TheList 7204

The List 7204

Good Wednesday morning June 11  Same weather different day. The clouds are supposed to clear around 11 and heat up to 79.

Every year at this time after reading and watching the many stories about D-Day and Midway there is always something that catches my attention. Last year it was the story about the two X-boats. Small subs that sat on the bottom of the approaches to the D-Day landing sites for 4 days waiting to do their job which was to provide a light to the approaching landing craft so they could see where to land the troops. Four men in a vessel where there was only room for one to sleep at a time but without them the landings would not be possible. The approaches had been heavily mined by the Germans and they were cleared just enough to get the ships through. The extra day they had to sit there was just one more thing they had to contend with. It all worked. I watched the interview of one of the men still living and he had quite an attitude.

Also the fact that there was an entirely new secret RADAR system that did not get turned on until the night of the landings was another surprise. They only had a small number of sets but the Germans had no idea and no counter to it. It was very accurate so the ships knew exactly where they were and where to go.

Warm regards,

skip

HAGD

 

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 91  H-Grams . .

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

June 11

On This Day

On This Day in Naval and Marine Corps History June 11

 

1871

During the Korean Expedition, Rear Adm. John Rodgers squadron lands a party of 650 Marines and Sailors to attack and capture Fort McKee (also known as the Citadel), Korea. Fifteen receive the Medal of Honor for their action during the capture of the Korean fort.

1927

USS Memphis (CL 13) arrives at Washington, D.C., with Charles Lindbergh and his plane, Spirit of St. Louis, after his non-stop flight across the Atlantic. Later that day, Lindbergh becomes the first person to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross when President Calvin Coolidge presents the award at the Washington Monument grounds.

1944

F6Fs from TF 58, commanded by Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher, begin to intercept and splash Japanese planes in the vicinity of the Mariana Islands, taking the enemy by surprise.

1944

While operating off the Ryukyu Chain, Japan, two Japanese kamikazes attack USS LCS(L)(3) 122. Lt. Richard M. McCool, Jr. organizes a counter attack, downs one of the kamikazes, and damages the second before it crashes into his vessel. Severely wounded and suffering severe burns, he leads his men to fight the fires and rescue crewmembers. For his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity on this occasion, McCool is awarded the Medal of Honor.

1994

USS Sirocco (PC 6) is commissioned at the Washington Navy Yard, the first commissioning of a Navy ship at that location in 120 years. The sixth of the Cyclone-class patrol coastal boat is currently stationed at Bahrain.

2017

The guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) arrives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to support humanitarian assistance operations in the wake of severe flooding and landslides that devastated many regions of the country.

 

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Today in World History June 11

 

1346   Charles IV of Luxembourg is elected Holy Roman Emperor.

1509   Henry VIII of England marries Catherine of Aragon.

1770   Captain James Cook runs aground on the Great Barrier Reef.

1798   Napoleon Bonaparte takes the island of Malta.

1861   Union forces under General George B. McClellan repulse a Confederate force at Rich Mountain in western Virginia.

1865   Major General Henry W. Halleck finds documents and archives of the Confederate government in Richmond, Virginia. This discovery will lead to the publication of the official war records.

1895   Charles E. Duryea receives the first U.S. patent granted to an American inventor for a gasoline-driven automobile.

1903   King Alexander and Queen Draga of Belgrade are assassinated by members of the Serbia army.

1915   British troops take Cameroon in Africa.

1927   Charles Lindbergh, a captain in the US Army Air Corps Reserve, receives the first Distinguished Flying Cross ever awarded, for his solo trans-Atlantic flight.

1930   William Beebe, of the New York Zoological Society, dives to a record-setting depth of 1,426 feet off the coast of Bermuda, in a diving chamber called a bathysphere.

1934   The Disarmament Conference in Geneva ends in failure.

1940   The Italian Air Force bombs the British fortress at Malta in the Mediterranean.

1943   The Italian island of Pantelleria surrenders after a heavy air bombardment.

1944   U.S. carrier-based planes attack Japanese airfields on Guam , Rota, Saipan and Tinian islands, preparing for the invasion of Saipan.

1963   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is arrested in Florida for trying to integrate restaurants.

