The List 7288
To All,
.Good Sunday morning September 7. Another nice day here and the sun was out early and it is warming up to 89 by 2. . Wife's birthday today but she is a bit under the weather.
Regards
skip
.HAGD
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see
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Today in Naval and Marine Corps History
September 7
During the American Revolution, the British supply ship Unity is taken by the Continental schooner, Hannah, paid for by Army Gen. George Washington. It is the first prize taken by a Continental vessel.
1776 David Bushnell's submarine Turtle is used by Sgt. Erza Lee to attack HMS Eagle in New York Harbor. Lees efforts to attach a "torpedo" to the ship's hull are frustrated by copper-sheathing, marine growth, perhaps merely a hard spot in the hull, which prevents the drill from boring into the ship bottom and it drifts away.
1797 USS Constellation, the second of the original six frigates, is launched. Notable service includes the battles between the French frigate, LInsurgente and Vengeance, during the Quasi-War with France; participation in the Barbary Wars where she helps capture the Algerian frigate, Mashuda in 1815; and service in the West Indies Squadron against piracy and slavery.
1825 The frigate USS Brandywine receives the Marquis de Lafayette on board for return to France after his year-long tour of the United States. The name honors the battle where the Marquis was wounded while serving with the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
1945 The Japanese surrender the Ryukyu Islands area at the U.S. Tenth Army Headquarters on Okinawa.
2013 USS Minnesota (SSN 783) is commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk is the 10th of the Virginia-class submarines and the third Navy vessel to be named after the state of Minnesota.
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Today in World History: September 7
1571 At the Battle of Lepanto in the Mediterranean Sea, the Christian galley fleet destroys the Turkish galley fleet.
1630 The town of Trimountaine in Massachusetts is renamed Boston. It became the state capital.
1701 England, Austria, and the Netherlands form an Alliance against France.
1778 Shawnee Indians attack and lay siege to Boonesborough, Kentucky.
1812 On the road to Moscow, Napoleon wins a costly victory over the Russians at Borodino.
1813 The earliest known printed reference to the United States by the nickname "Uncle Sam" occurs in the Troy Post.
1864 Union General Phil Sheridan's troops skirmish with the Confederates under Jubal Early outside Winchester, Virginia.
1876 The James-Younger gang botches an attempt to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota.
1888 An incubator is used for the first time on a premature infant.
1892 The first heavyweight-title boxing match fought with gloves under Marquis of Queensbury rules ends when James J. Corbett knocks out John L. Sullivan in the 21st round.
1912 French aviator Roland Garros sets an altitude record of 13,200 feet.
1916 The U.S. Congress passes the Workman's Compensation Act.
1940 Blitz against London begins during the Battle of Britain.
1942 The Red Army pushes back the German line northwest of Stalingrad.
1953 Nikita Krushchev elected first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
1954 Integration of public schools begins in Washington D.C. and Maryland.
1965 Pro Football Hall of Fame opens in Canton, Ohio.
1970 Jockey Bill Shoemaker earns 6,033rd win, breaking Johnny Longden's record for most lifetime wins; Shoemaker's record would stand for 29 years.
1977 Panama and US sign Torrijos-Carter Treaties to transfer control of the Panama Canal from the US to Panama at the end of the 20th century.
1978 Secret police agent Francesco Gullino assassinates Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov in London by firing a ricin pellet from a specially designed umbrella.
1979 ESPN, the Entertainment and Sports Programing Network, debuts.
1986 Desmond Tutu becomes first black leader of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now the Anglican Church of South Africa).
1988 Pilot and cosmonaut Abdul Ahad Mohmand, the first Afghan to travel to outer space, returns to earth after 9 days aboard the Soviet space station Mir.
2004 Hurricane Ivan damages 90% of buildings on the island of Grenada; 39 die in the Category 5 storm.
2008 US Government assumes conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the country's two largest mortgage financing companies, during the subprime mortgage crisis.
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
September 7
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
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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
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "for 7 September . .
