7614
Good Monday morning August , 2026 .We are clear and heating up again this morning to 89 by 2 and dropping to 72by 9.
This is a bubba Breakfast Friday in San Diego Same time and place.
Regards,
skip
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Church
Two little boys, Tom and Danny, are excessively mischievous. They are always getting into trouble and their mom knows if any mischief occurs in their town, the two boys are probably involved. The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys.
The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually.
The mother sent Danny in the morning, with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon.
The preacher, a huge man with a deep booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Do you know where God is, son?"
The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open.
So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?!
Again, the boy made no attempt to answer.
The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "Where is God?!"
The boy screamed & bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming
the door behind him.
When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?"
The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in big trouble this time! God is missing, and they think WE did it!"
Submitted by Barbara Hunt:
On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts. “One for you, one for me, one for you, one for me,” said one boy. Several dropped and rolled down toward the fence.
Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, “One for you, one for me, one for you, one for me!” He just knew what it was. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along. “Come here quick,” said the boy, “you won't believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls!”
The man said, “Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk.” When the boy insisted though, the man hobbled slowly to the cemetery. Standing by the fence they heard, “One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.” The old man whispered, “Boy, you've been tellin' me the truth. Let's see if we can see the Lord.”
Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord.
At last they heard, “One for you, one for me. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence and we'll be done.”
They say the old man had the lead for a good half-mile before the kid on the bike passed him.
Church signs…
• Need a life guard? Ours walks on water!
• There are some questions that can’t be answered by Google.
• Honk if you love Jesus. Test while driving if you want to meet Him.
• Read the Bible, it’s user friendly, plus we offer tech support here on Sundays at 10:30.
• Church parking trespassers will be baptized.
• To be saved is to be totally lost.
• How do we make holy water? We boil the hell out of it!
• What is missing from ch__ch? UR
• The best vitamin for a Christian is B1.
• Try our Sundays. They are better than Baskin-Robbins.
• You are not too bad to come in. You are not too good to stay out.
• Can’t sleep? Try counting your blessings.
• Aspire to inspire before you expire.
• Where will you be sitting in eternity? Smoking or non-smoking?
• Under same management for over 2000 years.
During these serious and troubled times, people of all faiths should remember these four great religious truths:
• Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's Chosen People.
• Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
• Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian world.
• Mormons do not recognize each other at the liquor store.
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, "If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?"
A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, "I think I'd throw up."
The preacher's five year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon.
One day, she asked him why. "Well, Honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages. "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon."
"How come He doesn't answer it?" she asked.
You know you're in a redneck church if…
• The finance committee refuses to provide funds for the purchase of a chandelier because none of the members knows how to play one.
• People ask, when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000, whether the two fish were bass or catfish, and what bait was used to catch 'em.
• When the pastor says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering" and five guys and two women stand up.
• Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday.
• A member of the church requests to be buried in his 4-wheel-drive truck because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of"
• The choir is known as the "OK Chorale".
• People think "rapture" is what you get when you lift something too heavy.
• The baptismal pool is a #2 galvanized "Wheeling" washtub.
• The choir robes were donated by (and embroidered with the logo from) Billy Bob's Barbecue.
• The collection plates are really hubcaps from a '56 Chevy.
• Instead of a bell you are called to service by a duck call.
• The minister and his wife drive matching pickup trucks.
• The communion wine is Boone's Farm "Tickled Pink".
• “Thou shall not covet" applies to huntin' dogs, too.
• The final words of the benediction are, "Y'all come back now, Ya hear.” God Bless and don't fergit ta say yer prayers!
Have a great week,
Al
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
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 100 H-Grams
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 92 H-Grams
August 3
1804 Commodore Edward Preble's Mediterranean Squadron launches the first of a series of bombardments on the harbor of Tripoli. Designed to destroy the defending batteries and sink enemy ships, the bombardments are part of the blockade that Preble established in 1803.
1861 Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles calls for designers to submit plans for ironclad warships to the Navy Department. The design, by inventor John Ericsson, is chosen for USS Monitor, a revolutionary armored ship, carrying her guns in a rotating turret.
1942 Mildred H. McAfee takes the oath of office to become the first female line officer. She is commissioned a lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve and simultaneously undertakes the duties of being the first director of the newly-established WAVES ("Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service").
1943 PBM aircraft (VP 205) sinks German submarine (U 572), north of Dutch Giuiana. Also on this date, USS Buck (DD 420) sinks Italian submarine, Argento, off Tunisia.
1950 Marine Fighter Squadron Two Hundred Fourteen (VMF 214) operating from USS Sicily (CVE 118) attacks Chinju with rockets and incendiary bombs, in the first Marine Corps aviation mission against North Korea.
