To All
Good Monday morning July 6. It is clear and a cool 68 now. We are heating up to 84 by 4.
I hope that you all had a great safe fourth of July.
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Monday morning Humor thanks to Al
• My friend went bald years ago but still carries around an old comb with him. He just can’t part with it.
• My wife called to tell me she saw a fox on the way to work. I asked how she knew it was on the way to work. She hung up on me.
• What do you call a belt made out of hundred-dollar bills? A waist of money.
• A friend said she didn’t understand cloning. I told her that makes two of us.
• What do you call a melon that’s not allowed to get married? Cantelope.
• I went to McDonald’s today and ate a kid’s meal. It was good but his mom was furious.
• A lumberjack went into a magic forest to cut a tree. Upon arrival, he started to swing at the tree when it shouted. “Wait! I’m a talking tree.” The lumberjack grinned and said, “And you will dialogue.”
• A slice of apple pie in Jamaica is $2.00. It is $2.50 in the Bahamas. These are the pie rates of the Caribbean.
• Headlines: Thief steals wheels off police car! Cops work tirelessly to nab suspect.
• I once dated a girl with a lazy eye. I always thought she was seeing someone on the side.
• What do you call a bullet proof Irishman? Rick O’Shea
• I didn’t think orthopedic shoes would help. But I stand corrected.
• My friend keeps saying, “Cheer up man, it could be worse, you could be stuck underground in a hole full of water.” I know he means well.
• There was a big paddle sale at the boat store. It was quite an oar deal.
• The invention of the shovel was a ground breaking discovery. But the invention of the broom was the one that truly swept the nation.
• I accidentally passed my wife a glue stick instead of a chap stick. She’s still not talking to me.
• Have you ever tried eating a clock? It’s really time consuming, especially if you go for seconds.
• I saw an ad that said, “Radio for sale, $1, volume stuck on full.” I thought, “I can’t turn that down.”
Submitted by Mark Logan:
• I used to be a banker but I lost interest.
• The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
• I once stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.
• My wife told me to stop impersonating a flamingo. I had to put my foot down.
• I am reading a book about Teflon; nothing sticks and I can’t put it down.
• I’m reading another book about anti-gravity; it’s uplifting.
• The guy who invented the door knocker won the No-bell prize.
• I was going to tell you a time-travel joke, but you didn’t like it.
• A termite walks into a bar and asks, “Is the bar tender here?”
• I’m terrified of elevators, so I’m taking steps to avoid them.
Submitted by Colleen Grosso:
• How does Moses make tea? Hebrews it.
• Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!
• A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.
• Haunted French pancakes give me the crêpes.
• England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
• I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
• They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Typo.
• I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.
• Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
• I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.
• This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore.
• When chemists die, they barium.
• I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.
• Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.
• I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
• Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?
• When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.
• Broken pencils are pointless.
• What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.
• I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.
• All the toilets in New York's police stations have been stolen. The police have nothing to go on.
• I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
• Velcro - what a rip off!
• Don’t worry about old age; it doesn’t last.
Submitted by Skip Leonard:
• You can't blame anyone else if you fall in your driveway. It's your own asphalt.
• I've started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It's all about raisin awareness.
• I've started investing in stocks: beef, vegetable, chicken. One day I hope to be a bouillianaire.
• If you boil a funny bone, it becomes a laughing stock. Now that's humerus.
• I accidentally rubbed ketchup in my eyes. Now I have Heinz sight.
• Scientifically, a raven has 17 primary wing feathers, the big ones at the end of the wing. They are called pinion feathers. A crow has 16. So, the difference between a raven and a crow is only a matter of a pinion.
• I was walking in the jungle and saw a lizard on his hind legs telling jokes. I turned to a local tribal leader and said, "That lizard is really funny!" The leader replied, "That's not a lizard. He's a stand-up chameleon.
• I tried to come up with a carpentry pun that woodwork. I thought I nailed it but nobody saw it.
• Singing in the shower is fine until you get soap in your mouth. Then it's a soap opera.
• The Black-Eyed Peas can sing us a song ...But the chick peas can only hummus one.
