To All
. Good Monday morning March 30. .Just back from Oceanside Physical Therapy.. After many delays my son got airborne late last night and landed in an east coast base where they are secluded and do not know where they are. No food or anything and nobody knows where they are going or when they are leaving. What a cluster…….
.Busy here with last classes tonight to promote students then almost a week off. The washer and dryer we bought is supposed to be delivered and installed today Things are really rolling downhill
I hope you all had a good weekend
Warm Regards,
skip
HAGD
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor—Easter
Did you know that the popular tradition of Easter baskets can be traced back to 17th-century Germany and the legend of the Osterhase? The Osterhase was a fictional, egg-laying hare that would leave brightly-colored eggs for well-behaved children. German immigrants brought the custom to America in the 18th century, and over time, it expanded to include candies and chocolates.
I find it odd: 364 days of the year, we tell our kids DO NOT eat anything you find on the ground. On Easter we tell them, go and search in the dirt for candy a strange giant bunny left for you, kids.
It was that time, during the Sunday morning service, for the children's sermon. All the children were invited to come forward.
One little girl was wearing a particularly pretty dress and, as she sat down, the pastor leaned over and said, "That is a very pretty dress. Is it your Easter Dress?"
The little girl replied, directly into the pastor's clip-on microphone, "Yes, and my Mom says it's a 'bitch' to iron."
A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.
Pastor said, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"
My friend said, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor."
Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"
He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service."
One Easter Sunday morning as the minister was preaching the children's sermon; he reached into his bag of props and pulled out an egg. He pointed at the egg and asked the children, "What's in here?"
"I know" a little boy exclaimed..."Pantyhose!"
A man was blissfully driving along the highway, when he saw the Easter Bunny hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the bunny, but unfortunately the rabbit jumped in front of his car and was hit. The basket of eggs went flying all over the place.
The driver, being a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulled over to the side of the road, and got out to see what had become of the bunny carrying the basket. Much to his dismay, the colorful bunny was dead. The driver felt guilty and began to cry.
A woman driving down the same highway saw the man crying on the side of the road and pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong. "I feel terrible," he explained, "I accidentally hit the Easter Bunny and killed it. There may not be an Easter because of me. What should I do?"
The woman told the man not to worry. She knew exactly what to do. She went to her car trunk, and pulled out a spray can. She walked over to the limp, dead bunny, and sprayed the entire contents of the can onto the furry animal.
Miraculously the Easter Bunny came back to life, jumped up, picked up the spilled eggs and candy, waved its paw at the two human and hopped on down the road. 50 yards away the Easter Bunny stopped, turned around, waved and hopped on down the road another 50 yards, turned, waved, hopped another 50 yards and waved again!
The man was astonished. He said to the woman, "What in heaven's name is in your spray can? What was it that you sprayed on the Easter Bunny?"
The woman turned the can around so the man could read the label. It said "Hair spray. Restores life to dead hair. Adds permanent wave."
"Equal" is not always synonymous with "the same." Men and women are created equal. But, boys and girls are not born the same.
You dress your little girl in her Easter Sunday best, and she'll look just as pretty when you finally make it to church an hour later.
You dress a boy in his Easter Sunday best, and he'll somehow find every mud puddle from your home to the church, even if you're driving there.
The Night Before Easter…
'Twas the night before Easter. All was calm and laid back.
Fred, the mouse in the kitchen, snarfed down a late snack.
The eggs were all dyed but still drippy and sticky...
To be honest, they looked just a little bit icky.
There were big jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and such,
And as Fred stuffed his face, he sighed, "This is too much!"
Phil and Rose were in bed watching late night TV,
While munching saltines with low-sodium Brie.
Then a sudden commotion rang out in the night.
It shook Phil and Rose, really gave them a fright.
Phil's hair stood on end, and his eyes bugged out big...
Rose whipped off the covers and knocked off her wig.
They lunged to the window, yanked open the blinds...
What they saw was amazing; it boggled their minds:
Across the night sky, with a noise like the dickens,
Soared a minivan drawn by eight overgrown chickens!
At the wheel sat a bunny -- cute, fuzzy and fat --
In designer blue jeans and a Panama hat.
Like a speeding space shuttle, those chickens they flew,
As the van driver called to each hen in his crew:
"Now, Ashley! Now, Sheila! Now, Kelsey and Bo!
On Bethany, Liza! On Daphne, on Flo!"
The van made its landing lickety-split ...
Nearly wiped out the shrubs and the barbecue pit!
Then up on the roof, much to Phil's consternation,
They squawked of egg prices and space navigation.
They made so much noise that Phil started to stammer,
"If you guys don't shut up, we'll get thrown in the slammer!"
Fuzzy hopped down the chimney, amidst all this racket,
And emerged from the fireplace, adjusting his jacket.
This bunny was chic, he had class, he had flair ..
Not your average bozo, not your typical hare.
