The List 7433
To All
Good Sunday Morning February 1, 2026. .
.Another beautiful Day here. It is crystal clear and going to hit 79 today with some light winds. The forecast is for cooling tomorrow and partly cloudy. The light winds may be a good time to attack the leaves again today.by blowing them into some piles since there is no more room in the cans.
.Sorry this is late today .
Enjoy a great weekend wherever you are.
.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 94 H-Grams.
February 1
1800—USS Constellation engages French frigate La Vengeance in a 5-hour battle during the Quasi War.
1902—USS Plunger (SS 2), the lead ship of the Plunger-class submarine, launches. She is commissioned Sept. 19, 1903, at the Holland Company yard at New Suffolk, Long Island, NY. Ensign Chester W. Nimitz is the submarines final commander when Plunger is decommissioned Nov. 6, 1909 at the Charleston Navy Shipyard.
1942—USS Enterprise (CV 6) and USS Yorktown (CV 5) make the first World War II air strike against the Japanese at their outposts in the Marshall Islands to protect the Trans-Pacific supply route to Australia.
1944—Three U.S. Navy submarines, Guardfish (SS 217), Hake (SS 256) and Seahorse (SS 304), attack Japanese convoys, sinking a destroyer, cargo ship and another vessel.
1945—USS Jenkins (DD 447), USS O'Bannon (DD 450), USS Bell (DD 587) and destroyer escort Ulvert M. Moore (DE 442) sink the Japanese submarine RO 115, 125 miles southwest of Manila.
1955—Task Force 43 is established to plan U.S. Navy Antarctic operations called Operation Deep Freeze.
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February 1
This Day in World History
1327 Edward III is coroneted King of England.
1587 Elizabeth I, Queen of England, signs the Warrant of Execution for Mary Queen of Scots.
1633 The tobacco laws of Virginia are codified, limiting tobacco production to reduce dependence on a single-crop economy.
1793 France declares war on Britain and the Netherlands.
1861 A furious Governor Sam Houston storms out of a legislative session upon learning that Texas has voted 167-7 to secede from the Union.
1902 U.S. Secretary of State John Hay protests Russian privileges in China as a violation of the "open door policy."
1905 Germany contests French rule in Morocco.
1909 U.S. troops leave Cuba after installing Jose Miguel Gomez as president.
1930 A Loening Air Yacht of Air Ferries makes its first passenger run between San Francisco and Oakland, California..
1942 Planes of the U.S. Pacific fleet attack Japanese bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands.
1943 American tanks and infantry are battered at German positions at Faid Pass in North Africa.
1944 U.S. Army troops invade two Kwajalein Islands in the Pacific.
1945 U.S. Rangers and Filipino guerrillas rescue 513 American survivors of the Bataan Death March.
1951 Three A-bomb tests are completed in the desert of Nevada.
1960 Four black students stage a sit-in at a segregated Greensboro, N.C. lunch counter.
1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson rejects Charles de Gaulle's plan for a neutral Vietnam.
1965 Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and 770 others are arrested in protest against voter discrimination in Alabama.
1968 U.S. troops drive the North Vietnamese out of Tan Son Nhut airport in Saigon.
1968 South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu declares martial law.
1986 Two days of anti-government riots in Port-au-Prince result in 14 dead.
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Thanks to the Bear and Dan Heller. We will always have the url for you to search items in Rolling Thunder
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER …
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
To All
Thanks to the Bear
This is great to watch…skip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQcxP70jNMY
Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..February 1 . .
February 1: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=433
Thanks to the Bear and Dan Heller
rollingthunderremembered.com .
Hello All,
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.
An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).
If you have any questions or comments about RTR/TFO, or have a question on my book, you may e-mail me directly at acrossthewing@protonmail.com. Thank you Dan
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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.
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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
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
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. 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.
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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
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
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Thanks to YP
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Begin forwarded message:
From: Jack Woodul <youthlypuresome@me.com>
Date: February 1, 2026 at 08:38:43 MST
To: Gene Atwell <geneatwell@gmail.com>
Cc: Bud Southworth <bud.skyhawk@gmail.com>, Peter Cole <pete_cole@verizon.net>, William Ravgiala <gunnyrav@gmx.com>, Beth <newfound_lake212@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: Can AA pilots only fly with the fancy Airbus Computers?
YP has a long history with the Fab complex in Grand Prairie, TX, starting with P-51's built during the Big War (we lived there while me Da was Over Seas popping and getting popped by Krautsteiners) followed by Chance Vaught and LTV.
An Auntie had married an engineer person who worked at the Fab in all iterations, and they lived across the RR tracks just north of RW 35 (not far from where a friend of mine had a burner blow out in his POS F-8A during a section T/O, ejected and landed in the fireball.