• Then there was the time Fruit of the Loom took Hanes to court... It was a brief case.
• How much does a chimney cost? Nothing, it's on the house.
• My friend said she wouldn't eat cow's tongue because it came out of a cow's mouth. I gave her an egg.
• Once upon a time there was a King who was only 12 inches tall. He was a terrible King but he made a great ruler.
• This girl today said she recognized me from the Vegetarians Club, but I’d swear I’ve never met herbivore.
• A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
• When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A.
• I got some batteries that were given out free of charge.
• A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.
• A will is a dead giveaway.
• Police were summoned to a day-care center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
• A bicycle can’t stand alone; it’s just two-tired.
• The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine last week is now fully recovered.
• He had a photographic memory, but it was never fully developed.
• When she saw her first strands of grey hair, she thought she’d dye.
• Acupuncture is a jab well done. That’s the point of it.
• I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
• I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
• Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He’s all right now.
• When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.
• The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
• A thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.
• Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.
• The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.
• The professor discovered that his theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.
• If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.
• A backward poet writes inverse.
• In a democracy it’s your vote that counts; in feudalism, it’s your Count that votes.
• A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
• If you don’t pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
• Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I’ll show you A-flat miner.
• A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France and resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.
• You are stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it.
• Local Area Network in Australia : The LAN down under.
• He broke into song because he couldn’t find the key.
• A calendar’s days are numbered.
• A boiled egg is hard to beat.
• A plateau is a high form of flattery.
• Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
• When you’ve seen one shopping center you’ve seen a mall.
• If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.
• Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
• Santa’s helpers are subordinate clauses.
• A lot of money is tainted: ‘Taint yours, and ‘taint mine.
Have a great week,
Al
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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 6
1747
John Paul Jones is born in Arbigland, Scotland. Originally appointed to the Continental Navy in 1775, he is known for his quote, Ive not yet begun to fight! during the battle between Continental frigate, Bonhomme Richard, and HMS Serapis on Sept. 23, 1779.
1898
During the Spanish-American War, the auxiliary-cruiser USS Dixie captures the Spanish vessels, Three Bells, Pilgrim, and Greeman Castle, off Cape Cruz, Cuba.
1943
Following the Allied landing on New Georgia, the Japanese attempt to land reinforcements with 10 destroyers, resulting in the Battle of Kula Gulf. In the battle, USS Helena (CL 50) is hit by three torpedoes, breaks apart, and sinks, with nearly 170 of her crew lost.
1944
USS Paddle (SS 263) attacks a Japanese convoy northwest of Halmahera and sinks destroyer Hokaze off Sangi Island. Also on this date, USS Sealion (SS 315) attacks a Japanese convoy in the East China Sea and sinks merchant passenger cargo ship Setsuzan Maru off Ningpo, China while USS Tang (SS 306) sinks Japanese freighter Dori Maru in Chosen Bay.
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Today in History: July 6
1415 Jan Hus, a Czech who spoke out against Church corruption, is burned at the stake as a heretic.
1519 Charles of Spain is elected Holy Roman emperor in Barcelona.
1535 Sir Thomas More is beheaded in England for refusing to swear allegiance to King Henry VIII as head of the Church.
1536 Jacques Cartier returns to France after discovering the St. Lawrence River in Canada.
1685 James II defeats James, the Duke of Monmouth, at the Battle of Sedgemoor, the last major battle to be fought on English soil.
1770 The entire Ottoman fleet is destroyed by the Russians at the Battle of Chesma.
1788 10,000 troops are called out in Paris as unrest mounts in the poorer districts over poverty and lack of food.
1835 John Marshall, the third chief justice of the Supreme Court, dies at the age of 79. Two days later, while tolling in his honor in Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell cracks.
1836 French General Thomas Bugeaud defeats Abd al-Kader's forces beside the Sikkak River in Algeria.
1854 The Republican Party is officially organized in Jackson, Michigan.
1885 Louis Pasteur gives the first successful anti-rabies inoculation.
1944 Lieutenant Jackie Robinson of the U.S. Army, while riding a civilian bus from Camp Hoo, Texas, refuses to give up his seat to a white man.
