To All
. Good Friday morning March 27. .. It is all clear now .they could not get enough people and cargo airplanes there so my son still has not left.
Have a great weekend
...
Warm Regards,
skip
HAGD
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Go here to see the director's corner for all 94 H-Grams
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
March 27
1794 President George Washington signs "An act to provide a naval armament" authorizing the construction of six frigates: United States, Constellation, Constitution, Chesapeake, Congress, and President.
1880 The sloop of war Constellation departs New York with food for famine victims in Ireland. To modify the sloop for the mission, her armament and some ballast are removed, and carpenters at the New York Navy Yard build bins on the lowest deck to carry a cargo of more than 2,500 barrels of potatoes and flour.
1944 USS Hake (SS 256) torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant tanker Yamamizu Maru about 75 miles south of Borneo. Also on this date, USS Rasher (SS 269) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks army cargo ship Nichinan Maru about 50 miles north of Bali.
1975 The evacuation by sea of Da Nang, Vietnam begins, a four-day effort by Military Sea Command ships that carry more than 30,000 refugees from Da Nang until March 30, when the North Vietnamese troops overrun the city and harbor.
2007 The last known female veteran of World War I, Charlotte Louise Berry Winters, dies at the age of 109. She enlisted in the Navy in 1917.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in World History March 27
1350 While besieging Gibraltar, Alfonso XI of Castile dies of the black death.
1512 Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sights Florida.
1802 The Treaty of Amiens is signed, ending the French Revolutionary War.
1814 U.S. troops under Gen. Andrew Jackson inflict a crushing defeat on the Creek Indians at Horshoe Bend in Northern Alabama.
1836 The Mexican army massacres Texan rebels at Goliad.
1866 President Andrew Johnson vetoes the civil rights bill, which later becomes the 14th amendment.
1884 The first long-distance telephone call is made from Boston to New York.
1899 The Italian inventor G. Marconi achieves the first international radio transmission between England and France.
1900 The London Parliament passes the War Loan Act, which gives 35 million pounds to the Boer War cause.
March 27, 1912: In Washington, D.C., Helen Taft, wife of President William Taft, and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, plant two Yoshino cherry trees on the northern bank of the Potomac River, near the Jefferson Memorial. The event commemorated a gift, by the Japanese government, of some 3,020 cherry trees to the U.S. government.
The planting of Japanese cherry trees along the Potomac was first proposed by socialite Eliza Scidmore, who raised money for the endeavor. Helen Taft had lived in Japan while her husband was president of the Philippine Commission, and knowing the beauty of cherry blossoms she embraced Scidmore's idea. After learning of the first lady's interest, the Japanese consul in New York suggested making a gift of the trees to the U.S. government from the city of Tokyo.
1933 Some 55,000 people stage a protest against Hitler in New York.
1941 Takeo Yoshikawa arrives in Oahu, Hawaii, to begin spying for Japan on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor.
1942 The British raid the Nazi submarine base at St. Nazaire, France.
1944 Thousands of Jews are murdered in Kaunas, Lithuania. The Gestapo shoots forty Jewish policemen in the Riga, Latvia ghetto.
1944 One thousand Jews leave Drancy, France for the Auschwitz concentration camp.
1945 General Dwight Eisenhower declares that the German defenses on the Western Front have been broken.
1952 Elements of the U.S. Eighth Army reach the 38th parallel in Korea, the original dividing line between the two Koreas.
1958 The United States announces a plan to explore space near the moon.
1976 Washington, D.C. opens its subway system.
1977 In aviation's worst disaster yet, 582 die when a KLM Pan Am 747 crashes.
.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
My apologies to the Bear and Dan for messing this up earlier in the week….skip
Rollingthunderremembered.com .
March 27
Hello All,
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 .
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
.
Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..March 27 . .
March 27: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1678
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
From the archives
. Thanks to Barrett ..
Shark mouth Nose Art History
Especially for modelers.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
. . Thanks to Mike
That time British sailors sang Monty Python as their ship burned.
The Brit's sense of humor came through again.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Some humor from Micro from the archives but still great
A chuckle or two to get us through today.
Having plans sounds like a good idea until you have to put on clothes and leave the house.
It's weird being the same age as old people.
Life is like a helicopter. I don't know how to operate a helicopter.
Chocolate is God's way of telling us he likes us a little bit chubby.
It's probably my age that tricks people into thinking I'm an adult.
Marriage Counselor: "Your wife says you never buy her flowers. Is that true?"
Him: "To be honest, I never knew she sold flowers."
My wife asked me to take her to one of those restaurants where they make the food right in front of you. So I took her to Subway and that's how the fight started.
