7592
Good Saturday morning July 11 2026 . It was cloudy and cool when I got up
and went to breakfast with my friend Mac. We have been doing this so long
that all we have to do is walk in the door and sit down and they start the
cooking and bring us our drinks. The weather is still that way and is
expected to remain at least partly cloudy for the whole day with a high of
82 by 1.
Warm Regards,
skip
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Btw Send our best to DR who is now in Rehab recovering from Surgery. I will
check in with him this morning.
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To all my fellow F-8 Crusader drivers and a few like FATAL who got to fly
in the Two seater at PAX river TPS.
A reminder…
LACB35 Registration Is Open! It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. Your
stalwart LACB35 Team has been hammering out the details and registration is
now open.
LACB35 is at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse, 2150 Harbor Island Dr., San Diego, CA,
from 1700-2100 on Thursday, September 24, 2026. It coincides with the
scheduled MCAS Miramar Airshow for all of you airshow enthusiasts.
We’ll convene at 1700 in the magnificent Harbor View Room for an hour of
meeting and greeting. Included for each registered guest is one bar ticket
good anytime for their drink of choice from the LACB Bar or ordered through
the bar servers. Complimentary wine will also be available during the
reception. Complimentary dinner wine service will be at the tables only. Any
additional service will be no-host bar.
The three-course plated dinner begins at 1800. First course is the famous
Lighthouse Salad: baby greens, shaved vegetables, Granny Smith apples, and
aged red wine vinaigrette.
The second course is your choice of Seasonal White Fish with sauce vierge,
French Chicken Breast with sage pan jus, or 8-ounce Sirloin (an additional
$6 each) with red wine demi. All dinners include oven roasted vegetables,
fingerling potatoes, wine, bread, rolls, coffee, tea, iced tea, and water.
The third course is the Chef Selected Dessert to top it all off. Afterwards,
there will be a short business meeting and more time for conversation and
catching up.
Dress is Country Club Casual, including your favorite F-8 shirt (jacket and
tie are optional). Remember it can be a bit chilly on the patio overlooking
the harbor during the evening.
The cost for it all is a mere $110 per person. If that sounds a little
pricey, you probably haven’t been out for a nice evening lately.
So, download the registration form, fill it out and mail it in with your
check. Let’s have a great LACB35 together; see you in San Diego!
DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION
LACB35 Team:
Dick Evert & Mike Waldron, Co-Chairs
Dave Cowles, Skip Leonard, Jim Ozbirn, and Chuck Schroeder Go Fors
PS I may have some glasses and other memorabilia from older reunions for
sale which I will bring but we will have hats and coins also…..skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here
to see the director’s corner for all 97 H-Grams
A bit of everything today but many of the pictures did not come through
This Day in Navy and Marine Corps History:
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here
to see the director’s corner for all 91 H-Grams
July 11
1798 President John Adams signs an act that reestablishes the Marine Corps
under the Constitution. The following day, Maj. William W. Burrows is
appointed Commandant of the Marine Corps.
1918 Henry Ford launches the first of the 100 intended Eagle boats. These
boats have a solid cement bow, especially built for ramming and sinking
submarines. Note, production is halted after (PE 60), though some of the
boats continue to serve as training and transport vessels until 1947.
1943 Gunfire from U.S. cruisers and destroyers stop German and Italian tank
attacks against Army beachhead at Gela, Sicily. Troop transport SS Robert
Rowan is set afire by air attack and explodes. USS Orizaba (AP 24) rescues
all hands of 421 troops, merchant marines and guards.
1944 USS Sealion (SS 315), in the Yellow Sea off the west coast of Korea,
near Shosei Jima, sinks two Japanese freighters.
1987 USS Helena (SSN 725) is commissioned at Groton, Conn. The Los
Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine is the fourth named for the capitol
of Montana.
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Today in World History July 10
A GIFT FROM Bear Pickavance
This is worth your time…skip
Thanks to the other Bear Pickavance . I happened to check my mail last night
late and found this one from Bear and opened it and could not stop watching
it especially after watching Worm striding down the flight deck to his
trusty steed. It is USS Midway flight ops in 1972 off the coast of North
Vietnam. A complete cycle of launch and recovery of each type of Aircraft.
To: Phil Carol Gay; Skip Leonard
Subject: midway 1972 off coast vietnam and the music we listen to final
Memories!!! Best to you both! VR/Bear
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Today in World History July 11
1302 An army of French knights, led by the Count of Artois, is routed by
Flemish pikemen.
1346 Charles IV of Luxembourg is elected Holy Roman Emperor in Germany.
1533 Henry VIII is excommunicated from the Catholic Church by Pope
Clement VII.
1708 The French are defeated at Oudenarde, Malplaquet, in the Netherlands
by the Duke of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy.
1786 Morocco agrees to stop attacking American ships in the Mediterranean
for a payment of $10,000.
1799 An Anglo-Turkish armada bombards Napoleon Bonaparte's troops in
Alexandria to no avail.
1804 Alexander Hamilton is mortally wounded by Aaron Burr in a duel.
1862 President Abraham Lincoln appoints General Henry Halleck as
general-in-chief of the Federal army.
1942 In the RAF's longest bombing raid of World War II, 44 British
Lancaster bombers attack the Polish port of Danzig.
1944 WWII@75: Japanese Resistance Ceases on Saipan After more than three
weeks of brutal combat, organized Japanese resistance ceased in the World
War II invasion of Saipan, July 9, 1944, 75 years ago. Dubbed Operation
Forager, the bloody battle’s victory provided the Allies the opportunity to
build airfields that would bring Tokyo into range of U.S. B-29 bombers.