7-Sep: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2996
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Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend . The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
By: Kipp Hanley
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This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
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. 1813: United States nicknamed Uncle Sam
On September 7, 1813, the United States gets its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with "U.S." for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as "Uncle Sam's." The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for—and personification of—the U.S. federal government.
In the late 1860s and 1870s, political cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840-1902) began popularizing the image of Uncle Sam. Nast continued to evolve the image, eventually giving Sam the white beard and stars-and-stripes suit that are associated with the character today. The German-born Nast was also credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as well as coming up with the donkey as a symbol for the Democratic Party and the elephant as a symbol for the Republicans. Nast also famously lampooned the corruption of New York City's Tammany Hall in his editorial cartoons and was, in part, responsible for the downfall of Tammany leader William Tweed, alongside former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia who ran his platform on ending Tammany Hall and its corrupt practices.
Perhaps the most famous image of Uncle Sam was created by artist James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). In Flagg's version, Uncle Sam wears a tall top hat and blue jacket and is pointing straight ahead at the viewer. During World War I, this portrait of Sam with the words "I Want You For The U.S. Army" was used as a recruiting poster. The image, which became immensely popular, was first used on the cover of Leslie's Weekly in July 1916 with the title "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?" The poster was widely distributed and has subsequently been re-used numerous times with different captions.
In September 1961, the U.S. Congress recognized Samuel Wilson as "the progenitor of America's national symbol of Uncle Sam." Wilson died at age 87 in 1854, and was buried next to his wife Betsey Mann in the Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, New York, the town that calls itself "The Home of Uncle Sam."
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Thanks to Barrett
Independence night air group
I knew a couple of Night Air Group 41 aviators including Bill Henry, the senior VFN officer and one of the few night aces. Henry and CAG Turner Caldwell were SBD studs of 1942 vintage. Caldwell wrote a Saturday Evening Post article, "We Put the Carriers on the Night Shift." I've cited him a coupla times, as he quoted a steward's mate:
"Man wasn't meant to fly nohow. And if he was meant to fly, he wasn't meant to fly off no boat. And if he was meant to fly off a boat, he dangsure wasn't meant to fly off no boat at night!"
The ship received a variety of mods for the night mission including deck-edge "dustpan" lights and a radar providing optimum position abeam in the pattern.
Caldwell's Avengers tracked Kurita eastbound through San Bernardino Strait the night of 24 October but Mitscher and Halsey discounted the info because at one point the Jap armada seemed to reverse course. Then resumed its path into Leyte Gulf with dolorous consequences...
Barrett
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. Thanks to Interesting Facts
Earth is the only place in the solar system where fire occurs.
Fire seems intrinsically linked to life on Earth. The fires of the Earth's molten core formed the land we live on, forests are at their healthiest when they burn in a controlled manner to make way for new life, and even the legendary R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire paid homage to the stuff. In fact, Earth is the only place we know of where fire occurs. That's because fire requires three things to exist: heat, oxygen, and combustible material. This "fire triangle" is only possible on Earth, as far as we know, because of the planet's high levels of free oxygen. Travel to other planets and moons in the solar system, and there isn't enough (or any) oxygen for fire to exist. As for the sun, which some people imagine as a giant ball of fire, it's actually a giant collection of gas that glows thanks to the complex nuclear fusion occurring in its core.
While fire may not exist in any other place in the solar system (as far as we're aware), that doesn't mean humans can't export the stuff. NASA has experimented with fire in microgravity for more than a decade — both to discover its behavior and also design fire-resistant space material. Turns out fire in microgravity behaves much differently, appearing more sluggish (likely due to low oxygen) and forming strange, orb-like flames. So while it's not impossible for fire to exist beyond the confines of Earth, it'll need a lot of help from future astronauts to export it to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
Humans discovered fire 20,000 years ago.