During the middle ages they celebrated the end of the plague with wine and orgies. Does anyone know if there is anything planned when this one ends?
I don't think the therapist is supposed to say "Wow," that many times in your first session but here we are…
I see people about my age mountain climbing; I feel good getting my leg through my underwear without losing my balance.
We can all agree that in 2015 not a single person got the answer correct to, "Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?"
So if a cow doesn't produce milk, is it a milk dud or an udder failure?
If you can't think of a word say "I forgot the English word for it." That way people will think you're bilingual instead of an idiot.
I'm at a place in my life where errands are starting to count as going out.
Cronacoaster Noun: The ups and downs of a pandemic. One day you're loving your bubble, doing work outs, baking banana bread and going for long walks and the next you're crying, drinking gin for breakfast and missing people you don't even like.
I'm at that age where my mind still thinks I'm 29, my humor suggests I'm 12, while my body mostly keeps asking if I'm sure I'm not dead yet.
Don't be worried about your smartphone or TV spying on you. Your vacuum cleaner has been collecting dirt on you for years.
I'm getting tired of being part of a major historical event.
I don't always go the extra mile, but when I do it's because I missed my exit.
How many of us have looked around our family reunion and thought, "Well aren't we just two clowns short of a circus?"
At what point can we just start using 2020 as profanity? As in: "That's a load of 2020." or "What in the2020." or "abso-2020-lutely."
You don't realize how old you are until you sit on the floor and then try to get back up.
We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
This is the day dogs have been waiting for. They realize their owners can't leave the house and they get them 24/7. Dogs are rejoicing everywhere. Cats are contemplating suicide.
If you are trying to impress me with your vehicle it better be a food truck.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Brett
March 26, 2026
Daily Memo: Iran Makes Preparations
Tehran is boosting defenses on a critical island in the Persian Gulf.
By: Geopolitical Futures
New developments. Iran is stationing additional military personnel and air defense systems on Kharg Island in preparation for a possible U.S. ground operation, CNN reported, citing sources in U.S. intelligence. Iran has also reportedly placed anti-personnel and anti-tank mines around the island and on its coastline. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Tehran is allowing passage through the Strait of Hormuz to five "friendly" countries (Russia, India, Iraq, China and Pakistan), but that the government still sees "no point in allowing our opponents to use the strait."
North Korea and Belarus. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a so-called friendship treaty during the latter's official visit to Pyongyang on Thursday. Following the signing, Lukashenko said the two countries were entering a "fundamentally new stage" in their relations, which he said was "long overdue." According to Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, who is also part of the visiting delegation, the two leaders plan to sign 10 cooperation agreements covering agriculture, education and health care.
Tanker attack. An oil tanker owned by Turkish company Pergamon Denizcilik was attacked 15 nautical miles from the Bosporus Strait. According to Turkish officials, an "unmanned sea vessel" hit the ship, which was traveling from Russia and carrying 140,000 tons of oil, as it approached the entrance to the Bosporus from the Black Sea. The tanker is subject to sanctions by the European Union, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom due to its involvement in Russia's "shadow fleet" export operations.
Official date. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in Beijing on May 14-15, the White House announced. The summit was expected to take place in late March or early April but was postponed because of the Iran war. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a reciprocal visit is expected to take place in Washington at a later date.
Lebanon operation. Israeli forces are expanding the "security zone" in southern Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement. According to him, Israel's operation in the country is aimed at pushing the threat of anti-tank missiles farther from Israel's population centers.
Security partnership. Australia and Germany will sign a status of forces agreement that will enable military personnel from both countries to more easily operate on each other's territory, the Australian and German defense ministers announced following a meeting in Canberra. The two countries also plan to jointly develop a space-based early warning system to detect threats from Russia and China.
Minerals deal. Russia's Uranium One Group, a subsidiary of state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom, signed an agreement with Brazil's NBEPar to create a joint venture focused on mineral extraction in Brazil. The deal will cover exploration of mineral deposits and, potentially, development of modern facilities for the extraction and processing of critical metals.
Getting out. Turkish military personnel stationed in Baghdad have been evacuated as part of NATO's decision to withdraw its mission in the country, Turkey's Defense Ministry said. On Friday, NATO announced that it was pulling out its staff from Iraq amid the worsening situation in neighboring Iran.
China and Egypt. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdel-Aty, about the situation in the Middle East. Abdel-Aty expressed Egypt's concern about future attacks on energy infrastructure in the region, while Wang reiterated Beijing's opposition to military action without authorization by the U.N. Security Council. Wang also said Beijing supports Egypt's mediation efforts and is ready to assist.
