The List 7444
To All.
Good Thursday Morning February 12, 2026.
..It is a clear and cool morning but that will end soon and cloud up for the day. Tomorrow is supposed to be clear and 65
Yesterday I went to the emergency room to get whatever I needed to get into the hospital to visit Toni. It took about 5 hours of waiting to get through the different stages. I am now armed with a note that gives results of all the tests they did and two drugs to spray into my nose and mouth and some horse pills. I took the first batch last night and the second batch this morning.In a couple hours I will take the next one and tomorrow I will head to the hospital armed with the results. I actually got to talk with her on the phone and was able hear her better than the las couple weeks.
Thank you all for the calls and notes wishing her well
skip
.Regards .
.
.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.
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History
February 12
1935—USS Macon (ZRS 5) crashes into the sea off Point Sur, CA, after encountering a storm that tears off her upper fin, effectively ending the Navy's trouble-plagued rigid-airship program.
1945—USS Hawkbill (SS 366) sinks the small Japanese cargo vessel Kisaragi Maru and the two large boats she is towing, at Lombok Strait, N.E.I.
1947—The first launch of a guided missile, the Loon, takes place on board USS Cusk (SS 348).
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This Day in World History
February 12
1294 Kubai Khan, the conqueror of Asia, dies at the age of 80.
1554 Lady Jane Grey, the Queen of England for thirteen days, is beheaded on Tower Hill. She was barely 17 years old.
1709 Alexander Selkirk, the Scottish seaman whose adventures inspired the creation of Daniel Dafoe's Robinson Crusoe, is taken off Juan Fernandez Island after more than four years of living there alone.
1793 The first fugitive slave law, requiring the return of escaped slaves, is passed.
1818 Chile gains independence from Spain.
1836 Mexican General Santa Anna crosses the Rio Grande en route to the Alamo.
1909 The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is formed.
1912 China becomes a republic following the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty.
1921 Winston Churchill of London is appointed colonial secretary.
1924 George Gershwin's groundbreaking symphonic jazz composition Rhapsody in Blue premieres with Gershwin himself playing the piano with Paul Whiteman's orchestra.
1929 Charles Lindbergh announces his engagement to Anne Morrow.
1931 Japan makes its first television broadcast--a baseball game.
1935 The Macon, the last U.S. Navy dirigible, crashes off the coast of California, killing two people.
1938 Japan refuses to reveal naval data requested by the U.S. and Britain.
1940 The Soviet Union signs a trade treaty with Germany to aid against the British blockade.
1944 Wendell Wilkie enters the American presidential race against Franklin D. Roosevelt.
1949 Muslim Brotherhood chief Hassan el Banna is shot to death in Cairo.
1953 The Soviets break off diplomatic relations with Israel after the bombing of Soviet legation.
1966 The South Vietnamese win two big battles in the Mekong Delta.
1972 Senator Edward Kennedy advocates amnesty for Vietnam draft resisters.
1974 The Symbionese Liberation Army asks the Hearst family for $230 million in food for the poor.
1980 The Lake Placid Winter Olympics open in New York.
1987 A Court in Texas upholds $8.5 billion of a fine imposed on Texaco for the illegal takeover of Getty Oil.
1999 The U.S. Senate fails to pass two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton. He had been accused of perjury and obstruction of justice by the House of Representatives.
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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 12 . .
February 12: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1594
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.
.
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 Phil
I CAME ACROSS THIS ONE AND IT DESERVES A REPEAT…skip
Heckuva flying story!!
From: acmodeler
His Parachute Got Stuck on the Plane's Wheel and He Was Suspended in Midair with Little Chance of Survival—Then Another Plane Came to His Rescue
Almost 80 years after it unfolded in the sky over San Diego, a nearly impossible rescue mission remains one of the most daring feats in aeronautical history.
Courtesy Rick Lawrence (portrait), Shutterstock (4), archive.org (government document)
It began like any other May morning in California. The sky was blue, the sun hot. A slight breeze riffled the glistening waters of San Diego Bay. At the naval airbase on North Island, all was calm.
At 9:45 a.m., Walter Osipoff, a sandy-haired 23-year-old Marine second lieutenant from Akron, Ohio, boarded a DC-2 transport for a routine parachute jump. Lt. Bill Lowrey, a 34-year-old Navy test pilot from New Orleans, was already putting his observation plane through its paces. And John McCants, a husky 41-year-old aviation chief machinist's mate from Jordan, Montana, was checking out the aircraft that he was scheduled to fly later. Before the sun was high in the noonday sky, these three men would be linked forever in one of history's most spectacular midair rescues.
Osipoff was a seasoned parachutist, a former collegiate wrestling and gymnastics star. He had joined the National Guard and then the Marines in 1938. He had already made more than 20 jumps by May 15, 1941.
That morning, his DC-2 took off and headed for Kearney Mesa, where Osipoff would supervise practice jumps by 12 of his men. Three separate canvas cylinders, containing ammunition and rifles, were also to be parachuted overboard as part of the exercise.
Nine of the men had already jumped when Osipoff, standing a few inches from the plane's door, started to toss out the last cargo container. Somehow the automatic-release cord of his backpack parachute became looped over the cylinder, and his chute was suddenly ripped open. He tried to grab hold of the quickly billowing silk, but the next thing he knew he had been jerked from the plane—sucked out with such force that the impact of his body ripped a 2.5-foot gash in the DC-2's aluminum fuselage.