The U.S.'s first volunteer firefighting service was created by founding father
Benjamin Franklin
Numbers Don't Lie
Year the U.S. Forest Service introduced Smokey Bear to promote fire prevention
1944
Degrees (Fahrenheit) the hottest part of a candle flame can reach
2,552
Maximum loudness (in decibels) of a typical fire alarm; about as loud as a chainsaw
120
Number of books lost when the Library of Alexandria caught fire, according to Roman philosopher Seneca
40,000
The hottest place ever recorded on Earth was seven times hotter than the sun.
Human control of fire has come a long way since its ancient origins, and today scientists are hard at work trying to recreate the very plasma that fuses at the center of the sun. Known as nuclear fusion reactors, these incredibly complex machines could help humanity kick its diet of fossil fuels while simultaneously providing nearly limitless, clean energy. Fusion reactors do this by recreating the physics at the center of stars, but because Earth isn't nearly as dense as a star, scientists must make machines that can get really, really hot. This heat helps particles overcome their natural resistances and fuse, forming a new element while releasing lots of energy. In 2022, a fusion reactor in South Korea recorded a scorching temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius, seven times hotter than the core of the sun. This reaction lasted for only 30 seconds, but within that half-minute, that terrestrially bound mini star was the hottest place ever recorded on Earth. This is only the beginning of how hot things will get — scientists estimate that when the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, the world's largest fusion reactor, goes online in 2025, it'll eventually reach temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius.
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Thanks to YP
I think that many of us have been hassled at Air Force Bases over the years. Crossing the dreaded RED line got my CO dragged out of his cockpit and spread-eagled against the side of his F-8 once. At Naha Okinawa…..We were sort of happy about that one though. But they gave him back. skip
Here is another from YP
RE airplane noise: When I was going thru VA-43 at Oceana, then the Northern Scoot RAG, we lived in an upstairs garage apartment on Back Cove Road (it really was on a back cove!) several miles north of Oceana. Late at night, the distinctive hard burner lights of F-8 engine tests would still shake us.
Barksdale AFB: I was cross country back to NAS Dallas from Cecil in my Crusader. When I turned the corner into FT Worth Center air space, they advised me that there was a 30 minute ATC hold into their airspace due WX. Um. No hab gas. Change my flight plan to….um, Barksdale in Shreesport (Grits pronunciation), and how about one of them vectors? All right, when I got there, I got put on a real long downwind. Seems that I arrived during a B-52 scramble-ex RTB, and I was fitted in amongst the Buffs. When I landed and exited the runway, I was met by a truck full of airmen with rifles pointed at me! Oy! I popped my canopy, and they demanded and I furnished my DD-175. They reluctantly figgered I wasn't a commie, but, even worse, still might be a secret Squid ORI inspector! They escorted me to the base of the Tower, which was serving as a transient line for Suspicious Creatures. They finally allowed me to shut down and deplane. Eventually, things calmed down enough to tell me to git out and don't come back.
Worked for me.
YP
Thanks to Phil
A kindrede spirit and fellow Loring AFB kid. I spent time up there with the B-36 and first B-52…skip
My dad was a plankholder at Loring (originally Limestone AFB) and we spent 5 years there during the B-36 era. Base housing wasn't the highest of priorities and we spent several months in an apartment over a garage in downtown Limestone, which meant we heard the B-36s every day (and night), but they normally weren't all that loud. That changed and things got really sporty once we went into our base quarters because of our proximity to the runway. Recoveries were loud, but when they launched the windows would rattle and any sort of dish or plate on the dinner table during mealtime would do the Peacemaker Shuffle towards the edges and awaiting floor. I was a kid and I loved it. My dad had spent WW2 in the mud of New Guinea and the Philippines as a grunt and nothing much phased him. My mom hated it.
As a point of real-world reference we also spent 7 years at Sheppard and were there when SAC began using the place for B-52 operations in the very early 60s. My mom would occasionally take us to an off-base church that was located near the end of the runway, so we received the full benefit of the Mighty BUFF launching and recovering. That was impressive too but noise-wise the Boeing products couldn't hold a candle to all those recips and their associated prop noise coupled with the podded jet engines on the B-36. It was quite literally no contest.