His ears were enormous; his huge overbite
Was right under a nose like a pink neon light.
His manner was smooth, he was hip, he was cool;
This floppy-eared bunny was no fuzzy fool.
"While I'm here," he smiled, "Everybody relaxes ...
I'm not selling storm windows, won't audit your taxes.
I'm just here to bring you some fun and delight.
Eat, drink, and be merry! Let's party tonight!"
So they sipped diet soda and swapped silly jokes,
Those birds and their bunny just being plain folks.
Then flop-ears said, "Hey, friends, we've had quite a ball,
But my chickens and I are now due in St. Paul!"
He crossed both his eyes. Then he wiggled one ear,
And he yelled to his chicken team, "We're outta here!"
As the minivan rose in the 3 a.m. sky,
He called out, "Later, Phil! And to you, Rose, good-bye!"
As he sped out of sight, his two friends heard him say,
"Happy Easter to all! Have a beautiful day!"
Top Reasons to Celebrate Easter Sunday:
• You absolutely loved the movie, "The Ten Commandments".
• You look really, really good in yellow.
• It's a good time to check out your neighborhood church and not be noticed.
• You have this bunny suit you love to wear, but are too insecure to wear it without a reason.
• Even though you don't know what it is, you really like the sound of hearing the "Passion story."
• You figured since Jesus went to all THAT trouble to make it to the first Easter, you'd give it a shot.
• As a Christian you celebrate the resurrection every other day, why not Easter too?
What I Learned from the Easter Bunny…
• All work and no play can make you a basket case.
• Walk softly and carry a big carrot.
• The best things in life are still sweet and gooey!
• Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
• Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans.
• Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
• To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell.
• There's no such thing as too much candy.
The making of these Easter cookies are a really great "hands-on" way of helping the children in your lives, to understand what Easter is all about. It is recommended that they be made Saturday night before Easter. You will need::
1c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
A pinch of salt
1c. sugar
Zipper baggie
Wooden spoon
Tape
Bible
• Preheat oven to 300 (This is important--don't wait till you're half done with the recipe).
• Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
• Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
• Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
• Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
• So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.
• Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
• Fold in broken nuts Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.
• Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven off. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.
• GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
• On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!
• On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9
I hope you all enjoy the real meaning of Easter,
Al
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
March 30
1944 Task Force 58 begins bombing of Japanese airfields, shipping, fleet servicing facilities, and other installations at Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai in the Carolines.
1944 USS Darter (SS 227) sinks a Japanese army cargo ship near New Guinea, despite the presence of an escort vessel. Also on this date, USS Picuda (SS 382) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks a transport ship near Guam while USS Stingray (SS 186) sinks a transport ship near Saipan.
1953 During the Korean War, five enemy guns in the Wonsan area fire about 20 rounds at USS Prichett (DD 561), falling about 150 yards short. Prichett silences the enemy guns with counterbattery fire.
1973 USS Forrestal (CVA 59) and Sixth Fleet ships provided aid to Tunisia following a disastrous flood, relocating 729 persons, 27 tons of cargo and an entire herd of 227 sheep.
1991 USS Princeton (CG-59) and crew are awarded the Combat Action Ribbon in recognition of the superior and arduous work the crew put in to keep the ship in war-fighting status following the Feb. 18 mining of the ship where three crew members were injured and the ships propeller was damaged during Operation Desert Storm.
2007 USS Hawes (FFG 53) provides medical assistance to Liberian cargo vessel MV Harmony while conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the southern Persian Gulf.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
1972 - Easter Offensive began in Vietnam
On this day in history (March 30):
1858: Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia patented the pencil.
1981: President Reagan was shot and seriously injured outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by gunman John W. Hinckley Jr., who also wounded White House news secretary James Brady, a Secret Service agent, and a District of Columbia police officer, but recovered quickly & joked about his ruined suit. As Reagan is wheeled into surgery, he quips to the doctors, "Please tell me you're Republicans." Hinckley wanted to impress actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley was later found NOT guilty by reason of insanity.
1999: Model Fabio was injured while riding a roller coaster as a goose flew into his face at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia.
And today is:
National Hot Dog Day
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Today in World History March 30
1492 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sign a decree expelling all Jews from Spain.
1840 "Beau" Brummell, the English dandy and former favorite of the prince regent, dies in a French lunatic asylum for paupers.
1858 Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia patents the pencil with an eraser attached on one end.
1867 Russian Baron Stoeckl and U.S. Secretary of State Seward complete the draft of a treaty ceding Alaska to the United States. The treaty is signed the following day.
1870 The 15th amendment, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race, passes.
1870 President U.S. Grant signs bill readmitting Texas to the Union, the last Confederate state readmitted.
1885 In Afghanistan, Russian troops inflict a crushing defeat on Afghan forces, despite orders not to fight.
1909 The Queensboro Bridge in New York opens. It is the first double decker bridge and links Manhattan and Queens.
1916 Mexican bandit Pancho Villa kills 172 at the Guerrero garrison in Mexico.
1936 Britain announces a naval construction program of 38 warships. This is the largest construction program in 15 years.