Although the operation was a success, it was costly. Americans suffered
26,000 casualties, 5,000 of which were deaths. At least 23,000 Japanese
troops were killed and more than 1,780 captured. It was the deadliest
campaign of the Allied Pacific offensive to date. To learn more, read
H-032-1: Operation Forager and the Battle of the Philippine Sea by Director
Sam Cox and Operation Forager: The Battle of Saipan by COD’s Adam Bisno.
1972 American forces break the 95-day siege at An Loc in Vietnam.
1975 Archaeologists unearth an army of 8,000 life-size clay figures
created more than 2,000 years ago for the Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
1995 Full diplomatic relations are established between the United States
and Vietnam.
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
July 11
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).
.
Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro
put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to
the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
For Saturday July 11
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From the archives…MY dad was with these beasts on Shimea in the Aleutians
during WWII
Thanks to Dennis
Only 1,250,000 parts were assembled in 55 minutes!!!!
The Genius of Henry Ford.
This was BEFORE Pearl Harbor !!!
Ford's B-24 Bomber Plant at Willow Run, MI.
Henry Ford was determined that he could mass produce bombers just as he had
done with cars.
He built the Willow Run assembly plant and proved it. It was the world's
largest building under one roof.
Even then FORD HAD A BETTER IDEA!
This film will absolutely blow you away - one B-24 every 55 minutes.
ADOLF HITLER HAD NO IDEA THE U.S. WAS CAPABLE OF THIS KIND OF THING.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/iKlt6rNciTo?rel=0.
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Thanks to some bits from1440
One Big Headline
Ancient Tapestry Relocates
An 11th-century tapestry arrived at London's British Museum yesterday after
a covert, high-security operation, marking the first time it has left France
in nearly 1,000 years.
The Bayeux Tapestry traveled roughly 350 miles overnight by truck and train
in a climate-controlled, vibration-dampening crate. Stitched in wool thread
on linen, the 230-foot-long embroidery depicts the lead up to William, Duke
of Normandy's, 1066 invasion of England—an event that solidified lasting
ties between Britain and France (explore here, scene by scene).
Historians believe the piece was made in England and then sent to William's
half brother in France, where it has since remained. British officials have
asked to borrow it since the 1950s, but France repeatedly refused, citing
its fragility. (A recent report found it has 24,204 stains, 9,646 holes, and
30 tears.) French President Emmanuel Macron ultimately approved the loan in
2018 as a gesture of trust and friendship. Learn how Britain and France went
from foes to friends here (w/video).
The Bayeux Tapestry will be on display in London from Sept. 10, 2026,
through July 11, 2027. The British Museum has already generated about $3.3M
in ticket sales.
Apple sues OpenAI for alleged trade secrets theft.
The iPhone maker filed a lawsuit yesterday, accusing two former employees
who went to work for OpenAI of stealing confidential information. One of the
defendants is OpenAI's chief hardware officer, Tang Tan, who previously
oversaw product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch. He is now leading the
AI company's efforts to develop its own devices. The other defendant is a
member of OpenAI's technical staff. As of this writing, neither OpenAI nor
the defendants have commented.
Bipartisan housing bill to become law without Trump's signature.
President Donald Trump yesterday let a 10-day deadline to veto or sign a
landmark housing affordability bill lapse, meaning the measure will become
law without his signature. Trump had canceled plans to sign the bill last
month in an attempt to pressure the Senate into passing legislation creating
stricter voter ID rules, which he argues are a higher priority. The voter ID
bill remains stalled in the Senate.
UK police arrest suspect in killing of a former Parliament member.
A 26-year-old British man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of murdering
Ann Widdecombe, a 78-year-old Conservative minister turned TV personality.
She was found dead in her home Thursday with serious injuries. Officials
have not shared a motive as of this writing, but they said there is no
evidence the crime was politically motivated or terror-related.
Foodborne parasite spreads across the US, hospitalizing dozens.
Nearly 3,000 people in 31 states have cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal
illness marked by severe diarrhea, according to local health departments.
Michigan, which typically sees 40 to 50 cases per year, leads the nation
with 1,562 cases, as of yesterday. The federal government has confirmed 86
hospitalizations, as officials race to pinpoint the source and determine if
outbreaks across states are connected. The parasite has historically been
traced to fresh produce
Wimbledon winners will be crowned this weekend.
Karolína Muchová and Linda Nosková face off in the first-ever all-Czech
women's grand slam final at 11 am ET. It will be the first time two women
representing the same country have competed in a grand slam final match
since Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys in 2017. Then, tomorrow,
defending men's singles champion Jannik Sinner of Italy will take on
Germany's Alexander Zverev.
Major League Baseball draft begins today.
The top high school and college baseball prospects are hoping to secure
spots on one of the MLB's 30 teams today and tomorrow. The Chicago White Sox
have the No. 1 pick for the first time in 49 years after winning the annual
lottery this winter. They are reportedly considering UCLA shortstop Roch
Cholowsky, high school shortstop Grady Emerson, and Georgia Tech catcher
Vahn Lackey.
Pentagon releases new batch of UFO files.
The fourth batch of files posted on the government's UFO website includes 14
documents, 19 videos, four audio files, and three images from several
federal agencies. One document details a 2015 incursion by an unidentified
object over a Texas nuclear weapons facility that led to a lockdown. More
releases are expected in the coming months.
Scientists uncover earliest evidence of behavioral right-handedness.