Expedited service. The United States is working to speed up arms supplies to Taiwan, the Taiwanese defense minister said following Taipei's complaints over repeated delays. According to the official, Washington has established a special task force to accelerate deliveries of stalled orders.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
. . Thanks to Interesting Facts
The Origin Stories Behind 8 Popular Idioms
Idioms are short phrases that often make no literal sense but are nonetheless usually understood by the native speakers of a language. They can be quirky, playful, and sometimes even strange, but the most charming thing about them is their specificity of culture — like an inside joke shared by millions. Someone still learning English might be baffled to hear that they'd been "let off the hook," though almost anyone raised in an English-speaking community would understand the meaning.
Over time, the original context of the phrase is usually lost, but the words find new meaning in their idiomatic form. Take, for instance, being let off the hook. Dating back to the 18th century, the phrase evokes the image of a worm on the end of a fishing line. If it can wiggle itself off the hook, it can avoid being eaten by a fish. Likewise, a child caught stealing a cookie might beg and plead themselves out of being reprimanded, thereby getting themselves off the hook. Here are the little-known origin stories behind eight other common English idioms.
1 of 8
"Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve"
To wear your heart on your sleeve is to be honest and open about your feelings. The phrase is generally believed to have originated in the Middle Ages. It was the custom then for jousting knights to wear some sort of insignia on their arm that indicated the ladies for whom they were hoping to triumph, thus proclaiming their love to the world.
2 of 8
"Pardon My French"
In England, in the early 1800s, people would "beg pardon" for using French words in conversation. Forgiveness was requested in these instances because most people did not speak French, and furthermore, the Napoleonic Wars had left a residue of animosity between the two countries. By the mid-1800s the phrase had evolved to refer to swear words specifically. It's worth noting that the Cambridge dictionary defines the idiom as something to be said when pretending to be sorry for offensive language.
3 of 8
"The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread"
In 1928, when inventor Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa, first released his bread loaf-slicing invention, the advertisement claimed it was "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped." Riffing on the theme, customers began to compare all later inventions to his, and the modern idiom evolved from there.
4 of 8
"With Flying Colors"
This idiom dates back to the Age of Exploration, the period when European explorers first set off across the seas. If a captain had been successful in his venture, he would order the crew to fly their country's flag (or "colors") to announce their victory before arriving back at the home port. Originally, the phrase "with flying colors" simply meant that a mission had been completed without disaster, but over the centuries the idiom came to signify great success.
5 of 8
"Apple of My Eye"
To be the apple of someone's eye is to be their most adored companion, but what exactly is an eye apple? This idiom is one of the oldest in the English language, traced back to the ninth century. Back then, it was assumed that the pupil of the eye was a round, solid object, and it was often compared to an apple, as apples were a commonly known round object. The delicate nature of sight (and its tendency to fade with age) made vision precious and over the years the phrase "apple of my eye" came to be used in reference to anything or anyone a person held dear.
6 of 8
"Head Over Heels"
If one stops to think about it, being "head over heels" is actually how most humans spend their days. So how did this common, everyday state of being come to signify romance? In the 1300s, the phrase "head over heels" was used more literally to describe someone tumbling through a handstand or cartwheel, but by the 1800s writers had begun to use the phrase idiomatically to describe someone who had fallen hopelessly in love.
7 of 8
"Buttering Up"
To butter someone up is to beguile them, or to lavish them with praise to get what you want. The idiom evolved from the very literal buttering that takes place as part of the Hindu tradition of throwing balls of clarified butter (called ghee) at the statues of deities. In exchange for the offering, it was thought that buttered-up gods would reward the faithful with a good harvest.
8 of 8
"Cutting the Mustard"
There is much speculation regarding the origin of this idiom, but the most reputable sources trace its usage from the late 1600s when the phrase "keen as mustard" was used to describe someone of high standards. Combined with "cutting," which is often used in place of "exhibiting" (think: cutting a fine figure), and you get the modern, idiomatic equivalent of "exhibiting high standards
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
. . From the archives
Thanks to GM ...
YP is still setting folks up a-light.
"He who would pun would pick a pocket."
Dunno aboot that, or naughty Limericks, either. For you smort folks, Issac Asimov was a meister.
The more complicated, the better. I submit #6 for you slide rule types.
YP
Sent from my iPhone
THANX TO JOHN TROTTI!
Subject: Punz
1. King Ozymandias of Assyria was running low on cash after years of war with the Hittites. His last great possession was the Star of the Euphrates , the most valuable diamond in the ancient world. Desperate, he went to Croesus, the pawnbroker, to ask for a loan. Croesus said, "I'll give you 100,000 dinars for it."
"But I paid a million dinars for it," the King protested. "Don't you know who I am? I am the King!"
Croesus replied, "When you wish to pawn a Star, makes no difference who you are."
