To All
Good Thursday Morning March 19, 2026. Another great day here with temps hitting 95 by 2. Up early and getting ready for testing at the school for all students which will last for about 5 hours. Toni is up and getting around and dong very well the last few days.
Warm Regards,
skip
HAGD
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History March 19 .
1918 Ensign Stephen Potter is the first American to shoot down an enemy seaplane, a German plane off the German coast during World War I.
1924 Curtis D. Wilbur takes office as the 43rd Secretary of the Navy, where he gains his greatest achievements in enlarging and modernizing the fleet, and establishing a naval air force that would become an overwhelming force during World War II.
1942 Secretary of Navy James V. Forrestal places the newly-established construction battalions, later called Seabees, under the command of officers with the Civil Engineer Corps who are trained in the skills required for the performance of construction work.
1944 TBF and FM-2 aircraft from Composite Squadron (VC 6) onboard USS Block Island (CVE 21) sink German submarine U 1059 west-southwest of Dakar.
1945 Submarine USS Balao (SS 285) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks one troopship and three fishing vessels and damages another off the Yangtze estuary about 90 miles north-northwest of Shanghi.
1945 As Fast Carrier Task Force 58 planes bomb Kure and Kobe Harbors, Japanese aircraft single out the US Navy carriers for attack. USS Wasp (CV 18), USS Essex (CV 9), and USS Franklin (CV 13) are hit. After struck by a second bomb, Franklin suffers subsequent explosions on the flight and hangar decks. Heroic work by her crew, assisted by nearby ships, bring the fires and flooding under control. For their actions during this occasion, both Lt. Cmdr. Joseph T. OCallaghan and Lt.j.g. Donald A. Gary receive the Medal of Honor.
1969 While serving with Battery D, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, at Phu Loc 6 in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class David R. Ray is killed in action while providing medical aid to injured Marines during an enemy attack on his unit. Petty Officer Ray is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in that action.
1994 USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) is commissioned at Long Beach, Calif., where then-Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton was the keynote speaker. The Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer.
2003
War in Iraq begins
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Today in World History March 19
1687 The French explorer La Salle is murdered by his own men while searching for the mouth of the Mississippi, along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
1702 On the death of William III of Orange, Anne Stuart, sister of Mary, succeeds to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.
1822 Boston is incorporated as a city.
1879 Jim Currie opens fire on the actors Maurice Barrymore and Ben Porter near Marshall, Texas. His shots wound Barrymore and kill Porter.
1903 The U.S. Senate ratifies the Cuban treaty, gaining naval bases in Guantanamo and Bahia Honda.
1916 The First Aero Squadron takes off from Columbus, NM to join Gen. John J. Pershing and his Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa in Mexico.
1917 The Adamson Act, eight hour day for railroad workers, is ruled constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
1918 Congress authorizes Daylight Savings Time.
1920 The U.S. Senate rejects the Versailles Treaty for the second time.
1924 U.S. troops are rushed to Tegucigalpa as rebel forces take the Honduran capital.
1931 The state of Nevada legalizes gambling.
1935 The British fire on 20,000 Muslims in India, killing 23.
1936 The Soviet Union signs a pact of assistance with Mongolia against Japan.
1944 The German 352nd Infantry Division deploys along the coast of France.
1945 Adolf Hitler orders a scorched-earth policy for his retreating German armies in the west and east.
1947 Chiang Kai-Shek's government forces take control of Yenan, the former headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party.
1949 The Soviet People's Council signs the constitution of the German Democratic Republic, and declares that the North Atlantic Treaty is merely a war weapon.
1963 In Costa Rica, President John F. Kennedy and six Latin American presidents pledge to fight Communism.
1981 One technician is killed and two others are injured during a routine test on space shuttle Columbia.
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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 ..March 19 . .
March 19: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1664
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
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
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. Thanks to Dr. Rich
Interesting Tidbits
Debra Winger was the voice of E.T
Pearls melt in vinegar.
It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year's supply of footballs.
It's possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
Humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of their hands.
The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," uses every letter in the alphabet. (Developed by Western Union to Test telex/two communications)
Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
The airplane Buddy Holly died in was the "American Pie." (Thus the name of the Don McLean song.)
