To All
Good Sunday morning June 14 Same weather different day. The clouds are clearing and heating up to 83 by 2
I actually watched my first basketball game last night in a very long time. Toni wanted to watch it on the big screen. It looked to me like it was going to be a blowout by the Spurs but the Nicks kept coming back and I got interested and the Nicks finally won it in the last few seconds when they took the lead for the first time with seconds to go and kept it.
Warm regards,
skip
HAGD
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Thanks to Roger
Commander Theordore R. SWARTZ, USN (Ret),
Golden Eagle Emeritus
Gentlemen,
It is my sad duty to report that on Sunday, 31 May 2026, Golden Eagle Emeritus CDR Theodore R. “TR” SWARTZ, USN (Ret), made his Last Take Off at his residence in Poway, California.
TR started his Navy career with his enlistment as an ET Seaman on USS Bluegill (SSK 242) in April 1954. After a counselling session with the XO, TR was informed he wouldn’t be a very good “sewer pipe” sailor and so applied for the NAVCAD program. His submarine experience ended in September 1955 when he was accepted into the NAVCAD program and started flight training shortly thereafter. TR completed training in February 1957 and reported to VF-41 at NAS Oceana, Virginia. He served as a Division Officer and Landing Signal Officer (LSO) flying the F3H Demon on board USS Intrepid (CVA 11) until September 1959.
In October 1959 TR reported to VF-174 as a Tactics Instructor and LSO flying the F-8 Crusader on board NAS Cecil Field, Florida. Next came a CAG LSO job with CVW-3 on board USS Saratoga (CVA 60) in April 1964. TR qualified and flew the F-8, A-4 Skyhawk and F-4 Phantom II while there. Follow-on orders came in May 1966 to VA-76 flying the A-4 as Department Head and LSO on board USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31). This tour was a combat tour to Vietnam and was highlighted by TR’s downing of a MIG-17 with a Zuni rocket over Kep Airfield, NVN. He was also designated an Air Wing Major Strike Leader during this tour.
TR departed VA-76 In September 1967 and was assigned to VA-212 and CVW-5 as Operations Officer on board USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31))for another deployment to Vietnam.
In May 1969 TR reported to RCVW-12 as Staff VA Training Officer at NAS Miramar, California. He was there a year and then reported to the Naval War College where he earned a master’s degree. In 1972 he was accepted into the CNO Professional Development Program and completed it in 1973 at San Diego State University.
Completing his higher education TR was assigned to VF-121 as a Flight Instructor in the F-4 Phantom II. He was selected for command and reported to VF-161 as Executive Officer on board USS Midway (CVA 41) homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. This was the first overseas homeporting of a U.S. aircraft carrier. TR assumed command of VF-161 in March 1974 and successfully completed this tour in June 1975. His Command tour complete he reported to the Commander, U.S. Naval Air Force, Pacific as VF Training Officer in North Island, California. TR completed this tour in March 1977 and retired from Active Duty.
During his Navy career TR accumulated over 300 combat missions, 5,200 flight hours and 1,000 carrier landings. He was awarded the Silver Star, 6 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze Star w/ Combat “V,” 7 Individual Air Medals, 27 Strike Flight Air Medals and 8 Navy Commendation Medals.
After retirement TR took a year off and then joined the Cubic Corporation as the Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation System Program Manager / Director in April 1978. He developed U.S., European and Far East customers so continued his world travels. In October 1997 TR retired from the defense industry world and settled in Poway, California.
TR was predeceased by his wife Bernadine. TR and Bernadine are survived by oldest daughter Nancy Weigens and her husband Jon; oldest son Richard Allen; Theodore Robert the second and his wife Barbara; and grandson Theodore Robert the third and his wife Ananta.
Interment services are currently scheduled for 23 June 2025 at 1130 at Miramar National Cemetery.
He will be missed.
In Sadness,
Matt MOFFIT
Pilot
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To All,
Regards,
Skip
619-610-8166
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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/
On This Day in Naval and Marine Corps History June 14
1775 The Continental Congress authorizes the enlistment of expert riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year, establishing the United States Army.
1777 John Paul Jones takes command of the Continental Navy sloop USS Ranger. While commanding Ranger, the ship receives the first official salute to the Stars and Stripes flag by the French fleet at Quiberon Bay.
1777 The Continental Congress adopts the design of present U.S. flag of 13 stripes and 13 stars.
1847 Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry conducts the second expedition against Tabasco, Mexico, also known as the Battle of Villahermosa.
1945 PB4Y aircraft bomb Japanese shipping off Banjarmasin, Borneo and sink Japanese (No. 470) shuttle vessel.
1985 Steelworker Second Class Robert D. Stethem, of Underwater Construction Team ONE, is tortured and killed by terrorist hijackers of TWA Flight 847. He posthumously receives the Bronze Star for his heroism during this situation.
