To All
. Good Friday morning May 8. We are supposed to clear up soon and get sunny and forecast to be that way for the next week with temps climbing to the 80s tomorrow and for the next 7 days.
Regards,
Skip
HAGD
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A sad note today from Scott Launey “Scout””. That I received yesterday
We lost our wonderful Frenchman this morning at 0620. Cher and family are on their way home. She needs sleep and family time. I will let you know what the plans are as soon as she figures it out.He was one of a kind and we will all miss him terribly. Cher will need all of us to help her through this. She thanks you all f or your prayers and loving thoughts for Frenchie
Scout
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Go here to see the director’s corner for all 97 H-Grams
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History May 8
1863 USS Flag, commanded by Cmdr. James H. Strong, captures schooner Amelia while attempting to run the blockade out of Charleston.
1911 Capt. Washington I. Chambers prepares the requisition for the first US Navy airplane, the Triad A-1, marking the birth of Naval Aviation.
1919 Seaplane Division One, comprised of three NC flying boats, takes off from Naval Air Station, Rockaway, New York for Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the first leg of a projected Transatlantic flight.
1942 The Battle of the Coral Sea ends with the Japanese retiring from the area and calling off the Port Moresby amphibious operation. During battle, SBDs from USS Lexington (CV 2) and USS Yorktown (CV 5) damage the Japanese carrier Shokaku and force her to retire.
1945 The unconditional surrender of Germany was ratified by Allies in Berlin. This event is remembered as V-E Day!
1963 - Navy ships evacuate 2,279 civilians from Haiti during crisis.
1972 - U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft mine Haiphong Harbor in North Vietnam.
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Today in World History
May 8
1450 Jack Cade’s Rebellion–Kentishmen revolt against King Henry VI.
1541 Hernando de Soto discovers the Mississippi River which he calls Rio de Espiritu Santo.
1559 An act of supremacy defines Queen Elizabeth I as the supreme governor of the church of England.
1794 The United States Post Office is established.
1846 The first major battle of the Mexican War is fought at Palo Alto, Texas.
1862 General ‘Stonewall’ Jackson repulses the Federals at the Battle of McDowell, in the Shenendoah Valley.
1864 Union troops arrive at Spotsylvania Court House to find the Confederates waiting for them.
1886 Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton invents Coca Cola.
1895 China cedes Taiwan to Japan under Treaty of Shimonoseki.
1904 U.S. Marines land in Tangier, North Africa, to protect the Belgian legation.
1919 The first transatlantic flight by a navy seaplane takes-off.
1933 Mahatma Gandhi—actual name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi—begins a hunger strike to protest British oppression in India.
1940 German commandos in Dutch uniforms cross the Dutch border to hold bridges for the advancing German army.
1942 The Battle of the Coral Sea between the Japanese Navy and the U.S. Navy ends.
1945 The final surrender of German forces is celebrated as VE (Victory Europe) day.
On May 8, 1945, Great Britain, the United States and other Allied countries celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in the U.S., U.K., and Western Europe, along with in the Soviet Union, Canada and Australia put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine during World War II.
The eighth of May marked the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms: In Prague, Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans considerably more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark—the German surrender was realized in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in eastern Germany.
The main concern of many German soldiers was to elude the grasp of Soviet forces, to keep from being taken prisoner. About 1 million Germans attempted a mass exodus to the West when the fighting in Czechoslovakia ended, but were stopped by the Russians and taken captive. The Russians took approximately 2 million prisoners in the period just before and after the German surrender.
Meanwhile, more than 13,000 British POWs were released and sent back to Great Britain.
Pockets of German-Soviet confrontation would continue into the next day. On May 9, the Soviets would lose 600 more soldiers in Silesia before the Germans finally surrendered. Consequently, V-E Day was not celebrated until the ninth in Moscow, with a radio broadcast salute from Stalin himself: “The age-long struggle of the Slav nations… has ended in victory. Your courage has defeated the Nazis. The war is over.”
1952 Allied fighter-bombers stage the largest raid of the war on North Korea.
1958 President Dwight Eisenhower orders the National Guard out of Little Rock as Ernest Green becomes the first black to graduate from an Arkansas public school.
1967 Boxer Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in U.S. Army.
1984 The Soviet Union announces it will not participate in Summer Olympics planned for Los Angeles.
1995 Jacques Chirac is elected president of France.
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Thanks to History Facts
Genghis Khan established a postal system.
