The List: TheList 7583

To All

Good Friday morning July 3. It is almost clear and a cool 77 now. The clouds

are clearing by 10 and we are heating up to 83 by 3

We had a great Bubba Breakfast this morning with a good showing of nasal

radiators in attendance laughing and remembering those days of our youth. I

was having so much fun that I did not do a count.

skip

HAGD

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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

July 3

1898 During the Spanish American War, when Rear Adm. Cerveras Spanish fleet

attempts to flee from the harbor at Santiago, Cuba, but the U.S. Navy's

Atlantic Squadron successfully pursues, attacks, and systematically destroys

the Spanish vessels.

1942 A PBY 5A aircraft successfully fires the first airborne retro-rocket at

Goldstone Lake, Calif.

1943 Submarine chaser USS (SC 1048) rescues survivors of a U-boat attack who

had been sighted by a Navy blimp in the North Atlantic Ocean. The survivors

are from the tanker Bloody Marsh, which was previously torpedoed July 2 and

sunk by German submarine (U 66), which during its career sinks 37 Allied

vessels until sunk by aircraft from USS Block Island (CVE 21) and USS

Buckley 51) nearly a year later.

1944 USS Frost (DE 144) and USS Inch (DE 146) sink German submarine (U 154)

off Madiera.

1950 USS Valley Forge (CV 45) and HMS Triumph participate in first carrier

action of Korean War. VF 51 aircraft from Valley Forge shoot down two North

Korean aircraft. The action is also the first combat test of F9F Panther and

AD Skyraider.

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Today in World History July 3

1775 George Washington takes command of the Continental Army.

1790 In Paris, the Marquis de Condorcet proposes granting civil rights to

women.

1844 American ambassador Caleb Cushing successfully negotiates a

commercial treaty with China.

1863 Confederate forces attack the center of the Union line at

Gettysburg, but fail to break it.

July 3, 1863: On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate

General Robert E. Lee's last attempt at breaking the Union line ends in

disastrous failure, bringing the most decisive battle of the American Civil

War to an end.

In June 1863, following his masterful victory at the Battle of

Chancellorsville, General Lee launched his second invasion of the Union in

less than a year. He led his 75,000-man Army of Northern Virginia across the

Potomac River, through Maryland, and into Pennsylvania, seeking to win a

major battle on Northern soil that would further dispirit the Union war

effort and induce Britain or France to intervene on the Confederacy's

behalf. The 90,000-strong Army of the Potomac pursued the Confederates into

Maryland, but its commander, General Joseph Hooker, was still stinging from

his defeat at Chancellorsville and seemed reluctant to chase Lee further.

Meanwhile, the Confederates divided their forces and investigated various

targets, such as Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania capital.

The Battle of Gettysburg

On June 28, President Abraham Lincoln replaced Hooker with General George

Meade, and Lee learned of the presence of the Army of the Potomac in

Maryland. Lee ordered his army to concentrate in the vicinity of the

crossroads town of Gettysburg and prepare to meet the Federal army. At the

same time, Meade sent ahead part of his force into Pennsylvania but intended

to make a stand at Pipe Creek in Maryland.

On July 1, a Confederate division under General Henry Heth marched into

Gettysburg hoping to seize supplies but finding instead three brigades of

Union cavalry. Thus began the Battle of Gettysburg, and Lee and Meade

ordered their massive armies to converge on the impromptu battle site. The

Union cavalrymen defiantly held the field against overwhelming numbers until

the arrival of Federal reinforcements. Later, the Confederates were

reinforced, and by mid-afternoon some 19,000 Federals faced 24,000

Confederates. Lee arrived to the battlefield soon afterward and ordered a

general advance that forced the Union line back to Cemetery Hill, just south

of the town.

During the night, the rest of Meade's force arrived, and by the morning

Union General Winfield Hancock had formed a strong Union line. On July 2,

against the Union left, General James Longstreet led the main Confederate

attack, but it was not carried out until about 4 p.m., and the Federals had

time to consolidate their positions. Thus began some of the heaviest

fighting of the battle, and Union forces retained control of their strategic

positions at heavy cost. After three hours, the battle ended, and the total

number of dead at Gettysburg stood in the thousands.

1878 John Wise flies the first dirigible in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

1901 The Wild Bunch, led by Butch Cassidy, commits its last American

robbery near Wagner, Montana, taking $65,000 from a Great Northern train.

1903 The first cable across the Pacific Ocean is spliced between

Honolulu, Midway, Guam and Manila.

1944 The U.S. First Army opens a general offensive to break out of the

hedgerow area of Normandy, France.

1945 U.S. troops land at Balikpapan and take Sepinggan airfield on Borneo

in the Pacific.

1950 U.S. carrier-based planes attack airfields in the

Pyongyang-Chinnampo area of North Korea in the first air-strike of the

Korean War.

1954 Food rationing ends in Great Britain almost nine years after the end

of World War II.

1962 Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to be inducted

into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

1967 North Vietnamese soldiers attack South Vietnam's only producing coal

mine at Nong Son.

1863 Battle of Gettysburg ends

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July 3

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

July 3: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=661

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/ )

https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2022-news-

articles/wall-of-faces-now-includes-photos-of-all-servicemembers-killed-in-t

he-vietnam-war/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TMNsend&

utm_content=Y84UVhi4Z1MAMHJh1eJHNA==+MD+AFHRM+1+Ret+L+NC

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 Johnny

When we don't know history, false narratives emerge

By Nicholas Giordano in TWT

Due to a failed education system that pushes ideology and indoctrination,

many Americans are unaware of our rich and unique history - a history that

exemplifi es why America is an exceptional nation. When we don't know our

history, false narratives begin to emerge like the 1619 Project, pedaling

the lie that our founders were nothing more than rich white men from England

who wanted to preserve the institution of slavery.

