make it tougher for animals to adapt to climatic changes. Fortunately, what humans lack in genetic brawn, we make up for with our incredibly complex brains.
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Thanks to 1440
French Abuse Trial
Former French surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec went on trial yesterday, accused of sexually assaulting nearly 300 patients, mostly minors, in the country's largest child sex abuse case on record.
Le Scouarnec was initially arrested in 2017 following accusations that he abused or raped four girls, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. While investigating, police reportedly recovered journals with accounts written by Le Scouarnec, detailing hundreds of other incidents. The 74-year-old faces an additional 20 years behind bars if convicted.
The public has also cast blame on medical authorities—the doctor was originally convicted in 2005 on possessing child sexual abuse material charges but was allowed to continue practicing pediatric medicine until his arrest 12 years later.
The proceedings follow the conclusion of the Pelicot trial, in which a Frenchman was found guilty of repeatedly drugging his wife and inviting other men to rape her while unconscious. Both cases generated international condemnation and outrage.
Singer Roberta Flack Dies
Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning R&B singer and pianist known for her soulful hits like "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," passed away yesterday at age 88. No cause of death was given, though Flack was diagnosed in 2022 with Lou Gehrig's disease, which left her unable to sing.
She rose to stardom in her early 30s after Clint Eastwood featured "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" in his 1971 directorial debut "Play Misty for Me," pushing the song to the top of the Billboard chart and earning her a Grammy for record of the year in 1973. Originally a folk song by Ewan MacColl, "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" was reinterpreted by Flack into a slower-paced romantic ballad.
Flack won record of the year again for "Killing Me Softly with His Song" in 1974, becoming the first to nab back-to-back wins in the category. A version of the song also topped the charts again in 1996 when hip-hop trio the Fugees recorded their take on the hit. Hear Flack's most popular songs here. See her life in pictures here.
Apple Boosts US Investment
Apple announced yesterday plans to invest more than $500B in the US over the next four years, marking its largest-ever spending commitment. The initiative includes hiring approximately 20,000 new employees across multiple states, primarily focused on research and development, silicon engineering, and artificial intelligence.
A significant portion will fund a new AI server manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas. The Houston facility will produce servers supporting Apple Intelligence (the company's AI-powered personal assistant system), shifting the production of these servers from outside the US to domestic facilities. The announcement comes amid renewed pressure from the Trump administration regarding tariffs on goods imported from China, where Apple assembles most of its products.
The investment follows previous commitments by Apple. In 2021, the company pledged $430B in US investments and has since expanded domestic manufacturing, including chip production in Arizona. See our 1440 Topics page on Apple here.
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Thanks to Barrett
My family owned four full-auto weapons; two were mine. I/we mainly had them for historic & research purposes. I enjoyed comparing notes on the Browning M1917 water-cooled with Col. Mitch Paige who received a well-earned MoH with his section overlooking Henderson Field in '42.
I don't know how many Class III guns are out there now—tens of thousands. After A LOT of research and inquiring, I found two legally owned go-fast guns that were used in crimes. One was a MAC-10 used by a cop to snuff a snitch who set him up. (I'll sign off now because I'm starting to write like Mickey Spillane.)
Barrett
Barrett,
You mentioned gun shows… I'm not a fan of civilians and automatic weapons. Tend to think those things military should remain there… but I understand why some are drawn to them…. That said, tell you about my experience.
Back when I started to get involved with various government agencies… I was encouraged by some of my Fed Bubbas to get a pistol and they took me to a Gun Show. We're walking down one of the aisles, when we came to a guy holding an AK-47. He was an obvious Red Neck… had some missing teeth, a weeks beard… and dirty clothes. I stopped and looked at this guy as he softly stroked the AK, like a lover. I was taken aback as I studied the look on his face and in his eyes.
As I stood there watching… it hit me! I'd seen that look before… it was when Betty Lynn Scott walked by our PE Class in her skin tight gym shorts! The idea that two such disparate events could evoke the same primal reaction in a human being just blew me away!
