TheList 7195

The List 7195

Good Monday morning June 2.Cler and sunny this morning and heating up to77. National Bubba Day is observed on June 2nd each year. It's a day to honor those who are affectionately known as "Bubba," a term of endearment. The day recognizes Bubbas in all walks of life, from fictional characters like Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue from "Forrest Gump" to real people like us. This is a Bubba Breakfast Friday here in San Diego. The weather is supposed to be like this all week.

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Make it a GREAT Day

 

This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)

Go here to see the director's corner for all 91  H-Grams . .

Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/.

On This Day in Naval and Marine Corps History June 2

1814 During the War of 1812, the sloop of war Wasp, commanded by Capt. Johnston Blakely, captures and burns the British merchant barque Neptune, southwest of Ireland.

1865 Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith signs the Terms of Surrender for the Confederate forces onboard USS Fort Jackson in Galveston Bay, Texas.

1941 The first aircraft escort vessel, USS Long Island (CVE 1), is commissioned. Following World War II, she participates in Operation "Magic Carpet."

1943 USS PC 565 sinks German submarine U 521 off the Virginia capes. The German sub had sunk four Allied merchant vessels, including two U.S. vessels: tanker Hahira (Nov. 3, 1942) and merchant Molly Pitcher (March 18, 1943).

1943 USS Tambor (SS 198) sinks Japanese transport Eika Maru in the Tonkin Gulf off French Indochina.

2012 USS Mississippi (SSN 782) is commissioned in Pascagoula, Miss. The Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine.

 

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Today in World History

June 2

1537 Pope Paul III bans the enslavement of Indians in the New World.

1774 The Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to allow British soldiers into their houses, is reenacted.

1793 Maximilien Robespierre, a member of France's Committee on Public Safety, initiates the "Reign of Terror."

1818 The British army defeats the Maratha alliance in Bombay, India.

1859 French forces cross the Ticino River.

1865 At Galveston, Texas, Confederate general Edmund Kirby Smith surrenders the Trans-Mississippi Department to Union forces.

1883 The first baseball game under electric lights is played in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

1886 Grover Cleveland becomes the first American president to wed while in office.

1910 Charles Stewart Rolls, one of the founders of Rolls-Royce, becomes the first man to fly an airplane nonstop across the English Channel both ways. Tragically, he becomes Britain's first aircraft fatality the following month when his biplane breaks up in midair.

1924 The United States grants full citizenship to American Indians.

1928 Nationalist Chiang Kai-shek captures Peking, China, in a bloodless takeover.

On June 2, 1935, Babe Ruth, one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, ends his Major League playing career after 22 seasons, 10 World Series and 714 home runs. The following year, Ruth, a larger-than-life figure whose name became synonymous with baseball, was one of the first five players inducted into the sport's hall of fame.

George Herman Ruth was born February 6, 1895, into a poor family in Baltimore. As a child, he was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a school run by Roman Catholic brothers, where he learned to play baseball and was a standout athlete. At 19, Ruth was signed by the Baltimore Orioles. Ruth's fellow teammates and the media began referring to him as team owner Jack Dunn's newest "babe," a nickname that stuck. Ruth would later acquire other nicknames, including "The Sultan of Swat" and "The Bambino."

1942 The American aircraft carriers Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown move into their battle positions for the Battle of Midway.

1944 Allied "shuttle bombing" of Germany begins, with bombers departing from Italy and landing in the Soviet Union.

1946 Italian citizens vote by referendum for a republic.

1948 Jamaican-born track star Herb McKenley sets a new world record for the 400 yard dash.

1953 Elizabeth II is crowned queen of England at Westminster Abbey.

1954 Senator Joseph McCarthy charges that there are communists working in the CIA and atomic weapons plants.

1969 The Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne slices the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans in half off the shore of South Vietnam. I remember seeing that hulk in Cubi in the PI…skip

 

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Thanks to Al

Monday Morning Humor--Graduation

You know our education system has problems when Hallmark comes out with a new line of "Easy-to-read" graduation cards.

 

 

     A student comes to a young professor's office hours. She glances down the hall, closes his door, kneels pleadingly. "I would do anything to pass this exam."

     She leans closer to him, flips back her hair, gazes meaningfully into his eyes.  "I mean..." she whispers, "...I would do...anything!!!"

     He returns her gaze. "Anything???"

     "Yes,... Anything!!!"

     His voice turns to a whisper. "Would you...... study???"

 

 

     A not necessarily well-prepared student sat in his life science classroom, staring at a question on the final exam paper. The question directed: "Give four advantages of breast milk."

     What to write?  He sighed, and began to scribble whatever came into his head, hoping for the best:

1.     No need to boil.

2.     Never goes sour.

3.     Available whenever necessary.

     So far so good - maybe. But the exam demanded a fourth answer. Again, what to write? Once more, he sighed. He frowned. He scowled, then sighed again. Suddenly, he brightened. He grabbed his pen, and triumphantly, he scribbled his definitive answer:

4.     Available in attractive containers of varying sizes.

     He received an A.

 

 

     It was graduation day and Mom was trying to take a picture of their son in a cap and gown, posed with his father.  "Let's try to make this look natural "she said. "Junior, put your arm around your dad's shoulder."

     The father answered, "If you want it to look natural, why not have him put his hand in my pocket?"

 

 

     After graduating from high school, David moves away from home to study at university. One of his letters home reads:

Dear Father,

     University i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply ¢an't think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.

Love,

Your $on.

     After receiving his son's letter, the father immediately replies by sending a letter back.

Dear David,

     I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.

Love,

Dad

 

 

     Wouldn't it be nice to tell the dean of your college what you really think about him/her? Well, if you like your dean as much as I like my dean, then you'd better keep your mouth shut. I knew I'd get kicked out of the college if I expressed my true feelings, so I remained silent for the last four years.

     But yesterday was my graduation. And as I walked across the stage, the dean handed my diploma to me (nicely scrolled and tied with a ribbon).  Once she handed it to me, I could finally tell that witch what I really thought about her. So I leaned across her podium and I looked her straight in the eye.

     "Hey witch," I said. "You're so ugly, you could practice birth control just by leaving the lights on!"

And then I walked off the stage, and went home. I gotta tell you that it felt just as good as I had imagined it would for the last four years.

     Today, I unwrapped my diploma, framed it, and hung it in the living room, where it proudly exclaims to the world: "In order to receive your diploma, please present this certificate to the dean of your college after final grades have been posted!"