1967   Israel and Syria accept a U. N. cease-fire.

1987   Margaret Thatcher wins her third consecutive term as Prime Minister.

 

I missed this one yesterday…skip

On June 10, 1752, Benjamin Franklin was said to have flown a kite during a thunderstorm to collect ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar, enabling him to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity. Franklin became interested in electricity in the mid-1740s, a time when much was still unknown on the topic, and spent almost a decade conducting electrical experiments. He coined a number of terms used today, including battery, conductor and electrician. He also invented the lightning rod, used to protect buildings and ships.

Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, to a candle and soap maker named Josiah Franklin, who fathered 17 children, and his wife Abiah Folger. Franklin's formal education ended at age 10 and he went to work as an apprentice to his brother James, a printer. In 1723, following a dispute with his brother, Franklin left Boston and ended up in Philadelphia, where he found work as a printer. Following a brief stint as a printer in London, Franklin returned to Philadelphia and became a successful businessman, whose publishing ventures included the Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard's Almanack, a collection of homespun proverbs advocating hard work and honesty in order to get ahead. The almanac, which Franklin first published in 1733 under the pen name Richard Saunders, included such wisdom as: "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

Whether or not Franklin followed this advice in his own life, he came to represent the classic American overachiever. In addition to his accomplishments in business and science, he is noted for his numerous civic contributions. Among other things, he developed a library, insurance company, city hospital and academy in Philadelphia that would later become the University of Pennsylvania.

Most significantly, Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States and had a career as a statesman that spanned four decades. He served as a legislator in Pennsylvania as well as a diplomat in England and France. He is the only politician to have signed all four documents fundamental to the creation of the U.S.: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris (1783), which established peace with Great Britain and the U.S. Constitution (1787).

Franklin died at age 84 on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia. He remains one of the leading figures in U.S. history.

 

And a few more

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

 

June 11

 

1963

University of Alabama desegregated

Two African American students, Vivian Malone and James A. Hood, register for classes at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on June 11, 1963, after federalized Alabama National Guard troops force Alabama Governor George Wallace to halt his blockade and submit to a judge's order ending...

 

323 B.C.

Alexander the Great dies

1949

 

Hank Williams Sr., makes his Grand Ole Opry debut

 

1979

John Wayne dies

 

1982

"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" released

 

1989

China issues warrant for Tiananmen dissident sheltering in U.S. embassy

 

1788

Russian explorer Izmailov arrives at Yakutat Bay, Alaska

 

1955

Race car at Le Mans crashes into spectators, killing 83

 

1944

John F. Kennedy receives medal for gallantry

 

1963

Buddhist immolates himself in protest

 

 

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Rollingthunderremembered.com .

June 11

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).

.

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 Wednesday June 11

June 11:  https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2913

 

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From the Archives

Thanks to Wigs

 

Noah's Ark: Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark.

ONE: Don't miss the boat.

TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat!

THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark .

FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

SIX: Build your future on high ground.

SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.

TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

Give it! Don't just get it!

Most people walk in and out of your life, but FRIENDS leave footprints on your heart

 

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Thanks to Interesting Facts

Giraffes have purple tongues.

In addition to their spots and long necks, giraffes have another distinguishing feature: Their tongues are often dark purple. Whereas most animals have fully pink tongues, a giraffe's is infused with melanin that makes it darker; sometimes it's even blue or black rather than purple, although the base and back are indeed pink. While it hasn't been proven definitively, there's a widely accepted theory that the melanin provides ultraviolet protection, preventing giraffe tongues from getting sunburned while the animals feed on tall trees. Giraffe tongues are also long (up to 21 inches) and covered in thick bumps known as papillae, which help protect them from the spiky defensive thorns of the animal's favorite snack: acacia trees.

Giraffes aren't the only creatures with darker tongues, of course; okapis, polar bears, impalas, and chow chow dogs have them as well, as do other animals. However, giraffes are distinguished from their purple-tongued friends not only by their status as the world's tallest mammals, but also because they give birth standing up. Newborn giraffes fall to the ground from a height of more than 5 feet — not that they mind. They can stand within half an hour and run within 10 hours, usually alongside their doting (and similarly dark-tongued) mother.