Genghis Khan is rightfully known as one of history’s greatest conquerors, but there’s more to establishing the largest contiguous land empire the world has ever known than winning battles. Born Temüjin in 1162, Genghis Khan adopted the name by which he’s known today when he was anointed the Mongols’ sole leader in 1206, and he eventually became one of the most influential figures in history. One of his more surprising accomplishments was establishing a postal system known as the “Yam,” also called the “Örtöö,” which was expanded across the empire by his son Ögedei. Stations were placed 20 to 30 miles from one another, each featuring food, lodging, and horses; riders could either rest up or hand off their message to the next rider. Not everyone could use it, however — merchants and travelers were originally afforded the privilege (alongside foreign dignitaries and traveling officials), but they lost it after they “abused the system” somehow.
To be sure, the Mongols were brutal — Genghis Khan particularly so. But he was also pragmatic, with the Yam being just one example of the stability brought about by his reign. His subjects were free to practice their own religion and largely left alone after the Mongols had subjugated the city and moved on. (However, the Mongols were still known to massacre people even if they provided little or no resistance.) It’s believed that at least some of the khan’s mixed reputation is attributable to the fact that most historical accounts of the Mongols were not written from the Mongol perspective (with one notable exception). Whether he’s a hero or a villain depends on who you ask, but there’s no denying his historical significance.
By the Numbers
Percent of men alive today who are direct descendants of Genghis Khan
0.5%
Size of the Mongol Empire (in square miles) at its peak
9 million
Number of Mongolian wives Genghis Khan had
6
Estimated percentage of the world wiped out by the Mongol Empire
11%
DID YOU KNOW?
No one knows what Genghis Khan looked like.
Much about Genghis Khan’s life remains unknown, including exactly how it ended and where he’s buried. Even more strange, perhaps, is the fact that no one knows what he looked like. He died six centuries before the invention of photography and led an empire that wasn’t exactly known for its portraiture, meaning that most accounts of Genghis’ appearance are unreliable and/or contradictory. Juzjanī, a North Indian official, wrote in the 1250s that Genghis was “a man of tall stature, of vigorous build, robust in body, the hair on his face scanty and turned white, with cats’ eyes, possessed of great energy, discernment, genius, and understanding, awe-striking, a butcher, just, resolute, an overthrower of enemies, intrepid, sanguinary, and cruel.” Though most agree he had long, flowing hair and a beard, 14th-century Persian historian Rashīd al-Dīn claimed that the khan had red hair and green eyes.
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May 8
Hello All,
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.
An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).
If you have any questions or comments about RTR/TFO, or have a question on my book, you may e-mail me directly at acrossthewing@protonmail.com. Thank you Dan
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
For Thursday May 8 ..
May 8: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1744
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
(This site was sent by a friend . The site works, find anyone you knew in “search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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Thanks to 1440
Good morning, it's Friday, May 8. Officials are continuing to track the cruise-ship-linked hantavirus outbreak.
Need To Know
Hantavirus Update
Health officials are tracking roughly 30 people from at least 12 countries who left the hantavirus-infected MV Hondius cruise ship before the outbreak was identified on May 2.
At least three passengers have died, including a Dutch couple believed to have contracted the virus on a bird-watching trip in Argentina. The country this week reported 101 infections of the rare rodent-borne disease since June 2025, roughly twice the number recorded during the same period a year earlier. Scientists say warming temperatures may be helping rodent populations proliferate, and many have been working for over three decades to develop a vaccine.
The World Health Organization has identified at least eight cases—five confirmed and three suspected—across the ship and four countries (see map), but says the risk to the public is low.
Evacuations of the roughly 150 people aboard the MV Hondius are expected to begin Monday. Track the ship en route to the Canary Islands here.
Fishheads
Fish given psilocybin—the active ingredient in magic mushrooms—behave less aggressively than their undosed counterparts, a study published yesterday reveals. The paper is the first of its kind to document the role psilocybin may play in aggression in animals.
Researchers studied the mangrove rivulus fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus), a species that reproduces by self-fertilization, removing genetic variation between specimens. One fish was given a low dose psilocybin dose for 20 minutes before being placed in a tank opposite an undosed fish. The two were separated by a fiberglass mesh barrier, allowing them to see and smell each other without engaging in physical contact. The fish dosed with psilocybin moved more slowly and darted at the undosed counterpart less frequently, indicating reduced incidences of aggression. The research comes as the Trump administration expedites review of the psychedelic for treatment of mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety.
See an eight-minute animation chronicling the life cycle of the unusual fish here.