 

 

Quotes on education/graduation…

•             A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that "individuality" is the key to success.--Robert Orben

•             Your families are extremely proud of you.  You can't imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing.  This would be a most opportune time to ask for money.--Gary Bolding

•             The tassel's worth the hassle!--Author Unknown

•             All that stands between the graduate and the top of the ladder is the ladder.--Author Unknown

•             At commencement you wear your square-shaped mortarboards.  My hope is that from time to time you will let your minds be bold, and wear sombreros.--Paul Freund

•             When you leave here, don't forget why you came.--Adlai Stevenson, to college graduates

•             Graduation day is tough for adults.  They go to the ceremony as parents.  They come home as contemporaries.  After twenty-two years of child-raising, they are unemployed.--Erma Bombeck

•             A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.--Theodore Roosevelt

•             Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated.--Garry Trudeau

•             People will frighten you about a graduation.... They use words you don't hear often:  "And we wish you Godspeed."  It is a warning, Godspeed.  It means you are no longer welcome here at these prices.--Bill Cosby

•             It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days.--Isabel Waxman

•             Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.--Attributed to Mark Twain, unconfirmed

•             Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.--Robert Louis Stevenson

•             Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.--Albert Einstein

•             If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mother told you.--Author Unknown

•             If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.--Vince Lombardi

•             I learned law so well, the day I graduated I sued the college, won the case, and got my tuition back.--Fred Allen

•             The purpose of a liberal education is to make you philosophical enough to accept the fact that you will never make much money.--Author Unknown

•             A professor is someone who talks in someone else's sleep.--W.H. Auden

 

 

Have a great week and congratulations to any graduates out there,

Al

 

 

 

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Rollingthunderremembered.com .

June 2

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).

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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

For Monday June 2

June 2:  https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=150

 

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More to follow on the Battle of Midway over the next few days

Thanks to Admiral Cox and the team at NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND

From: Director of Naval History

To: Senior Navy Leadership

Subj: H-gram 006 Battle of Midway

Battle of Midway – 75th Anniversary

Overview

"…the enemy lacks the will to fight…" – Japanese Midway Operations Order, Commander's Estimate of the Situation.

     The Battle of Midway (4-6 June 1942) was one of the most critical battles of WWII, and one of the most one-sided battles in all of history, although achieved at a very high cost for the U.S. aircraft and aircrew responsible for the victory. It was not, however, a "miracle."  At the decisive point of contact, it was four Japanese aircraft carriers (248 aircraft) and 20 escorts against three U.S. aircraft carriers (233 aircraft) and 25 escorts and an island airfield (127 aircraft – 360 total U.S. aircraft.)  The Japanese had some significant qualitative advantages, principally the ability to rapidly launch a massive integrated multi-carrier strike package, fighter maneuverability, and better torpedoes.  However, the U.S. had some advantages as well, such as the element of surprise, radar, damage control, and the ability of U.S. aircraft to absorb damage.  Although the total number of Japanese forces committed to the Midway Operation (essentially, almost every operational ship in the Imperial Japanese Navy) far exceeded that of the U.S., none but the four carriers were in a position to effect the outcome of the battle at the critical point and time.  In terms of numbers and capabilities of the decisive weapon system of the battle, dive-bombers, the two sides were at rough parity.

    Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, based his plan on inadequate intelligence and an inaccurate understanding of American intent, specifically the incorrect assumption that the "demoralized" Americans would have to be drawn out to fight.  Therefore Yamamoto's force distribution was not optimized for mutual support, but rather for operational deception, to conceal the true extent of the forces employed so as to not prematurely spook the Americans into refusing to give battle.  To a degree, his plan worked, in that Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz did not know that Yamamoto's main body of battleships was trailing several hundred miles behind the Japanese carriers (with Yamamoto embarked on the new super-battleship Yamato,) intent on ambushing U.S. forces that took the bait of the Midway invasion force.  However, by doing so, the main body and other formations in the highly complex Japanese plan had no opportunity to engage U.S. forces in battle.  Yamamoto was further hampered by a poorly planned and executed surveillance and reconnaissance effort.  He had no idea the American carriers were already northeast of Midway waiting in ambush, and refused to consider the possibility that his plan might be compromised.  (In pre-battle war games, the Japanese commander playing the U.S. "OPFOR" did exactly what Nimitz did, with results that were remarkably close to what actually happened, but his actions were ruled "impossible" by the game umpire, and the Japanese game losses were resurrected.)

     Admiral Nimitz, on the other hand, had a very accurate understanding of Japanese intent, based on intelligence, of which code-breaking was only a part, albeit significant.  Based on breaking the Japanese Navy general operating code (JN-25B) and the work of Commander Joseph Rochefort's team in Station Hypo, Nimitz knew that Midway was the objective of Japanese Operation "MI," knew the approximate timing and approximate forces employed (four or five carriers,) and knew that the concurrent Aleutian operation ("AL") was not the Japanese main effort.  Armed with this useful, but still somewhat vague code-breaking intelligence, Nimitz nevertheless insisted that his Intelligence Officer, Commander Edwin Layton, produce a more precise estimate of where the Japanese carriers would be located when first detected.  Using all means of intelligence at his disposal, including his intimate understanding of Japanese thought-process from his years of language training in Japan, Layton came up with an estimated bearing, range and time from Midway Island (325 degrees, 175 nm, at 0600 4 Jun 42) that Admiral Nimitz later said was "five degrees, five miles, and five minutes off."  The actual location was a little father off than Nimitz said, but not by much.  Actually, the Japanese carriers arrived a day later than planned, but Layton's estimate had accounted for weather and the Japanese plan had not.  (see attachment H-006-1 "ISR at Midway")  Nimitz' decision, although audacious, was far from a desperate gamble that some accounts have portrayed, but rather was completely in accord with the principle of "calculated risk" which guided Nimitz and other operational commanders during the battle.

     Nimitz also later said that the battle was "essentially a victory of intelligence."  Up to a point, Nimitz' statement is true.  Forearmed with Layton's estimate, Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's two carrier task forces  (TF-17 centered on USS Yorktown (CV-5) with RADM Fletcher embarked, and TF-16 centered on USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Hornet (CV-8) led by RADM Raymond Spruance, replacing VADM William Halsey, bed-ridden with shingles) were in the perfect position (designated "Point Luck") to ambush the Japanese carriers on the morning of 4 June 1942 while the Japanese air strike on Midway Island was recovering.  Once RADM Spruance made the decision to launch full strike packages from both Enterprise and Hornet as early (and at as long range) as he did, the die was cast.  Given the Japanese weakness in shipboard anti-aircraft defense and the inexperience of Japanese fighters, however numerous, in dealing with a protracted multi-axis attack, there were enough U.S. aircraft in the air (117) to deal a mortal blow to all of the Japanese carriers, so long as the American strikes actually found the Japanese carriers.  Once the Enterprise and Hornet launched their strikes, all the Japanese could do at that point would have been to even up the score had they been able to get a counterstrike airborne (which they weren't) before the U.S. strikes arrived over their targets.

