To All
. Good Friday morning May 29. It is starting out cool and overcast again today and the skies
are going to clear around 2 and hit 70. Saturday we are supposed to jump to clear skies and 76
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I received a note yesterday from Rich Swartz. TR has chosen Hospice care at Silver Gate and has been moved there. His son says it is a matter of a few days or hours until he passes
Dave Rutkoff is in the hospital in the here at Sharp Memorial. I will check with him this morning
Warm Regards,
skip
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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/
May 29
1781 During the American Revolution, the Continental frigate Alliance, under command of Capt. John Barry, battles HMS Atalanta and HMS Trepassy off Nova Scotia. After several broadsides by Alliance, the British ships surrender.
1844 The frigate Constitution, commanded by John Percival, sails from New York to depart on her 52,370 mile around-the-world cruise. Heading eastward, she visits places such as Brazil, Borneo, China, the Philippines, Hawaii, and Mexico before returning to Boston on September 27, 1846.
1863 During the Civil War, the side-wheel "double-ender" gunboat , USS Cimarron, commanded by Cmdr. Andrew J. Drake, captures the blockade-runner, Evening Star, off Wassaw Sound, Ga.
1944 USS Block Island (CVE 21) is torpedoed and is sunk by German submarine U 549. During this attack, USS Barr (DE 576) is also damaged. Block Island is the only U.S. carrier lost in the Atlantic during World War II. U-549 is later sunk that night by USS Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686) and USS Ahrens (DE 575).
1945 USS Sterlet (SS 392) sinks Japanese army cargo ships Kuretake Maru and Tenyro Maru despite the close proximity of the escort Coast Defense Ship No. 65.
1952 During the Korean War, USS Ozbourn (DD 846), USS Radford (DDE 446), and USS Heron (AMS 18), are engaged by enemy shore batteries and machine guns for two days off Wonson, Korea. Enemy batteries are silenced by counter-battery fire.
2004 USS Pinckney (DDG 91) is commissioned at Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme, Calif. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is named for Cook 1st Class William Pinckney, who received the Navy Cross for rescuing a fellow USS Enterprise (CV 6) crew member during the Battle of Santa Cruz Oct. 26, 1942.
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Today in World History May 29
1453 Constantinople falls to Muhammad II, ending the Byzantine Empire.
1660 Charles II is restored to the English throne, succeeding the short-lived Commonwealth.
1721 South Carolina is formally incorporated as a royal colony of England.
1790 Rhode Island becomes the last of the original thirteen colonies to ratify the Constitution.
1848 Wisconsin becomes the thirtieth state.
1849 A patent for lifting vessels is granted to Abraham Lincoln.
1862 Confederate general P.G.T. Beauregard retreats to Tupelo, Mississippi.
1911 The Indianapolis 500 is run for the first time.
1913 The premier of the ballet Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) in Paris causes rioting in the theater.
1916 U.S. forces invade the Dominican Republic.
1922 Ecuador becomes independent.
1922 The U.S. Supreme Court rules organized baseball is a sport not subject to antitrust laws.
1942 The German Army completes its encirclement of the Kharkov region of the Soviet Union.
1951 C. F. Blair becomes the first man to fly over the North Pole in single-engine plane.
May 29, 1953 I was in the second grade at Camp Hood Texas ( they had not yet changed it to fort Hood) when we learned about this . The teacher made a big deal about it and it always stuck in my memory. I can always remember the type of desk I sat in and where I was in the class. The other thing I always remember about that class was getting bit by a big dog that had got into our playground. 5 of us got bit I was the last one trying to climb the big fence when he got me on the butt. They never found the dog so we all got the Rabies series. After that and even today I can not stand to look at needles and I don’t…..skip
At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first known explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which at 29,035 feet above sea level is the highest point on earth. The two, part of a British expedition, made their final assault on the summit after spending a fitful night at 27,900 feet. News of their achievement broke around the world on June 2, the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and Britons hailed it as a good omen for their country’s future.
Mount Everest sits on the crest of the Great Himalayas in Asia, lying on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Called Chomo-Lungma, or “Mother Goddess of the Land,” by the Tibetans, the English named the mountain after Sir George Everest, a 19th-century British surveyor of South Asia. The summit of Everest reaches two-thirds of the way through the air of the earth’s atmosphere—at about the cruising altitude of jet airliners—and oxygen levels there are very low, temperatures are extremely cold, and weather is unpredictable and dangerous.