1958 USS Nautilus (SSN 571) becomes the first submarine to cross the "top" of the world during Operation Sunshine when the boat passes under an arctic ice cap at the North Pole. "For the world, our country, and the Navy - the North Pole," declared the boat's commanding officer, Cmdr. William R. Anderson. The mission had been personally authorized by President Eisenhower as a response to the USSR's Sputnik program.
2017 Richard V. Spencer is sworn in as the 76th secretary of the Navy. Spencer, a Connecticut native, graduated from Rollins College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Upon graduation he joined the United States Marine Corps and served as an H-46 pilot until 1981.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Today in World History: August 3
1347 Six burghers of the surrounded French city of Calais surrender to Edward III of England in hopes of relieving the siege.
1492 Christopher Columbus leaves Spain on his voyage to the new world.
1546 French printer Etienne Dolet, accused of heresy, blasphemy and sedition, is hanged and burned at the stake for printing reformist literature.
1553 Mary Tudor, the new Queen of England, enters London.
1610 Henry Hudson of England discovers a great bay on the east coast of Canada and names it for himself.
1692 French forces under Marshal Luxembourg defeat the English at the Battle of Steenkerque in the Netherlands.
1805 Muhammad Ali becomes the new ruler of Egypt. I had to look it up
Search Results
Featured snippet from the web
The process of Muhammad Ali's seizure of power was a long three way civil war between the Ottoman Turks, Egyptian Mamluks, and Albanian mercenaries. It lasted from 1803 to 1807 with the Albanian Muhammad Ali Pasha taking control of Egypt in 1805, when the Ottoman Sultan acknowledged his position.
1807 The trial of Aaron Burr begins. He is accused of plotting the secession of New England.
1864 Federal gunboats attack but do not capture Fort Gains, at the mouth of Mobile Bay, Alabama.
1882 Congress passes the Immigration Act, banning Chinese immigration for ten years.
1908 Allan Allensworth files the site plan for the first African-American town, Allensworth, California.
1911 Airplanes are used for the first time in a military capacity when Italian planes reconnoiter Turkish lines near Tripoli.
1914 Germany declares war on France.
1916 Sir Roger Casement is hanged for treason in England.
1945 Chinese troops under American General Joseph Stilwell take the town of Myitkyina from the Japanese.
1958 The first nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus, passes under the North Pole.
1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson announces plans to send 45,000 more troops to Vietnam.
1972 Former Beatle Paul McCartney announces formation of his new group, Wings.
1975 The Louisiana Superdome is dedicated.
1977 Radio Shack unveils TRS-80 personal computer, which with Apple and Commodore would form the "1977 Trinity." Its price and Radio Shack's established retail outlets made it a bestseller for several years.
1990 The US commits naval forces to the Persian Gulf region in the wake of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
2004 Statue of Liberty's pedestal reopens to visitors after being closed following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Rollingthunderremembered.com .
August 3
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
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..August 3.
Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady’s work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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/ )
By: Kipp Hanley
.
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
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to American Facts
Let’s face it, America has always loved a good mystery, right? Whether it's whispers about aliens or oddball internet chatter, conspiracy theories have a way of capturing our imagination. Some make us chuckle, some make us scratch our heads, and a few might make us wonder, "What if?" So pour yourself a cup of coffee, and let’s take a lighthearted tour through some of the most talked-about conspiracies.
.
The moon landing: staged in Arizona?
Back in 1969, Americans watched Neil Armstrong take one small step for man on TV. But not long after, rumors started floating around that it was all filmed on a Hollywood-style set somewhere in the desert. Books and even a movie helped the idea spread. Still, with hundreds of pounds of moon rocks and decades of scientific study to back it up, it seems pretty clear the only thing fake was the rumor itself.
.
The dead internet theory: bots gone wild
According to this theory, you might be talking to a wall online. The idea here is that most of the internet isn't run by people at all, but by bots, that is, automated programs pretending to be humans. They supposedly post, reply, and argue, all to keep clicks coming. Even if bots are increasingly popular on some sites and apps, it’s evident that this is nothing but a crazy conspiracy theory!
.
Subliminal advertising: blink and you’ll miss it
Remember when people thought ads were sneaking messages into your brain? Some authors were convinced that companies were hiding secret images in movies and commercials to mess with our minds. This theory went into popular headlines in the ‘70s, but most of those claims didn’t hold up under scrutiny. Marketing and advertising do know some tricks around our minds, but your sudden craving for popcorn probably has more to do with the smell than secret mind control.
.
Paul is (not) dead
Back in the swinging '60s, a bizarre rumor started going around in our country: Paul McCartney had supposedly died and been replaced by a lookalike. Fans claimed to find hidden clues in Beatles albums, like barefoot walks and cryptic lyrics. The theory crossed all borders and spread worldwide, but don’t worry, Paul was (and still is) very much alive, touring, and giving interviews.
.