Instead of flowing free, Osipoff's open parachute now wrapped itself around the plane's tail wheel. The chute's chest strap and one leg strap had broken; only the second leg strap was still holding—and it had slipped down to Osipoff's ankle. One by one, 24 of the 28 lines between his precariously attached harness and the parachute snapped. He was now hanging some 12 feet below and 15 feet behind the tail of the plane. Four parachute shroud lines twisted around his left leg were all that kept him from being pitched to the earth.
Dangling there upside down, Osipoff had enough presence of mind to not try to release his emergency parachute. With the plane pulling him one way and the emergency chute pulling him another, he realized that he would be torn in half. Conscious all the while, he knew that he was hanging by one leg, spinning and bouncing—and he was aware that his ribs hurt. He did not know then that two ribs and three vertebrae had been fractured.
Inside the plane, the DC-2 crew struggled to pull Osipoff to safety, but they could not reach him. The aircraft was starting to run low on fuel, but an emergency landing with Osipoff dragging behind would certainly smash him to death. And pilot Harold Johnson had no radio contact with the ground.
To attract attention below, Johnson eased the transport down to 300 feet and started circling North Island. A few people at the base noticed the plane coming by every few minutes, but they assumed that it was towing some sort of target.
Meanwhile, Bill Lowrey had landed his plane and was walking toward his office when he glanced upward. He and John McCants, who was working nearby, saw at the same time the figure dangling from the plane. As the DC-2 circled once again, Lowrey yelled to McCants, "There's a man hanging on that line. Do you suppose we can get him?" McCants answered grimly, "We can try."
Lowrey shouted to his mechanics to get his plane ready for takeoff. It was an SOC-1, a two-seat, open-cockpit observation plane, less than 27 feet long. Recalled Lowrey afterward, "I didn't even know how much fuel it had." Turning to McCants, he said, "Let's go!"
Lowrey and McCants had never flown together before, but the two men seemed to take it for granted that they were going to attempt the impossible. "There was only one decision to be made," Lowrey later said quietly, "and that was to go get him. How, we didn't know. We had no time to plan."
Lt. Col. John J. Capolino, a Philadelphia artist, painted this scene of Osipoff's rescue in the 1940s. It belongs to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia.
Nor was there time to get through to their commanding officer and request permission for the flight. Lowrey simply told the tower, "Give me a green light. I'm taking off." At the last moment, a Marine ran out to the plane with a hunting knife—for cutting Osipoff loose—and dumped it in McCants's lap.
As the SOC-1 roared aloft, all activity around San Diego seemed to stop. Civilians crowded rooftops, children stopped playing at recess, and the men of North Island strained their eyes upward. With murmured prayers and pounding hearts, the watchers agonized through every move in the impossible mission.
Within minutes, Lowrey and McCants were under the transport, flying at 300 feet. They made five approaches, but the air proved too bumpy to try for a rescue. Since radio communication between the two planes was impossible, Lowrey hand-signaled Johnson to head out over the Pacific, where the air would be smoother, and they climbed to 3,000 feet. Johnson held his plane on a straight course and reduced speed to that of the smaller plane—100 miles an hour.
Lowrey flew back and away from Osipoff, but level with him. McCants, who was in the open seat in back of Lowrey, saw that Osipoff was hanging by one foot and that blood was dripping from his helmet. Lowrey edged the plane closer with such precision that his maneuvers jibed with the swings of Osipoff's inert body. His timing had to be exact so that Osipoff did not smash into the SOC-1's propeller.
Finally, Lowrey slipped his upper left wing under Osipoff's shroud lines, and McCants, standing upright in the rear cockpit—with the plane still going 100 miles an hour 3,000 feet above the sea—lunged for Osipoff. He grabbed him at the waist, and Osipoff flung his arms around McCants's shoulders in a death grip.
McCants pulled Osipoff into the plane, but since it was only a two-seater, the next problem was where to put him. As Lowrey eased the SOC-1 forward to get some slack in the chute lines, McCants managed to stretch Osipoff's body across the top of the fuselage, with Osipoff's head in his lap.
Because McCants was using both hands to hold Osipoff in a vise, there was no way for him to cut the cords that still attached Osipoff to the DC-2. Lowrey then nosed his plane inch by inch closer to the transport and, with incredible precision, used his propeller to cut the shroud lines. After hanging for 33 minutes between life and death, Osipoff was finally free.
Lowrey had flown so close to the transport that he'd nicked a 12-inch gash in its tail. But now the parachute, abruptly detached along with the shroud lines, drifted downward and wrapped itself around Lowrey's rudder. That meant that Lowrey had to fly the SOC-1 without being able to control it properly and with most of Osipoff's body still on the outside. Yet, five minutes later, Lowrey somehow managed to touch down at North Island, and the little plane rolled to a stop. Osipoff finally lost consciousness—but not before he heard sailors applauding the landing.
Later on, after lunch, Lowrey and McCants went back to their usual duties. Three weeks later, both men were flown to Washington, DC, where Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox awarded them the Distinguished Flying Cross for executing "one of the most brilliant and daring rescues in naval history."
Osipoff spent the next six months in the hospital. The following January, completely recovered and newly promoted to first lieutenant, he went back to parachute jumping. The morning he was to make his first jump after the accident, he was cool and laconic, as usual. His friends, though, were nervous. One after another, they went up to reassure him. Each volunteered to jump first so he could follow.