The first recorded attempt to climb Everest was made in 1921 by a British expedition that trekked 400 difficult miles across the Tibetan plateau to the foot of the great mountain. A raging storm forced them to abort their ascent, but the mountaineers, among them George Leigh Mallory, had seen what appeared to be a feasible route up the peak. It was Mallory who quipped when later asked by a journalist why he wanted to climb Everest, “Because it’s there.”
1974 President Richard Nixon agrees to turn over 1,200 pages of edited Watergate transcripts.
1990 Boris Yeltsin is elected the president of Russia.
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May 29
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 elow and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
May 29: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2239
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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Taking Chance
Memorial Day is the day we remember and respect those that have given their lives in the service of our country. This is a story of how they find their way home to their families.
Taking Chance is a story about a Marine Lt Col escorting the body of a young Marine home after being killed overseas. I bought the DVD when it first came out and I was overwhelmed by it. Even now just watching the trailer I had trouble keeping it together. It was very well done. The actors especially Kevin Bacon did a marvelous job. I highly recommend it. But watch in a quiet respectful place…skip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo2HgOD292Y
And: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chance_Phelps
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My memory does not work well these days ..skip
Thanks to Barrett….He has reminded me before that this was just a fairy tale. Maybe next time I see it I will remember….skip
Skip, I knew Bruce tolerably well when I was secretary of the aces assn. Colorful fershure.
Credible: not so much.
Ref. 160 hrs on arrival in the UK: um, no. The AAF syllabus was 220 hrs; Bruce's ace bio shows 314 total time.
The fact is he was never shot down and never had the chance to steal a 190. His story has been told for decades—first saw it in my hometown barber shop ('True' magazine?) 1960s.
Here's the facts:
Bruce originally was assigned to the 363rd FG, an early P-51B unit in the 9th AF. He was kicked out for, and I quote, "Overly aggressive in combat." The CO of the 354th heard and said "I'll take him today." (The 363rd had leadership "issues" and became a TacRecce outfit.)
Right after VE Day the 354th was based in Germany on occupation duty. Bruce cadged a 190 from a nearby RAF field and landed at base—where he collapsed a main mount.
He kept telling the fairy tale even around other 354th aces whom I knew. They shrugged: "Bruce is gonna do what Bruce is gonna do."
About the last time I spoke with him he confessed that he'd run up $12k in fuel bills with a sympathetic warbird owner. I never heard whether Sharon caught on...
There's another Mustang Myth that refuses to die. One of Bud Anderson's squadron mates, Bill Overstreet, claimed that he chased a 109 through the Eiffel Tower and shot it down.
Never happened.
No date, no crash, no witnesses, no claim (all of his 3 claims were in Reich airspace). Bud and a couple of others said they couldn't figure why Bill told such a tale. It only emerged long after the war. Thing is/was: Bill Overstreet was one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet. He just lied a lot.
As ever,
Barrett
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
In Switzerland, it is illegal to own just one guinea pig.
The Swiss are known for their historic commitment to neutrality, but they’ve taken a firm stand on one of the most important issues of our time: guinea pigs. Because guinea pigs are social creatures who grow lonesome without a friend, it’s illegal to own just one of them in Switzerland. The law was introduced in 2008 as part of a legislative effort to grant social rights to pets. Should one guinea pig depart this mortal coil and leave its companion alone — and its owner in potential legal trouble — rent-a-guinea-pig services have emerged as a temporary solution.
Guinea pigs aren’t the only pets afforded special status in Switzerland. Goldfish are also prohibited from being kept alone, cats must at least have access to a window where they can see their fellow felines prowling around, and, for a time, dog owners were required to take an obligatory training course with their pooch, although that law was repealed in 2016. For all this, Switzerland doesn’t have an official national animal — though both the country and the Alps in general are strongly associated with cows and Saint Bernards.
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Thanks to Admiral Anselmo for sending this for the List
MEMORIAL DAY 2024 SPEECH
BY RADM PHILIP ANSELMO
USN, RETIRED
TONIGHT, WE COME TOGETHER TO HONOR THE PATRIOTS WHO HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR LIBERTY AND FREEDOM. THROUGH THE AGES MEN AND WOMAN HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES SO THAT OTHERS MAY PROSPER.
YOU ARE STANDING ON SACRED GROUND WHERE OUR ANCESTERS FOUGHT AND DIED FOR OUR FREEDOMS. LESS THAN 100 YARDS FROM HERE ARE THE GRAVES OF THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. (RIGHT NEXT TO CANOE CLUB POOL).