🫶 Humankind: Roughly 1,500 beagles rescued from a Wisconsin animal-testing lab get a second lease on life.
Attenborough at 100
Sir David Attenborough, the British broadcaster and natural historian whose nature documentaries transformed how audiences see the natural world, turns 100 today.
Born in 1926, Attenborough was interested in nature from a young age, collecting fossils and bird eggs, before studying natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. He joined the BBC and rose to prominence with 1954’s “Zoo Quest,” which introduced viewers to rare wildlife, and then helped shape BBC Two. His 1979 series “Life on Earth” documented more than 600 species across 40 countries and drew an estimated 500 million viewers; later productions, including “Planet Earth,” used advancing technology to showcase wildlife and warn of threats—wildlife populations have fallen 73% since 1970.
He has been knighted twice, won three Emmy Awards, and remains the only person to earn BAFTAs across black-and-white, color, HD, 3D, and 4K formats. More than 50 species have been named in his honor, including a newly identified wasp: Attenboroughnculus tau. Listen to a message from the naturalist.
Take an interactive journey through the Great Barrier Reef with Attenborough here.
We tend to think of PDFs like a fixed-gear bike: They’re reliable, simple, and always ready to go. Now, new capabilities in Adobe Acrobat PDF Spaces are taking things further, evolving them into a 12-speed built for the road ahead.
That’s because PDF Spaces isn’t just a collection of documents—it transforms files and links into guided, interactive experiences, changing everything you know about how you share information. With one link, you can transform collections of documents, links, and notes into an AI-powered workspace to do research, ask questions, get verified insights and even generate content. See how it works by clicking the link here. We’ve shared some articles from today’s newsletter so you can do a deeper dive.
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> NCAA men's and women's basketball selection committees unanimously approve expanding March Madness from 68 to 76 teams (More) | Thirty ex-Ohio State football players join sex abuse lawsuit against the university )
> "Saturday Night Live UK" renewed for a second season, with 12 episodes airing from fall 2026 through early 2027 (More) | Former Prince Andrew reportedly threatened by a masked man while walking his dog; a suspect has been arrested
> American Vogue editor Chloe Malle and actress-turned-talk-show-host Drew Barrymore are named in The Hollywood Reporter's 50 most powerful people in New York Media list
> Fossils of long-lost ancestor of centipedes and millipedes that lived underwater already had many legs, challenging the long-held assumption legs developed as an adaptation for land
Politics & World Affairs
> US State Department will reportedly begin revoking passports today of Americans who owe $100K or more in child support, impacting 2,700 people
> Iran and the US exchange fire as Iran considers the US' one-page proposal to end war, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and 30-day ceasefire
> Embracing the Costco Lifestyle
Taste | Jordan Michelman. After resisting a Costco membership for years, the author finally gave in. His humorously observant ode to the wholesale giant just might leave you with a newfound appreciation for your bulk grocery runs.
> Coffee Conundrum
Short Wave | Staff. You know a good cup of coffee from a bad one when you taste it, but there are few quantitative ways to assess flavor variations. A tool commonly used to measure electrical charge in batteries may help change that.
Historybook: President Harry Truman born (1884); Coca-Cola is sold for the first time at a pharmacy in Atlanta (1886); Mount Pelée in Martinique erupts, beginning the deadliest volcanic event of the 20th century (1902); Germany surrenders, ending World War II in Europe (1945); Smallpox is eradicated
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Thanks to Nice News
Anthony Devlin/Getty Images
Sir David Attenborough
I enjoy his nature series and another one has just started. His voice is comforting and the places he goes in the world are exciting and I do not think that I would go to a few of them at my age....skip
Sir David Attenborough is officially entering his second century. The beloved naturalist, regarded as “the voice for nature,” turns 100 today — and countless tributes are happening around the world, including this one at England’s Morecambe Bay. A collective of artists created a massive portrait of his likeness in the sand, alongside one of Attenborough’s many impactful quotes about fighting climate change: “We often talk of saving the planet, but the truth is that we must do these things to save ourselves.” Read about his enduring legacy.
Environment
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Bald Eagle Chicks Hatched in Chicago for the First Time in Over 100 Years
Chicago Park District
A new feathered bundle of joy has arrived just in time for Mother’s Day. For the first time in over a century, a bald eagle was born within Chicago’s city limits — and it’s not the only one. After the park district announced the news, a Block Club Chicago editor confirmed that another eaglet had hatched at a second location nearby.