2. Evidence has been found that William Tell and his family were avid bowlers. Unfortunately, all the Swiss League records were destroyed in a fire, . . . and so we'll never know for whom the Tells bowled.
3. A man rushed into a busy doctor's surgery and shouted, "Doctor! I think I'm shrinking!"
The doctor calmly responded, "Now, settle down. You'll just have to be a little patient."
4. An Indian chief was feeling very sick, so he summoned the medicine man. After a brief examination, the medicine man took out a long, thin strip of elk rawhide and gave it to the chief, telling him to bite off, chew, and swallow one inch of the leather every day.
After a month, the medicine man returned to see how the chief was feeling. The chief shrugged and said, "The thong is ended, but the malady lingers on."
5. A famous Viking explorer returned home from a voyage and found his name missing from the town register. His wife insisted on complaining to the local civic official, who apologized profusely saying, "I must have taken Leif off my census."
6. There were three Indian squaws. One slept on a deer skin, one slept on an elk skin, and the third slept on a hippopotamus skin. All three became pregnant. The first two each had a baby boy. The one who slept on the hippopotamus skin had twin boys.
This just goes to prove that... the squaw of the hippopotamus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides. (Some of you may need help with this one).
7. A skeptical anthropologist was cataloging South American folk remedies with the assistance of a tribal elder who indicated that the leaves of a particular fern were a sure cure for any case of constipation. When the anthropologist expressed his doubts, the elder looked him in the eye and said, "Let me tell you, with fronds like these, you don't need enemas."
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
. The invasion of Iwo Jima
February 19th was the start of the invasion of Iwo. For the Marines and sailors who assaulted Iwo, every one of the 36 continuous days of that battle seemed nearly that long.
About 77,000 US Marines from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions converged on tiny Iwo Jima in late February. LtGen Tadamichi Kuribayashi had fortified Iwo Jima for a full year before the invasion, and had an estimated 22,000 troops dug in under the island. US forces began bombing Iwo in June 1944, 8 full months before the invasion. Naval bombardments then shelled the island mercilessly around the clock for four consecutive days prior to the invasion.
Iwo set a number of "firsts":
It was the longest concentrated bombardment of any target in the history of mankind up to that date.
It was the largest total tonnage of bombs and artillery ever delivered on a single target to that date.
It was the largest armada of ships ever assembled for an invasion up to that date (about 700 ships).
It was the largest number of invaders to ever invade any island up to that date (each of those new records was broken by the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945).
It was the first (and last) time Seabees accompanied Marines in the first waves of a beach invasion (they swore they'd never do THAT again!).
It was the first and last time any Marine unit landed on D-Day and served an entire campaign without being relieved by another unit.
And it was the only time in Marine Corps history when the number of invading casualties exceeded the number of defending casualties. More than 19,000 Marines were wounded on Iwo, and 6,821 died there. As such, it remains the costliest battle in Marine Corps history.
One-third of all Marines killed during WWII died on Iwo Jima.
All but about 200 Japanese defenders died on Iwo.
Marine LtGen Harry Schmidt and LtGen H. M. Smith led Task Force 56. It made up V Corps, composed of the 3rd MarDiv (MGen Erskine), 4th MarDiv (MGen Clifton Cates), and 5th MarDiv (MGen Rockey). The 5th Division had been formed expressly for the battle of Iwo Jima. It was disbanded following the battle.
Among the participants were names of distinction:
· Son of the sitting Commandant LtCol AA Vandergriff Jr (3/24) · Future Commandant 1stLt Robert E Cushman, Jr (2/9) · Future Commandant Clifton Cates (CG 4thMarDiv) · Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal · LtGen "Howlin' Mad" Smith · And the first enlisted Marine Medal of Honor recipient of WWII, "Manila John" Basilone. Basilone had received his MOH from Chesty Puller for action on Guadalcanal. He was KIA on Iwo.
The invasion planners felt confident the battle would take 7-10 days. It took 36. LtGen Kuribayashi's body has never been found.
The final two Japanese defenders surrendered 4 years after the battle. In January of 1949, two Japanese soldiers surrendered themselves to the occupying US Army garrison on Iwo. They had hidden in the 11 miles of tunnels and bunkers under Iwo, successfully raiding the Army supplies for food and water at night.
They had found a Stars and Stripes newspaper which showed pictures of GIs celebrating New Year's Eve in downtown Tokyo, 1948-49, and knew Japan had lost the war.
They reported in full uniforms, well fed, and surrendered clean, fully-functional weapons.
Iwo Jima stands as an icon for every Marine who has earned the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor since 1945. The men who fought there are true heroes to our nation and our Corps. We can never thank them enough for what they went through for us on that small patch of hell. I've stopped often today and thought about them.
