The List 7419
To All
Good Saturday Morning January 17, 2026. It is another clear and beautiful morning here today . with a high of 80 by 2..Winds are light. Daughter and granddaughter number 2 are in a giant Lacrosse tournament in Palm Springs. She will play 6 games if they go to the championship round which they generally do.
Yesterday I got a lot of the upper back yard raked and blown into piles and got one green trash can filled up. Now I will fill the other three up and 4 gray cans and make more piles for later. 'there is little wind right now so that will help a lot. Unfortunately the trees dropped a couple of thousand more over night. The leaves are so thick that I still can't see through the trees.
Enjoying our weather and it will last until next Thursday.
.Regards and have a great weekend wherever you are
skip
.HAGD
.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
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 94 H-Grams.
January 17
1863—Union iron-clad gunboat Baron de Kalb, with "tinclad" gunboats Forest Rose and Romeo, along with an Army transport, clear out Confederate strongholds up White River to Des Arc, AR.
1899—Gunboat Bennington, commanded by Cmdr. E. D. Taussig, claims Wake Island for the United States, giving the U.S. a cable route between Honolulu and Manila, a factor that influences territorial demands in the Pacific.
1943—Submarine Whale (SS 239) sinks the Japanese transport Heiyo Maru.
1943—Light aircraft carrier Cowpens (CV 25) is launched. Redesignated CVL 25 six months later, she serves in the Pacific during World War II.
1944—Dauntless SBD scout planes and Avenger TBF torpedo bombers bomb Japanese shipping at Rabaul and sink three ships, damaging a third.
1977 - A freighter collided with a liberty boat carrying Sailors and Marines from USS Guam and Trenton killing 49 men near Barcelona, Spain. In response to this tragedy, the first two US Navy Special Psychiatric Rapid Intervention Teams (SPRINT) were deployed to support Sailors affected by addressing the emotional and psychological wounds following this traumatic event.
I remember being anchored off Barcelona in the old FDR and was in one of the first Liberty boats launched and it was a close run thing because the waves were so high. After getting the boats beat up really bad they close d the liberty down and there were a lot of sailors stranded on the pier with no money or way to get back on the ship. It lasted a couple of days and then they sent boats in empty and started bringing folks bask on board. The boat I was on was like being on a roller coaster and the driver did an outstanding job getting us in. All the boats were damaged and they were working on them for weeks to get them fixed…skip
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Today in World History January 17
1601 The Treaty of Lyons ends a short war between France and Savoy.
1746 Charles Edward Stuart, the young pretender, defeats the government forces at the battle of Falkirk in Scotland.
1773 Captain James Cook becomes the first person to cross the Antarctic Circle.
1819 Simon Bolivar the "liberator" proclaims Columbia a republic.
1893 Queen Liliuokalani, the Hawaiian monarch, is overthrown by a group of American sugar planters led by Sanford Ballard Dole.
1852 At the Sand River Convention, the British recognize the independence of the Transvaal Board.
1912 Robert Scott reaches the South Pole only a month after Roald Amundsen.
1939 The Reich issues an order forbidding Jews to practice as dentists, veterinarians and chemists.
1945 The Red army occupies Warsaw.
1963 Soviet leader Khrushchev visits the Berlin Wall.
1985 A jury in New Jersey rules that terminally ill patients have the right to starve themselves.
1950
Boston thieves pull off historic robbery
On this day in 1950, 11 men steal more than $2 million from the Brinks Armored Car depot in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the perfect crime–almost–as the culprits weren't caught until January 1956, just days before the statute of limitations for the theft expired.
The robbery's mastermind was Anthony "Fats" Pino, a career criminal who recruited a group of 10 other men to stake out the depot for 18 months to figure out when it held the most money. Pino's men then managed to steal plans for the depot's alarm system, returning them before anyone noticed they were gone.
Wearing navy blue coats and chauffeur's caps–similar to the Brinks employee uniforms–with rubber Halloween masks, the thieves entered the depot with copied keys, surprising and tying up several employees inside the company's counting room. Filling 14 canvas bags with cash, coins, checks and money orders–for a total weight of more than half a ton–the men were out and in their getaway car in about 30 minutes. Their haul? More than $2.7 million–the largest robbery in U.S. history up until that time.