The historic chicks have made themselves at home in respective nests at a park on the Southeast Side (pictured here) and a small cemetery, where their little heads have been popping out amid the branches, much to the delight of residents. While local birders note that nests have been documented in the city over the past two decades, there is no record of any eggs successfully hatching in the last 100 years, until now.
“This has never happened before, or at least not in a very long time,” Edward Warden, the president of the Chicago Ornithological Society, told Block Club, noting that the city’s parks have undergone significant habitat restoration efforts in recent years.
In celebration of the milestone, the park district announced a naming contest for one of the eaglets, inviting people to suggest three monikers by May 15. See photos of the eagle parents and submit your name picks.
Humanity
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Meet the Amputee Crowned the World’s Strongest Disabled Man
Tony Kershaw / SWNS
Scott Endersby had his right leg amputated in 2018 after a motorcycle accident. But in 2025, the IT technician became the first person to ever be crowned the world’s, Britain’s, and England’s Strongest Disabled Man in the same year — and now, he’s setting his sights on the Paralympics.
Endersby, who’s from Southampton, England, lost his leg after four surgeries failed to repair the damage caused by the crash. Despite parts of the amputation process being “the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced,” the 34-year-old told SWNS, the ordeal was a “blessing in disguise” for the purpose it has given him in life.
A regular gym-goer before the crash, Endersby fell into a depression after the amputation. But that changed when he discovered the GB Disabled Strongman competition in 2022. He immediately fell in love with the sport and got to work training.
Endersby proved a natural at his newfound passion. In 2023, he took third place in England’s competition, then came in first the following year. In 2025, he defended that title and went on to win the British title undefeated across the five events — the first time that’s been done. Learn about his journey to achieving the World title and watch him in action.
Global Good
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🇨🇦 National Butter Tart Day may be coming to Canada, thanks to a grassroots campaign to preserve the recipe
🇷🇼 In Rwanda, a modified soccer game called amputee football is helping people heal from conflict and have fun
🇲🇳 Khulan, or the Asiatic wild ass, is making a long-awaited comeback in eastern Mongolia
🇫🇮 The largest bridge in Finland opened in Helsinki for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport)
Inspiring Story
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Thank you, midwives
When Dawit Tamiru was 10, he knew he wanted to become a midwife. The realization came to him upon witnessing his mother go through complications during the birth of his little sister, which she survived after receiving care from midwives at a hospital. Today, Tamiru is an assistant professor of midwifery at Haramaya University in Ethiopia, noting that “anyone, regardless of the gender, could provide this service — anyone who is skilled, knowledgeable, and compassionate for childbirthing women and newborns.”
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Thanks to History Facts
Lego was created as a result of the Great Depression.
The Great Depression gave us this beloved toy
My kids and grand kids grew up with these and we have more than a few large plastic tubs in storage full of these. Containing many hundreds of pieces.....skip
In October 1929, the U.S. plunged into financial despair as the crash of the New York Stock Exchange prompted the onset of the Great Depression. It wasn’t just Americans who were affected, however; the economically crippled U.S. put restrictions on European imports, causing an agricultural downturn overseas. This impact extended to the small Danish town of Billund, the home of Lego founder Ole Kirk Christiansen. Christiansen was a local carpenter whose farmer-heavy clientele dried up in the early 1930s, forcing him to cut his workforce by 1932. Given the lack of demand for intricate carpentry work, Christiansen pivoted into producing cheap wooden goods including toys, which stood a greater chance of selling despite the poor economic conditions.
At first, this decision failed to salvage the business, and Christiansen was forced to declare bankruptcy. Despite this, he maintained a childlike sense of optimism and pressed on. In 1934, Christiansen came up with a new company name, Lego, based on the Danish words “leg godt,” which translate to “play well.” Though the materials were cheap, Christiansen’s carpentry work cut no corners, producing wooden ducks and car models that became highly popular throughout Denmark. The company later discontinued wooden toy production in 1960 after a fire destroyed its carpentry workshops, but not before Lego embraced a company-wide pivot into the world of plastics. In the late 1940s, Lego purchased a plastic molding machine, allowing the company to produce the very first plastic Lego brick in 1949. In 1953, it began producing entire sets made of plastic, and later shifted away from wooden toys. Lego was able to weather the bleak financial times, and grew into a successful global company that continues to brighten lives today.
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.Thanks to Interesting Facts
Goats have rectangular pupils.
