TheList 7458

To All.
Good Thursday Morning February 26, 2026.
.The weather is another good day here with mostly clear skies and temps climbing to 84 by 1
today.
 Here is the video of Captain Royce Williams receiving his Medal of Honor being pinned on by
the First Lady….you just have to skip the two ladies exercising……The price we had to pay to
get to see Royce.
Trump honors 100-year old WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War Navy Fighter Pilot Veteran -
YouTube
.
.Regards .
.Skip
.HAGD

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Thanks to NORDO
For your readers' planning.
Cheers
Nordo
For the first time in history, NASCAR will run a road course race around the perimeter of NAS
North Island (Naval Base Coronado)! What a view our carrier sailors will have from the flight
deck, cat walks, island and elevators as the cars scream by the docks!
https://www.nascarsandiego.com/course-layout/

https://www.nascarsandiego.com/course-layout/

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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. 26
1944—Sue Sophia Dauser, Superintendent of the Navy's Nurse Corps, is the first woman in the
Navy to receive rank of captain.
1945—TBMs (VC 82) from USS Anzio (CVE 57) sink two Japanese submarines: I 368, 35
miles west of Iwo Jima, and RO 43, 50 miles west-northwest of Iwo Jima.
1945—USS Finnegan (DE 307) sinks Japanese submarine I 370, 120 miles south of Iwo Jima.
1991—During Operation Desert Storm, A-6E aircraft of VA-155 from USS Ranger (CVA 61)
and Marine aircraft bomb Iraqi troops fleeing Kuwait City to Basra.
1991 - A Marine recon unit was the first U.S. force to enter Kuwait City and retake the
American Embassy. 48 hours later, Kuwait was liberated and a ceasefire was declared,
effectively ending the war.

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Today in World History February 26
0364 On the death of Jovian, a conference at Nicaea chooses Valentinan, an army officer who
was born in the central European region of Pannania, to succeed him in Asia Minor.
1154 William the Bad succeeds his father, Roger the II, in Sicily.
1790 As a result of the Revolution, France is divided into 83 departments.
1815 Napoleon and 1,200 of his men leave Elba to start the 100-day re-conquest of France.
1848 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels publish The Communist Manifesto in London.
1871 France and Prussia sign a preliminary peace treaty at Versailles.
1901 Boxer Rebellion leaders Chi-Hsin and Hsu-Cheng-Yu are publicly executed in Peking.

1914 Russian aviator Igor Sikorsky carries 17 passengers in a twin engine plane in St.
Petersburg.
1916 General Henri Philippe Petain takes command of the French forces at Verdun.
1917 President Wilson publicly asks congress for the power to arm merchant ships.
1924 U.S. steel industry finds claims an eight-hour day increases efficiency and employee
relations.
1933 Ground is broken for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
1936 Japanese military troops march into Tokyo to conduct a coup and assassinate political
leaders.
1941 British take the Somali capital in East Africa.
1943 U.S. Flying Fortresses and Liberators pound German docks and U-boat lairs at
Wilhelmshaven.
1945 Syria declares war on Germany and Japan.
1951 The 22nd Amendment is added to the Constitution limiting the Presidency to two terms.
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson signs a tax bill with $11.5 billion in cuts.
1965 Norman Butler is arrested for the murder of Malcom X.
1968 Thirty-two African nations agree to boycott the Olympics because of the presence of South
Africa.
1970 Five Marines are arrested on charges of murdering 11 South Vietnamese women and
children.
1972 Soviets recover Luna 20 with a cargo of moon rocks.
1973 A publisher and 10 reporters are subpoenaed to testify on Watergate.
1990 Daniel Ortega, communist president of Nicaragua, suffers a shocking election defeat at the
hands of Violeta Chamorro.
1993 A bomb rocks the World Trade Center in New York City. Five people are killed and
hundreds suffer from smoke inhalation
.
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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 .
.

 Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..February 26 . .
February 26: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1618

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.Some bits from 1440
Good morning. It's Thursday, Feb. 26, and we're covering Dr. Casey Means' Senate confirmation
hearing, how caterpillars infiltrate ant colonies, and much more. ..
���� Civics Thursday—America turns 250 this year, and we're marking the occasion with
weekly drops on 1440 Topics to help you stay informed on the key topics that shape the world
around you. This week: The Supreme Court. Scroll down for pages on Justice John Marshall, the
case that created judicial review, and more!

Need To Know
Surgeon General Hearing
Dr. Casey Means, a strategist behind Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again
agenda, urged tackling the root cause of chronic diseases yesterday during her confirmation
hearing to become the nation's next surgeon general.
Lawmakers across the aisle repeatedly pressed Means on vaccines, which she suggested should
be a discussion between individuals and their doctors. The Stanford-educated physician dropped
out of her surgical residency program in 2018, citing a belief that the healthcare system is
broken. She went on to open an alternative medicine practice, cofound a health-tracking app, and
write a bestselling book. Critics, including two former surgeons general, question her credentials,
citing that her medical license lapsed in 2024 and the hundreds of thousands of dollars she

reportedly made promoting health and wellness products, sometimes without disclosing her
business interests.
An October survey found roughly four in 10 parents openly align with the Make America
Healthy Again movement. Of those parents, 58% do not trust US health agencies to ensure
vaccine safety and effectiveness.