Osipoff grinned and shook his head. "The hell with that!" he said as he fastened his parachute. "I know damn well I'm going to make it." And he did.
This article first appeared in the May 1975 edition of Reader's Digest.
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From yesterday's comment about the P-38
Thanks to George
Skip and all others,
I do not have my P-38 on my key chain, it is on the kitchen counter top because it is the only can opener I have ever used, even though I have inherited a variety of other civilian style can openers. The P-38 is more reliable and easier than any of the others. Doggedly I refuse to use anything but the P-38. In fact, though I brought home several back-up replacements, to this day I continue to use the very same P-38 I began using in March 1969 in basic training. It remains as sharp and effective as on its first can. It has accompanied and served me all these year, better than a whole series of far more expensive automobiles and other possessions. And it has never jammed or misfired for 56 years and counting. I intend that this faithful P-38 should accompany me into the grave and Eternity, with the reserve P-38s left to my heirs.
Thanks to Cookie
I loved mine and used it a lot, but later got one of the so-called P-58s which was twice the size and easier on the fingers!
Cookie
Thanks to Michael
I still carry the last one I had from the Marine Corps and today it makes more sense than ever, if we can have shortage of toilet paper I'm sure we could have a shortage of can openers. They were called a John Wayne it the Marine Corps but I don't know why.
TSA wanted to confiscate one from a buddy who had carried it since 67 and he would not give it up, he told them to call a supervisor and that he would miss the flight before he gave it to them. The supervisor must have understood because he let him board the plane with it.
Mike/Chulai37
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. Thanks to Interesting Facts
5 Superb Facts About the Super Bowl Halftime Show
The year 1967 marked the debut of two major events that are now staples of American pop culture: the Super Bowl, and its star-studded halftime show. Though early halftime performances highlighted regional musical acts, the 1990s saw the show transition into a stage for music's biggest and brightest stars. Some even consider the halftime show to be as important as the big game itself. In honor of that, here are five superb facts about the Super Bowl halftime show.
1 of 5
The First Super Bowl Halftime Performers Were Marching Bands
Long before artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney headlined the event, the Super Bowl halftime show was primarily a showcase for college marching bands. At the halfway point of Super Bowl I in 1967 in Los Angeles, the University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band, the Grambling State University Marching Band, and an Anaheim-area high school drill team took the field to perform for fans. The biggest name to grace the stage that day was trumpeter Al Hirt, who later returned for halftime performances at multiple Super Bowls in the 1970s.
Marching bands continued to dominate the halftime lineup for several years, though records are a little inconsistent for the earliest shows. Most accounts claim that the Grambling State band performed again at Super Bowl II in 1968, but Grambling itself has disputed the claim; according to an archivist from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, performers that year included seven Miami-area high school bands instead. Other early shows featured marching bands from Florida A&M, Southern University, and Southeast Missouri State.
The first celebrity halftime performers debuted in the 1970s, though, again, records are a little spotty. Some accounts have Broadway star Carol Channing singing in 1970, while others say she first took the stage at Super Bowl VI in 1972, alongside jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald. During the "Salute to Louis Armstrong"-themed show, Channing reportedly performed "When the Saints Go Marching In," and Fitzgerald blew audiences away with her version of "Mack the Knife," which Armstrong made famous in the 1950s.
2 of 5
An Elvis-Impersonating Magician Headlined the 1989 Halftime Show
Super Bowl XXIII's halftime show was notable for a few reasons, including the fact that it was the first to incorporate 3D glasses — the distribution of which proved to be a logistical nightmare. It also featured 2,000 choreographed dancers, a fleet of Harley Davidson motorcycles, and fireworks. However, the show was perhaps most famous for being headlined by an Elvis Presley impersonator named Elvis Presto. Presto was portrayed by Alex Cole, a last-minute addition who got the job when the previous actor quit a few days before the game to work on a commercial for Lee Jeans.
Though you'd think the focus of the performance would have been covers of hit Elvis songs, the '50s-themed musical medley mostly featured tracks by other artists. And the main spectacle was an interactive card trick involving the fans at Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium, who were tasked with using applause to "pick a card." The result, however, was extremely lackluster, as improper lighting and less-than-ideal camera angles produced a magic trick that was more confusing than impressive.
3 of 5
New Kids on the Block Were the First Contemporary Pop Headliners
Though the halftime show had previously featured big names such as Ella Fitzgerald and Andy Williams, they often played second fiddle to marching bands and dance teams. It wasn't until January 27, 1991, that the show began to resemble the star-studded spectacle we know today. On that date, during Super Bowl XXV in Tampa, New Kids on the Block became the first major pop recording act to headline halftime. But despite the pomp and circumstance surrounding their performance, the band's set didn't actually air live. Instead, it was preempted by news coverage of the ongoing Gulf War. Viewers had to wait until after the game to see NKOTB perform songs such as "Step by Step" and "It's a Small World." (The show was sponsored by Disney and featured Disney characters as well as hundreds of children dressed in traditional clothes from different countries.)