The animal kingdom is full of incredible variety, thanks to evolution, but one thing most animals have in common is that they use a set of eyes to navigate the world around them. But even the pupil of the eyeball, the biological aperture responsible for how much light enters the eyes, is nearly as diverse as the types of birds that soar the skies or fish that swim the seas.
For mammals, one big factor determining the shape of a pupil is whether the creature is predator or prey. For example, a goat is a grazing prey animal that would be a pretty easy target for coyotes, bears, and other predators with sharp teeth. Yet evolution gave the goat a few tools to defend itself. The horns certainly help, but the biggest advantage is a goat’s horizontal rectangular pupils. These long, horizontal pupils create a panoramic view that lets the animal see more of the landscape, which makes it harder to sneak up on them. The pupils also enhance the image quality of objects (read: threats) all around the goats, and they cut down on glare from the sky by capturing less light from above and more from below. Cats and snakes, on the other hand, are ambush predators, whose vertical pupils help them hunt in the night and judge the distance between themselves and their next meal. But according to scientists, vertical pupils are reserved only for animals whose eyes are close to the ground. That’s why other cats that are higher up, like lions and tigers, have round pupils rather than vertical ones.
Goats have accents.
A 2012 study from Queen Mary University of London revealed that kids (the goat kind, not the human kind) altered their bleating when socializing with other goats. The ability to change one’s voice in response to a social environment is known as “vocal plasticity,” and humans display an extreme form of this concept — it’s how we can develop accents. Goats develop similarly distinct accents based on their social group, admittedly with a more limited vocabulary. In the study, scientists analyzed 1-week-old goats compared to 5-week-old goats; the latter is about the time goats form social groups known as “crèches.” They found that young goats raised in the same crèches developed similar bleats, altering their noises to fit in their social group as they aged. It’s also possible these accents help goats identify members of their group, an idea familiar to anybody who’s traveled outside their home country — or even their hometown.
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This Day in U S Military History…….May 8
1919 – First Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone, USCG, piloting the Navy’s flying boat NC-4 in the first successful trans-Atlantic flight, took off from the Naval Air Station at Rockaway, New York, at 1000 hours on 8 May, 1919, together with the NC-1 and NC-3. Although the NC-1 and NC-3 did not complete the journey, the NC-4 successfully crossed the Atlantic and landed in Lisbon, Portugal on 27 May 1919. Stone was decorated that same day by the Portuguese government with the Order of the Tower and Sword.
1942 – Both the Japanese and the American fleets become aware of each other’s positions due to aerial reconnaissance. In the battle that follows, the USS Lexington is badly damaged and abandoned. (She will later be sunk by an American destroyer) The USS Yorktown is also hit. On the Japanese side, the Shokaku is seriously damaged. Of major importance is the loss of trained pilots on the Japanese side, as they take severe aerial losses. The battle is noteworthy for several reasons. The Japanese are forced to abandon their attack on Port Moresby, the first real stumbling block in their expansion. It is also the first time that a naval battle has taken place without visual contact between the main combatants. The damage done to the ships was achieved by aircraft launched from carriers and not by naval guns.
1945 – Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. The eighth of May spelled the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms: In Prague, Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers, and the Germans considerably more; in Copenhagen and Oslo; at Karlshorst, near Berlin; in northern Latvia; on the Channel Island of Sark–the German surrender was realized in a final cease-fire. More surrender documents were signed in Berlin and in eastern Germany. The main concern of many German soldiers was to elude the grasp of Soviet forces, to keep from being taken prisoner. About 1 million Germans attempted a mass exodus to the West when the fighting in Czechoslovakia ended, but were stopped by the Russians and taken captive. The Russians took approximately 2 million prisoners in the period just before and after the German surrender. Meanwhile, more than 13,000 British POWs were released and sent back to Great Britain. Pockets of German-Soviet confrontation would continue into the next day. On May 9, the Soviets would lose 600 more soldiers in Silesia before the Germans finally surrendered. Consequently, V-E Day was not celebrated until the ninth in Moscow, with a radio broadcast salute from Stalin himself: “The age-long struggle of the Slav nations…has ended in victory. Your courage has defeated the Nazis. The war is over.”