If you ever heard a B-36 you'd never forget it---thanks very much for sharing that photo.
phil
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. From the Archives
Thanks to Tom
Jim Flatley . . the Navy jock who landed a four-engined C-130 Hercules to a full stop on an aircraft carrier deck . . said :
"After a dozen Mediterranean deployments on flattops and ' air to air ' exercises with most friendly nations over 30 years I came to respect all of our Allies who flew fighters in their respective TACAIR communities. I wasn't sure which I thought were the craziest.
Probably the Italians.
Then, along come's an F-86 Sabre fighter jock, re-trained in the Hercules
C-130 now inputs ' flesh ' to that conjecture.
Over the decades, we've learned to squeeze more " crazy " performance of the C-130 Hercules than just barrel rolls .
thanks to the professionals like Phil ' Hands ' Handley who finessed its flight envelope ' hard ' so others who followed would have confidence to do the same.
Here's ' Hands' unusual C-130 story :
" When in 1959 I graduated from F-86 upgrade training and was unceremoniously assigned to an airbase in France to fly the four-engined C-130A Hercules . .
I was ready to cut my heart out.
Years later and far wiser, I realize how misguided my perceptions were at that time. Memories of the C-130 mission, the people, and the aircraft itself are indelibly etched in my mind's eye. It was my distinct privilege and honor to fly this classic bird, which will surely go into the history books as the greatest prop-driven cargo aircraft of all time.
The following incident is but one example of many that changed my initial imprudent disappointment to a genuine and lasting admiration . .
for this truly magnificent airplane.
As I accumulated time in the Herc, my appreciation for its astonishing performance steadily increased. Not only was it brutally powerful. But surprisingly maneuverable as well. Although not authorized, rolls in the
C-130 were easily performed as long as the nose was well up before beginning the maneuver.
Part of its mission capability was the "tactical pattern," which replicated the 360-degree overhead pattern flown by fighters. I particularly enjoyed landing out of this pattern and could consistently "roll it onto the numbers" in well under one minute, after the fighter pilot break over the landing runway's touch-down numbers.
Other tactical maneuvers in its arsenal included the "assault takeoff and landing", both designed for operations from short, unprepared fields under combat conditions.
When these maneuvers were performed ' by the book ' they were impressive.
But when they were embellished through various techniques and light gross weights, they were outright spectacular. [ As a matter of fact, a certain VERTICAL TAKEOFF FOLLOWED BY A 200 FT. LANDING ROLL I demonstrated at a major air show, was enough to facilitate my immediate return to a fighter squadron. But that's another story.]
The aircraft's positive G limit was easily sustained in the dense air below about 16,000 feet. And when combined with an incredibly low ' corner velocity ' [ the speed at which the aircraft is capable of making its quickest, tightest turn'] its turn radius was minuscule as compared with that of a much faster, but more heavily wing-loaded fighter.
I was convinced that were I attacked by an enemy fighter, my best course of action would be to get as low as possible to deny the attacking fighter the bottom half of vertical maneuvering room. Then use the Herc's superior turning radius to cause the Sabre to " overshoot" the 4-engine Hercules during the fighter's attacking pursuit curve.
My chance to test the theory came while cruising with only light cargo down an airway over the Mediterranean Sea, when an Italian F-86 jock apparently decided it would be fun to make mock gun passes on a " sitting duck."
After watching a couple of his " curves of pursuit " from my left cockpit window, I asked and received clearance from Rome Control for a '
block ' of altitude from 15,000 to 22,000 feet.
As the Italian rolled-in off his gunnery ' perch ' high and above me to the left, I began a left, descending turn toward him at full throttle to gain airspeed for a pull-up.
By the time he reached mid-point down the slide and reversed into his curve of pursuit, I was still well below his altitude… But my nose was now above the horizon… his was still buried… and I was really beginning to " jam " him by an increasing tight left turn.