THESE HEROES DROVE THE BRITISH NORTH INTO THE ARMS OF WASHINGTON FOR THEIR ULTIMATE DEFEAT. MY ANCESTORS PARTICAPATED IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, WAR OF 1812, CIVIL WAR – WHERE MY GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. FOR MY PART I SPENT 33 YEARS IN SERVICE WITH THE U.S NAVY. EVERYDAY I REMEMBER THOSE THAT WE LOST. FLYING 240 COMBAT MISSIONS OVER VIETNAM AND OVER 1000 CARRIER LANDINGS, GOD WAS GOOD TO ME AND BROUGHT ME HOME SAFELY. MIKE FLEMING, DAVE BROWN, EARL MCBRIDE WERE LOST IN DEFENCE OF OUR FREEDOMS.
PEACE AND OUR FREEDOMS COME AT PRICE AND WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO REMEMBER ALL THEIR SACRIFICES. 14 MILLION MEN AND WOMAN SIGNED UP TO SERVE IN WWII. THEY TOOK A SIMPLE OATH. “STAND AND RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND…I (STATE YOUR NAME) DO SOLEMLY SWEAR TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AGAINST ALL ENEMIES FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC AND TO OBEY THE ORDERS OF THOSE APPOINTED OVER ME, SO HELP ME GOD”
EACH NIGHT ABOARD SHIP AT 2200 WE SAY AN EVENING PRAYER TO ALL THOSE ABOARD SHIP AND THOSE THAT HAVE DEPARTED BEFORE US. EACH OF US SHOULD DEDICATE OURSELVES TO THE MEMORY OF THE FALLEN AND RESPECT THE SYMBOL OF OUR FREEDOMS – THE AMERICAN FLAG, DEDICATING OURSELVES TO PRODUCTIVE LIVES.
I’LL CLOSE WITH THIS QUOTE FROM PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, “ONCE EACH MAY, AMID THE QUIET HILLS AND ROLLING LANES AND BREEZE-BRUSHED TREES OF ARLINTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, FAR ABOVE THE MAJESTIC POTOMAC AND THE MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS OF OUR NATION’S CAPITAL JUST BEYOND, THE GRAVES OF AMERICAN MILITARY DEAD ARE DECORATED WITH THE BEAUTIFUL FLAG THAT IN LIFE THESE BRAVED SOLES FOLLOWED AND LOVED. THIS SCENE IS REPEATED ACROSS OUR LAND AND AROUND THE WORLD, WHEREVER OUR DEFENDERS REST. LET US HOLD IT OUR SACRED DUTY AND OUR INESTIMABLE PRIVILEGE ON THIS DAY TO DECORATE THESE GRAVES OURSELVES—WITH A FERVENT PRAYER AND A PLEDGE OF TRUE ALLEGIANCE TO THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY, PEACE, AND COUNTRY FOR WHICH AMERICA’S OWN HAVE EVER SERVED AND SACRIFICED. OUR PLEDGE AND PRAYER THIS DAY ARE THOSE OF FREE MEN AND FREE WOMEN WHO KNOW THAT ALL WE HOLD DEAR MUST CONSTANTLY BE BUILT UP, FOSTERED, REVERED, AND GUARDED VIGILANTLY FROM THOSE THAT WOULD SEEK ITS DESTRUCTION. WE KNOW, AS HAVE OUR NATION’S DEFENDERS DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS, THAT THERE CAN NEVER BE PEACE WITHOUT ITS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF LIBERTY, JUSTICE, AND INDEPENDENCE. THOSE TRUE AND ONLY BUILDING BLOCKS OF PEACE WERE THE LONE AND LASTING CAUSE AND HOPE AND PRAYER THAT LIGHTED THE WAY OF THOSE WHOM WE HONOR AND REMEMBER THIS MEMORIAL DAY. TO KEEP FAITH WITH OUR HALLOWED DEAD, LET US BE SURE, AND VERY SURE, TODAY AND EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES, THAT WE KEEP THEIR CAUSE, THEIR PRAYER, FOREVER OUR COUNTRY’S OWN”—RONALD REAGAN
GOD BLESS AMERICA
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Thanks to Capt Billy…..I can’t get the pictures to get through but the video should work….skip
Video Link below compliments of Kurt Gearhart, Lead, Arizona Stearman Squadron. #2 Larry Dustman in 181. #3 Jake Hanson (Missing Man pull-up). #4 Danny Don in his Ryan PT-22. Over the National Memorial Cemetery, Cave Creek, AZ. Looks really nice on the big screen TV…
I flew with these guys beginning with the WWI Nieuport 17, then we switched to the Stearman + one Waco UPF-7 & Danny Don’s pristine PT-22. The Arizona Stearman Squadron’s mission: To Honor our Nation’s Veterans. Memorial Day is special as is Veteran’s Day (Nov 11th).