1972 – President Richard Nixon announces that he has ordered the mining of major North Vietnamese ports, as well as other measures, to prevent the flow of arms and material to the communist forces that had invaded South Vietnam in March. Nixon said that foreign ships in North Vietnamese ports would have three days to leave before the mines were activated; U.S. Navy ships would then search or seize ships, and Allied forces would bomb rail lines from China and take whatever other measures were necessary to stem the flow of material. Nixon warned that these actions would stop only when all U.S. prisoners of war were returned and an internationally supervised cease-fire was initiated. If these conditions were met, the United States would “stop all acts of force throughout Indochina and proceed with the complete withdrawal of all forces within four months.” Nixon’s action was in response to the North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive. On March 30, the North Vietnamese had initiated a massive invasion of South Vietnam. Committing almost their entire army to the offensive, the North Vietnamese launched a three-pronged attack. In the initial attack, four North Vietnamese divisions attacked directly across the Demilitarized Zone into Quang Tri province. Following that assault, 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 regular troops (as well as thousands of Viet Cong) supported by heavy rocket and artillery fire. The North Vietnamese, enjoying much success on the battlefield, did not respond to Nixon’s demands. The announcement that North Vietnamese harbors would be mined led to a wave of antiwar demonstrations at home, which resulted in violent clashes with police and 1,800 arrests on college campuses and in cities from Boston to San Jose, California. Police used wooden bullets and tear gas in Berkeley; three police officers were shot in Madison, Wisconsin; and 715 National Guardsmen were activated to quell violence in Minneapolis.
2001 – China rejected a US plan to repair EP-3 the spy plane and fly it away. China protested the resumption of U.S. surveillance flights off its coast and said it would refuse to let the United States fly out a crippled Navy spy plane.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
PHELPS, CHARLES E.
Rank and organization: Colonel, 7th Maryland Infantry. Place and date: At Laurel Hill, Va., 8 May 1864. Entered service at: Baltimore, Md. Born: 1 May 1833, Guilford, Vt. Date of issue: 30 March 1898. Citation: Rode to the head of the assaulting column, then much broken by severe losses and faltering under the close fire of artillery, placed himself conspicuously in front of the troops, and gallantly rallied and led them to within a few feet of the enemy’s works, where he was severely wounded and captured.
ROBERTSON, ROBERT S.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company K, 93d New York Infantry. Place and date: At Corbins Bridge, Va., 8 May 1864. Entered service at: Argyle, N.Y. Birth: Argyle, N.Y. Date of issue: 2 August 1897. Citation: While acting as aide_de_camp to a general officer, seeing a regiment break to the rear, he seized its colors, rode with them to the front in the face of the advancing enemy, and rallied the retreating regiment
ROBINSON, JOHN C.
Rank and organization: Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: At Laurel Hill, Va., 8 May 1864. Entered service at: Binghamton, N.Y. Birth: Binghamton, N.Y. Date of issue: 28 March 1894. Citation: Placed himself at the head of the leading brigade in a charge upon the enemy’s breastworks; was severely wounded.
WELCH, STEPHEN
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 154th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Dug Gap, Ga., 8 May 1864. Entered service at: Allegany, Cattaraugus County, N.Y. Birth: Groton, N.Y. Date of issue: 13 April 1894. Citation: Risked his life in rescuing a wounded comrade under fire of the enemy.
HALL, WILLIAM E.
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, Junior Grade, U.S. Naval Reserve. Place and date: Coral Sea, 7 and 8 May 1942. Entered service at: Utah. Born: 31 October 1913, Storrs, Utah. Citation: For extreme courage and conspicuous heroism in combat above and beyond the call of duty as pilot of a scouting plane in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Coral Sea on 7 and 8 May 1942. In a resolute and determined attack on 7 May, Lt. (j.g.) Hall dived his plane at an enemy Japanese aircraft carrier, contributing materially to the destruction of that vessel. On 8 May, facing heavy and fierce fighter opposition, he again displayed extraordinary skill as an airman and the aggressive spirit of a fighter in repeated and effectively executed counterattacks against a superior number of enemy planes in which 3 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Though seriously wounded in this engagement, Lt. (j.g.) Hall, maintaining the fearless and indomitable tactics pursued throughout these actions, succeeded in landing his plane safe.
*KROTIAK, ANTHONY L.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company I, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division. Place and date: Balete Pass, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 8 May 1945. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 15 August 1915, Chicago, Ill. G.O. No.: 18, 13 February 1946. Citation: He was an acting squad leader, directing his men in consolidating a newly won position on Hill B when the enemy concentrated small arms fire and grenades upon him and 4 others, driving them to cover in an abandoned Japanese trench. A grenade thrown from above landed in the center of the group. Instantly pushing his comrades aside and jamming the grenade into the earth with his rifle butt, he threw himself over it, making a shield of his body to protect the other men. The grenade exploded under him, and he died a few minutes later. By his extraordinary heroism in deliberately giving his life to save those of his comrades, Pfc. Krotiak set an inspiring example of utter devotion and self-sacrifice which reflects the highest traditions of the military service.