America's real history begins with the Boston Massacre and the decision to

craft the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration would convey our

desire to be free from England and define the core American political

philosophies, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Thomas Jefferson is synonymous with the Declaration. To a lesser degree,

some may think of Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. Contrary to what has

been taught, there are many unknown names from a diverse set of backgrounds

that shaped our founding.

Unfortunately, most Americans have never heard of Filippo Mazzei who played

a critical role in America's founding. Mazzei, an Italian merchant,

befriended Jefferson. In 1773, Mazzei traveled to America and quickly took

up the cause of independence.

Mazzei and Jefferson would regularly discuss politics, sharing their ideas

on how true liberty could go from the theoretical and instituted into

practice. In 1774, Mazzei published an article in the Virginia Gazette and

wrote, "Tutti gli uomini sono per natura egualmente liberi e indipendenti.

Quest' eguaglianza e neccessaria per costituire un governo libero."

Jefferson translated Mazzei's work: "All men are by nature equally free and

independent. This equality is necessary in order to create a free

government." The idea would become a central part of the American creed and

illustrates Mazzei's influence on the Declaration.

What makes this so remarkable is that Italians weren't considered white

until the turn of the 20th century, and it would take nearly 200 years for

Congress to recognize Mazzei's contribution. However, Mazzei's contributions

go beyond the Declaration, and his story is one of the many contributions

that are never taught, intentionally perpetuating the false narratives of an

evil and racist nation. Few could recognize the names Capt. Richard

Taliaferro, Capt. Ferdinando Finizzi and Capt. Francesco Vigo, all playing

integral roles throughout the American Revolution.

Hispanics also contributed to the cause of independence. For example, Gen.

Bernardo Galvez's victories on the battlefield were essential to eliminating

British naval presence in the Gulf of Mexico. The contributions of other

Hispanics like Gov. Luis de Unzaga and Lt. Jordi Mesquida also remain

relatively unknown. Few Americans are aware that in the lead-up to America's

independence, a Black man, Crispus Attucks was the first casualty when he

was shot and killed in the Boston Massacre. How many of us know that 5,000

Black American patriots took up the cause of independence against the

British, particularly the integrated 1st Rhode Island Regiment, which earned

a reputation for bravery and ferocity? What about other Black patriots, like

James Armistead, who served as a spy and double agent, or Peter Salem, best

known for killing Major John Pitcairn at the Battle of Bunker Hill, or

Phillis Wheatley whose literary talent influenced George Washington and

Benjamin Franklin? What about Lancaster Hill, Prince Hall and others,

demanding America live up to the principles laid out in the Declaration and

abolish the institution of slavery?

Reducing our founding to a bunch of old rich white men is a lie and does a

disservice to the countless others that have contributed to this great

nation. It's odd that those who complain the loudest of whitewashing history

are the same people who have controlled academia and curriculums for nearly

a century. This Independence Day all Americans should make a commitment to

reacquaint themselves with our country's vibrant history

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A Letter from the Founding Fathers by Don Feder

From: The Founding Fathers

To: The current generation of Americans

On this the anniversary of our independence, those of us you call the

Founding Fathers have assembled in Continental heaven to assess the

condition of the republic we bequeathed to you.

It's true America has become the wealthiest, most powerful nation on

earth. But so was the British Empire in 1776.

Before we get specific, we must confess that we are annoyed by your

habit of misinterpreting our words. Take the First Amendment, where we said

Congress shall make no law "respecting an establishment of religion." You

usually neglect the other half of the injunction, "or prohibiting the free

exercise thereof."

As anyone in the first Congress, which passed the amendment, could have

told you, "establishment of religion" means an established church, which all

are forced to support. We never intended to create a virtue-less republic,

by prohibiting public expressions of faith. In the Declaration of

Independence, we acknowledged that rights are endowed by our Creator. Absent

a Creator, there are no inalienable rights.

In the Second Amendment, we said the right to keep and bear arms shall

not be infringed. In our day, if private citizens hadn't owned guns there

would have been no Lexington and Concord. Why would we bother guaranteeing a

collective right to arm state militias? The rights enumerated in the first

10 amendments are restraints on government, not grants of power to it. If

you ever wake up to what's going on, your leaders will have cause to fear an

armed citizenry.

We viewed elective office as a sacrifice. For your politicians, it's an

opportunity. We rid America of a monarchy. You've established an elected

aristocracy. We were farmers, merchants and professionals who resumed our

careers after a brief term of service and never lost touch with our

constituents.

You are governed by an elite so different from you as to almost

constitute a separate species. Your elected rulers hold office for 20 or 30

years, becoming increasingly detached from their roots, while rewarding

themselves lavish emoluments and pensions.

We revolted over a modest tax on tea. Your tax burden is staggering.

Despite the enormous expenditures of your prodigal politicians, even they

can't spend it all. And still, many resist returning the federal surplus to

its rightful owners. We rejected taxation without representation. You

condone your own serfdom.

In the Declaration, we complained that King George III had "sent hither

swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance." You

complacently tolerate a bureaucracy that resembles all Four Horsemen of the

Apocalypse.

Eat out their substance? Today, almost one in 13 Americans works for a

branch of government. Harass our people? There are bureaucrats to tell you

how to run your business, build on your property and raise your children.

Government makes decisions for you regarding your health, safety and

welfare. We envisioned the judiciary as a coequal branch of government that

interprets laws based on the clear meaning of language. Your courts have

become a law unto themselves -- raising taxes, deciding elections, ordering

private relationships and substituting their will for that of legislators.

We warned you against entangling alliances. You are eager to form defensive

pacts with postage-stamp countries whose security couldn't conceivably be

related to your own. This will only serve to drag you into their petty

quarrels, sapping your strength.

We recognized that government and society must rest on divine wisdom.