Iran Talks Continue
The third round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations begins today in Geneva. Discussions come as
the US has amassed its largest military force in the region in decades, with President Donald
Trump threatening to strike by next week.
Trump reiterated this week that he would never allow Iran to have access to a nuclear weapon.
Tehran maintains its nuclear ambitions are peaceful but has also enriched uranium to 60% purity,
a threshold approaching the weapons-grade level of 90%. Satellite images show the country has
fortified sites struck by the US last year, including by constructing a roof over part of the Natanz
enrichment site. The US has meanwhile sent two aircraft carrier strike groups and dispatched F-
22 fighter jets to Israel.
Military advisers reportedly believe it would be difficult to carry out a limited strike against
Tehran. The negotiations do not cover Iran's ballistic missile program or crackdown on protests;
those demonstrations have resumed in recent days.

The Ant Whisperers
Scientists have discovered how certain baby caterpillars use rhythm to trick ants into caring for
them until they mature into butterflies. Findings released yesterday suggest rhythm—long
studied in primates—plays a key role in insect survival and may influence animal interactions
more broadly than thought.
Caterpillar species dependent on ants produce vibrational signals that mimic the ants'
communication patterns—like a rhythmic "secret knock." The signals prompt ants to carry the
caterpillars into their nests, where the caterpillars receive protection and food. In some cases, the
caterpillars feed on the ants' young.
Both ants and the most ant-dependent caterpillars generate a steady beat called isochrony. The
caterpillars and ants also produce a rarer rhythmic pattern known as double meter, alternating
long and short beats, which has been observed mainly in a few primates. The closer a species'
survival depends on ants, the more closely its rhythms match the colony's. Watch ants adopting a
caterpillar here.

Energy giants like Exxon and Chevron have been buying up land in America's lithium hotspot.
Now they've got a new neighbor.
EnergyX just acquired the rights to 35k gross acres of lithium-rich land in the United States,
right next to Exxon and Chevron's lithium projects, bringing their total to nearly 50k acres.
What's really turning heads about this move is that EnergyX is doing more than competing for
lithium-rich land. They've pioneered patented technology that can recover up to 3X more lithium
than traditional methods. That combination positions EnergyX to be one of the biggest vertically

integrated lithium producers in America. Plus, General Motors has invested along with other
global leaders like Eni and POSCO.
It's great timing, too, because the demand for lithium is projected to 5X current production by
2040. No wonder 40,000+ people have already invested. You can too for just $11/share. But not
for long. Invest in EnergyX for $11/share by midnight PT.*
.
In The Know
.
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Art historian Christophe Leribault named new director of the Louvre; the former head of the
Palace of Versailles and Orsay Museum is tasked with overseeing a security overhaul and
facilities renovation .
> Phil Collins, Jeff Buckley, and Shakira are among 17 nominees for induction into the Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame .
> "Zootopia 2" surpasses "A Minecraft Movie" as the highest-grossing domestic release of 2025,
with $424.2M after 13 straight weeks in the domestic top 10.)
�� What we learned about the Harlem Renaissance: Saturday's 1440 Society & Culture newsletter
takes a look at the arts-driven revitalization of the Manhattan borough during the early 20th
century. We're also exploring graffiti, the history of pizza, and much more. ..
You're Already Too Late for SpaceX's IPO
SpaceX plans to IPO at a $1.5T valuation, the 10th-most-valuable public company by the time
the average person can invest. The lesson? Like Uber delivering 490K% returns to First Round
Capital, today's biggest growth can come at the private stage.
A similar dynamic's playing out in lithium, where EnergyX reached a $1B private valuation.
Only now you can invest at the private stage, too. With prices rising and demand growing 5X by
2040, EnergyX can recover 3X more lithium than traditional methods.
Now EnergyX is preparing to unlock up to 9.8M tons in Chile. Invest for $11/share before
midnight PT.*
.
Politics & World Affairs
> Cuba's government says it killed four people in a Florida-registered speedboat in Cuban
waters, wounded six others after passengers opened fire on their soldiers; US was gathering
intelligence as of this writing to learn about the incident (.
.
In partnership with EnergyX
The Next Gold Rush

Lithium demand's fueling a modern-day gold rush. Essential for EVs, robots, and AI, Elon Musk
said it best: "Do you like minting money? Well, the lithium business is for you."
Enter EnergyX. Their tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. They've
got a strategic investment from General Motors, raised $150M, and earned a $5M DoE grant.
Now, they're preparing to commercially unlock up to 9.8M tons of Chilean lithium. Invest
before EnergyX's share price increases at midnight PT.*
.

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. I was watching TV the other day and was flipping through the channels when I saw a picture of
a lady bug that was caught in the camera of a colonoscopy. I started watching as a group tried to
explain how it could have gotten in there and survived. I quickly left that channel for dog fights
on the History channel but it still bugged me. skip

Thanks to Interesting Facts
.
7 Amazing Facts About Insects
Whether you love bugs or they give you the heebie-jeebies, they are everywhere — and they're
fascinating. Some are smaller than a grain of sand, while others can be mistaken for a sizable
stick. While many are major nuisances, plenty of them are cute, beautiful, or even helpful. Each
one has a unique life cycle and thrives in a different environment.
Which common pollinator communicates by shaking its booty? How far can butterflies travel?
How much can ants really carry? What bug has the highest body count? These seven intriguing
insect facts will have you thinking differently about your exoskeletal friends… for better or for
worse.
1 of 7
Ants Can Carry 10 to 50 Times Their Body Weight
Estimates vary on how much hardworking ants can actually carry, but the consensus is that it's a
lot — anywhere from 10 to 50 times their own body weight. They're so tiny that their muscles
are thick compared to their body size, leading to a disproportionate amount of strength for their
size. One 2014 study suggests that an ant's neck joint can withstand pressure from up to 5,000
times their own body weight.
In the big picture, however, the numbers are still pretty small: Individual worker ants generally
weigh 1 to 5 milligrams, so while it's pretty impressive that a 5-milligram creature can carry
perhaps 250 milligrams (about a quarter of the weight of a jellybean), they're not exactly going
to be robbing any museums.
2 of 7

