The List 7314
To All.
Good Friday morning October 3. The day dawned overcast but cleared up quickly and is now clear and will hit 78 by 1 and stay sunny and clear all day. Great Bubba Breakfast this morning. Good to see some old and new faces.
This is late today and my apologies.
Have a great day
Regards
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.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 the director's corner for all 93 H-Grams
Today in Naval and Marine Corps History.
October 3
1921 USS Olympia (C 6) sails to France to bring home the Unknown Soldier from World War I. Olympia returns stateside Nov. 9, 1921.
1944 USS Samuel S. Miles (DE 183) sinks Japanese submarine I-177, 60 miles north-northeast of Angaur, Palau.
1944 USS Shelton (DE 407) is sunk by Japanese submarine off Morotai Island, Indonesia. During anti-submarine operations, USS Richard M. Rowell (DE 403) accidentally sinks USS Seawolf (SS 197), which is transporting U.S. Army personnel to the east coast of Samar. There are no survivors among the more than 100 crew and passengers.
1955 USS Saipan (CVL 48) begins disaster relief in Tampico, Mexico, rescuing people and delivering supplies after three consecutive hurricanes struck the area. Operations end Oct. 10, 1955.
1962 Sigma 7 (Mercury 8) is launched. The mission is piloted by Cmdr. Walter M. Schirra, Jr., and lasts nine hours and 13 minutes. Cmdr. Schirra makes six orbits at an altitude up to 175.8 statute miles at 17,558 mph. Recovery is conducted by USS Kearsarge (CVS 33).
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Today in World History
October 3
1739 Russia signs a treaty with the Turks, ending a three-year conflict between the two countries.
1776 Congress borrows five million dollars to halt the rapid depreciation of paper money in the colonies.
1862 At the Battle of Corinth, in Mississippi, a Union army defeats the Confederates.
1873 Captain Jack and three other Modoc Indians are hanged in Oregon for the murder of General Edward Canby.
1876 John L. Routt, the Colorado Territory governor, is elected the first state governor of Colorado in the Centennial year of the U.S.
1906 The first conference on wireless telegraphy in Berlin adopts SOS as warning signal.
1929 The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes officially changes its name to Yugoslavia.
1931 The comic strip Dick Tracy first appears in the New York News.
1940 U.S. Army adopts airborne, or parachute, soldiers. Airborne troops were later used in World War II for landing troops in combat and infiltrating agents into enemy territory.
1941 The Maltese Falson, starring Humphrey Bogart as detective Sam Spade, opens.
1942 Germany conducts the first successful test flight of a V-2 missile, which flies perfectly over a 118-mile course.
1944 German troops evacuate Athens, Greece.
1951 A "shot is heard around the world" when New York Giants outfielder Bobby Thomson hits a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers to win the National League pennant.
1952 The UK successfully conducts a nuclear weapon, becoming the world's third nuclear power
1955 Two children's television programs and a family sitcom all destined to become classics debut: Captain Kangaroo, Mickey Mouse Club, and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
1963 A violent coup in Honduras ends a period of political reform and ushers in two decades of military rule.
1985 The Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its maiden flight.
1989 Art Shell becomes the first African American to coach a professional football team, the Los Angeles Raiders.
1990 After 40 years of division, East and West Germany are reunited as one nation.
1993 Battle of Mogadishu, in which 18 US soldiers and some 1,000 Somalis are killed during an attempt to capture officials of the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid's organization.
1995 Former pro football star and actor O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, ending what many called "the Trial of the Century.".
2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase distressed assets of financial corporations and supply cash directly to banks to keep them afloat.
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
October 3
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
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Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "for 3 October . …..
3-Oct: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1375
You need to read the HC-7 addition to this one to get some history on what the squadron accomplished while rescuing aircrew. Very impressive…skip
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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I have been watching a lot of the stories of the Pyramids available on the history channel lately on TV and they are full of things that I never heard before and are very entertaining. The size of the stones used to build the pyramids and the large monuments are impressive but even more impressive is the manner in which they brought the stones from many miles away by boat and other means and they erected the obelisks onsite and they are still standing. Many in place within a degree or less of north.
From the archives with Cowboy's disclaimer. Food for thought
Subject: Who built the Great Pyramids?
Food for thought
Begin
Subject: Who built the Great Pyramids?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps1GM9LwYpg
Cowboy found the URL
You are correct, difficult to find. I found it near the end of the list of hundreds of YouTube videos with the same search name.