George Washington observed, "Reason and experience both forbid us to expect

that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." You

cultivate national immorality, in the apparent belief that abortion,

adolescent access to pornography, cohabitation, public distribution of

prophylactics and compulsory acceptance of perversion will somehow lead to a

society whose citizens have the self-discipline to sacrifice for the common

good.

Benjamin Franklin said we gave you a republic "if you can keep it."

From our vantage point, it does not look promising. Were we alive today,

we'd raise another rebellion.

Submitted by Greg Madsen:

Greetings Patriotic American:

As we celebrate independence Day (Not the fourth of July), we should

realize how blessed we are to have The Declaration of Independence. The

Declaration states our rights come from God and government is only needed to

protect those rights, not enslave us. The Declaration has five references

to God. These are: God as Creator of all men; God as the source of all

rights; God as the Supreme Lawmaker; God as the world's Supreme Judge, and

God as our Protector.

The Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to

obtain the liberties we take for granted today. Many lost their families

possessions and their lives so that we could be free today.

Patrick Henry stated that this nation was founded on Christian

principles contained in the Holy Bible. The US Supreme Court in 1892 ruled

that "our institutions are emphatically Christian."

Chief Justice Earl Warren led Supreme Court in 1962 and 1963, without

precedence, banned prayer and Bible reading in public schools. This has

resulted in secular Humanism's anti-Christian moral decay including Drag

Queens, etc. today.

George Washington stated that the Christian religion and morality were

indispensable supports for good government. George Mason during the 1787

Constitutional Convention said that if we stopped worshiping Jesus Christ as

lord of the land, Providence (God) would punish us with natural calamities.

Perhaps that is the cause today of violent weather, tornadoes, flooding,

fires, etc.!

The Founding Fathers did not want a State Church or denomination like

the Church of England, but they did want the Christian religion to be a part

of the State. They wanted religion, morality and knowledge to be taught in

schools. This was included in the 1787 Northwest Ordinance concerning new

states joining the Union.

President Jefferson ordered that the Holy Bible be read in Washington,

D.C. schools. Congress purchased 20,000 Bibles and authorize the government

printing of Bibles. The motto of the Revolutionary War for Independence was:

"No king, but King Jesus.

Our National Anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," was penned by Francis

Scott Key. In the early morning light after 27 hours of British warships

bombardment of Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Key saw the 30' X 42' flag still

flying. Many patriot soldiers died to keep the flag flying. It was a defeat

for the British. We must always respect the flag.

The Founders honored Independence Day as a religious holiday because

the author of liberty, Jesus Christ, made freedom possible for us.

The book, "The 5000 year Leap" by Cleon Skousen contains the 28

principles of liberty contained in the Declaration and Constitution. It

should be taught in our schools!

Celebrate Independence Day by giving thanks to God for liberty and

freedom!

A concerned citizen.

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28 Principles of Liberty by Cleon Skousen

. . The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations

is Natural Law.

. . A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless

they remain virtuous and morally strong.

. . The most promising method of securing a virtuous people is to elect

virtuous leaders.

. . Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained.

. . All things were created by God, therefore upon him all mankind are

equally dependent, and to him they are equally responsible.

. . All mankind were created equal.

o Equal before God.

o Equal before the law.

o Equal in their rights.

.The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal

things.

. . Mankind are endowed by God with certain unalienable rights.

. . To protect human rights, God has revealed a code of divine law.

. . The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of

the whole people.

. . The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government which has

become tyrannical.

. . The United States of America shall be a republic.

. . A Constitution should protect the people from the frailties of their

rulers.

. . Life and liberty are secure only so long as the rights of property are

secure.

. . The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free-market

economy and a minimum of government regulations. Prosperity depends upon a

climate of wholesome stimulation with four basic freedoms in operation:

o The Freedom to try.

o The Freedom to buy.

o The Freedom to sell.

o The Freedom to fail.

. . The government should be separated into three branches.

. . A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse

of power by the different branches of government.

. . The unalienable rights of the people are most likely to be preserved

if the principles of government are set forth in a written Constitution.

. . Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to

government, all others being retained by the people.

. . Efficiency and dispatch require that the government operate according

to the will of the majority, but constitutional provisions must be made to

protect the rights of the minority.

. . Strong local self-government is the keystone to preserving human

freedom.

. . A free people should be governed by law and not by the whims of men.

. . A free society cannot survive as a republic without a broad program of

general education.

. . A free people will not survive unless they stay strong.

. . "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations -- entangling

alliances with none."- Thomas Jefferson, given in his first inaugural

address.

. . The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the

family; therefore the government should foster and protect its integrity.

. . The burden of debt is as destructive to human freedom as subjugation

by conquest.

. . The United States has manifest destiny to eventually become a glorious

example of God's law under a restored Constitution that will inspire the

entire human race.

God bless America,

Thanks to Al

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Thanks to Newell

Family and Friends,

Proudly, internet-messages and personal emails are ablaze with HAPPY

BIRTHDAY, AMERICA! greetings.

A personal admission: those effusive compliments to both the founding and

the sustaining of our unique nation always strongly stir my patriotic zeal.

I'm old. Consequently, I'm old fashioned. Memories of standing, hand over

heart, and reciting the Pledge Of Allegiance with my classmates at the start

of each grade-school day yet abide. Also from those early years, learning

the words and singing America The Beautiful provided us a melodic

full-voiced way to describe our country. Even though, at our young age, we

hadn't actually traveled to personally see those purple mountains' majesty.

Growing up in the post-WWII American era of optimism, unity, growth, and

unfettered personal opportunity gifted us with a deeply felt love of

country. Or, summed in a single word, patriotism.

Corny, eh? And contrary to the many forms of divisiveness that currently

plague our society, my generation generally remains old fashioned. Which

means that patriotism is neither unsophisticated nor corny to us. On the

eve of America's 250th Birthday, a friend shared the following spot-on post

addressing the requisite participatory element of national pride, i.e.,

patriotism.