To each his own I guess… I 'd take Betty any day (and did)… but a guy like that one scares the shit out of me!
Shadow
Thanks to Eagle
I was in love with my 7th grade teacher. Miss Hubbard. Dressed to the nines every day. Tall beautiful blond. Hmmmm. Wonder what ever happened to her. She didnt wait for me to grow up.
EAGLE
YP
Guaran-damn-tee that NOBODY in my educator exposure, from K to 12, looked like that. The femmes mostly were matronly ladies older than my parents. I had one poly-sci prof in college who was semi-cute. The others, not so much.
YP
I am with YP In all the schools that I attended moving around I never had a female teacher that was worth remembering for their looks. But I did have a couple that were some of the nicest people I still remember.
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Covid Continued
Thanks to Shadow
First off… Good news! Today is the first day I've come anywhere near normal… still a bit weak, but able to eat and not have a blanket handy. Even went to the grocery store and then Mayport for some fresh shrimp.
Gonna go on a tangent to begin with… want to take a few minutes to talk about a group we all know and love (not). The news media. As Black can affirm… I have had more than a little interaction with the media over my lifetime… not by design, just because of events in my life. I had the opportunity to witness how the sausage was made… and it ain't purty. (CNN News once called me a Shadowy Man)... Long story.
My first real exposer to the media was in Central America during the Sandinista/FMLN conflicts in El Salvador and Nicaragua. Through a fluke, I was introduced to the Station Manager for CBS News in the region. Her name was Courtney Hood… we called her Cookie. Nice girl… but no rocket scientist. Anyhow… Cookie eventually invited me up to their headquarters at the Intercontinental Hotel… that was where the sausage was made. Later she invited me to Managua and I had free access to their sausage factory there too.
Over a period of time, Cookie and I exchanged candid thoughts about both wars and regimes… she was honest enough to keep our conversations private and off the record, with one exception. I'll get to that shortly. It was obvious that we came at things with a different perspective. CBS's suite was a gathering place for all kinds of freelancers and CBS Staff. When visiting I tended to stay out of any conversations and just observed what was going on. I have to admit… my first and final impression was this was a gathering of a cabal of would be revolutionaries themselves… that seemed to feed off each other with one harebrained conspiracy idea after another. The FMLN were the good guys; the Government were all fascists. Collectively they reminded me of a bunch of Freshman Psychology Majors in college…. That never grew up or matured. Never let the truth get in the way of a great conspiracy story. Frankly, today things haven't changed much… our national media, with the exception of FOX News (sometimes)… are purveyors of half truths, innuendos, lies and garbage… given with a hard core agenda. They are as left as they come.
Now the on camera "Talking Head" in those days was Jane Wallace. Reputed to be the future Talking Head on the Today Show, until her potty mouth on camera (she thought the camera was off)… got her disqualified. Anyway… one afternoon Cookie said that Jane would like to meet me and wanted to know if I'd have dinner with the two of them. I agreed and at around eight that evening we met in the lobby of the hotel. Both of them wanted to go to the "Zona Rosa"… the local night club area for dinner. I objected in that I thought since it was the gathering place of most Gringos in the country, including the Mil Group and Embassy Staff… sooner or later it was gonna be a target for the FMLN. Instead I suggested a small restaurant down the street from there, that had great food and lots of privacy. They finally agreed.
No sooner than we sat down to eat… Wallace starts in on me… What was I really doing in this war torn country? I explained I was just a business man looking for old airplane parts. She wasn't buying it and finally said the following… "Cookie says you're old school". I said, "What the hell does that mean"? She said… "You don't think much of the media and how we do our job down here". I said, "What I think is… you folks come down here with a preconceived notions of how things are… and you only look at things through that prism. There are two sides to every story"!