In a vain attempt to stay on the inside of my turn, the Italian extended his speed brakes and pulled his power to idle.
Instantly, I pulled hard into him and angled up about 30 degrees. The fighter pilot badly overshot to vulnerably flush to the outside of our turn.
I rotated the C-130 into a nose high 360 degree roll ' over the top.' Now inside the F-86 Sabre's turn, I pulled a hunter's ' lead '. . and fired the C-130's ' imaginary ' guns into his path.
And for a brief, shining moment, the 4-engine ' Herc ' sat squarely at the F-86's ' Six '. . before he accelerated quickly away.
As I climbed back up to 22M, the Italian repositioned a mile or so to our left, then slowly slid his Sabre into formation off our left wing.
After removing his oxygen mask, he flashed a big Italian smile, gave us a ' thumbs up ' signal, then quickly rotated into a vertical Split-S . . to zoom down and away."
' Hands' Handley
Source : Adapted from his book : " Nickel On The Grass "
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Thanks to American Facts
Smuggled sandwiches, gorillas & more: 11 incredible space stories
Space exploration might seem like all rockets and science on the surface, but behind NASA's historic missions lie some truly weird and hilarious moments. From smuggled sandwiches floating in zero gravity to surprise gorilla-suit pranks aboard the International Space Station, the U.S. space program has had its share of unexpected twists. Did you know about these 12?
Smuggled sandwich
During the Gemini 3 mission, astronaut John Young secretly brought a corned beef sandwich into space. He and fellow astronaut Gus Grissom took a few bites while in orbit.
Needless to say, Mission Control wasn't amused—there were serious concerns about crumbs floating around and interfering with the spacecraft's systems.
A gorilla in the ISS
Astronaut Scott Kelly pulled off a wild prank during his year in space by dressing in a gorilla suit and chasing fellow astronaut Tim Peake around the International Space Station.
The costume had been secretly sent by Scott's twin brother, Mark Kelly, as a surprise birthday gift during the mission.
Lunar picnic
In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history as the first humans to walk on the Moon. But they didn't stop there.
To mark the occasion, they also shared the first meal on the lunar surface. The menu included bacon squares, peaches, sugar cookie cubes, a pineapple-grapefruit drink, and coffee.
And unlike the smuggled corned beef sandwich incident, this meal was entirely mission-approved.
Fined by Mars "owners"
In 1997, NASA was sued by three men from Yemen who claimed that Mars had been passed down to them by their ancestors.
They accused NASA of trespassing when the Pathfinder rover landed — and even began selling plots of Martian land for $2 per square meter. Of course, the case was never taken seriously.
Metric vs. Imperial
Back in 1999, NASA lost a Mars orbiter due to a mix-up between metric and imperial units. One team used the metric system, while another used imperial units to track thruster force.
The error caused the spacecraft to veer off course and burn up in the Martian atmosphere. It had been intended to be the first satellite to study Mars's climate and weather in detail.
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Another fine—for littering
In 1979, NASA's Skylab space station re-entered Earth's atmosphere and broke apart, scattering debris across Western Australia, about 482 kilometers east of Perth.
In response, the Shire of Esperance, a local government body in Western Australia, jokingly fined NASA $400 for littering.
A building with its own weather
NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center is one of the largest buildings in the world by volume, enclosing over 3.7 million cubic meters of space. It was originally built to assemble the massive Saturn V rockets used in the Apollo missions.
But its immense size—combined with Florida's high humidity—once led to clouds forming inside. To prevent this, NASA installed a 10,000-ton air conditioning system to control moisture and protect delicate spacecraft.
Bathroom issues
Early space missions didn't have modern toilets—just plastic bags taped in place. During Apollo 10, this led to an awkward moment when a piece of human waste was spotted floating through the cabin.
Commander Tom Stafford asked for a napkin to grab it, but no one claimed responsibility. Minutes later, another one appeared. The crew laughed it off, but to this day, the mystery remains unsolved.