1941 The German Afrika Korps under General Erwin Rommel begins its first offensive against British forces in Libya.
1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration, Oklahoma, opens on Broadway.
1944 The U.S. fleet attacks Palau, near the Philippines.
1945 The Red Army advances into Austria.
1946 The Allies seize 1,000 Nazis attempting to revive the Nazi party in Frankfurt.
1950 President Harry S Truman denounces Senator Joe McCarthy as a saboteur of U.S. foreign policy.
1957 Tunisia and Morocco sign a friendship treaty in Rabat.
1972 Hanoi launches its heaviest attack in four years, crossing the DMZ.
1975 As the North Vietnamese forces move toward Saigon, desperate South Vietnamese soldiers mob rescue jets.
1981 President Ronald Reagan is shot and wounded in Washington, D.C. by John W. Hinckley Jr.
1987 Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers is bought for $39.85 million.
. Thank you Dan
Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
.
Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..March 30 . .
.March 30: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1065
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
By: Kipp Hanley
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
. Thanks to Lurch…If you lived In SoCal in the 50's through the 70s you knew and watched Cal worthinto and his dog Spot but spot could be any creature. He sold a lot of cars.
Subject: Cal's used F-4s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg8-mx4KGK8
Anyone from Southern California will remember Cal Worthington.
Enjoy.
Ralph
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
. Thanks to Shadow
In Today's Rolling Thunder there was a description of the loss of "Spooky". It was a reminder of an event we had up near the DMZ, where the young C.O. of Alpha Company was killed. It happened right in front of me! He was a beloved Commander and leader. It was a big loss for all of us. Later in life I was contacted by some fellow Grunts, wanting to know how it happened since I was on the patrol. I wrote about it for them and then felt compelled to write the post script of what occurred three days later.
After three months with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, Fourth Marines… I was pulled out of Delta to become the new Battalion Commander, LtCol Jack (Blackjack) Westerman, Radio Man. I was with the man 24/7 for the duration of my tour. I attended briefings, went where ever he did. 99% of the time, I was the one keeping everybody informed. I was "Permission 6", he was "Permission 6 Alpha". "Permission" was our Battalion call sign. Outside of the various C.O.'s… the Battalion Radio Operators were the most informed enlisted Marines. All Communications went through us, with the exception of Face to Face conversation. We were the purveyor of good and bad news.
Grunts were a bit different from Aviators… most of the men I served with in the Grunts hardly stayed in touch with each other… I went almost 30 years before I had a contact with any of my fellow Grunts. There wasn't a common denominator that kept us bonded to each other, like aviation. On the one hand, as aviators we knew we were somewhat special. On the Grunt side, most of us just wanted to forget it and move on with our lives. Only through a quirk by my wife seeing something on the computer, I doubt I'd ever have communicated with any of my "Grunt Brothers". Now I communicate with several of them on a regular basis. At her urging, I signed onto a 1/4 website… that opened a door to memories I'd never talked about and had a down and had about a dozen guys reach out to me, including Dan McMahon, my first Company Commander in Delta Company. Dan drove down to see us at Amelia Island the first weekend upon contact. For decades we played in the "Puple Heart Classic Golf Tournament" up in Morehead City near Cherry Point and Camp Lejuene. Still talk to each other every week. Dan and I shared some hard times together. He's one of my personal heroes.
Anyway… we had a great reunion and as others checked in, seemed inevitably that all of them who weren't on the patrol, was curious as to how Heartly was killed and asked me to write about it. This is what I wrote and it led to many other short stories about our times. I also included Dutch on the email.
CUNEO'S LONGEST NIGHT
Before I start… I misspelled Hartley's last name… I just screwed up, but at least I
suspected I was screwing up… That's why the disclaimer.
Two days after the ill-fated patrol… The 105 Battery at Cam Lo was being re-located. As was normal, when we moved out of a place, everything was broken down, waste and debris buried… wire was being rolled up, etc. The 105 cannons were being helo lifted out as I recall… some may, have been towed.
On the day in question… I believe there were only three 105's still there, after the last lift. Alpha had removed much of the wire surrounding the perimeter and I believe in most places there was only one strand of concertina in place. We had a section of 81MM mortars out there with them. I think the mess tent was still up, but a lot of others were pulled down in anticipation of moving the next day or so. Thank God the Command bunker was still up and functioning.
As the sun went down, it had been a day like so many others… Much busy work, no contact with the enemy. I'm sure the Company was still thinking about Hartley's and the others deaths. It takes a while to get such a loss out of your system… You don't show it overtly… or even talk about it much…. But the thoughts are still there.
As routine as the day had been…. This was to be a night… unlike any other.
