The List 7214
Good Saturday morning June 21 .It is overcast and 57 right now and going to only go to 72 today after the sun comes out around 10.
.Have a great weekend
Warm regards,
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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 21
1898 During the Spanish-American War, the cruiser USS Charleston captures the island of Guam without resistance from Spain, because the Spanish Navy had no sufficient ammunition for defense.
1919 The German navy scuttles its own fleet at Scapa Flow. After the Nov. 11 Armistice, the surrendered German ships are divided by Allies. German officers then organize a mass destruction of the fleet that occurs on this day.
1942 PBY aircraft from (VP 24) recovers a two-man torpedo bomber crew from USS Enterprise (CV 6) 360 miles north of Midway after their plane went down June 4. The aviators are the last survivors of the Battle of Midway to be recovered.
1944 USS Newcomb (DD 586) and USS Chandler (DMS 9) sink Japanese submarine (I 185), 90 miles east-northeast of Saipan. Also on this date, USS Bluefish (SS 222) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Kanan Maru off southern approaches to Makassar Strait while USS Narwhal (SS 167) sinks Japanese powered sailboat No.2 Shinshu Maru, 12 miles southwest of Culasi.
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Today in World History June 21
1667 The Peace of Breda ends the Second Anglo-Dutch War as the Dutch cede New Amsterdam to the English.
1675 Christopher Wren begins work on rebuilding St. Paul's Cathedral in London after the Great Fire.
1791 The French royal family is arrested in Varennes.
1834 C. H. McCormick patents the first practical reaper.
1862 Union and Confederate forces skirmish at the Chickahominy Creek.
1863 In the second day of fighting, Confederate troops fail to dislodge a Union force at the Battle of LaFourche Crossing.
1887 Britain celebrates the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria.
1900 General Douglas MacArthur offers amnesty to Filipinos rebelling against American rule.
1908 Mulai Hafid again proclaims himself the true sultan of Morocco.
1911 Porforio Diaz, the ex-president of Mexico, exiles himself to Paris.
1915 Germany uses poison gas for the first time in warfare in the Argonne Forest.
1919 Germans scuttle their own fleet at Scapa Flow, Scotland.
1939 Baseball legend Lou Gehrig is forced to quit baseball because of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis--a disease which wastes muscles.
1942 German General Erwin Rommel captures the port city of Tobruk in North Africa.
1945 Japanese forces on Okinawa surrender to American troops. After 92 days
1948 Dr. Peter Goldmark demonstrates his "long-playing" record.
1958 A federal judge allows Little Rock, Arkansas to delay school integration.
1963 France announces it will withdraw from the NATO fleet in the North Atlantic.
1964 Three civil rights workers disappear in Meridian, Mississippi.
1982 John Hinckley Jr. is found not guilty by reason of insanity for attempting to assassinate President Ronald Reagan.
1995 The U.S. Senate votes against the nomination of Dr. Henry W. Foster for Surgeon General.
1788 U.S. Constitution ratified
New Hampshire becomes the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land.
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Thanks to Roger
Chuck was a Bubba Breakfast regular until recently. He also was the head of the DFC Society….skip
Aloha friends of CDR Chuck Sweeney,
Many of you have reached out to see if we know the date & time for Chuck's service.
I'm in comms with 2 of Chuck's sons, Mike & David, & Chuck's daughter, Regina, who seems to have the lead.
Chuck Sweeney's funeral service is scheduled for Monday, 21 July 2025 at 10:00 AM PST.
The location is Miramar National Cemetery near HW 805 & Miramar road.
We will keep you all posted as/ If anything changes & when more details are available..
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My parents collected pennies and I still have 3 or 4 of the blue holders that they used.
Thanks to Interesting Facts
6 Valuable Facts About the U.S. Penny
What pennies lack in purchasing power, they make up for in history. Long before the U.S. was even founded, variations of the word "penny" were commonly used for European currency of various denominations, including pfennig in German and penning in Swedish. (The American use of the word "penny" came from the British term for one-twelfth of a shilling.) It was in 1793 that the U.S. Mint finally struck its first penny — though its official name is the "one-cent piece" — which means that pennies have been jangling around in the pockets of Americans since the Washington administration. From design alterations to record-shattering values, here are some remarkable facts about the history (and more) of the smallest current monetary denomination in the U.S.
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Benjamin Franklin Designed the First Penny
Long before Abraham Lincoln's portrait graced the face of the one-cent piece, founding father Benjamin Franklin reportedly conceived of an early coin design now known as the "Fugio" penny. Franklin's concept was first approved and manufactured under the watchful eye of the Congress of the Confederation in 1787, predating the U.S. Mint's production by several years. The Fugio penny's obverse depicts a sun and sundial accompanied by the Latin word "fugio" (translating to "I fly"), as well as the phrase "Mind Your Business." On its other side, the reverse, the cent features the words "We Are One," surrounded by 13 chain links to represent the original 13 colonies. All told, U.S. pennies have featured 11 different designs throughout history.
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Abraham Lincoln Was the First Real Person to Appear on a U.S. Coin
Overhead view of a collection of pennies.Credit: Acton Crawford/ Unsplash
Speaking of redesigns, it was in 1909 that the penny underwent a visual change that remains constant to this day. From 1859 to 1909, the U.S. penny depicted the silhouette of a fictitious Native American person. In 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt decided to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 100th birthday by changing the coin's design to feature Lincoln's face — making Lincoln the first real person to appear on U.S. coinage. To create the design, Roosevelt enlisted the acclaimed medalist Victor David Brenner, who designed the portrait of Lincoln that now appears on all pennies. George Washington would later appear on the quarter, beginning in 1932; Thomas Jefferson was added to the face of the nickel in 1938; and FDR showed up on dimes beginning in 1946.