We made obligatory visits to the nascent Great Antheap, and YP actually got to watch the Gutlass landing on RW 17. It was NOT a howling success, my Uncle admitted.
I flew RESERVISTA Crusaders/Fantooms from across the field, actually got to see the TwoSader fly.
Been inneresting…..
YP
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Thanks to Brett
This is worth your time
Rescue Team Saves Giant Greenland Right Whale Covered In Tunicates, Worms,
And Algae. There is another save at the end of the first one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N-xYZg_FHY
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Thanks to Nice News
Incarcerated at 16, This Poet Now Changes Lives Through a Prison Book Program
Matt McClain—The Washington Post/Getty Images
Reginald Dwayne Betts has always been into books. As a kid, he was once caught reading Sherlock Holmes stories in the back of class, and at home he'd watch an oft-played speed reading infomercial with fascination. Determined to become a speed reader himself but unable to afford the advertised course, he found an instructional guide on the subject at the public library.
It would be the last book he'd check out before entering a correctional facility. Betts was 16 years old when he and a friend used a pistol to carjack a man in Fairfax, Virginia; he confessed shortly after his arrest and was sentenced to nine years in prison. Behind bars, reading became a lifeline.
"We go to literature because we know that we can't know enough people, because we can't go to enough places, because we need more knowledge about literally the way things are. But also we go to literature because we want to know ourselves better," Betts, now 45, tells Nice News, adding: "I think books offer a map to becoming that's hard to imagine without one."
He was released in 2005, and today, Betts is an award-winning poet who holds a law degree from Yale. He's also the founder and executive director of Freedom Reads — a nonprofit that brings handcrafted, fully stocked bookcases into prison cell blocks all over the country.
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. One of the funniest comedians I ever saw was Foster Brooks at the 1973 Tailhook convention. He was dressed up as an Aussie Admiral and put on a drunk act that had us rolling on the floor because it took a few minutes to realize it was an act…..skip
Thanks to Micro…..Humor without 4 letter words, racial and ethnic slurs was possible then.
Why we miss Rodney Dangerfiel
With my old man I got no respect. I asked him, "How can I get my kite in the air?" He told me to run off a cliff.
I went to a massage parlor. It was self-service.
It's tough to stay married. My wife kisses the dog on the lips, yet she won't drink from my glass!
Last night my wife met me at the front door.
She was wearing a sexy negligee. The only trouble was, she was coming home.
A girl phoned me and said, 'Come on over. There's nobody home.' I went over. Nobody was home!
A hooker once told me she had a headache.
I was making love to this girl and she started crying. I said, 'Are you going to hate yourself in the morning?' She said, 'No, I hate myself now.'
My wife is such a bad cook, if we leave dental floss in the kitchen the roaches hang themselves.
I'm so ugly I stuck my head out the window and got arrested for mooning.
The other day I came home early and a guy was jogging, naked. I asked him, 'Why?' He said, 'Because you came home early.'
My wife's such a bad cook, the dog begs for Alka-Seltzer.
I know I'm not sexy. When I put my underwear on I can hear the Fruit-of-the-Loom guys giggling.
My wife is such a bad cook. In my house we pray after the meal.
My wife likes to talk to me during sex; last night she called me from a hotel.
It's been a rough day. I got up this morning and put a shirt on and a button fell off. I picked up my briefcase, and the handle came off. I'm afraid to go to the bathroom.
I was such an ugly kid! When I played in the sandbox, the cat kept covering me up.
I could tell my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and radio.
I was such an ugly baby that my mother never breast fed me. She told me that she only liked me as a friend.
I'm so ugly my father carried around a picture of the kid that came with his wallet
When I was born, the doctor came into the waiting room and said to my father, "I'm sorry. We did everything we could, but he pulled through anyway."
I'm so ugly my mother had morning sickness AFTER I was born
I remember the time that I was kidnapped and they sent a piece of my finger to my father He said he wanted more proof.
Once when I was lost, I saw a policeman, & asked him to help me find my parents. I said to him, "Do you think we'll ever find them?" He said, "I don't know kid. There's so many places they can hide."
My wife made me join a bridge club. I jump off next Tuesday
I'm so ugly, I once worked in a pet shop, and people kept asking how big I'd get.
I went to see my doctor. "Doctor, every morning when I get up and I look in the mirror I feel like throwing up. What's wrong with me?" He said: "Nothing, your eyesight is perfect."
I went to the doctor because I'd swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills. My doctor told me to have a few drinks and get some rest.
One year they wanted to make me a poster boy -- for birth control.
My uncle's dying wish was to have me sitting in his lap; he was in the electric chair.