No two giraffes have the same spot patterns.

 

A group of giraffes is called a tower

 

Numbers Don't Lie

Species of giraffe (southern, northern, Masai, and reticulated)

4

Years a giraffe can typically live in the wild

26

Average height (in feet) of an adult giraffe

14–19

Giraffes that can live in the same group

20

Giraffes have extremely high blood pressure — and it isn't a problem.

When it comes to most living creatures, hypertension is a serious health issue. By virtue of their extreme height, however, high blood pressure is not only a good thing for giraffes, but an essential part of their biology — a way for their hearts to overcome gravity and pump blood up their long necks. In order to maintain a blood pressure of 110 over 70 at the brain, a normal number for a large mammal, giraffes need a blood pressure at the heart of roughly 220 over 180. That number would be beyond concerning to your cardiologist, as lower than 120 over 80 is considered healthy for humans. Giraffes' cardiovascular strength is of great interest to scientists, who have marveled at their resilience — and tried to see what lessons we might learn from it.

 

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From The Archives

Thanks to Bill

A Sea Story - Strange but true.

  Sometimes in life, the guy with the so-crazy-it-just-might-work ideas hits one out of the park and saves the day..

This is what happened in 1942 aboard the HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen, the last Dutch warship standing after the Battle of the Java Sea.

Originally planning to escape to Australia with three other warships, the then-stranded minesweeper had to make the voyage alone and unprotected..

The slow-moving vessel could only get up to about 15 knots <http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-abraham-crijnssen>  and had very few guns, boasting only a single 3-inch gun and two Oerlikon 20 mm canons <http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-abraham-crijnssen>  making it a sitting duck to Japanese bombers that circled above..

Knowing their only chance of survival was to make it to the Allies Down Under, the Crijnssen's 45 crew members frantically brainstormed ways to make the retreat undetected..

The winning idea ? Turn the ship into an island..

You can almost hear crazy-idea guy anticipating his shipmates' reluctance: Now guys, just hear me out.. 

But lucky for him, the Abraham Crijnessen was strapped for time, resources and alternative means of escape, automatically making the island idea the best idea..

Now it was time to put the plan into action.

HNLMS_Abraham_Crijnssen_Covered_In_Branches

The crew went ashore to nearby islands and cut down as many trees as they could lug back onto the deck..

Then the timber was arranged to look like a jungle canopy <http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-abraham-crijnssen> , covering as much square footage as possible..

Any leftover parts of the ship were painted to look like rocks and cliff faces these guys weren't messing around..

HRMS_Abraham_Crijnssen_disguised_as_a_tropical_island

Now, a camouflaged ship in deep trouble is better than a completely exposed ship..

But there was still the problem of the Japanese noticing a mysterious moving island and wondering what would happen if they shot at it..

Because of this, the crew figured the best means of convincing the Axis powers that they were an island was to truly be an island: by not moving at all during daylight hours..

While the sun was up they would anchor the ship near other islands, then cover as much ocean as they could once night fell praying the Japanese wouldn't notice a disappearing and reappearing island amongst the nearly 18,000 existing islands <http://www.mapsofworld.com/indonesia/facts.html>  in Indonesia.. 

And, as luck would have it, they didn't..

The Crijnssen managed to go undetected by Japanese planes and avoid the destroyer that sank the other Dutch warships, surviving the eight-day journey to Australia and reuniting with Allied forces..

 

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Thanks to Barrel

Origin of Left and Right

I have often wondered why it is that Conservatives are called the "right"

and Liberals are called the "left."

By chance I stumbled upon this verse in the Bible:

"The heart of the wise inclines to the right,

but the heart of the fool to the left."

Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV)

 

Thus sayeth the Lord. Amen.

 

Can't get any simpler than that.  And yes I checked the source the Bible

 

Spelling Lesson

 

The last four letters in American..........I Can

The last four letters in Republican.......I Can

The last four letters in Democrats.........Rats

 

End of lesson. The Test followed in November, 2024

 

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 Thanks to 1440

Axo-Lotta Limbs

Scientists have uncovered new clues about how some animals regrow lost limbs, marking a major step forward for regenerative medicine. The study focused on axolotls—endangered Mexican salamanders known for their ability to regenerate body parts. The creatures can fully regrow a limb in as few as eight weeks, replacing skin, bone, cartilage, muscle, and stem cells.