Honeybees Communicate With Dance
When honeybees find a really, really great stash of nectar, they're eager to share the news with
their hivemates, and they give their directions in a very cute (and stunningly accurate) way. Once
a worker bee finds an ideal flower, she returns to the hive and performs the "waggle dance."
After getting her siblings' attention by standing on top of them and vibrating, she hops down and
wags her abdomen while walking a straight line, then circles around and repeats the movement.
The direction of the line communicates the direction of the source in relation to the sun, and the
length the distance from the hive. Her fellow bees sense every vibration, and get a secondary
signal from the lingering scent of the pollen.
The dance can reference distances nearly 4 miles away with surprising accuracy, although it's
more difficult to give precise directions when the source is relatively nearby, the bee is sleepy, or
because of human interference. Fortunately, one study suggests that the bees may be able to
assess the reliability of each dance, and lose interest if the dancer seems disoriented.
3 of 7
The Longest Insect Measures Nearly 2 Feet Long
Stick bugs, sometimes known as walking sticks, tend to be bigger than other insects, but in parts
of Southeast Asia, that can be a bit of an understatement. The world's longest known insect,
Phobaeticus chani, familiarly called Chan's Megastick, measures 22 inches long with its legs
outstretched, and 14 inches in its body alone.
The only known specimen was found around the 1970s by a local collector in Borneo, but it
wasn't acknowledged as a possible new species until a Malaysian naturalist saw the collection in
1989. It was passed off to British scientists soon after (and now lives at the Natural History
Museum in London), but wasn't recognized as a record-holder until 2008. It's a testament to the
insect's camouflage abilities that it took so long for it to be discovered; Chan's Megastick likely
lives high up in the forest canopy, easily blending in as, well, a very large stick.
While it's the longest insect recorded, it's not alone in its giganticness. The previous record-
holder, also a stick bug from Borneo, was less than an inch shorter. Currently in second place is a
21-inch stick bug discovered by Belgian entomologists at Vietnam's Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve
in 2014.
4 of 7
One Ladybug Can Eat 75 Insects Per Day
Lady beetles may be one of the most adorable insect species on the planet, but they're also very
effective predators. A single adult ladybug can eat up to 75 insects a day (up to 5,000 in its
lifetime), and during the two-week larval stage, each one eats around 350 to 400.
Their absolute favorite food is aphids, a common garden pest that, in large numbers, can spread
disease and cause major damage to plants — and attract droves of ants, who farm aphids for their
sugary excretions — but they'll also eat other pests like fruit flies, mites, and thrips. Because of
this, ladybugs are one of the more common "beneficial insects" used by gardeners as natural pest
control.
5 of 7
Luna Moths Have No Mouths

Luna moths can be stunning creatures, instantly recognizable for their wide span of pale green,
almost iridescent wings. What's not quite as obvious is that they have no mouth, and no digestive
system, either.
As caterpillars, they eat ravenously and spend a month munching on leaves before building up
their cocoon, where they spend three weeks. In their adult stage, they need to rely on the food
stores they ate as caterpillars, and they live for only about a week. During this time, their top
priority is mating — although tricking bats out of eating them is a close second.
6 of 7
Painted Lady Butterflies Can Travel 7,500 Miles in a Single Migration
Painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui), sometimes known as cosmopolitan or thistle
butterflies, can be found all over the world — and each year, their colonies travel an impressive
distance. In the spring, they fly northward to Europe, and in the late summer, they start their
journey back down to sub-Saharan Africa. The whole journey is around 7,500 miles round-trip,
and involves crossing both the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea. Like the similar but not-quite-
as-long migration of monarch butterflies, the trip occurs over several butterfly generations,
although the occasional extra-sturdy bug stays alive for the whole return trip.
The American lady (Vanessa virginiensis), a similar species of butterfly that's also known as the
American painted lady, travels impressive distances as well, sometimes overwintering in the
American South and traveling well into Canada during warmer months. On the West Coast,
they're known to travel from western Mexican deserts all the way up into the Pacific Northwest.
7 of 7
Mosquitoes Are the World's Deadliest Animal
Which animal counts as the most dangerous in the world depends on which metric you're using,
but going by pure annual body count, mosquitoes win by a large margin. By transmitting severe
diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus, and West Nile virus as they feed on human
blood, the tiny pests are responsible for around 725,000 deaths each year. Certain mosquitoes
even prefer humans to other animals and, unsurprisingly, these insects end up being the ones that
tend to spread diseases that affect humans.
It's not just semantics: Mosquitoes have been called the world's deadliest animal by both the
CDC and the Gates Foundation. Some argue that mosquitoes should be disqualified from the list
because they don't exactly attack humans, per se — they don't turn to deliberate violence
because of a perceived threat, and technically it's the pathogens they carry that are doing the
killing — but the issue of mosquito culpability is perhaps more of an existential quibble.