THAT'S WHY WE MISS
RODNEY DANGERFIELD
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Thanks to 1440
The Music Industry's Biggest Night
What's the story behind the Grammys?
The Grammy Awards are considered the music industry's most prestigious prize. Given by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Grammys—so called because of their gramophone-shaped trophy—honor those who have made a remarkable contribution to the industry over the preceding year.
In addition to prestige, winning a Grammy can have a major effect on an artist's commercial success—singer Samara Joy's album sales jumped a whopping 319% after winning best new artist and best jazz vocal album in 2023.
The first Grammy Awards were held in 1959 and included 28 categories, including album of the year, composition, genre performances (like best jazz performance), and more. The number of categories swelled over the decades to an all-time high of 110 in 2008-09. A restructuring in 2012 narrowed it down to 78; as of 2025, there are 94 categories.
The Gas Giant
Jupiter, explained
Jupiter is the fifth-closest planet to the sun and the largest and oldest planet in the solar system. Named after the king of Roman gods, this gas giant is most easily recognized by its Great Red Spot—a hurricane-like storm larger than Earth that has existed for about 200 years.
Heat from Jupiter's core moves fluid in convection cells—hot gases rise and cooler ones sink. The planet's rotation—the fastest in the solar system—spreads these rising and sinking fluids into east-west flows that wrap around it like global jet streams. The coloring of the flows results from differences in convection cell temperature and composition, which vary across three unique cloud layers.
Modeling Jupiter's interior using observational data suggests that gas gradually liquefies with depth until about 20,000 kilometers, at which point immense pressure turns hydrogen into liquid metal..
America's Social Safety Net
What's the point of Social Security?
The US Social Security system is best known for providing income to the nation's elderly population based on the amount of money they earned during their working years.
The Social Security Act of 1935 established the program amid the worsening poverty crisis faced by older Americans during the Great Depression. By 1934, more than half of those aged 65 and older lacked sufficient income to cover their basic living expenses.
Today, most US workers are familiar with seeing a percentage of their income deducted from their paychecks and contributed to the nation's Social Security trust funds. Starting at age 62, those who have paid into Social Security for at least 10 years can begin receiving a monthly Social Security benefit. But since 2010, Social Security hasn't collected enough tax revenue to cover what it's paying out, leading to concerns about the program's future.
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From the archives…a bit of a history lesson this morning
. 10 Facts About the First 10 Constitutional Amendments
Do you know the first 10 amendments?
The U.S. Constitution is among the most important and esteemed texts in American history. Since its ratification on June 21, 1788, this living document has served as the groundwork for the country's government on both the federal and state levels. It's also constantly evolving: The Constitution has been amended 27 times over the years, beginning with the certification of the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, in 1791. Here's a closer look at each of those first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
The First Amendment Was Introduced by James Madison
Long before he assumed the role of commander in chief, America's fourth President, James Madison, introduced the Bill of Rights to Congress, starting with the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. Madison drafted the Bill of Rights in 1789. A representative of Virginia, he based the First Amendment's text on the Virginia Declaration of Rights, as well as the English Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta.
The Second Amendment Was Agreed Upon as a Compromise
The right to bear arms as defined by the Second Amendment has been a controversial topic for ages, even dating back to when it was first agreed upon. Like much of the Bill of Rights, the final text was a compromise between pro-government Federalists and rival Anti-Federalists, who argued over whether an adequately armed population could deter potential government oppression. Anti-Federalists fought for a Second Amendment that preserved the right of the people to fight back against government oppression, while Federalists maintained that those fears were overblown.
The Third Amendment Has Never Been Argued in Front of the Supreme Court
While many constitutional amendments have been the subject of heated judicial debate, the Third Amendment has never been the focus of a U.S. Supreme Court case. The amendment forbids the government from forcing citizens to house soldiers in their private homes without their consent during peacetime. It is one of the more universally agreed-upon elements of the Constitution.
An Exemption to the Fourth Amendment Was Created for Cars
The Fourth Amendment was ratified in 1791, establishing rules against warrantless searches by law enforcement. Given that the amendment was ratified long before cars existed, it wasn't until the 1925 case Carroll v. United States that vehicle searches were first debated on a judicial level. The case ultimately established an exemption to the Fourth Amendment that permits warrantless vehicle searches, provided there is probable cause to suspect there is contraband inside.
"Due Process" Was Added to the Fifth Amendment at New York's Request
The "due process" clause — which guarantees fair treatment under the law — is an integral component of the Fifth Amendment, which protects those accused of criminal activity against self-incrimination and prohibits "double jeopardy" (being prosecuted twice for the same offense twice), among other protections. In essence, the concept of due process ensures that every American will be treated fairly in court, but it may never have existed if not for a request made by delegates from the state of New York, which had a similar concept included in its own Bill of Rights Statute. The request led James Madison to draft due process into the Fifth Amendment.