 

Researchers genetically engineered axolotls to glow in the dark to track the molecular and genetic signals active during regeneration. They found that a key to the process is retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A that acts like a GPS telling cells where to go and what to rebuild. Manipulating retinoic acid levels disrupted proper limb formation—too much or too little led to malformed limbs with misplaced segments. An enzyme called CYP26b1 was found to regulate the acid, making sure cells get just the right amount to rebuild limbs properly.

 

The findings may eventually help scientists research ways to trigger similar regenerative responses in humans.

 

 

Hegseth on the Hill

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday that 4,000 National Guard troops will remain in Los Angeles for at least 60 days, a deployment he says will cost the US military at least $134M. The comments came in testimony before the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee as it analyzed the proposed defense budget for fiscal year 2026.

 

The FY 2026 defense bill (see summary) allocates $831.5B to the Pentagon, matching FY 2025's levels; an additional $150B over four years is expected to come through congressional reconciliation plans, lifting spending to nearly $1T. Following Hegseth's testimony, the Republican-led subcommittee advanced the budget proposal, sending it to the broader appropriations committee for review. A full House vote is expected as soon as this month.

 

Hegseth was also asked about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Ukraine's recent drone attacks (see previous write-up), and foreign aid programs. His comments came as protests over immigration raids continued yesterday in at least a dozen cities, including New York City and Chicago. Meanwhile, Los Angeles enacted a partial curfew for its downtown.

 

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Thanks to Brett

 Gavin Newsom's 'Reckless' Surrender of LA to Foreign National Riots

Victor Davis Hanson

June 09, 2025

|

 

Victor Davis Hanson @VDHanson

Victor Davis Hanson, a senior contributor for The Daily Signal, is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and host of "The Victor Davis Hanson Show." His website, The Blade of Perseus, features columns, lectures, and exclusive content for subscribers. Contact him at authorvdh@gmail.com.

Editor's note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today's video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos.

Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. This weekend we saw rioting in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement for its efforts to apprehend illegal aliens and employers who were hiring illegal aliens.

And the riots started out initially without very many numbers but then they turned violent. And by violence, I would define that as throwing rocks at cars, torching cars, defacing government buildings, and attacking law enforcement.

But here's what's interesting. The mayor, Karen Bass, came down, in her public comments, on the side of the protesters who were protesting the idea of deportation at all. Kind of like former Vice President Kamala Harris used to march against deportation.

And California Gov. Gavin Newsom then gave a series of editorializations that I think have ruined his chances ever to be a serious national candidate. He said this was "chaotic," this was "reckless." And he said that they were just trying to have "an arbitrary" deportation "quota."

Gavin, 12 million people came into the country illegally. That was 3 million a year. That was 250,000 per month. That was over 8,000 a day. They have not been able to deport more than a thousand on most days—sometimes 500. They would have to deport 8,000 people every single day for four years to get back where we were with 20 million illegal aliens when President Joe Biden entered office. So, it's not a quota, it's an effort to stop an invasion.

And it's a very funny invasion because now Gavin is mad that they nationalized the California guard. President Donald Trump has that ability. And people said, "No. No president—they have to request it." No, they don't. You think that JFK said to George Wallace, when he nationalized the Alabama National Guard, said, "Would you please let us nationalize your guard so you can be removed from stopping African American people going to the University of Alabama?" No.

So, what I'm getting at is, on one side of these violent acts, you have these protesters. And I'll just give a word of advice. You're going to lose the optics—Democrats, the Left, and immigration protesters—if you have a lot of people here illegally and they're waving, not the American flag, but the Mexican flag, as they're committing acts of violence.

Think of the logic: "I am waving the flag of the country under no circumstances I want to return, but I am attacking the officers and the infrastructure of the country that under every circumstance I want to stay in."

That might explain why, in the midst of all of this negative publicity, a CBS poll taken to show that people were outraged showed that just the opposite: 54% of the American people are for continued deportations.