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Pennies Cost More to Make Than They're Worth
Despite their storied history, pennies may not be around for much longer, due to the fact that they're so expensive to make. The manufacturing cost for a penny is more than double its value — in 2021, each penny cost 2.1 cents to strike. That same year, the government produced 7.6 billion pennies, equating to a financial loss of $145.8 million. Part of the reason for this financial conundrum is that pennies are composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, two metals that have recently dramatically risen in price. Several movements have begun in support of eliminating the coin from circulation, which is something America's neighbors to the north chose to do with their own penny all the way back in 2012.
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The Most Valuable Penny Sold for $1.7 Million
Not all pennies are massive money drains. In fact, one penny sold at auction in 2010 for a whopping $1.7 million. The one-of-a-kind coin was accidentally struck in 1943, using a leftover bronze coin disc from 1942 at a time when the government was experimenting with other materials so they could preserve copper for wartime efforts in World War II. The auctioned coin is the only one known to have been mistakenly cast in bronze at the Denver Mint, making it exceedingly rare, though an additional 20 Lincoln pennies were believed to have been struck in bronze at the Philadelphia and San Francisco Mints. Throughout World War II, zinc-coated steel was ultimately used for pennies as part of the aforementioned conservation efforts.
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The Penny Isn't the Lowest-Value U.S. Coin Ever Produced
From 1793 to 1857, the penny held the distinction of being the second least-valuable American coin, since the U.S. Mint produced a half-cent coin during that time period. The first half-cent depicted Lady Liberty on its face, though subsequent redesigns would alter her appearance as well as the way she was facing. The half-cent was ultimately discontinued due to its perceived worthlessness at the time — though it would be worth 14 cents today when adjusted for inflation, making it more valuable than several modern coins still in circulation. From a collector's standpoint, the half-cent is even more valuable, with lower-quality examples selling for $40, whereas some uncirculated half-cents are valued at up to $100,000.
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Pressed Penny Collectors Are Known as Exonumists
Exonumia are tokens and other items that resemble money but aren't meant to be used in circulation. One of the more popular hobbies related to exonumia is the collection of elongated or pressed pennies, the concept of which made its stateside debut at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Though the inventor of the machine remains a mystery, more than two dozen designs were presented at the fair. Pressed pennies can now be found at festivals and amusement parks around the country, including at Disneyland, where you can press over 150 collectible designs onto your penny. While pressing pennies is perfectly legal in the United States, the act is actually forbidden in Canada, because the Canadian Currency Act forbids using coins for any purpose other than currency. (Although penny-pressing machines do exist in Canada, at least some use a zinc American penny instead of a Canadian coin.)
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An Interesting read....
Most interesting and many surprising statistics. I understood the number of draftees who served in Viet Nam was much higher than the numbers below, same for black KIAs.
Every so often something comes along that is undisputable fact. This is one read that should hit home. Another fact, I know most of you can read. Make those reunion reservations.
I thought this might interest those of you who lived through this as well as those interested in this period of time. Some of you may have seen this before, but in my mind, it begs retelling.
Vietnam Veterans - Only 31.4% of VN vets still alive.
A statistic not included is the number of people who claim to have served in the Republic of Vietnam. That number is 3 or 4 times the 3 Million who did. In case you haven't been paying attention these past few decades after you returned from Vietnam, the clock has been ticking. The following are some statistics that are at once depressing yet in a larger sense should give you a HUGE SENSE OF PRIDE.
Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran's age approximated to be 60 years old. So, if you're alive and reading this, how does it feel to be among the last 1/3rd of all the U.S. Vets who served in Vietnam? I don't know about you guys, but this gives me the chills, considering this is the kind of information I'm used to reading about WWII and Korean War vets.
For the last 14 years we have been dying too fast, only a few will survive by 2025... if any. If true, 390 VN vets die each day. In 2,190 days from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive... in only 6-10 years.
These statistics were taken from a variety of sources to include: The VFW Magazine, the Public Information Office, and the HQ CP Forward Observer - 1st Recon April 12, 1997.
STATISTICS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN UNIFORM AND IN COUNTRY VIETNAM VETERANS:
* 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the
Vietnam Era (August 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975).
* 8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the war (Aug 5, 1964-March 28,1973).
* 2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam. This number represents 9.7% of their generation.
* 3,403,100 (Including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the broader Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews based in Thailand, and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).
* 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam (Jan.1, 1965 - March 28, 1973). Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.
* Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) either fought in combat, provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack.
* 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam.
* Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1968).
*Agent Orange is taking a huge toll on Vietnam Veterans with most deaths somehow related to Agent Orange exposure. No one officially dies of Agent Orange, they die from the exposures which causes Ischemic Heart Disease and failure, Lung Cancer, Kidney failure or COPD related disorders.
CASUALTIES:
The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1958. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. Davis Station in Saigon was named for him.
Hostile deaths: 47,378
Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
Total: 58,202 (Includes men formerly classified as MIA and Mayaguez casualties). Men who have subsequently died of wounds account for the changing total.
8 nurses died - 1 was KIA.
61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.
11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old.
Of those killed, 17,539 were married.