She seemed a bit taken aback for a second and then leaned across the table and and said with all the assuredness in the world… "Well… I see nothing wrong with being didactic… you do know what that word means don't you"? I was shocked at her pure arrogance! But she gave this former Marine an opening… for I had run into that word at sometime in college (or Readers Digest) and I'd looked it up. I looked back to her and said, "I think you just proved my point… the last time I looked it up… Didactic means teaching or proselytizing… and dammit, that's exactly what you're doing… you're not reporting even handedly". God as my witness… a bomb went off in the Zona Rosa before she could open her mouth again!
Now the restaurant we were in, was below ground level… both of them started to jump up to go outside. Cookie was heading for the stairs and I yelled , "Don't go out the front"! Simultaneously, I reached across the table and grabbed Jane's bra strap from behind to keep her from getting up to join Cookie. I was fully expecting gun fire to break out at any second. I screamed at the waiter and asked about a way out… he took us though the kitchen and let us out in an alley. As we peeked around the corner… we could see the fire and all the rescue equipment arriving. I said, wait a while and make sure there's no gunfire… too dangerous to go there right now. Jane then turned and with venom in her eyes she said… "YOU KNEW"! I looked at her and said, "Yeah right… think I wouldn't have warned people if I knew… that's bullshit and you know it"!
Such was the mind of the media. Still that way today…
Since I'm ranting about the media… Gotta share this story. When I was in college during a trip to Washington (I won't go into why I was there)… I had the pleasure of having lunch with Dwight Chapin and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Moynihan was unbelievable and told us stories that were so enlightening and funny, I had tears in my eyes! At one point he started talking about the media… "You can never trust those bastards… they'd sell you and their soul down the river in a heartbeat for a front page story". He then related a story from when he was Ambassador to the U.N. In those days he had a friend who was a reporter for the NYT. Actually, they were drinking Buddies. There was an iron clad mutual agreement that anything said at the bar was "OFF THE RECORD"!
One day, there was a heated exchange between the Indian Ambassador and Moynihan over our country's intention to sell arms to Pakistan. In fact, the Indian Ambassador said if we go through with it… India would install a total embargo on exports to the U.S. That afternoon at the bar, his NYT Buddy asked if he had any concerns over India's threat to embargo their exports to us? Moynihan in typical Irish virus candor turned around looked at his friend and said, "Hell, I'm not worried… what the hell did they ever export outside of a communicable disease anyway"! Little did he know, that quote made the front page of the NYT the next day! He had to find a new drinking Buddy… go figure? True story.
I'm gonna get back to today's stuff either later today… or tomorrow. The point of all this is you can't trust a damn thing you see or hear from the media… They have always been two faced liars. Nothing they say about Russia, Ukraine, Trump... can be taken with more than a grain of salt. 90% of what they say is BS!
Shadow
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. Gun Shows to Teachers
Thanks to Barrett
My family owned four full-auto weapons; two were mine. I/we mainly had them for historic & research purposes. I enjoyed comparing notes on the Browning M1917 water-cooled with Col. Mitch Paige who received a well-earned MoH with his section overlooking Henderson Field in '42.
I don't know how many Class III guns are out there now—tens of thousands. After A LOT of research and inquiring, I found two legally owned go-fast guns that were used in crimes. One was a MAC-10 used by a cop to snuff a snitch who set him up. (I'll sign off now because I'm starting to write like Mickey Spillane.)
Barrett
Barrett,
You mentioned gun shows… I'm not a fan of civilians and automatic weapons. Tend to think those things military should remain there… but I understand why some are drawn to them…. That said, tell you about my experience.
Back when I started to get involved with various government agencies… I was encouraged by some of my Fed Bubbas to get a pistol and they took me to a Gun Show. We're walking down one of the aisles, when we came to a guy holding an AK-47. He was an obvious Red Neck… had some missing teeth, a weeks beard… and dirty clothes. I stopped and looked at this guy as he softly stroked the AK, like a lover. I was taken aback as I studied the look on his face and in his eyes.
As I stood there watching… it hit me! I'd seen that look before… it was when Betty Lynn Scott walked by our PE Class in her skin tight gym shorts! The idea that two such disparate events could evoke the same primal reaction in a human being just blew me away!