Roswell crash course in confusion
Something definitely fell near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, remember that? The question is, what was it? The government first hinted at flying saucers, then changed the story to a weather balloon. That was all it took for conspiracy theories involving aliens to bloom. However, years later, it turned out it was a Cold War-era military balloon from a classified program. No aliens, just some top-secret tech.
.
Chemtrails: clouds of confusion
Those streaks behind planes? They’re called contrails, and they’re mostly made of water vapor. But some believe they’re really "chemtrails" (chemical agents sprayed into the sky). Theories range from weather control to population mind games. Scientists have tested the air and found nothing unusual, but some folks still keep looking up and wondering. What do you think?
.
COVID and 5G: a confusing combo
When the pandemic hit, it came with more than just a virus. Nobody knew anything about this new world, so conspiracy theories flew in, too. One unusual theory linked COVID-19 to 5G, suggesting that vaccines contained tracking chips. Researchers and doctors around the world quickly debunked it all, but it goes to show how fear and confusion can breed some pretty wild ideas.
.
Birds aren’t real... or are they?
This one takes the cake. A satirical movement claims birds are actually government surveillance drones. What started as a joke by a college student quickly went viral, billboards and all. While some people mistook it for a real theory, it’s really a commentary on how misinformation spreads.
Flat Earth: going against the grain
Despite centuries of science and space photos, some people still believe the Earth is flat. They point to the horizon, question gravity, and come up with creative explanations for eclipses and orbits. It's a belief often driven by mistrust or ideology, but the round Earth, seen from space, keeps on spinning just the same.
.
Denver Airport: baggage and bunkers
Denver’s airport has some… interesting decor. Murals of chaos, red-eyed horses, and creepy gargoyles have sparked rumors that it’s hiding secret bunkers for the Illuminati. While the truth is less exciting (just over-budget construction and bold public art), the place does have a weird vibe that fuels the fun of imagining a secret space beneath the baggage claim. If only!
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
..I read the book in High School around 1959. My english teacher was tired of all the fighter pilot books I was reading including God is My co-pilot and threatened me including writing WAR WAR WAR in RED OVER THE TOP OF THE FRONT PAGE. so I did this one. His answer to this was that he picked the next one and it was boring and completely forgettable unlike the ones from Robert L. Scott and I read all of his….skip
I recently received the 1943 hardback edition of the book from Brockton Wagner a list member who sent it to me and I read it again. It sits behind a couple of F-8 crusader models in my bookcase.
Thank you again Brocjton
Thanks to History Facts
Nautilus submarine travels under North Pole
On August 3, 1958, the U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. The world’s first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus dived at Point Barrow, Alaska, and traveled 1,830 miles under the Arctic ice cap to reach the top of the world. It then steamed on to Iceland, pioneering a new and shorter route from the Pacific to the Atlantic and Europe.
The USS Nautilus was constructed under the direction of U.S. Navy Captain Hyman G. Rickover, a brilliant Russian-born engineer who joined the U.S. atomic program in 1946. In 1947, he was put in charge of the navy’s nuclear-propulsion program and began work on an atomic submarine. Regarded as a fanatic by his detractors, Rickover succeeded in developing and delivering the world’s first nuclear submarine years ahead of schedule. In 1952, the Nautilus’ keel was laid by President Harry S. Truman, and on January 21, 1954, first lady Mamie Eisenhower broke a bottle of champagne across its bow as it was launched into the Thames River at Groton, Connecticut. Commissioned on September 30, 1954, it first ran under nuclear power on the morning of January 17, 1955.
Nuclear Submarine Tech
Nuclear submarines are priceless military jewels, owned and operated by only a handful of countries. Find out what it takes to operate one of these prized vessels.
Much larger than the diesel-electric submarines that preceded it, the Nautilus stretched 319 feet and displaced 3,180 tons. It could remain submerged for almost unlimited periods because its atomic engine needed no air and only a very small quantity of nuclear fuel. The uranium-powered nuclear reactor produced steam that drove propulsion turbines, allowing the Nautilus to travel underwater at speeds in excess of 20 knots.
In its early years of service, the USS Nautilus broke numerous submarine travel records and on July 23, 1958, departed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on “Operation Northwest Passage”—the first crossing of the North Pole by submarine. There were 116 men aboard for this historic voyage, including Commander William R. Anderson, 111 officers and crew, and four civilian scientists. The Nautilus steamed north through the Bering Strait and did not surface until it reached Point Barrow, Alaska, in the Beaufort Sea, though it did send its periscope up once off the Diomedes Islands, between Alaska and Siberia, to check for radar bearings. On August 1, the submarine left the north coast of Alaska and dove under the Arctic ice cap.