Memorial_Day_24_PHX_Stearman.m4v - Shared with pCloud
u.pcloud.link
Mike Wray (1952 - 2004 — lost in the crash of his Lancair !V-P 2/17/2004) - Founder - Lafayette Escadrille d' Arizona. Photos & story in the link below:
https://captainbillywalker.com/stearman-stories/formation-flying-lafayette-escadrille-d-arizona/
By Allan Stein
OXFORD, Conn.—High above the muddy Hudson River, the D-Day Squadron had flown nearly 100 miles in tight formation to reach the towering spires of New York City. Straight ahead, the mirror-blue One World Trade Center—Manhattan’s tallest building at 1,776 feet—rose majestically above a drab sea of skyscrapers.
Just beyond was the Statue of Liberty with its torch of freedom reaching toward the clouds. The five WWII-era aircraft banked left to get a better look at Lady Liberty perched on its island pedestal in the New York Harbor just before the return flight to Connecticut.
Eighty years ago, the view from the squadron’s C-47 troop transport aircraft named “That’s All, Brother” looked much different as it flew into a world war raging 3,528 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. The massive airborne operation took place in the pre-dawn hours of June 6, 1944--D-Day. That’s All, Brother was the first of hundreds of paratroop transport planes to deliver their human cargo over the heavily fortified beaches of Normandy, France.
At least 10,000 Allied soldiers (nearly 4,500 Americans) perished during the land, air, and sea invasion on D-Day and at least a quarter of these casualties were airborne troops. Germany’s losses were no less severe, with around 200,000 either killed or wounded.
Ghost Army Members Who Deceived Nazis With Battlefield Ruses in WWII Given Congressional Gold Medal
WWII Pacific Theater Books for the Next Generation military operation marked the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. The May 17 flight over New York City was a trial run for the D-Day Squadron’s 2024 Legacy Tour, which will commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the historic invasion and the 75th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift in Wiesbaden, Germany.
On May 18, the squadron took to the skies once again from Oxford, Connecticut, this time on a trans-Atlantic flight across the “Blue Spruce Route” used during WWII. According to the D-Day Squadron, the Blue Spruce Route “refers to the ferry and refueling navigational path from North America to Europe that was leveraged during the war.
“The significant undertaking aims to honor the courage and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation, promoting the enduring legacy of freedom and democracy they fought for.” Five of the 11 aircraft in the squadron will complete the 3,000 nautical-mile journey to England and France in six days. Each plane will consume 36 gallons of oil and more than 1,600 gallons of fuel. The entire journey will require 80 crew members.
C-47 Dakotas flying over New York State on May 17, 2024. A collection of DC-3-type aircraft will lead the way with scheduled stops in Canada, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and France. Around 60 WWII veterans will be honored with a symbolic flight of these aircraft during ground ceremonies in Normandy on D-Day, June 6.
Max Gurney, 102, of San Diego is a proud member of the small contingent of surviving veterans who will witness the historic event.
“I’m very thrilled. I hope to meet some of these other veterans. For the time being, I don’t know who they are. It will be a return to the past,” Mr. Gurney told The Epoch Times in a phone interview. Mr. Gurney was among thousands of young men who enlisted in the Army right out of high school following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
He said that at the time, anti-war sentiment in the United States had been running high. However, Pearl Harbor quickly galvanized public opinion in favor of entering the conflict in Europe.
“There was a complete change of mind, particularly with the students,” Mr. Gurney said. “It was on a Sunday morning [
when the attack occurred]. As of Monday and Tuesday, there was a fantastic unity in the country—particularly among the young people. “It was a pivotal moment for the country,” he said. “The reasoning changed. The necessity to support the war against the Germans and the Japanese was very sharp. There was no dissent.
“As you can imagine, my mother was particularly taken aback by the events. She always encouraged me to be as careful as all mothers today toward their sons and children,” Mr. Gurney said.