The Sixth Amendment Didn't Include State Court Cases for 172 Years
The Sixth Amendment protects the rights of those facing criminal charges, such as the right to a fair and speedy trial by an impartial jury, as well as legal representation. It has provided the right to a free defense counsel on a federal level since its ratification in 1791, but it wasn't until 1963 that the amendment was expanded to include felony cases facing state prosecution. The expansion was a result of the landmark decision in the case Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the court ruled that states must provide attorneys to any criminal defendant unable to afford their own counsel.
The Seventh Amendment Still Applies to Cases That Exceed a Value of Just $20
The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a trial by jury in federal civil cases, but only regarding issues where the value exceeds $20 — a stipulation that's still in place today. The amendment was ratified in 1791, so in modern terms, that $20 would be roughly equal to around $650. However, the text of the amendment still reads "twenty dollars."
The Eighth Amendment Was Taken Nearly Verbatim From the English Bill of Rights
The Eighth Amendment — which reads, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" — was taken nearly verbatim from the English Bill of Rights of 1689. While many other amendments from the Bill of Rights were influenced by the British Constitution, the Eighth Amendment is notable for its highly similar wording.
The Ninth Amendment Doesn't List Any Specific Rights
While the first eight amendments clearly define the rights they're meant to protect, the Ninth Amendment is significantly more abstract in nature. It was put in place to reaffirm that rights shouldn't be denied solely because they aren't explicitly stated in the Constitution. The entirety of the amendment reads, "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
The 10th Amendment Has Never Been Invoked to Protect Individual Citizens
The 10th Amendment essentially establishes the concept of states rights, and underscores the limits of the federal government as restricted to the powers enumerated in the Constitution. The text reads, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Though the 10th Amendment has been invoked many times with regard to protecting state's rights, it's never been invoked by an individual citizen in a case against the federal government.
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Thanks to Brett
Trump Bans Freeloaders from Becoming American Citizens
Posted on Monday, December 1, 2025
by Mike Marlowe
Last week, President Donald Trump officially announced that his administration is looking to revive one of the oldest and most sensible ideas in immigration law: the Public Charge rule. That rule quite simply says that if you come to this country, you should be able to support yourself without mooching off the American taxpayer.
Under the proposed rule, immigration officials can deny a green card if an applicant has received – or is likely at any time to receive – welfare benefits. Food stamps, public housing, and Medicaid all count.
In other words, the Trump administration is making it clear that anyone whose vision of the American Dream begins with taxpayer-funded welfare won't be receiving a green card anytime soon. America is the land of opportunity – just not the opportunity to become a permanent government dependent.
The White House estimates taxpayers could save a whopping $9 billion a year as thousands of non-citizens stop using welfare programs so they are not deported or denied permanent residency. As AMAC Newsline has reported, migrant welfare fraud has become a severe crisis in cities like Minneapolis, where evidence has emerged that Somali communities are funneling billions in fraudulent welfare payments back to Somalia – some of which is falling into the hands of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
Democrats, of course, are wailing in the streets at the mere thought of new arrivals having to pay for their own stuff. They shriek that this rule will unleash mass starvation, plagues of locusts, and possibly make the Statue of Liberty burst into tears.
But while liberals pretend that the new rule is some new deranged punishment cooked up by Trump's evil henchmen, the truth is that the Public Charge doctrine has been a part of American law for centuries. In fact, it's older than the United States itself.
The early American colonists, with their Protestant work ethic, had no tolerance for those who indulged in the sin of idleness. In the 1600s, colonial governments adopted British "poor laws," which barred the entry of anyone who could not support themselves financially. Over the next two centuries, thousands of European immigrants were permanently deported from the colonies under these laws.
In the 1880s, Congress formalized the Public Charge doctrine by declaring that any immigrant "unable to take care of himself or herself without becoming a public charge" could be denied entry. A few years later, the Immigration Act of 1891 reaffirmed that paupers, beggars, and others "likely to become a public charge" were inadmissible. It wasn't until the modern era that liberals decided the Land of the Free should become the Land of the Free Handouts.
For most of the 20th century, the Public Charge rule stayed on the books but was narrowly applied and rarely enforced. But in 2019, Trump finally restored the rule to something that resembled its intended purpose. Under Trump's reforms, immigrants could be denied permanent residency if they were likely to receive public benefits for more than 12 months in any three-year period.
Of course, Joe Biden gutted the rule because to Democrats, requiring immigrants to work and contribute to the economy rather than take from it is cruel and unusual punishment.