Happy 247th birthday to the US Army !! Proudly served !!!
June 14th: The Birthday of the U.S. Army - U.S. Army Center of Military History -
1777 Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes
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From Skip
When I was young growing up on Air Force and Army bases across the country the Flag was always there watching over us. I remember my father stopping on the bases every time the bugle sounded and the flag was raised or lowered. He would get out of the car and stand attention saluting until the flag was all the way up or down and wait for the bugle call that indicated the Flag had completed its journey. It was in every class room at school and we would stand by our desks and recite the pledge of Allegiance each morning. I even remember when “Under God “was added. I asked my students last Thursday night what the significance of Today had and none could answer even though we had all just saluted the flag to start our testing . Only a few remembered that today was Father’s Day.
We have come a long way down this road of respecting the flag and our country and I am sure that it has not been a good road traveled
skip
I Am Your Flag
by James M. Fillmore
I am your Flag. I have been kicked, trampled, burned, and shot full of holes. I have fought battles, but I prefer the untroubled air of a world at peace.
I am your Flag. I represent the freedom of humanity, and I shall fly high, thundering in silence for the whole world to hear. My gentle rustling in the breeze sounds out the warning to all who would bury me forever that below stands a population dedicated to liberty.
For those who have perished for my right to freedom of flight, for those who will die, and indeed for those who will live, I stand as a symbol of freedom-loving people.
I have been carried into battle in faraway lands, always for the cause of freedom. I am blood-stained, torn, and many times wearied and saddened by the thousands who have paid the supreme sacrifice.
Do not let it all be for nothing. Tell me the brave have died for a worthwhile cause. Be proud of what I represent, and display me for all to see.
Whether you call me "Old Glory," Stars and Stripes," or "Star Spangled Banner," I shall fly forever as a symbol of your freedom, as I did for your ancestors, and I shall for your heirs.
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Today in World History June 14
1381 The Peasants' Revolt, led by Wat Tyler, climaxes when rebels plunder and burn the Tower of London and kill the Archbishop of Canterbury.
1642 Massachusetts passes the first compulsory education law in the colonies.
1645 Oliver Cromwell's army routs the king's army at Naseby.
1775 The U.S. Army is founded when the Continental Congress authorizes the muster of troops.
1777 The Continental Congress authorizes the "stars and stripes" flag for the new United States.
1789 Captain William Bligh of the HMS Bounty arrives in Timor in a small boat. He had been forced to leave his ship when his crew mutinied.
1846 A group of settlers declare California to be a republic.
1864 At the Battle of Pine Mountain, Georgia, Confederate General Leonidas Polk is killed by a Union shell.
1893 The city of Philadelphia observes the first Flag Day.
1907 Women in Norway win the right to vote.
1919 John William Alcott and Arthur Whitten Brown take off from St. John's, Newfoundland, for Clifden, Ireland, on the first nonstop transatlantic flight.
1922 President Warren G. Harding becomes the first president to speak on the radio.
1927 Nicaraguan President Porfirio Diaz signs a treaty with the U.S. allowing American intervention in his country.
1932 Representative Edward Eslick dies on the floor of the House of Representatives while pleading for the passage of the bonus bill.
1940 German forces occupy Paris.
1942 The Supreme Court rules that requiring students to salute the American flag is unconstitutional.
1944 Boeing B-29 bombers conduct their first raid against mainland Japan.
1945 Burma is liberated by the British.
1949 The State of Vietnam is formed.
1951 UNIVAC, the first computer built for commercial purposes, is demonstrated in Philadelphia by Dr. John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, Jr.
1954 Americans take part in the first nation-wide civil defense test against atomic attack.
Do you remember “Duck and Cover drills ?”
1965 A military triumvirate takes control in Saigon, South Vietnam.
1982 Argentina surrenders to the United Kingdom ending the Falkland Islands War.
1985 Gunmen hijack a passenger jet over the Middle East.
1989 Congressman William Gray, an African American, is elected Democratic Whip of the House of Representatives.
1995 Chechen rebels take 2,000 people hostage in a hospital in Russia.
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June 14
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
June 14: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2254
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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The last five ON DRINKS
21
Hemingway Has His Own Type of Daiquiri
A rum Hemingway daiquiri with lime and grapefruit. Ernest Hemingway had more than one favorite bar, but in Cuba, it was El Floridita. The bar was founded in Havana’s Old Quarter in 1817, and it was already an institution as la cuna del daiquiri — the cradle of the daiquiri — when the famous author walked in. After sampling the original, Hemingway requested “more rum, less sugar” from legendary barman and owner Constantino Ribalaigua. You can still order a Papa Doble, Hemingway’s favorite, while sitting next to his life-sized statue.