Mutiny in space
In 1974, the Skylab 4 crew spent 84 days in space—the longest mission at the time. Overworked and stressed, the astronauts staged the first space mutiny by taking a surprise day off and cutting communication with NASA.
They relaxed and enjoyed the view of Earth before resuming contact the next day. NASA wasn't thrilled but learned a valuable lesson: space missions must care for astronauts' mental health, not just their physical well-being.
Paid to stay in bed
NASA once paid volunteers $15,000 to lie in bed for 90 days to simulate the effects of zero gravity on the human body.
It sounds like a dream job (pun intended)—until you realize they weren't allowed to get up at all, not even for a second.
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No insurance
Before Apollo 11 launched, the crew couldn't get life insurance due to the mission's high risks. So Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins came up with a clever backup plan.
They signed envelopes and postcards, which friends postmarked during the mission. If the astronauts didn't return, their families could sell them to collectors for financial support.
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This Day in U S Military History…….7 September
1927 – American television pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth, 21, succeeded in transmitting an image through purely electronic means by using a device called an image dissector. When Philo T. Farnsworth was 13, he envisioned a contraption that would receive an image transmitted from a remote location–the television. Farnsworth submitted a patent in January 1927, when he was 19, and began building and testing his invention that summer. He used an "image dissector" (the first television camera tube) to convert the image into a current, and an "image oscillite" (picture tube) to receive it. On this day his tests bore fruit. When the simple image of a straight line was placed between the image dissector and a carbon arc lamp, it showed up clearly on the receiver in another room. The New York World's Fair showcased the television in April 1939, and soon afterward, the first televisions went on sale to the public.
1942 – A force of Marine Corps Raiders, 600 in strength, attack the Japanese base at Taivu. The raid succeeds in damaging the base and disrupting the Japanese preparation for an attack on the main American position at Guadalcanal.
1986 – Off the Coast of Florida — An F-106 "Delta Dart" of the 125th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron encounters a Soviet Air Force Tu-95 "Bear" bomber flying parallel to the twelve-mile limit of U.S. airspace as it makes its way from Russia to Cuba. These are routine flights which are just as routinely met by Air Guard fighters who act as 'escorts' to be sure the bombers pose no threat to the U.S. homeland. Since 1953 Air Guard fighter-interceptor units took on an air defense mission, challenging unidentified aircraft flying into American airspace. Air Guard pilots and aircraft stood alert 24 hours a day, every day. This mission grew each year and by 1965 the 22 interceptor squadrons flew 30,000 hours and completed 38,000 alert sorties. By 1988 the Air Guard provided 86% of the Air Force units assigned to national airspace security. In the post 9/11 environment the Air Guard has continued and expanded its role in homeland defense by flying overhead cover for major cities in times of heightened alert as well as investigating all suspicious air traffic heading toward or across the country.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
KING, HUGH
Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1845, Ireland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 176, 9 July 1872. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Iroquois, Delaware River, 7 September 1871. Jumping overboard at the imminent risk of his life, King rescued one of the crew of that vessel from drowning.
MAXWELL, ROBERT D.
Rank and organization: Technician Fifth Grade, U.S. Army, 7th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Besancon, France, 7 September 1944. Entered service at: Larimer County, Colo. Birth: Boise, Idaho. G.O. No.: 24, 6 April 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 7 September 1944, near Besancon, France. Technician 5th Grade Maxwell and 3 other soldiers, armed only with .45 caliber automatic pistols, defended the battalion observation post against an overwhelming onslaught by enemy infantrymen in approximately platoon strength, supported by 20mm. flak and machinegun fire, who had infiltrated through the battalion's forward companies and were attacking the observation post with machinegun, machine pistol, and grenade fire at ranges as close as 10 yards. Despite a hail of fire from automatic weapons and grenade launchers, Technician 5th Grade Maxwell aggressively fought off advancing enemy elements and, by his calmness, tenacity, and fortitude, inspired his fellows to continue the unequal struggle. When an enemy hand grenade was thrown in the midst of his squad, Technician 5th Grade Maxwell unhesitatingly hurled himself squarely upon it, using his blanket and his unprotected body to absorb the full force of the explosion. This act of instantaneous heroism permanently maimed Technician 5th Grade Maxwell, but saved the lives of his comrades in arms and facilitated maintenance of vital military communications during the temporary withdrawal of the battalion's forward headquarters.