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News
.
Ambassador ARRESTED — Epstein Cash Bombshell
A gray folder labeled 'EPSTEIN' resting on a wooden surface
EPSTEIN FILES BOMBSHELL

A former UK Ambassador to the United States has been arrested by London police on suspicion
of misconduct in public office, weeks after explosive documents revealed his decades-long ties
to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—including financial transfers, confidential government
information sharing, and unwavering support even after Epstein's criminal conviction.
Story Highlights
Peter Mandelson was arrested on February 23, 2026, following the release of Epstein documents
detailing over $75,000 in payments and the sharing of classified UK-US meeting minutes
Former ambassador called Epstein his "best pal" in 2003 and stayed at his Manhattan residence
while Epstein was under house arrest in 2009
US House committee demands transcribed interview by February 27, citing evidence of financial
ties and potential intelligence breaches
Prime Minister Keir Starmer moves to strip Mandelson's title and Privy Council membership as
scandal rocks Labour government
Opposition leaders call it the "biggest scandal in British politics in over a century," with potential
Official Secrets Act violations
Decades of Troubling Connections Exposed
Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein stretched back more than twenty years,
beginning in the early 2000s with social and financial entanglements that should have raised red
flags for anyone in government service.
Documents released in January 2026 revealed bank transfers exceeding $75,000 from Epstein
between 2003 and 2004, a handwritten note in 2003 where Mandelson called Epstein his "best
pal," and a deeply disturbing message sent during Epstein's 2008 criminal charges stating "Your
friends stay with you and love you."
Even more alarming, Mandelson stayed at Epstein's Manhattan apartment in 2009 while the
convicted sex offender was under house arrest following his plea deal.

Betrayal of Public Trust and National Security
The most serious allegations involve Mandelson's apparent willingness to share sensitive
government information with a known criminal. In 2010, while serving as a Labour minister, he
allegedly forwarded confidential UK-US meeting minutes concerning banking regulations
directly to Epstein and lobbied the Obama administration to ease bank trading restrictions on
Epstein's behalf.
These actions raise fundamental questions about whether Mandelson prioritized personal loyalty
to a sex trafficker over his sworn duties to protect British interests. Former Prime Minister
Gordon Brown called it a "betrayal of his country," expressing personal revulsion at conduct that
potentially compromised national security and regulatory oversight during critical financial
negotiations.
Political Fallout and Government Accountability Crisis

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure over his December 2024 decision to
appoint Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the United States, despite prior media reports about
the Epstein connections.
Starmer dismissed Mandelson in September 2025 after The Sun published emails showing the
ambassador defended Epstein's conviction as "wrongful," but the damage was done. Morgan
McSweeney, Starmer's chief of staff, resigned over responsibility for the appointment.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch demanded release of all "Mandelson-Epstein files" through
parliamentary motion, questioning why basic vetting failed to prevent this diplomatic disaster.
The government now proposes legislation to strip Mandelson's title and remove him from the
Privy Council with King Charles III's agreement.
Cross-Atlantic Investigation Intensifies
The Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation on February 3, 2026, prompting
Mandelson to immediately resign from the House of Lords before his February 23 arrest.
A US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform escalated scrutiny by sending a
February 13 letter demanding Mandelson submit to a transcribed interview by February 27,
citing evidence of financial ties, compromising photographs, and potential witness testimony.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage labeled this the "biggest scandal in British politics in over a
century," calling for an investigation under the Official Secrets Act for potential intelligence
breaches. The parallel investigations on both sides of the Atlantic demonstrate how Epstein's
network penetrated the highest levels of transatlantic government, exploiting access to policy
channels affecting financial markets and diplomatic relations.
Constitutional Concerns and Lessons for Vetting
This scandal exposes dangerous vulnerabilities in how political establishments protect sensitive
information and vet appointments to critical positions. Mandelson's conduct undermines
fundamental principles of public service—that government officials must place national interests
above personal relationships, especially with convicted criminals involved in sex trafficking.
The 2010 leaks concerning a €500 billion euro bailout potentially affected markets and
international financial stability, demonstrating real-world consequences when officials
compromise their duties.
While Mandelson disputes interpretations of his emails and claims he relied on false assurances
of Epstein's innocence, the documented pattern of financial transfers, social ties maintained
through criminal proceedings, and information sharing reveals judgment failures that should
disqualify anyone from representing their nation abroad.
.
 
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.Thanks to Brett
From the Daily Signal
President Donald Trump confronted Democrats for not applauding American heroes in his State
of the Union speech.
President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union on Tuesday.
.
Tyler O'Neil is senior editor at The Daily Signal and the author of two books: "Making Hate Pay:
The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center," and "The Woketopus: The Dark Money
Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government."
President Donald Trump repeatedly confronted Democrats for refusing to stand and applaud on
multiple occasions in the first official State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday
night.
This strategy highlighted the extremism of Democrat policies while championing the people
victimized by them.
Trump drew attention to issues with broad public appeal, such as secure elections, public safety,
energy production, and stories of American heroism, while daring Democrats to oppose his
actions on these issues.
.
Here are the winners and losers of the speech.
Winner: Border Security
Trump celebrated that "in the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted into the
United States."
The Department of Homeland Security has indeed claimed that not one illegal alien has been
admitted during that time.
Former President Joe Biden said that he needed legislation from Congress to close the border,
but Trump effectively closed the border on his first day in office.