     Nevertheless, although intelligence could set the stage for victory, the battle still actually had to be fought and won by the skill, courage, and blood of those who flew the planes, manned the anti-aircraft batteries, and peered through the periscopes.  The Japanese fought with great tactical prowess, and extreme tenacity and bravery, as evidenced by Japanese pilots who somehow held their flaming planes in the air long enough to drop their bombs and torpedoes.  Despite the initial U.S. advantage of surprise, the battle could have easily gone the other way, such as when Hornet's air group, except for the torpedo bombers, completely missed the Japanese; or had the Japanese carrier Akagi survived the one bomb that actually hit her, the Japanese counterstrike from Akagi could well have taken out all three U.S. carriers, based on how much damage was later inflicted on Yorktown by Hiryu's relatively small uncoordinated last-ditch strikes (three direct bomb hits and two torpedo hits).  Far from being indecisive as portrayed in many historical accounts, the Japanese carrier task force ("Kido Butai" – mobile strike force) commander, VADM Chuichi Nagumo moved aggressively, and in accordance with Japanese doctrine, to counter threats; and it was his extreme offensive mentality that typified Japanese naval officers that arguably cost him the battle.  However, with a little luck he might have finished off the American carriers despite his losses.  If there is any enduring lesson of Midway it is that never again should the U.S. and Japan face each other on opposite sides of a field of battle.

     In the end, the battle was won by the initiative, toughness, and incredible valor of the U.S. pilots who pressed home their attacks against great odds; in the face of staggering losses, not one U.S. bomber is known to have turned away before either delivering ordnance or being shot down.  Several Yorktown dive-bombers even attacked after they had accidentally jettisoned their bombs.  The ferocity of the Marine anti-aircraft fire on Midway Island and the valiant fight by the Marine's hopelessly outclassed fighters, shocked the Japanese by hitting almost half the early morning 108-plane Japanese strike on the island, downing 11 aircraft and seriously damaging 14.  This set in motion Nagumo's fateful decision to re-arm his 107-plane reserve strike package for a re-attack on Midway, before he knew U.S. carriers were present, in violation of Yamamoto's orders to keep his reserve armed for anti-ship strikes.

     Four waves of U.S. torpedo bombers (six new TBF Avengers and four USAAF B-26 Marauders from Midway, and 41 older TBD Devastators in three squadrons from the carriers) suffered grievous losses, likened to the Charge of the Light Brigade, each wave encountering between 15 and 30 Zero fighters, but not one torpedo bomber turned away.  One TBF and two B-26's crash-landed on Midway afterwards, and only six of the TBD's made it back to the carriers, only three of which were flyable.  Of the 99 men in the 42 torpedo planes that were lost, only three survived the battle.  The skipper of Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8,) off the Hornet, LCDR John Waldron, had told his squadron during the pre-launch brief that "if only one plane is left, I want that man to go in and get a hit." That's exactly what his squadron tried to do, following Waldron's direction to the last man.  As 14 of the 15 TBD's of VT-8 went down one after the other in flames, the last plane, piloted by ENS George "Tex" Gay stayed on course and dropped his torpedo at the carrier Soryu, before being shot down.  Soryu avoided the torpedo, and Gay was the sole survivor of the attack.  The other two torpedo squadrons (VT-6 and VT-3) displayed equal valor with the same result; no hits and great loss.

    The slaughter of the torpedo-bombers was not part of the American plan, but was the result of the U.S. inability to effectively coordinate a multi-carrier strike, or even a single air group strike.  Nevertheless, the sacrifice of the torpedo-bombers was not in vain; their attacks, and those of Midway-based USMC SBD Dauntless dive-bombers (8 of 16 lost) and SB2U Vindicator dive-bombers (4 of 11 lost) and USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses, strung out over two and a half hours (all with numerous near misses but no hits), forced the Japanese carriers to constantly launch and recover fighter aircraft in between wild defensive maneuvering.  The result was that the Japanese carriers were unable to spot their decks for a counter-strike launch; the Japanese were still over 45 minutes from being ready to launch their dive-bombers and torpedo-planes (not five minutes as in early accounts) when the decisive attack by U.S. Navy dive-bombers commenced; two squadrons from Enterprise and one squadron from Yorktown (launched over an hour later) that arrived simultaneously over the Japanese carriers by complete coincidence.  (see H-006-2 "The Sacrifice.")

    The U.S. dive-bomber strike crippled the Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga and Soryu.  Hiryu survived to get off two small strikes that left the Yorktown in sinking condition.  Late in the afternoon, dive-bombers from Enterprise and Yorktown (flying off Enterprise) crippled the Hiryu.  (See H-006-3 "The Victory - Barely.")  None of the Japanese carriers were actually sunk by U.S. bombs; although flaming wrecks, all four had to be dispatched by Japanese torpedoes to ensure the still-floating ships did not fall into U.S. hands.  Two days later, the Japanese heavy cruiser Mikuma, accompanying her more heavily damaged  sister Mogami, both damaged in a collision while avoiding the submarine USS Tambor (SS-198,) was sunk by carrier dive-bombers (mostly due to secondary explosions from her own oxygen-fueled torpedoes.)

    Over three thousand Japanese sailors were killed in the battle, most while valiantly trying to save their ships, including over 700 aircraft technicians/maintainers (a very limited skill in Japan.)  All 248 carrier aircraft were lost, most going down with their ship, along with several cruiser/battleship-launched float-planes.  However, most Japanese pilots were rescued; only 36 were lost on the carriers and 74 in the air, mostly from Hiryu.  Most of Japan's Pearl Harbor-veteran pilots would survive Midway only to perish in the meat-grinder battle of attrition in the skies around Guadalcanal later in the year, where over 2,000 Japanese aircraft would be lost.  It was not the loss of pilots at Midway that crippled Japan's ability to wage offensive naval operations, but rather the loss of the most important Japanese strategic asset, the irreplaceable aircraft carriers.  Only one new Japanese fleet carrier would make it into a major fleet action during the war, only to be sunk by a U.S. submarine in her first battle.

    ADM Nimitz, who had commanded several submarines early in his career, was disappointed in the performance of his submarines at Midway.  Of 19 U.S. submarines in Task Force 7, only three made contact with the Japanese (although seven were guarding the approaches to Hawaii).  The USS Grouper (SS-214) was repeatedly strafed, bombed and depth-charged, and was unable to close on the Japanese carriers.   For whatever reason, USS Tambor (SS-198) did not engage the heavily damaged cruisers Mikuma and Mogami (and her skipper was immediately relieved of command after the battle.)  The USS Grayling (SS-209 and host to ADM Nimitz' PACFLT change of command ceremony) was mistaken for a Japanese cruiser and bombed by USAAF B-17's (fortunately no bombs hit, which was also the case with over 320 bombs dropped by the B-17's on actual Japanese ships.)