The submarine traveled at a depth of about 500 feet, and the ice cap above varied in thickness from 10 to 50 feet, with the midnight sun of the Arctic shining in varying degrees through the blue ice. At 11:15 p.m. EDT on August 3, 1958, Commander Anderson announced to his crew: “For the world, our country, and the Navy—the North Pole.” The Nautilus passed under the geographic North Pole without pausing. The submarine next surfaced in the Greenland Sea between Spitzbergen and Greenland on August 5. Two days later, it ended its historic journey at Iceland. For the command during the historic journey, President Dwight D. Eisenhower decorated Anderson with the Legion of Merit.
After a career spanning 25 years and almost 500,000 miles steamed, the Nautilus was decommissioned on March 3, 1980. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1982, the world’s first nuclear submarine went on exhibit in 1986 as the Historic Ship Nautilus at the Submarine Force Museum in Groton, Connecticut.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN.
Thanks to /Dutch and Hal
. Thanks to Hal, who has been there, knows the region and the people well
We are seeing more and more of the IRGC mowing down and hanging innocents from cranes. They need us to come to their rescue. Why? Because we can. Sure. But what about Saudi Arabia ? They have an army. What about Turkey and Pakistan ? They have huge armies and they are next door.
We rescued the Al-Sabah royal family of Kuwait in Desert Storm and we lost nearly five hundred of our own. The Arab armies didn't seem to want to make war on their Muslim brothers.
Then we invaded Iraq. Lost five thousand of our best and brightest. And for what ? Next was Afghanistan. We were there for twenty years and lost three thousand of our sons and daughters. And then our president gave it all to the Taliban. Many came back from the Global War on Terrorism with arms and legs blown off and their lives ruined forever. Was it worth it ? Probably not for them.
So, yes, why us ? None of those countries posed and real threat to us, yet we went in and took care of the problem and our kids came home in coffins. Some still are.
I haven't been in hand-to-hand combat like many of my friends have, but I have seen our wounded carried into our Navy field hospitals. You don't get over that. You cannot unsee it. Most of them were just kids out of High School. I knew that if they survived, their lives would never be the same.
So, are the Warbirds going to push President Trump into another war ? I sure hope not. I would like for him to call upon the Saudis, the Turks, the Pakis. They have armies and can drive there.
Just do it !
Hal
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
August 3
1958
Nautilus submarine travels under North Pole
The U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole read more
1970s
1975
Boeing 707 crashes into a mountain near Agadir, Morocco
Arts & Entertainment
1996
“The Macarena” begins its reign atop the U.S. pop charts
1977
“The Spy Who Loved Me” released in U.S. theaters
2008
Multimillion-dollar baby photos published
Cold War
1948
Chambers accuses Hiss of being a communist spy
Crime
1982
Sodomy arrest sparks controversy
European History
1916
Sir Roger Casement hanged
Exploration
1492
Columbus sets sail from Spain
Sports
1949
NBA is born
1984
Gymnast Mary Lou Retton scores two perfect '10s' to win Olympic All-Around Gold
U.S. Government and Politics
1795
Treaty of Greenville signed, ending the Northwest Indian War
U.S. Presidents
1923
Calvin Coolidge takes oath of office after Warren G. Harding’s death
World War I
1914
Germany declares war on France
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to 1440
Good morning, it's Monday, Aug. 3. Minnesota has barred tech companies from allowing users to create deepfake nudes. Also in today's Digest: an at-home test to detect Lyme-infected ticks (Need To Know), the largest known galaxy (Sci. & Tech.), a shooting in Idaho (Pol. & World Affairs), surfing dogs (Etc.), and much more.
Need To Know
'Nudification' Ban
The nation’s first ban on tools allowing users to generate nonconsensual “nudified” content from images or video of fully clothed people went into effect in Minnesota Saturday, after a judge denied a last-minute suspension request from Elon Musk. A hearing is set for Aug. 19 to decide whether to pause the ban while legal challenges proceed.
Since becoming widely available in 2022, the use of generative AI to produce content involving real people (or “deepfakes”) has skyrocketed—an estimated 96% to 98% of which is explicit, and nearly all of it involves women. Largely done without the person’s knowledge, such tools have been used by high schoolers to make explicit images of female students, leading to a viral undressing trend on the Musk-owned Grok chatbot earlier this year. The first successful prosecution for sharing explicit deepfakes (including some of children) occurred in April under the federal Take It Down Act.
Lyme Test Launch
The first batch of at-home test kits for Lyme disease ships this month. LymeAlert, launched by an MIT researcher, will release 5,000 test kits that claim to identify Lyme-infested ticks within 15 minutes, much like a COVID-19 or pregnancy test.
The test device includes a grinder that opens a tick’s exterior, and an assay that can detect Borrelia burgdorferi—the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. An estimated 31 million Americans get tick bites each year. Of those, about 476,000 people are treated for Lyme disease annually, many concentrated in the Northeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic, where black-legged ticks are prevalent. For Lyme to be transmitted, an infected tick must be attached for at least 24 hours. Early treatment with antibiotics can help reduce the likelihood of chronic Lyme disease, which may involve fatigue, pain, and cognitive impairment.