My disclaimer:( Cowboy's)
I think the presentation is not credible. The author's claims of incredible insightfulness of the architects/builders cannot be confirmed by playing with manipulations of mathematical constants and adjustments to "prove" his claims. I'd say, regarding probability, there is a 1 in 1000 chance his claim are true. I could be wrong but there is really no credible proof of his claims, other than coincidence of numbers he chose, and particularly his claim there was no use of slaves.
But there it is, the link, to do with whatever you want.
Cowboy
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From the archives
Thanks to Richard
Subject: Fw: amazing photography brilliantly explained
Absolutely amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/embed/FiZqn6fV-4Y
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From the archives
Thanks to Dutch
The Baltic Express……….Interesting SR-71 story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15BcGlxlh4g&feature=youtu.be
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When I read Salem's Lot it scared the devil out of me…..skip
Thanks to Interesting Facts
6 Things You Might Not Know About Transylvania
You might be forgiven for not realizing Transylvania is a real place — or for not knowing much about it beyond its status as the supposed birthplace of Dracula. Vlad "the Impaler" Dracul is indeed linked to this region of Romania, and though the vampire legend he gave rise to may be more fiction than fact, Transylvania itself is very much real. That legend began with Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula and grew from there, including the 1931 film adaptation starring Bela Lugosi (who was himself born in Romania) and the equally influential silent movie Nosferatu.
As is often the case, the truth about this area of the world is even more interesting than the stories surrounding it. Here are six things you might not know about Transylvania.
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The Name "Transylvania" Has an Evocative Backstory
Depending on how you translate it, Transylvania means "beyond the forest" or "on the other side of the woods." A document dating back to 1075 and written in medieval Latin refers to the region as ultra silvam, which is where we get the former translation. It's also been called Ultrasylvania, a medieval Latin translation of the Hungarian name Erdő-elve. As its name implies, Transylvania is heavily forested and quite beautiful — were it not for the spooky connotations, it would likely be just as popular to visit as Europe's other idyllic locales.
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There Are No Vampires, But There Are Bears
Six thousand brown bears call Transylvania home, or nearly 60% of the species' entire population in Europe. The Apuseni Mountains are even home to the appropriately named Bears' Cave, which received its name after the skeletons of 140 cave bears were discovered there in 1983. The brown bears here are often quite large as well, with one specimen tipping the scales at nearly 1,100 pounds. And while there have been a handful of tragic encounters with humans, the majority of these imposingly beautiful creatures live far from civilization in the Carpathian Mountains, which are also home to wolves, lynxes, and other interesting wildlife.
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Dracula's Castle Isn't the Only Famous Fortress
medieval building of Transylvania, Bran Castle is the most well-known of Transylvania's castles due to its connection to the Dracula mythos, but it's far from the only notable castle in Transylvania. There's also Corvin Castle, which is one of the largest in Europe and is counted among the Seven Wonders of Romania, not to mention the likes of Peles and Bánffy castles. The former looks like it came straight out of a storybook and was the first castle in Europe with electricity, while Bánffy's history can be traced to the 14th century; it was nearly burned down by Germans retreating from Allied troops near the end of World War II.
Still, there's no denying how fascinating the legend of Bran Castle — known outside of Romania as Dracula's Castle, of course — has become. There's no evidence that the castle inspired Bram Stoker when he wrote Dracula or that Vlad himself ever visited the medieval structure. However, that didn't stop the Communist Party of Romania from deciding in the 1970s to present Bran Castle as the true home of the world's most famous vampire. That decision wasn't arbitrary, as the castle certainly looks the part — if you were to conjure an image of Dracula's not-so-humble abode, there's a good chance it would look exactly like the place.
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You Can Visit the Best-Preserved Medieval Citadel in Europe There
Sighișoara, the supposed birthplace of Vlad Dracul himself, is a town of 28,000 people dating back to the 12th century. Its fortified historic center is so well-preserved that UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 1999, particularly for how important it is to the history of Transylvanian Saxons. The German-speaking group has been in the area so long that the region was technically part of Hungary when they first arrived there; the Saxons also played a major role in Transylvania's feudal system for hundreds of years. Sighișoara remains the best-preserved inhabited medieval citadel in Europe, not to mention a surprisingly charming spot to visit.