"Patriotism at its best is not merely blind loyalty. It is an honest

personal engagement. It is also caring enough about a lofty national ideal

to want it to live up to itself. This July 4th gives us a day to celebrate

the worth of that concept. To openly celebrate what is truly worth

celebrating. Additionally and importantly, all the days following this

250th birthday of our nation's founding, give us moments to ask what we're

personally willing to do to respectfully keep that ideal worth its future

annual celebrations."

Wholesome food for thought,

Newell

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A heads up from Mud

. I didn't see anything in the article about It But if you've had it before,

would that offer any perfection?.

On Fri, Jul 3, 2026, 06:08 Mud <mudmarine@aol.com> wrote:

This is an article all of which is worth your time to read. In the

event you do not have the time, I have highlighted in red several items

worth noting. It would appear that this would be a good time to ask your

doctor about inoculation.

S/F,

- Mud

The total number of measles cases for 2025 was 2,288, the highest since

a 1991 outbreak that infected 9,500. As of June 25, there have been 2,134

confirmed cases this year in the US. That means it'll take just 155 more

cases

- a number that could be covered fairly quickly - to beat that record,

which

was hit in December of last year. "Unless we interrupt transmission

quickly,

2026 is likely to surpass 2025 and could do so substantially," Madad warned.

"We should be cautious about making exact projections because outbreaks can

slow when vaccination campaigns, isolation, contact tracing and community

engagement are effective. But the current pattern is deeply concerning.

Last week, someone with measles exposed scores of travelers at LAX to the

disease. In May, New York city officials alerted diners at an Italian

restaurant they might've been exposed over the course of three hours.

Measles spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can

linger in the air even two hours after the person leaves.

Symptoms appear a week or two after a person is exposed. People may

experience a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Two to

three days later, white spots may appear in the mouth. Three to five days

later, a rash will appear. They're contagious starting four days before the

rash and four days after.

There is no cure or antiviral treatment, and two out of every five people

with measles end up getting hospitalized. Pneumonia is the most common

severe complication from measles.

"This is not simply the return of a childhood rash illness," Madad said.

"Measles can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, hospitalization and death,

especially in young children and medically vulnerable people."

The disease can also introduce a deadly neurological condition that can

strike decades after the initial infection.

"The measles is sort of sitting around in your brain and causing, on the

cellular level, changes that sit there quietly. And 10, 20-plus years later,

they come and destroy your brain," Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of pediatric

infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, previously told The

Post.

Vaccination is the only way to prevent it, sinc nine out of ten unvaccinated

people will get measles if they come in contact with it. Unfortunately, vax

rates are declining.

According to the CDC, 93% of cases this year are in people who are

unvaccinated or of unknown vaccination status. And over half are kids aged 5

to 19.

And no, this isn't a result of travel or visitors from the World Cup.

Ninety-three percent of cases were acquired here, in an outbreak. "That

suggests we are not just importing measles. We are allowing it to spread

here," Madad said.

Measles is spreading across the country, but Utah and South Carolina

recorded the most cases. Close behind are Texas, Florida, Virginia,

Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Utah's first outbreak was in June 2025 and hasn't let up since. Statewide,

12.8% of kindergartners were missing their vaccine, putting the state far

short of the 95% vaccination rate needed to prevent measles outbreaks.

"Measles only needs a small opening," Madad said. "Measles was declared

eliminated in the US in 2000, but elimination is not a permanent trophy. It

has to be protected through consistently high vaccination coverage, fast

outbreak detection, and strong local public health response."

If vaccination gaps remain, she stressed, the future could be even bleaker.

"Measles will continue to find susceptible communities next year and

beyond," she said. "That means more outbreaks, more quarantines, more school

and childcare disruptions, more strain on already stretched health

departments, and a continued risk of severe illness and death from a disease

we know how to prevent.

The good news is, the problem is "recoverable."

"The US achieved elimination before, and it can regain control by restoring

high MMR coverage, strengthening surveillance, and responding rapidly to

every case," Madad said.

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Thanks to Glenn

Very interesting

https://simpleflying.com/b-21-raider-test-photos-reveal-speed-brake-design-b

-2-spirit-never-had/

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"If liberty is worth keeping and free representative government worth

saving, we must stand for all American fundamentals-not some, but all. All

are woven into the great fabric of our national well-being. We cannot hold

fast to some only, and abandon others that, for the moment, we find

inconvenient. If one American fundamental is prostrated, others in the end

will surely fall."

- Albert J. Beveridge (1862-1927), American historian, US Senator (R-IN)

1920

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Thanks to History Facts

Razor blades used to be disposed of in holes in bathroom walls.

Should you find yourself renovating your bathroom anytime soon, be on the

lookout for something strange: razor blades, which used to be tossed into

holes in the bathroom wall. Depending on when your home was built, you might

even still have one of these (vaguely terrifying) slots either in your

medicine cabinet or the wall above your sink. They were fairly common in the

early 20th century, when disposable blades first became widely available.

Disposable razors made it safer and easier to shave at home, but problems

arose when it came to actually disposing of the blades: Razor blades are

sharp, not to mention potential biohazards, and simply tossing them in the

trash ran the risk of accidentally nicking yourself with a used blade.

Enter the bathroom wall solution, which essentially delayed the problem by

years or decades and passed the burden on to someone else. The question of

razor blade disposal became less of an issue once better, more durable

razors were introduced to the market, especially the kind you throw away

entirely, handle and all. Thanks to these innovations, homes built in the

1970s or later are unlikely to include a disposal slot - which, unless you'd

like to be greeted by hundreds of rusty blades when you knock down your

bathroom wall, can only be a good thing.

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This Day in US Military History

July 3

1863 - Troops under Confederate General George Pickett begin a massive

attack against the center of the Union lines at Gettysburg on the climactic

third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest engagement of the war.

General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia encountered George Meade's

Army of the Potomac in Pennsylvania and battered the Yankees for two days.