No one was hurt in the robbery, and the thieves left virtually no clues, aside from the rope used to tie the employees and one of the chauffeur's caps. The gang promised to stay out of trouble and not touch the money for six years in order for the statute of limitations to run out. They might have made it, but for the fact that one man, Joseph "Specs" O'Keefe, left his share with another member in order to serve a prison sentence for another burglary. While in jail, O'Keefe wrote bitterly to his cohorts demanding money and hinting he might talk. The group sent a hit man to kill O'Keefe, but he was caught before completing his task. The wounded O'Keefe made a deal with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to testify against his fellow robbers.
Eight of the Brinks robbers were caught, convicted and given life sentences. Two more died before they could go to trial. Only a small part of the money was ever recovered; the rest is fabled to be hidden in the hills north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. In 1978, the famous robbery was immortalized on film in The Brinks Job, starring Peter Falk.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to the Bear. We will always have the url for you to search items in Rolling Thunder
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER …
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
Thanks to Micro
.
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..January 17
January 17: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2685
.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
.
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
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Servicemembers Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
. Some short bits
The UK proves it has institutionalized antisemitism
The United Kingdom has institutionalized antisemitism, surrendering to Islamists and activists who are using the threat of mob violence to shape the country. U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood issued a report saying she has lost confidence in the chief constable of the West Midlands Police after the police fabricated evidence to justify Birmingham banning fans […]
A rise in religious persecution in college sports calls for NCAA action
Brigham Young University is a prestigious university with a sports program revered by many. But it is under attack, as several derogatory chants broke out again this year. These disgusting shouts specifically targeted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Year after year, these chants take place, and yet very few repercussions have taken […]
When it comes to Iran, celebrities suddenly have nothing to say
After seeing the brave demonstrations of women all over Iran lighting cigarettes with burning pictures of the dictatorial ayatollah, I'm inspired to take up smoking. It's an incredibly brave display of resistance. You know, the kind of resistance progressives told us was ideal — until they ignored it occurring on the streets of Iran. Right now, […]
Pritzker's insults of DHS's Tricia McLaughlin are typical, baseless left-wing propaganda
Gov. JB Pritzker's (D-IL) appetite for delusional, biased, and deceptive commentary about the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers is larger than his gargantuan waist size. He has regularly demonized and vilified government officials and law enforcement officers who are regularly risking their lives cleaning up the disastrous illegal immigration messes […]
Trump retreats on abortion
Health and Human Services Sec. Robert Kennedy Jr will do absolutely anything to keep you safe from the menace of Red Dye No. 3 but nothing to save a single life from chemical abortions or those ghouls at Planned Parenthood. It's not merely that HHS has done nothing to roll back Biden-era rules governing mifepristone […]
Iran massacres thousands as a member of the UN Human Rights Council
Iran's authoritarian government is massacring civilians in the streets by the thousands. The United Nations is obsessing about America and Israel. Iran has killed anywhere from 12,000 to more than 20,000 civilians, according to reports, as protesters flock to the streets to protest the Iranian government. The regime is fast-tracking executions for prisoners it captures and gunning […]
..
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Interesting Note
. While everything is wrong in America because of the MAGA man, at least the era of cow farts destroying the planet seems to be behind us. I wonder? The Democrats spent $7T – trillion times seven – on the "Green New Deal". I wonder just how much all of that money lowered the earth's temperature? Maybe it worked? It's here in cold Texas! .
CLIMATE CHANGE / NOVEMBER 4, 2025
Bill Gates's Climate Epiphany
An influential public figure just changed his mind on a controversial topic — and had the courage to admit it. How refreshing is that?!.
Last week, Microsoft founder and liberal philanthropist Bill Gates posted an essay on his website that set climate activists' hair on fire worldwide.
For decades, Gates has been a huge advocate and financial supporter of aggressive measures to combat climate change. Then suddenly, he announced a fundamental change of heart on one of the cornerstones of climate change activism: he now rejects out of hand the notion that failure to arrest climate change will decimate life on our planet — in essence, the doomsday mentality that calls for draconian measures and boundless expenditures to combat it.
You might think that a scientific topic like climatology would be apolitical. But with trillions of dollars in play, affecting global industries, investments, energy supplies, etc., it is anything but. It's no surprise that potential beneficiaries of philanthropy (e.g., the Gates Foundation) or U.S. government largesse would be spooked by Gates's public announcement.