But now the grown-ups are back in charge, and the left's outrage is as predictable as it is performative. Immigration activists complain that 75 percent of illegal aliens are now scared to work in the United States (which is illegal) or to seek taxpayer-funded medical care (also illegal). Apparently, the worst thing that can happen in 2025 is not that millions of illegal aliens steal benefits that they have no right to, but that they might hesitate to do so.
Immigration is a privilege, not an entitlement. When someone applies to join this country, the burden is on them to prove they will add to America's strength, not drain it. Every country has a right to be selective about who it admits, and "self-sufficient" is a perfectly reasonable standard. Only liberals and the professional grievance industry pretend otherwise.
The Public Charge rule draws a bright line between common sense and the insanity of the left. When critics say the rule will "scare people away" from using benefits, they accidentally make the best argument for it. That's the point. We don't want people who just arrived here and haven't contributed a dime using our tax dollars. We already have enough Americans in need (most of them also casualties of "compassionate" Democrat policies). We don't need to import any more.
Here's the reality that terrifies the left: the Public Charge rule is wildly popular. Normal Americans actually prefer an immigration system that rewards work, ambition, and self-sufficiency. Imagine that.
The debate boils down to the fact that progressives believe immigration is a charity program and the U.S. owes citizenship and lifelong taxpayer-funded support to anyone who wants it. Conservatives believe immigration is a contract – if you want to join this country, bring something to the table besides an open hand.
Trump's reinstatement of the Public Charge rule is nothing more than a return to that contract. We're not abandoning compassion; we're abandoning stupidity. America is generous. America is welcoming. But America is not the world's ATM.
If that's too harsh for progressives, they're welcome to fund their own private sanctuary city. The rest of the world isn't entitled to handouts from American taxpayers – and if that offends the left, there are 192 other countries to choose from.
Mike Marlowe is the pen name of a writer based in Texas.
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From the archives and from Barrett
This is one of the MOH folks from yesterday. A USMC fighter pilot in WWII
Thanks to Barrett
Skip, I got to know Jeff DeBlanc fairly well. One of the funniest and most accomplished people I've known. His Cajun accent alone was enough to draw smiles, especially when he said he went USMC "Because as a True Southerner Ah could not abide the Yankee Army."
Education PhD and gold medalist in senior Olympics.
Barrett
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January 31
This Day in U S Military History
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for January 31 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN
AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
31 January
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This Day in U S Military History
February 1
1942 – U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls-Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater. These were tactical airstrikes and naval artillery attacks by United States Navy aircraft carrier and other warship forces against Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) garrisons in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. The Japanese garrisons were under the overall command of Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue, commander of the 4th Fleet. Japanese aircraft in the islands belonged to the IJN's 24th Air Flotilla under Rear Admiral Eiji Gotō. The U.S. warship forces were under the overall command of Vice Admiral William Halsey, Jr. The raids were carried out by two separate U.S. carrier task forces. Aircraft from Task Force 17 (TF 17), commanded by Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher and centered on the carrier USS Yorktown, attacked Jaluit, Mili, and Makin (Butaritari) islands. The Yorktown aircraft inflicted moderate damage to the Japanese naval installations on the islands and destroyed three aircraft. Seven Yorktown aircraft were lost, as well as a floatplane from one of TF 17's cruisers. Aircraft from TF 8, commanded by Halsey and centered on the carrier USS Enterprise, struck Kwajalein, Wotje, and Taroa. At the same time, cruisers and destroyers bombarded Wotje and Taroa. The strikes inflicted light to moderate damage on the three islands' naval garrisons, sank three small warships and damaged several others, including the light cruiser Katori, and destroyed 15 Japanese aircraft. The heavy cruiser USS Chester was hit and slightly damaged by a Japanese aerial bomb, and six Enterprise aircraft were lost. TFs 8 and 17 retired from the area immediately upon completion of the raids.
1943 – Japanese forces on Guadalcanal Island, defeated by Marines, start to withdraw after the Japanese emperor finally gives them permission. On July 6, 1942, the Japanese landed on Guadalcanal Island, part of the Solomon Islands chain, and began constructing an airfield. In response, the U.S. launched Operation Watchtower, in which American troops landed on five islands within the Solomon chain, including Guadalcanal. The landings on Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tananbogo met with much initial opposition from the Japanese defenders, despite the fact that the landings took the Japanese by surprise because bad weather had grounded their scouting aircraft. "I have never heard or read of this kind of fighting," wrote one American major general on the scene. "These people refuse to surrender." The Americans who landed on Guadalcanal had an easier time of it, at least initially. More than 11,000 Marines landed, but 24 hours passed before the Japanese manning the garrison knew what had happened. The U.S. forces quickly met their main objective of taking the airfield, and the outnumbered Japanese troops temporarily retreated. Japanese reinforcements were landed, though, and fierce hand-to-hand jungle fighting ensued. The Americans were at a particular disadvantage because they were assaulted from both sea and air, but when the U.S. Navy supplied reinforcement troops, the Americans gained the advantage. By February 1943, the Japanese retreated on secret orders of their emperor. In fact, the Japanese retreat was so stealthy that the Americans did not even know it had taken place until they stumbled upon abandoned positions, empty boats, and discarded supplies. In total, the Japanese lost more than 25,000 men compared with a loss of 1,600 by the Americans. Each side lost 24 warships.