The day before Pickett's charge, the Confederates had hammered each flank of

the Union line but could not break through. Now, on July 3, Lee decided to

attack the Union center, stationed on Cemetery Ridge, after making another

unsuccessful attempt on the Union right flank at Culp's Hill in the morning.

The majority of the force consisted of Pickett's division, but there were

other units represented among the 15,000 attackers. After a long Confederate

artillery bombardment, the Rebel force moved through the open field and up

the slight rise of Cemetery Ridge. But by the time they reached the Union

line, the attack had been broken into many small units, and they were unable

to penetrate the Yankee center. The failed attack effectively ended the

battle of Gettysburg. On July 4, Lee began to withdraw his forces to

Virginia. The casualties for both armies were staggering. Lee lost 28,000 of

his 75,000 soldiers, and Union losses stood at over 22,000. It was the last

time Lee threatened Northern territory.

1890 - Idaho, the last of the 50 states to be explored by whites, is

admitted to the union. Exploration of the North American continent mostly

proceeded inward from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and northward from

Spanish Mexico. Therefore, the rugged territory that would become Idaho long

remained untouched by Spanish, French, British, and American trappers and

explorers. Even as late as 1805, Idaho Indians like the Shoshone had never

encountered a white man. That changed with the arrival of the American

explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the summer of 1805.

Searching for a route over the Rocky Mountains to the Columbia River, Lewis

and Clark traveled through Idaho with the aid of the Shoshone Indians and

their horses. British fur traders and trappers followed a few years later,

as did missionaries and a few hardy settlers. As with many remote western

states, large-scale settlement began only after gold was discovered.

Thousands of miners rushed into Idaho when word of a major gold strike came

in September 1860. Merchants and farmers followed, eager to make their

fortunes "mining the miners." By 1880, Idaho boasted a population of 32,610.

In the southern section of the territory, many settlers were Mormons who had

been dispatched from Salt Lake City to found new colonies. Increasingly,

Idaho territory became divided between a Mormon-dominated south and an

anti-Mormon north. In the mid-1880s, anti-Mormon Republicans used widespread

public antipathy toward the Mormon practice of polygamy to pass legislation

denying the predominantly Democratic Mormons the vote. With the Democratic

Mormon vote disarmed, Idaho became a Republican-dominated territory.

National Republicans eager to increase their influence in the U.S. Congress

began to push for Idaho statehood in 1888. The following year, the Idaho

territorial legislature approved a strongly anti-Mormon constitution. The

U.S. Congress approved the document on this day in 1890, and Idaho became

the 43rd state in the Union

1950 - USS Valley Forge and HMS Triumph participate in first carrier action

of Korean Conflict. VF-51 aircraft (Valley Forge) shoot down 2 North Korean

aircraft. The action is first combat test of F9F Panther and AD Skyraider.

1950 - Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Leonard H. Plog, flying a F9F Panther jet

fighter, shot down a Yak-9P, claiming the first U.S. Navy aerial victory of

the Korean War.

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

CUSHING, ALONZO H.

Rank and Organization: 1st Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Battery A, 4th US

Artillery, II Corps, Army of the Potomac. Place and Date: Gettysburg, PA,

July 3rd, 1863. Entered Service At: Fredonia, New York. Born: 19 January

1841, at Delafield, Wisconsin. Departed: Yes (07/03/1863). G.O. Number: .

Date of Issue: 11/06/2014. Citation: First Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing

distinguished himself by acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty

while serving as an artillery commander in Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery,

Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on July 3rd, 1863 during the

American Civil War. That morning, Confederate forces led by General Robert

E. Lee began cannonading First Lieutenant Cushing's position on Cemetery

Ridge. Using field glasses, First Lieutenant Cushing directed fire for his

own artillery battery. He refused to leave the battlefield after being

struck in the shoulder by a shell fragment. As he continued to direct fire,

he was struck again - this time suffering grievous damage to his abdomen.

Still refusing to abandon his command, he boldly stood tall in the face of

Major General George E. Pickett's charge and continued to direct devastating

fire into oncoming forces. As the Confederate forces closed in, First

Lieutenant Cushing was struck in the mouth by an enemy bullet and fell dead

beside his gun. His gallant stand and fearless leadership inflicted severe

casualties upon Confederate forces and opened wide gaps in their lines,

directly impacting the Union force's ability to repel Pickett's charge.

First Lieutenant Cushing's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and

beyond the call of duty at the cost of his own life are in keeping with the

highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon

himself, Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, Army of the Potomac, and the United

States Army.

HINCKS, WILLIAM B.

Rank and organization: Sergeant Major, 14th Connecticut Infantry. Place and

date: At Gettysburg, Pa., 3 July 1863. Entered service at: Bridgeport, Conn.

Birth: Bucksport, Me. Date of issue: 1 December 1864. Citation: During the

highwater mark of Pickett's charge on 3 July 1863 the colors of the 14th

Tenn. Inf. C.S.A. were planted 50 yards in front of the center of Sgt. Maj.

Hincks' regiment. There were no Confederates standing near it but several

were Iying down around it. Upon a call for volunteers by Maj. Ellis,

commanding, to capture this flag, this soldier and 2 others leaped the wall.

One companion was instantly shot. Sgt. Maj. Hincks outran his remaining

companion running straight and swift for the colors amid a storm of shot.

Swinging his saber over the prostrate Confederates and uttering a terrific

yell, he seized the flag and hastily returned to his lines. The 14th Tenn.

carried 12 battle honors on its flag. The devotion to duty shown by Sgt.

Maj. Hlncks gave encouragement to many of his comrades at a crucial moment

of the battle.