*POWERS, JOHN JAMES
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Born: 13 July 1912, New York City, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. Other Navy award: Air Medal with 1 gold star. Citation: For distinguished and conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, while pilot of an airplane of Bombing Squadron 5, Lt. Powers participated, with his squadron, in 5 engagements with Japanese forces in the Coral Sea area and adjacent waters during the period 4 to 8 May 1942. Three attacks were made on enemy objectives at or near Tulagi on 4 May. In these attacks he scored a direct hit which instantly demolished a large enemy gunboat or destroyer and is credited with 2 close misses, 1 of which severely damaged a large aircraft tender, the other damaging a 20,000-ton transport. He fearlessly strafed a gunboat, firing all his ammunition into it amid intense antiaircraft fire. This gunboat was then observed to be leaving a heavy oil slick in its wake and later was seen beached on a nearby island. On 7 May, an attack was launched against an enemy airplane carrier and other units of the enemy’s invasion force. He fearlessly led his attack section of 3 Douglas Dauntless dive bombers, to attack the carrier. On this occasion he dived in the face of heavy antiaircraft fire, to an altitude well below the safety altitude, at the risk of his life and almost certain damage to his own plane, in order that he might positively obtain a hit in a vital part of the ship, which would insure her complete destruction. This bomb hit was noted by many pilots and observers to cause a tremendous explosion engulfing the ship in a mass of flame, smoke, and debris. The ship sank soon after. That evening, in his capacity as Squadron Gunnery Officer, Lt. Powers gave a lecture to the squadron on point-of-aim and diving technique. During this discourse he advocated low release point in order to insure greater accuracy; yet he stressed the danger not only from enemy fire and the resultant low pull-out, but from own bomb blast and bomb fragments. Thus his low-dive bombing attacks were deliberate and premeditated, since he well knew and realized the dangers of such tactics, but went far beyond the call of duty in order to further the cause which he knew to be right. The next morning, 8 May, as the pilots of the attack group left the ready room to man planes, his indomitable spirit and leadership were well expressed in his own words, “Remember the folks back home are counting on us. 1 am going to get a hit if 1 have to lay it on their flight deck.” He led his section of dive bombers down to the target from an altitude of 18,000 feet, through a wall of bursting antiaircraft shells and into the face of enemy fighter planes. Again, completely disregarding the safety altitude and without fear or concern for his safety, Lt. Powers courageously pressed home his attack, almost to the very deck of an enemy carrier and did not release his bomb until he was sure of a direct hit. He was last seen attempting recovery from his dive at the extremely low altitude of 200 feet, and amid a terrific barrage of shell and bomb fragments, smoke, flame and debris from the stricken vessel.
*RICKETTS, MILTON ERNEST
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Born: 5 August 1913, Baltimore, Md. Appointed from: Maryland. Citation: For extraordinary and distinguished gallantry above and beyond the call of duty as Officer-in-Charge of the Engineering Repair Party of the U.S.S. Yorktown in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Battle of the Coral Sea on 8 May 1942. During the severe bombarding of the Yorktown by enemy Japanese forces, an aerial bomb passed through and exploded directly beneath the compartment in which Lt. Ricketts’ battle station was located, killing, wounding or stunning all of his men and mortally wounding him. Despite his ebbing strength, Lt. Ricketts promptly opened the valve of a near-by fireplug, partially led out the fire hose and directed a heavy stream of water into the fire before dropping dead beside the hose. His courageous action, which undoubtedly prevented the rapid spread of fire to serious proportions, and his unflinching devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
*KEITH, MIGUEL
Rank and organization: Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, Combined Action platoon 1-3-2, 111 Marine Amphibious Force. place and date: Quang Ngai province, Republic of Vietnam, 8 May 1970. Entered service at: Omaha, Nebr. Born: 2 June 1951, San Antonio, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner with Combined Action platoon 1-3-2. During the early morning L/Cpl. Keith was seriously wounded when his platoon was subjected to a heavy ground attack by a greatly outnumbering enemy force. Despite his painful wounds, he ran across the fire-swept terrain to check the security of vital defensive positions and then, while completely exposed to view, proceeded to deliver a hail of devastating machine gun fire against the enemy. Determined to stop 5 of the enemy soldiers approaching the command post, he rushed forward, firing as he advanced. He succeeded in disposing of 3 of the attackers and in dispersing the remaining 2. At this point, a grenade detonated near L/Cpl. Keith, knocking him to the ground and inflicting further severe wounds. Fighting pain and weakness from loss of blood, he again braved the concentrated hostile fire to charge an estimated 25 enemy soldiers who were massing to attack. The vigor of his assault and his well-placed fire eliminated 4 of the enemy soldiers while the remainder fled for cover. During this valiant effort, he was mortally wounded by an enemy soldier. By his courageous and inspiring performance in the face of almost overwhelming odds, L/Cpl. Keith contributed in large measure to the success of his platoon in routing a numerically superior enemy force, and upheld the finest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Service.