So, you know what is really "reckless," Gavin? You know what is "chaotic?" It's you. You. You. You. You did not intervene to stop the violence.

Donald Trump does not want to see a May, June, July, August, September 2020 $2 billion in property damage, 35 people killed, 1,500 officers assaulted, $14,000 in arrests, precinct burned, courthouse burned, historic church burned. He doesn't want to see that.

And you're egging this on. And you think it's going to be peaceful when people throw rocks at cars, innocent bystanders and people wave the flag as they burn things—the Mexican flag of a foreign country. You are undermining your own argument.

And what is your argument? I don't know what it is. What is your argument, Karen Bass, the mayor—now that you're not in Ghana and you're here in the United States during a burning? Is it burning is OK, whether it's burning a car or burning a whole neighborhood down? And you don't act.

It was pathetic, the chief of police of Los Angeles, I felt like it was some Soviet apparatchik, he was saying, "There is no violence. We are very proud of First Amendment." And it's like, I was given a text that my job is in danger, probably, if I say the truth because meanwhile, the LA County sheriff was saying, "We're going to warn you that we will stop this. And we will make arrests. And we will use tear gas."

And apparently, they saw a different riot. And they were more in charge of that area of the rioting than the Los Angeles Police Department.

But I guess Mayor Bass—they're scared, the LA police chief and the police hierarchy. Because they see that when the fire chief objected to Mayor Bass being on—I don't know—a junket, or the deputy mayor being arrested for phoning in a bomb threat, or the water and power director leaving a reservoir that was critical to the survival of Pacific Palisades empty and unattended for months and fire hydrants not working and she voiced—they fired her.

So, I guess this police chief says, "If I tell the truth that these people are violent and they are assaulting officers and the mayor is doing nothing and the governor is doing nothing, I will be fired. So, I will lie and say it's mostly—I am really impressed by the restraint of the protesters."

Final bottom line: If you take an oath to enforce the laws of your state or the country and you see people swarming detention centers, swarming the streets, obstructing traffic, burning cars, trying to injure people with rocks, and you do nothing, then you are forsaking your oath of office.

And secondly: Mayor Bass, Gov. Newsom, would you please tell us what is your position on 12 million people who entered the United States illegally, who are residing illegally at a time when the country is running a $2 trillion deficit and your state, at one point, recently owed $75 billion that it did not have?

What is your solution? Is it to let one more million in? Three more million in? Five more million in? What is it? What is your solution to find the 300,000 to 500,000 people believed to have criminal records? Just tell us, what is your solution?

What is your solution when you have, apparently, violent protesters waving the flag of a foreign national country as a way of persuading us that we should not deport them when they are burning things and committing violence about the country they want to stay in but waving the flag of the country they do not want to return to?

What is the position of the Mexican government? Because I can tell you that there is a bill right now—the big, beautiful bill—that will tax remittances, the $63 billion.

And all this is going to do is give rise to voices who will say, "I think we need a higher percentage to tax these remittances because they're not getting the message. The people who are demonstrating and violent apparently think that we are going to subsidize them with social services, to free up money so they can send to Mexico, on tax, $63 billion—their greatest source of foreign exchange—while they run $170 billion trade surplus, while the cartels kill between 60,000 and 80,000 Americans." That's an unsustainable situation, as are these riots.

Bottom line: I think, Gavin Newsom, you took your recent effort to be moderate, centrist, your podcast, and you lit a fuse and you blew it up. Nobody in their right mind would ever vote for you for anything after you went into a volatile, dangerous situation and tried to pour gasoline on it by essentially saying you, the governor, will not do anything to restore order or quiet. And you sided with people committing violence against their fellow residents of Los Angeles.

 

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This Day in U S Military History…….June 11

 

1775 – The Battle of Machias (also known as the Battle of the Margaretta) was the first naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War. It took place in and around the port of Machias in what is now eastern Maine, and resulted in the capture by Patriot militia of a British schooner. Following the outbreak of the war and the start of the Siege of Boston, British authorities enlisted the assistance of Loyalist merchant Ichabod Jones to assist in the acquisition of needed supplies. Two of Jones' merchant ships arrived in Machias on June 2, accompanied by the British armed sloop Margaretta, commanded by midshipman James Moore. The townspeople, unhappy with Jones' business practices, decided to arrest him, and in the attempt, decided to go after Moore and his ship. Moore was able to escape out of the harbor, but the townspeople seized one of Jones' ships, armed it and a second local ship, and sailed out to meet him. In a short confrontation, they captured Moore's vessel and crew, fatally wounding him in the process.