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history. Spades - King David; Clubs - Alexander the Great; Hearts -Charlemagne; and Diamonds - Julius Caesar.l
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them used to burn their houses down-hence the expression "to get fired.
Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the army for the "General Purpose" vehicle, G.P
The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado
The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League All-Star Game.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older
The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
If you put a raisin in a glass of champagne, it will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom.
Snails can sleep for 3 years without eating.
Actor Tommy Lee Jones and vice-president Al Gore were freshman roommates at Harvard.
The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.
Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th.
The man who plays Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott on Star Trek is missing the entire middle finger of his right hand.
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" are stuck on 4.
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. Thanks to Carl
I never drank coffee until I got out of the hospital in 2020 after spending most of the summer there. I was having problems with my plumbing because they had rearranged and shortened it. So my wife said have a coffee. Since I did not like the taste she put some Mocca in it and it was tolerable and over time it seemed to help so one cup while I am doing the morning The List is what I do. Now I find out below that may be a good thing BUT never believe all you read or hear….skip
(Finally, some good news!!)
https://bestlifeonline.com/coffee-health-benefits-news/
This Major Health Benefit of Coffee Was Just Proven True in a New Study
NEW RESEARCH SUGGEST THE BEVERAGE HAS MORE TO OFFER THAN JUST A JOLT OF CAFFEINE.
March 29, 2022
Whether your preference is a latte, cream and sugar, or straight espresso, the smell of fresh coffee grounds in the morning can be enough to get you out of bed and moving. But what if the benefits went beyond the taste or that pleasant jolt of caffeine? Research has found reason to link this morning beverage with specific health benefits, including a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease—and for those who indulge in more than one cup, the news may be even better. Read on to find out more about how your morning cup of Joe could be safeguarding your wellbeing.
Drinking coffee could help you live longer and lower your risk of heart disease.
Your monthly Starbucks Rewards membership just got a whole lot sweeter. According to findings recently presented at the American College of Cardiology's 71st Annual Scientific Session, drinking coffee, specifically having two to three cups each day, lowers your risk of heart disease and dangerous heart rhythms. While coffee sometimes gets a bad rap—with many believing the adage that it stunts your growth—data actually suggest that daily consumption can help you live longer.
"Because coffee can quicken heart rate, some people worry that drinking it could trigger or worsen certain heart issues. This is where general medical advice to stop drinking coffee may come from. But our data suggest that daily coffee intake shouldn't be discouraged, but rather included as a part of a healthy diet for people with and without heart disease," the study's senior author Peter M. Kistler, MD, professor and head of arrhythmia research at the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Institute in Melbourne, Australia, said in a press release.
"We found coffee drinking had either a neutral effect—meaning that it did no harm—or was associated with benefits to heart health," Kistler added, also pointing out that these benefits were seen in patients both with and without cardiovascular disease.
Researchers analyzed data from over half a million patients.
Data was collected from over 500,000 people in the UK BioBank prospective database. Participants filled out a questionnaire when entering the registry, and Kistler's team grouped patients by how many cups of coffee they were consuming each day, ranging between zero and more than five. After controlling for other factors that could contribute to heart health, namely alcohol, exercise, diabetes, and high blood pressure, it was concluded that in most cases, drinking coffee had significant reductions in cardiovascular risk.
When looking at a group of 382,535 individuals without known heart disease in one study, the team found that two to three cups of coffee daily had the greatest benefits, lowering risk of developing coronary heart disease, heart failure, a heart rhythm problem, or death for any reason by 10 to 15 percent. A second study evaluated 34,729 patients with some form of cardiovascular disease at baseline, two to three cups of coffee were yet again found to be associated with lower risk of dying.
There was no association between drinking coffee and risk of heart rhythm problems, namely atrial fibrillation (AFib)—an irregular, rapid heart rhythm—or atrial flutter. Those who had an arrhythmia at baseline and also drank coffee had a lower risk of death, and coffee drinkers with AFib were almost 20 percent less likely to die than those who didn't drink coffee. This finding is of particular importance, as the impact of caffeine on these conditions is often an area of concern for healthcare providers.