4 of 5
The 1992 Halftime Show Featured a Figure Skating Performance
After featuring a popular musical act in 1991, the halftime show returned to yet another weird and wacky theme in 1992. With the Winter Olympics set to occur the following month, Super Bowl XXVI featured a figure skating performance led by former Olympians Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill, who became the only non-football-playing athletes to perform at the Super Bowl. The show also included two 30-foot-tall inflatable snowmen, a forgettable rap song titled "Do the Frosty," and a musical finale by Gloria Estefan. Even with the latter, though, the event was a considerable flop, and 22 million of the 79 million viewers changed the channel for counterprogramming — including a special episode of the Fox sketch-comedy series In Living Color, which drew much of the audience's attention away from the game.
5 of 5
Super Bowl Halftime Show Headliners Don't Get Paid
Shakira and Jennifer Lopez perform onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime With tens of thousands of people in attendance at the game itself, and millions more watching from home, the Super Bowl halftime show is one of the biggest stages in the world. It doesn't come with a big paycheck for performers, though — or any paycheck at all, really. League policy states that while the NFL will cover production costs — some of which can be quite substantial, as Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's 2020 performance reportedly cost around $13 million to produce — the headliners themselves do not receive any compensation. That's not to say they don't benefit financially, though. In 2018, Justin Timberlake saw his music sales rise 534% on the day of his halftime show, and the year prior, Lady Gaga's digital sales spiked 1,000%.
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. Thanks to Robert
I have seen this before and glad to watch it again.
From a fellow Vietnam veteran. A powerful 14 minute video on a true WW2 hero you probably never heard of......
George
If you are unaware of Roddie Edmonds story in 1945, I urge you to watch this short video. Perhaps one of the best videos you'll ever see.
A very powerful and an incredible story of a very courageous man, who save the lives of over 200 POWs in WW-2 .
This video is hard to keep going
https://player.vimeo.com/video/198357872
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February 12, 2026
The Deeper Meaning of Balkan Protests
Political expectations have changed, even if EU member status has not.
By: Antonia Colibasanu
It isn't every day that we get to address the geopolitical importance of Albania, but that's a testament to its relative stability in an otherwise unstable region. A NATO member since 2009 and an EU candidate country, Albania has helped to stabilize the Balkans, which are still beset by unresolved ethnic tensions, Russian influence and fragile democratic institutions. Its ports on the Adriatic, growing defense cooperation with Croatia and Kosovo, and consistent pro-Western alignment make it a key player in regional security architecture. The country is also symbolically and politically important among ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and North Macedonia; what happens there, in other words, can spill across borders. This is precisely why violent protests in Tirana matter.
The demonstrations began on Feb. 8, when citizens and civil society groups gathered to demand accountability over a growing corruption scandal and call for the resignation of the government. The object of the criticism was Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who has been accused by Albania's special anti-corruption prosecution unit of interfering in major public tenders and favoring specific companies. (Balluku has denied the allegations.) The demonstrations intensified over the following days, drawing thousands of people into the streets.
Though nominally about corruption, the protests are symptomatic of a broader sentiment stoked over the past decade under Prime Minister Edi Rama. His Socialist Party has won four consecutive parliamentary elections (2013, 2017, 2021 and 2025), consolidating control over both the executive and legislative branches. The political opposition – primarily the Democratic Party – argues that his tenure has weakened institutional checks and balances, politicized state structures, and fostered networks of patronage, particularly in public procurement.
These claims have spurred intermittent protests for years. In 2018-19, mass demonstrations focused on alleged vote-buying and corruption, culminating in the resignation of opposition lawmakers who hoped to delegitimize the political process. In 2020-21, protests were triggered by controversies over urban governance, including the demolition of Tirana's National Theater, which many viewed as emblematic of opaque decision-making. Between 2022 and 2023, cost-of-living pressures, rising inflation and additional corruption allegations reignited public discontent. And though none of these movements ousted the government, they built networks of activists, refined protest tactics and sustained a narrative of systemic dissatisfaction.
The parliamentary elections of May 2025 complicated matters further. The vote was held on schedule and resulted in another victory for the Socialist Party, but the campaign period was bitterly polarized. Opposition parties alleged misuse of state resources, pressure on public sector employees, and blurred lines between party and state. International observers highlighted concerns about administrative resources, the media environment and the intensity of partisan rhetoric. Though the results were confirmed, they did not ease political tensions. If anything, the outcome reinforced perceptions of entrenched power and the marginalization of opposition politics.
Thus is the context for the most recent protests. They reflect not just the outrage over a specific case of corruption but accumulated anger following a contentious electoral cycle and more than a decade of one-party leadership.
Things escalated on Feb. 10, when clashes between demonstrators and police turned violent. Protesters threw incendiary devices, flares and fireworks toward government buildings and police lines near state institutions. Riot police responded with water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. At least 13 people were arrested, and dozens more – including police officers and protesters – were injured. It was the most serious test of Albania's stability in years. Protests are also likely to continue, with opposition leader Sali Berisha alluding to new demonstrations for Feb. 20 – a day that marks the 35th anniversary of modern Albania and the downfall of the most notorious dictator in Albanian history, Enver Hoxha.
Incidentally, Transparency International released its latest Corruption Perceptions Index around the same time protests broke out. In it, TI noted that corruption is not just a uniquely Albanian problem but a broader regional issue. It says that many Western Balkan countries continue to struggle with weak institutions, opaque decision-making and misuse of public funds, with a general sense of "serious stagnation" in anti-corruption reforms across the region. So while the protests in Tirana were sparked by specific allegations and political dynamics, they resonate with broader public frustration across the Balkans over entrenched corruption and insufficient institutional accountability – a pattern visible in several neighboring countries.