WINANS, ROSWELL

Rank and organization: Brigadier General (then First Sergeant), U.S. Marine

Corps. Place and date: Guayacanas, Dominican Republic, 3 July 1916. Entered

service at: Washington. Born. 9 December 1887, Brookville, Ind. G.O. No.:

244, 30 October 1916. Citation: During an engagement at Guavacanas on 3 July

1916, 1st Sgt. Winans participated in action against a considerable force of

rebels on the line of march. During a running fight of 1,200 yards, our

forces reached the enemy entrenchments and Cpl. Joseph A. Gowin, U.S.M.C.,

placed the machinegun, of which he had charge, behind a large log across the

road and immediately opened fire on the trenches. He was struck once but

continued firing his gun, but a moment later he was again struck and had to

be dragged out of the position into cover. 1st Sgt. Winans, U.S.M.C., then

arrived with a Colt's gun which he placed in a most exposed position, coolly

opened fire on the trenches and when the gun jammed, stood up and repaired

it under fire. All the time Glowin and Winans were handling their guns they

were exposed to a very heavy fire which was striking into the logs and

around the men, 7 men being wounded and 1 killed within 20 feet. 1st Sgt.

Winans continued flring his gun until the enemy had abandoned the trenches.

*KOELSCH, JOHN KELVIN.

Rank and organization: Lieutenant (J.G.), U.S. Navy, Navy helicopter rescue

unit. Place and date: North Korea, 3 July 1951. Entered service at: Los

Angeles, Calif. Birth: London, England. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry

and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty

while serving with a Navy helicopter rescue unit. Although darkness was

rapidly approaching when information was received that a marine aviator had

been shot down and was trapped by the enemy in mountainous terrain deep in

hostile territory, Lt. (J.G.) Koelsch voluntarily flew a helicopter to the

reported position of the downed airman in an attempt to effect a rescue.

With an almost solid overcast concealing everything below the mountain

peaks, he descended in his unarmed and vulnerable aircraft without the

accompanying fighter escort to an extremely low altitude beneath the cloud

level and began a systematic search. Despite the increasingly intense enemy

fire, which struck his helicopter on 1 occasion, he persisted in his mission

until he succeeded in locating the downed pilot, who was suffering from

serious burns on the arms and legs. While the victim was being hoisted into

the aircraft, it was struck again by an accurate burst of hostile fire and

crashed on the side of the mountain. Quickly extricating his crewmen and the

aviator from the wreckage, Lt. (J.G.) Koelsch led them from the vicinity in

an effort to escape from hostile troops, evading the enemy forces for 9 days

and rendering such medical attention as possible to his severely burned

companion until all were captured. Up to the time of his death while still a

captive of the enemy, Lt. (J.G.) Koelsch steadfastly refused to aid his

captors in any manner and served to inspire his fellow prisoners by his

fortitude and consideration for others. His great personal valor and heroic

spirit of self-sacrifice throughout sustain and enhance the finest

traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

*SHUCK, WILLIAM E., JR.

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company G, 3d

Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Korea,

3 July 1952. Entered service at: Cumberland, Md. Born. 16 August 1926,

Cumberland, Md. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the

risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a squad

leader of Company G, in action against enemy aggressor forces. When his

platoon was subjected to a devastating barrage of enemy small-arms, grenade,

artillery, and mortar fire during an assault against strongly fortified hill

positions well forward of the main line of resistance, S/Sgt. Shuck,

although painfully wounded, refused medical attention and continued to lead

his machine gun squad in the attack. Unhesitatingly assuming command of a

rifle squad when the leader became a casualty, he skillfully organized the 2

squads into an attacking force and led 2 more daring assaults upon the

hostile positions. Wounded a second time, he steadfastly refused evacuation

and remained in the foremost position under heavy fire until assured that

all dead and wounded were evacuated. Mortally wounded by an enemy sniper

bullet while voluntarily assisting in the removal of the last casualty,

S/Sgt. Shuck, by his fortitude and great personal valor in the face of

overwhelming odds, served to inspire all who observed him. His unyielding

courage throughout reflects the highest credit upon himself and the U.S.

Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

*BLANCHFIELD, MICHAEL R.

Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 4th

Battalion, 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Binh Dinh

Province, Republic of Vietnam, 3 July 1969. Entered service at: Chicago,

Ill. Born: 4 January 1950, Minneapolis, Minn. Citation: For conspicuous

gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond

the call of duty. Sp4c. Blanchfield distinguished himself while serving as a

rifleman in Company A on a combat patrol. The patrol surrounded a group of

houses to search for suspects. During the search of 1 of the huts, a man

suddenly ran out toward a nearby tree line. Sp4c. Blanchfield, who was on

guard outside the hut, saw the man, shouted for him to halt, and began

firing at him as the man ignored the warning and continued to run. The

suspect suddenly threw a grenade toward the hut and its occupants. Although

the exploding grenade severely wounded Sp4c. Blanchfield and several others,

he regained his feet to continue the pursuit of the enemy. The fleeing enemy

threw a second grenade which landed near Sp4c. Blanchfield and several

members of his patrol. Instantly realizing the danger, he shouted a warning

to his comrades. Sp4c. Blanchfield unhesitatingly and with complete

disregard for his safety, threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the full

and fatal impact of the explosion. By his gallant action and self-sacrifice,

he was able to save the lives and prevent injury to 4 members of the patrol

and several Vietnamese civilians in the immediate area. Sp4c. Blanchfield's

extraordinary courage and gallantry at the cost of his life above and beyond

the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military

service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 3, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT

ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE

INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY July 3

1915: Lt Byron Q. Jones became the first Army officer to deliberately loop

and stall an aircraft at San Diego. (4) (24)

1936: Henry Ford bought the Wright Brothers workshop, where the Wrights

built the first airplane, in Dayton for his Greenfield Village exhibit in

Dearborn, Mich. (24)

1942: Lt Cmdr J. H. Hean (USN) flew a PBY-5A over Goldstone Lake, Calif., to

fire the first retrorocket in flight. (24)

1949: The USAF gave the B-29 Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic

bomb on Hiroshima, to the Smithsonian Institute. (24)