To each his own I guess… I 'd take Betty any day (and did)… but a guy like that one scares the shit out of me!
Shadow
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This Day in U S Military History
1933 – The USS Ranger becomes the US' first aircraft carrier, built to be a carrier. The sixth Ranger (CV 4), the first ship of the Navy to be designed and built from the keel up as an aircraft carrier was laid down 26 September 1931 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, Va.; launched 25 February 1933, sponsored by Mrs. Herbert Hoover; and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard 4 June 1934, Capt. Arthur L. Bristol in command.
1944 – In the climax of the "Big Week" bombing campaign, aircraft of the US 8th Air Force (830 bombers) and the US 15th Air Force (150 bombers), with fighter escorts, conduct a daylight raid of the Messerschmitt works at Regensburg and Augsburg. Losses are reported at 30 and 35 bombers, of the 8th and 15th Air Forces respectively, as well as 8 escort fighters. The Americans claim to shoot down 142 German fighters as well as destroying 1000 German fighters on the assembly lines and 1000 more lost to the disruption of production. During the night, RAF Bomber Command attacks Augsburg in a two waves.
1945 – On Iwo Jima, the advance of US 5th Amphibious Corps continues but there are heavy losses in the area around the second airfield. The US 3rd Marine Division is committed to the battle.
1991 – In the most decisive actions of the Gulf War, VII Corps, moving directly east with three heavy divisions abreast, attacked the elite Iraqi Republican Guard units. Late in the afternoon on the twenty-sixth, the VII Corps hit elements of the Tawakalna Division in the battle of 73 Easting. In quick succession, the 2d ACR, 1st and 3d Armored Divisions, and the 1st Infantry Division smashed through the Tawakalna Division. Overwhelming the enemy with accurate tank fire and assisted by deadly Apache helicopter gunships, the VII Corps hit the Medina Division in the early afternoon of the twenty-seventh. At Medina Ridge, an attempted Iraqi ambush of the 1st Armored Division ended with the destruction of over 300 enemy tanks.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*CONNOR, PETER S.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company F, 2d Battalion, 3d Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Quang Nag Province, Republic of Vietnam, 25 February 1966. Entered service at: South Orange, NJ. Born: 4 September 1932, Orange, N.J. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against enemy Viet Cong forces at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Leading his platoon on a search and destroy operation in an area made particularly hazardous by extensive cave and tunnel complexes, S/Sgt. Connor maneuvered his unit aggressively forward under intermittent enemy small-arms fire. Exhibiting particular alertness and keen observation, he spotted an enemy spider hole emplacement approximately 15 meters to his front. He pulled the pin from a fragmentation grenade intending to charge the hole boldly and drop the missile into its depths. Upon pulling the pin he realized that the firing mechanism was faulty, and that even as he held the safety device firmly in place, the fuse charge was already activated. With only precious seconds to decide, he further realized that he could not cover the distance to the small opening of the spider hole in sufficient time, and that to hurl the deadly bomb in any direction would result in death or injury to some of his comrades tactically deployed near him. Manifesting extraordinary gallantry and with utter disregard for his personal safety, he chose to hold the grenade against his body in order to absorb the terrific explosion and spare his comrades. His act of extreme valor and selflessness in the face of virtually certain death, although leaving him mortally wounded, spared many of his fellow marines from death or injury. His gallant action in giving his life in the cause of freedom reflects the highest credit upon the Marine Corps and the Armed Forces of the United States.