 

1918 – A Marine assault following artillery bombardment succeeds in capturing two-thirds of Belleau Wood, but with heavy casualties. A battalion commander, Lt. Col. Frederick Wise erroneously reports his men were in control of the woods, but has misread his maps and position. Brigade Commander James Harbord requests relief for his men reporting their near physical exhaustion.

 

1944 – Five days after the D-Day landing, the five Allied landing groups, made up of some 330,000 troops, link up in Normandy to form a single solid front across northwestern France. On June 6, 1944, after a year of meticulous planning conducted in secrecy by a joint Anglo-American staff, the largest combined sea, air, and land military operation in history began on the French coast at Normandy. The Allied invasion force included 3 million men, 13,000 aircraft, 1,200 warships, 2,700 merchant ships, and 2,500 landing craft. Fifteen minutes after midnight on June 6, the first of 23,000 U.S., British, and Canadian paratroopers and glider troops plunged into the darkness over Normandy. Just before dawn, Allied aircraft and ships bombed the French coast along the Baie de la Seine, and at daybreak the bombardment ended as 135,000 Allied troops stormed ashore at five landing sites. Despite the formidable German coastal defenses, beachheads were achieved at all five landing locations. At one site–Omaha Beach–German resistance was especially strong, and the Allied position was only secured after hours of bloody fighting by the Americans assigned to it. By the evening, some 150,000 American, British, and Canadian troops were ashore, and the Allies held about 80 square miles. During the next five days, Allied forces in Normandy moved steadily forward in all sectors against fierce German resistance. On June 11, the five landing groups met up, and Operation Overlord–the code name for the Allied invasion of northwestern Europe–proceeded as planned.

1944 – U.S. battleships off Normandy provide gunfire support.

1944 – Elements of the French Expeditionary Corps (part of US 5th Army) capture Montefiascone, west of Viterbo. Force of the British 8th Army, inland, are engaged near Cantalupo and Bagnoregio.

1944 – The US 15th Air Force, operating from bases in Italy, raids the airfield at Focsani, Romania. The aircraft fly on to Soviet held territory in the first "shuttle" run of this sort.

1944 – US Task Force 58 (Admiral Mitscher) begins raids against Japanese bases on Saipan, Tinian and other islands. TF58 has 9 fleet carriers and 6 light carriers. Task Group 58.7 (Admiral Lee) provides escort. An estimated 36 Japanese planes are shot down. Task Group 58.4 attacks shipping in the area. The Japanese lose 3 minor warships and about 30,000 tons of merchant transport by the aircraft. The operations are overseen by Admiral Spruance, commanding the Central Pacific Area, on board the cruiser Indianapolis.

1945 – On Okinawa, the Japanese pocket in the Oroku Peninsula has been reduced to perimeter measurable in yards but their resistance remains fanatical. An assault by the US 1st Marine Division (US 3rd Amphibious Corps) fails to capture Kunishi Ridge. A regiment of the US 96th Division reaches the town of Yuza but is forced to withdraw by intensive Japanese fire. An important height east of Mount Yaeju is captured by American forces. Still going since 1 April…..!!!!!

 

1945 – On Luzon, fighting at Orioung Pass continues as Japanese forces continue to hold the US 37th Division.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

WENS, MICHAEL

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 6 February 1853, New York, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 169, 8 February 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Colorado during the capture of Korean forts, 11 June 1871. Fighting courageously in hand-to hand combat, Owens was badly wounded by the enemy during this action.

 

PURVIS, HUGH

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 5 March 1846, Philadelphia, Pa. Accredited to: Pennsylvania. G.O. No.: 169, 8 February 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Alaska during the attack on and capture of the Korean forts, 11 June 1871. Braving the enemy fire, Purvis was the first to scale the walls of the fort and capture the flag of the Korean forces.