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Snapple’s Apple Juice Once Contained No Apple Though they’ve since updated the ingredients to list both apple and pear concentrate, there was a time when Snapple’s apple juice drink didn’t contain a single drop of real apple juice. Instead, the company used pear juice flavored to taste like apple, perhaps because the flavor of altered pear concentrate more closely resembled what the public expected out of an apple drink than did apple juice itself.
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It Takes Eight Years To Grow Agave Plants for Tequila When European colonists first encountered Mexico’s native agave plants, they were intrigued by the succulents the Aztecs had been using to make clothing, rope, and intoxicating drinks. The spike-tipped plants, which grow as tall as 20 feet, were dug up and transplanted to greenhouses and botanical gardens throughout Spain, Portugal, and other parts of Europe starting in the 16th century. But most agave plants struggled to flourish in areas lacking their natural arid climate; in cooler countries, they were dubbed “century plants,” because those that survived the overseas journey didn’t bloom for nearly 100 years. Agave plants mature much faster when left in their natural habitats, but growing the crop for today’s tequila production is still a time investment. It traditionally takes about eight years before the plants are ready to harvest, though some agave crops are left to grow even longer.
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7Up Once Contained Mood Stabilizers
While it’s somewhat common knowledge that early versions of Coca-Cola contained cocaine, it wasn’t the only soda to contain unusual and potentially harmful ingredients. In fact, 7Up’s formula used to contain prescription mood stabilizers upon its launch in 1929 — specifically, a drug known as lithium citrate, which is used in modern times to treat conditions such as bipolar disorder.
At the time of 7Up’s inception, the soda was called “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda,” which was descriptive of the product’s actual ingredients back then, even though it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Though the product’s name was later shortened to 7Up in 1936, it wasn’t until 1948 that lithium citrate was deemed potentially harmful and removed from the recipe after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration outlawed the use of the chemical in sodas.
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Portugal Drinks More Hot Chocolate Than Any Country in the World Hot chocolate is a decadent treat for children and a guilty pleasure for adults, and no country in the world drinks more of it per person than Portugal. The Portuguese drink a whopping 100.2 cups per capita annually — an amount that sounds either soothing or sickening, depending on your sweet tooth.
The hot chocolate that originated in Spain during the 1600s consisted of ground cocoa beans, water, wine, and chili peppers. Although the powdered packets today are quite different, Spain is fourth worldwide in per-capita consumption (76.6 cups). Ahead of Spain are Finland (90.1 cups) and Colombia
(84 cups).
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THIS Was just two years ago and we have changed and under President Trump’s guidance have progressed tremendously but a few of these things are still rearing their ugly heads.
From the archives
Men, like nations, think they're eternal. What man in his 20s or 30s doesn't believe, at least subconsciously, that he'll live forever? In the springtime of youth, an endless summer beckons. As you pass 70, it's harder to hide from reality.... as you lose friends and relatives
Nations also have seasons: Imagine a Roman of the 2nd century contemplating an empire that stretched from Britain to the Near East, thinking: This will endure forever.... Forever was about 500 years, give or take... not bad, but gone!!
France was pivotal in the 17th and 18th centuries; now the land of Charles Martel is on its way to becoming part of the Muslim ummah.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the sun never set on the British empire; now Albion exists in perpetual twilight. Its 96-year-old sovereign is a fitting symbol for a nation in terminal decline.
In the 1980s, Japan seemed poised to buy the world. Business schools taught Japanese management techniques. Today, its birth rate is so low and its population aging so rapidly that an industry has sprung up to remove the remains of elderly Japanese who die alone.
I was born in 1945, almost at the midpoint of the 20th century - the American century. America's prestige and influence were never greater. Thanks to the 'Greatest Generation,' we won a World War fought throughout most of Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. We reduced Germany to rubble and put the rising sun to bed. It set the stage for almost half a century of unprecedented prosperity.
We stopped the spread of communism in Europe and Asia and fought international terrorism. We rebuilt our enemies and lavished foreign aid on much of the world. We built skyscrapers and rockets to the moon. We conquered polio and now COVID. We explored the mysteries of the Universe and the wonders of DNA...the blueprint of life.
But where is the glory that once was Rome? America has moved from a relatively free economy to socialism - which has worked so well NOWHERE in the world.
We've gone from a republican government guided by a constitution to a regime of revolving elites. We have less freedom with each passing year. Like a signpost to the coming reign of terror, the cancel culture is everywhere. We've traded the American Revolution for the Cultural Revolution.