Max Gurney, 102, of San Diego, Calif., served in the U.S. Army in North Africa during WWII. (Courtesy of Max Gurney
In 1946 WWII Ace Butch Boris became the leader of the new Navy demonstration team envisioned by Admiral Nimitz. Initially, Butch and two pals he knew would follow his lead began, what became the Blue Angels, flying Grumman F6F “Hellcats.” Boy Howdy did they succeed. Two of the greatest Blue Angels commander/leaders were RADM Denny Wisely and Captain Hoss Pearson. I’ve come to know both as a member of Squadron 48 ‘Roadrunners’ of the Association of Naval Aviation.
How many of us see ourselves…’Cept me! No beard!
Blue Skies & Tailwinds….
Https://CaptainBillyWalker.com
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Some bits from 1440
Good morning, it's Friday, May 29. The US and Iran may be approaching a new ceasefire deal.
Also in today's Digest: the death of longtime NHL star Claude Lemieux (Sports, Ent., & Cult.), a CIA officer busted with more than 300 gold bars (Pol. & World Affairs), the science behind quantum clocks (In-Depth), and much more.
Potential Iranian Deal
US and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative deal yesterday to extend a ceasefire by 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and begin nuclear negotiations. The proposal has been sent to President Donald Trump for review.
News of a potential deal comes as the two countries continue to accuse each other of violating the weekslong ceasefire. The US military struck Iranian missile launch sites and mine-laying boats this week, and also shot down several Iranian drones. Kuwait intercepted Iranian missiles late Wednesday that were apparently directed against a US air base on its soil. (Is the US running low on munitions?)
Separately, Israel has continued strikes this week targeting what it called Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The country issued an evacuation notice on Wednesday covering 14% of Lebanon’s territory—the broadest warning since Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire last month. The two countries are set to hold security talks today in Washington, DC.
Hepatitis B Breakthrough
An experimental drug for chronic hepatitis B has cleared detectable virus levels in about one in five patients, according to a study released yesterday. The result raises optimism about a potential functional cure for a disease affecting more than 250 million people worldwide.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection spread through blood, semen, and other bodily fluids that can cause liver damage, cancer, and death (watch full breakdown). A vaccine prevents infection but doesn't treat existing cases. Current therapies are lifelong and only suppress the virus, resulting in functional cures in 1% to 3% of patients. The new drug, bepirovirsen, blocks hepatitis B virus replication. In the study, 1,220 patients received weekly injections for 24 weeks, alongside standard antiviral pills. After six months, 19% of participants had no detectable virus. The drug awaits regulatory approval in the US, Japan, China, and Europe.
Globally, the chronic disease is most often transmitted from mother to child during birth. See regions with the highest number of infections.
🫶 Humankind: Girl Scouts use cookie sale money to make 3D-printed pediatric wheelchair.
Italy Goes to the Mattresses
Italy said it seized about $232M in assets tied to late mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro and arrested three people in connection with the operation. The assets include more than 26 pounds of gold bars, millions in cash, premium watches, and roughly 20 luxury properties across nine countries.
Messina Denaro, head of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra mafia, spent 30 years on the run before his 2023 arrest. He died in prison months later at age 61 after receiving six life sentences for murder and organized crime and is believed to be responsible for over 50 deaths. Officials said the fortune was amassed through drug trafficking since the 1980s and reinvested in businesses and real estate. The operation is seen as a blow to the Sicilian mafia's efforts to rebuild financially after his death. Cosa Nostra is estimated to include 5,000 affiliates and 20,000 collaborators across Europe and the US.
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens face off tonight in Game 5 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals (More) | Four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux dies at age 60, apparently by suicide, days after carrying the torch for Montreal in Game 3
> World No. 1 Jannik Sinner crashes out of the French Open in the second round, citing dizziness amid Paris' heat wave
> San Antonio Spurs win Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference finals; will face off against Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 tomorrow at 8 pm ET
Science & Technology
> IBM to invest $10B in quantum research and manufacturing with goal of creating the first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029 (More) | Anthropic releases newest version of its flagship AI model, Claude Opus 4.8 (More)
> Engineers develop new method to extract lithium from rocks, with significantly less toxic waste than current approaches; mineral is a key component in everything from smartphones to clean energy
> Nanotube-based sensor detects early-stage bladder cancer with 50,000 times greater sensitivity than standard techniques; disease accounts for 85,000 new cases and 15,000 deaths in the US each year
Change the Way You Think About Hydration
Our body’s water retention declines with age and even mild dehydration can affect how you feel day to day. In fact, one study found losing just 2.8% of body fluid may impair memory, focus, and thinking—yet many adults don’t realize they’re chronically underhydrated.