THANK YOU, Marines. Because of what you did, I grew up a safe, healthy kid in comfort and freedom speaking English instead of Japanese.
Semper Fidelis.
Next week on April 1, 1945 the Battle of Okinawa begins.
It goes for 92 days
.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
OMG Thanks to Sodbuster
They've gone totally WUS (or however you spell it). That feeling, no, not feeling but KNOWLEDGE of your invincibility, courage, excellence as an aviator - all that was inculcated into you as you "hit the boat" while a student - just became MAYBE with this decision.
BIG MISTAKE
They might as well let the Air Farce do all of the training. If they had any sense of what this opens up, that will soon be the AF's proposal. And if that happens, how do you decide who goes to the jet pipeline? I experienced first hand the results of letting the AF train Marines. In the late 60's and early 70's, the AF trained Marines* went to jet squadrons because they had primarily flown jets including the supersonic T-38. Some of them had no business piloting an airplane that went that fast in the Naval Aviation environment. In June of 1970, a Marine A-4 squadron from Beaufort went to the Med. I can't say exactly the results but night qualifications for the squadron didn't happen according to the Navy trained aviators that I knew in the squadron.
It's all about money. Penny wise, pound foolish… Oh wait a minute………… WE DON'T HAVE PENNIES ANYMORE!!
John
*The AF trained Marines because there weren't enough slots in the jet pipeline for the demands of Vietnam. So, the AF gladly stepped up.
U.S. Navy Finalizes T-45 Replacement Requirements
T-45s
Credit: U.S. Navy
The U.S. Navy has set an aggressive timeline and cost goal for its next-generation trainer, and will keep its plan to no longer require carrier-representative unflared landings to meet it.
The service on March 26 released its final request for proposals (RFP) for the Undergraduate Jet Training System to replace its aging T-45 Goshawk fleet. The RFP says the service will consider any proposal for engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) with a total cost of more than $1.751 billion as "unreasonable and therefore unawardable." The Navy also says proposals for initial EMD must keep fiscal 2027 cost below just $52.8 million and $181 million the following year.
Notably, the service is keeping with its fairly controversial decision to not require the new trainer to either go to a carrier for training or conduct carrier-representative unflared landings at training bases. Keeping this need would have required extensive rework to most of the declared competitors for the contract. Instead, according to the proposal, the competitors must outline how they will use simulators and other systems to conduct the landing training.
The Navy plans to buy four engineering and manufacturing development aircraft with a cost-plus contract before going to firm fixed price starting with the first seven aircraft in low-rate initial production. The EMD award is expected in March 2027. The Navy plans a combined developmental and operational test of 18 months with the low rate initial production (LRIP) option coming before the completion of test.
According to a fielding plan also posted March 26, the Navy will begin LRIP procurement in 2032 with production ramping to 12 in 2033, 20 in 2034 and 25 per year for the subsequent six years. Of the total, 95 will be delivered to Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi, 95 to NAS Kingsville, Texas, and 26 to NAS Pensacola, Florida. The EMD aircraft will be headed to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. All told, the Navy will field 216 of the trainers.
Four main competitors have emerged for the competition: Boeing with its T-7A Red Hawk that is also the U.S. Air Force's new trainer, Lockheed Martin and KAI with the TF-50N, Beechcraft and Leonardo with the M-346N and SNC with its Freedom, along with a team of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. and Northrop Grumman.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
. Thanks to Barrett
On March 26, 1953, American medical researcher Dr. Jonas Salk announces on a national radio show that he has successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes the crippling disease of polio.
In 1952—an epidemic year for polio—there were 58,000 new cases reported in the United States, and more than 3,000 died from the disease. For his work in helping to eradicate the disease, which is known as "infant paralysis" because it mainly affects children, Dr. Salk was celebrated as the great doctor-benefactor of his time.
Polio, a disease that affected humanity many times throughout recorded history, attacks the nervous system and can cause varying degrees of paralysis. Since the virus is easily transmitted, epidemics were commonplace in the first decades of the 20th century. The first major polio epidemic in the United States occurred in Vermont in the summer of 1894, and by the 20th century thousands were affected every year. In the first decades of the 20th century, treatments were limited to quarantines and the infamous "iron lung," a metal coffin-like contraption that aided respiration. Although children, and especially infants, were among the worst affected, adults were also often afflicted, including future president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1921 was stricken with polio at the age of 39 and was left partially paralyzed. Roosevelt later transformed his estate in Warm Springs, Georgia, into a recovery retreat for polio victims and was instrumental in raising funds for polio-related research and the treatment of polio patients.