But cutting through all of the hubbub surrounding Gates's revised posture on climate change, one aspect strikes me as extraordinary. Bill Gates is a very influential public figure, a pioneer of the computer age, a visionary, and a thought leader. When was the last time we've seen a highly visible, powerful player change his mind on a controversial topic — and have the courage to admit it? Hats off to Mr. Gates; he did just that.
In fairness, Gates's revised assessment is not so much a U-turn from his prior views (he wrote a book on the subject in 2021) as much as it is a major course correction. His critical adjustment is recognition that actions and expenditures to deal with climate change must be prioritized, and that breaking the bank in hopes of reducing future global temperatures by a degree or two would be far less effective than directing those resources to the protection of those endangered by climate change.
In that sense, Gates's new assessment is very much in line with the views generally held on the Right. It is often asserted — wrongly — that those opposing extreme actions to control climate change are "climate change deniers." On the contrary, like everyone else, we understand that the Earth is very old, that its climate changes constantly, cycling from extremely hot to extremely cold, and that today's inhabitant-friendly climate won't last forever. And we accept that the actions of Earth's eight billion inhabitants tend to accelerate global warming.
What we deny (evidently, as Bill Gates now does as well) is that massively expensive efforts to modulate the Earth's naturally occurring cyclic climate changes are likely to improve that problem appreciably. We believe that, alongside manageable steps to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels, we must place much greater focus on adaptation to the inevitable changes.
While there is plenty of room for conservative disagreement, by and large, Bill Gates's climate essay is logical, technically sound, and altogether sensible. Unlike the many scientific papers on climate change that make pinpoint (usually incorrect) projections of global temperature increases, the Gates essay takes a much broader view of climate change consequences, including its likely disproportionate adverse effects on the world's poor.
Some critics argue that Gates is not a "real" climate scientist. True enough, but his voice is far more credible than Al "Inconvenient Truth" Gore's or globe-trotting climate czar John Kerry's.
The paper builds logically on what Gates describes as the "tough truths" on climate change:
- Climate change is a serious problem, but it will not be the end of civilization. He adds the qualifier, appropriately, "in the foreseeable future."
- Temperature is not the best way to measure our progress on climate (Gates provides many good reasons).
- Health and prosperity are the best defense against climate change. I can imagine President Trump himself saying the same thing. Although he and Gates would surely have different views of "prosperity" and how to achieve it, in principle, they would agree!
The Gates essay offers a solid framework for common ground on an issue that demands — and should garner (wishful thinking perhaps) — bipartisan agreement.
Moreover, Gates's reversal on climate change raises a broader question for all who hope for some progress toward political common ground: What other epiphanies are out there? Could Bill Gates's initiative lead the way?
One obvious example is the climate-related matter of revitalizing the atrophied U.S. nuclear power industry, which has languished for decades, primarily because of undue political influence and grossly exaggerated safety concerns. On that issue, the need for substantially more nuclear power as a clean and safe component of our energy portfolio is now widely recognized and is attracting both government support and renewed financial investment. Sadly, our nation squandered four decades of development and growth of the once-vibrant industry. We'll recover, but it is a big hill to climb. We must, and we will.
Meanwhile, Mother Nature doesn't care what Bill Gates — or the scientific climate wizards or the attendees at next month's COP30 conference in Brazil — thinks about climate change. She doesn't care about public opinion polls. She'll do what she wants with our Earth's climate, largely without regard to our feeble efforts to fix it.
But as Gates points out, it's up to us to look ahead, anticipate and adapt to our ever-changing climate, and take care of our planet's fellow inhabitants as best we can.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
Thanks to Brett
Daily Memo: US-Peru Cooperation, Houthis Eye Somalia
Washington is expanding its footprint in a key Latin American state.
By: Geopolitical Futures
Naval assets. The United States has approved the sale of up to $1.5 billion in equipment and services for the expansion of a naval base in Peru. The facility is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from a Chinese-owned commercial port.
Competition. Yemen's Houthi rebels are increasing surveillance of Israeli movements in the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland, Houthi leader Ansar Allah said. He added that the group would strike any Israeli asset in Somaliland. Meanwhile, following Israel's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, Egypt has been expanding its own military presence in Somalia.