1944 – American operations against the Kwajalein Atoll continue. On Roi US forces are mopping up. There is heavy fighting on Namur. US Task Force 52 (Admiral Turner) provides naval support for the landing of the 7th Infantry Division (General Corlett) on Kwajalein. Here, the Americans overrun a third of island, despite heavy Japanese resistance.
1945 – The American advance on all fronts is slowed by fierce Japanese resistance. US 1st Corps is heavily engaged near Rosario and San Jose while US 11th Corps is struggling to make more ground across the neck of the Bataan Peninsula.
1945 – American USAAF B-24 and B-29 bombers raid Iwo Jima in preparation for the landings later in the month. They drop a daily average of 450 tons of bombs over the course of 15 days (6800 tons).
1951 – The 23rd Regimental Combat Team, of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, engaged the Chinese Communist Forces in the Battle of the Twin Tunnels, killing an estimated 1,300 Chinese. U.S. casualties included 45 killed, four missing and 207 wounded in action.
1958 – Elvis Presley records his last single, "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck," before joining the army. Elvis had topped the charts eight times since April 1956, when "Heartbreak Hotel" hit No. 1. Drafted in 1958, Elvis enlisted in the army in March that year and served until 1960. When he joined the army, his monthly salary dropped from $100,000 to $78. Fortunately, his manager had already recorded enough material to keep Elvis singles on the charts during most of The King's army service.
1968 – U.S. troops drove the North Vietnamese out of Tan Son Nhut airport in Saigon.
1968 – South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu declared martial law.
1968 – During the Vietnam War, Saigon's police chief Nguyen Ngoc Loan executed a Viet Cong officer with a pistol shot to the head in a scene captured in a famous news photograph.
1999 – The Morse code SOS was officially retired and replaced by the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
2003 – Space shuttle Columbia broke apart in flames over Texas, killing all 7 astronauts just 16 minutes before they were supposed to glide to ground in Florida. The astronauts included Michael P. Anderson (b.1959), David M. Brown (b.1956), Laurel Clark (b.1962), Kalpana Chawla (b.1962), Rick Husband (b.1957), William C. McCool (b.1961) and Ilan Ramon (b.1954). An explosion in the wheel well under the left wing was later suspected as the cause.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*ANDERSON, RICHARD BEATTY
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 26 June 1921, Tacoma, Wash. Accredited to: Washington. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 4th Marine Division during action against enemy Japanese forces on Roi Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1 February 1944. Entering a shell crater occupied by 3 other marines, Pfc. Anderson was preparing to throw a grenade at an enemy position when it slipped from his hands and rolled toward the men at the bottom of the hole. With insufficient time to retrieve the armed weapon and throw it, Pfc. Anderson fearlessly chose to sacrifice himself and save his companions by hurling his body upon the grenade and taking the full impact of the explosion. His personal valor and exceptional spirit of loyalty in the face of almost certain death were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
KNAPPENBERGER, ALTON W.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, 1 February 1944. Entered service at: Spring Mount, Pa. Birth: Cooperstown, Pa. G.O. No.: 41, 26 May 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict with the enemy, on 1 February 1944 near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy. When a heavy German counterattack was launched against his battalion, Pfc. Knappenberger crawled to an exposed knoll and went into position with his automatic rifle. An enemy machinegun 85 yards away opened fire, and bullets struck within 6 inches of him. Rising to a kneeling position, Pfc. Knappenberger opened fire on the hostile crew, knocked out the gun, killed 2 members of the crew, and wounded the third. While he fired at this hostile position, 2 Germans crawled to a point within 20 yards of the knoll and threw potato-masher grenades at him, but Pfc. Knappenberger killed them both with 1 burst from his automatic rifle. Later, a second machinegun opened fire upon his exposed position from a distance of 100 yards, and this weapon also was silenced by his well-aimed shots. Shortly thereafter, an enemy 20mm. antiaircraft gun directed fire at him, and again Pfc. Knappenberger returned fire to wound 1 member of the hostile crew. Under tank and artillery shellfire, with shells bursting within 15 yards of him, he held his precarious position and fired at all enemy infantrymen armed with machine pistols and machineguns which he could locate. When his ammunition supply became exhausted, he crawled 15 yards forward through steady machinegun fire, removed rifle clips from the belt of a casualty, returned to his position and resumed firing to repel an assaulting German platoon armed with automatic weapons. Finally, his ammunition supply being completely exhausted, he rejoined his company. Pfc. Knappenberger's intrepid action disrupted the enemy attack for over 2 hours.