"Clinicians generally have some apprehension about people with known cardiovascular disease or arrhythmias continuing to drink coffee, so they often err on the side of caution and advise them to stop drinking it altogether due to fears that it may trigger dangerous heart rhythms," Kistler said. "But our study shows that regular coffee intake is safe and could be part of a healthy diet for people with heart disease."
This is how coffee beans can help the heart.
Caffeine has its pros and cons for several coffee drinkers, but coffee beans may be additionally beneficial for your health, containing over 100 biologically active compounds. According to Kistler, this is helpful to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and to keep your metabolism going.
Kistler and his team analyzed instant versus ground coffee, as well as caffeinated versus decaf, as a variable in a third study of cardiovascular risk. Regardless of the form—be it instant or ground—two to three cups of coffee daily had positive effects. Not only did these study participants have lower rates of death, but also lower risk of arrhythmias, artery blockage in the heart, stroke, and heart failure. Caffeine, however, did play a role in and may be the preferred selection. Although decaf coffee reduced rates of cardiovascular disease, excluding heart failure, it did not produce the same favorable effects against incident arrhythmia.
Should I up my daily coffee intake?
If you're feeling ready to up your coffee quota tomorrow morning, Kistler cautions doing so if it makes you uncomfortable or triggers anxiety.
"There is a whole range of mechanisms through which coffee may reduce mortality and have these favorable effects on cardiovascular disease," Kistler said. "Coffee drinkers should feel reassured that they can continue to enjoy coffee even if they have heart disease. Coffee is the most common cognitive enhancer—it wakes you up, makes you mentally sharper and it's a very important component of many people's daily lives."
Researchers also noted limitations of the analyses, which could have impacted the accuracy of results. Other dietary factors that could put participants at risk for cardiovascular disease were not accounted for as part of research, and investigators were relying on self-reported data collected at the beginning of the study. There was also no requirement to list how you take your coffee, whether that be with creamers, milks, or other sugary additives, and most of the study participants were white, limiting the generalizability of findings.
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
The last American to collect a Civil War pension died in 2020.
The U.S. Civil War ended in 1865 after four grueling years of conflict, but the Confederacy's surrender at Appomattox Court House didn't instantly bring closure to a tattered nation. Instead, it marked the beginning of the laborious task of rebuilding a divided country, one that had more than 2 million newly minted veterans. Many were injured from battle or suffered war-related illnesses, and those who didn't survive the war often left behind families with few ways to support themselves. As a solution to a growing health care and social crisis, the U.S. government created a pension system to financially aid Union soldiers and their widows for the rest of their lives. (Confederate soldiers did not qualify, though some Southern states funded their pensions.) By 1956, the last surviving Civil War veteran had died, but the Department of Veterans Affairs would continue issuing pension payments for decades to come — up until 2020.
Irene Triplett, a 90-year-old North Carolina woman, was the last person to receive a Civil War pension, thanks to her father's service in the Union Army. Mose Triplett was originally a Confederate soldier who deserted in 1863 and later joined a Union regiment, a move that kept him out of the fight at Gettysburg, where 90% of his former infantry was killed. Switching sides also guaranteed Mose a pension for the remainder of his life, which would later play a role in him remarrying after the death of his first wife. At age 78, Mose married the 27-year-old Elida Hall — a move historians say was common during the Great Depression, when aging veterans needing care could provide financial security to younger women. The couple had two children, including Irene, who was diagnosed with cognitive impairments that allowed her to qualify for her father's pension after both parents' deaths. By the time of Irene's own passing in 2020, the U.S. government had held up its duty, paying out Mose Triplett's pension for more than 100 years.
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From the Archives
Thanks to Dr. Rich
Thanks to Boysie ….
Homographs
Homographs are words of like spelling but with more than one meaning. A homograph that is also pronounced differently is a heteronym. You think English is easy?? I think a retired English teacher was bored...THIS IS GREAT!
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture re..
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France . Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'?
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This was to good to pass up…..How about night noises in a single seat fighter at night in bad weather.
8 Noises You Hear on Airplanes—and What They Mean
Ever heard an odd beep or whir while midair? Believe it or not, there's a meaning for every airplane sound.
What do the noises on planes mean?