In partnership with Simple
10K Steps Is a Myth—Try This Instead
Did you know the rule of 10K steps has no scientific backing? Surprisingly, it was a marketing tactic from a 1960s pedometer company. Researchers have discovered even fewer steps can trigger real fat loss—if you walk the right way. Enter: a solution where you no longer have to feel the guilt when you can't find the time to hit that step count.
The viral Japanese walking trend has been everywhere, for good reason. This walking technique gives you 10x the benefits in just 30 minutes. Plus, this low-intensity routine boosts fat burn without stressing your joints. It’s safe, sustainable, and achievable because we don't all have 2 hours a day to get in our steps.
No crash diets, no guesswork, just smart, sustainable fat burning. So far, Simple has helped over 18 million users lose millions of pounds. Take this quick, personalized quiz to discover your optimal step count and what your body needs to lose weight.
🫶 Humankind: Crowd gathers to wish Pancake, one of the world's rarest sea turtles, bon voyage as he is released back into the ocean after almost freezing to death.
Iran Hostilities Pause
President Donald Trump announced a pause in US strikes against Iran Saturday, citing “rapid” progress toward a deal to end the monthslong war.
The parameters of a deal would reportedly include Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks on neighboring countries, including via Iranian proxy militias, in exchange for the US ending its naval blockade. During the ceasefire, the two countries would work toward an agreement on long-term issues, including nuclear concerns. Unlike the previous ceasefire deal, Israel has reportedly agreed to participate in this latest iteration.
The announcement came after Trump spoke with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. MBS reportedly pressed Trump to reconsider large-scale military strikes over concerns Iran would retaliate against oil facilities in the Gulf. A New York Times report Saturday found Iran had coordinated with proxy groups during the last ceasefire on plans to expand the war if US strikes resumed.
In The Know
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Actor Vincent Pastore, who played Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero in “The Sopranos,” dies at age 80 (More) | "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" earns $355M at the domestic box office, second-best opening in history (More)
> Arizona law enforcement releases ransom notes from Nancy Guthrie kidnapping; the mother of “Today” cohost Savannah Guthrie has been missing since Feb. 1
Science & Technology
> OpenAI's Astra model advances 10 outstanding math problems that haven't seen progress in at least a decade (More) |
> Scientists identify the first ancient smallpox genome discovered in the Americas, confirm virus arrived via Europeans; strains recovered from Chilean remains dating to the 15th to 17th centuries (More) | What is the variola virus? (More, w/video)
> Astronomers make first measurement of the full size of the largest known galaxy; IC 1101 is roughly 1.7 million light-years across, contains mass equal to roughly 3.4 trillion suns
Finally, Hair Loss Science You Can Trust
Tired of hair loss treatments that feel like the Wild West—shaky science, loud marketing, and questionable supplements?
RE:YOU took the opposite route. Using AI, they sifted through 20 million molecules to find three that reactivate dormant cells at the root, then ran a double-blind, machine-graded trial. The result: 90% of users saw thicker hair in 3 months and a 15% average bump in scalp coverage (scroll for the full trial data).
Don't take our word for it—try RE:YOU with code 1440special15 for 15% off, plus a 90-day money-back guarantee
Business & Markets
> US stock markets rise Friday (S&P 500 +0.7%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq +1.0%); Amazon shares rise almost 16% as cloud service sales jump by more than 37% year-over-year (More)
> US Treasury buys Japanese Yen to help reverse the currency's devaluation; photo taken over Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's notepad shows "to-do list" with $5B-$10B purchase
Politics & World Affairs
> Female bomber detonates a homemade explosive device at a Moscow restaurant, killing three people and wounding at least 21 others; a motive was not publicly identified as of this writing (More)
> Most migrants leave Spanish territory of Ceuta after an estimated 60,000 reportedly entered from Morocco last week (More) | Italy closes air and sea borders with Spain over the incident (More)
> Gunman attacks In-N-Out Burger location in Twin Falls, Idaho, killing at least three people and wounding seven others (More)
Historybook: Christopher Columbus sets sail on his first trans-Atlantic voyage from Spain (1492); Former US Vice President Aaron Burr goes on trial for treason (1807); US businesswoman Martha Stewart born (1941); NBA was formed as a merger of two leagues (1949); Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn dies (2008)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
..
. . From the Coast Guard’s Birthday to a U-2 First by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
08/03/2010
This Week in American Military History:
Aug. 1, 1943: Operation Tidal Wave -- also known as the Raid on Ploesti --
commences: 177 U.S. Army Air Forces B-24 Liberators flying 1,000-plus miles from their bases in Libya, attack the heavily defended Ploesti oil fields in Rumania.