Politics & World Affairs
> Justice Department investigates whether writer E. Jean Carroll—who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault—committed perjury in her two civil lawsuits against Trump
> Former CIA officer is accused of potentially stealing $40M of public funds in the form of 303 gold bars after requesting money for work-related expenses; a raid on his home also revealed $2M in cash and 35 luxury watches
Historybook: Comedian Bob Hope born (1903); President John F. Kennedy born (1917); Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay are first to reach Mount Everest summit (1953); Danica Patrick is first woman to lead at Indy 500 (2005).
"I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful."
- Bob Hope
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Thanks to History Facts
The earliest passports used written descriptions instead of photos.
Imagine trying to pass through border security when all you have to prove your identity is a piece of paper that says “brown hair and freckles.” While that wouldn’t fly today, it’s typically how things worked before passports had photographs. Early passports simply included details such as the holder’s name and the location they were traveling; photography wasn’t invented until the 1820s, and it took many more years for the technology to allow for easy passport photographs. Then around 1825, U.S. passports began to include written descriptions of the subject’s facial features, such as their eyes, forehead, and nose, to help aid in identification, and other countries followed suit.
Though you’d occasionally find someone who described their nose as “Roman,” many passport applicants listed their features as “average,” thus rendering those descriptions rather unhelpful. What’s more, these physical descriptions were occasionally altered by officials to be less flattering than in the eyes of the applicant. One man who described his face shape as “intelligent” on his application was dismayed to find that it was later changed to “oval” by a government official.
In 1914, the year World War I began, many countries began mandating more secure passports with both photos and descriptions, as governments feared potential espionage. In 1920, the League of Nations established a set of global passport standards, requiring the use of photographic identification. These increased security measures led to a whole set of new issues, as many people viewed passport photos as demeaning and comparable to mugshots. Some border officials were also unprepared for changes in a person’s physical appearance — in one instance in 1923, a clean-shaven Danish man was required to regrow the mustache from his passport photo before he was allowed to leave Germany.
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Why Is Greenwich, England, the Center of Time?
GREENWICH OBSERVATORY
The worldwide timekeeping convention, known as Universal Time Coordinated (UTC), is often still colloquially referred to by its historical name, Greenwich Mean Time. But how did Greenwich, a borough in southeast London, become the reference point for timekeeping all around the world? To answer that, we have to go back to the 17th century, during Europe’s age of exploration.
Building Greenwich Observatory
In 1674, King Charles II of England assembled a Royal Commission to study the possibility of creating a more precise measure of longitude in order to improve ship navigation. The greater oceanic distances being traveled by trade ships meant that any inaccuracies were magnified, causing shipwrecks and other maritime disasters; an improved reference for longitude would enable better course-plotting. The commission concluded that accurately determining star positions (as reference points) would be an essential part of the calculation, and recommended establishing an astronomical observatory. In response, Charles II appointed astronomer John Flamsteed as Britain’s first Astronomer Royal in 1675. Meanwhile, Royal Commission architect and astronomer Christopher Wren chose the ruins of Greenwich Castle as the site for the observatory. This was due to its location on high ground in a royal park, as well as the presence of the castle’s foundation, which could be repurposed for the observatory. Construction was completed in about a year, and Flamsteed began his first observations in 1676.n
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The Statue of Liberty's torch was damaged in an explosion during World War I.
U.S. HISTORY
F or nearly 140 years, the Statue of Liberty has been an inspiring symbol and a beacon of hope for those seeking a new life. But many don’t realize that the iconic landmark was also a victim of one of the largest sabotage attacks in U.S. history. In the early hours of July 30, 1916, two years into World War I, German saboteurs blew up a munitions stockpile on New Jersey’s Black Tom Island, not far from Lady Liberty in New York Harbor. The resulting explosion was the equivalent of a 5.5 magnitude earthquake, and tossed shrapnel far and wide. Although most of the statue survived the attack, Lady Liberty’s torch wasn’t so lucky. Before that destructive night, tourists could actually go inside the torch, but after the structural damage caused by the explosion, authorities permanently closed the torch to visitors (and replaced it entirely in 1985).
It might seem strange for the U.S. to be the target of an attack many months before even entering World War I, which it joined in April 1917. But since the beginning of the war, America had funneled food, supplies, and weapons to Allied powers, including Britain, Italy, and Russia. Hoping to curtail the United States’ support, Germany inflicted an estimated $500 million in damages (in today’s dollars) with the attack, while causing little loss of life. Unlike the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Black Tom explosion didn't drive the U.S. to join the First World War right away. It wasn’t until British operatives intercepted the Zimmermann Telegram, a German message to Mexico offering it U.S. territory in exchange for its support in the war, that America finally joined the fight.