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The Coat of Arms Is Seriously Awesome
Vexillologists will get a kick out of this 18th-century symbol, which was granted by Maria Theresa of the Hapsburg dominions. As symbolically rich as it is visually arresting, the coat of arms features an eagle representing Transylvania itself, a sun and crescent moon for the Székely Land region of Romania, and seven towers representing cities populated by Saxons. Transylvania had other heraldic symbols in the centuries prior, but none were granted with as much fanfare or lasted as long — it's still in use today.
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Transylvania Hosts Romania's Biggest Film Festival
Cannes, Venice, and Berlin may attract more headlines, but the Transylvania International Film Festival has emerged as one of the most adventurous events of its kind in Europe. Founded in 2002 and taking place in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania's cultural center and unofficial capital, it draws more than 100,000 attendees each year and has highlighted adventurous films like Babyteeth, Monos, and Oslo, August 31st. (Their vampire-themed poster game is on point, too.)
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Mohawk Mig shoot down
Thanks to Barrel
Every time I think I have heard most of the stories out there is another one that pops up that amazes me…..This is definitely one of them…..Skip
US Army Air-To-Air kill of a MIG Jet during the Vietnam War
Captain Lee Shares His Account of One of the Most Famous Mohawk Missions Ever
The Grumman OV-1 Mohawk was developed for use as a battlefield surveillance, reconnaissance, and light strike aircraft beginning in 1956. The aircraft was first flown in 1959 and entered service with the US Army in 1960. Tangling with North Vietnamese MiGs was probably the last thing the designers ever thought the Mohawk would be required to do, but tangle with a MiG one did, and this is the story.
The US Army flew all kinds of aircraft in Vietnam. From light observation aircraft to transports and of course thousands of helicopters, the Army flew just about everywhere the Air Force, Navy, and Marines did and lots of places they couldn't. Despite the aerial victories scored by the other armed services, the Army just didn't get many opportunities to mix it up with MiGs. But an OV-1 Mohawk somehow achieved the only U.S. Army air-to-air victory during the Vietnam War.
Some background: Ken Lee began flying Mohawks with the Army in early 1964 and completed type transition training during September of that year. Ken's first tour in Vietnam began during November of 1964. During that tour he flew with the 23rd Special Warfare Aviation Detachment (SWAD) and with the 73rd Surveillance Aviation Company (SAC) callsign Uptight. Ken returned home to CONUS at the end of his first tour during November of 1965.
27 year old Ken Lee began his second tour flying Mohawks in August of 1967. He was assigned to the 131st Aviation Company Nighthawks callsign Spud out of Phu Bai Air Base. Ken (whose personal callsign was Martini) and his fellow pilots flew a mix of OV-1A (visual and photo recon), OV-1B (side looking airborne radar [SLAR]), and OV-1C (Infrared [IR]) Mohawk variants. Their missions during this tour were focused on target acquisition in Laos and southern North Vietnam.
Ken had been wounded before his encounter with the MiG. As he tells it, "I was wounded the first of October 1967 at the border between South Vietnam and Laos. A .51 caliber round came through the side skin of the aircraft and went through my flak jacket, damaged my .45 caliber side arm, through my survival radio and survival kit. I was next in the bullet's path. I was not able to fly again for three weeks and the MiG incident came on about the second mission I flew after I began flying again."
Ken and another Mohawk pilot were transiting to Laos above South Vietnam's A Shau valley, located just south of the DMZ and close to the Laotian border. Air Force Major Bernie Fisher flew a heroic rescue mission in that valley, landing under heavy fire to pick up a downed pilot. A Shau was still and would remain a hotbed of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong activity. It was up to the two Mohawks, using their infrared (IR) and other sensors, to try and get the gouge on enemy activity west of the area.
Flying just a couple of thousand feet above the valley floor with low ceiling and heavy clouds overhead, Captain Ken Lee's Mohawk was suddenly "bounced" by a North Vietnamese MiG-17 Fresco jet fighter. The MiG scored hits on Lee's empennage and rear fuselage but overshot the relatively slow Mohawks. As the MiG pilot turned to engage the Mohawks again he got in front of the two 19 shot M159 rocket pods with 2.75 inch unguided rockets and two XM14 .50 caliber gun pods mounted on Lee's underwing racks. Lee realized his best chance to stay alive was to fire everything at the MiG while it was in front of him, and fire (almost) everything he did.