I'm gonna use times, based on a thirty some year memory… I don't have any official logs or any other data to go by… So don't harangue me if I'm off an hour or two.
I believe it was around 0130 or so, that I received the call that Cam Lo was being hit.
Looking to the southwest, we could see the flares from the mortars. In the distance we could also hear the rattle of heavy automatic weapons fire and explosions…Occasionally, we could see tracers ricocheting in the air… It was immediately obvious, that this was not an ordinary probe and mortar attack… like we'd become used to.
I came up on the radio as Permission 6… this was to let everyone know that the Battalion Commander was up on the net. I had rigged my PRC-25 with a speaker when in the rear, so Westerman could hear what was going on as soon as I did. In the bunker at Cam Lo was Don Cuneo and one other radio operator… There may have been another… I'm not sure. For the life of me I've wracked my brain and can't remember the other RO's name. I apologize to him for leaving him out.
Their initial reports were startling… The perimeter had been breached and the bad guys were running all over the place.
What we able to glean… in bits and pieces (These guys were running the company net too and were incredibly busy)… was that the attack had started as a mortar barrage. Then sappers, under the cover of their own mortars, came into the wire to blow it up and provide lanes of access. They concentrated on the automatic weapons and machine gun positions. I can't remember what officer was in the bunker… if there was one… But
Cuneo and the other RO were up to their asses in alligators.
Things were getting worse by the minute and they asked for all the help we could give. Westerman… to his credit… asked Regiment for permission to mount a relief column on 6X's right away. Regiment nixed the idea… fearing an ambush of such a relief in the dark. As horrible as it sounds… Alpha would be on its' own.
I kept talking to them and trying to assure them that we were doing everything we could… That we'd be coming as soon as possible. We then got word that our mortar guys had burnt up 2 tubes already. They were practically vertical… as I remember… and they would fire two rounds of HE, then one of illum… as fast as they could.
About 45 minutes after the attack started, we got the first good news. The Regimental FAC discovered that an AC-47 Gunship, call sign "Spooky"… was operating not far from Cam Lo and he had requested "Spooky" be moved over to support Alpha. He got approval and help was on the way. I called Don and told him "Spooky" was on the way."Spooky" was an old military version of the DC-3… Some genius (I mean that in a good way) had come up with the idea to mount several 7.62 mini-guns (A modern version of the Gatling Gun) on one side of the plane and it would go into a low orbit around a point
on the ground and lay down a withering amount of fire. They also carried a prodigious amount of flares. It was the one weapon… that was probably conceived for just such an occasion.
No one… who has ever witnessed one of these aircraft in action at night… will ever forget it… It was not just a visual feast… but the noise assaulted your senses as well…
As long red tendrils of flame (tracers) unbroken… reached out from the plane to the ground below… seconds later you'd hear this deep… guttural… brrrrruup, brrrrruup… brrrrrrrruuup… as thousands of rounds of 7.62 went through the Gatlings. The sight and sound were of another world… it was like a hose of fire. And that sound…. It is like no other I've ever heard. No wonder it would later become affectionately known by the grunts as… "Puff… the Magic Dragon".
It was surely an ancient, fire-breathing dragon of mythical proportions… breathing hell fire …on the enemy down below
This next part, once again, I'm relating something I got from a conversation over 35 years ago. So bear with me if I'm a little off.
If I recall correctly, Don Cuneo was the primary FAC radioman… He was used to talking to aircraft. He and the other RO were juggling two different radio nets and trying to keep up with what was going on around them. "Spooky" presented an additional problem…
They couldn't communicate with him from inside the bunker. Now I don't know whether this was because their outside antenna was destroyed… or not hooked up… or that the sand bags just interrupted their signal… Regardless one of them had to go out into the maelstrom.
I keep thinking… in my mind… that they flipped to see who was going out (That may be legend… but I also think I remember them using something like a C-Ration lid for a coin). What ever… Don got the nod… Probably because he was the FAC RO. What happened next would make a great action movie scene.
The bunker had the typical "L" shaped entry. Cuneo crawls out and sits with his back against the bunker, radio and pistol between his legs, next to the entrance. He gets "Spooky" on the radio and starts directing flares and suppression fire around the perimeter… based on information being yelled back and forth from those inside the bunker. Shit is flying everywhere… By this time, Alpha had been completely over-run.
In the middle of all this, Don is sitting there… when this NVA with an AK-47 comes running around the bunker and stops… about two feet from Don, he's right next to him. (I'm sure at this point… Don's heart probably went up into his throat) At the same instant
GySgt Weinbar comes running around the other side of the bunker with his M-14 about 15 feet from Don. (Weinbar was a real character, red headed with a handle bar mustache at the time, very well liked by all) Evidently, neither Weinbar or the NVA had noticed Cuneo sitting there… But they had seen each other… Don was about to be witness to a modern version, of the shoot out at the OK Corral…
Weinbar reacts immediately and raises his M-14 and fires an entire magazine (20 rounds) at the NVA, who was standing next to Don. The NVA almost simultaneously, fires his 30 round magazine… at Weinbar… Both of them completely missed at point blank range…
In the twilight of the flares they're staring at each other in disbelief… When Cuneo reaches out and shoots the NVA with his .45 from about a foot away.