    The USS Nautilus (SS-168), LCDR William Brockman commanding, tried to attack the Japanese carrier force and was strafed by an aircraft, tried again and was bombed by an aircraft, tried again, and was depth-charged by the light cruise Nagara while setting up an attack on the battleship Kirishima.  As soon as the depth-charging ceased, Brockman boldly came back to periscope depth and fired on the Kirishima with two torpedoes; one hung in the tube and the other missed, and Nautilus was then heavily depth-charged.  Later in the day Brockman tried yet again and succeeded in firing a spread of four torpedoes, all of which malfunctioned, at the dead-in-the-water and burning Kaga, only to barely survive another brutal depth charge attack (42 depth-charges, two of which clanged off her hull but did not explode.)  The one torpedo that hit the Kaga failed to explode and the buoyant after-body served as a flotation device for swimming Japanese sailors.  Brockman was awarded a Navy Cross.  Of note however, it was the Japanese destroyer Arashi, trying to catch up to the Japanese carriers after being left behind to depth-charge the Nautilus, that led Lieutenant Commander Clarence Wade McClusky and two Enterprise dive-bomber squadrons to the Japanese carriers and their doom.  Later in the war, however, armed with torpedoes that actually worked, more aggressive skippers like Brockman, and a steady stream of "Ultra" intelligence (derived from broken Japanese codes) U.S. submarines would go on to inflict significantly more losses to the Japanese than any other U.S. weapons system, at great cost (52 submarines ( 3500 men) as well.

    At the end of 4 June, the gravely damaged and heavily listing USS Yorktown was still barely afloat.  Through the heroic damage control efforts of her crew, incorporating numerous hard lessons learned at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the carrier was still afloat on the morning of 6 Jun, under tow to Pearl Harbor.  (Of note, the Yorktown's air group, demonstrating the value of combat experience, was the only carrier air group to successfully execute a coordinated near-simultaneous torpedo-bomber, dive-bomber, and fighter strike on the Japanese carriers.)  However, in broad daylight, the skipper of the Japanese submarine I-168 (which had previously provided accurate, and ignored, intelligence on Midway Island's state of readiness, and had even shelled the island) picked his way through five escorting U.S. destroyers and torpedoed the Yorktown at point-blank range, sinking the destroyer USS Hammann (DD-412) that was alongside Yorktown, which went down in under four minutes, many of her swimming crew killed by the detonations of her own un-safed depth-charges (81 of 251 crew lost.)  Even with the two additional torpedo hits, Yorktown remained afloat until finally succumbing on the morning of 7 Jun.  I-168 survived, with heavy damage including leaking chlorine gas, an extensive U.S. depth charge attack (61 depth charges) by the U.S. destroyers.

    In addition to failing to protect the Yorktown from submarine attack, no Japanese aircraft were confirmed downed by anti-aircraft fire from any escorts, due primarily to the inadequacy of their AAA fit. (Japanese shipboard anti-aircraft fire was equally as ineffective.)  The AAA certainly did damage aircraft and disrupt bombers' aim.  Enterprise and Hornet were never located or attacked by Japanese bombers, so their escorts were never tested.  Nevertheless, the Japanese surface navy failed to get the memo that the tide of war turned at Midway, and the U.S. surface navy would get its chance to prove its mettle and extreme valor in the following months, persevering in several of the most savage and hard-fought ship-to-ship battles in naval history in "Ironbottom Sound" around Guadalcanal, at a cumulative cost of many more Sailors than Pearl Harbor.

   The Battle of Midway was not won by "Citizen-Sailors."  It was won mostly by volunteer, professional naval officers and Sailors (the draft had only been in effect for a little over a year.)  The more senior officers and enlisted Sailors had endured many years of inadequate resources, misguided treaty limitations, low pay, slow promotions, and in the intense isolationist and anti-war backlash from the carnage of WWI, a profound lack of appreciation and respect for U.S. military personnel in the interwar years by much of the U.S. population.  Yet it was these volunteers, and a few draftees, in many cases armed with obsolete inadequate weapons and hampered by fiscal constraints that severely curtailed realistic training, who held the line and paid with their lives to buy the time necessary for the United States to mobilize its massive resources in people and equipment that ultimately won the war.  Compared to the Japanese, the American cost in blood was much less, but still profound ; 307 Americans were killed in the battle.  The bulk of the losses fell upon the aviators, Marines, Army Air Forces, but mostly Navy.  Of the carrier aircraft that engaged the Japanese fleet on 4 June 1942, 40% were shot down, ditched due to battle damage or fuel exhaustion, or were no longer air-worthy despite recovering on a carrier.  Well over 150 U.S. aviators, most of them Navy, made the ultimate sacrifice in winning one of the greatest battles of all time.  Although only one Medal of Honor (posthumous) was awarded in the battle (Captain Richard Fleming, USMC,) approximately 170 Navy Crosses were awarded to Navy personnel, mostly aviators, many posthumously.

     Some historians argue that Midway was not "decisive" because (with 20/20 hindsight) the ultimate victory over Japan was never in doubt, Midway or no Midway, but was merely the inevitable application of overwhelming U.S. industrial power.  Although "what if" scenarios are generally frowned upon by professional historians, had the battle resulted in a military defeat for the U.S., President Roosevelt would have had an extremely difficult time maintaining his very politically unpopular "defeat Germany first" strategy.  Imagine a very different world in which the Nazi Germans had had time to develop an atomic bomb, or the Soviets had had time to overrun all of western Europe.  British Prime Minister Churchill's statement regarding the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain, that "never had so much been owed by so many to so few" applied just as well to the few naval aviators who turned the tide at the Battle of Midway.

After the battle, the New York Times banner headline read, "US Army Fliers Blast Two Jap Fleets at Midway."

The headline in the Japan Times in Tokyo read, "(Japanese) Navy Wins Epochal Victory."

(Over the years I have read probably almost every book on Midway ever written, including the classics, "Incredible Victory" by Walter Lord, and "Miracle at Midway" by Gordon Prange, and of course, RADM Samuel Eliot Morison.  However, declassification of most intelligence records in the 1970's and newer access to Japanese sources have significantly changed many of the conclusions of those earlier works.  A relatively recent work, "Shattered Sword" by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully is an extraordinary piece of research, telling the battle mostly from the Japanese side using many Japanese sources, and is probably the most comprehensive and accurate book on Midway I have read.  For this reason most of the numbers for casualties, etc. that I use are from this book, although other sources may vary.)

 

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Thanks to Brett

 

Great report…worth a read….

 

Reply-To: Don Surber 

Wages rise faster than inflation while the economy grows

 

  Trump economics works

Wages rise faster than inflation while the economy grows

JUN 2

 

 

   

 

Rick Santelli of CNBC reported that personal income increased 0.8% in April—"almost TRIPLE the expectations. Up 0.6% in January, up 0.7% in February, up 0.5% last month, up 0.8% this month. This is a GREAT four-month start to any year."

Inflation slowed to 0.1%, bringing it down 2.1% on a year-to-year basis.

The income figures added up to an increase of 2.6% in the first 4 months alone.

You can tell Trump's president because wages are rising faster than inflation.

The Atlanta Federal Reserve forecasts the growth in the economy will reach 3.8% in April, May and June.

Specifically, it said, "The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the second quarter of 2025 is 3.8% on May 30, up from 2.2% on May 27."

But what about the price of eggs?

Eric Daugherty tweeted, "Egg prices have now declined 62% since President Trump's inauguration day. They were $6.55. They are now $2.52 per dozen."

But—and this is the most important thing in the financial world—what about Don Surber? How is he doing with his portfolio, which consists solely of shares of the Vanguard S&P 500 Index?