Protecting Greenland. Military personnel from France, Sweden, Germany and Norway began on Thursday arriving in Greenland as part of a reconnaissance mission. The Netherlands and Estonia are also expected to join the exercise. The deployment was announced on the same day that the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark met with the U.S. vice president and secretary of state in Washington. The Danish minister said after the meeting that they failed to come to an agreement on the United States' plan to seize Greenland.
Russian electricity. China halted all electricity imports from Russia on Jan. 1, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported. The main reason for the suspension is the high price of Russian supplies, exceeding the cost of domestically produced electricity. According to sources who spoke to the publication, imports are unlikely to resume in 2026.
Turkish support. Syria signed an agreement with Turkish company Kuzey Star Shipyard on building an integrated shipyard in the Syrian port of Tartus. The Turkish firm will invest at least $190 million over five years to equip docks, production facilities and warehouses for the project.
Middle East broker. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Iran, according to the Kremlin. After the call, Putin also spoke with his Iranian counterpart. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin was making efforts to deescalate tensions between Iran and Israel.
U.S.-Mexico talks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramon de la Fuente spoke by phone on Thursday about ongoing security challenges facing both countries.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to 1440
. One Big Headline
Monumental Fossil Discovery
Roughly 3,000 pounds of fossils and rock have been unearthed at Dinosaur National Monument, the National Park Service said yesterday. The discovery marks the first excavation in over 100 years at the national park straddling Utah and Colorado.
The fossil trove was accidentally discovered during a parking lot construction project near the Quarry Exhibit Hall, where visitors can see roughly 1,500 dinosaur bones encased in a rock face. Paleontologists believe the new fossils belong to a large long-necked dinosaur—most likely a Diplodocus. The extinct genus is thought to have had scales patterned in a range of dark colors, similar to those of modern reptiles and birds, according to a recent study analyzing fossilized skin samples from another site in Montana.
Dinosaur National Monument was established in 1915 to protect 80 acres around the Carnegie Quarry—a rock formation that yielded over 350 tons of fossils in the early 20th century. The park has since been expanded to include over 210,000 acres.
Explore the best resources we've found on dinosaurs here.
In partnership with Pendulum
.
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, and 16K+ medical professional recommendations, they're most certainly living up to the hype.
.
Quick Hits
CIA director meets with Venezuela's acting president.
Officials revealed yesterday that CIA Director John Ratcliffe met in Caracas Thursday with interim President Delcy RodrÃguez. He is the most senior US official to visit Venezuela since the US captured former leader Nicolás Maduro two weeks ago. RodrÃguez, who was vice president under Maduro, advocated for opening the state-run oil industry to more foreign investment in a nationwide address Thursday.
ICE detainee population reaches record high.
Internal Homeland Security data reveals that the number of detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody facing deportation has reached a record high of roughly 73,000. The count is the highest in ICE's nearly 23-year history and marks a roughly 84% increase from the same time last year. Nearly 67,000 detainees were single adults, and another 6,000 were classified as family units.
Canada agrees to cut 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs.
Canada will start by allowing up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into the country at a 6.1% tariff rate, with the quota rising to 70,000 over five years. In exchange, China will lower tariffs on Canadian farm products—such as canola—from 84% to about 15%. The deal, struck during Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China this week, marks a divergence from US policy, which maintains 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs. Carney is the first Canadian prime minister to visit China since 2017.
OpenAI to introduce ads to ChatGPT in revenue push.
The AI company will begin showing ads to users on ChatGPT's free plan and the lowest-cost subscription. CEO Sam Altman has previously called ads a last resort for OpenAI's business model; the company reportedly declared an internal emergency last month in response to the success of Google's Gemini chatbot. Ads are expected to be labeled, not affect responses, and avoid sensitive topics like politics.
South Korean court sentences impeached president to five years in prison.
The court found former president Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of abusing his power, obstructing justice, and falsifying documents. The verdict marks the first in a series of trials stemming from Yoon's actions during a December 2024 martial law crisis. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in a separate trial on charges of leading an insurrection. A verdict in that trial is expected next month.
World's best begin competing in the Australian Open tomorrow.
The year's first of four Grand Slam tennis tournaments kicks off in Melbourne tomorrow. No.1 men's singles player Carlos Alcaraz has a chance to be the youngest man to win all four majors. Meanwhile, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka seeks redemption after falling in last year's final to American Madison Keys, currently ranked No. 9.