 

ROGERS, SAMUEL F.

Rank and organization: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy. Born: 1845, Buffalo, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 169, 8 February 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Colorado during the attack and capture of the Korean forts, 11 June 1871. Fighting courageously at the side of Lt. McKee during this action, Rogers was wounded by the enemy.

 

TROY, WILLIAM

Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1848, Boston, Mass. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 169, 8 February 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Colorado during the capture of the Korean forts, 11 June 1871. Fighting at the side of Lt. McKee, by whom he was especially commended, Troy was badly wounded by the enemy.

 

MOSHER, LOUIS C.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, Philippine Scouts. Place and date: At Gagsak Mountain, Jolo, Philippine Islands, 11 June 1913. Entered service at: Brockton, Mass. Birth: Westport, Mass. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: Voluntarily entered a cleared space within about 20 yards of the Moro trenches under a furious fire from them and carried a wounded soldier of his company to safety at the risk of his own life.

 

PETTY, ORLANDO HENDERSON

Rank and organization: Lieutenant (Medical Corps), USNRF. Born: 20 February 1874, Harrison, Ohio. Appointed from: Pennsylvania. Citation: For extraordinary heroism while serving with the 5th Regiment, U.S. Marines, in France during the attack in the Boise de Belleau, 11 June 1918. While under heavy fire of high explosive and gas shells in the town of Lucy, where his dressing station was located, Lt. Petty attended to and evacuated the wounded under most trying conditions. Having been knocked to the ground by an exploding gas shell which tore his mask, Lt. Petty discarded the mask and courageously continued his work. His dressing station being hit and demolished, he personally helped carry Capt. Williams, wounded, through the shellfire to a place of safety.

 

HUBER, WILLIAM RUSSEL

Rank and organization: Machinist's Mate, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Aboard the U.S.S. Bruce at the Naval Shipyard, Norfolk, Va., 11 June 1928. Entered service at: Pennsylvania. Birth: Harrisburg, Pa. Citation: For display of extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on 11 June 1928, after a boiler accident on the U.S.S. Bruce, then at the Naval Shipyard, Norfolk, Va. Immediately on becoming aware of the accident, Huber without hesitation and in complete disregard of his own safety, entered the steam-filled fireroom and at grave risk to his life succeeded by almost superhuman efforts in carrying Charles H. Byran to safety. Although having received severe and dangerous burns about the arms and neck, he descended with a view toward rendering further assistance. The great courage, grit, and determination displayed by Huber on this occasion characterized conduct far above and beyond the call of duty.

 

*COLE, ROBERT G.

Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Carentan, France, 11 June 1944. Entered service at: San Antonio, Tex. Birth: Fort Sam Houston, Tex. G.O. No.: 79, 4 October 1944. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty on 11 June 1944, in France. Lt. Col. Cole was personally leading his battalion in forcing the last 4 bridges on the road to Carentan when his entire unit was suddenly pinned to the ground by intense and withering enemy rifle, machinegun, mortar, and artillery fire placed upon them from well-prepared and heavily fortified positions within 150 yards of the foremost elements. After the devastating and unceasing enemy fire had for over 1 hour prevented any move and inflicted numerous casualties, Lt. Col. Cole, observing this almost hopeless situation, courageously issued orders to assault the enemy positions with fixed bayonets. With utter disregard for his own safety and completely ignoring the enemy fire, he rose to his feet in front of his battalion and with drawn pistol shouted to his men to follow him in the assault. Catching up a fallen man's rifle and bayonet, he charged on and led the remnants of his battalion across the bullet-swept open ground and into the enemy position. His heroic and valiant action in so inspiring his men resulted in the complete establishment of our bridgehead across the Douve River. The cool fearlessness, personal bravery, and outstanding leadership displayed by Lt. Col. Cole reflect great credit upon himself and are worthy of the highest praise in the military service.

 

MIZE, OLA L.