Up 6.3% in May. That's the best month of May for the index in 35 years.

For the rest of you, the Wall Street Journal reported, "The U.S. trade deficit for goods shrank substantially in April, as new tariffs weighed on imports.

"Goods imports fell by 20% to $276.1 billion, while exports rose 3.4% to $188.5 billion, the Commerce Department said.

"It was the biggest one-month drop in goods imports on record."

Exports rose while imports dropped by one-fifth.

Despite the huge drop in imports, Newsweek reported, "As of May 30, the U.S. is on pace to set a new monthly record in tariff revenue—nearly $23 billion, about three times the amount collected in May 2024."

Whoever said you cannot win a trade war is a big, fat, lying loser.

On April 7, CNBC reported, "CNBC's Jim Cramer said on Monday that although he believes an economic recession is on the horizon, investors should stay the course rather than panic and sell."

OK, he not that fat. Just bald.

But while buy-and-hold is my strategy too, if you bought, you would be up 6% (on average) am I not right?

Even after the biggest drop in the trade deficit, my favorite Nobel Prize laureate in economics (that would be Paul Krugman, wrote on Friday, "Punitive tariffs on everyone, including the penguins of uninhabited islands, have been one of the Trump administration's signature policies, along with epic corruption and abductions by masked men claiming to be federal agents. All of these policies have involved blatant violations of the letter of the law, its spirit, or both. But there has been very little effective pushback.

"So it came as a shock yesterday when the United States Court of International Trade suddenly ruled that almost everything Trump has been doing on tariffs is illegal. The Court is clearly right on the merits. But I, like many observers, thought that we were past the point where the merits of cases mattered. It's gratifying to learn that I was wrong."

An appellate court blocked the trade court's ruling. So much for Krugman's assertion that it is illegal for Trump to deliver on his campaign promise to bring down the trade deficit.

We voted for this. Just because a judge (in this case, three) does not like a policy does not make it unconstitutional or even illegal.

The Trump economic plan is built on a solid foundation and steel.

His best chronicler, Salena Zito, wrote of his trip to Pittsburgh on Friday:

Local steelworkers, community leaders, and economic experts said President Donald Trump's announcement Friday that a deal was struck between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel will go down in American history as the most enduring economic "big, beautiful deal" the 47th president has made.

It is a deal robustly supported by the rank-and-file steelworkers from the three plants that make up the Mon Valley Works. The deal is believed to reverse the decline of steel that began under President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s.

"I am proud to announce that, after much consideration and negotiation, U.S. Steel will REMAIN in America and keep its headquarters in the Great City of Pittsburgh," said Trump, who had been engaged in intense negotiations over a sale between the iconic American company and Nippon Steel.

"This will be a planned partnership between United States Steel and Nippon Steel and the largest investment in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," he said.

Trump used the power of anti-trust law to get Nippon Steel to invest in U.S. Steel. Congress empowered presidents to do this over a century ago and Trump uses that power for the public good.

Zito also wrote:

The deal preserves U.S. Steel's headquarters in the iconic Pittsburgh skyscraper, the tallest building in Appalachia, and the company will maintain its production locations and capacity in the United States. As part of the agreement, American jobs are protected and cannot be offshored.

The deal also guarantees that the majority of U.S. Steel's board must be U.S. citizens, and key management, including the CEO, will also all be U.S. citizens. The deal outlines that U.S. Steel's trade actions will be determined solely by U.S. citizens, with oversight from the U.S. government, and free from any interference.

Trump left it to workers and management to turn U.S. Steel back into a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It employs 22,000 people—down from 340,000 at its peak in 1943.

Those jobs are not coming back but those 22,000 jobs are more likely to remain and maybe grow a little.

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Thanks to Donald Trump, those workers are getting the opportunity to grow. He is raising tariffs on steel imports from the current 25% to 50%.

As for oil prices, well the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported, "Trump returned to office determined to bring oil prices below $60 per barrel and has sought supply increases from both Saudi Arabia and the domestic U.S. oil and gas industry. One is well-positioned to deliver; the other can't, even if it wanted to."

How is that going?

5 days before his inauguration, oil producers rolled out the barrel at $78.71 per barrel.

That was down to $60.71 on Saturday, a nice 30% drop in 4 months. He's 72 cents from another promise kept.

As for oil production, Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia is increasing production of oil. Another promise kept.

Trump has closed the border. Locked it down. Put human traffickers out of business. Promise made, promise kept and now to deport the illegals.

He did this despite Politico warning on Inauguration Day, "Americans hate high prices. Mass deportations could spark new surges."

That didn't happen, of course. What did surge was his popularity. Throughout his first presidency, pollsters told us consistently, 53% of the country disapproved of his job performance.

Now 53% of voters approve.

America elected a billionaire president after 4 years of an idiot crook with dementia who got lost in his own closet.

The results of the 2024 election are excellent. For now.

We'll see how this works out but one thing is for sure. No president has done as well for the economy since Reagan.

POLL

What is the downside to Trumponomics?

MSNBC ratings dropped 41%

 

No one wants Tapper's book

 

Record tariff revenue

 

Welfare cases are dropping

 

Mo' money, mo' taxes

 

 

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Thanks to History Facts

 

Chinese checkers was invented in Germany.

Chinese checkers is a classic board game, featuring several marbles that move along a series of holes grouped into a six-pointed star shape. As in traditional checkers, the marbles can move to empty spaces or jump over adjacent pieces, with the goal of getting all the pieces to one side of the board. Contrary to its name, however, Chinese checkers has nothing to do with China — it's a variation of a game called Halma (meaning "jump" in Greek). Halma features a square board, and a star-shaped version was invented in Germany around 1880. Originally called Stern-Halma, the star-shaped game was published by the German game and puzzle company Ravensburger in 1892.

The game arrived in America in the late 1920s under the name Hop Ching checkers, and, later, Chinese star checkers. It was advertised as "a game from the Orient for all ages," but this backstory was invented entirely for marketing, to give the product an air of mysticism. While six-pointed stars such as the one on the Chinese checkers game board have a long history in many cultures, including some Asian spiritual traditions, the board's star shape actually originated in Germany, decades before the game's fictional association with China. Nevertheless, Chinese checkers is the name that stuck in the American lexicon.

 

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Thanks to American Facts

More Than Regrowing Limbs: Discover America's Most Amazing Amphibians!

 

Given America's vast territory and rich biodiversity, our land holds a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, and birds—but let's not forget the amphibians! The United States is home to a great and extravagant range of amphibians that are far more fascinating than just regrowing tails: Some well-known and others that you'll definitely want to discover. Join us as we explore the unique traits of these 10 incredible amphibians found across the US!

 

 

Tiger salamander

Meet the tiger salamander—one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in North America. While its size is certainly impressive, the tiger salamander also has other traits that make it stand out. Take its appearance, for example: its dark brown body with bright yellow blotches resembles tiger stripes, which is why it has such a peculiar name. But there's more! Unlike many other salamanders, this one spends much of its time underground, using its large, powerful limbs to dig.