CRUMP, JERRY K.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company L, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Chorwon, Korea, 6 and 7 September 1951. Entered service at: Forest City, N.C. Born: 18 February 1933, Charlotte, N.C. G.O. No.: 68, 11 July 1952. Citation. Cpl. Crump, a member of Company L, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. During the night a numerically superior hostile force launched an assault against his platoon on Hill 284, overrunning friendly positions and swarming into the sector. Cpl. Crump repeatedly exposed himself to deliver effective fire into the ranks of the assailants, inflicting numerous casualties. Observing 2 enemy soldiers endeavoring to capture a friendly machine gun, he charged and killed both with his bayonet, regaining control of the weapon. Returning to his position, now occupied by 4 of his wounded comrades, he continued his accurate fire into enemy troops surrounding his emplacement. When a hostile soldier hurled a grenade into the position, Cpl. Crump immediately flung himself over the missile, absorbing the blast with his body and saving his comrades from death or serious injury. His aggressive actions had so inspired his comrades that a spirited counterattack drove the enemy from the perimeter. Cpl. Crump's heroic devotion to duty, indomitable fighting spirit, and willingness to sacrifice himself to save his comrades reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry and the U.S. Army.
*KANELL, BILLIE G.
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company I, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Pyongyang, Korea, 7 September 1951. Entered service at: Poplar Bluff, Mo. Born: 26 June 1931, Poplar Bluff, Mo. G.O. No.: 57, 13 June 1952. Citation: Pvt. Kanell, a member of Company I, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. A numerically superior hostile force had launched a fanatical assault against friendly positions, supported by mortar and artillery fire, when Pvt. Kanell stood in his emplacement exposed to enemy observation and action and delivered accurate fire into the ranks of the assailants. An enemy grenade was hurled into his emplacement and Pvt. Kanell threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing the blast with his body to protect 2 of his comrades from serious injury and possible death. A few seconds later another grenade was thrown into the emplacement and, although seriously wounded by the first missile, he summoned his waning strength to roll toward the second grenade and used his body as a shield to again protect his comrades. He was mortally wounded as a result of his heroic actions. His indomitable courage, sustained fortitude against overwhelming odds, and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry, and the U.S. Army.
*PORTER, DONN F.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company G, 14th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Mundung-ni Korea, 7 September 1952. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Born: 1 March 1931, Sewickley, Pa. G.O. No.: 64, 18 August 1953. Citation: Sgt. Porter, a member of Company G, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. Advancing under cover of intense mortar and artillery fire, 2 hostile platoons attacked a combat outpost commanded by Sgt. Porter, destroyed communications, and killed 2 of his 3-man crew. Gallantly maintaining his position, he poured deadly accurate fire into the ranks of the enemy, killing 15 and dispersing the remainder. After falling back under a hail of fire, the determined foe reorganized and stormed forward in an attempt to overrun the outpost. Without hesitation, Sgt. Porter jumped from his position with bayonet fixed and, meeting the onslaught and in close combat, killed 6 hostile soldiers and routed the attack. While returning to the outpost, he was killed by an artillery burst, but his courageous actions forced the enemy to break off the engagement and thwarted a surprise attack on the main line of resistance. Sgt. Porter's incredible display of valor, gallant self-sacrifice, and consummate devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon himself and uphold the noble traditions of the military service.