Weinbar nods, reloads and goes off looking for more infiltrators. I'm sure I've left out a nuance or two… but again, I'm trying to re-construct a conversation from long ago. The next morning I remember seeing one of the dead NVA near the bunker and he was wrapped in TNT charges… I wondered if this was the guy Don shot, but I never asked
him. But if he was… I've often wondered if the whole belt would have gone off if Don had hit the TNT.
The fight raged on until just before dawn, when the NVA finally withdrew… Because of the valiant efforts of Don Cuneo, his fellow RO's and a whole host of Alpha's Grunts… who kept their heads and wits about them… when it appeared their world was coming to an end… They prevailed in the end.
I hate body counts… But in this case it should be noted… When we arrived there just after dawn… Over 87, enemy dead lay within Alpha's perimeter… Only God knows… how many lay in the area around them… cut down by "Spooky". Three Marines died that night, one of them possibly by our own folks because of the way he was dressed… (Shorts and T-shirt with no helmet.) Two of the Marines were from the 105 battery… A sapper had dropped a satchel charge into their foxhole.
In front of one of the machine guns laid 12 bodies, between the gun and the wire… less than 10 feet away. Another group lay on the wire itself. There were other scenes similar to this, all around the perimeter. This was in close, savage fighting.
Alpha requited themselves for Hartley's death two days before… against an
overwhelming force. One lone company of Marines… against a Regiment of NVA Regulars. As far as I'm concerned… They were hero's all.
A short note about the NVA… Through documents we were able to prove this was part of the same outfit, which had ambushed us two days before. One of the NVA dead was carrying a wooden rifle… just a silhouette of the real thing. We were told this was in punishment for having lost his real rifle… and that to make up for it… he had to participate in the assault and capture a real weapon to replace the one he lost. There were a lot of weapons captured here… far more than normal. Virtually all the weapons were brand-new… some still had preservative on them.
Many of the sappers had blocks of TNT… each was wrapped in oil paper and tied with bamboo in an intricate pattern… They could run along and pull one from their belt and it armed the fuse as they pulled it away. They dropped them in foxholes and tents all over the compound… One can conjure up visions of Jim Brown in the Dirty Dozen… running along and dropping grenades in pipes. Except this time, it was the bad guys doing it.
I'd also like to comment about the mindset of those of us who were watching and listening… from miles away… and helpless to do anything… other than to stay calm, reassure and try to think of any and everything we could to help. It is an agonizing, frustrating experience.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to interesting Facts
7 of History's Most Significant Archaeological Discoveries
Some of the world's biggest archaeological discoveries not only changed the way we interpret our past but also solved historical mysteries. In addition to making front-page headlines around the world, many discoveries sparked cultural fads. Not every archaeological dig will yield a cache of priceless jewels or one-of-a-kind artifacts, but the finds mentioned below stand out as exceptional.
1 of 7
Tutankhamun's Tomb
In November 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter and his patron Lord Carnarvon located the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Unlike other royal tombs, Tut's had remained virtually undisturbed for more than 3,000 years. Over the next few years, Carter unearthed an eye-popping collection of gold and ivory chests, statues of sacred beings, model boats, and other goods, plus Tut's mummy and his iconic gold mask inlaid with semi-precious stones. The discovery of the best-preserved Egyptian tomb and its treasures set off a worldwide obsession with Egyptian-themed fashion, jewelry, and art.
2 of 7
The Rosetta Stone
While digging the foundation for a new fort in July 1799, soldiers in Napoleon's army found a fragment of stone in the Nile that bore the same message in three languages: Egyptian hieroglyphics, Demotic script, and ancient Greek. By comparing the Greek text to the other two passages, scholars could finally decode the meaning of the hieroglyphics. Before the Rosetta Stone's discovery, ancient Egyptian writing had been an undecipherable mystery. Later, scholars such as Thomas Young and Jean-François Champollion showed that the hieroglyphics on the stone revealed names of important figures and other details of ancient Egyptian history. Reportedly, Champollion was so excited to have deciphered the mystery that he fainted.
3 of 7
The Skeleton of "Lucy"
In 1974, American anthropologist Donald Johanson and grad student Tom Gray stumbled upon "Lucy," the skeleton of a single individual hominid (Australopithecus afarensis) who lived in present-day Ethiopia a little over
3 million years ago. Lucy proved to be a previously unknown human ancestor who walked upright — demonstrating that bipedalism evolved before larger brains — and was the most complete ancient hominid skeleton that had then ever been found. Since then, anthropologists have unearthed other hominid species with the help of modern technology, including Homo naledi in South Africa, Homo floriensis in Indonesia, and the Denisovans in Siberia.