Average age of men killed: 23.1 years
Total Deaths: 23.11 years
Enlisted: 50,274; 22.37 years
Officers: 6,598; 28.43 years
Warrants: 1,276; 24.73 years
E1: 525; 20.34 years
11B MOS: 18,465; 22.55 years
Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old.
The oldest man killed was 62 years old.
Highest state death rate: West Virginia - 84.1% (national average 58.9% for every 100,000 males in 1970).
Wounded: 303,704 - 153,329 hospitalized + 150,375 injured requiring no hospital care.
Severely disabled: 75,000, - 23,214: 100% disabled; 5,283 lost limbs; 1,081 sustained multiple amputations.
Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than Korea.
Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII.
Missing in Action: 2,338
POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity)
As of January 15, 2004, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
DRAFTEES VS. VOLUNTEERS:
25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of U.S. armed forces members were drafted during WWII).
Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.
Reservists killed: 5,977
National Guard: 6,140 served: 101 died.
Total draftees (1965 - 73): 1,728,344.
Actually, served in Vietnam: 38%
Marine Corps Draft: 42,633.
Last man drafted: June 30, 1973.
RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND:
88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian; 10.6% (275,000) were black; 1% belonged to other races.
86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes Hispanics); 12.5% (7,241) were black; 1.2% belonged to other races.
170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died there.
70% of enlisted men killed were of North-west European descent.
86.8% of the men who were killed as a result of hostile action were Caucasian; 12.1% (5,711) were black; 1.1% belonged to other races.
14.6% (1,530) of non-combat deaths were among blacks.
34% of blacks who enlisted volunteered for the combat arms.
Overall, blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam at a time when the percentage of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the total population.
Religion of Dead: Protestant - 64.4%; Catholic - 28.9%; other/none - 6.7%
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS:
Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups.
Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent.
76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower-middle/working class backgrounds.
Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds.
Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial or technical occupations.
79% of the men who served in Vietnam had a high school education or better, when they entered the military service. 63% of Korean War vets and only 45% of WWII vets had completed high school upon separation.
Deaths by region per 100,000 of population: South - 31%, West -29.9%;
Midwest - 28.4%; Northeast - 23.5%.
DRUG USAGE & CRIME:
There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non-Vietnam Veterans of the same age group. (Source: Veterans Administration Study)
Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison - only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes.
85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life.
WINNING & LOSING:
82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost because of lack of political will. Nearly 75% of the public agrees it was a failure of political will, not of arms.
HONORABLE SERVICE:
97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged.
91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country.
74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome.
87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.
ROGER K. MARACH (USMC/VIETNAM 1965-1966)
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
June 21
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 Saturday June 21
June 21: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=642
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Thanks to Brett
Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2025 1:03 AM
Xi and Putin caution US on Iran (CNN)
They finally weigh in and, of course, against the US. This may spook the administration into staying out of the fray. I doubt they'd do anything to back up their advice and probably secretly are hoping Israel cleans out that rogue country.
China and Russia positioning themselves as voices of reason, calling for de-escalation of a conflict the United States is contemplating on entering — these are the optics Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin sought to project during a phone call on Thursday.
As US President Donald Trump weighs joining Israel in attacking Iran, the fast-spiralling conflict between two sworn enemies in the Middle East has presented Beijing and Moscow another opportunity to cast themselves as an alternative to US power.
In their call, Putin and Xi strongly condemned Israel's actions, calling them a breach of the UN Charter and other norms of international law, according to the Kremlin. (The elephant in the room, of course, is Russia's own violations of international law in its ongoing war against Ukraine — which Beijing has consistently refused to condemn.)
In Beijing's readout, Xi struck a more measured tone and stopped short of explicitly condemning Israel — unlike his foreign minister, who did just that in a call with his Iranian counterpart last week.
Instead, the Chinese leader urged the warring parties, "especially Israel," to cease fire as soon as possible to avoid further escalation and regional spillover.
And notably, in a veiled message to Trump, Xi emphasized that "major powers" that have a special influence on the parties to the conflict should work to "cool the situation, not the opposite."
Beijing has long accused Washington of being a source of instability and tensions in the Middle East — and some Chinese scholars are now seizing on the Iran crisis to underscore that point.
Liu Zhongmin, a Middle East expert at the Shanghai International Studies University, attributed the latest flareup to the uncertainty created by Trump's second presidency and the chaotic, opportunistic and transactional nature of his Middle East policy.
"(Trump) has seriously undermined the authority and credibility of US policy in the Middle East, eroded America's leadership and image among its allies while also weakening its ability to threaten and deter regional adversaries," Liu wrote in state media this week.
Another Middle East 'forever war'?
Some Chinese online commentators have noted that Trump appears on the brink of pulling the US deeper into another so-called forever war in the Middle East.
At the outset of his second term, officials close to Trump repeatedly stressed the need for Washington to redirect its focus and resources toward countering China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. Yet five months in, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza continue to rage on — and Trump is now weighing US involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Beijing has no interest in seeing an all-out war against Iran that could topple the regime. Under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran has emerged as a formidable power in the Middle East and a vital counterweight to US dominance — just as China is working to expand its own diplomatic and economic footprint in the region.
In 2023, Beijing helped broker a surprise rapprochement between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran – a deal that signaled its ambition to emerge as a new powerbroker in the region.
China has long backed Iran through sustained oil imports and its seat on the UN Security Council. In recent years, the two countries have deepened their strategic ties, including holding joint naval exercises alongside Russia. Beijing welcomed Tehran into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS – groupings led by China and Russia to challenge the US-led world order.