The pathetic creature in the White House was an empty vessel filled by his handlers. At the G-7 Summit, 'Dr. Jill' had to lead him like a child. In 1961, when we were young and vigorous, our leader was too. Now a feeble nation is technically led by the oldest man to ever serve in the presidency.
We can't defend our borders, our history (including monuments to past greatness) or our streets. Our cities have become anarchist playgrounds. We are a nation of dependents, mendicants, and misplaced charity. Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.
The president of the United States can't even quote the beginning of the Declaration of Independence ('You know - The Thing') correctly. Ivy League graduates routinely fail history tests that 5th graders could pass a generation ago. Crime rates soar and we blame the 2nd Amendment and slash police budgets.
Our culture is certifiably insane. Men who think they're women. People who fight racism by seeking to convince members of one race that they're inherently evil, and others that they are perpetual victims. A psychiatrist lecturing at Yale said she fantasizes about 'unloading a revolver into the head of any white person.'
We slaughter the unborn in the name of freedom, while our birth rate dips lower year by year. Our national debt is so high that we can no longer even pretend that we will repay it one day. It's a $30-trillion monument to our improvidence and refusal to confront reality. Our 'entertainment' is sadistic, nihilistic, and as enduring as a candy bar wrapper thrown in the trash. Our music is noise that spans the spectrum from annoying to repulsive.
Patriotism is called an insurrection, treason celebrated, and perversion sanctified. A man in blue gets less respect than a man in a dress. We're asking soldiers to fight for a nation our leaders no longer believe in, while meekly most of us submitted to Fauci-ism (the regime of face masks, lockdowns, and hand sanitizers) shows the impending death of the American spirit.
How do nations slip from greatness to obscurity?
* Fighting endless wars they can't or won't win
* Accumulating massive debt far beyond their ability to repay
* Refusing to guard their borders, allowing the nation to be inundated by an alien hoard
* Surrendering control of their cities to mob rule
* Allowing indoctrination of the young
* Moving from a republican form of government to an oligarchy
* Losing national identity
* Indulging indolence
* Abandoning faith and family - the bulwarks of social order.
In America, every one of these symptoms is pronounced, indicating an advanced stage of the disease. Even if the cause seems hopeless, do we not have an obligation to those who sacrificed so much to give us what we had? I'm surrounded by ghosts urging me on: the Union soldiers who held Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg, the battered bastards of Bastogne, those who served in the cold hell of Korea, the guys who went to the jungles of Southeast Asia and came home to be reviled or neglected.
This is the nation that took in my immigrant grandparents, whose uniform my father and most of my uncles wore in the Second World War. I don't want to imagine a world without America, even though it becomes increasingly likely.
During Britain's darkest hour, when its professional army was trapped at Dunkirk and a German invasion seemed imminent,Churchill reminded his countrymen, 'Nations that go down fighting rise again, and those that surrender tamely are finished.'
The same might be said of causes. If we let America slip through our fingers, if we lose without a fight, what will posterity say of us? While the prognosis is far from good. Only God knows if America's day in the sun is over.
Author UnKnown
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A couple of bits Thanks to Nice News
Health
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Study Finds Potential Breakthrough in Predicting Lung Cancer — And Preventing It
Monty Rakusen—DigitalVision/Getty Images
It’s a devastating fact that lung cancer results in more deaths than any other cancer — in part because it’s notoriously difficult to diagnose early, as symptoms like persistent coughing, fatigue, and shortness of breath are often ignored. Here’s where the nice news comes in: New research is showing promise that there may be a way to prevent the disease from developing in the first place.
In a study published earlier this month, researchers identified 14 proteins in the blood that correctly predicted lung cancers more than five years before diagnosis. Not only that, but the team also found that an anti-inflammatory drug called canakinumab could lower lung cancer risk in people with elevated concentrations of these proteins.
“Prevention is the solution in my mind,” senior study author Dr. Charles Swanton told The New York Times, likening the medication’s promise to statins that can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke for those with high cholesterol.
While more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of both the blood test and drug, it’s another piece of hopeful news in the cancer conversation, as the American Cancer Society has reported that a record 7 out of 10 of all cancer patients now survive at least five years after diagnosis.
Humanity
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Dutch Kids Rank No. 1 in the World for Mental Health — What Makes Them So Happy?
AnnaNahabed—iStock/Getty Images Plus
Unicef recently released its latest report on child well-being, and the Netherlands (which routinely ranks among the happiest countries in the world) took the No. 1 spot for mental health. The results spurred a crop of articles discussing why that may be — is it the autonomy Dutch kids have? The ban on phones in schools? The bikes?
Likely, it’s all these factors and more, the gestalt of growing up there. But that doesn’t mean the individual elements can’t be evaluated for their impact on happiness. Positive.News recently dug into the findings with Margreet de Looze, assistant professor of interdisciplinary social science at Utrecht University, who has been studying global child well-being for years.