Salk, born in New York City in 1914, first conducted research on viruses in the 1930s when he was a medical student at New York University, and during World War II helped develop flu vaccines. In 1947, he became head of a research laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh and in 1948 was awarded a grant to study the polio virus and develop a possible vaccine. By 1950, he had an early version of his polio vaccine.
I spent almost the entire summer of '52 in the hospital at Fort Hood Texas with polio but was lucky and made it out of there in time to start school. My mom dragged me to every new version of the vaccine that came out after that….Skip
==
Our father contracted polio visiting a friend in Puerto Rico c. 1946. Reputedly the risk was known but concealed by The Government for economic rea$on$.
Dad was an anti-government bolshevik thereafter. During his hospitalization his father brought Dad's pet Doberman on a morale visit. Dad tracked Clipper's progress down the hall by the distressed shouts and shrieks until the 90-lb doggie leapt onto the bet. Medical Personnel insisted on Clipper's removal but Dad said "YOU take him out!"
Nobody did.
Still remember Dad's Canadian walking sticks in the closet at the ranch, but despite atrophied lower legs he returned to flying in rudder airplanes.
Barrett
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 267 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
.
This Day in U S Military History… March 27.
1836 – a disastrous setback for the Texans resisting Santa Anna's dictatorial regime, the Mexican army defeats and executes 417 Texas revolutionaries at Goliad. Long accustomed to enjoying considerable autonomy from their Mexican rulers, many Anglo Texan settlers reacted with alarm when Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna proclaimed himself dictator of Mexico in 1835. Santa Anna immediately imposed martial law and attempted to disarm the Texans. Yet, this move merely fed the flames of Texan resistance. In November 1853, Texan leaders proclaimed their resistance to Santa Anna's dictatorship, though they stopped short of calling for independence. The next month, the Texans managed to defeat 800 Mexican soldiers stationed in San Antonio. However, the rebel leaders remained deeply divided over what to do next, making them vulnerable to Santa Anna's ruthless determination to suppress dissension. While the Texas rebels dallied, Santa Anna moved decisively. In mid-February he led a massive Mexican army across the Rio Grande, and after a 13-day siege of the Alamo, crushed the rebels in San Antonio. Meanwhile, to the south, Santa Ann's chief lieutenant, General Urrea, moved to destroy another faction of the rebel army attempting to defend the town of Goliad. Disagreements among the Texans had led to a division of the rebel forces. James W. Fannin was left with only slightly more than 300 Texans to protect Goliad, a position the rebels needed in order to maintain their supply routes to the Gulf Coast. As Urrea's much larger 1400-man army approached, Fannin acted with indecision, wondering if he should go to the aid of the besieged men at the Alamo. Belatedly, Fannin attempted to fall back from the approaching Mexican army, but his retreat order came too late. On March 19, Urrea surrounded the small column of rebel soldiers on an open prairie, where they were trapped without food, water, or cover. After repulsing one Mexican assault, Fannin realized there was no chance of escape. Rather than see his force annihilated, Fannin surrendered. Apparently, some among the Texans who surrendered believed they would be treated as prisoners of war. Santa Anna, however, had clearly stated several months before that he considered the rebels to be traitors who would be given no quarter. In obedience to Santa Anna's orders, on this day in 1836 Urrea ordered his men to open fire on Fannin and his soldiers, along with about 100 other captured Texans. More than 400 men were executed that day at Goliad. Ironically, rather than serving to crush the Texas rebellion, the Goliad Massacre helped inspire and unify the Texans. Now determined to break completely from Mexico, the Texas revolutionaries began to yell "Remember Goliad!" along with the more famous battle cry, "Remember the Alamo!" Less than a month later, Texan forces under General Sam Houston dealt a stunning blow to Santa Anna's army in the Battle of San Jacinto, and Texas won its independence.
1899 – Emilio Aguinaldo leads Filipino forces for the only time during the Philippine–American War at the Battle of Marilao River. The Battle of Marilao River was fought in Marilao, Bulacan, Philippines, during the Philippine–American War. It was one of the most celebrated river crossings of the whole war, wherein American forces crossed the Marilao River, which was 80 yards wide and too deep to ford, while under Filipino fire from the opposite bank. The American official account had admitted that Aguinaldo acted with a great sense of military strategy, averting disastrous routs while succeeding to sustain heavy damage on the enemy (that is, the Americans). The losses in the American drive to Malolos, the account also stated, had proved the Filipinos' effective fighting quality.
1942 – All RAF aircraft and the remainder of Chennault's American volunteer air force are withdrawn from Burma.
1943 – US began an assault on Fondouk-pass, Tunisia.1945 – General Dwight D. Eisenhower told reporters in Paris that German defenses on the Western Front had been broken.