Iran is also a critical node in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), its global infrastructure and investment drive. The country lies near the strategic Gwadar port — a key BRI outpost in Pakistan that gives China access to the Indian Ocean — and borders the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for Chinese oil imports from the Persian Gulf.
Like Russia, China has offered to be a potential mediator in the Israel-Iran conflict, casting its role as a peace broker and an alternative to US leadership.
During his call with Putin, Xi laid out four broad proposals to de-escalate tensions, including resolving the Iran nuclear issue through dialogue and safeguarding civilians, according to the Chinese readout.
Meanwhile, Xi's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has had a busy week on the phone, speaking with his counterparts in Iran, Israel, Egypt and Oman in a flurry of diplomatic outreach.
Yet it remains unclear what Beijing is willing and able to do when it comes to actually mediating the conflict. In the early stages of Israel's war on Gaza, China made a similar offer and dispatched a special envoy to the region to promote peace talks — efforts that ultimately yielded little in terms of concrete results.
Brokering peace in the Middle East is a tall order, especially for a country with little experience or expertise in mediating protracted, intractable conflicts – in a deeply divided region where it lacks a meaningful political or security presence.
And in the one conflict where China does hold significant leverage — the war in Ukraine — Xi has offered diplomatic cover and much-needed economic support to help sustain Putin's war effort, even as China continues to cast itself as a neutral peace broker.
Still, at a time when America's global leadership is under growing scrutiny, particularly in the eyes of the Global South, presenting itself as a voice of restraint in the Iran conflict may already count as a symbolic win for Beijing.
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Thanks to Brett
Daily Memo: The Cost of War, Iranian Oil Exports
Israel could spend an estimated $12 billion in one month of conflict with Iran.
By Geopolitical Futures
June 20, 2025
Taking a toll. A week after launching its assault on Iranian nuclear facilities, Israel's war effort is already proving costly, potentially limiting its ability to sustain a protracted conflict. According to the Wall Street Journal, Israel could be spending up to $200 million per day on air defense alone. Just one launch from the David's Sling system costs $700,000, while Arrow 3 missiles cost $4 million. Additional costs include operating F-35 fighters, which each cost about $10,000 per hour, as well as refueling and precision-guided munitions. Estimates indicate a month of war with Iran will cost Israel approximately $12 billion. Reconstruction for damage caused by Iranian counterstrikes is already estimated at $400 million.
Oil exports. Amid the continued fighting, Iran has managed to maintain oil exports to China. Vessel tracking data show Iran shipped 2.2 million barrels of crude per day this week, its highest total in five weeks. To avoid disruptions, it's loading tankers in smaller batches and moving floating storage vessels closer to China, its main buyer.
Israeli attitudes. Some 70 percent of Israelis support strikes on Iran, according to a new poll. Support is even higher among Israel's Jewish population, rising to 83 percent. However, only 52 percent of respondents said they had positive feelings about the recent events, and nearly half support a diplomatic path to preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon. More than two-thirds of respondents believe it's important to maintain an alliance with the United States, but 46 percent want Israel to be ready to act independently.
Russia and Indonesia. Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with his Indonesian counterpart on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. They signed a strategic partnership agreement, while Russia's Direct Investment Fund inked a deal with Danantara Indonesia to create a joint investment platform worth more than $2 billion. The two countries will also work to strengthen cooperation on nuclear energy and expand military exchanges.
Transport network. A new stream of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor officially opened, with the first cargo train departing from the Chinese city of Jinhua for the port of Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan. The route, which passes through the region's most important transport hubs, is expected to reduce delivery times for shipments from China to Central Asia and Europe.
Russia's labor gap. Russia's Ministry of Education is considering a plan to attract workers from neighboring countries as well as Africa, Latin America and India. The scheme would expand a federal vocational education project, aimed at training specialists in certain industries. Since it takes two to four years to train workers under the project, it cannot fill the labor gap in the short term if applied only within Russia.
Kazakh mining. Kazakhstan is adopting measures to increase its minerals base amid its declining proven ore reserves. Among the measures is an expansion of the exploration area from 1.9 million square kilometers to 2.2 million by 2026 and an exemption from the mineral extraction tax for up to five years for certain projects.
Trade restrictions. The European Union has banned Chinese firms from government orders for medical devices worth more than 5 million euros ($5.8 million) after determining European companies were not competing on equal footing for Chinese government orders. The ban includes a wide range of medical supplies that represent a market worth 150 billion euros. The European Commission said the measure was "proportionate to China's own restrictions."
Drills. Turkey will host the annual Anatolian Eagle exercises next week. They will be held June 23 to July 4 and include army, navy and air force personnel from the United States, Qatar, Hungary, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
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Thanks to 1440
One Big Headline
Heat Wave Rolls In
More than 53 million Americans across the country were under heat alerts yesterday, as the first major heat wave of the year descended on the first official day of summer.
Roughly half the country—about 170 million people—will be affected by 90- to 100-degree temperatures as the heat wave migrates from the Great Plains across the Midwest to the East Coast over the weekend and into next week. Temperatures hit 100 degrees in Denver yesterday and are expected to hover around that mark in cities like Chicago, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, in the coming days. Track the heat risk where you live here (w/map).
The culprit is a heat dome, a sprawling, slow-moving zone of high pressure that traps hot air, similar to a lid on a pot. The heat dome formed over the central US yesterday and has been fueled by moisture blown north from the southern US.