 

Fun fact: Some states, like Colorado and Kansas, have named it their official state amphibian!

 

 

Eastern Hellbender

Although the tiger salamander is impressively large, another salamander stands out for its huge size: the Eastern Hellbender.

 

Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis is its scientific name (quite a mouthful, right?). It holds the title of the largest salamander in North America. In fact, it's sometimes nicknamed "snot otter" due to its large body and the slippery texture of its skin.

 

Amphiuma

When you first see this creature, you might mistake it for a snake or an eel. But it's actually an amphibian—more specifically, an aquatic salamander known as the amphiuma. Its appearance, let's just say, isn't exactly what most would call "cute."

 

This unusual amphibian can grow up to 3 feet long! And while not immediately noticeable, it has tiny legs with only one, two, or three toes, depending on the species. Its limbs aren't very useful, but they do make the amphiuma look just a bit creepier.

 

 

Colorado River Toad

The Colorado River Toad may not be the cutest or most dazzling creature out there, but it's certainly one of the most fascinating. Native to the southwestern United States, this amphibian is one of the largest toads in North America, but what sets it apart isn't its size. So, while it may look slow and harmless, this toad is capable of releasing a dangerous, highly psychoactive toxin that acts as a defense mechanism and can be fatal to many species, including dogs.

 

 

Common Mudpuppy

Now, it's time for an amphibian whose cuteness is one of its most distinctive features; even its name reflects that! We're talking about the Common Mudpuppy, an aquatic salamander that inhabits streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. It's also one of the few salamanders that remain fully aquatic throughout their entire life. And that's precisely why it sports a pair of large, red external gills on the sides of its head, giving it an almost 16th-century European look!

 

 

Gray Tree Frog

The small Gray Tree Frog inhabits the forests and woodlands of the eastern United States. And while it's true you might find it on trees and plants, its nickname isn't entirely accurate when it comes to color. Yes, it can be gray, but this amphibian has the ability to change its color to blend in with its surroundings! It also has another superpower: the ability to survive freezing temperatures. By producing a natural antifreeze, it protects its organs during cold conditions that most of us couldn't begin to handle.

 

 

Spotted Salamander

As its name suggests, what distinguishes the Spotted Salamander is its shocking look. But beware, its mottled appearance isn't just for show. It also acts as a warning to ward off predators! If you've ever seen one in the wild, consider yourself lucky because although it's fairly widespread, this salamander spends most of its time underground.

 

 

Pacific Giant Salamander

If you venture into the mountainous regions of the Pacific Northwest, you might come face-to-face with the Pacific Giant Salamander, one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in North America.

 

Reaching up to 14 inches in length, this amphibian is striking to see—but it's even more surprising when you hear it. That's right: unlike most of its kind, the Pacific giant salamander can make audible barking sounds!

 

 

Barking Tree Frog

We have a contestant that could go head-to-head with the Pacific Giant Salamander in a barking contest: the aptly named Barking Tree Frog.

 

Let's just say the frog's striking features are perfectly summed up by its name. In states like Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, you can find this little amphibian calling from the treetops or near freshwater shores.

 

Dusky Gopher Frog

Finally, we have the most mysterious and elusive of all: the Dusky Gopher Frog. As one of the rarest frog species in the U.S., the Dusky Gopher Frog is incredibly elusive and critically endangered, with fewer than 200 individuals left in the wild. The dusky frog spends most of its life hidden underground and only comes out during the mating season.

 

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 From the archives

Lots of rumors on Vietnam POWs also

Thanks to Mike

NO SURPRISE HERE...........

American Korean POWs Were Sent to Russian Gulags

By Lewis Brackett|June 1st, 2023By Lewis Brackett

June 1, 2023

After the Korean war, hundreds of American POW's were never seen again. For all intents and purposes, our government had abandoned them in the hands of the enemy.

During the Vietnam war, many Americans who were seen being captured in North Vietnam simply disappeared never to be seen again. This has been the case throughout the cold war.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia opened its files to some extent. However if any central record had ever been filed on these people, very little was found. Except for a very lucky few, most westerners sent to the gulags ever made it back home. In the early 90s I saw an interview with a former Russian intelligence officer. He had been stationed at an interrogation center for Americans captured in Vietnam and sent to Russia. He said that there were always several Americans being interrogated there. After a while they were always sent to the gulags.

As far as we know, none of them ever made it back home again. In his two years at that center at least 200 American POWs came through that place. The KGB always had agents imbedded in North Vietnamese field army units to select POWs to be sent directly to Russia bypassing the Hanoi prison camps. To this day, literally thousands of our people have disappeared into the Russian gulags never to be seen again.

Every year I make calls send letters about them. Every year all I get back is… silence.

I ask that everyone reading this pray for the families of our lost heros, for them to be comforted, reassured that we honor their sacrifice. I also hope that some day our government will take responsibility for their abandonment of our people to a lingering death.

© 2023 Lewis Brackett, USCG veretan, 1966-70 – All Rights Reserved

 

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This Day in U S Military History…….2 June

1918 – At dawn on this date, the crack German 28th Division attacked along the axis of the Paris-Metz road hitting the American 2d Division, including the 4th Marine Brigade. The Marines opened with deadly rifle fire and helped hand the German troops a setback which set the stage for the Marine victory at Belleau Wood which would soon follow, although at great cost.

1942 – The US carriers from Pearl Harbor join northeast of Midway. In total, the American force has approximately 250 planes, equal to the number in the approaching Japanese force.

1942 – Japanese Admiral Katuta's light carrier force attacks Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians as a diversion. The Americans, aware of the Japanese plans for the invasion of Midway do not react as predicted.

1944 – American bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force launch Operation Frantic, a series of bombing raids over Central Europe, alighting from airbases in southern Italy, but landing at airbases in Poltava, in the Soviet Union, in what is called "shuttle bombing." The Fifteenth U.S. Air Force was created solely to cripple Germany's war economy. Operating out of Italy, and commanded by General Carl Spaatz, a World War I fighter pilot, the Fifteenth was recruited by a desperate Joseph Stalin to help the Red Army in its campaign in Romania. In exchange for the Fifteenth's assistance, Stalin allowed the American bombers to land at airbases within the Soviet Union as they carried out Operation Frantic, a plan to devastate German industrial regions in occupied Silesia, Hungary, and Romania. Given that such bombing patterns would have made return flights to Foggia and other parts of southern Italy, the Fifteenth's launching points, impossible because of refueling problems, the "shuttle" to Poltava was the solution that made Frantic a reality. Before it was shortened to Frantic, the operation was dubbed Operation Frantic Joe-a commentary on Joe Stalin's original urgent appeal for help. It was changed to avoid offending the Soviet premier. Also on this day in 1944, the date for D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy, was fixed for June 5. Originally June 4, it was acknowledged by Allied strategists that bad weather would make keeping to any one day problematic. German General Karl von Rundstedt, intercepting an Allied radio signal relating the June 4 date, was convinced that four consecutive days of good weather was necessary for the successful prosecution of the invasion. There was no such pattern of good weather in sight. The general became convinced that D-Day would not come off within the first week of June at all.