In Serbia, long-running demonstrations that began after the deadly Novi Sad railway canopy collapse in late 2024 continue today. Student-led demonstrations in Belgrade so far this year have demanded accountability, transparency, and an end to corruption and political negligence. The protests have kept pressure on the government and the public focused on issues of integrity and responsibility, but because they are largely leaderless, they have resulted in no real political change.
In North Macedonia, protests are tied directly to criticisms over governance. After the nightclub fire in Kocani in March 2025 that killed dozens of people and injured many more, thousands of citizens took to the streets throughout the country. Protesters explicitly framed the disaster not simply as an accident but as a consequence of systemic corruption, alleging that the venue had been allowed to operate (despite safety violations) thanks to bribery and lax enforcement. Here, the protests prompted a series of institutional responses. The government ordered emergency inspections of entertainment venues across the country, temporarily closed dozens of establishments found to be in violation of safety codes, and launched criminal investigations into local officials and business owners connected to the licensing process. Prosecutors opened cases against individuals suspected of abuse of office and negligence, while opposition parties called for resignations of higher-ranking officials. Although the demonstrations gradually subsided, public debate over corruption in regulatory bodies continues.
Taken together, the protests evince a generational shift in the Western Balkans. Each country has its own political triggers, but they share a common involvement of younger citizens – students, first-time voters, digitally connected urban professionals – who frame corruption and other ills not as partisan issues but as obstacles to normal, functional statehood. This suggests a cohort shaped less by the post-conflict narratives of the 1990s and more by institutional performance, transparency and quality of life.
At the same time, these protests highlight a paradox inherent in the EU integration process. For two decades, accession to the bloc was a strategic goal for Europe, partly because of the institutional reform membership requires. Anti-corruption measures, judicial independence, administrative modernization and rule-of-law standards were presented as prerequisites. But as enlargement slowed and timelines stretched, EU accession seems increasingly distant for countries in the Balkans. For citizens, the promise of membership is no longer a credible short-term incentive for reform. Yet, the transformation that accompanied the accession process has already reshaped expectations. Populations in these countries have internalized the language of rule of law, accountability and institutional responsibility – not only as EU conditions but also as attributes of a "normal," modern state.
In this sense, current protests reflect both frustration and maturation – frustration in that reforms have stalled as EU membership remains uncertain, and maturation in that accusations are leveled against the government rather than rival ethnic groups. Institutional modernization is now an expectation. Citizens who grew up during the accession era were taught that law enforcement integrity and institutional accountability are foundational to prosperity and social trust. Those standards persist as internal benchmarks against which governments are judged.
So the protests across the Balkans are not simply anti-government movements; they signal a generational recalibration of political priorities. While EU membership may no longer be the immediate trigger for reform, the transformation initiated under the accession framework continues to shape public demands. The result is a region where the rhetoric of Europeanization has been absorbed into domestic political culture — and where citizens increasingly mobilize not only for geopolitical alignment but also for matters of practicality.
February 12, 2026
The Deeper Meaning of Balkan Protests
Political expectations have changed, even if EU member status has not.
By: Antonia Colibasanu
It isn't every day that we get to address the geopolitical importance of Albania, but that's a testament to its relative stability in an otherwise unstable region. A NATO member since 2009 and an EU candidate country, Albania has helped to stabilize the Balkans, which are still beset by unresolved ethnic tensions, Russian influence and fragile democratic institutions. Its ports on the Adriatic, growing defense cooperation with Croatia and Kosovo, and consistent pro-Western alignment make it a key player in regional security architecture. The country is also symbolically and politically important among ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and North Macedonia; what happens there, in other words, can spill across borders. This is precisely why violent protests in Tirana matter.
The demonstrations began on Feb. 8, when citizens and civil society groups gathered to demand accountability over a growing corruption scandal and call for the resignation of the government. The object of the criticism was Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who has been accused by Albania's special anti-corruption prosecution unit of interfering in major public tenders and favoring specific companies. (Balluku has denied the allegations.) The demonstrations intensified over the following days, drawing thousands of people into the streets.
Though nominally about corruption, the protests are symptomatic of a broader sentiment stoked over the past decade under Prime Minister Edi Rama. His Socialist Party has won four consecutive parliamentary elections (2013, 2017, 2021 and 2025), consolidating control over both the executive and legislative branches. The political opposition – primarily the Democratic Party – argues that his tenure has weakened institutional checks and balances, politicized state structures, and fostered networks of patronage, particularly in public procurement.
These claims have spurred intermittent protests for years. In 2018-19, mass demonstrations focused on alleged vote-buying and corruption, culminating in the resignation of opposition lawmakers who hoped to delegitimize the political process. In 2020-21, protests were triggered by controversies over urban governance, including the demolition of Tirana's National Theater, which many viewed as emblematic of opaque decision-making. Between 2022 and 2023, cost-of-living pressures, rising inflation and additional corruption allegations reignited public discontent. And though none of these movements ousted the government, they built networks of activists, refined protest tactics and sustained a narrative of systemic dissatisfaction.