1945 B-29 Superfortress bombers attack Honshu, Japan, using new fire-bombing techniques.
1945 Operation Overcast begins in Europe--moving Austrian and German scientists and their equipment to the United States.
1982 President Ronald Reagan agrees to contribute U.S. troops to the peacekeeping unit in Beirut.
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July 6
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
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear’s Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady’s work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
(This site was sent by a friend . The site works, find anyone you knew in “search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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Thanks to 1440
Good morning, it's Monday, July 6. Funeral processions have kicked off for Iran's former leader. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: a Byzantine-era city uncovered in Egypt (Need To Know), Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's NYC wedding (Sports, Ent., & Cult.), photos of July Fourth fireworks (Etc.), and much more.
Need To Know
Khamenei Funeral Begins
The dayslong funeral for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began on Saturday. Crowds of attendees gathered in Tehran to view his casket and those of several family members also killed in US-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, which marked the start of the war. See photos.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the late ayatollah’s successor and second-oldest son, was not present at the weekend’s ceremonies. He has not been seen or heard from publicly since he was reportedly wounded in the strikes that killed his father. Khamenei’s three other sons were in attendance, as were representatives of Hamas and Hezbollah. The procession continues today in Tehran, after which Khamenei’s remains will be brought to Qom and then to two cities in Iraq with special significance for Shiite Muslims. Khamenei is due to be buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.
The 1989 funeral for Khamenei’s predecessor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, drew millions of attendees.
Yanks vs. the Red Devils
The US men's national soccer team takes the pitch again this evening, facing Belgium in the World Cup’s Round of 16 in Seattle (Fox, 8 pm ET). The victor faces the winner of tomorrow's Portugal-Spain matchup (up-to-date bracket).
A victory tonight would propel the US to their second quarterfinals in modern history, and first since 2002. (They finished third in the 1930 tournament, which had 13 teams.) The Yanks—the squad’s semiofficial nickname—will be with striker Folarin Balogun, whose suspension following a red card in Wednesday’s victory over and Herzegovina was lifted yesterday (and follows a call to FIFA from President Donald Trump).
Balogun, born in Brooklyn by accident and raised in the UK, is the team’s leading scorer in the tournament, with three goals on 11 shots. Despite his presence, betting odds have the match as a toss-up.
🫶 Humankind: Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder surprises a budding 12-year-old musician with one of his guitars after months of collaborating together.
Lost Byzantine City
Egyptian officials announced the discovery of a Byzantine-era city in the country’s western desert on Saturday. The well-preserved city is located in the Dakhla Oasis and reveals scenes of daily life.
The city was organized by north-south and east-west streets, forming public squares. Many of the houses had vaulted roofs and reception halls, with researchers also uncovering bread ovens, kitchens, and stone grinding tools. Overlooking the city was a basilica-style church, alongside two watchtowers to protect the town. There was also a building fortified with thick defensive walls. The city dates back to the fourth century, with gold coins discovered from the reign of Roman Emperor Constantius II. Bronze coins were also found showcasing Byzantine emperors, Latin phrases, and Christian symbols (When did Christianity come to Egypt?).
Separately, Egypt revealed the discovery of 18 additional tombs at Marina el-Alamein, an archaeological site 62 miles west of Alexandria.
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Charles Leclerc wins his first-ever British Grand Prix for Ferrari, defeating George Russell and Lewis Hamilton
> Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tie the knot in New York City's Madison Square Garden in a ceremony reportedly attended by more than 1,000 guests and officiated by comedian Adam Sandler
> Serena Williams withdraws from Wimbledon doubles game with sister Venus due to knee injury, ending comeback early (More)
Science & Technology
> World's tallest tropical trees have evolved mechanisms to draw water to branches as high as 300 feet, protecting them from drought
> OPEC+ countries agree to hike August oil production target by 188,000 barrels per day; increase comes in addition to a ramp-up of almost 800,000 barrels per day in April through July
Politics & World Affairs
> Death toll from Venezuelan earthquakes rises to nearly 3,000 people as search and rescue efforts continue
> President Donald Trump speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reportedly offers to help find an end to the yearslong war
Historybook: Sir Thomas More is executed in England for treason (1535); First Major League Baseball All-Star Game played in Chicago's Comiskey Park (1933); Tibetan spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama born (1935); President Truman establishes the Medal of Freedom (1945); 43rd US President George W. Bush born (1946).
"Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions."
- The 14th Dalai Lama
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“This Day in Aviation History” brought to you by the Daedalians Airpower Blog Update. To subscribe to this weekly email, go to https://daedalians.org/airpower-blog/.
July 6, 1950
James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle, Daedalian Founder Member #107, was named “Aviator of the Decade” by the Harmon Aviation Awards Committee.
July 7, 1942
A Lockheed A-29 Vega of the 369th Bombardment Squadron attacked and sank the German submarine U-701 off the coast of Cherry Point, North Carolina, the first such victory by an Army Air Forces aircraft.
July 8, 1978
The Naval Air Test and Evaluation Museum opened its doors to the public at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland; it is now known as the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
July 9, 1943
Operation Husky: The invasion of Sicily began with the first major Allied airborne assault using gliders and paratroops. Many C-47s were lost due to friendly fire incidents.
July 10, 1942
Test pilot Benjamin Odell Howard took the prototype Douglas XA-26-DE light bomber, serial number 41-19504, for its first flight at the Douglas Aircraft Company El Segundo Division. The XA-26 was a twin-engine mid-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear. Douglas had proposed the design to the U.S. Army Air Corps as a replacement for three different airplanes: The Douglas A-20, the North American Aviation B-25 Mitchell, and the Martin B-26 Marauder. It was to be operated by a pilot, navigator/bombardier and a gunner. The XA-26’s maximum speed was 322 knots (370 miles per hour) at 17,000 feet and it had a service ceiling of 31,300 feet. A second prototype, designated XA-26A, was developed as a night fighter. It carried air-intercept radar in the nose and armament in a pod under the fuselage. The third prototype, the XA-26B, was a ground attack aircraft. Like the XA-26A, it had a solid nose, but was armed with a fixed 75-millimeter cannon in the nose, and forward-firing Browning .50-caliber machine guns. When ordered into production, the XA-26 became the A-26C Invader, while the ground attack design was assigned A-26B.
July 11, 1967
Martin Marietta rolled out the X-24A, a manned, flat-iron shaped wingless lifting body for reentry studies, powered by a rocket engine.
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This Day in US Military History
JULY 6
1779 – The Battle of Grenada took place during the American War of Independence in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy, just off the coast of Grenada. The British fleet of Admiral John Byron, the grandfather of Lord Byron, had sailed in an attempt to relieve Grenada, which the French forces of the Comte D’Estaing had just captured. Incorrectly believing he had numerical superiority, Byron ordered a general chase to attack the French as they left their anchorage at Grenada. Because of the disorganized attack and the French superiority, the British fleet was badly mauled in the encounter, although no ships were lost. Naval historian Alfred Thayer Mahan described the British loss as “the most disastrous … that the British Navy had encountered since Beachy Head, in 1690.” Despite the French victory, d’Estaing did not follow up with further attacks, squandering any tactical advantage the battle gave him.
1945 – Some 600 US B-29 Superfortress bombers struck Osaka, Kofu, Chiba, Shimizu (near Tokyo), Shimotsu and Akashi, all on Honshu. Nearly 4000 tons of bombs are dropped.
1945 – Operation Overcast began in Europe–moving Austrian and German scientists and their equipment to the United States.
1964 – At Nam Dong in the northern highlands of South Vietnam, an estimated 500-man Viet Cong battalion attacks an American Special Forces outpost. During a bitter battle, Capt. Roger C. Donlon, commander of the Special Forces A-Team, rallied his troops, treated the wounded, and directed defenses although he himself was wounded several times. After five hours of fighting, the Viet Cong withdrew. The battle resulted in an estimated 40 Viet Cong killed; two Americans, 1 Australian military adviser, and 57 South Vietnamese defenders also lost their lives. At a White House ceremony in December 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson presented Captain Donlon with the first Medal of Honor of the Vietnam War.