Animals have favored their right side for over half a billion years,
according to fossils of a limbless, leech-like creature. About twice as many
fossils show the ancient arthropods bent to the right rather than the left.
While it's still unclear why creatures—including humans—tend to favor their
right side, favoring a side may have offered evolutionary benefits, such as
faster decision-making when fleeing predators.
Humankind
New York Yankees team up with a national nonprofit to provide lawn care to
neighbors in need.
Eight-year-old girl fights through tears to complete the final stage of her
black belt test.
Fisherman rescues 220-pound sea turtle tangled in thick ropes.
England fan who spent his life savings to take his grandfather to the World
Cup gets a surprising deposit in his bank account.
Man dives into the Maldives waters to retrieve an engagement ring for his
now-fiancée.
For All the Good Boys and Girls
39–0. That’s how Sundays’ chicken recipe performed in a third-party taste
test against traditional kibble. 39 dogs tried it. Not one turned it down.
It’s not hard to see why. Most dry dog food is cooked at high heat—which
destroys natural nutrition, so manufacturers add synthetic vitamins back in.
Sundays skips that entirely: Vet-founded, made with human-grade meats,
fruits, and vegetables, and gently air-dried in the US to lock in real
flavor and nutrition from the start. The result looks more like jerky than
kibble—and dogs can tell the difference. No fridge, no prep, no cleanup.
Just pour, serve, and let your dog cast their vote.
1440 readers get 50% off their first order with code 1440DOGS—plus free
shipping and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
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These bring back a lot of memories from when I was traveling all over the
country in the back seat of various Chevys with my two sisters while we
traveled from base to base these signs were about as good as entertainment
got in those days…skip
You’ve got to have a bunch of “road years” to remember these signs driving
south, some more immortal than others. For those who never saw any of the
Burma Shave signs, here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930s,
1940s, and 1950s. Before there were interstates, when everyone drove the
old two-lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the
countryside in farmers’ fields. They were small red signs with white
letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing one line of a
four-line couplet and the obligatory fifth sign advertising Burma Shave, a
popular shaving cream at that time.
A MAN, A MISS
A CAR, A CURVE.
HE KISSED THE MISS,
AND MISSED THE CURVE.
Burma Shave
DON’T STICK YOUR ELBOW
OUT SO FAR
IT MAY GO HOME
IN ANOTHER CAR.
Burma Shave
TRAINS DON’T WANDER
ALL OVER THE MAP
‘CAUSE NOBODY SITS
IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP.
Burma Shave
SHE KISSED THE HAIRBRUSH
BY MISTAKE
SHE THOUGHT IT WAS
HER HUSBAND JAKE.
Burma Shave
DON’T LOSE YOUR HEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT.
Burma Shave
DROVE TOO LONG
DRIVER SNOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING.
Burma Shave
BROTHER SPEEDER
LET’S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER
GOOD MORNING, NURSE
Burma Shave
CAUTIOUS RIDER
TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
LET’S HAVE LESS BULL
AND A LITTLE MORE STEER.
Burma Shave
SPEED WAS HIGH
WEATHER WAS NOT
TIRES WERE THIN
X MARKS THE SPOT.
Burma Shave
THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE
Burma Shave
AROUND THE CURVE
LICKETY-SPLIT
BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN’T IT?
Burma Shave
NO MATTER THE PRICE
NO MATTER HOW NEW
THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE
IN THE CAR IS YOU.
Burma Shave
A GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN’
HE’S JUST HOPING
Burma Shave
AT INTERSECTIONS
LOOK EACH WAY
A HARP SOUNDS NICE
BUT IT'S HARD TO PLAY.
Burma Shave
BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL
EYES ON THE ROAD
THAT’S THE SKILLFUL
DRIVER’S CODE.
Burma Shave
THE ONE WHO DRIVES
WHEN HE’S BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON YOU
TO DO HIS THINKING.
Burma Shave
CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE.
Burma Shave
PASSING SCHOOL ZONE
PLEASE GO SLOW
LET OUR LITTLE
SHAVERS GROW.
Burma Shave
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From the archives..To update ……Walter Boyne passed away a few years ago. We
would talk on the phone once in a while and he would send things for the
list…skip
Thanks to’Tom for this one. If you have not read any of Walter Boynes books
you are in for a real treat. I have read most of them and they are great
reads. skip
Best Known Aviation Author . . Walt Boyne Shares A Personal Flying Story
My first assignment out of flying school was to Castle Air Force Base
Base, California, with the 93rd Bomb Group. There in January, 1953, I
was introduced to Boeing's B-50D Superfortress.
The introduction was a little rough. Because the day I arrived, a B-50
went in . . killing its entire crew.
And no one knew why.
And they were pretty much not interested in what a new second balloon
had to say ; for a while.
After flying T-6s and B-25s, the B-50 seemed enormous and capable, and
so indeed it was. At the Fighter Pilot Loop's request, I'd like to share
minor hero-story about myself.
One I've never written about before except in the novel The Wild Blue
where I used a different character and a different airplane to tell it.
Hero Story
I don't tell hero stories very often, primarily because I don't have
many to tell. But there was at least one occasion in the B-50 when I
earned my pay from the Air Force.
Shortly after my arrival at Castle in January, 1953, newly-wed and wet
behind the ears, I was crewed up with a distinguished veteran of World War
II, Captain Chet Schmidt. Chet and I were sent to Hunter AFB, Georgia, for
simulator training,
The B-50 simulator was pretty primitive compared to modern three-axis
simulators. But it was impressive to us, and by the end of a session it was
realistic enough for me to open the window to look out and see if the chocks
were in place.