1943 – Battle of the Komandorski Islands – In the Aleutian Islands the battle begins when United States Navy forces intercept Japanese attempting to reinforce a garrison at Kiska. The Battle of the Komandorski Islands was a naval battle between American and Japanese forces in the North Pacific area of the Pacific Ocean, south of the Soviet Komandorski Islands. It is considered one of the most unusual naval engagements of World War II being one of the few entirely between surface vessels–neither force had submarine or air escort.
1945 – Iwo Jima was occupied, after 22,000 Japanese and 6,000 US killed.
1945 – The last German V2 rocket lands southeast of London at Orpington. The V2 campaign has killed over 2700 British civilians and injured 6500. As well as the 1115 launched at British targets, a further 2050 were aimed at Antwerp, Brussels and Liege.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
ALLEN, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company I, 23d U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Turret Mountain, Ariz., 27 March 1873. Entered service at: Lansingburg, N.Y. Birth: Brightstown, N.Y. Date of issue: 12 April 1875. Citation: Gallantry in action.
STANLEY, EBEN
Rank and organization: Private, Company A, 5th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Near Turret Mountain, Ariz., 25 and 27 March 1873. Entered service at. ——. Birth: Decatur County, lowa. Date of issue: 12 April 1875. Citation: Gallantry in action.
GREELY, ADOLPHUS W.
Rank and organization: Major General, U.S. Army, retired. Place and date: —-. Entered service at: Louisiana. Born: 27 March 1844, Newburyport, Mass. G.O. No.: 3, W.D., 1935. Act of Congress, 21 March 1935. Citation: For his life of splendid public service, begun on 27 March 1844, having enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army on 26 July 1861, and by successive promotions was commissioned as major general 10 February 1906, and retired by operation of law on his 64th birthday.
CHARETTE, WILLIAM R.
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman Third Class, U.S. Navy Medical Corpsman serving with a marine rifle company. Place and date: Korea, 27 March 1953. Entered service at: Ludington, Michigan. Birth: Ludington, Mich. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy aggressor forces during the early morning hours. Participating in a fierce encounter with a cleverly concealed and well-entrenched enemy force occupying positions on a vital and bitterly contested outpost far in advance of the main line of resistance, HC3c. Charette repeatedly and unhesitatingly moved about through a murderous barrage of hostile small-arms and mortar fire to render assistance to his wounded comrades. When an enemy grenade landed within a few feet of a marine he was attending, he immediately threw himself upon the stricken man and absorbed the entire concussion of the deadly missile with his body. Although sustaining painful facial wounds, and undergoing shock from the intensity of the blast which ripped the helmet and medical aid kit from his person, HC3c. Charette resourcefully improvised emergency bandages by tearing off part of his clothing, and gallantly continued to administer medical aid to the wounded in his own unit and to those in adjacent platoon areas as well. Observing a seriously wounded comrade whose armored vest had been torn from his body by the blast from an exploding shell, he selflessly removed his own battle vest and placed it upon the helpless man although fully aware of the added jeopardy to himself. Moving to the side of another casualty who was suffering excruciating pain from a serious leg wound, HC3c. Charette stood upright in the trench line and exposed himself to a deadly hail of enemy fire in order to lend more effective aid to the victim and to alleviate his anguish while being removed to a position of safety. By his indomitable courage and inspiring efforts in behalf of his wounded comrades, HC3c. Charette was directly responsible for saving many lives. His great personal valor reflects the highest credit upon himself and enhances the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*HAMMOND, FRANCIS C.