4 of 7
Lascaux Cave Paintings
The fabulously detailed drawings on the walls of the Lascaux cave, which depict cattle, horses, bison, deer, and other animals, stunned the world when they were discovered by four young men in southwest France in 1940.
Dating back about 20,000 years to the middle of the Late Stone Age, the drawings represent some of the earliest known figurative art and are a window into humankind's cultural development. The Paleolithic painters may have used Lascaux as a ceremonial site or a place to demonstrate their artistic skills, but no one knows for sure.
5 of 7
The Terracotta Army
In 1974, a farmer near the city of Xi'an, China, dug up some fragments of terracotta, which led to the discovery of thousands of life-size carved terracotta soldiers buried in the mausoleum of the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who had died in 210 BCE. Each warrior had a unique expression, and they stood four abreast in trenches as if ready to defend their leader. Carved horses, chariots, swords, and other weapons were also found. Much remains to be discovered at the mausoleum, which includes 600 burial and architectural sites spanning almost 22 square miles.
6 of 7
The Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of religious writings and books of the Hebrew Bible created between 2,000 and 2,300 years ago. Soon after the first seven scrolls were discovered in 1947 by a shepherd exploring a cave on the shore of the Dead Sea, the fragile manuscripts transformed historians' views of Jewish religious life and culture two millennia ago.
The texts revealed a Judean society influenced by different philosophies and practices, a world that gave rise to rabbinic Judaism and Christianity.
7 of 7
L'Anse Aux Meadows Viking Settlement
Thirteenth-century Icelandic sagas told of a group of Vikings, led by Leif Erikson, who sailed across the ocean to a lush new world. In the 1960s, archaeologists Helge and Anne Stine Ingstad discovered exactly where the Norse people landed around 1000 CE — modern-day Canada. The Ingstads located the ruins of European-style buildings at L'Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of Newfoundland, and further excavations revealed artifacts of Norse origin. The evidence confirmed the first European settlement in North America.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Bro Len
Subject: Re: Aircraft Carrier Film READY ON ARRIVAL
Hi Bro Skip…
FYI & Memories…
Bro Len… And a Blessed Easter.
Hi Bro Bill... Thanks a Thousand for the wonderful memories.
Great Show! I flew VF-84 F4 Phantoms in CAG-8 aboard USS Independence, but it was after Grumann created this awesome, presentation.
Max Forwards to Fellow Fly Guys and Friends.
GBY & Yours, Now & Always.
Bro Len Kaine... 🙏🏻 🏴☠️ 🎖️
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 Bill Asbell wrote:
Hi Len...Thought you might enjoy! Fly Navy
https://youtu.be/ufA1uV4cePY?si=QrKbLnHR698mh9fs
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
.
Thanks to Micro
Language
1. If poison expires, is it more poisonous or is it no longer poisonous?
2. Which letter is silent in the word "Scent," the S or the C?
3. Do twins ever realize that one of them is unplanned?
4. Why is the letter W, in English, called double U? Shouldn't it be called double V?
5. Maybe oxygen is slowly killing you and it just takes 75-100 years to fully work.
6. Every time you clean something, you just make something else dirty.
7. The word "swims" upside-down is still "swims."
8. 100 years ago everyone owned a horse and only the rich had cars. Today everyone has cars and only the rich own horses.
9. If you replace "W" with "T" in What, Where and When, you get the answer to each of them.
Six great confusions still unresolved....
1. At a movie theater, which arm rest is yours?
2. If people evolve from monkeys, why are monkeys still around?
3. Why is there a 'D' in fridge, but not in refrigerator?
4. Who knew what time it was when the first clock was made?
Vagaries of English Language!
- Wonder why the word funeral starts with FUN?
-Why isn't a Fireman called a Waterman?
- How come Lipstick doesn't do what it says?
- If money doesn't grow on trees, how come Banks have Branches?
- If a Vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a Humanitarian eat?
- How do you get off a non-stop Flight?
- Why are goods sent by ship called CARGO and those sent by truck SHIPMENT?
- Why do we put cups in the dishwasher and the dishes in the Cupboard?
- Why do doctors 'practice' medicine? Are they having practice at the cost of the patients?
- Why is it called 'Rush Hour' when traffic moves at its slowest then?
- How come Noses run and Feet smell?
- Why do they call it a TV 'set' when there is only one?
- What are you vacating when you go on a vacation?
We can never find the answers, can we?
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
From the archives…This is a good one
. What a Rope Trick!