“Where Dutch children really stand out is that they have very good social relations,” de Looze told the outlet. “The amount of support they receive from family and friends, from teachers and classmates — in all of these areas, Dutch children score high.”
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The Stars and Stripes Becomes the United States’ First Official Flag
June 14, 1777
Ken Welsh—Design Pics—Universal Images Group/Getty Images
No doubt you’ve been hearing a lot about the country’s 250th birthday of late, but today we’re celebrating a 249th anniversary in United States history. Amid the American Revolution, the nascent nation was in need of an official flag, and on June 14th, 1777, it landed on one. Congress approved the Stars and Stripes design that day, resolving that the flag should have 13 stripes, alternating red and white, and 13 white stars on a blue background.
Interestingly, the stars were not formally required to be in a circular formation, and different mapmakers used different arrangements. Over a century later, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 Flag Day. See a visual history of the flag’s evolution from 1776 to 1960 (after Hawaii was added), and watch the trailer for Flag Day, a touching documentary about a small Michigan town that hosts the country’s largest Flag Day parade.
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Thanks to History Facts
The first words spoken on the telephone were, “Mr. Watson, come here.”
The first phone call ever made was short, simple, and to the point. On March 10, 1876, the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, uttered the first message ever transmitted over the phone: “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” Bell’s history-making call was to his assistant, the mechanic Thomas Watson, and it wasn’t exactly long-distance; Watson was sitting by a receiver just a few rooms away. But when Watson came into the room and informed Bell that he had heard each word clearly and distinctly, it proved to both men that this groundbreaking new technology was a success.
The power of his innovation was immediately apparent to Bell. In a letter to his father recounting the event, the inventor predicted that “the day is coming when telegraph wires will be laid on to houses just like water or gas — and friends converse with each other without leaving home.” Bell’s vision, of course, proved remarkably prescient. His short phone call to Watson marked the beginning of a technology that quickly transformed the world. Though that first phone call was between two people in the same house, the telephone soon allowed people to speak to each other from separate homes, separate cities, and, by 1927, separate continents.
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Thanks to Interesting Facts…..
Sugar used to be prescribed as medicine.
Beloved film character Mary Poppins is known for sweetly singing that “a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.” But the trick didn’t start with the fictitious nanny; healers, doctors, and pharmacists have relied on sugar to help patients choke down unsavory medications for thousands of years. At one time, the sweet stuff wasn’t just an add-in — it was often the featured ingredient in healing remedies believed to cure all kinds of ailments. Sugar was used to treat sickness and injury as far back as the first century, when Middle Eastern practitioners prescribed it for dehydration, kidney issues, failing eyesight, and more. During the 11th century, English monks noted sugar’s ability to soothe upset stomachs and digestive issues, and by the Middle Ages, doctors tried treating bubonic plague with concoctions of hemp, sugar, and more unpleasant ingredients. As recently as the 1700s, pharmacists recommended a glass of lemon juice and sugar water for asthma attacks.
Disney’s 1964 film is known for its song urging sick children to palate bitter medicine, but the ditty takes its inspiration from children’s vaccines. Songwriter Richard Sherman penned the tune after hearing how his son received the oral polio immunization on a sugar cube.
Part of sugar’s allure — and perhaps perceived medicinal benefits — may have been connected to its former rarity. Some historians believe sugarcane originated in Southeast Asia, where farmers may have grown it as early as 8000 BCE, but refining began around 2,500 years ago in India — a process that made sugar shelf-stable and allowed it to spread to other regions. With far to travel, the sweetener was expensive by the time it reached medieval Europe, and for centuries was mostly reserved for the wealthy. But in 1747, German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf discovered a way to produce sugar that didn’t require the sweltering climates in which sugarcane plants grow. Instead, sugar could be harvested in colder regions from the sugar beet, a root vegetable that grows in about three months. Over the next 100 years, sugar beet factories sprang up across Europe and then America, driving down the price of sugar and eventually giving people of all means a chance to savor a little sweetness — with their medicine or otherwise.
Numbers Don’t Lie
Amount of sugar (in pounds) the average American ate per year in colonial America
6
Amount of sugar (in pounds) eaten by the average American in 2019
57
Maximum weight (in pounds) of a mature sugar beet
5
Maximum height (in feet) of a mature sugarcane stalk
24
Sugar was once considered a spice, not a sweetener.
Sugar has been found in space.