1976 – In Annapolis, Maryland, the United States Naval Academy admits women for the first time in its history with the induction of 81 female midshipmen. In May
1980, Elizabeth Anne Rowe became the first woman member of the class to graduate. Four years later, Kristine Holderied became the first female midshipman to graduate at the top of her class. The U.S. Naval Academy opened in Annapolis in October 1845, with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors. Known as the Naval School until 1850, the curriculum included mathematics, navigation, gunnery, steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French. The Naval School officially became the U.S. Naval Academy in 1850, and a new curriculum went into effect requiring midshipmen to study at the Academy for four years and to train aboard ships each summer–the basic format that remains at the academy to this day.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
See the note at the end of this one on the four that were awarded yesterday
*VAN VOORHIS, BRUCE AVERY
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy. Born: 29 January 1908, Aberdeen, Wash. Appointed from: Nevada. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Squadron Commander of Bombing Squadron 102 and as Plane Commander of a PB4Y-I Patrol Bomber operating against the enemy on Japanese-held Greenwich Island during the battle of the Solomon Islands, 6 July 1943. Fully aware of the limited chance of surviving an urgent mission, voluntarily undertaken to prevent a surprise Japanese attack against our forces, Lt. Comdr. Van Voorhis took off in total darkness on a perilous 700-mile flight without escort or support. Successful in reaching his objective despite treacherous and varying winds, low visibility and difficult terrain, he fought a lone but relentless battle under fierce antiaircraft fire and overwhelming aerial opposition. Forced lower and lower by pursuing planes, he coolly persisted in his mission of destruction. Abandoning all chance of a safe return he executed 6 bold ground-level attacks to demolish the enemy’s vital radio station, installations, antiaircraft guns and crews with bombs and machinegun fire, and to destroy 1 fighter plane in the air and 3 on the water. Caught in his own bomb blast, Lt. Comdr. Van Voorhis crashed into the lagoon off the beach, sacrificing himself in a single-handed fight against almost insuperable odds, to make a distinctive contribution to our continued offensive in driving the Japanese from the Solomons and, by his superb daring, courage and resoluteness of purpose, enhanced the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
DONLON, ROGER HUGH C.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army. Place and date: Near Nam Dong, Republic of Vietnam, 6 July 1964. Entered service at: Fort Chaffee, Ark. Born: 30 January 1934, Saugerties, N.Y. G.O. No.: 41, 17 December 1964. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while defending a U.S. military installation against a fierce attack by hostile forces. Capt. Donlon was serving as the commanding officer of the U.S. Army Special Forces Detachment A-726 at Camp Nam Dong when a reinforced Viet Cong battalion suddenly launched a full-scale, predawn attack on the camp. During the violent battle that ensued, lasting 5 hours and resulting in heavy casualties on both sides, Capt. Donlon directed the defense operations in the midst of an enemy barrage of mortar shells, falling grenades, and extremely heavy gunfire. Upon the initial onslaught, he swiftly marshaled his forces and ordered the removal of the needed ammunition from a blazing building. He then dashed through a hail of small arms and exploding hand grenades to abort a breach of the main gate. En route to this position he detected an enemy demolition team of 3 in the proximity of the main gate and quickly annihilated them. Although exposed to the intense grenade attack, he then succeeded in reaching a 60mm mortar position despite sustaining a severe stomach wound as he was within 5 yards of the gun pit. When he discovered that most of the men in this gunpit were also wounded, he completely disregarded his own injury, directed their withdrawal to a location 30 meters away, and again risked his life by remaining behind and covering the movement with the utmost effectiveness. Noticing that his team sergeant was unable to evacuate the gun pit he crawled toward him and, while dragging the fallen soldier out of the gunpit, an enemy mortar exploded and inflicted a wound in Capt. Donlon’s left shoulder. Although suffering from multiple wounds, he carried the abandoned 60mm mortar weapon to a new location 30 meters away where he found 3 wounded defenders. After administering first aid and encouragement to these men, he left the weapon with them, headed toward another position, and retrieved a 57mm recoilless rifle. Then with great courage and coolness