*POWER, JOHN VINCENT
Rank and organization. First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 20 November 1918, Worcester, Mass. Appointed from: Massachusetts. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as platoon leader, attached to the 4th Marine Division, during the landing and battle of Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1 February 1944. Severely wounded in the stomach while setting a demolition charge on a Japanese pillbox, 1st Lt. Power was steadfast in his determination to remain in action. Protecting his wound with his left hand and firing with his right, he courageously advanced as another hostile position was taken under attack, fiercely charging the opening made by the explosion and emptying his carbine into the pillbox. While attempting to reload and continue the attack, 1st Lt. Power was shot again in the stomach and head and collapsed in the doorway. His exceptional valor, fortitude and indomitable fighting spirit in the face of withering enemy fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
DIX, DREW DENNIS
Rank and Organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, U.S. Senior Advisor Group, IV Corps, Military Assistance Command. Place and date: Chau Doc Province, Republic of Vietnam, 31 January and 1 February 1968. Entered service at: Denver, Colo. Born: 14 December 1944, West Point, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Dix distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while serving as a unit adviser. Two heavily armed Viet Cong battalions attacked the Province capital city of Chau Phu resulting in the complete breakdown and fragmentation of the defenses of the city. S/Sgt. Dix, with a patrol of Vietnamese soldiers, was recalled to assist in the defense of Chau Phu. Learning that a nurse was trapped in a house near the center of the city, S/Sgt. Dix organized a relief force, successfully rescued the nurse, and returned her to the safety of the Tactical Operations Center. Being informed of other trapped civilians within the city, S/Sgt. Dix voluntarily led another force to rescue 8 civilian employees located in a building which was under heavy mortar and small-arms fire. S/Sgt. Dix then returned to the center of the city. Upon approaching a building, he was subjected to intense automatic rifle and machine gun fire from an unknown number of Viet Cong. He personally assaulted the building, killing 6 Viet Cong, and rescuing 2 Filipinos. The following day S/Sgt. Dix, still on his own volition, assembled a 20-man force and though under intense enemy fire cleared the Viet Cong out of the hotel, theater, and other adjacent buildings within the city. During this portion of the attack, Army Republic of Vietnam soldiers inspired by the heroism and success of S/Sgt. Dix, rallied and commenced firing upon the Viet Cong. S/Sgt. Dix captured 20 prisoners, including a high ranking Viet Cong official. He then attacked enemy troops who had entered the residence of the Deputy Province Chief and was successful in rescuing the official's wife and children. S/Sgt. Dix's personal heroic actions resulted in 14 confirmed Viet Cong killed in action and possibly 25 more, the capture of 20 prisoners, 15 weapons, and the rescue of the 14 United States and free world civilians. The heroism of S/Sgt. Dix was in the highest tradition and reflects great credit upon the U.S. Army.