Granulated, brown, powdered, pearl, cubed — there’s a lot of sugar on Earth. And surprisingly, there’s sugar in space, too. Researchers first discovered evidence of glycolaldehyde, a type of simple sugar, in 2000 while looking for molecules in space that could support life. Glycolaldehyde is much less complex than cultivated Earth sugars, with only eight atoms compared to cane sugar’s 45. But when it's found in space, researchers believe the stuff could play an important role in jump-starting life beyond our planet. That’s because glycolaldehyde can combine with a chemical called propenal to make ribose, a component of ribonucleic acid, which is similar to DNA and found in all living things. So far, glycolaldehyde has only been found both in the interstellar gas cloud at the Milky Way’s center and in the gases surrounding a young star 400 light-years from Earth.
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This Day in U S Military History…….June 14
1775 – The U.S. Army was founded when the Continental Congress first authorized the muster of troops under its sponsorship. Also the birth of the Infantry Branch. Ten companies of riflemen were authorized by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. However, the oldest Regular Army infantry regiment, the 3d, was constituted on June 3, 1784, as the First American Regiment.
1864 – U.S.S. Kearsarge, Captain Winslow, arrived off Cherbourg, France. The ship log recorded: “Found the rebel privateer Alabama lying at anchor in the roads.” Kearsarge took up the blockade in international waters off the harbor entrance. Captain Semmes stated: “. . . My intention is to fight the Kearsarge as soon as I can make the necessary arrangements. I hope they will not detain me more than until tomorrow evening, or after the morrow morning at furthest. I beg she will not depart before I am ready to go out.” With the famous Confederate raider at bay, Kearsarge had no intention of departing-the stage was set for the famous duel.
1942 – The first bazooka rocket gun, produced in Bridgeport, Ct., demolished a tank from its shoulder-held position.
1944 – US naval forces conduct bombardments of Saipan and Tinian in preparation for landings on these islands. The two American naval groups, commanded by Admiral Ainsworth and Admiral Oldendorf, include 7 battleships and 11 cruisers as well as 8 escort carriers in support. The battleship USS California is hit by a Japanese shore battery. Extensive mine-sweeping operations are also conducted by American forces.
1945 – On Okinawa, mopping up operations proceed on the Oroku peninsula. The troops of the US 3rd Amphibious Corps and the US 24th Corps continue to eliminate fortified caves held by Japanese forces on Kunishi Ridge and on Mount Yuza and Mount Yaegu. An American regiment of the US 96th Division reaches the summit of Mount Yaegu, while the US th Division extends its control of Hills 153 and 115.
1945 – On Luzon, American forces dislodge the Japanese blocking the Orioung Pass. Elements of the US 37th Division, formed into an armored column, advance as far as Echague. From Santiago, other units advance toward Cabanatuan and Cauayan.
1945 – The US Joint Chiefs of Staff issue a directive to General MacArthur, General Arnold and Admiral Nimitz to prepare plans for the immediate occupation of the Japanese islands in the event of a sudden capitulation. This order may have been given in light of recent progress on the production of an atomic bomb but this is not stated.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*STOCKHAM, FRED W. (Army Medal)
Rank and organization: Gunnery Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, 96th Company, 2d Battalion, 6th Regiment. Place and date: In Bois-de-Belleau, France, 13-14 June 1918. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: Detroit, Mich. G.O. NO.:–. Citation: During an intense enemy bombardment with high explosive and gas shells which wounded or killed many members of the company, G/Sgt. Stockham, upon noticing that the gas mask of a wounded comrade was shot away, without hesitation, removed his own gas mask and insisted upon giving it to the wounded man, well knowing that the effects of the gas would be fatal to himself. He continued with undaunted courage and valor to direct and assist in the evacuation of the wounded, until he himself collapsed from the effects of gas, dying as a result thereof a few days later. His courageous conduct undoubtedly saved the lives of many of his wounded comrades and his conspicuous gallantry and spirit of self-sacrifice were a source of great inspiration to all who served with him.