under fire, he returned to the abandoned gun pit, evacuated ammunition for the 2 weapons, and while crawling and dragging the urgently needed ammunition, received a third wound on his leg by an enemy hand grenade. Despite his critical physical condition, he again crawled 175 meters to an 81mm mortar position and directed firing operations which protected the seriously threatened east sector of the camp. He then moved to an eastern 60mm mortar position and upon determining that the vicious enemy assault had weakened, crawled back to the gun pit with the 60mm mortar, set it up for defensive operations, and turned it over to 2 defenders with minor wounds. Without hesitation, he left this sheltered position, and moved from position to position around the beleaguered perimeter while hurling hand grenades at the enemy and inspiring his men to superhuman effort. As he bravely continued to move around the perimeter, a mortar shell exploded, wounding him in the face and body. As the long awaited daylight brought defeat to the enemy forces and their retreat back to the jungle leaving behind 54 of their dead, many weapons, and grenades, Capt. Donlon immediately reorganized his defenses and administered first aid to the wounded. His dynamic leadership, fortitude, and valiant efforts inspired not only the American personnel but the friendly Vietnamese defenders as well and resulted in the successful defense of the camp. Capt. Donlon’s extraordinary heroism, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
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From the Archives
Biden awards Medal of Honor to 4 soldiers for Vietnam War heroism
By Darlene Superville, The Associated Press Jul 5, 09:56 AM
President Joe Biden speaks during a Medal of Honor ceremony in the
East Room of the White House, Tuesday, July 5, 2022, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday bestowed the nation’s highest military honor to four Army soldiers for heroism during the Vietnam War, bravery that he said had not diminished even with the passage of time.
Biden presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sgt. Edward N. Kaneshiro, Spc. Five Dwight W. Birdwell, Spc. Five Dennis M. Fujii, and retired Maj. John J. Duffy. Speaking at a ceremony in the White House East Room, Biden praised their heroism, noting that many like them don’t receive “the full recognition they deserve.”
“Today, we’re setting the record straight. We’re upgrading the awards of four soldiers who performed acts of incredible heroism during the Vietnam conflict,” Biden said.
“It’s just astounding when you hear what each of them have done,” he said. “They went far above and beyond the call of duty. It’s a phrase always used but ... it takes on life when you see these men.”
President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Honor to Spc. Dwight Birdwell
for his actions on Jan. 31, 1968, during the Vietnam War, during a
ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, July 5, 2022,
in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Addressing the three living soldiers and relatives of Kaneshiro, who is deceased, the president said, “I’m proud to finally award our highest military recognition, the Medal of Honor, to each of you.”
Biden noted that more than 50 years had passed “since the jungles of Vietnam where, as young men, these soldiers first proved their mettle. But time has not diminished their astonishing bravery, their selflessness in putting the lives of others ahead of their own and the gratitude that we as a nation owe them.”
Four soldiers to receive Medals of Honor for actions in Vietnam The
men will be recognized in a White House ceremony on July 5.
By Leo Shane III
Kaneshiro, killed in action by hostile gunfire in Vietnam in 1967, received his honor posthumously for a Dec. 1, 1966 raid where his unit came under fire by North Vietnamese troops. His actions were credited with helping his unit withdraw from the village where they were fighting. Kaneshiro was born and raised in Hawaii, a son of Japanese immigrants.
President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Honor to retired Maj. John
Duffy for his actions on April 14-15 1972, during the Vietnam War,
during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, July
5, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Birdwell was honored for actions helping to head off an assault and evacuate wounded at Tan Son Nhut Airbase near Saigon on Jan. 31, 1968, despite injuries to his torso and face, during an opening salvo in what is known as the Tet Offensive, an especially bloody period of the war.
Birdwell, a member of the Cherokee Nation and a lawyer in Oklahoma City, had received a Silver Star for his actions. Biden said it took Birdwell’s commanding officer decades to realize that Birdwell had not received the proper recognition and took steps, even in retirement, to “make this day possible.”