1950: KOREAN WAR. Gen Hoyt S. Vandenberg ordered the 22d Bombardment Group

and 92d Bombardment Group to deploy with their B-29s to the Far East for

conventional bombing operations against North Korea. FEAF continued to

airlift US Army troops to Korea, but substituted smaller C-46s and C-47s for

C-54s, which damaged Pusan's runways. Four F-80s completed the first mission

with external rockets. Carrier F9F Pantherjets went into action in Korea

with strikes in and around Pyongyong. This day also marked the first Navy

kills in air combat as Lt Leonard H. Plog and Ensign E. W. Brown each shot

down a Yak-9. (1) (28)

1952: KOREAN WAR. Brig Gen Chester E. McCarty, 315th AD commander, flew the

374th Troop Carrier Wing's first operational C-124 Globemaster from Japan to

Korea. Additionally, in 13 sorties over enemy territory, C-47s dropped more

than 22 million leaflets, over one-sixth of all dropped during the month.

(28)

1958: A Boeing 707 Stratoliner set a commercial speed record by flying 1,550

miles from Mexico City to Los Angeles in 3 hours 9 minutes. (24)

1970: Through 13 July, MAC's first C-5A "Galaxy," assigned to the 437 MAW,

left Charleston AFB on its first mission outside the CONUS. The Galaxy made

a 10-day tour of PACAF bases to provide a first-hand explanation of its

unique capabilities to MAC officers and airmen. The C5A stopped at Hickam

AFB, Andersen AB, Clark AB, Cam Ranh Bay, Kadena and Yokota ABs in Japan,

and Elmendorf AFB, before returning to Charleston on 13 July. In the states,

the C-5 also visited Dover and Travis AFBs, on its 21,500-nautical-mile

tour. (17)

1992: Operation PROVIDE PROMISE. The US European Command launched the

operation to send C-130s, C-141s, C-5s, and C-9s to airlift relief supplies

to Bosnia-Herzegovina on a regular basis. (16) (26)

1996: Majors Gavin L. Ketchen and Richard Vanderburgh from the 509 BW flew

the twelfth operational B-2 Spirit from the Northrop Grumman plant at

Palmdale, Calif., to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (AFNEWS, 9 Jul 96)

2001: Lockheed Martin ferried the X-35B Joint Strike Fighter to Edwards AFB.

(3)

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I was very sad when YP passed away. Some months ago but I I am lucky to

have a lot of YP's stories that I have saved over the years in their own

file to provide to the LIST. We had many phone conversations that I wish I

could remember but I was generally laughing out loud before he was done.

Thanks to Youthly Puresome who never ceases to provide stories from the old

days that entertain us much more than the current events of today

The Great Earlobe Episode

So the great ship thrummed out of the quiet waters of Subic Bay and into the

open sea, finally ready to do battle with the rat-eating commies that lurked

on the

feet-dry side of Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. Puresome, whose

strength

was as the strength of ten because he was youthly and ignorant, couldn't

wait.

After the long journey from Norfolk and many strange adventures during the

trip west, Puresome had enjoyed Cubi Point and the Philippines immensely.

While

the black shoes unloaded the ship's boats and did sailor stuff, the air wing

got to

fly and shake the kinks out as it savored the joys of the Philippines.

The carrier, finally ready for the last leg of the trip west and loaded with

manly young men ready to see the elephant, backed away from the pier and

steamed ceremoniously out of Subic Bay. Puresome almost forgot the quease in

his

stomach as he savored the fierce joy of the moment.

The ship arrived at Dixie Station in the Tonkin Gulf under a clear, hot July

sky. The air wing was to start off Down South, warming up before going big

time

Up North. Puresome, sweating in his newly green-dyed flight suit, got

occasional

glimpses of land looming out of the distance. Listening to radio chatter in

the air

operations center, he heard disembodied UHF voices of a flight reporting

that its

forward air controller had just been shot down. It was Indian country all

right.

The big day finally came. Puresome was scheduled as wingie on an actual

shooting mission. Because the mighty US of A had concentrated on doomsday

nuclear devices, there was a shortage of iron bombs, and Puresome was going

tote three 500-lb. WW II fat bombs over to the Viet Cong. Puresome didn't

care

- they were still things that went bump in the day.

"Yahoo!" Puresome hollered into his oxygen mask as the catapult thumped

him airborne into a beautiful flying day, and he climbed up to his squadron

rendezvous altitude. As the launch progressed, however, his heart sank.

Judging

from the chatter on land-launch, it looked as if lead's aircraft had

suffered bubbles

in the wet compass or other severe downing gripe, and would not launch.

"Etai! Japanese word for pain!" thought Puresome as he remembered that it

was verboten to go over the beach as a single ship.

"Etai!" Puresome thought again when he was unable to contact the

squadron's other section that had launched earlier and had boogied on their

way.

Fortunately, there was another single still around in the form of an A-3

Whale

driver who had convinced someone that he should be allowed to tote a couple

bombs just once. Puresome didn't care if it was a blimp - he easily picked

up the

aluminum overcast lazily circling the ship and rendezvoused. The improbable

duo

then headed outbound across the blue gulf toward the brown and green land of

sneaky, black pajamas.

Under the direction of Toejam 32, the Air Force FAC, they successfully

bombed possible land. Righteously. According to the FAC's damage report, the

flight scored 13 trees and 140 assorted small bushes and vines KBA (killed

by air),

important data to be eventually shipped to Robert the Strange McNamara's

computers as proof that the Estados Unidos was seeing the light at the end

of the

tunnel in the war against commie vegetation.

The warm-up period Down South came to an end without major hits. A

couple of airplanes had taken some pocks from number-four shotgun pellets

fired

by skeet-shooting gomer experts. With the honeymoon ended, the ship pointed

north to Yankee Station.