Thanks to Barrel
His did not work in the List but Cowboy found a URL that works fine
Use this link on YouTube instead: https://youtu.be/xmI9uwYzH9o?si=9L-yBmGFC-i0uiM-
What a rope trick
Las Vegas magician Mac King has a trick that's so notoriously difficult to figure out, even world famous magicians Penn &Teller admitted they have no clue how this is done.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
. My dad worked for Pratt in West Hartford and took me on a tour once. Got to see one of those engines going through its paces in a cell. Very impressive….skip
Thanks to Dr. Rich
Some amazing details of SR71 and its unique engine-- WAY ahead of its time!!
Pratt & Whitney, From Secret Project Suntan To The J58 That Powered The Blackbird, To Space.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxyydqL2NpE
Pratt & Whitney, From The F100 turbofan That Powered The F-15 To The F-22 Raptor Engine. PART 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0csHkmgYIo
The J58 -- only one of its kind
http://enginehistory.org/GasTurbines/P&W/me-2013-dec3.pdf
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in U S Military History March 30
1942 – The Joint Chiefs divide the Pacific into two command spheres. Admiral Nimitz is appointed Commander in Chief of the Pacific Ocean zone and General MacArthur, the Commander in Chief of the Southwest Pacific. This demarcation will lead to friction when planning the reconquest of the east.
1945 – US naval forces, including TF58 and TF52, continue air strikes on Okinawa while TF54 continues bombarding the island. A Japanese Kamikaze plane badly damages the cruiser USS Indianapolis. Unsuccessful submarine attacks continue.
1951 – The heaviest air attack of the war was staged by 38 B-29's on twin bridges over the Yalu River at Sinuiju, dropping some 280 tons of bombs. Escorting F-80s and F-86s engaged enemy MiG-15 jets, destroying three and damaging six.
1972 – A major coordinated communist offensive opens with the heaviest military action since the sieges of Allied bases at Con Thien and Khe Sanh in 1968. Committing almost their entire army to the offensive, the North Vietnamese launched a massive three-pronged attack into South Vietnam. Four North Vietnamese divisions attacked directly across the Demilitarized Zone in Quang Tri province. Thirty-five South Vietnamese soldiers died in the initial attack and hundreds of civilians and soldiers were wounded. Following the initial assault in Quang Tri province, the North Vietnamese launched two more major attacks: at An Loc in Binh Long Province, 60 miles north of Saigon; and at Kontum in the Central Highlands. With the three attacks, the North Vietnamese committed 500 tanks and 150,000 men, as well as thousands of Viet Cong, supported by heavy rocket and artillery fire. After initial successes, especially against the newly formed South Vietnamese 3rd Division in Quang Tri, the North Vietnamese attack was stopped cold by the combination of defending South Vietnamese divisions (along with their U.S. advisers) and massive American airpower. Estimates placed the North Vietnamese losses at more than 100,000 and at least one-half of their tanks and large caliber artillery.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*PETERSON, GEORGE
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Eisern, Germany, 30 March 1945. Entered service at: Brooklyn, N.Y. Birth: Brooklyn, N.Y. G.O. No.: 88, 17 October 1945. Citation: He was an acting platoon sergeant with Company K, near Eisern, Germany. When his company encountered an enemy battalion and came under heavy small-arms, machinegun, and mortar fire, the 2d Platoon was given the mission of flanking the enemy positions while the remaining units attacked frontally. S/Sgt. Peterson crept and crawled to a position in the lead and motioned for the 2d Platoon to follow. A mortar shell fell close by and severely wounded him in the legs, but, although bleeding and suffering intense pain, he refused to withdraw and continued forward. Two hostile machineguns went into action at close range. Braving this grazing fire, he crawled steadily toward the guns and worked his way alone to a shallow draw, where, despite the hail of bullets, he raised himself to his knees and threw a grenade into the nearest machinegun nest, silencing the weapon and killing or wounding all its crew. The second gun was immediately turned on him, but he calmly and deliberately threw a second grenade which rocked the position and killed all 4 Germans who occupied it. As he continued forward he was spotted by an enemy rifleman, who shot him in the arm. Undeterred, he crawled some 20 yards until a third machinegun opened fire on him. By almost superhuman effort, weak from loss of blood and suffering great pain, he again raised himself to his knees and fired a grenade from his rifle, killing 3 of the enemy guncrew and causing the remaining one to flee. With the first objective seized, he was being treated by the company aid man when he observed 1 of his outpost men seriously wounded by a mortar burst. He wrenched himself from the hands of the aid man and began to crawl forward to assist his comrade, whom he had almost reached when he was struck and fatally wounded by an enemy bullet. S/Sgt. Peterson, by his gallant, intrepid actions, unrelenting fighting spirit, and outstanding initiative, silenced 3 enemy machineguns against great odds and while suffering from severe wounds, enabling his company to advance with minimum casualties.