The parliamentary elections of May 2025 complicated matters further. The vote was held on schedule and resulted in another victory for the Socialist Party, but the campaign period was bitterly polarized. Opposition parties alleged misuse of state resources, pressure on public sector employees, and blurred lines between party and state. International observers highlighted concerns about administrative resources, the media environment and the intensity of partisan rhetoric. Though the results were confirmed, they did not ease political tensions. If anything, the outcome reinforced perceptions of entrenched power and the marginalization of opposition politics.
Thus is the context for the most recent protests. They reflect not just the outrage over a specific case of corruption but accumulated anger following a contentious electoral cycle and more than a decade of one-party leadership.
Things escalated on Feb. 10, when clashes between demonstrators and police turned violent. Protesters threw incendiary devices, flares and fireworks toward government buildings and police lines near state institutions. Riot police responded with water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. At least 13 people were arrested, and dozens more – including police officers and protesters – were injured. It was the most serious test of Albania's stability in years. Protests are also likely to continue, with opposition leader Sali Berisha alluding to new demonstrations for Feb. 20 – a day that marks the 35th anniversary of modern Albania and the downfall of the most notorious dictator in Albanian history, Enver Hoxha.
Incidentally, Transparency International released its latest Corruption Perceptions Index around the same time protests broke out. In it, TI noted that corruption is not just a uniquely Albanian problem but a broader regional issue. It says that many Western Balkan countries continue to struggle with weak institutions, opaque decision-making and misuse of public funds, with a general sense of "serious stagnation" in anti-corruption reforms across the region. So while the protests in Tirana were sparked by specific allegations and political dynamics, they resonate with broader public frustration across the Balkans over entrenched corruption and insufficient institutional accountability – a pattern visible in several neighboring countries.
In Serbia, long-running demonstrations that began after the deadly Novi Sad railway canopy collapse in late 2024 continue today. Student-led demonstrations in Belgrade so far this year have demanded accountability, transparency, and an end to corruption and political negligence. The protests have kept pressure on the government and the public focused on issues of integrity and responsibility, but because they are largely leaderless, they have resulted in no real political change.
In North Macedonia, protests are tied directly to criticisms over governance. After the nightclub fire in Kocani in March 2025 that killed dozens of people and injured many more, thousands of citizens took to the streets throughout the country. Protesters explicitly framed the disaster not simply as an accident but as a consequence of systemic corruption, alleging that the venue had been allowed to operate (despite safety violations) thanks to bribery and lax enforcement. Here, the protests prompted a series of institutional responses. The government ordered emergency inspections of entertainment venues across the country, temporarily closed dozens of establishments found to be in violation of safety codes, and launched criminal investigations into local officials and business owners connected to the licensing process. Prosecutors opened cases against individuals suspected of abuse of office and negligence, while opposition parties called for resignations of higher-ranking officials. Although the demonstrations gradually subsided, public debate over corruption in regulatory bodies continues.
Taken together, the protests evince a generational shift in the Western Balkans. Each country has its own political triggers, but they share a common involvement of younger citizens – students, first-time voters, digitally connected urban professionals – who frame corruption and other ills not as partisan issues but as obstacles to normal, functional statehood. This suggests a cohort shaped less by the post-conflict narratives of the 1990s and more by institutional performance, transparency and quality of life.
At the same time, these protests highlight a paradox inherent in the EU integration process. For two decades, accession to the bloc was a strategic goal for Europe, partly because of the institutional reform membership requires. Anti-corruption measures, judicial independence, administrative modernization and rule-of-law standards were presented as prerequisites. But as enlargement slowed and timelines stretched, EU accession seems increasingly distant for countries in the Balkans. For citizens, the promise of membership is no longer a credible short-term incentive for reform. Yet, the transformation that accompanied the accession process has already reshaped expectations. Populations in these countries have internalized the language of rule of law, accountability and institutional responsibility – not only as EU conditions but also as attributes of a "normal," modern state.
In this sense, current protests reflect both frustration and maturation – frustration in that reforms have stalled as EU membership remains uncertain, and maturation in that accusations are leveled against the government rather than rival ethnic groups. Institutional modernization is now an expectation. Citizens who grew up during the accession era were taught that law enforcement integrity and institutional accountability are foundational to prosperity and social trust. Those standards persist as internal benchmarks against which governments are judged.
So the protests across the Balkans are not simply anti-government movements; they signal a generational recalibration of political priorities. While EU membership may no longer be the immediate trigger for reform, the transformation initiated under the accession framework continues to shape public demands. The result is a region where the rhetoric of Europeanization has been absorbed into domestic political culture — and where citizens increasingly mobilize not only for geopolitical alignment but also for matters of practicality.
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[TheList] 6735 Truk Atoll strike
Thanks to Barrett
Based on the mention of Jig Dog Ramage and VB-10:
I knew Jig longer than any of my other WW II contacts, dating from his time as ComFairWhidbey in '67. Bob Lawson and I conducted his Naval Institute oral history, which included his attitudes and philosophy as well as his varied activities.
He enjoyed flying the SBD, and he relished the VA mission. "I liked the idea of going out and killing people." (He was a Christian but I never knew him to overdo The Forgiveness Thing.) After sinking ships in Truk lagoon he put Bombing Ten in a wagonwheel orbit at 100 feet so the rear gunners could strafe life boats and groups of Japanese in the water. "If any of them survived it wasn't our fault."