*STEINDAM, RUSSELL A.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Troop B, 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry, Division. Place and date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 1 February 1970. Entered service at: Austin, Tex. Born: 27 August 1946, Austin, Tex. Citation: for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Steindam, Troop B, while serving as a platoon leader, led members of his platoon on a night ambush operation. On the way to the ambush site, suspected enemy movement was detected on 1 flank and the platoon's temporary position was subjected to intense small arms and automatic weapons fire as well as a fusillade of hand and rocket-propelled grenades. After the initial barrage, 1st Lt. Steindam ordered fire placed on the enemy position and the wounded men to be moved to a shallow bomb crater. As he directed the return fire against the enemy from his exposed position, a fragmentation grenade was thrown into the site occupied by his command group. Instantly realizing the extreme gravity of the situation, 1st Lt. Steindam shouted a warning to alert his fellow soldiers in the immediate vicinity. Then, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his safety, 1st Lt. Steindam deliberately threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the full and fatal force of the explosion as it detonated. By his gallant action and self-sacrifice, he was able to save the lives of the nearby members of his command group. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by 1st Lt. Steindam 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 February 1, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1 February
1911: The Wright Company certified Burgess and Curtiss in Marblehead, Mass., as the first licensed aircraft manufacturers in the US. (12) (24)
1928: A joint Army-Navy nomenclature for aircraft engines became effective. In this system, engines received standard type names based on cubic inches of piston displacement. For example, a V-type Curtiss D-12 engine became the Curtiss V-1150 and the air-cooled radial J-5 Whirlwind became the Wright R-790. (5)
1942: Task Force 8 and 17 with the USS Enterprise and Yorktown began the first carrier offensive on enemy bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. (24)
1943: Navy PBY's rescued Brig Gen Nathan F. Twining, the Thirteenth Air Force Commander, and 14 others near New Hebrides Islands. They ditched their plane on the way from Guadalcanal to Espiritu Santo and spent six days in life rafts. (24)
1945: Boeing received a contract for a straight wing XB-47; it was changed later in September to a swept wing design. (12)
1950: Continental Air Command (CONAC) directed to set up a civil air raid warning system. (24)
1956: McDonnell Douglas selected as the prime contractor for the GAM-72A Quail missile. (6)
1957: The Boeing Airplane Company announced the delivery of the world's first jet tanker, the KC-135, to the USAF. (See 28 June 1957) (24)
1958: SAC activated the 4320 SMW (later the 706 SMW), its first Atlas wing, at Francis E. Warren AFB. (6) The US and UK agreed to deploy four squadrons of Thor missiles in Great Britain, with operational capability to be achieved by December 1958. (6)
1959: The USAF transferred the operational control of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line to the Royal Canadian Air Force. (16) (24)
1960: SAC activated its first Titan I squadron, the 848 SMS, at Lowry AFB, Colo. (6) (12)
1961: The Ballistic Missile Early Warning System site at Thule, Greenland, became operational. (1) From Cape Canaveral, the USAF's first launch of a solid-propellant Minuteman I was a success. The missile, under full guidance, flew 4,600 miles to the target area. (6) (12) A 4135 SW squadron at Eglin AFB became SAC's first B-52 unit to be declared operationally ready with GAM-72A Quail missiles. (6)
1964: The acquisition phase of the Atlas program ended. (5)
1965: The USAF assumed responsibility for ICBM and space vehicle support functions on the Pacific Missile Range Test from the USN. It assigned this responsibility to the Air Force Western Test Range, National Range Division, AFSC. (5) First Minuteman II squadron, the 447 SMS, activated at Grand Forks AFB. (6) (12) Travis AFB received the first C-141 modified for Minuteman missile airlift. These C–141s recycled missiles between SAC depots and missile bases. (18)
1966: The Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards AFB began training six USAF and two Navy pilots for the Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL) program. (3)
1969: AFRES tactical airlift units paradropped a record of 6,182 troops during training operations at Fort Benning, Ga. (16)
1972: The Boeing Company facility in Renton rolled out the first avionics testbed aircraft for the Air Force AWACS. A 30-foot rotodome topped the modified Boeing 707-320. (5) At St. Paul, Minn., Matt A. Wiederkehr used a Raven S50A hot air balloon to set an 8-hour, 48- minute FAI record for duration in subclass AX-6 (1,200 to 1,600 cubic meters capacity) balloons. (9)
1983: The 868th Tactical Missile Training Squadron started training specialists at Davis-Monthan AFB to operate the Ground Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCM) to be deployed in Europe. (26)
1995: Operation SAFE PASSAGE. Through 20 February, after Cuban refugees rioted, C-5s, C-141s, and C-130s airlifted some 7,300 Cuban from their camps in Panama to Guantanamo Bay NAS, Cuba, in this operation. (16)
1997: Two 509 BW B-2 pilots emerged from perhaps the longest simulator flight in Air Force history at Whiteman AFB. The 44.4-hour simulator flight, called Vigilant Spirit II, ended on 1 February for Maj Steve Moulton and Capt Jeff Long. The test tried to determine how fatigue impacted pilot abilities to perform a long mission safely. It used sleep, dietary strategies and seat exercises to reduce fatigue. (AFNEWS Article 970175, 18 Feb 97) Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical's BQM-145A Peregrine, a composite Medium Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MR UAV), made its first flight from Mojave Airport, Calif., on a programmed flight path toward the Precision Impact Range Area at Edwards. An unplanned engine shutdown caused it to make an early soft landing via its parachute recovery system. (3)
2001: Operation JOINT FORGE. Lt Col Mark Stephens, the 179th Airlift Wing's Vice Commander (Ohio ANG), became the first Air Guardsmen to assume command of both active duty and ANG forces in this operation to resupply multinational peacekeepers in Bosnia. He was based at Ramstein AB, Germany. He served as the Director of Operations until 5 March 2001, when the 179th returned to Ohio.
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