“At long last, long last, your story is being honored as it should have been always,” Biden told Birdwell.
President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor to Staff Sgt. Edward
Kaneshiro for his actions on Dec. 1, 1966, during the Vietnam War, as
his son John Kaneshiro accepts the posthumous recognition during a
ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, July 5, 2022,
in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Fujii received a Medal of Honor for actions over four days in February 1971 treating wounded and directing air strikes against enemy positions after his air ambulance was forced to crash land.
Duffy was recognized for leading troops who came under ambush after their commander was killed in action, repelling attackers and evacuating wounded, despite his own injuries. Duffy went on to become an author and once was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for poetry.
“He is the definition of a warrior poet,” Biden said.
The list of Duffy’s awards is most impressive. I will try to find it again. Four tours in Vietnam. 19 major awards and 8 purple hearts. There were so many awards on his chest that he may have affected any wet compass near him.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 6, FFIRSTS, LASTS, AND
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF
HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE
AGENCY
6 July
1908: The Signal Corps appointed the Aeronautical Board to conduct
tests on dirigibles, balloons, and airplanes being built under
contract. (12) (24)
1915: Capt V. E. Clark, the first air officer to graduate from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Doctor of Engineering,
reported to North Island. (24)
1924: Maj Henry H. Arnold set a new speed record by flying 500 miles between Rockwell Field and San Francisco in 4 hours 25 minutes.
1945: The North American XP-82 Twin Mustang first flew. (12)
1950: KOREAN WAR/FIRST STRATEGIC ATTACK. Nine B-29s conducted the
first strategic air attacks of the Korean War by bombing the Rising
Sun oil refinery at Wonsan and a chemical plant at Hungman in North
Korea. (21) (28) The Harmon International Aviation Awards Committee
named James H. Doolittle the Aviator of the Decade, Jacqueline Cochran
the Outstanding Aviatrix, and Vice Admiral Charles E. Rosendahl the
top aeronaut (lighter-than-air). (16) (24)
1951: KOREAN WAR. A 43 AREFS aircrew flew a KB-29M in the first combat
air refueling operation. It refueled four RF-80s flying reconnaissance
missions over North Korea. (1) (26) (28)
1953: Operation KINDERLIFT. USAFE began an airlift of children from
Berlin to West Germany for a summer vacation in German and American
homes. (4)
1954: The Lockheed XF-104 made its first flight. 1961: An Atlas-E,
launched from Cape Canaveral, set a US record by flying 9,050 miles
and dropping a 1.5-ton payload on target, 1,000 miles southeast of
Capetown, South Africa. (24)
1967: The Chaparral monorail sled set a record, when it reached
6,834.2 feet per second (4,750 MPH). The two-stage sled was 21 feet
long, 12 inches high, and weighed about 780 pounds. An Atlas D booster
successfully launched an Advanced Ballistic Reentry Vehicle System
(ABRES) vehicle from Vandenberg AFB. (16)
1982: A MAC C-130 left Rhein-Main AB for Kano, Nigeria, with two
crews, maintenance personnel, an airlift control element, parts,
rations, satellite communications, and water. After setting up an
operating base, the aircraft flew to N’Djamena, Chad, where the crews
began alternating flights to Abe’che’ and Faya-Largeau. In a week, the
C-130 carried 113 tons of food supplies to Chadian civil war refugees.
(2)
1989: Under the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, the US destroyed
its last MGM-31 Pershing 1A missile, the 169th, at the Longhorn Army
Ammunition Plant, Karnack, Tex. (20) President George Bush presented
the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award
to Gen James H. Doolittle (retired) at the White House. (26)
2005: The 305 AMW at McGuire AFB received the 13th and last C-17 (tail
number 04-4137), when Lt Gen Walter Buchanan III, the Ninth Air Force
and US Central Command Air Forces commander at Shaw AFB delivered the
C-17 from the Boeing in Long Beach, Calif. The first C-17 had been
delivered to the 305th on 24 September 2004. (22)
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