Some of the ships sank within swimming distance of lagoon islets or even the shore, presumably justification for the hose-fest. Of course, by early 1944 the nature of the enemy was all too well known...
Marked contrast to Cdr "Mush Morton" of Wahoo fame killing Japanese sailors 250+ miles at sea from New Guinea in Jan. '43. He not only included it in his patrol report, but had color film, which is online. Thing is: nearly 200 allied POWs were killed in the sinking and shooting.
As ever
Barrett
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This Day in U S Military History
February 12
1935 – The USS Macon, the last U.S. Navy dirigible, crashed on its 55th flight off the coast of California, killing two people. After takeoff from Point Sur, California, a gust of wind tore off the ship's upper fin, deflating its gas cells and causing the ship to fall into the sea. Two of Macon 's 83 crewmen died in the accident. The U.S. Navy lost the airships Shenandoah in 1925 and Akron in 1933. Some considered airships too dangerous for the program to continue at that point, and work on them in the United States halted temporarily. The German zeppelin Hindenburg crashed and burned in 1936.
1945 – The US 11th Corps has closed the neck of the Bataan Peninsula and is advancing southward to clear the Japanese forces from it.
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).
1945 – USS Batfish (SS-310) sinks second Japanese submarine within three days.
1973 – The release of U.S. POWs begins in Hanoi as part of the Paris peace settlement. The return of U.S. POWs began when North Vietnam released 142 of 591 U.S. prisoners at Hanoi's Gia Lam Airport. Part of what was called Operation Homecoming, the first 20 POWs arrived to a hero's welcome at Travis Air Force Base in California on February 14. Operation Homecoming was completed on March 29, 1973, when the last of 591 U.S. prisoners were released and returned to the United States.
1988 – Two Soviet warships bump two U.S. navy vessels in waters claimed by the Soviet Union. The incident was an indication that even though the Cold War was slowly coming to a close, old tensions and animosities remained unabated. The incident between the ships took place in the Black Sea, off the Crimean peninsula. The American destroyer Caron and cruiser Yorktown were operating within the 12-mile territorial limit claimed by the Soviet Union. They were challenged by a Soviet frigate and destroyer and told to leave the waters. Then, according to a Navy spokesman, the Soviet ships "shouldered" the U.S. ships out of the way, bumping them slightly. There was no exchange of gunfire, and the American ships eventually departed from the area. There was no serious damage to either U.S. vessel or any injuries. In many ways, the incident was an unnecessarily provocative action by the United States. For many years, the United States had challenged the Russian claim of a 12-mile territorial limit in the waters off the Crimean peninsula. However, the timing and the use of the Caron in this particular operation made this a rather foolish act. The United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in negotiations to limit long-range nuclear weapons, and in December 1987, the important INF Treaty, by which both the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to eliminate their medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe, had been signed. The Caron was well known as an intelligence gathering vessel and its appearance in waters claimed by the Soviets would be seen as suspicious at best. For their part, the Soviets probably overreacted. American ships regularly moved through the area and were usually unchallenged. Perhaps the Soviet military felt a message should be sent that Russia, which was experiencing severe economic and political problems, was still a nation to be taken seriously as a major military power.
2001 – NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touches down in the "saddle" region of 433 Eros, becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid. The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous – Shoemaker (NEAR Shoemaker), renamed after its 1996 launch in honor of planetary scientist Eugene Shoemaker, was a robotic space probe designed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for NASA to study the near-Earth asteroid Eros from close orbit over a period of a year. The mission succeeded in closing in with the asteroid and orbited it several times, finally terminating by touching down on the asteroid.
2010 – The United States successfully shoots down a launching ballistic missile using the Boeing YAL-1, a military Boeing 747-400F aircraft mounted with a chemical oxygen iodine laser weapon. The Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser Testbed (formerly Airborne Laser) weapons system is a megawatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) mounted inside a modified Boeing 747-400F. It is primarily designed as a missile defense system to destroy tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs), while in boost phase. The aircraft was designated YAL-1A in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Defense.
2013 – Following a seismic event recorded in South Korea, North Korea confirms that it has successfully tested a nuclear device, claiming that it is small enough to be weaponized.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*DELEAU, EMILE, JR.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 142d Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. Place and date: Oberhoffen, France, 12 February 1945. Entered service at: Blaine, Ohio. Birth: Lansing, Ohio. G.O. No.: 60, 25 July 1945. Citation: He led a squad in the night attack on Oberhoffen, France, where fierce house-to-house fighting took place. After clearing 1 building of opposition, he moved his men toward a second house from which heavy machinegun fire came. He courageously exposed himself to hostile bullets and, firing his submachine gun as he went, advanced steadily toward the enemy position until close enough to hurl grenades through a window, killing 3 Germans and wrecking their gun. His progress was stopped by heavy rifle and machinegun fire from another house. Sgt. Deleau dashed through the door with his gun blazing. Within, he captured 10 Germans. The squad then took up a position for the night and awaited daylight to resume the attack. At dawn of 2 February Sgt. Deleau pressed forward with his unit, killing 2 snipers as he advanced to a point where machinegun fire from a house barred the way. Despite vicious small-arms fire, Sgt. Deleau ran across an open area to reach the rear of the building, where he destroyed 1 machinegun and killed its 2 operators with a grenade. He worked to the front of the structure and located a second machinegun. Finding it impossible to toss a grenade into the house from his protected position, he fearlessly moved away from the building and was about to hurl his explosive when he was instantly killed by a burst from the gun he sought to knock out. With magnificent courage and daring aggressiveness, Sgt. Deleau cleared 4 well-defended houses of Germans, inflicted severe losses on the enemy and at the sacrifice of his own life aided his battalion to reach its objective with a minimum of casualties.