As Ken Lee tells it, "When I felt the hits on the aircraft I told my wingman to break south as there was no point in both of us getting shot down. I was still a bit jumpy in that area- I didn't want another .51 caliber round in my side, so I started a right turn to put some distance between me and the AAA batteries in the valley. I looked out the right side of the airplane to clear my turn and then just as I began the turn the MiG flew past me. I had only 170 knots of airspeed as we were heavy."
Ken continues, "At first I thought the MiG might have been an Aussie F-86 (RAAF CA-27 Sabres were based out of Ubon in those days) but then I saw the red star on his tail. When he passed me he just about lined himself up. He just happened to be right on my targeting pipper, so I have to say there was no great skill involved in leading him or anything. I just started shooting."
While his right-seater deposited the contents of his stomach in his helmet bag, Lee fired most of his 38 rockets at the MiG in several four-shot salvos, believing he hit it with four of them. He also claimed to have hit the Fresco with approximately 100 rounds from the of .50 caliber gun pods, observing tracer fire light up the MiG's fuselage. After the attack the two aircraft lost sight of each other in a cloud bank but by then the MiG was well ablaze and although Lee did not see the stricken MiG impact the ground he was confident that it had gone in, having last seen the Fresco entering a valley he knew was boxed in by the weather.
When the two Mohawks returned to Phu Bai Air Base, an expectant Captain Lee found quite a few 23 millimeter holes in his aircraft from the MiG. He had a few rockets and a few .50 cal rounds left. Because the Army wanted to avoid any issues the Air Force might have had with a Mohawk or any other Army aircraft shooting down a MiG, Lee and his wingman were ordered to keep his victory quiet. In truth he didn't really know for certain he had shot the MiG down. Either way Ken never received either credit for the MiG or any kind of recognition- from the Army anyway.
Ken says the MiG attack on his section wasn't entirely unique. He recalls, "This incident was not the only time I had been attacked from above and not below. I had .51 calibre holes in the aircraft I was flying on two other occasions. They were after the MIG incident and there was no explanation as to how they got there as neither did my wingman see anything nor did I. Colonel Olds did tell me that the North Vietnamese had opened an airfield just north of the DMZ so they could make shock runs into our operating area."
Ken Lee had previously flown to Ubon Air Force Base in Thailand several times to meet with Colonel Robin Olds, the famous mustachioed triple-ace wing commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) Wolfpack and his equally famous vice commander Colonel Daniel "Chappie" James. Both of these charismatic leaders were keenly interested in any Laotian targets identified by Lee and his fellow Mohawk pilots. As Ken tells it, "I actually knew both of them. Colonel Olds would meet me on the flight line and pick me, and only me, up and take me up to the debrief room. He would have a case of Budweiser iced down and I would give him targets that I had been working on in Laos the week before. So he was not a stranger. He was a very warm and personable man. I respected him and he knew it. I was not afraid to just sit and talk with him."
Ken continues, "When I met him at the club the next time I went to Ubon, he and Colonel James put me in the center of a line for a MiG Sweep. Drinks and food, on the house. The MiG Sweep was a real thrill. I still think of them both. You would never know that he was a genuine hero. He did not show any weakness in his character and did not allow you to show any weakness either. He brought out your strengths in a way that made you feel you had done it yourself. He was a National hero and treated me, an Army captain, as an equal. I never saw them acting like they were as beat down from flying missions as we were. He did not seem to be too taxed at the time. Always relaxed and no pressure."
Olds and James informed Ken that the MiG kill was confirmed at the MiG Sweep ceremony. But all Ken got from the Army was, "don't talk about it, even if asked." Ken Lee returned to the States from his second tour in Vietnam in September of 1968. Today Ken Lee is 78 years old and recovering from heart bypass surgery. He says many accounts of his MiG engagement have been discounted as fantastic. Ken also said, "It has been 51 years since these things happened and the memory of exact dates and tail numbers, serial numbers seem to have passed with time. I do not remember the name of the right seat observer, I just remember him vomiting in his helmet bag when he saw the MIG going by. Ruined his nice new camera and oxygen mask."
Ken and his brave brothers did a tough, dangerous, and in the end futile job that seldom gets the sort of recognition it should. Between June and December 1966, 131st Aviation Company OV-1As flew 1,228 sorties, OV-1Bs flew 2,134 sorties, and OV-1Cs flew 520 sorties totaling 3882 sorties and 5,638 hours of combat time. In 1967 the Nighthawks flew 11,947 combat hours. 13 crew members were lost as KIA or MIA and 10 crew members were wounded. Six OV-1As, 2 OV-1Bs , and 2 OV-1Cs were lost.