*ENGLISH, GLENN H., JR.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company E, 3d Battalion, ~03 Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Phu My District, Republic of Vietnam, 7 September 1970. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Born: 23 April 1940, Altoona, Pa. Citation: S/Sgt. English was riding in the lead armored personnel carrier in a 4-vehicle column when an enemy mine exploded in front of his vehicle. As the vehicle swerved from the road, a concealed enemy force waiting in ambush opened fire with automatic weapons and anti-tank grenades, striking the vehicle several times and setting it on fire. S/Sgt. English escaped from the disabled vehicle and, without pausing to extinguish the flames on his clothing, rallied his stunned unit. He then led it in a vigorous assault, in the face of heavy enemy automatic weapons fire, on the entrenched enemy position. This prompt and courageous action routed the enemy and saved his unit from destruction. Following the assault, S/Sgt. English heard the cries of 3 men still trapped inside the vehicle. Paying no heed to warnings that the ammunition and fuel in the burning personnel carrier might explode at any moment, S/Sgt. English raced to the vehicle and climbed inside to rescue his wounded comrades. As he was lifting 1 of the men to safety, the vehicle exploded, mortally wounding him and the man he was attempting to save. By his extraordinary devotion to duty, indomitable courage, and utter disregard for his own safety, S/Sgt. English saved his unit from destruction and selflessly sacrificed his life in a brave attempt to save 3 comrades. S/Sgt. English's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for September 7, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
7 September
1911: Lt Theodore G. Ellyson (USN) demonstrated a shipboard wire launching of the Curtiss seaplane. His plane took off from a wire cable stretched across a platform on shore, representing a ship's deck, and then alighted on the water at Lake Keuka. (24)
1917: A winged foul anchor became the official insignia for Navy aviators. It was nearly the same as the device used today.
1918: Several planes carried 18 enlisted men from Chanute Field to Champaign, Ill., to make the first demonstration of troop transport by air in the US. (18) (24)
1933: Lt Cmdr H. E. Holland led six Consolidated P2Y-1 flying boats on a 25 hour 19 minute nonstop flight from Norfolk to Coco Solo, Panama Canal, to set a 2,059-mile record for formation flying. (24)
1938: Seventeen Navy planes completed a mass flight from San Diego to Hawaii, covering the 2,570 miles in 17 hours 21 minutes. (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. The 22 BG employed 24 B-29s against the iron works at Chongjin in north-east N. Korea. (28)
1956: At Edwards AFB, Capt Iven C. Kincheloe set an altitude record for manned flight by flying the Bell X-2 rocket-powered aircraft to 126,000 feet Iven Carl "Kinch" Kincheloe Jr., served in the USAF during the Korean War, in which he was recognized as a flying ace. He continued as a test pilot after the war, participating in the Bell X-2 program, in which he set an altitude record of 126,200 feet (38,470 m) in 1956. For this suborbital flight above most of the atmosphere, he became known as "The First Spaceman". He later received the Mackay Trophy for this flight. He was selected for the Air Force's program to put a man in space but was killed in a plane crash in 1958.
1968: Max Conrad set a closed circuit record in a twin-engine Piper Aztec, flying 4,968 miles over a 621-mile triangle between St. Louis, Des Moines, and Kansas City, eight times in 37 hours 50 minutes.
1975: Through 3 November, following the Angolan civil war, USAF-managed civil aircraft flew 31,597 refugees to Portugal. Altogether, international airlift moved over 204,000 refugees. (18)
1979: President Carter selected the horizontal multiple protective shelter basing mode for the M-X missile (Peacekeeper). (6)
1988: The F-15 STOL demonstrator made its first flight at St. Louis. (30)
1995: Two 436 AW C-5s from Dover AFB airlifted gas turbine generators from Ramstein AB to Incirlik AB to provide electrical power for Kurdish refugees living in northern Iraq. (18)
1997: F-22 Chief Test Pilot Paul Metz flew the Lockheed Martin-Boeing F-22 Raptor for the USAF for the first time from Dobbins ARB over Marietta and north Georgia. The aircraft reached 15,000 feet in altitude in three minutes, where Metz then tested its handling characteristics and engine performance.
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