The raid is flown against waves of counterattacking enemy planes, heavy antiaircraft fire, and at treetop level above the target area. Many of the
B-24 crews are forced to fly through thick black smoke over targets just-attacked by their comrades ahead of them, and they are caught in the bursts and shock waves of delayed-action bombs.
Damage will be heavy on the oilfields said “to be supplying 60 percent of Germany's crude oil requirements,” according to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. But USAAF casualties will also be high: “Of 177 planes and
1,726 men who took off on the mission, 54 planes and 532 men failed to return.”
Five Medals of Honor will be awarded for the daring raid. Recipients
include: Col. Leon W. Johnson, Col. John R. Kane, Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker (posthumous), Maj. John L. Jerstad (posthumous), and 2nd Lt. Lloyd H.
Hughes (posthumous).
Aug. 1, 1955: The famous U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft (yes, the same type of aircraft piloted by CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers when he was shot down over the Soviet Union by a surface-to-air missile in 1960) makes its first-ever flight above Groom Lake (Area 51), Nevada.
Aug. 3, 1958: USS Nautilus -- the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine and the U.S. Navy’s sixth so-named vessel -- becomes the first “ship” to cross the North Pole. The submarine’s simple transmission is, “Nautilus 90 North.”
Aug. 4, 1790: Congress approves Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton's proposal to “build ten cutters to protect the new nation's revenue,”
establishing the Revenue Cutter Service – first of the predecessor services of the modern Coast Guard. Thus today will become the officially recognized birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Aug. 5, 1864: One of the great makers of Naval tradition, Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, commanding a strike force of 14 wooden warships and a handful of ironclads, attacks and decisively defeats Confederate Naval forces under Adm. Franklin Buchanan and the Confederate forts defending Mobile Bay, Alabama. It is during this action that Farragut purportedly utters the command, “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!,” or the more likely command, “Damn the torpedoes! Four bells. Captain [Percival] Drayton, go ahead! [Lt. Commander James] Jouett, full speed!”
Aug. 6, 1945: A single American B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, flying from the island of Tinian drops the first-ever atomic bomb used in war on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
At 8:15 a.m., the bomb, codenamed Little Boy, detonates nearly 2,000 feet above the city center instantly killing between 80,000 and 140,000 people, and seriously wounding another 100,000. According to Hiroshima & Nagasaki Remembered, “The blast wave shattered windows for a distance of ten miles and was felt as far away as 37 miles. Hiroshima had disappeared under a thick, churning foam of flames and smoke. The co-pilot, Captain Robert Lewis, commented, ‘My God, what have we done?’”
In three days, Nagasaki will suffer the same fate.
Japan’s ability to wage war is finished.
In time, the bombings will be decried as cruel and excessive in terms of the lives lost; as if to suggest all war is not both cruel and excessive to the vanquished. Indeed, nuclear weapons are horrible. What is incalculable, however, is the number of American lives saved by decisively ending the war with the bombs before having to invade the Japanese mainland.
Aug. 7, 1942: Exactly eight months to the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, elements of the soon-to-be-famous 1st Marine Division – under the command of Maj. Gen. Alexander Archer “Sunny Jim” Vandegrift (a future Marine Corps commandant) – begin landing on Guadalcanal in the southern Solomon islands, launching America’s first large-scale ground offensive of World War II.
Simultaneous landings take place on the nearby islets of Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo, and Florida Island. The landings are the first decisive ground actions aimed at eating away at the Japanese who have extended their lines deep into the Western Pacific and threaten Australia.
Vandegrift is destined to receive the Medal of Honor, and he will become the first Marine officer on active duty to attain four-star rank.
Aug. 7, 1964: Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which “approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.”
The Vietnam War is officially on.
Aug. 7, 1782: Gen. George Washington creates two badges of distinction for enlisted soldiers and noncommissioned officers: The first is a chevron signifying three years of service (two chevrons for six years) “with bravery, fidelity, and good conduct.” The second is a medal – the Badge of Military Merit – for “any singularly meritorious action.”
According to The U.S. Army Center of Military History, the badge was the “‘figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk edged with narrow lace or binding.’ This device was affixed to the uniform coat above the left breast and permitted its wearer to pass guards and sentinels without challenge and to have his name and regiment inscribed in a Book of Merit. The badge specifically honored the lower ranks, where decorations were unknown in contemporary European Armies.”
Though the standards for recipients have changed, the medal exists today as the Purple Heart, and is awarded to “any member of an Armed Force who, while serving with the U.S. Armed Services after 5 April 1917, has been wounded or killed, or who has died or may hereafter die after being wounded.”
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Military History
1958: Nautilus submarine travels under North Pole
On August 3, 1958, the U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. The world’s first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus dived at Point Barrow, Alaska, and traveled nearly 1,000 miles under the Arctic ice cap to reach the top of the world. It then steamed on to Iceland, pioneering a new and shorter route from the Pacific to the Atlantic and Europe.