If you've traveled via airplane before, odds are you've heard a thump, ping, bang, or whir while in flight, during takeoff, or when landing. But what do the airplane chimes, beeps, and thuds mean? In most cases, they're nothing to worry about. Oftentimes, certain noises can mean multiple things.
We tapped flight experts to explain everything you need to know about what these common airplane noises mean. And if you've wondered what airplane chimes mean, you've likely wondered why it's so cold on airplanes, why airplane windows are round, and maybe even how high airplanes fly. We've got the scoop on all of the airplane facts you'd ever want to know, including the things flight attendants would never do.
What do the pings on a plane mean?
You might hear one, two, or ten on your flight—but what do airplane chimes mean? It turns out the pings you hear overhead in flight are actually somewhat important. They generally let you know when you should stay seated and when you can move around the cabin, which it's why it's good to know the best time to get up and use the plane bathroom.
But depending on what airline you're flying, they likely also mean something else. According to Scott Keyes, founder and CEO of Scott's Cheap Flights, airline pilots and crews often use sounds to communicate with one another. "Each airline has its own internal language for what specific chimes mean, and they can vary by length, pitch, and repetition," Keyes told Reader's Digest. "Think of it as a 30,000-foot morse code."
The codes may indicate a need for seatbelts, passengers requiring assistance, upcoming turbulence, that the plane has reached a certain altitude, or almost anything else. Each code language is determined by its airline, and no two airlines are the same, so it's nearly impossible to generalize.
Banging while boarding
It's common to hear banging coming from below when boarding a plane or waiting in your seat at the gate before takeoff. But don't worry! This is most likely just the cargo, or the luggage, being loaded onto the plane beneath the cabin..
A puff of air while boarding
Before takeoff, one of the first sounds you'll hear when flying is a puff or whoosh of air coming from inside the aircraft. This sound occurs when the plane's ventilation system switches from an outside system to one inside the aircraft. The lights inside may also flicker when this happens.
Two thumps and a high-pitched whir right after takeoff
When the plane lifts off the ground, the pilot pulls the wheels into the plane's body and closes the flaps behind them, one at a time (thump, thump). That disconcerting whir comes from the pilot retracting the wing flaps that were needed to get the plane off the ground. Both of those actions are part of the process of "cleaning up the plane" to make it streamlined for flight.
"Doors to arrival" and "cross check"
When an airplane's doors are closed, an escape slide is automatically enabled for safety reasons. That's why you'll hear the phrase "doors to arrival" as you approach the gate. It reminds flight attendants to disarm the slide. "Cross check" is a directive for the crew to double-check one another's doors for the slide. On the topic of airplane safety, here's why some airplanes have rear-facing seats.
"All call"
You might hear this overhead or from one of the flight attendants. This announcement is a request for a sort of conference call for the crew. Each flight attendant calls in to report that he or she has completed the assigned safety checks. You should never interfere with the crew's safety routines, and you also shouldn't do these things while on an airplane.
A rumble during landing
As the plane begins its descent, the engine noise will reduce since it is no longer accelerating. In order to slow the plane down so that it can land safely, the flight spoilers—the long boards on the wing that lift up to increase drag—will be activated. When they are activated, passengers in the cabin will hear a rumble and feel vibrations.
Revving engines during touchdown
Once the plane has touched down on land, it sounds like the engines are revving for takeoff. This is just the captain reversing the engine thrusts to help slow down the aircraft. When this happens, you'll hear the loud noise of the engines and feel pushed forward in your seat because of rapid deceleration.
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This Day in U S Military History
19 March
1916 – Eight Curtiss "Jenny" planes of the First Aero Squadron take off from Columbus, New Mexico, in the first combat air mission in U.S. history. The First Aero Squadron, organized in 1914 after the outbreak of World War I, was on a support mission for the 7,000 U.S. troops who invaded Mexico to capture Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. On March 9, 1916, Villa, who opposed American support for Mexican President Venustiano Carranza, led a band of several hundred guerrillas across the border on a raid of the town of Columbus, New Mexico, killing 17 Americans. On March 15, under orders from President Woodrow Wilson, U.S. Brigadier General John J. Pershing launched a punitive expedition into Mexico to capture Villa. Four days later, the First Aero Squadron was sent into Mexico to scout and relay messages for General Pershing. Despite numerous mechanical and navigational problems, the American fliers flew hundreds of missions for Pershing and gained important experience that would later be used by the pilots over the battlefields of Europe. However, during the 11-month mission, U.S. forces failed to capture the elusive revolutionary, and Mexican resentment over U.S. intrusion into their territory led to a diplomatic crisis. In late January 1917, with President Wilson under pressure from the Mexican government and more concerned with the war overseas than with bringing Villa to justice, the Americans were ordered home.