URBAN, MATT
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel (then Captain), 2d Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, World War II. Place and date: Renouf, France, 14 June to 3 September 1944. Entered service at: Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 2 July 1941. Date and place of birth: 25 August 1919, Buffalo, New York. Lieutenant Colonel (then Captain) Matt Urban, l 12-22-2414, United States Army, who distinguished himself by a series of bold, heroic actions, exemplified by singularly outstanding combat leadership, personal bravery, and tenacious devotion to duty, during the period 14 June to 3 September 1944 while assigned to the 2d Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. On 14 June, Captain Urban’s company, attacking at Renouf, France, encountered heavy enemy small arms and tank fire. The enemy tanks were unmercifully raking his unit’s positions and inflicting heavy casualties. Captain Urban, realizing that his company was in imminent danger of being decimated, armed himself with a bazooka. He worked his way with an ammo carrier through hedgerows, under a continuing barrage of fire, to a point near the tanks. He brazenly exposed himself to the enemy fire and, firing the bazooka, destroyed both tanks. Responding to Captain Urban’s action, his company moved forward and routed the enemy. Later that same day, still in the attack near Orglandes, Captain Urban was wounded in the leg by direct fire from a 37mm tank-gun. He refused evacuation and continued to lead his company until they moved into defensive positions for the night. At 0500 hours the next day, still in the attack near Orglandes, Captain Urban, though badly wounded, directed his company in another attack. One hour later he was again wounded. Suffering from two wounds, one serious, he was evacuated to England. In mid-July, while recovering from his wounds, he learned of his unit’s severe losses in the hedgerows of Normandy. Realizing his unit’s need for battle-tested leaders, he voluntarily left the hospital and hitchhiked his way back to his unit hear St. Lo, France. Arriving at the 2d Battalion Command Post at 1130 hours, 25 July, he found that his unit had jumped-off at 1100 hours in the first attack of Operation Cobra.” Still limping from his leg wound, Captain Urban made his way forward to retake command of his company. He found his company held up by strong enemy opposition. Two supporting tanks had been destroyed and another, intact but with no tank commander or gunner, was not moving. He located a lieutenant in charge of the support tanks and directed a plan of attack to eliminate the enemy strong-point. The lieutenant and a sergeant were immediately killed by the heavy enemy fire when they tried to mount the tank. Captain Urban, though physically hampered by his leg wound and knowing quick action had to be taken, dashed through the scathing fire and mounted the tank. With enemy bullets ricocheting from the tank, Captain Urban ordered the tank forward and, completely exposed to the enemy fire, manned the machine gun and placed devastating fire on the enemy. His action, in the face of enemy fire, galvanized the battalion into action and they attacked and destroyed the enemy position. On 2 August, Captain Urban was wounded in the chest by shell fragments and, disregarding the recommendation of the Battalion Surgeon, again refused evacuation. On 6 August, Captain Urban became the commander of the 2d Battalion. On 15 August, he was again wounded but remained with his unit. On 3 September, the 2d Battalion was given the mission of establishing a crossing-point on the Meuse River near Heer, Belgium. The enemy planned to stop the advance of the allied Army by concentrating heavy forces at the Meuse. The 2d Battalion, attacking toward the crossing-point, encountered fierce enemy artillery, small arms and mortar fire which stopped the attack. Captain Urban quickly moved from his command post to the lead position of the battalion. Reorganizing the attacking elements, he personally led a charge toward the enemy’s strong-point. As the charge moved across the open terrain, Captain Urban was seriously wounded in the neck. Although unable to talk above a whisper from the paralyzing neck wound, and in danger of losing his life, he refused to be evacuated until the enemy was routed and his battalion had secured the crossing-point on the Meuse River. Captain Urban’s personal leadership, limitless bravery, and repeated extraordinary exposure to enemy fire served as an inspiration to his entire battalion. His valorous and intrepid actions reflect the utmost credit on him and uphold the noble traditions of the United States.
WISE, HOMER L.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant. U.S. Army, Company L, 142d Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. Place and date: Magliano, Italy, 14 June 1944. Entered service al: Baton Rouge, La. Birth: Baton Rouge La. G.O. No.: 90, 8 December 1944. Citation: While his platoon was pinned down by enemy small-arms fire from both flanks, he left his position of comparative safety and assisted in carrying 1 of his men, who had been seriously wounded and who lay in an exposed position, to a point where he could receive medical attention. The advance of the platoon was resumed but was again stopped by enemy frontal fire. A German officer and 2 enlisted men, armed with automatic weapons, threatened the right flank. Fearlessly exposing himself, he moved to a position from which he killed all 3 with his submachinegun. Returning to his squad, he obtained an Ml rifle and several antitank grenades, then took up a position from which he delivered accurate fire on the enemy holding up the advance. As the battalion moved forward it was again stopped by enemy frontal and flanking fire. He procured an automatic rifle and, advancing ahead of his men, neutralized an enemy machinegun with his fire. When the flanking fire became more intense he ran to a nearby tank and exposing himself on the turret, restored a jammed machinegun to operating efficiency and used it so effectively that the enemy fire from an adjacent ridge was materially reduced thus permitting the battalion to occupy its objective.