Across the Atlantic, the UK and France are also experiencing their first heat wave of the year.
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Picture this—PhD scientists from Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Berkeley, and Stanford get together to master the science of probiotics. They are the first minds to uncover one of the most beneficial strains for gut health, develop the technology to manufacture and deliver the strain in a bioavailable way (so it arrives to your colon, alive), and make such an impact, movie star Halle Berry wants to get involved.
Sound crazy? It is, but that's the true story of Pendulum. They've improved countless lives with their Akkermansia probiotic, which strengthens your gut lining, improves metabolic and digestive health, and increases GLP-1 production.* With hundreds of 5-star reviews, 4,500+ mentions of Akkermansia muciniphila in scientific publications, over 15K medical professional recommendations, and happy customers like Halle Berry, they're most certainly living up to the hype.
Quick Hits
Summer officially begins with the start of the solstice.
The summer solstice marks the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing the longest day and shortest night of the year as the Earth's tilt positions the northern half most directly toward the sun. The word "solstice" comes from Latin, combining "sol" (sun) and "stitium" (pause or stop), representing the moment when the sun appears to pause before reversing direction.
Europe holds nuclear talks as Iran and Israel trade strikes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said yesterday Iran will not consider diplomacy efforts over its nuclear program while under attack by Israel. The comments came after Araghchi and his European counterparts met in Geneva to reach a resolution that would prevent Iran from developing its nuclear weapons capabilities. Separately, Israel struck areas in western Iran, while Iran struck areas in southern Israel yesterday
Judge orders release of former Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil.
A federal judge ruled Friday the federal government failed to justify detaining Khalil, a former Columbia graduate and legal US resident who was arrested in early March over pro-Palestinian protests. The Trump administration has kept Khalil in a Louisiana ICE detention center as it seeks to deport him. While the judge has barred deportation based on his activism, he is allowing the administration to continue pursuing deportation based on allegations Khalil lied on his green card application.
UK lawmakers back bill allowing assisted death for terminally ill adults.
The House of Commons voted 314–291 Friday to approve a bill allowing terminally ill adults in England and Wales, who are over 18 and expected to live less than six months, to request assisted death. The bill now heads to the House of Lords, where its unelected members can review and suggest changes but have limited power to delay or amend bills approved by the elected House of Commons. If passed, the UK would join a handful of countries and some US states that have passed such laws.
World's largest digital camera to release first images Monday.
The world's largest digital camera was installed in March at an observatory in Chile to capture 1,000 detailed images per night of the southern sky as part of a decade-long survey. The Legacy Survey of Space and Time camera is roughly the size of a small car and weighs over 6,000 pounds. It is also the world's highest resolution camera—roughly 400 ultra-high-definition televisions would be needed to display one of the camera's full-size photos.
Humankind
Texas hospital throws surprise graduation for high school senior who was too sick to attend her ceremony.
South African man shares his lunch with homeless man in the rain.
Steve Carell tells Northwestern graduates "kindness isn't a weakness."
Georgia teacher brings free shaved ice truck to special needs camp.
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Now, BOXABL's preparing for Phase 2, where future modules combine into larger homes and apartments. Join BOXABL for $0.80/share before the opportunity ends June 24.*
Humankind(ness)
Today, we're sharing a story from reader Katy P. in Louisa, Virginia.
"I run a small nonprofit that incorporates rescued horses in a powerful healing program for teens and women. ... Last weekend our big Belgian Draft horse named Koa was diagnosed with a tumor in his belly. Surgery was not an option so I had to make the heart breaking decision to humanely euthanize Koa. Burying such a large animal is a huge expensive undertaking, and we did not have the funds."
"My new neighbor Mike came over the next day with his excavator and placed our beautiful Koa in his final resting place. Mike treated our sweet horse and me with such dignity and respect. He asked me about Koa and what we are doing with the horses. I described our program and Mike thanked me for serving the community and would not allow me to pay him. I burst into tears and gave him a hug. Mike made an unbearable moment seem brighter and I will never forget."
What act(s) of kindness did you experience this week? Tell us here.
Bookkeeping Less than 4 minutes: Fastest recorded time to eat a half-gallon of ice cream at the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail.
$250K: Starting auction price for Pope Leo XIV's childhood home.
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Thanks to Barrel
Apparently bad gouge from a good source. Time will tell sorry.
Remind me not to book a flight on a 787.
OK guys, this is one I have never heard of, Basically water got into the GPU – Ground Power Unit - receptacle while plane was on the ground.
I guess it was raining like a bitch – as it does in India – and the ground guy pulled the plug prior to taxi.
AD'S have now gone out to all 787 players and Boeing will have to make changes – and get sued by every Tom , Dick, and Harry!
Just what we need!
Subject: AI-171 Prelim Report
The Air India 787-8 crash preliminary accident investigation report looks to be what could be the final nightmare for BCA . . . as if BCA is not already completely decimated. This is absolutely the worst-case outcome imaginable. Good God.
Subject: Re: AI-171 Prelim Report
OMG!! The thought of this has made me sick.
NOT a flap retract problem......
1. Primary Cause – Electrical Power Transfer Interruption (PTI) During Rotation • During transition from ground to airborne electrical configuration, the aircraft experienced a cascading dual-engine FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) failure.
• Root cause: Uncommanded bus transfer failure due to arcing in the main power relay box (PRB-A), traced to water ingress during pre-flight GPU disconnection in heavy rain.