One of the last simulator lessons was on an emergency, they told us
could never happen. Boeing engineers assured the simulator instructors that
the B-50 could never experience a complete electrical failure.
BUT . .
But IF the electrical system did . . COMPLETELY FAIL . . the symptoms
would be as follows :
( 1 ) lights OUT . .
( 2 ) flap indicator drop from full UP to full DOWN . .
( 3 ) propellers would RUN AWAY . .
( 4 ) the electric flight instruments would remain deceptively relatively
immobile for an interval as . . GYRO SPEEDS DECAYED.
No problem.
It was never going to happen
On my first flight in the B-50 upon our return, I was asked to
substitute
as a copilot with another crew. The aircraft commander was a line pilot, as
I learned later, but was suffering under a handicap.
Humor in the Air Force then was fierce and personal.
No flaw was too private to be the butt of a joke. And we were, in fact,
not very sensitive.
The aircraft commander [ let's call him Smith ] had had one major
accident. And a couple of minor scrapes. Naturally, his nickname was
" Crash."
It was totally unfair, for he was a good pilot and a good man, and that
nickname made him bitter.
It was natural that "Crash" Smith and his crew would be properly
skeptical . . about a green-bean second Louie like me.
And the general message I got was :
" WATCH ! But do NOT touch anything. "
Still they were nice enough and we went through the usual pre-flight
drill, including the copilot's task of getting the in-flight lunches.
It was a typical late winter's day in the San Joaquin Valley . . heavy
fog
. . low ceilings, with clouds forecast up to about 10,000 feet.
One has to experience the San Joaquin fog to truly understand it. On
more than one occasion, I drove to the base by opening my car door and
driving along just right of the highway's white dividing line.
That morning it was a little better than that when it came to takeoff
time--but not much.
Everything was normal through the take-off, and we climbed out through
the ' goop, ' with engines roaring. Totally cut off from the outside world
in a wet sea of mist.
The B-50's big Plexiglas wind screens . . seemed to part the thick
clouds in rivulets of water, and I was glad that it was too warm for icing.
( This shows my inexperience, for the B-50 had a marvelous thermal
anti-icing system.)
At about 3,000 feet in the climb out, I suddenly noticed that my needle
and ball indicated a slip, with the needle moving to the left and the ball
skidding to the right. [ The needle and ball was that primitive instrument
:
a ball in a liquid race . . with a single needle indicating the degree of
turn.
Along with the airspeed and the altimeter, it could be used for instrument
flight. Its use generated the old saw about : " needle, peedle and air-ball
" if only used as the emergency flight instruments. ]
As I checked the instrument panel . . in the blink of an eye . .THE FLAP
INDICATOR DROPPED . . FROM FULL-UP . . TO . . FULL-DOWN !
I can still see it in my mind's eye as sinister as the drop of a
guillotine blade. I glanced over at the aircraft commander's attitude
indicator, and
it indicated a level climb. Instantly I realized we had . .
Complete Electrical Failure !
I also realized that I was a brand new copilot, with maybe twenty hours
in the airplane . . flying as a stranger in the crew and . . under the
command
of an aircraft commander who was understandably sensitive about even any
justifiable criticism.
Nothing happened.
But then in the next few seconds, the ball slipped more to the right,
the needle dipped more to the left. I watched the rate-of-climb indicator
pass through from climb . . to zero . . then showed our descent rate
touching 300 feet per minute !
We were in huge trouble !
I shouted : " I've got the airplane ! "
This was a signal that the control of the airplane was being taken over
by the second balloon. Not at all unlike Mr. Christian grabbing away the
Bounty’s steering wheel . . from Captain Bligh.
At the same time that I ' booted ' the right rudder [" Step on the ball
" to move it back to center . . was the watchword when being compelled to
fly
the airplane with basic primary instruments. ]
Then, I grabbed the prop controls, pulling them back just as the
electrical tachometer readings began to surge . . resulting from our total
electrical
failure.
I hollered : " Cruise Power" to the irate Flight Engineer, who wondered
what the hell I was doing. But I didn't want the props to run-away . . and
cruise power would be adequate .
Using the needle and ball, airspeed and altimeter, I fought the airplane
from a fairly steep bank with the nose fast pointing down.
We were already below 3,000 feet.
And in another twenty seconds of ignorance that our full panel gyro
instruments no longer reliable we would be in an unrecoverable diving turn
into the ground.
Slowly the airplane leveled out.
" Crash " Smith looked at me like I was crazy. And I could hear the
Flight Engineer bitching about me messing around with [ his ] power
settings.
Even after I yelled out a second time : " We have a complete electrical
failure !"
They still didn't get it.
None of them had been to the flight simulator yet.
Finally when they looked close at the instrument panel, they noticed
that
the electrically sourced flight instruments were not working . . giving us
false reading as tour gyro speeds decayed.
They finally began to understand.
" Crash" watched me as I began a 300 foot per minute climb on needle,
ball and airspeed until we broke out. At the same time, the flight engineer
had worked our [' gotch ya ' ] electrical problem through and got the
electric power back on.
" Crash " resumed control and we went on through the rest of the mission
without a hitch.
When we got back, without a word, the aircraft commander got out and we
went in to the debriefing. But as I edged past our flight engineer, he
grinned at me, turned his thumb up and said, " Good job."
It was high praise coming from a seasoned NCO . . to a ' green bean.'
We convened for the informal debriefing of the time. Not a word was said
about the serious incident. And I had been naïve enough to think that maybe
that " Crash " would commend me for saving the airplane.