The USS Nautilus was constructed under the direction of U.S. Navy Captain Hyman G. Rickover, a brilliant Russian-born engineer who joined the U.S. atomic program in 1946. In 1947, he was put in charge of the navy’s nuclear-propulsion program and began work on an atomic submarine. Regarded as a fanatic by his detractors, Rickover succeeded in developing and delivering the world’s first nuclear submarine years ahead of schedule. In 1952, the Nautilus’ keel was laid by President Harry S. Truman, and on January 21, 1954, first lady Mamie Eisenhower broke a bottle of champagne across its bow as it was launched into the Thames River at Groton, Connecticut. Commissioned on September 30, 1954, it first ran under nuclear power on the morning of January 17, 1955.
Much larger than the diesel-electric submarines that preceded it, the Nautilus stretched 319 feet and displaced 3,180 tons. It could remain submerged for almost unlimited periods because its atomic engine needed no air and only a very small quantity of nuclear fuel. The uranium-powered nuclear reactor produced steam that drove propulsion turbines, allowing the Nautilus to travel underwater at speeds in excess of 20 knots.
In its early years of service, the USS Nautilus broke numerous submarine travel records and on July 23, 1958, departed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on “Operation Northwest Passage”—the first crossing of the North Pole by submarine. There were 116 men aboard for this historic voyage, including Commander William R. Anderson, 111 officers and crew, and four civilian scientists. The Nautilus steamed north through the Bering Strait and did not surface until it reached Point Barrow, Alaska, in the Beaufort Sea, though it did send its periscope up once off the Diomedes Islands, between Alaska and Siberia, to check for radar bearings. On August 1, the submarine left the north coast of Alaska and dove under the Arctic ice cap.
The submarine traveled at a depth of about 500 feet, and the ice cap above varied in thickness from 10 to 50 feet, with the midnight sun of the Arctic shining in varying degrees through the blue ice. At 11:15 p.m. EDT on August 3, 1958, Commander Anderson announced to his crew: “For the world, our country, and the Navy—the North Pole.” The Nautilus passed under the geographic North Pole without pausing. The submarine next surfaced in the Greenland Sea between Spitzbergen and Greenland on August 5. Two days later, it ended its historic journey at Iceland. For the command during the historic journey, President Dwight D. Eisenhower decorated Anderson with the Legion of Merit.
After a career spanning 25 years and almost 500,000 miles steamed, the Nautilus was decommissioned on March 3, 1980.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to History Facts
The first official presidential aircraft was nicknamed the “Sacred Cow.”
U.S. HISTORY
Today, the airplane carrying the U.S. president is known as Air Force One, but the original presidential aircraft had a slightly more colorful name: the Sacred Cow. The plane was specially designed for Franklin D. Roosevelt to meet the president’s increased needs for international travel during World War II. Though it was officially named the Flying White House, the White House press corps began calling the aircraft the “Sacred Cow,” a name inspired by the heavy security that was dedicated to keeping the plane and its VIP passengers safe. The Sacred Cow featured a conference room, windows made of bulletproof glass, and an elevator so that Roosevelt, who used a wheelchair, could easily board and deplane. For added convenience, the elevator even lifted the President directly into a private office on the plane. Although the aircraft had been customized for his personal use, Roosevelt ended up flying on the Sacred Cow just one time, when he used it in 1945 to fly to the Yalta Conference, a wartime meeting in Crimea during which Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin discussed the final stages of World War II and the future of the postwar world.
Roosevelt’s successor, President Harry Truman, continued to use the Sacred Cow from 1945 to 1947, at which point the aircraft was reassigned for other functions before being officially retired in 1961. Notably, Truman was flying on the Sacred Cow when he signed the National Security Act of 1947, which established the Air Force as an official, independent department of the U.S. military — the Sacred Cow has even been called the “birthplace of the Air Force.” The call sign “Air Force One” was first used to identify the presidential airplane in 1953, and the term became the official designation in 1962.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to Mike
How long can someone serve in the military?
Let me introduce U.S.M.C. Colonel Howard Lovingood (ret).
During the middle of the Korean War weighing 120 lbs. he enlisted in the Marines in 1952, at the age of 16. His drill instructor found out he was underage in boot camp and threatened to shoot him. This is a story he loves to tell.
He fought in Korea, having served under Chesty Puller.
He fought in Vietnam.
After attaining the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, he was given I&I orders to Washington D.C. For most Marines, that would be considered a prestigious assignment.
As legend goes, the good Gunnery Sergeant was there for three weeks when he said, “This is stupid. My unit needs me.”
He then went UA - Unauthorized Absence - and took MAC flights back to Vietnam. (At that time, no one was going to question a GySgt. claiming to have lost his orders going to Vietnam.)