*WILL, WALTER J.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company K 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Eisern, Germany, 30 March 1945. Entered service at: West Winfield, N.Y. Birth: Pittsburgh, Pa. G.O. No.: 88, 17 October 1945. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry during an attack on powerful enemy positions. He courageously exposed himself to withering hostile fire to rescue 2 wounded men and then, although painfully wounded himself, made a third trip to carry another soldier to safety from an open area. Ignoring the profuse bleeding of his wound, he gallantly led men of his platoon forward until they were pinned down by murderous flanking fire from 2 enemy machineguns. He fearlessly crawled alone to within 30 feet of the first enemy position, killed the crew of 4 and silenced the gun with accurate grenade fire. He continued to crawl through intense enemy fire to within 20 feet of the second position where he leaped to his feet, made a lone, ferocious charge and captured the gun and its 9-man crew. Observing another platoon pinned down by 2 more German machineguns, he led a squad on a flanking approach and, rising to his knees in the face of direct fire, coolly and deliberately lobbed 3 grenades at the Germans, silencing 1 gun and killing its crew. With tenacious aggressiveness, he ran toward the other gun and knocked it out with grenade fire. He then returned to his platoon and led it in a fierce, inspired charge, forcing the enemy to fall back in confusion. 1st Lt. Will was mortally wounded in this last action, but his heroic leadership, indomitable courage, and unflinching devotion to duty live on as a perpetual inspiration to all those who witnessed his deeds.
*BOBO, JOHN P.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 3d Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 30 March 1967. Entered service at: Buffalo, N.Y. Born: 14 February 1943, Niagara Falls, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Company 1 was establishing night ambush sites when the command group was attacked by a reinforced North Vietnamese company supported by heavy automatic weapons and mortar fire. 2d Lt. Bobo immediately organized a hasty defense and moved from position to position encouraging the outnumbered marines despite the murderous enemy fire. Recovering a rocket launcher from among the friendly casualties, he organized a new launcher team and directed its fire into the enemy machine gun positions. When an exploding enemy mortar round severed 2d Lt. Bobo's right leg below the knee, he refused to be evacuated and insisted upon being placed in a firing position to cover the movement of the command group to a better location. With a web belt around his leg serving as a tourniquet and with his leg jammed into the dirt to curtain the bleeding, he remained in this position and delivered devastating fire into the ranks of the enemy attempting to overrun the marines. 2d Lt. Bobo was mortally wounded while firing his weapon into the main point of the enemy attack but his valiant spirit inspired his men to heroic efforts, and his tenacious stand enabled the command group to gain a protective position where it repulsed the enemy onslaught. 2d Lt. Bobo's superb leadership, dauntless courage, and bold initiative reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 30, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
30 March
1931: At Scott Field, an airplane transferred mail in flight to an airship. (24)
1937: Pan American Airways completed a 7,000-mile survey flight from Pago Pago, American Somoas, to Auckland, New Zealand, in a Sikorsky S-42B seaplane to identify possible landing sites. (24)
1944: Navy Task Force 58, under VAdm Marc Mitscher, with 11 carriers attacked on Palan, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai to prepare Hollandia for landings. (24)
1945: For the XX Bomber Command's final mission, 24 B-29s from bases in India completed struck Bukum Island, near Singapore. (24)
1949: President Harry S. Truman signed a bill to build a "permanent" US radar defense network. (16)
1953: A Convair XC-99 established a new, world's load-lifting record of 104,000 pounds. (5)
1961: Joseph A. Walker reached the highest altitude attained in manned flight to date when he flew the X-15, with the XLR-99 rocket engine, to 169,600 feet. (9) (24) SAC accepted its fourth and last Atlas D squadron, the 549 SMS at Offutt AFB, to complete the program. (1) (6)
1963: SAC accepted its first Titan II launch facility, site 570-2 at the 570 SMS, Davis-Monthan AFB. (6)
1970: USAFE dispatched medical teams and support personnel from Turkey to provide medical aid and humanitarian services to thousands of earthquake victims around Gediz, Turkey. (16) (26)
1972: U.S. airpower halts a large-scale North Vietnamese offensive across the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating North and South Vietnam. The "Easter Offensive" consists of approximately 40,000 troops and 400 armored vehicles and includes thrusts into the Central Highlands and areas north of Hanoi.
1972: The Joint Chiefs of Staff authorize up to 1,800 B-52 sorties may be flown each month in Southeast Asia. This is an increase of 600 sorties per month from a February 8th JCS directive.
1979: Rockwell International submitted a B-1 termination claim for $394.8 million. (12)
1981: Mr. Robert J. Hermann, Assistant SECAF for Research, Development, and Logistics, approved the Long-Range Combat Aircraft's R&D program. (12)
2000: The X-38 successfully completed its highest, fastest, and longest flight to date, gliding from 39,000 feet and attaining 500 mph before deploying its parachutes for a gentle touchdown on Rogers Dry Lake. It was the X-38's third and final flight for NASA's Dyrden Flight Research Center. (3)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
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/CACTjsm2jvFLNBY2ah3Kr_Rf7FbBKosT_qG%2BZ7oejWynQ%3D5YFZw%40mail.gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.