Not a chance. I later realized--it would have been a negative
reflection
on ' Crash's " competence. And " Crash " Smith couldn't take any more smacks
on his reputation.
I was too new to the squadron to mention the incident myself and the
whole matter dropped.
Oddly enough, I never really felt short-changed. For I knew what I had
done. And that simple thumbs-up and ' Good Job ' from the flight engineer
was praise enough for me.
End of hero story . . but I still like to recall it to myself. But then
when Tom Weeks asked me if I had any personal flying experience of interest
to send around to the Fighter Pilot Loop . . I've shared this.
Walt [ abridged ]
Personal note from Tom Weeks . .
Walter J. Boyne, former Director of the National Air and Space Museum of
the Smithsonian Institution, enlisted as a private in the USAF in 1951 then
retired in 1974 as a Colonel with more than 5,000 flying hours in a score of
different aircraft.
Walter J. Boyne has written more than 400 articles on aviation subjects.
And he is one of only a handful of authors who've had . . BOTH their
fiction and nonfiction books . . on The New York Times Bestseller List.
Walt's carefully researched latest book is : ' How The Helicopter
Changed Modern Warfare '
Helicopters were introduced to military warfare during World War II.
Since then, they have had a profound effect at both the tactical and
strategic levels. This indepth book explores its importance in modern
warfare. And it argues convincingly that severe flaws in the procurement
have led to U.S. combat troops using antiquated helicopter designs . .
despite a massive infusion of billions in R & D.
For you helo guys I think you will really like this book as I did…skip
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From the archives
Thanks to USC Carl
I found this bit of USC history this morning.
Fight On !!
Carl
07 JULY 1944 .........
Benjamin Lewis Salomon (September 1, 1914 – July 7, 1944) was a United
States Army dentist during World War II, assigned as a front-line surgeon on
Saipan.
When the Japanese started overrunning his hospital, he stood a rear-guard
action in which he had no hope of personal survival, allowing the safe
evacuation of the wounded, killing as many as 98 enemy troops before being
killed himself during the Battle of Saipan.
In 2002, Salomon posthumously received the Medal of Honor. He is one of only
three dental officers to have received the medal, the others being Alexander
Gordon Lyle and Weedon Osborne.
Salomon was born into a Jewish family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on September
1, 1914. He was an Eagle Scout, one of nine who were awarded the Medal of
Honor. He graduated from Shorewood High School and attended Marquette
University, before transferring to the University of Southern California,
where he completed his undergraduate degree. He graduated from the USC
Dental School in 1937 and began a dental practice.
In 1940, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and began his military service as
an infantry private, qualifying expert in rifle and pistol. In 1942, he was
notified that he would become an officer in the Army Dental Corps and was
commissioned a first lieutenant.
On August 14, 1942, the 102nd Infantry Regt. commanding officer declared him
the unit's "best all-around soldier".
In May 1943, he was serving as the regimental dental officer of the 105th
Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. He was promoted to the rank of
captain in 1944.
In June 1944, Salomon saw his first combat — going ashore on Saipan with the
105th Infantry. With little dental work to do during active combat, Salomon
volunteered to replace the 2nd Battalion's surgeon, who had been wounded. As
the 2nd Battalion advanced, casualties were high. On July 7, Salomon's aid
station was set up only 50 yards behind the forward foxhole line. Fighting
was heavy and a major Japanese assault soon overran the perimeter, then the
aid station. Salomon was able to grab an M1 Garand that was near him, kill
the enemy that entered the hospital tent and ordered the wounded to be
evacuated, while he stayed and fired upon the incoming enemy with an M1917
machine gun to cover their withdrawal.
When an Army team returned to the site days later, Salomon's body was found
slumped over the machine gun, with the bodies of 98 enemy troops piled up in
front of his position. His body had 76 bullet wounds and many bayonet
wounds, up to 24 of which may have been received while he was still alive.
Capt. Edmund G. Love, the 27th Division historian, was a part of the team
that found Salomon's body. At the request of Brig. Gen. Ogden J. Ross, the
assistant commander of the 27th Division, Love gathered eyewitness accounts
and prepared a recommendation for the Medal of Honor for Salomon.
The recommendation was returned by Maj. Gen. George W. Griner, the
commanding general of the 27th Division. Officially, Griner declined to
approve the award because Salomon was "in the medical service and wore a Red
Cross brassard upon his arm. Under the rules of the Geneva Convention, to
which the United States subscribes, no medical officer can bear arms against
the enemy." However, the guideline for awarding the Medal of Honor to
medical non-combatants states that one may not receive the Medal of Honor
for actions in an offensive. More recent interpretations of the convention,
as well as the US Laws of Land Warfare, allow use of personal weapons (i.e.,
rifles and pistols) in self-defense or in defense of patients and staff, as
long as the medical soldier does not wear the Red Cross. Part of the problem
in Salomon's citation was that a machine gun is considered a "crew-served"
weapon, not an individual one.
Prior to Salomon, only two Jewish Americans had been awarded Medals of Honor
during World War II, and none for Korea, though some (like Salomon) have
been decorated years later, including Pfc. Leonard M. Kravitz (uncle and
namesake of the pop star Lenny Kravitz) and Corporal Tibor Rubin, who was
awarded the Medal of Honor in 2005.
In 1951, Love again resubmitted the recommendation through the Office of the
Chief of Military History. The recommendation was returned without action
with another pro-forma reason: the time limit for submitting World War II
awards had passed. In 1969, another Medal of Honor recommendation was
submitted by Lt. Gen. Hal B. Jennings, the Surgeon General of the United
States Army. In 1970, Stanley R. Resor, Secretary of the Army, recommended
approval and forwarded the recommendation to the Secretary of Defense. The
recommendation was returned without action.