Barrel=
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This Day in U S Military History
1789 – George Washington proclaimed the 1st national Thanksgiving Day to be Nov 26. Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness: Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and their transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
1943 – Aircraft from USS Ranger sink 5 German ships and damage 3 in Operation Leader, the only U.S. Navy carrier operation in northern European waters during World War II. Defying enemy shore batteries and warships lurking in Norwegian waters, a combined United States and British naval force that included a strongly escorted American aircraft carrier, struck a surprise blow at German merchant shipping in the Norwegian "leads" or inner waterways in the Bodoe area. German naval units in Norway, where the powerful battleship Tirpitz was lying in a fjord somewhere northeast of Trondheim, refusing to accept the obvious challenge to come out and fight. The only opposition was by enemy anti-aircraft fire and by two German planes, both of which were destroyed by fighters that took off from the American carrier, USS Ranger. Three planes from the carrier were shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire.
1952 – USAF Major Frederick C. "Boots" Blesse, 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing, flying an F-86 Sabre jet, scored his 10th and final aerial victory and became the fifth double ace of the Korean War.
1993 – Battle at Bakhara Market. On 22 August, Task Force Ranger, consisting of one company of Rangers from 3/75, a special forces unit, and a deployment package of the 160th SOAR (A), was ordered to deploy to Mogadishu, Somalia. They departed on 26 August. The mission of the 160th SOAR (A) as defined by the task force commander was: "When directed, [to] deploy to Mogadishu, Somalia; [to] conduct operations to capture General Aideed and/or designated others. The aviation task force must be prepared to conduct two primary courses of action: moving convoy and strong point assault. . . . Success is defined as the live capture of General Aideed and designated individuals and recovery to the designated transload point; safely and without fratricide." In Mogadishu the task force occupied an old hangar and old construction trailers under primitive conditions. During the month of September, the force conducted several successful missions to arrest Aideed sympathizers and to confiscate arms caches. The aircraft also made frequent flights over the city to desensitize the public to the presence of military aircraft and to familiarize themselves with the narrow streets and alleys of the city. On the afternoon of 3 October 1993, informed that two leaders of Aideed's clan were at a residence in central Mogadishu, the task force sent 19 aircraft, 12 vehicles, and 160 men to arrest them. During the mission, one of the Rangers fast-roping from an MH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, missed the rope and fell 70 feet to the street below, badly injuring himself. The two leaders were quickly arrested, and the prisoners and the injured Ranger were loaded on a convoy of ground vehicles. Armed Somalis were converging on the target area from all over the city. In the meantime, another MH-60, call sign Super 61 and piloted by CW4 Clifton P. Wolcott and CW3 Donovan Briley, was flying low over the street a few blocks from the target area, and was struck from behind by an rocket propelled grenade (RPG). The MH-60 crashed to the street below. The convoy and the Somali crowds immediately headed for the crash site. An MH-6 Little Bird, call sign Star 41, piloted by CW4 Keith Jones and CW3 Karl Maier, landed in the street next to the downed MH-60 and attempted to evacuate the casualties. Both Wolcott and Briley had been killed in the crash. Jones went to assist survivors, successfully pulling two soldiers into the Little Bird, while Maier laid down suppressive fire from the cockpit with his individual weapon. Under intense ground fire, the MH-6 departed with its crew and survivors. In the meantime, Blackhawk Super 64, with pilot CW3 Michael Durant, copilot CW4 Raymond Frank, and crewmembers SSG William Cleveland and SSG Thomas Field, moved in to take Super 61's place in the formation. As Super 64 circled over the target area, an RPG suddenly struck it. The Blackhawk's tail rotor was severely damaged, and the air mission commander ordered it back to the airfield. En route to the airfield, the tail rotor and much of the rear assembly fell off, and the helicopter pitched forward and crashed. Meanwhile the ground convoy had lost its way, and rescue forces were already overtaxed at the site of the first Blackhawk crash. As armed Somalis rushed toward the Super 64 crash site, the crew's only hope came from SFC Randall Shughart and MSG Gary Gordon aboard the covering Blackhawk, Super 62, who volunteered to jump in and protect the crew of the downed helicopter. They would ultimately sacrifice their lives for their downed comrades. Durant and Frank had both suffered broken legs in the crash, and both of the crew chiefs were severely wounded. A large crowd of Somalis, organized by the local militia, surrounded the crew and their rescuers and engaged in a fierce firefight, killing all but Durant. Then, they rushed the downed pilot, severely beating him and taking him prisoner. Meanwhile another Blackhawk carrying a rescue team arrived over the crash site of Super 61 and the 15-man team fast-roped to the ground. They found both Wolcott and Briley already dead, but crew chiefs Staff Sgt. Ray Dowdy and Staff Sgt. Charlie Warren were still alive in the wreckage. It took hours to pry Wolcott's body from the wreckage. In the meantime, the soldiers set up a perimeter to protect against attack from Somali militia and armed civilians and awaited the arrival