The air wing's first Alpha strike was to be an early morning go, led by CAG

Earlobe himself, with most of the squadron heavies leading their components.

The

brand new A-6As had been fussed over endlessly by a regiment of tech reps

and

four had been made ready, draped with an obscene number of 500-lb. bombs.

Eight

A-4s rounded out the bombers, and there were F-4s for flak suppression,

BarCAP,

TarCAP and noise. Two Whales were to pump gas to the fighters while Teeny,

Tiny Tinker Tankers monitored the launch. Two more A-4s were to truck out to

the

orbiting Air Force HU-16 Albatross to fly shotgun for any rescue operations.

Fudds flew out to watch the gaggle on radar, and Electric Spads had been

given a

running start earlier so they could jam fire control radars. Of course, a

RA-5C

Viggie would take 8x10 color glossy photos for post-strike commemorative

purposes.

Puresome had been left out once again, since he was at the awkward

seniority of not being junior enough to fly the skipper's wing nor senior

enough to

be a favored number four. Though he was scheduled for a road reconnaissance

mission later in the day, he enviously went up to vulture's row to watch the

launch.

He just happened to be watching the starboard catapult when Hawk 300,

CAG's airplane, fired down the track. Almost immediately, the A-4's canopy

separated from the aircraft and spun ignominiously away while its owner,

looking

curiously like a semi-plucked fowl, made an acceptable clearing turn,

cleaned up

and ducked out of sight to jettison gas and bombs before sneaking back

aboard.

Somehow, the canopy had not gotten over-center locked, an important Scooter

cockpit check, and it had just unexplainably, mysteriously separated from

the

aircraft. CAG was having a bad canopy day.

Puresome just shook his head and watched the smoke trails of many J79 and

J52 engines paint a path across the sky as they headed north. He did not

realize that

the big frabbup scoreboard in the sky, now reading "one" in the Earlobe

column,

was not done with lights and gongs for the day.

Eventually it came time to brief for the 1500 launch. Two Snake sections

were scheduled for different road recce missions. CAG was to lead one

section

with LT Raypat as wingie while Puresome was number two to LT Poon. They

were slated to look for anything military moving between roughly Thanh Hoa

and

Vinh and bomb, rocket or shoot it into unusable pieces. It sounded a lot

satisfying than most of the stuff he had done down south, and Puresome had

studied up and was ready. The adrenaline build up was not, he assured

himself,

really an attack of the chicken shits, though the net effect was about the

same.

Puresome was glad he was flying with LT Poon, who had been around A-4s

for a while and was a good, level stick. On the other hand, Puresome had

flown a

couple of hops with CAG Earlobe that were real interesting. CAG was a former

F-

8 pilot and a hard-charger. He could fly an airplane real well, but other

airplanes in

his division were sometimes buffaloed by his exotic, pre-NATOPS hand

signals.

For instance, CAG's signal for a wingman to cross over was a finger point at

the

wingman, followed by a finger point in the direction he wanted him to go.

Section

signals were a bit trickier. Given the smack-into-another-airplane potential

parade formation flying, everybody gave each other a lot of room until the

formation was sorted out.

CAG also had a bad case of the redfanny over his tactical callsign,

"Earlobe," which had been assigned by some paper-shuffling staff weenie. He

considered it definitely unmanly and unbefitting a former Crusader pilot,

and had

full-time CAG staff personnel hard at work to get it changed to something

befitting, like "Snakepit." In the meantime, he ground his teeth and growled

much intensity into "Earlobe" as he could.

Puresome had an uneventful launch, and his excitement was high as he

circled at rendezvous altitude looking for Poon. He briefly cut across the

circle

toward an A-4 but pulled away when he saw another A-4 join up to form a

section,

since that was CAG and Raypat. Continuing to circle, Puresome soon realized

that

Poon was not airborne, but was hard down on deck. Frabbed again!

But Puresome was not to be denied. He switched frequencies and called

Earlobe flight. Surprisingly, it was Raypat who answered. "Hey, Raypat,

what's

your posit?" Puresome axed.

When Raypat came back with the information, Puresome explained that he

was single-ship and was on his way to join them. Cramming on full throttle,

headed up the Gulf. Periodically, Puresome would ask Raypat for a posit

update.

After about two calls, it became clear that he was not closing very fast and

asked Raypat to slow down some.

"I would," Raypat answered, "but CAG is NORDO (no radio) and he's

leading!"

"Arrrrr!" Puresome snarled into his mask, his chain shortening noticeably.

Not only was he being thwarted from winning the war, but bottled-in-bond,

locked-in-concrete air wing rule number two was that you didn't go over the

beach

without a radio.

Fortunately, Puresome caught the section just before they went feet dry, and

then it was Raypat and Puresome hanging onto CAG, who flailed about the sky

he recce'd like crazy. Puresome hung on, simultaneously trying to avoid a

mid-air,

look for the flak that dead-eye gunners obviously planned for him alone, and

not

allow sneaky-eye MiG pilots to gun him as they had two F-105s earlier in the

war.

Finally, CAG Earlobe was ammo minus and pulled off high. Raypat directed

Puresome to stick with CAG, now beginning to fly semi-predictably, while

Raypat

went down to crater the approaches to a small wooden bridge. Aching to blow

the

thing to bits, Puresome stuck with CAG and watched Raypat expend his

ordnance.

When Raypat finally called off ammo minus, it was Puresome's turn. As

Raypat climbed up toward them, Puresome assumed he had them in sight and

directed his attention below to the target.

"Okay, Raypat. Three's in hot!" Puresome called, dumping his nose and

turning his master arm switch to the "on" position.

"Real good," said Raypat, "where's CAG?"

In the two potatoes that Puresome had taken his eyes off Earlobe, CAG had

done an octaphlugeron and flailed off again with Raypat and Puresome

tailchasing

the hell after him.

"Arrrrr!" Puresome growled in frustration as his chain shortened by several

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