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This Day in U S Military History…….May 29
1780 – At the Battle of Waxhaws, the British continue attacking after the Continentals lay down their arms, killing 113 and critically wounding all but 53 that remained. The Battle of Waxhaws (also known as the Waxhaws or Waxhaw Massacre, and Buford’s Massacre) took place during the American Revolutionary War near Lancaster, South Carolina, between a Continental Army force led by Abraham Buford and a mainly Loyalist force led by Banastre Tarleton. Buford refused an initial demand to surrender, but when his men were attacked by Tarleton’s cavalry, many of them threw down their arms to surrender. Accounts differ on significant details. Buford apparently then attempted to surrender, but his surrender was either rejected or not received (Tarleton possibly having been incapacitated at that time). Tarleton’s men continued killing the Continental soldiers, including men who were not resisting. Little quarter was given to the Patriots. Of the 400 or so Continentals, 113 were killed with sabres, 150 so badly injured they could not be moved, and only 53 prisoners taken by the British and Loyalists. “Tarleton’s quarter” thereafter became a common expression for refusing to take prisoners, and in some subsequent battles in the Carolinas few of the defeated were taken alive by either side. The battle was used in an extensive propaganda campaign by the Continental Army to bolster recruitment and resentment against the British. Other accounts of the battle describe Tarleton as having no part in ordering the massacre, and having ordered thorough medical treatment of American prisoners and wounded.
1903 – Bob Hope (d.2003), US comedian, was born as Leslie Townes in Kent, England.
1940 – The first flight of the Vought F4U Corsair. The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought’s manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft F3A. From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured by Vought, in 16 separate models, in the longest production run of any piston-engine fighter in U.S. history (1942–53). The Corsair was designed as a carrier-based aircraft. However its difficult carrier landing performance rendered the Corsair unsuitable for Navy use until the carrier landing issues were overcome when used by the British Fleet Air Arm. The Corsair thus came to and retained prominence in its area of greatest deployment: land based use by the U.S. Marines. The role of the dominant U.S. carrier based fighter in the second part of the war was thus filled by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair’s first prototype in 1940. The Corsair served to a lesser degree in the U.S. Navy. As well as the U.S. and British use the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the French Navy Aéronavale and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II, and the U.S. Navy counted an 11:1 kill ratio with the F4U Corsair. After the carrier landing issues had been tackled it quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria.
1943 – Norman Rockwell’s portrait of “Rosie the Riveter” appeared on the cover of “The Saturday Evening Post.” Rockwell’s model was Mary Keefe (19) of Arlington, Vermont. In 2002 the painting sold at auction for $4,959,500.
1943 – Churchill, Marshall and Eisenhower met in the Confederacy of Algiers.
1943 – Meat and cheese began to be rationed in US.
1943 – On Attu the Japanese mount a final attack on American forces established in Chicagof.
1944 – On Biak Island, as well as Arare on the mainland, the American beachheads are heavily attacked by Japanese forces. The Japanese garrison on Biak makes use of tanks to force the US 162nd Regiment back towards its landing zone.
1944 – The American escort carrier Block Island and a destroyer are sunk by U-549 before it is itself sunk.
1944 – About 400 American bombers attack German synthetic fuel works and oil refineries at Polits and other locations. The damage caused sets back aircraft fuel production.
1944 – At Anzio, the British and American troops of the US 6th Corps take Campoleone and Carroceto. The Canadian 1st Corps begins to advance up Route 6 from Caprano toward Frosinone.
1945 – American B-29 Superfortress bombers drop incendiaries on Yokohama, burning 85 percent of the port area
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BOYNE, THOMAS
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company C, 9th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Mimbres Mountains, N. Mex., 29 May 1879; at Cuchillo Negro River near Ojo Caliente, N. Mex., 27 September 1879. Entered service at:——. Birth: Prince Georges County, Md. Date of issue: 6 January 1882. Citation: Bravery in action.
NOLAN, JOSEPH A.
Rank and organization: Artificer, Company B, 45th Infantry, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: At Labo, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 29 May 1900. Entered service at: South Bend, Ind. Birth: Elkhart, Ind. Date of issue: 14 March 1902. Citation: Voluntarily left shelter and at great personal risk passed the enemy’s lines and brought relief to besieged comrades.