of a convoy from the 10th Mountain Division to rescue them. The militia had taken Mike Durant captive, planning to trade him for Somali prisoners. But before they could get him back to their village, they were intercepted by local bandits, who took Durant, intending to use him for ransom. He was taken back to a house where he was held, interrogated, and videotaped. Later, after Aideed paid his ransom, Durant was moved to the apartment of Aideed's propaganda minister. After five days, he was visited by a representative of the International Red Cross and interviewed by British and French journalists. Finally, after ten days, with the intervention of former U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Robert Oakley, he was released and flew home to a hero's welcome. The mission was over. The 160th SOAR (A) had been involved in the fiercest battle since the Vietnam War. It had lost two MH-60 aircraft with two more severely damaged, suffered eight wounded and five killed in action, and had had one of its pilots taken captive. Despite the public perception that this was a failed mission, Task Force Ranger did take into custody and delivered the two leaders from Aideed's clan, resulting in mission accomplishment. President Clinton expressed sorrow at the deaths of American soldiers in Somalia, but reaffirmed those U.S. forces would stay in the African nation.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*GORDON, GARY I.
Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army. Place and date: 3 October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia. Entered service at: —– Born: Lincoln, Maine. Citation: Master Sergeant Gordon, United States Army, distinguished himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993, while serving as Sniper Team Leader, United States Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. Master Sergeant Gordon's sniper team provided precision fires from the lead helicopter during an assault and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. When Master Sergeant Gordon learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the second crash site, he and another sniper unhesitatingly volunteered to be inserted to protect the four critically wounded personnel, despite being well aware of the growing number of enemy personnel closing in on the site. After his third request to be inserted, Master Sergeant Gordon received permission to perform his volunteer mission. When debris and enemy ground fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Master Sergeant Gordon was inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon and his fellow sniper, while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crew members. Master Sergeant Gordon immediately pulled the pilot and the other crew members from the aircraft, establishing a perimeter which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position. Master Sergeant Gordon used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers until he depleted his ammunition. Master Sergeant Gordon then went back to the wreckage, recovering some of the crew's weapons and ammunition. Despite the fact that he was critically low on ammunition, he provided some of it to the dazed pilot and then radioed for help. Master Sergeant Gordon continued to travel the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. After his team member was fatally wounded and his own rifle ammunition exhausted, Master Sergeant Gordon returned to the wreckage, recovering a rifle with the last five rounds of ammunition and gave it to the pilot with the words, "good luck." Then, armed only with his pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon continued to fight until he was fatally wounded. His actions saved the pilot's life. Master Sergeant Gordon's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army.
*SHUGHART, RANDALL D.
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army. Place and date: 3 October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia. Entered service at: —– Born: Newville, Pennsylvania. Citation: Sergeant First Class Shughart, United States Army, distinguished himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993, while serving as a Sniper Team Member, United States Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. Sergeant First Class Shughart provided precision sniper fires from the lead helicopter during an assault on a building and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. While providing critical suppressive fires at the second crash site, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the site. Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader unhesitatingly volunteered to be inserted to protect the four critically wounded personnel, despite being well aware of the growing number of enemy personnel closing in on the site. After their third request to be inserted, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader received permission to perform this volunteer mission. When debris and enemy ground fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader were inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a pistol, Sergeant First Class Shughart and his team leader, while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crew members. Sergeant First Class Shughart pulled the pilot and the other crew members from the aircraft, establishing a perimeter which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position. Sergeant First Class Shughart used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers while traveling the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. Sergeant First Class Shughart continued his protective fire until he depleted his ammunition and was fatally wounded. His actions saved the pilot's life. Sergeant First Class Shughart's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army.