Rank and organization: Master Sergeant (then Sgt.), U.S. Army, Company K, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Surang-ni, Korea, 10 to 11 June 1953. Entered service at: Gadsden, Ala. Born: 28 August 1931, Marshall County, Ala. G.O. No.: 70, 24 September 1954. Citation: M/Sgt. Mize, a member of Company K, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. Company K was committed to the defense of "Outpost Harry", a strategically valuable position, when the enemy launched a heavy attack. Learning that a comrade on a friendly listening post had been wounded he moved through the intense barrage, accompanied by a medical aid man, and rescued the wounded soldier. On returning to the main position he established an effective defense system and inflicted heavy casualties against attacks from determined enemy assault forces which had penetrated into trenches within the outpost area. During his fearless actions he was blown down by artillery and grenade blasts 3 times but each time he dauntlessly returned to his position, tenaciously fighting and successfully repelling hostile attacks. When enemy onslaughts ceased he took his few men and moved from bunker to bunker, firing through apertures and throwing grenades at the foe, neutralizing their positions. When an enemy soldier stepped out behind a comrade, prepared to fire, M/Sgt. Mize killed him, saving the life of his fellow soldier. After rejoining the platoon, moving from man to man, distributing ammunition, and shouting words of encouragement he observed a friendly machine gun position overrun. He immediately fought his way to the position, killing 10 of the enemy and dispersing the remainder. Fighting back to the command post, and finding several friendly wounded there, he took a position to protect them. Later, securing a radio, he directed friendly artillery fire upon the attacking enemy's routes of approach. At dawn he helped regroup for a counterattack which successfully drove the enemy from the outpost. M/Sgt. Mize's valorous conduct and unflinching courage reflect lasting glory upon himself and uphold the noble traditions of the military service.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 11, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

11 June

1926: The Ford 4-AT Trimotor first flew.

 

1930: Through 4 July, John and Kenneth Hunter used a Stinson "Detroiter" monoplane to set a world endurance record of 553 hours 41 minutes 30 seconds. (24)

 

1943: After weeks of Allied bombings, the Italian garrison on Pantelleria Island surrendered without firing a shot. It was the first large defended area to fall to air power. (21)

 

1944: In a "shuttle raid" between the USSR and Italy, Fifteenth Air Force bombed the Rumanian airfield at Foscani. (4) Navy Task Force 58, with seven heavy and eight light carriers, opened the campaign to occupy the Marianas. (24) 1945: The 393d BMS aircrews arrived at Tinian Island in the Marianas from Wendover AFB, Utah. Their aircraft, Boeing B-29s, were the only combat planes assigned to the 509th Composite Group, which later dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. (8: June 90)

 

1948: The USAF revised its aircraft designations from "P" for pursuit to "F" for fighter. (12)

 

1951: Bill Bridgeman flew the D558-II to a record speed of Mach 1.79 at Edwards AFB. KOREAN WAR/DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS. An SA-16 of the 3 ARS picked up a downed F-51 pilot from the Taedong River near Kyomipo, N. Korea. The SA-16, although receiving fire from both sides of the river, made a landing approach without lights, avoiding low electrical transmission lines and rocks and debris on the river's surface. The pilot earned the award for the rescue. (28)

 

1956: Chrysler Corp. received the Jupiter IRBM contract. (6)

 

1957: The General Dynamics' (Convair Division) experimental Atlas missile made its first launch from Cape Canaveral. (12) The 4080 SRW at Laughlin AFB, Tex., received SAC's first U-2 (serial number 56-6696). (1)

 

1993: Operation CONTINUE HOPE. AC-130 Spectre gunships joined a UN raid on Somali warlord forces to retaliate for a 5 June attack on UN forces in Mogadishu. (16) (26)

 

1996: ACC received its first J-8 JSTARS aircraft. (21)

 

2007: ROBERT J. COLLIER TROPHY. The National Aeronautic Association presented its annual trophy to the Lockheed Martin Corporation and the USAF for developing the F-22 Raptor. The award submission focused heavily on the F-22's performance during the 2006 Northern Edge exercise in Alaska where Raptors flew 97 percent of their assigned sorties. The F-22 pilots scored an 80-to-1 kill ratio against their opponents and direct hits with 100 percent of their 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions. The exercise increased overall situational awareness for the entire team through the F-22's integrated avionics package. (AFNEWS, "F-22 Team Garners Collier Trophy," 11 June 2007.)

 

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