In 1998, the recommendation was re-submitted by Dr. Robert West (USC Dental
School) through Congressman Brad Sherman, with the support of Maj. Gen.
Patrick D. Sculley, new chief of the Army Dental Corps. Finally, on May 1,
2002, President George W. Bush presented Salomon's Medal of Honor to Dr.
West. West then presented the Medal to Sculley for permanent placement in
the Army Medical Department Museum in San Antonio, Texas. A replica of
Salomon's Medal of Honor is displayed at the USC Dental School. The Army
Medical Department, at this point, was supportive.
Captain Ben L. Salomon was serving at Saipan, in the Marianas Islands on
July 7, 1944, as the Surgeon for the 2nd Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment,
27th Infantry Division. The Regiment’s 1st and 2d Battalions were attacked
by an overwhelming force estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 Japanese
soldiers. It was one of the largest attacks attempted in the Pacific Theater
during World War II. Although both units fought furiously, the enemy soon
penetrated the Battalions’ combined perimeter and inflicted overwhelming
casualties. In the first minutes of the attack, approximately 30 wounded
soldiers walked, crawled, or were carried into Captain Salomon’s aid
station, and the small tent soon filled with wounded men. As the perimeter
began to be overrun, it became increasingly difficult for Captain Salomon to
work on the wounded. He then saw a Japanese soldier bayoneting one of the
wounded soldiers lying near the tent. Firing from a squatting position,
Captain Salomon quickly killed the enemy soldier. Then, as he turned his
attention back to the wounded, two more Japanese soldiers appeared in the
front entrance of the tent. As these enemy soldiers were killed, four more
crawled under the tent walls. Rushing them, Captain Salomon kicked the knife
out of the hand of one, shot another, and bayoneted a third. Captain Salomon
butted the fourth enemy soldier in the stomach and a wounded comrade then
shot and killed the enemy soldier. Realizing the gravity of the situation,
Captain Salomon ordered the wounded to make their way as best they could
back to the regimental aid station, while he attempted to hold off the enemy
until they were clear. Captain Salomon then grabbed a rifle from one of the
wounded and rushed out of the tent. After four men were killed while manning
a machine gun, Captain Salomon took control of it. When his body was later
found, 98 dead enemy soldiers were piled in front of his position. Captain
Salomon’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the
highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon
himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
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July 11, 2020
This Day in US Military History
1798 – President John Adams signed the bill that re-established the Marine
Corps. The Continental Congress had disbanded the service in April of 1783
at the end of the American Revolution. The Marine Corps, however, recognizes
its “official” birthday to be the date that the Second Continental Congress
first authorized the establishment of the “Corps of Marines” on 10 November
1775. To add to the confusion of the Corps’ actual “historical” birthday, on
1 July 1797 Congress authorized the Revenue cutters to carry, in addition to
their regular crew, up to “30 marines.” Congress directed the cutters to
interdict French privateers operating off the coast during the Quasi-War
with France and thought the additional firepower of 30 marines would be
needed by the under-manned and under-gunned cutters. It is unknown if any
“marines” were enlisted for service with the Revenue cutters during this
time.
1804 – A duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton leaves Hamilton
dead. Since New Jersey did not have a law against dueling at the time, Burr
and Hamilton, both New Yorkers, crossed the Hudson to Weehawken, New Jersey.
New York had banned the practice earlier, partly due to Hamilton’s own
campaign efforts after his son was killed in a duel. Dueling was outlawed in
the North much earlier than it was in the South. The state of Massachusetts
declared it “detestable and infamous.” Duelists in that state could be
punished even if they both survived the duel. A typical penalty would be to
stand an hour with a rope around their neck at the gallows and then to spend
a year in prison. Transgressors might also receive lashes from a whip. For
duelists who died, there was still a civic penalty to be paid. The loser was
buried without a coffin near the spot of the duel with a stake driven
through his body. The winner could be prosecuted for murder, executed, and
buried in the same manner. Even the mere threat of a duel had serious
consequences: In 1818, George Norton challenged someone to a duel in New
York for insulting his honor and was sentenced to a month in prison for his
dare. In the South, dueling was much more popular and accepted, especially
among upper-class society. The practice was so common that legislators were
asked to take an oath to declare that they had never been in a duel. Even
after dueling became illegal, the law was rarely enforced. The Burr-Hamilton
duel was not the last high-profile case. In 1809, future senator Henry Clay
and Humphrey Marshall were arguing over legislation in Kentucky’s state
house when Clay called Marshall a demagogue and Marshall responded by
calling Clay a liar. Their subsequent duel was fought with pistols at a
length of ten paces. Luckily for both, neither was a good shot (nor were the
weapons particularly accurate), and they both recovered from their injuries.
1941 – Roosevelt appoints William Donovan to head a new civilian
intelligence agency with the title “coordinator of defense information.”
This appointment will lead to the creation of the Office of Strategic
Services (OSS) which in turn will develop into the modern CIA.
1942 – MCAS El Centro, California activated.
1945 – The redeployment of 2118 4-engined bombers of the US 8th Air Force,
to the USA (en route for the Pacific theater) begins. It is completed in 51
days.
1953 – Lieutenant Colonel John F. Bolt became the 37th Korean War ace and
the only U.S. Marine Corps pilot to qualify as an ace during the Korea War.