Humankind
Ottawa man takes his Rwandan Uber driver tobogganing for the first time.
Washington State firefighters step in to deliver groceries after a delivery driver is involved in a car accident. (More)
Man proposes to his wife for a second time after her ring was lost in the LA wildfires. .
In partnership with Green Coffee Company
After 37X Growth, This Team Is Eyeing an IPO
Colombia's largest coffee producer plans to IPO by 2027. But they're giving everyday investors access first.
Green Coffee Company has grown revenue 37X since 2021 with a fully integrated seed-to-sale coffee model. Now they've acquired exclusive US distribution rights to the world-renowned Juan Valdez brand, expanding their opportunity. GCC has become the official coffee partner of the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Rams, selling at both stadiums as well as Target and Walmart.com.
Scaling nationwide is a $100B market opportunity. Invest ahead of Green Coffee Company's planned public listing.*
.
Humankind(ness)
Today, we're sharing a story from reader David K. in Queenstown, Maryland.
"My wife and I watch our granddaughter three days a week. Trash pickup comes on our second day. Our granddaughter excitedly rushes to the window, full of smiles, to wave 'hi' to the driver of the truck. He returns the wave with a toot of his horn.
"The pickup before Christmas, he pulls over, gets out of his truck, walks over to the now empty trash container, puts a box on top, then drives away. I retrieve the box, and to my delightful surprise, it is a toy trash truck for our granddaughter!"
.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.Thanks to Nice News
Venus Williams Is Returning to the Australian Open — And Making Tournament History
Steve Bell/Getty Images
Five years on from her last showing at the Australian Open, Venus Williams is returning to the tournament via a wild-card entry. Tomorrow, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion will compete at Melbourne Park nearly 30 years after her first appearance at the Open.
At 45 years old, the athlete will be the oldest woman to ever compete in the tournament's main draw. Last summer, she made a comeback to tennis after taking 16 months off to recover from health issues that required surgery. "I'm still the same player; I'm a big hitter," she said at an August press conference. "There are no limits for excellence, it's all about what's in your head and how much you are able to put into it."
The Australian Open, which runs through Feb. 1, won't be a walk in the park for Williams — Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, and defending champion Madison Keys are all garnering buzz in women's singles. On the men's singles side, Jannik Sinner will be looking to defend his 2025 title, up against Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev. Learn more about the 2026 Open, including how to watch.
.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
. This Day in U S Military History 17 January
1972 –President Richard Nixon warns South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu in a private letter that his refusal to sign any negotiated peace agreement would render it impossible for the United States to continue assistance to South Vietnam. Nixon's National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger had been working behind the scenes in secret negotiations with North Vietnamese representatives in Paris to reach a settlement to end the war. However, Thieu stubbornly refused to even discuss any peace proposal that recognized the Viet Cong as a viable participant in the post-war political solution in South Vietnam. As it turned out, the secret negotiations were not close to reaching an agreement because the North Vietnamese launched a massive invasion of South Vietnam in March 1972. With the help of U.S. airpower and advisers on the ground, the South Vietnamese withstood the North Vietnamese attack, and by December, Kissinger and North Vietnamese representatives were back in Paris and close to an agreement. Among Thieu's demands was the request that all North Vietnamese troops had to be withdrawn from South Vietnam before he would agree to any peace settlement. The North Vietnamese walked out of the negotiations in protest. In response, President Nixon initiated Operation Linebacker II, a massive bombing campaign against Hanoi, to force the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table. After 11 days of intense bombing, Hanoi agreed to return to the talks in Paris. When Kissinger and Le Duc Tho, the main North Vietnamese negotiator, met again in early January, they quickly worked out a settlement. The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 23 and a cease-fire went into effect five days later. Again, President Thieu refused to sign the Accords, but Nixon promised to come to the aid of South Vietnam if the communists violated the terms of the peace treaty, and Thieu agreed to sign. Unfortunately for Thieu and the South Vietnamese, Nixon was forced from office by the Watergate scandal in August 1974, and no U.S. aid came when the North Vietnamese launched a general offensive in March 1975. South Vietnam succumbed in 55 days.
1990 – A federal judge in Miami set March 1990 for the trial of ex-Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega on drug trafficking charges. After initial delays, Noriega was tried and convicted of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison, later cut to 30 years.