KING, JOHN
Rank and organization: Watertender, U.S. Navy. Born: 7 February 1865, Ireland. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 72, 6 December 1901. Second award. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Vicksburg, for heroism in the line of his profession at the time of the accident to the boilers, 29 May 1901.
*GALT, WILLIAM WYLIE
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, 168th Infantry, 34th Infantry Division. Place and date: At Villa Crocetta, Italy, 29 May 1944. Entered service at: Stanford, Mont. Birth: Geyser, Mont. G.O. No.: 1, 1 February 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Galt, Battalion S3, at a particularly critical period following 2 unsuccessful attacks by his battalion, of his own volition went forward and ascertained just how critical the situation was. He volunteered, at the risk of his life, personally to lead the battalion against the objective. When the lone remaining tank destroyer refused to go forward, Capt. Galt jumped on the tank destroyer and ordered it to precede the attack. As the tank destroyer moved forward, followed by a company of riflemen, Capt. Galt manned the .30-caliber machinegun in the turret of the tank destroyer, located and directed fire on an enemy 77mm. anti-tank gun, and destroyed it. Nearing the enemy positions, Capt. Galt stood fully exposed in the turret, ceaselessly firing his machinegun and tossing hand grenades into the enemy zigzag series of trenches despite the hail of sniper and machinegun bullets ricocheting off the tank destroyer. As the tank destroyer moved, Capt. Galt so maneuvered it that 40 of the enemy were trapped in one trench. When they refused to surrender, Capt. Galt pressed the trigger of the machinegun and dispatched every one of them. A few minutes later an 88mm shell struck the tank destroyer and Capt. Galt fell mortally wounded across his machinegun. He had personally killed 40 Germans and wounded many more. Capt. Galt pitted his judgment and superb courage against overwhelming odds, exemplifying the highest measure of devotion to his country and the finest traditions of the U.S. Army.
*MORELAND, WHITT L.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Kwagch’i-Dong, Korea, 29 May 1951. Entered service at: Austin, Tex. Born: 7 March 1930, Waco, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an intelligence scout attached to Company C, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Voluntarily accompanying a rifle platoon in a daring assault against a strongly defended enemy hill position, Pfc. Moreland delivered accurate rifle fire on the hostile emplacement and thereby aided materially in seizing the objective. After the position had been secured, he unhesitatingly led a party forward to neutralize an enemy bunker which he had observed some 400 meters beyond, and moving boldly through a fire-swept area, Almost reached the hostile emplacement when the enemy launched a volley of hand grenades on his group. Quick to act despite the personal danger involved, he kicked several of the grenades off the ridge line where they exploded harmlessly and, while attempting to kick away another, slipped and fell near the deadly missile. Aware that the sputtering grenade would explode before he could regain his feet and dispose of it, he shouted a warning to his comrades, covered the missile with his body and absorbed the full blast of the explosion, but in saving his companions from possible injury or death, was mortally wounded. His heroic initiative and valiant spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon Pfc. Moreland and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for May 29, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
29 May
1910: Glenn H. Curtiss flew a record 142.5 miles from Albany to New York in 2 hours 50 minutes to win his third Scientific American Trophy. This flight gave him permanent possession of the trophy as well as the $10,000 prize from New York World. 1934: COLLIER TROPHY. The Hamilton Standard Propeller Company, with credit to Frank W. Caldwell, received the 1933 trophy for developing a controllable pitch propeller. (24)
1940: The Vought F4U Corsair first flew.
1951: Flying a converted P-51, Charles F. Blair, Jr., traveled 3,300 miles across the North Pole from Bardufoss, Norway, to Fairbanks in 10 hours 29 minutes. Thus, he became the first man to make the trip alone and in a single-engine plane. (9) (24)
1953: SAC received its first KC–97G Stratofreighter, a flying boom-type tanker that could dispense 8,513 gallons of aviation gasoline. Unlike previous models, the KC-97G could haul cargo without reconfiguration or carry 96 troops or heavy equipment without modification. (18)
1966: The ARRS observed its 20th anniversary. In this period, the ARRS rescued more than 12,000 people throughout the world. (16)
1997: A B-2 from the 509 BW at Whiteman AFB dropped a GAM-113 bomb over the China Lake Range near Edwards AFB. This drop marked the first time the 4,700-pound conventional penetrating weapon was paired with the B-2. (AFNEWS, 19 Jun 97)
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