He also has the distinction of being the only jet ace in Marine Corps
history and the only U.S. Marine to become an ace in two wars (World War II
and Korea). Bolt was flying an F-86 Sabre, “Darling Dottie,” attached to the
Air Force’s 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing.
1955 – The new US Air Force Academy was dedicated at Lowry Air Base in
Colorado. I was going to the 8th grade there and got a tour one day to see
the place at Lowry because the Air Force academy was being built at Colorado
Springs. The Church Steeple was reaching toward the sky and was very
impressive…
1979 – Parts of Skylab, America’s first space station, come crashing down on
Australia and into the Indian Ocean five years after the last manned Skylab
mission ended. No one was injured. Launched in 1973, Skylab was the world’s
first successful space station. The first manned Skylab mission came two
years after the Soviet Union launched Salynut 1, the world’s first space
station, into orbit around the earth. However, unlike the ill-fated Salynut,
which was plagued with problems, the American space station was a great
success, safely housing three separate three-man crews for extended periods
of time. Originally the spent third stage of a Saturn 5 moon rocket, the
cylindrical space station was 118 feet tall, weighed 77 tons, and carried
the most varied assortment of experimental equipment ever assembled in a
single spacecraft to that date. The crews of Skylab spent more than 700
hours observing the sun and brought home more than 175,000 solar pictures.
They also provided important information about the biological effects of
living in space for prolonged periods of time. Five years after the last
Skylab mission, the space station’s orbit began to deteriorate–earlier than
was anticipated–because of unexpectedly high sunspot activity. On July 11,
1979, Skylab made a spectacular return to earth, breaking up in the
atmosphere and showering burning debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.
The Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
BRATLING, FRANK
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company C, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Place and
date: Near Fort Selden, N. Mex., 8-11 July 1873. Entered service at: ——.
Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 12 August 1875. Citation: Services against
hostile Indians.
HUMPHREY, CHARLES F.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 4th U.S. Artillery. Place and date:
At Clearwater, Idaho, 11 July 1877. Entered service at: ——. Birth: New York.
Date of issue: 2 March 1897. Citation: Voluntarily and successfully
conducted, in the face of a withering fire, a party which recovered
possession of an abandoned howitzer and 2 Gatling guns Iying between the
lines a few yards from the Indians.
*CRAIG, ROBERT
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 15th Infantry, 3d
Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Favoratta, Sicily, 11 July 1943.
Entered service at: Toledo, Ohio. Birth: Scotland. G.O. No.: 41, 26 May
1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of
life, above and beyond the call of duty, on 11 July 1943 at Favoratta,
Sicily. 2d Lt. Craig voluntarily undertook the perilous task of locating and
destroying a hidden enemy machinegun which had halted the advance of his
company. Attempts by 3 other officers to locate the weapon had resulted in
failure, with each officer receiving wounds. 2d Lt. Craig located the gun
and snaked his way to a point within 35 yards of the hostile position before
being discovered. Charging headlong into the furious automatic fire, he
reached the gun, stood over it, and killed the 3 crew members with his
carbine. With this obstacle removed, his company continued its advance.
Shortly thereafter while advancing down the forward slope of a ridge, 2d Lt.
Craig and his platoon, in a position devoid of cover and concealment,
encountered the fire of approximately 100 enemy soldiers. Electing to
sacrifice himself so that his platoon might carry on the battle, he ordered
his men to withdraw to the cover of the crest while he drew the enemy fire
to himself. With no hope of survival, he charged toward the enemy until he
was within 25 yards of them. Assuming a kneeling position, he killed 5 and
wounded 3 enemy soldiers. While the hostile force concentrated fire on him,
his platoon reached the cover of the crest. 2d Lt. Craig was killed by enemy
fire, but his intrepid action so inspired his men that they drove the enemy
from the area, inflicting heavy casualties on the hostile force.
*ENDL, GERALD L.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U S. Army, 32d Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Anamo, New Guinea, 11 July 1944. Entered service at:
Janesville, Wis. Birth: Ft. Atkinson, Wis. G.O. No.: 17, 13 March 1945.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty near Anamo, New Guinea, on 11 July 1944.
S/Sgt. Endl was at the head of the leading platoon of his company advancing
along a jungle trail when enemy troops were encountered and a fire fight
developed. The enemy attacked in force under heavy rifle, machinegun, and
grenade fire. His platoon leader wounded, S/Sgt. Endl immediately assumed
command and deployed his platoon on a firing line at the fork in the trail
toward which the enemy attack was directed. The dense jungle terrain greatly
restricted vision and movement, and he endeavored to penetrate down the
trail toward an open clearing of Kunai grass. As he advanced, he detected
the enemy, supported by at least 6 light and 2 heavy machineguns, attempting
an enveloping movement around both flanks. His commanding officer sent a
second platoon to move up on the left flank of the position, but the enemy
closed in rapidly, placing our force in imminent danger of being isolated
and annihilated. Twelve members of his platoon were wounded, 7 being cut off
by the enemy. Realizing that if his platoon were forced farther back, these
7 men would be hopelessly trapped and at the mercy of a vicious enemy, he
resolved to advance at all cost, knowing it meant almost certain death, in
an effort to rescue his comrades. In the face of extremely heavy fire he
went forward alone and for a period of approximately 10 minutes engaged the
enemy in a heroic close-range fight, holding them off while his men crawled
forward under cover to evacuate the wounded and to withdraw. Courageously
refusing to abandon 4 more wounded men who were Iying along the trail, 1 by
1 he brought them back to safety. As he was carrying the last man in his
arms he was struck by a heavy burst of automatic fire and was killed. By his
persistent and daring self-sacrifice and on behalf of his comrades, S/Sgt.