Winner: Energy
Trump noted that "American oil production is up more than 600,000 barrels per day" and that the
United States received from Venezuela—which he called "our new friend and partner"—more
than 80 million barrels of oil.
Trump also touted cutting "a record number of job-killing regulations."
Under Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency rescinded the Endangerment Finding, the
centerpiece of federal regulation on oil and gas.

Winner: Erika Kirk
Trump commemorated Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and honored his widow, Erika
Kirk.
"Charlie was violently murdered by an assassin, and martyred—really martyred for his beliefs,"
he said. "His wonderful wife, Erika, is with us tonight."
"In Charlie's memory, we must all come together to reaffirm that America is one nation under
God, and we must totally reject political violence of any kind," the president added.

Winner: Team USA
Trump celebrated the victories of Team USA men's and women's hockey teams over the
Canadian teams in the Olympics. He also presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to men's
goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for his "amazing saves" that "helped beat Canada in overtime."
The men's team attended the State of the Union address, while Trump announced that the
women's team would visit the White House.

Loser: Affordability Messaging
Trump flipped the script on the Democrats' "affordability" messaging.
He mentioned the "record-setting inflation" of the Biden years. "Now, the same people in this
chamber who voted for those disasters suddenly used the word 'affordability.'"
"Somebody gave it to them, knowing full well that they caused and created the increased prices
that all of our citizens had to endure," Trump said. Looking at the Democrats, he said, "You
caused that problem."
"They knew their statements were a dirty, rotten lie," Trump said. "Their policies created the
high prices. Our policies are rapidly ending them."
Prices continue to increase, but the rate of inflation has slowed considerably, and real wages are
outpacing inflation.

Loser: Mamdani
When calling for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act to require ID to vote, Trump
mentioned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him "a nice guy" but attacking him
for hypocrisy.

He noted that Mamdani is requiring emergency snow shovel workers in New York City to
present ID, but Democrats "don't want identification for the greatest privilege of all, voting in
America."

Loser: Democrats Refusing to Stand
Trump repeatedly chided Democrats in the chamber for refusing to stand and applaud for good
policies or for the people he was honoring.
Trump urged Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security, stating, "The first duty
of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens."
After Republicans cheered and applauded, Trump chided Democrats for not joining.
"Isn't that a shame? You should be ashamed of yourself, not standing up," he said.

When honoring Sage Blair, who was separated from her parents after her school hid her
transgender identity, Trump faulted Democrats who refused to stand. Blair's family claimed she
became a victim of sex trafficking after she was separated from her family.
"Look, nobody stands up," he noted. "These people are crazy. I'm telling you. They're crazy."

Trump urged Americans to "ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using
insider trading" on the stock market. When some Democrats stood up to applaud, the president
responded with shock.
"They stood up for that. I can't believe it," he said. He asked whether former House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, who has invited scrutiny for reaping large profits in the stock market, also
applauded.
"Did Nancy Pelosi stand up, if she's here? I doubt it," Trump said. "Pass the Stop Insider
Trading Act without delay."
"I wasn't sure if anybody even on this side was going to applaud for that," the president noted.
"I'm very impressed. Thank you."

Trump also shamed Democrats for refusing to stand for Anna Zarutska, the mother of the
Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was murdered on a light-rail train in Charlotte, North
Carolina, last year by a homeless man with a criminal record.
"How do you not stand? How do you not stand?" he asked.

Related Posts:
Some Democrats Refuse to Stand for US Men's Hockey Team at SOTU
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This Day in U S Military History….26 February
1846 – Frontiersman-turned-showman William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody was born in Scott County,
Iowa. His family moved to Kansas in 1854, and after the death of his father three years later he
set out to earn the family living, working for supply trains and a freighting company. In 1859 he
went to the Colorado gold fields, and in 1860 he rode briefly for the Pony Express. His
adventures on the Western frontier as an army scout and later as a buffalo hunter for railroad
construction camps on the Great Plains were the basis for the stories later told about him. Ned
Buntline in 1872 persuaded him to appear on the stage, and, except for a brief period of scouting
against the Sioux in 1876, he was from that time connected with show business. In 1883 he
organized Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and he toured with it throughout the United States and
Europe for many years. Wyoming granted him a stock ranch, on which the town of Cody was
laid out. He died in Denver and was buried on Lookout Mt. near Golden, Colo. The exploits
attributed to him in the dime novels of Buntline and Prentice Ingraham are only slightly more
imaginative than his own autobiography published in 1920.
1945 – An ammunition dump on the Philippine island of Corregidor is blown up by a remnant of
the Japanese garrison, causing more American casualties on the eve of U.S. victory there. In May
1942, Corregidor, a small rock island at the mouth of Manila Bay, remained one of the last
Allied strongholds in the Philippines after the Japanese victory at Bataan. Constant artillery
shelling and aerial bombardment attacks ate away at the American and Filipino defenders.
Although still managing to sink many Japanese barges as they approached the northern shores of
the island, the Allied troops could not hold the invader off any longer. Gen. Jonathan
Wainwright, commander of the U.S. armed forces in the Philippines, offered to surrender
Corregidor to Japanese Gen. Masaharu Homma, but Homma wanted the complete, unconditional
capitulation of all American forces throughout the Philippines. Wainwright had little choice
given the odds against him and the poor physical condition of his troops–he had already lost 800
men. He surrendered at midnight. All 11,500 surviving Allied troops were evacuated to a prison
stockade in Manila. But the Americans returned to the Philippines in full strength in October
1944, beginning with the recapture of Leyte, the Philippines' central island. It took 67 days to
subdue, with the loss of more than 55,000 Japanese soldiers during the two months of battle, and
approximately another 25,000 mopping up pockets of resistance in early 1945. The U.S. forces
lost about 3,500. Following the American victory of Leyte was the return of Gen. Douglas
MacArthur and the struggle for Luzon and the race for Manila, the Philippine capital. One week