1991 – The Persian Gulf War began as Coalition planes struck targets in Iraq and Kuwait. The first Iraqi Scud missile attacks on Israel were launched. There were reports of death and injury, and possibly even chemical weapons being used. For a few tense hours, it looked as though Israel would retaliate against Iraq, causing the allied coalition to break up. Six months of preparation and diplomacy might be undone by a few poorly aimed, 1950s-vintage ballistic missiles. Later that evening, U.S. Patriot surface-to-air missiles were launched against the incoming Scuds, and for the first time in history, a ballistic missile was shot down by another missile. The use of Patriot missiles in Israel's defense helped to keep that country out of the Gulf War, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the American-European-Arab coalition. Jeffrey Zahn became the 1st US pilot shot down. Lt. Cmdr. Michael Scott Speicher (33) was shot down over western Iraq. The ruins of his plane were found in 1993.
1993 – The United States, accusing Iraq of a series of military provocations, unleashed Tomahawk missiles against a military complex eight miles from downtown Baghdad.
1996 – Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and nine followers were handed long prison sentences for plotting to blow up New York-area landmarks.
1996 – Iraq agrees to talks concerning a U.N. plan to allow for the Iraqi sale of $1 billion of oil for 90 days for a 180-day trial period. Under U.N. Security Council Resolution 986, proceeds from the sale would be used for humanitarian purposes. In the past, Iraq has opposed clauses 6 and 8b contained in Resolution 986. Clause 6 stipulates that oil exports under this plan must pass through the 1.6-million b/d Iraq-Turkey pipeline, which currently is unusable because of sludge build-ups and pumping station damage. By most estimates, the line would take a minimum of three months to repair. Clause 8b states that part of the proceeds from the sales would be disbursed under U.N. supervision to Kurdish provinces in northern Iraq. Negotiations between Iraq and the U.N. are scheduled to begin February 6, 1996.
1997 – A $40 million navigation satellite for the US Air Force blew up on takeoff at Cape Canaveral.
1998 – US military began to clear away over 50,000 land mines around Guantanamo Naval base.
1998 – In Iraq Sadam Hussein threatened to expel all UN arms inspectors in 6 months if the country is not cleared of suspicions about weapons programs and if sanctions are not lifted.
1999 – US talks with North Korea over inspection of an underground nuclear site were adjourned. North Korea demanded $300 million in compensation to inspect the Kumchangni site.
2001 – U.S. President Bill Clinton posthumously promotes William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, from Lieutenant to Captain.
2002 – US Sec. of State Powell visited Afghanistan and pledged that the US would not abandon the country
2002 – In Arizona 2 A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jets collided and 1 pilot was killed.
2003 – Tom Ridge sailed through Senate confirmation hearings on his way to becoming the nation's first Homeland Security Department chief.
2003 – On the 12th anniversary of the Gulf War, a defiant Saddam Hussein called on his people to rise up and defend the nation against a new U.S.-led attack.
2003 – Iraq awards a contract to Russian company Stroitransgaz for a small oil field in western Iraq and sets aside two others for Russian companies. Some analysts interpret these awards as an attempt at rapprochement between Iraq and Russia after Iraq canceled a giant contract with Russia's Lukoil in December 2002.
2007 – United States President George W. Bush announces that the NSA has ended its practice of warrantless wiretapping for domestic surveillance, and will go to the courts for warrants in the future.
2009 – North Korea claims to have "weaponized" 30.8 kilograms of plutonium, enough for four to five nuclear warheads.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
GREEN, JOHN
Rank and organization: Major, 1st U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At the Lava Beds, Calif., 17 January 1873. Entered service at: Ohio. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 18 November 1897. Citation: In order to reassure his command, this officer, in the most fearless manner and exposed to very great danger, walked in front of the line; the command, thus encouraged, advanced over the lava upon the Indians who were concealed among the rocks.
SKINNER, JOHN O.
Rank and organization: Contract Surgeon, U.S. Army. Place and date: At Lava Beds, Oreg., 17 January 1873. Entered service at: Maryland. Birth: Maryland. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: Rescued a wounded soldier who lay under a close and heavy fire during the assault on the Modoc stronghold after 2 soldiers had unsuccessfully attempted to make the rescue and both had been wounded in doing so.
*SLOAT, DONALD P.