*LONG, CHARLES R.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company M, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Hoengsong, Korea, 12 February 1951. Entered service at: Kansas City, Mo. Born: 10 December 1923, Kansas City, Mo. G.O. No.: 18, 1 February 1952. Citation: Sgt. Long, a member of Company M, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations. When Company M, in a defensive perimeter on Hill 300, was viciously attacked by a numerically superior hostile force at approximately 0300 hours and ordered to withdraw, Sgt. Long, a forward observer for the mortar platoon, voluntarily remained at his post to provide cover by directing mortar fire on the enemy. Maintaining radio contact with his platoon, Sgt. Long coolly directed accurate mortar fire on the advancing foe. He continued firing his carbine and throwing handgrenades until his position was surrounded and he was mortally wounded. Sgt. Long's inspirational, valorous action halted the onslaught, exacted a heavy toll of enemy casualties, and enabled his company to withdraw, reorganize, counterattack, and regain the hill strongpoint. His unflinching courage and noble self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit on himself and are in keeping with the honored traditions of the military service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 12, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
12 February
1912: Above New York harbor, Frank Coffyn took automatic aerial motion pictures from a seaplane. (24)
1921: First section of American "model" airways route from Washington DC to Dayton, Ohio, opened. (5)
1928: Charles (Speed) Holman set a new record of 1,093 loops at World-Chamberlain airport, Minneapolis, Minn. (24)
1931: The Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk first flew. (5) The Detroit News purchased a Pitcairn PC A-2. The transaction was the first sale of a commercial autogiro in the US. (24)
1935: The USS Macon (ZRS-5) crashed at sea off California's coast with the loss of two lives. This accident ended the Navy's rigid airship program. (21)
1947: The USS Cusk launched a Loon missile. It was the first guided missile fired from a sub. (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Far East Air Forces cargo aircraft airdropped supplies to an X Corps airstrip at Wonju. A leaflet-dropping C-47 aircraft, hit by enemy antiaircraft fire, crashed at Suwon. As a result, FEAF decided to conduct C-47 leaflet drops at night. While B-26s attacked enemy positions at night using air-dropped flares, two enemy planes used the same flares to attack UN positions. (28)
1958: The Department of Defense transferred the Jupiter Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile program from the Army to the USAF. (6)
1959: The Strategic Air Command retired its last operational B-36 Peacemaker (Tail No. 52-2827) from the 95th Bombardment Wing at Biggs AFB, Tex., and placed it on permanent display at Amon Carter Field in Fort Worth. That retirement gave the command an all-jet bomber force. (1) (21)
1960: A Delta Air Lines Convair 880 set a record from San Diego, Calif., to Miami, Fla., in 3 hours 32 minutes. (5)
1965: After almost seven years, Vanguard I appeared to be silenced when radio signals became too weak. (5) The Navy launched the second US satellite,
1958 Beta II, for the International Geophysical Year. This 6-inch, 3.25-pound sphere circled the globe every 134 minutes. (5) USAF scientists at Hanscom AFB, Mass., hit Explorer XXII with a ground-based laser, photographed the spot of reflected light, and recorded it photoelectrically in relation to the surrounding stars. (5) Operation ARC LIGHT. After a Presidential decision to deploy B-52s to Southeast Asia for conventional bombing missions, KC-135s arrived at Andersen AFB, Guam, to support the bombers. (18)
1967: The first production F-111A (No. 9) flew its first flight. (5)
1969: FORCE MODERNIZATION PROGRAM: The Strategic Air Command removed the last Minuteman Is from silos at Malmstrom AFB, Mont. Contractors then began upgrading the silos for Minuteman II missiles. (1) (6)
1970: The first of four C-124s arrived for duty with the 20th Operations Squadron at Clark AB, Philippines. Pacific Air Forces retained the C-124 for moving outsized equipment after the inactivation of all C-124 squadrons in the Military Airlift Command. (17)
1973: Operation HOMECOMING/MACKAY TROPHY. After N. Vietnam released its POWs, the 1st Mobile Communications Group and 1961st Communications Group at Clark AB, Philippines, provided communications to the C-141s returning the former prisoners to Clark. When the 566 POWs reached America, the 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing transferred them to various military hospitals. Altogether, the Military Airlift Command used 118 C-9A and C-141 missions to support the operation. This event earned the Mackay Trophy. (2) (17) (18) for theAIRCREWS For the diligent and dynamic efforts of each crewmember of Operation Homecoming, the return of the prisoners of war to United States control."
1998. Operation DESERT THUNDER. KC-135s from Air National Guard units in Mississippi, California, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Alaska, along with KC-135s from two Air Force Reserve units, set up a tanker task force at Eielson AFB, Alaska, to refuel B-52s from Barksdale AFB, La., deploying to Diego Garcia. The bombers deployed to Diego Garcia as part of a threatened bombing campaign to make Iraq comply with United Nations weapons inspections. Diplomatic pressures and the threat of military force allowed the United Nations to resume its inspections for weapons of mass destruction. (32)
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