1918 – Congress authorized time zones and approved Daylight Saving Time.
1945 – US Task Force 58 (Admiral Mitscher) conducts air raids naval bases in the Inland Sea, with Kure specifically targeted. Six Japanese carriers and 3 battleships are reported damaged. There are Japanese Kamikaze attacks in response which badly damage the carriers Franklin and Wasp as well as hitting Enterprise and Essex. The 832 killed on board the USS Franklin is the heaviest casualty list ever recorded on a US ship. Admiral Spruance, command the US 5th Fleet, is present for the operations.
1945 – Off the coast of Japan, a dive bomber hits the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, killing 724 of her crew. Badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the U.S. under her own power.
1952 – The 1,000,000th Jeep was produced. In 1939, the American Bantam Car Company submitted its original design for an all-terrain troop transport vehicle–featuring four-wheel drive, masked fender-mount headlights, and a rifle rack under the dash–to the U.S. Armed Forces. The Army loved Bantam's design, but the development contract for the vehicle was ultimately awarded to the Willys-Overland Company for its superior production capabilities. Bantam wound up fulfilling a government contract for 3,000 vehicles during the war; but the Jeep, as designed by Willys-Overland, would become the primary troop transport of the U.S. Army. Mass production of the Willys Jeep began after the U.S. declaration of war in 1941. The name "Jeep" is reportedly derived from the Army's request that car manufacturers develop a "General Purpose" vehicle. "Gee Pee" turned to "Jeep" somewhere along the battle lines. Another story maintains that the name came from a character in the Popeye cartoon who, like the vehicle, was capable of incredible feats. The Willys Jeep became a cultural icon in the U.S. during World War II, as images of G.I.'s in "Gee Pees," liberating Europe, saturated newsreels in movie theaters across the country. Unlike the Hummer of recent years, the Jeep was not a symbol of technological superiority but rather of the courage of the American spirit–a symbol cartoonist Bill Mauldin captured when he drew a weeping soldier firing a bullet into his broken down Willys Jeep. By 1945, 660,000 Jeeps had rolled off the assembly lines and onto battlefields in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Many remained abroad after the war, where their parts were integrated into other vehicles or their broken bodies were mended with colorful impromptu repairs. Wherever the Jeep roamed, it lived up to its design as a vehicle for general use. During the war, Jeep hoods were used as altars for field burials. Jeeps were also used as ambulances, tractors, and scout cars. After the war, surplus Jeeps found their way into civilian life as snowplows, field plows, and mail carriers. Willys-Overland released its first civilian Jeep model, called the CJ (Civilian Jeep) in 1945.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BURR, HERBERT H.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company C, 41st Tank Battalion, 11th Armored Division. Place and date: Near Dorrmoschel, Germany, 19 March 1945. Entered service at: Kansas City, Mo. Birth: St. Joseph, Mo. G.O. No.: 73, 30 August 1945. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry during action when the tank in which he was bow gunner was hit by an enemy rocket, which severely wounded the platoon sergeant and forced the remainder of the crew to abandon the vehicle. Deafened, but otherwise unhurt, S/Sgt. Burr immediately climbed into the driver's seat and continued on the mission of entering the town to reconnoiter road conditions. As he rounded a turn he encountered an 88-mm. antitank gun at pointblank range. Realizing that he had no crew, no one to man the tank's guns, he heroically chose to disregard his personal safety in a direct charge on the German weapon. At considerable speed he headed straight for the loaded gun, which was fully manned by enemy troops who had only to pull the lanyard to send a shell into his vehicle. So unexpected and daring was his assault that he was able to drive his tank completely over the gun, demolishing it and causing its crew to flee in confusion. He then skillfully sideswiped a large truck, overturned it, and wheeling his lumbering vehicle, returned to his company. When medical personnel who had been summoned to treat the wounded sergeant could not locate him, the valiant soldier ran through a hail of sniper fire to direct them to his stricken comrade. The bold, fearless determination of S/Sgt. Burr, his skill and courageous devotion to duty, resulted in the completion of his mission in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