Rank and Organization: Specialist Fourth Class. U.S. Army, 3rd Platoon, Delta Company, 1st Infantry Regiment, 196th Brigade. Place and Date: Hawk Hill Fire Base, Quang Tin, Republic of Vietnam. 17 January 1970. Entered Service At: March 19, 1959. Born: 2 February 1949. Departed: Yes (01/17/1970). G.O. Number:. Date of Issue: 09/15/2014. Accredited To:. Citation: On the morning of Jan. 17, 1970, Sloat's squad was conducting a patrol, serving as a blocking element in support of tanks and armored personnel carriers from F Troop in the Que Son valley. As the squad moved through dense terrain up a small hill in file formation, the lead Soldier tripped a wire attached to a hand grenade booby-trap, set up by enemy forces. When the grenade rolled down the hill toward Sloat, he had a choice. He could hit the ground and seek cover, or pick up the grenade and throw it away from his fellow Soldiers. After initially attempting to throw the grenade, Sloat realized that detonation was imminent, and that two or three men near him would be killed or seriously injured if he couldn't shield them from the blast. In an instant, Sloat chose to draw the grenade to his body, shielding his squad members from the blast, and saving their lives. Sloat's actions define the ultimate sacrifice of laying down his own life in order to save the lives of his comrades. Specialist Four Donald P. Sloat's extraordinary heroism and selflessness are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service, and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for January 17, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
17 January
1932: MACKAY TROPHY. After a severe snowstorm, 7 aircraft from the 11th Bomb Squadron flew missions for 4 days to deliver supplies to Navajo Indians near Winslow, Ariz. Lieutenant Charles H. Howard received the trophy for this effort. (5)
1936: Contract let to produce the B-17 bomber. (5) 1943: On Guadalcanal, B-17s from Henderson Field dropped water, ammunition, and rations to troops near Mount Austen. (24)
1945: Ninety-one B-29s flew the last Superfortress mission from Chengtu, China, against the enemy airfield at Shinchiku, Formosa. (24)
1951: Convair's RB-36D reconnaissance plane made a 51-hour, 20-minute trip without refueling. (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. A 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group detachment began operating from Taegu Air Base, S. Korea, to restore F-86 operations in Korea. The Sabre Jets flew in their air-to-ground role as fighter-bombers, conducting armed reconnaissance and close air support missions. Far East Air Forces temporarily suspended Tarzon bombing missions because of a shortage of the radio-guided bombs. (21) (28) Through 18 January, Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command flew 109 C-119 sorties to drop more than 550 tons of supplies to front-line troops in Korea. (28)
1956: The Department of Defense disclosed the Semi-automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense system to the public. (24)
1962: When Commander George Tolley (U.S. Navy) landed an F8U Crusader on the USS Enterprise, he made the first aircraft landing on a nuclear-powered carrier. (24) B-52Gs from the 4038th Strategic Wing at Dow AFB, Maine, carried Hound Dog missiles on their first airborne alert. (6)
1963: National Air and Space Administration test pilot Joseph Walker earned astronaut status by flying the X-15 to 271,000 feet, which made him the eleventh man to pass 50 miles in altitude. At the time, astronaut wings were only available to military pilots. The organization subsequently awarded civilian astronaut wings on 23 August 2005 to William H. Dana, and family members of deceased pilots Joe Walker and Jack McKay. (http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/X15_wings.html) The US decided to withdraw the Jupiter units from Italy. (6)
1967: A C-141 from the 44th Military Airlift Squadron at Travis AFB, Calif., claimed a trans-Pacific speed record from Japan to the U. S. on a run of 8 hours and 17 minutes, covering a total of 5,400 miles, with speeds averaging 630 miles per hour. (18)
1970: HURRICANE CAMILLE: Air Force Reserve aircrews airlifted carpenters and painters to New Orleans to repair damage from the storm. (16) (26) NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR. Through 10 February, C-141s flew 21 missions from Charleston AFB, S. C., to Lagos, Nigeria. They carried 436.5 tons of supplies, including 63 trucks, 70 generators, 10,000 blankets, and a 200-bed portable hospital for Biafran civil war refugees. (18)
1977: A Deputy Secretary of Defense approved the General Purpose Satellite Communications System Program and the Strategic Satellite System Program. (5)