Endl made possible the successful evacuation of all but 1 man, and enabled
the 2 platoons to withdraw with their wounded and to reorganize with the
rest of the company.
ROBERTS, GORDON R.
Rank and organization: Sergeant (then Sp4c.), U.S. Army, Company B, 1st
Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Thua
Thien Province, Republic of Vietnam, 11 July 1969. Entered service at:
Cincinnati, Ohio. Born: 14 June 1950, Middletown, Ohio. Citation: For
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Roberts distinguished himself while
serving as a rifleman in Company B, during combat operations. Sgt. Roberts’
platoon was maneuvering along a ridge to attack heavily fortified enemy
bunker positions which had pinned down an adjoining friendly company. As the
platoon approached the enemy positions, it was suddenly pinned down by heavy
automatic weapons and grenade fire from camouflaged enemy fortifications
atop the overlooking hill. Seeing his platoon immobilized and in danger of
failing in its mission, Sgt. Roberts crawled rapidly toward the closest
enemy bunker. With complete disregard for his safety, he leaped to his feet
and charged the bunker, firing as he ran. Despite the intense enemy fire
directed at him, Sgt. Roberts silenced the 2-man bunker. Without hesitation,
Sgt. Roberts continued his l-man assault on a second bunker. As he neared
the second bunker, a burst of enemy fire knocked his rifle from his hands.
Sgt. Roberts picked up a rifle dropped by a comrade and continued his
assault, silencing the bunker. He continued his charge against a third
bunker and destroyed it with well-thrown hand grenades. Although Sgt.
Roberts was now cut off from his platoon, he continued his assault against a
fourth enemy emplacement. He fought through a heavy hail of fire to join
elements of the adjoining company which had been pinned down by the enemy
fire. Although continually exposed to hostile fire, he assisted in moving
wounded personnel from exposed positions on the hilltop to an evacuation
area before returning to his unit. By his gallant and selfless actions, Sgt.
Roberts contributed directly to saving the lives of his comrades and served
as an inspiration to his fellow soldiers in the defeat of the enemy force.
Sgt. Roberts’ extraordinary heroism in action at the risk of his life were
in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect
great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 11, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT
ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE
INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
1914: R. A. D. Preston won the National Balloon Race by flying from St.
Louis and landing at Point Pleasant, Ky., 305 miles away. (24)
1952: KOREAN WAR/Operation PRESSURE PUMP. Far East Air Forces flew 1,329
sorties, the highest daily total for the month. In the first raid, nearly
every operational air unit in the Far East attacked 30 targets in Pyongyang,
in the largest single strike so far of the war. Attacking aircraft destroyed
three targets, including the N. Korean Ministry of Industry. Most others
sustained heavy damage. (28)
1953: KOREAN WAR. Maj John F. Bolt became the first jet ace in Marine Corps
history. He was flying an F-86 Super Sabre on temporary duty with the USAF's
51st Fighter Interceptor Wing. (16) (24)
1956: TAC’s first KB-50 tanker arrived at Langley AFB.
1958: A KC-135 Stratotanker completed the first nonstop flight from
Washington DC to Honolulu. It covered 5,000 miles in 11 hours 8 minutes. (9)
1960: The US emplaced the first Jupiter missile in an Italian missile base.
(6)
1962: The USAF launched the second Titan II from Cape Canaveral. It flew
5,000 miles down the Atlantic Missile Range. (24)
1963: When SAC accepted three Blue Scout Junior launch sites at Wisner, West
Point, and Tekamah, Nebr., the Emergency Rocket Communications System became
operational. (1)
1967: In public ceremonies, Martin Marietta rolled out the X-24A, a manned,
flat-iron shaped wingless lifting body for reentry studies. It was powered
by a rocket engine. (16) (26)
1968: Two Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) satellites,
OVI-15 and OVI-16, were placed in an orbit to measure density and density
variations at low altitudes. (16)
1971: Operation COMBAT VEE. Through 22 July, in a joint operation with the
US Department of Agriculture, seven UC-123Ks from Langley AFB and Hurlburt
Field, and eight C-47s from England AFB sprayed Malathion on more than 2.5
million acres in southeast Texas to combat Venezuelan Equine
Encephalomeylitis. (16) (26)
1972: The USAF launched a giant balloon, 962 feet tall, to support NASA’s
Viking Project for landing an unmanned spacecraft on Mars in 1976. (16) (26)
1975: The 550th Minuteman III became operational with the 341 SMW at
Malmstrom AFB to give the Air Force a force mix of 450 Minuteman II/550
Minuteman III missiles. (1) (6)
1979: Skylab, after 38,981 orbits, reentered the atmosphere.
1993: Through 1 August, after one of the worst floods in American history
covered 16,000 square miles in eight midwestern states near the Mississippi
and Missouri Rivers, 20 C-5 and C-141 missions airlifted 800 tons of relief
equipment, supplies, sandbags, and water purification systems to the area.
(16) (18)
1999: A C-141 from the 62 AW at McChord AFB and a KC-135 (Hawaii ANG) left
Christchurch, New Zealand, on a 6,375-mile round-trip journey to the South
Pole. The C-141 airdropped emergency medical supplies near the
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to support the diagnosis and treatment of
a physician who had discovered a lump in her breast. The continual darkness
and extreme cold of the Antarctic winter prevented her evacuation until 16
October, when a ski-equipped LC-130 from 109 AW (ANG) from Schenectady
Airport, N.Y., made the trip from Amundsen-Scott South Pole Research Station
to McMurdo NAS. (22)
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