into the Allied battle for Luzon, U.S. airborne troops parachuted onto Corregidor to take out the
Japanese garrison there, which was believed to be 1,000 strong, but was actually closer to 5,000.
Fierce fighting resulted in the deaths of most of the Japanese soldiers, with the survivors left
huddling in the Malinta Tunnel for safety. Ironically, the tunnel, 1,400 feet long and dug deep in
the heart of Corregidor, had served as MacArthur's headquarters and a U.S. supply depot before
the American defeat there. MacArthur feared the Japanese soldiers could sit there for months.
The garrison had no such intention, though, and ignited a nearby ammunition dump–an act of
defiance, and possibly of mass suicide. Most of the Japanese were killed in the explosion, along
with 52 Americans. Those Japanese who survived the blast were forced out into the open and
decimated by the Americans. Corregidor was officially in American hands by early March.
1949 – From Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, the Lucky Lady II, a B-50
Superfortress, takes off on the first nonstop round-the-world flight. Under the command of
Captain James Gallagher, and featuring a crew of 14 men, the aircraft averaged 249 miles per
hour on its 23,452-mile trek. The Lucky Lady II was refueled four times in the air by B-29 tanker
planes and on March 2 returned to the United States after 94 hours in the air. In December 1986,
Voyager, a lightweight propeller plane constructed mainly of plastic, landed at Edwards Air
Force Base in Muroc, California, having completed the first global flight without refueling.
1968 – Allied troops who had recaptured the imperial capital of Hue from the North Vietnamese
during the Tet Offensive discover the first mass graves in Hue. It was discovered that communist
troops who had held the city for 25 days had massacred about 2,800 civilians whom they had
identified as sympathizers with the government in Saigon. One authority estimated that
communists might have killed as many as 5,700 people in Hue. The Tet Offensive had begun at
dawn on the first day of the Tet holiday truce (January 30), when Viet Cong forces, supported by
large numbers of North Vietnamese troops, launched the largest and best coordinated offensive
of the war. During the attack, they drove into the center of South Vietnam's seven largest cities
and attacked 30 provincial capitals ranging from the Delta to the DMZ. Among the cities taken
during the first four days of the offensive were Hue, Dalat, Kontum, and Quang Tri; in the north,
all five provincial capitals were overrun. At the same time, enemy forces shelled numerous allied
airfields and bases. By February 10, the offensive was largely crushed, but resulted in heavy
casualties on both sides.
1973 – First airborne mine sweep in a live minefield took place in the Haiphong, Vietnam ship
channel by helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron Twelve on board USS
New Orleans.
1991 – A cease-fire was called by Pres. Bush after 100 hours of ground combat. Following the
cease-fire a retreating Iraqi unit stumbled into the Gen. McCaffrey's 24th infantry division and
some 400 Iraqis were reported killed. Army investigations concluded that the Iraqis started the
Rumaylah battle.

1993 – A bomb explodes in the parking garage beneath the World Trade Center in New York
City. Six people died and 1,000 were injured by the powerful blast. The buildings themselves,
once the world's tallest, were nearly toppled by the bomb; an underground restraining wall came
precariously close to breaking and allowing the Hudson River to spill into the World Trade
Center's support area. Hours after the explosion, an informant identified a group of Serbians in
New York as the culprits. However, when the FBI conducted surveillance of the gang they found
not terrorists but jewel thieves, putting an end to a major diamond-laundering operation.
Fortunately, investigators at the bomb scene found a 300-pound section of a van frame that had
been at the center of the blast. The van's vehicle identification number was still visible, leading
detectives to the Ryder Rental Agency in Jersey City, New Jersey. Their records indicated that
Mohammed Salameh had rented the van and reported it stolen on February 25. Salameh was
already in the FBI's database as a potential terrorist, so agents knew that they had probably
found their man. Salameh compounded his mistake by insisting that Ryder return his $400
deposit. When he returned to collect it, the FBI arrested him. A search of his home and records
led to two other suspects. Meanwhile, the owner of a storage facility in Jersey City came forward
to say that he had seen four men loading a Ryder van on February 25. When this storage space
was checked, they found enough chemicals, including very unstable nitroglycerin, to make
another massive bomb. Investigators also found videotapes with instructions on bomb making
that led to the arrest of a fourth suspect. Other evidence showed that one of the terrorists had
bought hydrogen tanks from AGL Welding Supply in New Jersey. In the wreckage under the
World Trade Center, three tanks marked "AGL Welding" were found. In addition, the terrorists
had sent a letter to the New York Times claiming responsibility for the blast. Portions of this
letter were found on the hard drive of one of the suspect's computers. Finally, DNA analysis of
saliva on the envelope matched that of the suspect. The wealth of evidence resulted in easy
convictions, and each of the men was sentenced to 240 years in prison. Despite the fact that the
terrorists did not succeed in destroying the World Trade Center, the bombing remains one of the
worst acts of foreign terrorism on U.S. soil.