1991: Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM. The Gulf War began. In the first 14 hours of operations, coalition aircraft flew 1,200 combat sorties, while 106 cruise missiles hit targets in Iraq and Kuwait. F-117A Stealth Fighters attacked more than 31 percent of Iraq's strategic targets on the first night. (16) (20) Operation DESERT STORM: Through 17 February 16 C-130 Hercules aircraft belonging to the AFRES in the 1650th Tactical Airlift Wing (Provisional) flew more than 3,200 combat sorties. The Air Force Reserve's 706th Tactical Fighter Squadron flew its A-10 Thunderbolt IIs on more than 1,000 combat sorties against enemy targets. The Reserves had no combat losses. (16)
1992: The Air Force accepted its first production-model T-1A Jayhawk trainer. (16) (26)
1993: Operation PROVIDE COMFORT. An F-16 Fighting Falcon shot down an Iraqi MiG over northern Iraq. (16) (26)
1994: A major earthquake hit Los Angles. Through 25 January, 6 C-5 Galaxies and C-141 Starlifters flew 270 disaster specialists and 340,000 pounds of cargo to Southern California. (26)
1995: The first C-17 Globemaster III unit, the 17th Airlift Squadron, achieved its initial operating capability at Charleston AFB, S. C., with the 437th Airlift Wing. The 317th Airlift Squadron, 315th Airlift Wing (Air Force Reserves) at Charleston also began flying missions. (18)
2000: Successful testing on a C-5 equipped with the new Traffic and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) allowed Lockheed Martin to retrofit the remaining 126 C-5s in Air Mobility Command, Air Force Reserve Command, and the Air National Guard underan Avionics Modernization Program. The C-5 fleet would be equipped with the new upgrades by late fiscal year 2002. (22)
2007: COLD WEATHER TESTING OF NEW FUEL. A B-52 Stratofortess, powered by a mix of synthetic fuel, arrived at Minot AFB, N. Dak., for cold-weather testing, the last step in a certification process to reduce Air Force's dependence on imported fuel. The 5th Bomb Wing B-52 started its ground testing on 22 January to determine how well the synthetic fuel, made from a 50-50 blend of traditional crude oil-based fuel and a Fischer-Tropsch fuel derived from natural gas, performed in extreme weather conditions. The first B-52 flight using the Fischer-Tropsch fuel occurred 19 September 2006 at Edwards AFB, Calif. (AFNEWS, "B-52 Undergoes Synthetic Fuel Cold Weather Testing," 22 Jan 2007.)
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
On this day in Air Force History
January 17:
USAF LEGENDS:
General of the Air Force Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold and the Origins of USAF Technology, Pt. III
(Lt Col Arnold in the cockpit of his Martin B-10 bomber during the Alaska Flight, 1934)
The first real indication of such advancement was the 1934 flight of ten Martin B-10 bombers to the Alaskan frontier and back during August and September. Hap Arnold commanded the round-trip mission demonstrating the potential of airpower over long distances and harsh terrain.
Arnold continued his advocacy of strategic bombardment throughout and even following his career. He once called the B-17 Flying Fortress airpower that "you could put your hand on." He insisted upon the production of the mammoth B-29 Stratofortress despite early engine problems and other technological difficulties. He spent much of 1939-42 touring aircraft factories, encouraging workers, pressuring bosses, and demanding success. Hap Arnold's WW II Army Air Forces grew from a tiny force of about 50,000 officers and men in 1938, to 2.4 million by war's end. Arnold directed the expansion and the reorganization that supported it with dedication and selflessness.
Arnold believed in true "unification" of military airpower--that all military airplanes belonged under one command. His view, politically untenable in the face of the U.S. Navy and the development of the aircraft carrier, was not adopted in 1947 when Congress passed the National Defense Act, although a separate U.S. Air Force was created.
Hap Arnold lived only a few years after WW II ended. He died of a massive heart attack on January 15, 1950, at his retirement ranch, "El Rancho Feliz," in Sonoma, California. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on January 19th during a terrible sleet storm which grounded hundreds of aircraft that were slated to overfly the cemetery during the services. Arnold was 63. He learned to fly in a Wright Flyer and lived to see the flight of the first USAF jets.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SkipsList" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to skipslist+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/skipslist/CACTjsm3cbMAZMuCwH15KFQwSbBEjN9%2BjOxmsvHm3jzPkTaJh8A%40mail.gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.