1945 – On Luzon, the US 43rd Division (US 11th Corps) completes mopping up operations in the Ipoh area.

1945 – On Okinawa, mopping up continues as the US 6th Marine Division prepares to land two regiments on the Oroku peninsula.

1945 – US Task Force 38 raids airfields used by Japanese Kamikaze forces. Such raids compel the Japanese to continue operations from bases farther north.

1972 – More than thirty USAF planes and helicopters fly through heavy fire to rescue Captain R.C. Locher, who has been trapped northwest of Hanoi since his Phantom jet went down on 10 May.

I hope that you all watched the story of this rescue as told by Bgn Steve Richy a couple weeks ago in the List

1995 – A US Air Force F-16C was shot down by a Bosnian Serb surface-to-air missile while on a NATO air patrol in northern Bosnia; the pilot, Captain Scott F. O'Grady, was rescued six days later.

2012 – SAS and US Delta force conduct joint operation which successfully rescues 5 foreign aid workers from a gang of insurgents in Shahr-e-Bozorg district near the Afghan – Tajikistan border. SAS and Delta Force arrived by helicopter and took part in "long march" to a cave where the 5 aid workers were being held in a maze of caves. The two teams then engaged insurgents in a firefight and overpowered the heavily armed kidnappers, and the hostages were rescued in the cave assaulted by the SAS. 11 insurgents were killed in the assault and there were no SAS fatalities or injuries.

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

PHILLIPS, GEORGE F.

Rank and organization: Machinist First Class, U.S. Navy. Born: 9 March 1864, Boston, Mass. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 529, 2 November 1899. Citation: In connection with the sinking of the U.S.S. Merrimac at the entrance to the harbor of Santiago de Cuba 2 June 1898. Despite heavy fire from the Spanish shore batteries, Phillips displayed extraordinary heroism throughout this operation.

KOBASHIGAWA, YEIKI

Technical Sergeant Yeiki Kobashigawa distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 2 June 1944, in the vicinity of Lanuvio, Italy. During an attack, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa's platoon encountered strong enemy resistance from a series of machine guns providing supporting fire. Observing a machine gun nest 50 yards from his position, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa crawled forward with one of his men, threw a grenade and then charged the enemy with his submachine gun while a fellow soldier provided covering fire. He killed one enemy soldier and captured two prisoners. Meanwhile, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa and his comrade were fired upon by another machine gun 50 yards ahead. Directing a squad to advance to his first position, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa again moved forward with a fellow soldier to subdue the second machine gun nest. After throwing grenades into the position, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa provided close supporting fire while a fellow soldier charged, capturing four prisoners. On the alert for other machine gun nests, Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa discovered four more, and skillfully led a squad in neutralizing two of them. Technical Sergeant Kobashigawa's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

*KRAUS, RICHARD EDWARD

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 24 November 1925, Chicago, Ill. Accredited to: Minnesota. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 8th Amphibious Tractor Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleliu, Palau Islands, on 5 October 1944. Unhesitatingly volunteering for the extremely hazardous mission of evacuating a wounded comrade from the front lines, Pfc. Kraus and 3 companions courageously made their way forward and successfully penetrated the lines for some distance before the enemy opened with an intense, devastating barrage of hand grenades which forced the stretcher party to take cover and subsequently abandon the mission. While returning to the rear, they observed 2 men approaching who appeared to be marines and immediately demanded the password. When, instead of answering, 1 of the 2 Japanese threw a hand grenade into the midst of the group, Pfc. Kraus heroically flung himself upon the grenade and, covering it with his body, absorbed the full impact of the explosion and was instantly killed. By his prompt action and great personal valor in the face of almost certain death, he saved the lives of his 3 companions, and his loyal spirit of self-sacrifice reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his comrades.

*NAKAMINE, SHINYEI

Private Shinyei Nakamine distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 2 June 1944, near La Torreto, Italy. During an attack, Private Nakamine's platoon became pinned down by intense machine gun crossfire from a small knoll 200 yards to the front. On his own initiative, Private Nakamine crawled toward one of the hostile weapons. Reaching a point 25 yards from the enemy, he charged the machine gun nest, firing his submachine gun, and killed three enemy soldiers and captured two. Later that afternoon, Private Nakamine discovered an enemy soldier on the right flank of his platoon's position. Crawling 25 yards from his position, Private Nakamine opened fire and killed the soldier. Then, seeing a machine gun nest to his front approximately 75 yards away, he returned to his platoon and led an automatic rifle team toward the enemy. Under covering fire from his team, Private Nakamine crawled to a point 25 yards from the nest and threw hand grenades at the enemy soldiers, wounding one and capturing four. Spotting another machine gun nest 100 yards to his right flank, he led the automatic rifle team toward the hostile position but was killed by a burst of machine gun fire. Private Nakamine's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

*CHARLTON, CORNELIUS H.

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Chipo-ri, Korea, 2 June 1951. Entered service at: Bronx, N.Y. Born: 24 July 1929, East Gulf, W. Va. G.O. No.: 30, 19 March 1952. Citation: Sgt. Charlton, a member of Company C, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. His platoon was attacking heavily defended hostile positions on commanding ground when the leader was wounded and evacuated. Sgt. Charlton assumed command, rallied the men, and spearheaded the assault against the hill. Personally eliminating 2 hostile positions and killing 6 of the enemy with his rifle fire and grenades, he continued up the slope until the unit suffered heavy casualties and became pinned down. Regrouping the men he led them forward only to be again hurled back by a shower of grenades. Despite a severe chest wound, Sgt. Charlton refused medical attention and led a third daring charge which carried to the crest of the ridge. Observing that the remaining emplacement which had retarded the advance was situated on the reverse slope, he charged it alone, was again hit by a grenade but raked the position with a devastating fire which eliminated it and routed the defenders. The wounds received during his daring exploits resulted in his death but his indomitable courage, superb leadership, and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself the infantry, and the military service.

*GRAHAM, JAMES A.

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, Company F, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 2 June 1967. Entered service at: Prince Georges, Md. Born: 25 August 1940, Wilkinsburg, Allegheny County, Pa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. During Operation Union 11, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, consisting of Companies A and D, with Capt. Graham's company attached launched an attack against an enemy occupied position with 2 companies assaulting and 1 in reserve. Company F, a leading company, was proceeding across a clear paddy area 1,000 meters wide, attacking toward the assigned objective, when it came under fire from mortars and small arms which immediately inflicted a large number of casualties. Hardest hit by the enemy fire was the 2d platoon of Company F, which was pinned down in the open paddy area by intense fire from 2 concealed machine guns. Forming an assault unit from members of his small company headquarters, Capt. Graham boldly led a fierce assault through the second platoon's position, forcing the enemy to abandon the first machine gun position, thereby relieving some of the pressure on his second platoon, and enabling evacuation of the wounded to a more secure area. Resolute to silence the second machine gun, which continued its devastating fire, Capt. Graham's small force stood steadfast in its hard won enclave. Subsequently, during the afternoon's fierce fighting, he suffered 2 minor wounds while personally accounting for an estimated 15 enemy killed. With the enemy position remaining invincible upon each attempt to withdraw to friendly lines, and although knowing that he had no chance of survival, he chose to remain with 1 man who could not be moved due to the seriousness of his wounds. The last radio transmission from Capt. Graham reported that he was being assaulted by a force of 25 enemy soldiers; he died while protecting himself and the wounded man he chose not to abandon. Capt. Graham's actions throughout the day were a series of heroic achievements. His outstanding courage, superb leadership and indomitable fighting spirit undoubtedly saved the second platoon from annihilation and reflected great credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

*LAPOINTE, JOSEPH G., JR.

Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, 2d Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division . place and date: Quang Tin province, Republic of Vietnam, 2 June 1969. Entered service at: Cincinnati, Ohio. Born: 2 July 1948, Dayton, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Lapointe, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2d Squadron, distinguished himself while serving as a medical aidman during a combat helicopter assault mission. Sp4c. Lapointe's patrol was advancing from the landing zone through an adjoining valley when it suddenly encountered heavy automatic weapons fire from a large enemy force entrenched in well fortified bunker positions. In the initial hail of fire, 2 soldiers in the formation vanguard were seriously wounded. Hearing a call for aid from 1 of the wounded, Sp4c. Lapointe ran forward through heavy fire to assist his fallen comrades. To reach the wounded men, he was forced to crawl directly in view of an enemy bunker. As members of his unit attempted to provide covering fire, he administered first aid to 1 man, shielding the other with his body. He was hit by a burst of fire from the bunker while attending the wounded soldier. In spite of his painful wounds, Sp4c. Lapointe continued his lifesaving duties until he was again wounded and knocked to the ground. Making strenuous efforts, he moved back again into a shielding position to continue administering first aid. An exploding enemy grenade mortally wounded all 3 men. Sp4c. Lapointe's courageous actions at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades. His gallantry and selflessness are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

*POXON, ROBERT LESLIE

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 2 June 1969. Entered service at: Detroit, Mich. Born: 3 January 1947, Detroit, Mich. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Poxon, Armor, Troop B, distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader on a reconnaissance mission. Landing by helicopter in an area suspected of being occupied by the enemy, the platoon came under intense fire from enemy soldiers in concealed positions and fortifications around the landing zone. A soldier fell, hit by the first burst of fire. 1st Lt. Poxon dashed to his aid, drawing the majority of the enemy fire as he crossed 20 meters of open ground. The fallen soldier was beyond help and 1st Lt. Poxon was seriously and painfully wounded. 1st Lt. Poxon, with indomitable courage, refused medical aid and evacuation and turned his attention to seizing the initiative from the enemy. With sure instinct he marked a central enemy bunker as the key to success. Quickly instructing his men to concentrate their fire on the bunker, and in spite of his wound, 1st Lt. Poxon crawled toward the bunker, readied a hand grenade and charged. He was hit again but continued his assault. After succeeding in silencing the enemy guns in the bunker he was struck once again by enemy fire and fell, mortally wounded. 1st Lt. Poxon's comrades followed their leader, pressed the attack and drove the enemy from their positions. 1st Lt. Poxon's gallantry, indomitable will, and courage are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for 2 June, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

2 June

1917: In World War I, the first group of aviation specialists (93 skilled civilian mechanics) to go overseas sailed for England to study British and French airplanes and manufacturing methods.

1941: USS Long Island, first escort carrier of the Navy, commissioned. (24)

1944: Operation FRANTIC. The first shuttle-bombing mission using Soviet bases to attack Eastern European targets occurred. The bombers took off from Italy and landed at Poltava, Soviet Union, after bombing Debrecen, Hungary. Lt Gen Ira C. Eaker, head of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, flew in one B-17. (4) (24)

1949: Gen Henry H. Arnold received the permanent rank of General of the Air Force. (24)

1950: The 28 SRW at Rapid City AFB, S. Dak., received the first RB-36D (number 44-92091). This reconnaissance version of the B-36B had four jet engines added to the six propeller engines. (1)

1954: Test pilot James F. "Skeets" Coleman flew Convair's XFY-1, a vertical takeoff plane, in its first free takeoff and landing at Moffett NAS, Calif. (16) (24)

1957: PROJECT MAN HIGH I. Capt Joseph W. Kittinger Jr. set FAI altitude and endurance records for manned, lighter-than-aircraft. He went aloft in a balloon over Minnesota for 6 hours 34 minutes and stayed above 96,000 feet for 2 hours. (9) (26)

1958: FIRST FIGHTER SYMPOSIUM. Through 6 June, PACAF held a US/Asian Fighter Weapons Symposium at the mountain resort of Baguio in the Philippines. PACAF Staff officers met with their counterparts from the Chinese Nationalist Air Force, Korean Air Force, Philippine Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force, and the Vietnamese Air Force. It was the first such conference on operational requirements and problems. (17)

1967: The DoD assigned the last naval air transport squadron under MAC to the Navy, ending a 19- year partnership between the command and service. (2)

1970: William A. Dana flew NASA's M2-F3 Lifting Body on its first flight, without power, after a launching from a B-52. (3) Southern Command personnel and aircraft from Howard and Albrook AFBs, the Canal Zone, and C-130s from Lockbourne AFB began massive disaster relief operation for victims of an earthquake in Peru. In the next 31 days, USAF Special Operations airlifted 1.5 million pounds of supplies and equipment, 2,827 passengers and 501 patients for medical reasons, while operating from bare base conditions, 1,500 miles from base. (16) (26)

1995: MACKAY TROPHY/CORONET BAT. Through 3 June, two B-1B Lancers flew around the world in record time--36 hours 13 minutes 36 seconds. The bombers received inflight refueling six times from KC-135s and KC-10s. In one B-1 the autopilot failed, forcing the crew to hand fly the bomber for most of the flight. For that effort, the crew earned the 1995 Mackay Trophy. (16) (18) Through 8 June, after a surface-to-air missile downed his F-16, Capt Scott O'Grady evaded capture by hostile forces for six days until Marine helicopters successfully rescued him. (26)

1998: The 22 AREFW at McConnell AFB received the first production modified KC-135 PACER CRAG (Compass, Radar, and GPS) aircraft (tail number 57-1435). The PACER CRAG equipment served as the centerpiece of several KC-135 modernization efforts. Using the CRAG radar, a pilot would be able to detect cloud formations, wind shear and other weather hazards. The FMS 800, a state-of-the-art flight management system, formed the heart of the CRAG system. It gave pilots the ability to plot courses in a training facility, download the information to a data card, and upload it into the aircraft. That new capability eliminated the need for a navigator. (22)

2001: After launching from an Orbital Sciences Corporation mother ship, NASA's X-43A Hyper-X hypersonic research vehicle broke up and fell into the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus XL booster lost its fins and spun out of control. (3)

 

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