CARTER, TY M.
Rank: Specialist, Organization: U.S. Army, Company: B Troop, 3d Squadron 61st Cavalry Regiment, Divison: 4th Infantry, Born: January 25, 1980, Spokane, WA, Departed: No, Entered Service At: Antioch, CA, G.O. Number: , Date of Issue: 08/26/2013, Accredited To: ,Place / Date: Oct, 3, 2009, Outpost Keating, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Specialist Ty M. Carter distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Scout with Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on October 3, 2009. On that morning, Specialist Carter and his comrades awakened to an attack of an estimated 300 enemy fighters occupying the high ground on all four sides of Combat Outpost Keating, employing concentrated fire from recoilless rifles, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft machine guns, mortars and small arms fire. Specialist Carter reinforced a forward battle position, ran twice through a 100 meter gauntlet of enemy fire to resupply ammunition and voluntarily remained there to defend the isolated position. Armed with only an M4 carbine rifle, Specialist Carter placed accurate, deadly fire on the enemy, beating back the assault force and preventing the position from being overrun, over the course of several hours. With complete disregard for his own safety and in spite of his own wounds, he ran through a hail of enemy rocket propelled grenade and machine gun fire to rescue a critically wounded comrade who had been pinned down in an exposed position. Specialist Carter rendered life extending first aid and carried the Soldier to cover. On his own initiative, Specialist Carter again maneuvered through enemy fire to check on a fallen Soldier and recovered the squad's radio, which allowed them to coordinate their evacuation with fellow Soldiers. With teammates providing covering fire, Specialist Carter assisted in moving the wounded Soldier 100 meters through withering enemy fire to the aid station and before returning to the fight. Specialist Carter's heroic actions and tactical skill were critical to the defense of Combat Outpost Keating, preventing the enemy from capturing the position and saving the lives of his fellow Soldiers. Specialist Ty M. Carter's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and the United States Army.
ROMESHA, CLINTON L.
Rank: Staff Sergeant, Organization: U.S. Army, Company: 3rd Squadron, 61st Calvary Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, Division: 4th Infantry. Born: August 17, 1981 / Lake City, CA, Departed: No, Entered Service At: California, G.O. Number: , Date of Issue: 02/11/2013, Accredited To: California, Place / Date: Outpost Keating, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan October 3, 2009. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Section Leader with Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy at Combat Outpost Keating, Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on 3 October 2009. On that morning, Staff Sergeant Romesha and his comrades awakened to an attack by an estimated 300 enemy fighters occupying the high ground on all four sides of the complex, employing concentrated fire from recoilless rifles, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft machine guns, mortars and small arms fire. Staff Sergeant Romesha moved uncovered under intense enemy fire to conduct a reconnaissance of the battlefield and seek reinforcements from the barracks before returning to action with the support of an assistant gunner. Staff Sergeant Romesha took out an enemy machine gun team and, while engaging a second, the generator he was using for cover was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, inflicting him with shrapnel wounds. Undeterred by his injuries, Staff Sergeant Romesha continued to fight and upon the arrival of another soldier to aid him and the assistant gunner, he again rushed through the exposed avenue to assemble additional soldiers. Staff Sergeant Romesha then mobilized a five-man team and returned to the fight equipped with a sniper rifle. With complete disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Romesha continually exposed himself to heavy enemy fire, as he moved confidently about the battlefield engaging and destroying multiple enemy targets, including three Taliban fighters who had breached the combat outpost's perimeter. While orchestrating a successful plan to secure and reinforce key points of the battlefield, Staff Sergeant Romesha maintained radio communication with the tactical operations center. As the enemy forces attacked with even greater ferocity, unleashing a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades and recoilless rifle rounds, Staff Sergeant Romesha identified the point of attack and directed air support to destroy over 30 enemy fighters. After receiving reports that seriously injured soldiers were at a distant battle position, Staff Sergeant Romesha and his team provided covering fire to allow the injured soldiers to safely reach the aid station. Upon receipt of orders to proceed to the next objective, his