• This led to loss of electronic engine control at rotation, resulting in both GEnx engines rolling back to ground idle within 4–5 seconds.
2. Flight Data Record Timeline
• +0:11 sec: Nose gear lifts off.
• +0:13 sec: Sudden engine rollback begins. Thrust reduces from 92% N1 to <27% within 3 seconds.
• +0:16 sec: Master caution + ENG FAIL L/R warnings. FO calls, "Both engines dropping!"
• +0:20 sec: Autopilot and flight control reverts to Direct Mode. Pitch up attitude peaks at 18°.
• +0:25 sec: Aircraft stalls at 186 ft AGL.
• +0:30 sec: Full aerodynamic stall; nose drops rapidly.
• +0:38 sec: Ground impact at 54° nose-down attitude, 174 knots.
⸻
⚙️ Contributing Factors
• Environmental Conditions:
• Torrential rain during pushback.
• Moisture intrusion into PRB-A connector (P/N: HLN8471) — a known corrosion-risk component.
• Latent Maintenance Issue:
• Power transfer relay unit showed signs of thermal damage in a previous MEL deferral 2 weeks prior.
• No replacement had been conducted; aircraft was cleared under repetitive deferral.
• Design Oversight:
• Boeing 787 has no physical engine control backup (i.e., no direct mechanical linkage in FADEC loss scenario).
• Loss of power supply to both EEC channels resulted in engine "freeze" at ground idle instead of flameout.
• Flight Crew Response:
• Attempted engine relight sequence not completed before stall onset.
• Emergency power selector not activated — possibly due to confusion from multiple ECAM warnings.
⸻
✈️ Immediate Safety Actions
• DGCA + EASA + FAA Emergency AD issued within 24 hours:
• Mandatory PRB-A moisture integrity inspection on all Boeing 787 aircraft.
• Temporary restriction on dispatch with MEL items related to power transfer systems.
• Boeing:
• Issued Service Bulletin SB-787-24-212 requiring replacement of PRB-A connectors with sealed versions.
• Exploring addition of dual-path power redundancy for FADEC systems.
⸻
🧠 Lessons Learned
• Over-reliance on electrical power distribution architecture without layered redundancy.
• Lack of crew procedural training for full engine rollback during takeoff in EEC dual failure scenarios.
• Need for improved environmental sealing in GPU/electrical handover units in monsoon zones.
⸻
🕯️ Human Toll
• The loss of 243 onboard lives, including 12 crew and 18 infants, deeply impacted the aviation community.
• Final words captured on CVR: "We lost everything – no thrust!"
• One family of five was killed on the ground in a hospital ambulance struck by debris.
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Thanks to History Facts
S amuel Clemens, known to literary history as Mark Twain, once wrote that "when a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction." Those are not the words of someone for whom cats are a passing fascination. In fact, the writer likely enjoyed the company of felines over people. At one time, Twain owned 19 cats, many with inventive monikers such as Soapy Sal and Sour Mash. So deep was his ailurophilia (love of cats), Twain even rented furry felines for company when he traveled. As he wrote in his autobiography, "Many persons would like to have the society of cats during the summer vacation in the country, but they deny themselves this pleasure… These people have no ingenuity, no invention, no wisdom; or it would occur to them to do as I do: rent cats by the month for the summer, and return them to their good homes at the end of it."
In 1906, while staying for the summer in Dublin, New Hampshire, Twain procured the companionship of three kittens from a local farmer's wife (he got a discount if he took three) — one named Sackcloth and the other two, identical twins, both called Ashes. One of Twain's biographers, who visited the author during his stay, recalled Twain holding open a screen door for two waiting kittens, saying, "Walk in, gentlemen. I always give precedence to royalty." Twain's rental payment covered expenses for the cats' care for the rest of their lives.
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From the archives a bit late but a good read
Thanks to Denis
When God created Fathers - by Erma Bombeck
When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame.
A female angel nearby said, "What kind of father is that? If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won't be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping."
...And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child-size, who would children have to look up to?"
And when God made a father's hands, they were large and sinewy.
The angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do you know what you're doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on ponytails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats."
And God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from pockets at the end of a day, yet small enough to cup a child's face."
And then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders.
The angel nearly had a heart attack. "Boy, this is the end of the week, all right." she clucked. "Do you realize you just made a father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him with the kid falling between his legs?"
And God smiled and said, " A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle or hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus."
God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. "That's not fair. Do you honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?"
And God smiled and said, "They'll work. You'll see. They'll support a small child who wants to ride a horse to Banbury Cross or scare off mice at the summer cabin or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill."
God worked throughout the night, giving the father few words but a firm, authoritative voice and eyes that saw everything but remained calm and tolerant.
Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. Then He turned to the angel and said,
"Now, are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?"
The angel shutteth up.
Author: Erma Bombeck
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This Day in U S Military History…….June 21
1900 – After the Empress declared war on all foreign powers, the Boxers began a two-month assault on the legations in Beijing. An international force of Japanese, Russian, German, American, British, Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops put down the uprising by August 14. The Boxer Rebellion was a violent, anti-foreign uprising that broke out in reaction to years of foreign interference with Chinese affairs. Led by a Chinese secret society called Yi He Tuan–"the Righteous, Harmonious Fists"–the Boxers were aided by the Empress Dowager Ci Xi and pillaged the countryside, murdering foreigners and Chinese Christians.