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman, U.S. Navy, attached as a medical corpsman to 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Korea, 26-27 March 1953. Entered service at: Alexandria, Va. Birth: Alexandria, Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a HC serving with the 1st Marine Division in action against enemy aggressor forces on the night of 26-27 March 1953. After reaching an intermediate objective during a counterattack against a heavily entrenched and numerically superior hostile force occupying ground on a bitterly contested outpost far in advance of the main line of resistance. HC Hammond's platoon was subjected to a murderous barrage of hostile mortar and artillery fire, followed by a vicious assault by onrushing enemy troops. Resolutely advancing through the veritable curtain of fire to aid his stricken comrades, HC Hammond moved among the stalwart garrison of marines and, although critically wounded himself, valiantly continued to administer aid to the other wounded throughout an exhausting 4-hour period. When the unit was ordered to withdraw, he skillfully directed the evacuation of casualties and remained in the fire-swept area to assist the corpsmen of the relieving unit until he was struck by a round of enemy mortar fire and fell, mortally wounded. By his exceptional fortitude, inspiring initiative and self-sacrificing efforts, HC Hammond undoubtedly saved the lives of many marines. His great personal valor in the face of overwhelming odds enhances and sustains the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 27, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
27 March
1909: The Aero Club of America entered an agreement and became the Aviation Section of the Automobile Club of America. (24)
1916: 1st Aero Squadron aircraft started carrying mail and dispatches for the Mexican Punitive Expedition. (18)
1941: The US and Great Britain signed the 2 September 1940 Base-Lease Agreement to give the US rights to eight air and naval bases in the British Atlantic and Caribbean possessions in return for US destroyers. (24)
1942: The US War and Navy Departments announced the Navy's command over anti-submarine warfare off America's East and West coasts with authority over Army air patrol units. (5)
1945: Gen Carl Spaatz sent Eighth Air Force against Berlin to destroy the Luftwaffe. Spaatz realized the enemy would defend Berlin, so he sent bombers over the city with P-51 Mustang escorts. General Galland of the Luftwaffe later said, "Whenever our fighters appeared, the Americans hurled themselves at them. Nowhere were we safe from them." (4) To close Japan's Shimonoseki Strait to shipping, the XXI Bomber Command sent 105 B-29s to drop mines. Most of the planes carried 12,000-pound loads. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR. Upon learning that Chinese troops had captured a downed U.S. pilot near Pyoksong, Korea, a helicopter crew made several low passes that enabled him to escape. While one helicopter crewman fired a rifle at the Chinese soldiers, others lowered a hoist to rescue the pilot. (28)
1956: SECDEF Charles E. Wilson made E.V. Murphree the "unpaid Czar" of the US missile program. Murphee helped to direct and coordinate "activities connected with research, development, engineering, and production of guided missiles, particularly ballistic missiles." (24)
1958: A KC-135 Stratotanker completed the first nonstop flight from Castle AFB to Wellington, New Zealand, and covered the approximate 6,000-mile distance in 15 hours. (9)
1977: Through 30 March, after two Boeing 747 airliners with 643 passengers crashed at Tenerife, Canary Islands, a C-130 from USAFE flew medical personnel there and then airlifted 56 survivors to Las Palmas, Canary Islands. A MAC C-141 later airlifted the survivors to various locations in the US for treatment. (21)
1989: Through April, MAC dispatched 7 C-5 and 4 C-141 missions to fly equipment, cargo, and passengers to Valdez, Alaska, to assist in oil spill cleanup efforts after an oil tanker ran aground. One C-5 carried two Navy oil skimmers to Elmendorf AFB. (16) (18)
1997: An Air Mobility Command C-141 crew from Scott AFB flew the first US aircraft through the new Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace over the North Atlantic from Gander, Newfoundland, to Stuttgart, Germany. The RVSM cut vertical separations between aircraft from 2,000 to 1,000 feet at altitudes between 33,000 and 37,000 feet in an effort to deal with the tremendous growth in air traffic. (22)
1999: Operation ALLIED FORCE. Enemy ground fire brought down an F-117 in Yugoslovia. It was the first combat loss of the stealth fighter. An A-10 pilot, Capt John A. Cherrey, located the downed pilot for rescue efforts. Cherrey later received the Silver Star for his actions. (21) Operation ALLIED FORCE/DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS. Four KC-135 aircrew members—Capt Clifton G. Janney, Maj Kevin Torres, Capt Russell O'Dell, and SSgt Matthew DellaLucca—from the 6 AREFW at MacDill AFB risked their lives to air refuel two A-10s, which had nearly run out of fuel. On 16 August 2000, Gen Charles T. Robertson, Jr., AMC commander, awarded the DFC to the crewmembers. (22) Operation ALLIED FORCE. About 100 ANG volunteers and two EC-130 Commando Solo aircraft from Pennsylvania's 193rd Special Operations Wing deployed to Germany to support this operation. (32)
2004: NASA's X-43A unmanned aircraft became the first jet to break Maj William J. Knight's X-15 record of 4,520 MPH. While the X-1, Skyrocket, X-2, and X-15 were rocket-powered, the X-43 featured an advanced scramjet engine, which allowed it to cruise at 4,780 mph (Mach 6.83) for 11 seconds at 95,000 feet.
2006: An RQ-4A Global Hawk, designated N-1, took off from Edwards AFB on a one-way sortie to NAS Patuxent River. The Navy acquired N-1 through the Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration Program for long-range patrol and reconnaissance. Before the flight, AFFTC received a military airworthiness certificate for N-1. It was the first time an UAV was certified safe for flight in national airspace. (3)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SkipsList" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to skipslist+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/skipslist/CACTjsm2cxdYOeHYV9r9tpRMLF5byF5CpfFivd7dEhU1C4cUs0g%40mail.gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.