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May 8
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS
FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MAY 8
THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1911: The Navy ordered its first airplane, the A-1 amphibian, from Glenn Curtiss. Therefore, today is officially the birthday of naval aviation. (21)
1918: Capts John F. Gallagher, Robert J. Hunter, and Claude T. Uren became the first medical officers to be assigned as flight surgeons at US airfields. (24)
1919: Lt Cmdr A. C. Read took off on the first air crossing of the Atlantic in an NC-4 flying boat. 1926: Through 9 May, Floyd Bennett and Lt Cmdr Richard E. Byrd flew the Josephine Ford, a Fokker C-2 Trimotor monoplane, on the first flight to the North Pole from Kings Bay, Spitsbergen. (9)
1935: In 14 hours 19 minutes, Amelia Earhart flew the first nonstop flight from Mexico City to Newark.
1937: Nine Airmen (6 officers and 3 enlisted AAC) received the Mackay Trophy for demonstration of expert instrument flying and navigation, and the will to overcome obstacles to accomplish their mission under exceptionally adverse weather conditions during a flight of three Martin B-10 bombers from Langley Field to Allegan, Michigan. (USAF Art Program)
1944: Eighth Air Force began large raids on French and Belgian airfields at Juvencourt, Laon, Florennes, Thionville, St. Dizier, Orleans, Bourges, and Avord. (4)
1951: KOREAN WAR. An H-5 helicopter picked up two U.S. soldiers north of Seoul, encountering small arms fire in the area. (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR. In the first of four major interdiction strikes, Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew nearly 465 sorties against the enemy supply depot at Suan, about 40 miles southeast of Pyongyang, in the largest one-day attack since the war began. In a13-hour period, the UN pilots damaged or destroyed over 200 supply buildings, personnel shelters, revetments, vehicles, and gun positions. Enemy antiaircraft fire shot down an F-86 at the Kunu-ri marshaling yards. This was the first loss of a Sabre on a fighter-bomber sortie. (28)
1960: The Air Force removed its first operational missile, a Thor, from a field unit in the UK and sent it to Vandenberg AFB for confidence testing. Confidence launches preceded SAC's operational test program. (6)
1970: MACKAY TROPHY. An AC-119K gunship attacked a heavily defended road section in SEA. Despite losing 15 feet of the aircraft’s right wing and an aileron, the crew destroyed three enemy supply trucks and then returned to base. For that feat, the crew earned the trophy. (21)
1970: An AC-119K gunship attacks a heavily defended road section in SEA. Despite losing 15 feet of the aircraft’s right wing and an aileron, the crew destroys three enemy supply trucks and then returns to base. For that feat, the crew receives the trophy.
1972: Operation LINEBACKER I. President Nixon approved this operation as a military measure to end the Vietnam War. It included the mining of all ports in North Vietnam, and the interdiction of supply and communication lines. (5) (17)
1994: Operation PROVIDE PROMISE. Through 26 July, 5 C-141s started flying humanitarian missions from Germany to Bosnia. They joined the earlier deployment of C-130s from the 437 AW and 315 AW at Charleston AFB. The C-141s delivered over 7,000 tons of cargo by the time their flights ended on 26 July. (16)
1995: Through 11 May, ANG units rescued thousands of flood victims after 22 inches of rain fell on Louisiana within two days. (16) (26)
2000: Through 9 May, the RQ-4A Global Hawk participated in a Linked Seas Exercise, flying from Eglin AFB to Portugal and back during a 28-hour sortie. The Global Hawk also completed a 14.1-hour mission on 11-12 May 2000. (3)
2001: SECDEF Donald H. Rumsfeld made the USAF the executive agent for the Pentagon’s space activities. (21
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