*MORGAN, WILLIAM D.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps. Company H, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 25 February 1969. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Born: 17 September 1947, Pittsburgh, Pa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad leader with Company H, in operations against the enemy. While participating in Operation DEWEY CANYON southeast of Vandergrift Combat Base, 1 of the squads of Cpl. Morgan's platoon was temporarily pinned down and sustained several casualties while attacking a North Vietnamese Army force occupying a heavily fortified bunker complex. Observing that 2 of the wounded marines had fallen in a position dangerously exposed to the enemy fire and that all attempts to evacuate them were halted by a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Cpl. Morgan unhesitatingly maneuvered through the dense jungle undergrowth to a road that passed in front of a hostile emplacement which was the principal source of enemy fire. Fully aware of the possible consequences of his valiant action, but thinking only of the welfare of his injured companions, Cpl. Morgan shouted words of encouragement to them as he initiated an aggressive assault against the hostile bunker. While charging across the open road, he was clearly visible to the hostile soldiers who turned their fire in his direction and mortally wounded him, but his diversionary tactic enabled the remainder of his squad to retrieve their casualties and overrun the North Vietnamese Army position. His heroic and determined actions saved the lives of 2 fellow marines and were instrumental in the subsequent defeat of the enemy. Cpl. Morgan's indomitable courage, inspiring initiative and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Services. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 25, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
25 February
1914: Theodore C. Macaulay flew a Curtiss pusher with an OX engine to a new American altitude record of 12,139.8 feet at San Diego. (24)
1944: Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces bombed German aircraft factories in southern Germany. The Fifteenth launched 400 bombers, including 176 to Regensberg, to end "Big Week." (4)
1945: 334 B-29s dropped 1,667 tons of fire bombs and destroyed 15 square miles of Tokyo to begin a campaign of night incendiary raids. (20)
1949: The Caroline Mars, a JRM-2 flying boat, broke the world record for passenger lift by transporting 202 men in California from Alameda to San Diego, and broke it again the same day on the return flight with a load of 218 men. These loads were in addition to a four-man crew. (5)
1954: Convair R3Y seaplane, America's first water-based turbo-prop transport, made its first flight at San Diego. (5)
1955: A SAC B-47 Stratojet flew from March AFB to Hunter AFB, Ga., in 3 hours 19 minutes 35 seconds by averaging 641 MPH. (24)
1959: The free world's longest test track (35,000 feet) dedicated at Holloman AFB. (5) The Goodyear N-4-A Mayflower blimp first flew. (5)
1960: The Army's first test flight of the Pershing I missile proved successful. (24)
1961: Paul F. Bikle, Director of NASA's Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB, flew a Schwiezer 1-23-E Sailplane to a world altitude record of 46,267 feet. (24)
1964: The first two Minuteman I (Model B) operational test missiles were fired from Vandenberg successfully. (6)
1965: The DC-9, a 90-passenger, short-haul commercial aircraft capable of landing on 98 percent of the nation's airstrips, made its maiden flight from Long Beach to Edwards AFB. (5)
1966: An F-111A completed a low-level flight from Edwards AFB to the General Dynamics plant in Fort Worth, Tex. It flew 1,045 nautical miles in three hours at 1,000 feet above terrain varying from 500 to 10,000 feet above sea level. This flight evaluated the aircraft's navigational equipment. (3)
1975: Brig Gen Chuck Yeager, the first pilot to exceed the speed of sound, flew his last Air Force sortie in an F-4 at Edwards AFB. (3)
1978: A MAC C-141 Starlifter flew 12 burn specialists from Newark, N. J., to Waverly, Tenn., following the explosion of a railway tank car filled with propane. (26)
1980: Through 28 February, F-15s from Clark AB intercepted two Soviet Bear D and two Bear F bombers after they penetrated the Philippine Air Defense Intercpetor Zone. (16) (26)
1987: Following a massive political protest in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos and his entourage flew into exile. On 25 February, the 31 ARRS used five H-3 Jolly Green Giant helicopters to evacuate President Marcos and 51 other people from the Presidential Palace in Manila to Clark AB. A C-9 Nightingale then flew Marcos and his family to Guam. On 26 February, two C-141s and a C-9 carried Marcos and his entire entourage to Hickam AFB. (16) (18)
1991: DESERT STORM. After Iraqi forces surrounded an Army nine-man special forces team, F-16 Fighting Falcons attacked. Their action allowed Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to make a rescue. (16) (26)
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