team pushed forward 100 meters under overwhelming enemy fire to recover and prevent the enemy fighters from taking the bodies of the fallen comrades. Staff Sergeant Romesha's heroic actions throughout the day-long battle were critical in suppressing an enemy that had far greater numbers. His extraordinary efforts gave Bravo Troop the opportunity to regroup, reorganize and prepare for the counterattack that allowed the Troop to account for its personnel and secure Combat Post Keating. Staff Sergeant Romesha's discipline and extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty reflect great credit upon himself, Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and the United States Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for October 3, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
3 October
1918: In a flight refueling demonstration, Lt Godfrey L. Cabot (USN Reserves) lifted 155 pounds of weights into his Burgess-Dunne seaplane from a moving sea sled. (18) (24)
1920: Using a Huff-Daland HD-4 Bridget, Lt Godrey L. Cabot and Lt Harold R. Harris in the rear cockpit picked up a 5-gallon can of gasoline from a float in the Potomac River near Washington DC. (24)
1931: Through 5 October, Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, Jr., made the first nonstop flight between Japan and America in their Bellanca with a Pratt & Whitney 420 HP engine. After 41 hours 13 minutes, they landed at Wenatchee, Wash. (9)
1945: As the initial attempt to establish an earth satellite program, the Bureau of Aeronautics set up a committee to evaluate the feasibility of space rocketry. 1952: The XB-52 Stratofortress made its first flight at the Boeing facility. (3)
1953: Lt Cmdr James Verdin (USN) flew a Douglas XF4D-1 Skyray jet fighter and set a world speed record of 752.94 MPH in four runs over a 3-kilometer (1.86 miles) course at Salton Sea, Calif. This event was the first time a carrier plane set a speed record. (9) (20)
1957: Operation DEEP FREEZE. A Douglas C-124 made the first delivery for the MATS to McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, to support the operation. (18)
1960: A TWA jet transport, under a MATS contract, carried 166 passengers in an inaugural flight from McGuire AFB to Frankfurt, Germany. This was the largest number of passengers to cross the North Atlantic in an airplane to date. (24)
1962: Cmdr Walter M. Schirra, Jr., (USN) became the fifth Mercury astronaut to circle the earth, when his Sigma 7 spacecraft completed five orbits. He landed in the Pacific near the end of his sixth orbit after 9 hours 14 minutes in space. This mission almost failed as NASA's controllers thought about separating Sigma 7 from the Atlas D launch vehicle when it developed a dangerously high roll rate. (7) (24)
1966: The last Minuteman I (Model A) follow-on operational test launch occurred at Vandenberg AFB. (6)
1967: Maj William J. Knight set a speed record for winged aircraft by flying the North American X-15A No.2 to 4,520 MPH (mach 6.72) and 99,000 feet over Edwards AFB. This flight broke his earlier 18 November 1966 record of 4,250 MPH. (9) (26) At Whiteman AFB, the 351 SMW became the first Minuteman I unit to transition to the Minuteman II missile under the Force Modernization Program. (6)
1972: At the White House, President Nixon and Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko spoke about treaties to limit Anti-ballistic missile systems and the other strategic arms.
1985: Through October 7, the Atlantis flew its first mission (21st in Space Shuttle program), and the second space flight solely dedicated to the DoD. The crew (Col Karol Bobko, Lt Col Ron Grabe, Maj William Pailes, Marine Maj David Hilmers, and Army Lt Col Robert Stewart) deployed two Defense Satellite Communications System satellites. (8: Oct 90)
1989: Lockheed delivered the 37th and last U-2R/TR-1A high-altitude reconnaissance plane to the USAF. (16) (26)
1993: AIR FORCE CROSS. Through 4 October, pararescueman TSgt Timothy A. Wilkinson ran through enemy fire repeatedly, despite his own injuries, to save five wounded Army Rangers after enemy forces shot down their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at Mogadishu, Somalia. For that heroism, Wilkerson received the Air Force Cross. (21)
1995: An AMC contracted DC-8 left Robins AFB for Hanoi with 28 tons of medical supplies for VietDue Hospital and Hue Center Hospital on the first humanitarian mission to Vietnam since the war. (18)
1997: A C-141 aircrew from the 305 AMW at McGuire AFB airlifted 35,000 pounds of excess DoD medical supplies to Sofia, Bulgaria. (22)
2004: The Lockheed-Martin plant at Marietta received the first C-5 for the Reliability and Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP) to extend the C-5's life to 2040. The modification added new engines and improved electrical, fuel, hydraulic, flight control, environment control systems, and structure and landing gear upgrades. The C-5B prototype aircraft (No. 86-0013) belonged to the 436 AW at Dover AFB. (22)
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