GARY, DONALD ARTHUR
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, Junior Grade, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Franklin. Place and date: Japanese Home Islands near Kobe, Japan, 19 March 1945. Entered service at: Ohio. Born: 23 July 1903, Findlay, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as an engineering officer attached to the U.S.S. Franklin when that vessel was fiercely attacked by enemy aircraft during the operations against the Japanese Home Islands near Kobe, Japan, 19 March 1945. Stationed on the third deck when the ship was rocked by a series of violent explosions set off in her own ready bombs, rockets, and ammunition by the hostile attack, Lt. (j.g.) Gary unhesitatingly risked his life to assist several hundred men trapped in a messing compartment filled with smoke, and with no apparent egress. As the imperiled men below decks became increasingly panic stricken under the raging fury of incessant explosions, he confidently assured them he would find a means of effecting their release and, groping through the dark, debris-filled corridors, ultimately discovered an escapeway. Stanchly determined, he struggled back to the messing compartment 3 times despite menacing flames, flooding water, and the ominous threat of sudden additional explosions, on each occasion calmly leading his men through the blanketing pall of smoke until the last one had been saved. Selfless in his concern for his ship and his fellows, he constantly rallied others about him, repeatedly organized and led fire-fighting parties into the blazing inferno on the flight deck and, when firerooms 1 and 2 were found to be inoperable, entered the No. 3 fireroom and directed the raising of steam in 1 boiler in the face of extreme difficulty and hazard. An inspiring and courageous leader, Lt. (j.g.) Gary rendered self-sacrificing service under the most perilous conditions and, by his heroic initiative, fortitude, and valor, was responsible for the saving of several hundred lives. His conduct throughout reflects the highest credit upon himself and upon the U.S. Naval Service.
O'CALLAHAN, JOSEPH TIMOTHY
Rank and organization: Commander (Chaplain Corps), U.S. Naval Reserve, U.S.S. Franklin. Place and date: Near Kobe, Japan, 19 March 1945. Entered service at: Massachusetts. Born: 14 May 1904, Boston, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as chaplain on board the U.S.S. Franklin when that vessel was fiercely attacked by enemy Japanese aircraft during offensive operations near Kobe, Japan, on 19 March 1945. A valiant and forceful leader, calmly braving the perilous barriers of flame and twisted metal to aid his men and his ship, Lt. Comdr. O'Callahan groped his way through smoke-filled corridors to the open flight deck and into the midst of violently exploding bombs, shells, rockets, and other armament. With the ship rocked by incessant explosions, with debris and fragments raining down and fires raging in ever-increasing fury, he ministered to the wounded and dying, comforting and encouraging men of all faiths; he organized and led firefighting crews into the blazing inferno on the flight deck; he directed the jettisoning of live ammunition and the flooding of the magazine; he manned a hose to cool hot, armed bombs rolling dangerously on the listing deck, continuing his efforts, despite searing, suffocating smoke which forced men to fall back gasping and imperiled others who replaced them. Serving with courage, fortitude, and deep spiritual strength, Lt. Comdr. O'Callahan inspired the gallant officers and men of the Franklin to fight heroically and with profound faith in the face of almost certain death and to return their stricken ship to port.