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
JACOBSON, DOUGLAS THOMAS
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 3d Battalion, 23d
Marines, 4th Marine Division. Place and date: Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 26 February 1945.
Entered service at: New York. Born: 25 November 1925, Rochester, N.Y. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty
while serving with the 3d Battalion, 23d Marines, 4th Marine Division, in combat against enemy
Japanese forces during the seizure of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Island, 26 February 1945.
Promptly destroying a stubborn 20mm. antiaircraft gun and its crew after assuming the duties of
a bazooka man who had been killed, Pfc. Jacobson waged a relentless battle as his unit fought

desperately toward the summit of Hill 382 in an effort to penetrate the heart of Japanese cross-
island defense. Employing his weapon with ready accuracy when his platoon was halted by
overwhelming enemy fire on 26 February, he first destroyed 2 hostile machinegun positions,
then attacked a large blockhouse, completely neutralizing the fortification before dispatching the
5-man crew of a second pillbox and exploding the installation with a terrific demolitions blast.
Moving steadily forward, he wiped out an earth-covered rifle emplacement and, confronted by a
cluster of similar emplacements which constituted the perimeter of enemy defenses in his
assigned sector, fearlessly advanced, quickly reduced all 6 positions to a shambles, killed 10 of
the enemy, and enabled our forces to occupy the strong point. Determined to widen the breach
thus forced, he volunteered his services to an adjacent assault company, neutralized a pillbox
holding up its advance, opened fire on a Japanese tank pouring a steady stream of bullets on 1 of
our supporting tanks, and smashed the enemy tank's gun turret in a brief but furious action
culminating in a single-handed assault against still another blockhouse and the subsequent
neutralization of its firepower. By his dauntless skill and valor, Pfc. Jacobson destroyed a total of
16 enemy positions and annihilated approximately 75 Japanese, thereby contributing essentially
to the success of his division's operations against this fanatically defended outpost of the
Japanese Empire. His gallant conduct in the face of tremendous odds enhanced and sustained the
highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

WAHLEN, GEORGE EDWARD
Rank and organization: Pharmacist's Mate Second Class, U.S. Navy, serving with 2d Battalion,
26th Marines, 5th Marine Division. Place and date: Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands group, 3 March
1945. Entered service at: Utah. Born: 8 August 1924, Ogden, Utah. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving
with the 2d Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese
forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano group on 3 March 1945. Painfully wounded in the bitter
action on 26 February, Wahlen remained on the battlefield, advancing well forward of the
frontlines to aid a wounded marine and carrying him back to safety despite a terrific
concentration of fire. Tireless in his ministrations, he consistently disregarded all danger to
attend his fighting comrades as they fell under the devastating rain of shrapnel and bullets, and
rendered prompt assistance to various elements of his combat group as required. When an
adjacent platoon suffered heavy casualties, he defied the continuous pounding of heavy mortars
and deadly fire of enemy rifles to care for the wounded, working rapidly in an area swept by
constant fire and treating 14 casualties before returning to his own platoon. Wounded again on 2
March, he gallantly refused evacuation, moving out with his company the following day in a
furious assault across 600 yards of open terrain and repeatedly rendering medical aid while
exposed to the blasting fury of powerful Japanese guns. Stouthearted and indomitable, he
persevered in his determined efforts as his unit waged fierce battle and, unable to walk after
sustaining a third agonizing wound, resolutely crawled 50 yards to administer first aid to still

another fallen fighter. By his dauntless fortitude and valor, Wahlen served as a constant
inspiration and contributed vitally to the high morale of his company during critical phases of
this strategically important engagement. His heroic spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of
overwhelming enemy fire upheld the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

INGMAN, EINAR H., JR.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Cpl.), U.S. Army, Company E, 17th Infantry Regiment,
7th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Maltari, Korea, 26 February 1951. Entered service at:
Tomahawk, Wis. Born: 6 October 1929, Milwaukee, Wis. G.O. No.: 68, 2 August 1951.
Citation: Sgt. Ingman, a member of Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. The 2 leading
squads of the assault platoon of his company, while attacking a strongly fortified ridge held by
the enemy, were pinned down by withering fire and both squad leaders and several men were
wounded. Cpl. Ingman assumed command, reorganized and combined the 2 squads, then moved
from 1 position to another, designating fields of fire and giving advice and encouragement to the
men. Locating an enemy machine gun position that was raking his men with devastating fire he
charged it alone, threw a grenade into the position, and killed the remaining crew with rifle fire.
Another enemy machine gun opened fire approximately 15 yards away and inflicted additional
casualties to the group and stopped the attack. When Cpl. Ingman charged the second position he
was hit by grenade fragments and a hail of fire which seriously wounded him about the face and
neck and knocked him to the ground. With incredible courage and stamina, he arose instantly
and, using only his rifle, killed the entire guncrew before falling unconscious from his wounds.
As a result of the singular action by Cpl. Ingman the defense of the enemy was broken, his squad
secured its objective, and more than 100 hostile troops abandoned their weapons and fled in
disorganized retreat. Cpl. Ingman's indomitable courage, extraordinary heroism, and superb
leadership reflect the highest credit on himself and are in keeping with the esteemed traditions of
the infantry and the U.S. Army.