1916 – The controversial U.S. military expedition against Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa brings the United States and Mexico closer to war when Mexican government troops attack U.S. Brigadier General John J. Pershing's force at Carrizal, Mexico. The Americans suffered 22 casualties, and more than 30 Mexicans were killed. Against the protests of Venustiano Carranza's government, Pershing had been penetrating deep into Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa. After routing the small Mexican force at Carrizal, the U.S. expedition continued on its southern course. In 1914, following the resignation of Mexican leader Victoriano Huerta, Pancho Villa and his former revolutionary ally Venustiano Carranza battled each other in a struggle for succession. By the end of 1915, Villa had been driven north into the mountains, and the U.S. government recognized General Carranza as the president of Mexico. In January 1916, to protest President Woodrow Wilson's support for Carranza, Villa executed 16 U.S. citizens at Santa Isabel in northern Mexico. Then, on March 9, he ordered a raid on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, in which 17 Americans were killed and the center of town was burned. Cavalry from the nearby Camp Furlong U.S. Army outpost pursued the Mexicans, killing several dozen rebels on U.S. soil and in Mexico before turning back. On March 15, under orders from President Wilson, U.S. Brigadier General John J. Pershing launched a punitive expedition into Mexico to capture or kill Villa and disperse his rebels. The expedition eventually involved some 10,000 U.S. troops and personnel. It was the first U.S. military operation to employ mechanized vehicles, including automobiles and airplanes. For 11 months, Pershing failed to capture the elusive revolutionary, who was aided by his intimate knowledge of the terrain of northern Mexico and his popular support from the people there. Meanwhile, resentment over the U.S. intrusion into Mexican territory led to a diplomatic crisis with the government in Mexico City. On June 21, the crisis escalated into violence when Mexican government troops attacked a detachment of the 10th Cavalry at Carrizal. If not for the critical situation in Europe, war might have been declared. In January 1917, having failed in their mission to capture Villa, and under continued pressure from the Mexican government, the Americans were ordered home. Pancho Villa continued his guerrilla activities in northern Mexico until Adolfo de la Huerta took over the government and drafted a reformist constitution. Villa entered into an amicable agreement with Huerta and agreed to retire from politics. In 1920, the government pardoned Villa, but three years later he was assassinated at his ranch in Parral.
1966 – U.S. planes strike North Vietnamese petroleum-storage facilities in a series of devastating raids. These missions were part of Operation Rolling Thunder, which had been launched in March 1965 after President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered a sustained bombing campaign of North Vietnam. The operation was designed to interdict North Vietnamese transportation routes in the southern part of North Vietnam and to slow infiltration of personnel and supplies into South Vietnam. During the early months of this campaign, there were restrictions against striking targets in or near Hanoi and Haiphong. In 1966, however, Rolling Thunder was expanded to include the bombing of North Vietnamese ammunition dumps and oil storage facilities. In the spring of 1967, it was further expanded to include power plants, factories, and airfields in the Hanoi and Haiphong area. The White House closely controlled operation Rolling Thunder and at times President Johnson personally selected targets. From 1965 to 1968, about 643,000 tons of bombs were dropped on North Vietnam. The operation continued, with occasional suspensions, until President Johnson halted in on October 31, 1968, under increasing domestic political pressure.
1969 – Approximately 600 communist soldiers storm a U.S. base near Tay Ninh, 50 miles northwest of Saigon and 12 miles from the Cambodian border. The North Vietnamese had been shelling the base for two days, followed by six attacks on the city itself and the surrounding villages. About 1,000 civilians fled their homes as Allied and communist troops fought in the city streets. The Americans eventually prevailed and it was reported that 146 communist soldiers were killed in the bitter street fighting. Ten Americans were killed and 32 were wounded. Total communist losses around Tay Ninh during the two-day battle were put at 194 killed.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*MCWETHY, EDGAR LEE, JR.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fifth Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Rank and organization: Binh Dinh province, Republic of Vietnam, 21 June 1967. Entered service at: Denver, Colo. Born: 22 November 1944, Leadville, Colo. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Serving as a medical aidman with Company B, Sp5c. McWethy accompanied his platoon to the site of a downed helicopter. Shortly after the platoon established a defensive perimeter around the aircraft, a large enemy force attacked the position from 3 sides with a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire and grenades. The platoon leader and his radio operator were wounded almost immediately, and Sp5c. McWethy rushed across the fire-swept area to their assistance. Although he could not help the mortally wounded radio operator, Sp5c. McWethy's timely first aid enabled the platoon leader to retain command during this critical period. Hearing a call for aid, Sp5c. McWethy started across the open toward the injured men, but was wounded in the head and knocked to the ground. He regained his feet and continued on but was hit again, this time in the leg. Struggling onward despite his wounds, he gained the side of his comrades and treated their injuries. Observing another fallen rifleman Lying in an exposed position raked by enemy fire, Sp5c. McWethy moved toward him without hesitation. Although the enemy fire wounded him a third time, Sp5c. McWethy reached his fallen companion. Though weakened and in extreme pain, Sp5c. McWethy gave the wounded man artificial respiration but suffered a fourth and fatal wound. Through his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his safety, and demonstrated concern for his fellow soldiers, Sp5c. McWethy inspired the members of his platoon and contributed in great measure to their successful defense of the position and the ultimate rout of the enemy force. Sp5c. McWethy's profound sense of duty, bravery, and his willingness to accept extraordinary risks in order to help the men of his unit are characteristic of the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