BUCHA, PAUL WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Company D, 3d Battalion. 187th Infantry, 3d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Phuoc Vinh, Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 16- 19 March 1968. Entered service at: U .S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. Born: 1 August 1943, Washington, D.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Bucha distinguished himself while serving as commanding officer, Company D, on a reconnaissance-in-force mission against enemy forces near Phuoc Vinh, The company was inserted by helicopter into the suspected enemy stronghold to locate and destroy the enemy. During this period Capt. Bucha aggressively and courageously led his men in the destruction of enemy fortifications and base areas and eliminated scattered resistance impeding the advance of the company. On 18 March while advancing to contact, the lead elements of the company became engaged by the heavy automatic weapon, heavy machine gun, rocket propelled grenade, Claymore mine and small-arms fire of an estimated battalion-size force. Capt. Bucha, with complete disregard for his safety, moved to the threatened area to direct the defense and ordered reinforcements to the aid of the lead element. Seeing that his men were pinned down by heavy machine gun fire from a concealed bunker located some 40 meters to the front of the positions, Capt. Bucha crawled through the hail of fire to single-handedly destroy the bunker with grenades. During this heroic action Capt. Bucha received a painful shrapnel wound. Returning to the perimeter, he observed that his unit could not hold its positions and repel the human wave assaults launched by the determined enemy. Capt. Bucha ordered the withdrawal of the unit elements and covered the withdrawal to positions of a company perimeter from which he could direct fire upon the charging enemy. When 1 friendly element retrieving casualties was ambushed and cut off from the perimeter, Capt. Bucha ordered them to feign death and he directed artillery fire around them. During the night Capt. Bucha moved throughout the position, distributing ammunition, providing encouragement and insuring the integrity of the defense. He directed artillery, helicopter gunship and Air Force gunship fire on the enemy strong points and attacking forces, marking the positions with smoke grenades. Using flashlights in complete view of enemy snipers, he directed the medical evacuation of 3 air-ambulance loads of seriously wounded personnel and the helicopter supply of his company. At daybreak Capt. Bucha led a rescue party to recover the dead and wounded members of the ambushed element. During the period of intensive combat, Capt. Bucha, by his extraordinary heroism, inspirational example, outstanding leadership and professional competence, led his company in the decimation of a superior enemy force which left 156 dead on the battlefield. His bravery and gallantry at the risk of his life are in the highest traditions of the military service, Capt. Bucha has reflected great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*McMAHON, THOMAS J.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion, 1st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. place and date: Quang Tin province, Republic of Vietnam, 19 March 1969. Entered service at: portland, Maine. Born: 24 June 1948, Washington, D.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. McMahon distinguished himself while serving as medical aid man with Company A. When the lead elements of his company came under heavy fire from well-fortified enemy positions, 3 soldiers fell seriously wounded. Sp4c. McMahon, with complete disregard for his safety, left his covered position and ran through intense enemy fire to the side of 1 of the wounded, administered first aid and then carried him to safety. He returned through the hail of fire to the side of a second wounded man. Although painfully wounded by an exploding mortar round while returning the wounded man to a secure position, Sp4c. McMahon refused medical attention and heroically ran back through the heavy enemy fire toward his remaining wounded comrade. He fell mortally wounded before he could rescue the last man. Sp4c. McMahon's undaunted concern for the welfare of his comrades at the cost of his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*RAY, DAVID ROBERT
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman Second Class, U.S. Navy, 2d Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, 19 March 1969. Entered service at: Nashville, Tenn. Born: 14 February 1945, McMinnville, Tenn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a HC2c. with Battery D, 2d Battalion, at Phu Loc 6, near An Hoa. During the early morning hours, an estimated battalion-sized enemy force launched a determined assault against the battery's position, and succeeded in effecting a penetration of the barbed-wire perimeter. The initial burst of enemy fire caused numerous casualties among the marines who had immediately manned their howitzers during the rocket and mortar attack. Undaunted by the intense hostile fire, HC2c. Ray moved from parapet to parapet, rendering emergency medical treatment to the wounded. Although seriously wounded himself while administering first aid to a marine casualty, he refused medical aid and continued his lifesaving efforts. While he was bandaging and attempting to comfort another wounded marine, HC2c. Ray was forced to battle 2 enemy soldiers who attacked his position, personally killing 1 and wounding the other. Rapidly losing his strength as a result of his severe wounds, he nonetheless managed to move through the hail of enemy fire to other casualties. Once again, he was faced with the intense fire of oncoming enemy troops and, despite the grave personal danger and insurmountable odds, succeeded in treating the wounded and holding off the enemy until he ran out of ammunition, at which time he sustained fatal wounds. HC2c. Ray's final act of heroism was to protect the patient he was treating. He threw himself upon the wounded marine, thus saving the man's life when an enemy grenade exploded nearby. By his determined and persevering actions, courageous spirit, and selfless devotion to the welfare of his marine comrades, HC2c. Ray served to inspire the men of Battery D to heroic efforts in defeating the enemy. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 19, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
19 March
1910: Orville Wright opened the first Wright Flying School at Montgomery, Ala. This site became Maxwell AFB. (24) (18)
1918: Ensign Stephan Potter shot down a German seaplane and became the first American naval aviator to be officially credited with an enemy seaplane. (24) The 94th Aero Squadron (Hat in the Ring Squadron), 1st Pursuit Group, flew its first operation across French lines. (8) (11)
1943: Lt Gen Henry Hap Arnold received his fourth star, making him the first four-star general for the US AAF. (8)
1944: Operation STRANGLE. The Mediterranean Allied Air Force initiated a seven-week bombing effort against German supply lines to support an allied offensive in Italy. By 11 May, allied aircraft had completed over 50,000 sorties to drop over 26,000 tons of bombs.