BLEAK, DAVID B.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Medical Company 223d Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division. Place and date: Vicinity of Minari-gol, Korea, 14 June 1952. Entered service at: Shelley, Idaho. Born: 27 February 1932, Idaho Falls, Idaho. G.O. No.: 83, 2 November 1953. Citation: Sgt. Bleak, a member of the medical company, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. As a medical aidman, he volunteered to accompany a reconnaissance patrol committed to engage the enemy and capture a prisoner for interrogation. Forging up the rugged slope of the key terrain, the group was subjected to intense automatic weapons and small arms fire and suffered several casualties. After administering to the wounded, he continued to advance with the patrol. Nearing the military crest of the hill, while attempting to cross the fire-swept area to attend the wounded, he came under hostile fire from a small group of the enemy concealed in a trench. Entering the trench he closed with the enemy, killed 2 with bare hands and a third with his trench knife. Moving from the emplacement, he saw a concussion grenade fall in front of a companion and, quickly shifting his position, shielded the man from the impact of the blast. Later, while ministering to the wounded, he was struck by a hostile bullet but, despite the wound, he undertook to evacuate a wounded comrade. As he moved down the hill with his heavy burden, he was attacked by 2 enemy soldiers with fixed bayonets. Closing with the aggressors, he grabbed them and smacked their heads together, then carried his helpless comrade down the hill to safety. Sgt. Bleak’s dauntless courage and intrepid actions reflect utmost credit upon himself and are in keeping with the honored traditions of the military service.
*SPEICHER, CLIFTON T.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company F, 223d Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Minarigol, Korea, 14 June 1952. Entered service at: Gray, Pa. Born: 25 March 1931, Gray, Pa. G.O. No.: 65, 19 August 1953. Citation: Cpl. Speicher distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. While participating in an assault to secure a key terrain feature, Cpl. Speicher’s squad was pinned down by withering small-arms mortar, and machine gun fire. Although already wounded he left the comparative safety of his position, and made a daring charge against the machine gun emplacement. Within 10 yards of the goal, he was again wounded by small-arms fire but continued on, entered the bunker, killed 2 hostile soldiers with his rifle, a third with his bayonet, and silenced the machine gun. Inspired by this incredible display of valor, the men quickly moved up and completed the mission. Dazed and shaken, he walked to the foot of the hill where he collapsed and died. Cpl. Speicher’s consummate sacrifice and unflinching devotion to duty reflect lasting glory upon himself and uphold the noble traditions of the military service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 14, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
14 June
1907: Henry Harley Arnold, later known as Hap, graduates in the West Point class of 1907. Arnold would rise to the rank of five-star general during World War II as commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces.
1910: Walter Brookins set a FAI altitude record of 4,380 feet at Indianapolis, Ind. in a Wright airplane. (9)
1912: Cpl Vernon L. Burge became the Army's first enlisted pilot after training in the Army’s Air School, Philippines. (4)
1919: Ensign Charles H. Hammann, the first naval aviator to receive a Medal of Honor, died in an aircraft crash at Langley Field. (http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-vol2/Appen9.pdf)
1949: A monkey endured a rocket flight to a height of 83 miles, but a malfunctioning parachute caused its death on impact. (24)
1941: In use since 1938 after the US Army Air Corps purchased 100 square miles of land from the city of Denver. Demolition Bombing Range–Lowry Auxiliary Field was renamed Buckley Field in honor of 1Lt John Harold Buckley, an aviator from Longmont, Colorado who was killed in action during World War I. On 4 June 2021 the Buckley Air Force Base was renamed Buckley Space Force Base.
1952: KOREAN WAR. After reconnaissance flights revealed repairs at the Pyongyang Airfield, Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers cratered the runways, rendering them unserviceable in approximately 150 sorties without a loss. (28)
1957: In flying an Aero Commander 680 to 30,300 feet at Tulsa, aviatrix Jerrie Cobb set a world altitude record for light two-engine planes. (24)
1965: Carl L. Norden, the inventor of the Norden bombsight, died. His device was widely used by American bombers in World War II. (8: June 90)
1975: Congress rejected a 1974 DoD proposal to inactivate New York’s 102 FIS and several other Air Guard outfits. Instead, the ANG redesignated the squadron as the 102 ARRS and converted the unit’s aircraft from F/TF-102As to Lockheed HC-130H’Ps and Sikorsky HH-3Es. That equipment change created the first Air Guard rescue unit. (32)
1981: USAFE sent six F-15s from the 36 TFW and one from the 32 TFW to Nellis to participate in a RED FLAG exercise. This participation was a first for the command. (26)
1989: Martin-Marietta’s first Titan IV heavy-lift space booster launched from Cape Canaveral for the first time. It carried a DoD satellite. (16) (21)
1991: Operation FIERY VIGIL. Following the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the USAF conducted the largest US airlift evacuation since the Vietnam War. Through 28 June, the USAF evacuated military members and their dependents from Clark AB and Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines for the US. Civil aircraft, C-5s, C-130s, and C-141s carried more than 18,000 people to safety. (18)
1993: The 437 AW at Charleston AFB received its first operational McDonnell Douglas C-17A Globemaster III. (20)
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