MONTI, JARED C.*
United States Army
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3d Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. Place and date: Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006. Citation: Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a team leader with , in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in While Staff Sergeant Monti was leading a mission aimed at gathering intelligence and directing fire against the enemy, his 16-man patrol was attacked by as many as 50 enemy fighters. On the verge of being overrun, Staff Sergeant Monti quickly directed his men to set up a defensive position behind a rock formation. He then called for indirect fire support, accurately targeting the rounds upon the enemy who had closed to within 50 meters of his position. While still directing fire, Staff Sergeant Monti personally engaged the enemy with his rifle and a grenade, successfully disrupting an attempt to flank his patrol. Staff Sergeant Monti then realized that one of his Soldiers was lying wounded in the open ground between the advancing enemy and the patrol's position. With complete disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Monti twice attempted to move from behind the cover of the rocks into the face of relentless enemy fire to rescue his fallen comrade. Determined not to leave his Soldier, Staff Sergeant Monti made a third attempt to cross open terrain through intense enemy fire. On this final attempt, he was mortally wounded, sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his fellow Soldier. Staff Sergeant Monti's selfless acts of heroism inspired his patrol to fight off the larger enemy force. Staff Sergeant Monti's immeasurable courage and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and the United States Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 21
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR June 21
THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
21 June
1908: Glenn H. Curtiss, designer, flew the June Bug. It was the third Aerial Experiment Association plane. (24)
1913: FIRST AMERICAN FEMALE PARACHUTIST: 18-year-old Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick jumped from Glenn L. Martin's plane at 1,000 feet near Los Angeles. (20)
1921: First peacetime Army Air Service in-plant inspection office formed at Boeing Airplane Company in Seattle. (12)
1944: Operation FRANTIC. Nearly 1,000 bombers with over 900 fighter escorts attacked targets in the Berlin area. Of those, 144 heavy bombers and 51 P-51s continued on in shuttle-raid fashion to land at Poltava, Mirgorod, and Piryatin in Russia to reload and restrike targets in Germany on their return to England. (4)
1954: Maj Gen Walter C. Sweeney, Jr., 15th Air Force Commander, led three 22 BMW B-47s on a 6700-mile nonstop flight from March AFB to Yokota AB in less than 15 hours with two KC-97 refuelings. This longest point-to-point B-47 flight to date marked its first appearance in the Far East. (1) The USAF directed the ARDC to create a Western Development Division under Brig Gen Bernard A. Schriever to accelerate the Atlas ICBM program. (21)
1957: An USAF precision team of six F-100C Super Sabres flew from Kindley AFB, Bermuda, to Bedford. They covered the 683 nautical miles in a record of 1 hour 13 minutes. (24)
1960: AIRCRAFT PHASEOUTS. The last operational flight of a B-29 ended on 21 June when an 6023d Radar Evaluation Squadron RB-29 landed at Naha AB after a routine electronic countermeasure training mission. On 30 June, the unit's last four aircraft were salvaged. In addition, PACAF's last C-119 Flying Boxcars were transferred to India under the Military Assistance Program. (17)
1964: The New York Times reported that B-52s were equipped with terrain-avoidance radar to operate at extremely low levels.
1965: Two Athena missiles were successfully launched in less than three hours from the Green River, Utah, test complex under the Advanced Ballistic Reentry Systems (ABRES) program. (16)
1968: The first group of US Marine Corps pilots to be trained by the USAF received their pilot wings at Laredo AFB. (16)
1972: The McDonnell Douglas DC10-30 first flew.
1982: Operation DEEP FREEZE. SAC's tanker operations accomplished another milestone when a KC-10A transferred a record 67,400 pounds of fuel to a MAC C-141 some 750 miles north of the South Pole. (16)
1984: A KC-10A from the 22 AREFW at March AFB, flying the first time from Christchurch IAP, New Zealand, refueled a C-141B three times on its way to resupply the US Antarctic bases at the South Pole and McMurdo Sound. (1) (26)
1985: Through 25 July, three C-123K Providers with aerial spray capabilities responded to an infestation of grasshoppers in southern Idaho. The aircraft treated over 735,000 acres in 73 sorties to end the agricultural threat to private croplands. (16)
1996: Cmdr David Cheslak became the first Navy flight officer to command an Air Force squadron when he assumed command of the 562d Flying Training Squadron at Randolph AFB. The unit provided joint navigation training to Air Force and Navy personnel. (26)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. The 104th Expeditionary Operations Group (ANG) at Trapani AB, Sicily, flew its final A-10 airborne close air support alert sorties for this operation. (32)
2004: SpaceshipOne became the first private venture craft to successfully attempt to leave earth's atmosphere into space (62 miles up) and return to earth. Burt Rutan and his Scaled Composites Company designed the rocket-powered SpaceShipOne and its carrier aircraft, the twin-jet White Knight, for this attempted flight from Mojave, Calif., near Edwards AFB. Michael Melvill, a veteran test pilot, flew in Spaceship One under the White Knight to 47,000 feet, where he dropped off for a 10-second glide. The ignition of the rocket motor eventually carried SpaceshipOne to 328,491 feet before it reentered the atmosphere and returned to earth. (http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/SpaceShipOne2004)
2007: The 11th Reconnaissance Squadron flew an MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle past the 250,000 flying hour mark, and celebrated the historic event with a ceremony at Creech AFB, Nev. Major Robert Forino flew the Predator for this milestone. (AFNEWS, "Predator Reaches Quarter Million Flight Hours," 26 Jun 2007.)
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