1945: Eighth Air Force's 496 BG conducted one of the last "Carpetbagger" operations in World War II by dropping 82 agents into Germany. (4)
1969: SECDEF Melvin Laird announced that the FB-111 program would be reduced, due to its lack of intercontinental range. He thus limited the USAF to four squadrons with 60 aircraft and a few replacements. Laird revealed that a new bomber, the Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft (AMSA) would be developed. This aircraft later became the B-1. (1)
1970: Major Jerauld R. Gentry, an AFFTC test pilot, made the first powered flight of the Martin Marietta X-24A Wingless Lifting Body over Edwards AFB. A B-52 dropped the X-24A. (3)
1971: USAF Southern Command began moving residents from Nicaraguan farming areas ravaged by the Cerro Negro volcano. During the 10-day mission, C-123s airlifted 885 Nicaraguans and 190,000 pounds of household goods, food, and other supplies to a new area. (5)
1978: For the first time, USAFE F-15 Eagles and Navy F-14 Tomcat aircraft began joint dissimilar air combat tactics training. (16) (26)
1984: Operation EAGLE LIFT. Through 9 April, MAC flew 28 C-5 Galaxy and 17 C-141 missions to carry 1,286 passengers and 1,594 tons of cargo for the deployment of 3 E-3A AWACS to provide aerial surveillance for Egypt and the Sudan against threats from Libya. Five KC-135 and 2 KC-10 missions provided aerial refueling. (16) (21) Exercise GRANDERO I. Through 2 July, MAC aircraft participated in a combined US and Honduran field training exercise in Honduras. (16)
1989: Bell Pilot Dorman Canon and Boeing pilot Dick Balzer flew the V-22 Osprey at the Bell Helicopter Textron's flight research center at Arlington, Tx. (20)
1992: Two F-15s intercepted two Russian TU-95 Bear bombers near the Alaskan coast, the first such interception since the breakup of the Soviet Union. (26)
1997: Exercise CORONET 97-2. Through 20 March, the 509 BW conducted the longest B-2 Spirit Global Power mission to date when The Spirit of Florida flew from Whiteman AFB to Puerto Rico. Major Robert O'Neal and Capt Scott Hughes of the 393BS flew the nearly 30-hour, round-trip flight with its four aerial refuelings and a live conventional weapon release at the Vieques Range, Puerto Rico. (AFNEWS Article 970345, 26 Mar 97)
2000: The Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards AFB fired a Lockheed Martin Titan IV solidfuel rocket booster for the first time since 1993 in its Leuhman Ridge test stand. The test lasted 140 seconds and generated 1.7 million pounds of thrust. (3)
2003: Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Just after 9:30 p. m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), US forces fired about 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Iraq, striking three targets around Baghdad. The attack began the US-led, multinational coalition effort to liberate the people of Iraq and depose Saddam Hussein and his regime from power. F-117A Nighthawks, flying "decapitation strikes," successfully used the new dual-door and ripple launch techniques. (See 15 March 2003) (3) (22)
2004: The first active-duty C-130J Hercules (No. 02-0314) arrived at the 314 AW at Little Rock AFB. (22)
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