*YABES, MAXIMO
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, 25th
Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Phu Hoa Dong, Republic of Vietnam, 26 February 1967.
Entered service at: Eugene, Oreg. Born: 29 January 1932, Lodi, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Sgt. Yabes
distinguished himself with Company A, which was providing security for a land clearing
operation. Early in the morning the company suddenly came under intense automatic weapons
and mortar fire followed by a battalion sized assault from 3 sides. Penetrating the defensive
perimeter the enemy advanced on the company command post bunker. The command post

received increasingly heavy fire and was in danger of being overwhelmed. When several enemy
grenades landed within the command post, 1st Sgt. Yabes shouted a warning and used his body
as a shield to protect others in the bunker. Although painfully wounded by numerous grenade
fragments, and despite the vicious enemy fire on the bunker, he remained there to provide
covering fire and enable the others in the command group to relocate. When the command group
had reached a new position, 1st Sgt. Yabes moved through a withering hail of enemy fire to
another bunker 50 meters away. There he secured a grenade launcher from a fallen comrade and
fired point blank into the attacking Viet Cong stopping further penetration of the perimeter.
Noting 2 wounded men helpless in the fire swept area, he moved them to a safer position where
they could be given medical treatment. He resumed his accurate and effective fire killing several
enemy soldiers and forcing others to withdraw from the vicinity of the command post. As the
battle continued, he observed an enemy machinegun within the perimeter which threatened the
whole position. On his own, he dashed across the exposed area, assaulted the machinegun, killed
the crew, destroyed the weapon, and fell mortally wounded. 1st Sgt. Yabes' valiant and selfless
actions saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers and inspired his comrades to effectively
repel the enemy assault. His indomitable fighting spirit, extraordinary courage and intrepidity at
the cost of his life are in the highest military traditions and reflect great credit upon himself and
the Armed Forces of his country.

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 26, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT
ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR
FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
26 February
1913: Chief Constructor of the Navy formally approved an action to provide the Navy with a
wind tunnel at the Washington Navy Yard. (24)
1917: The Navy ordered Lt Alfred A. Cunningham to organize a Marine Aviation Company at
the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The Marines had five pilots at the time. (10)
1918: The 2d Balloon Company, US Army Signal Corps, became the first US Air Service unit to
serve with American forces at the front. It arrived in the Toul Sector for assignment with I Corps
and began operations on 5 March. (4) (24)
1940: The War Department created the ADC to integrate defenses of the US against air attack.
The command, primarily a planning agency, opened its doors at Mitchel Field, Long Island, N.
Y. On 15 March, Brig Gen James E. Chaney assumed command. (24)

1945: Lt Gen Millard F. Harmon, the commanding general of Army Air Forces in the Pacific
area, lost at sea with his Chief of Staff, Brig Gen James R. Andersen, while flying over the
Pacific. The USAF renamed North Guam AFB as Andersen AFB in March 1949 in General
Andersen's honor. (24)
1949: MACKAY TROPHY. Through 2 March, from Carswell AFB Capt James Gallagher flew
the 43 BG's B-50 Lucky Lady II (No. 46-010), on the first nonstop around-the-world flight. He
flew 23,452 miles in 94 hours 1 minute, with four KB-29 air refuelings over the Azores, Arabia,
the Philippines, and Hawaii. The aircrew received several awards: the first Mackay Trophy and
Air Age Trophy (later renamed the Hoyt S. Vandenberg Trophy). (1) (9) (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. 10 B-29 Superfortresses, using radar aiming methods, dropped one-
hundred tons of bombs on the Sinhung-dong rail road bridge near Huichon in north central
Korea, knocking out two spans. (28)
1954: The USAF awarded a contract to the Rocketdyne Division of North American Aviation to
develop the MA-2 propulsion system for the Atlas. (6) 1955: When the controls of his F-100
Super Sabre jammed in a Mach 1.05 flight, North American test pilot George Smith ejected. He
thus became the first person to survive an ejection at a supersonic speed. (21)
1960: A TM-61C Matador tactical missile launched from Pad 1 at Osan AB failed to destruct on
command. An F-100D chase plane fired a Sidewinder missile to shoot it down. (17)
1966: The Apollo/Saturn AS-201 mission, the first unmanned spacecraft of the Apollo series,
launched from the Eastern Test Range in a suborbital flight. It was the first launch of Saturn IB
and Apollo spacecraft. (5)
1968: TAC's Air Force Special Air Warfare Center received the first OV-10A aircraft. (16)
1974: The A-10A prototype fired its GAU-8/A gun for the first time during an inflight test at
Edwards AFB. (3)
1980: Exercise RIMPAC 80. PACAF hosted and participated in the first multinational exercise,
RIMPAC 80, in Hawaiian waters. The exercise included Japanese forces. (16) (26)
1987: Following a massive political protest in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos and
his entourage flew into exile. On 25 February, the 31 ARRS used five H-3 Jolly Green Giant
helicopters to evacuate President Marcos and 51 other people from the Presidential Palace in
Manila to Clark AB. A C-9 Nightingale then flew Marcos and his family to Guam. The next day,
two C-141s and a C-9 carried Marcos, his treasure chest, and his entire entourage to Hickam
AFB.

1990: Martin Marietta delivered 116 Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night
(LANTIRN) pods to the Air Force. This raised the Air Force purchase to 561 navigation pods,
441 targeting pods, and 26 sets of support equipment since the first buy in 1985. (8: May 90)
2007: The 932d Airlift Wing at Scott AFB, Ill., received the first of three Boeing C-40C aircraft
for its mission to transport senior military and government leaders to locations within the U. S.
Previously, the wing used C-9C aircraft for that mission. The C-40C, like the C-40B, was a
virtual "office in the sky" for senior military and government leaders. It was the military version
of the Boeing 737-700 business jet and could accommodate 42 to 111 passengers. (Air Mobility
Command Historical Highlights, 2007)

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