He transitioned to another unit in Vietnam when his rotated back to the U.S.
Months went by before the I&I staff in D.C. discovered where he was.
By that time, he was a Master Sergeant.
With nearly 20 years in service at the age of 35, and a legitimate war hero, the Marine Corps command sentenced him to the worst punishment they could imagine. They promoted him to Second Lieutenant.
He was now in his mid-40’s with butter on his collars.
He returned to Vietnam as an officer.
He fought to keep Staff Sergeant Carlos Hathcock in the Marines after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis then made sure White Feather made Gunnery Sergeant.
He continued to serve through the 80’s and then the 90’s.
In early 1997, he had the watch pound on his hatch at 0430 and yell at the top of his lungs, “Wake up, Sir! There’s a war to be fought!” (And woe be to the Lance Corporal who failed to follow those simple instructions.)
He gave up collecting his social security so that he could remain on active duty. (At the time - and might still be the case today - one could not collect social security and active duty pay at the same time.)
In 1997, after 45 years of service, Colonel Howard Lovingood retired.
He continued his service to country long after retirement and received 2 Legion of Merit awards for his contribution to the community.
He served longer than twice the time of most lifers.
How long can someone serve in the military, “it depends.”
If you are an absolute bad ass, then at least 45 years.
Col. Lovingood now spends his time living in N. Carolina.
His unit still needs him.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Thanks to YP ... AND Dr. Rich
Hey, Chet!
From a desert kid who grew up thinking seafood was Miz Paul’s fishsticks or those horrible salmon croquettes with bones in them at school cafeterias, only fresh seafood was what we meat fished out of lakes or Pecos Wilderness trout streams; this accounts for the below!
I am very familiar with the Seattle area—used to spend two weeks with friends on Bainbridge Island in August, eating all the seafood and blackberries I could find! We actually have our names on tiles in Pike Place Market. I am addicted to Squaw Candy and crustaceans, and our last visit was in FIG season, and we bought two crates on different days and ATE THEM ALL!
For my 70th birthday, Tunita axed me what I wanted to do: Answer was as above, go to Seattle! Favorite ristorante was Ray’s Boat House on Shilshoe Bay. Occasionally, they would have pink scollops, which were cause for organisms!
I’ve been to the Boeing Museum at the field, and I spent a great afternoon during my birthday trip to the museum up north (name escapes me), the building was actually closed, but I got in, hooked up with a really knowledgeable docent, and their aircraft were all outside, lined up for a photo event., so we got up close and examined each plane and discussed them in detail. One of the jap planes still had bullet holes in it! A chap on the field was building Me-262 replicas, both single and two seaters, but he was closed that day.
One one trip, my local friend on Bainbridge rented a fast boat, and several of us friends motored up and saw all the carriers and other craft lined up, awaiting their fate of being turned into razor blades. There were five carriers; between the Naval Aviators amongst us, we all had traps on at least a couple of them. Lots of ghosts…...
Me Da and I would go silver salmon fishing outside Ketchikan, AK, in September, RTB would overnight in SEA, store some 500# of flash frozen salmon, ling cod, and hallibut in the airport overnight freezer; then catch the first Delta flight to DFW and quickly store them in a commercial cold locker. We had great seafood for a long time. Unfortunately, the locker went out of bidness, so that stopped that.
Timing is everything—never been there for SEAFAIR, but my youngest son has and loved it!
Enjoy!
YP
On Aug 1, 2024, at 1:29 PM, Chet Blum wrote:
Hi Jack ... my Boeing work building is on the south end of Lake Washington ( see the map below, just to left of the I-405 highway symbol, East side of the Renton airport ) ... and this week is the SEAFAIR events in the Greater Seattle area ... which means the Blue Angels are doing their practice runs over the Lake Washington area ... for their Show Time Performances on Saturday & Sunday ... so in the background ... is the delightful NOISE of the F-18 Blue Angels being driven around by them "Young Bucks" ... Sounds Good …
PS - of course today's Blue Angels ... could have all Female Jet Jockeys crews ... driving them ... cheers … Chet
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
This Day in U S Military History…….August 3
1492 – From the Spanish port of Palos, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets sail in command of three ships–the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina–on a journey to find a western sea route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. On October 12, the expedition sighted land, probably Watling Island in the Bahamas, and went ashore the same day, claiming it for Spain. Later that month, Columbus sighted Cuba, which he thought was mainland China, and in December the expedition landed on Hispaniola, which Columbus thought might be Japan. He established a small colony there with 39 of his men. The explorer returned to Spain with gold, spices, and “Indian” captives in March 1493 and was received with the highest honors by the Spanish court. He was the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings set up colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland in the 10th century. During his lifetime, Columbus led a total of four expeditions to the New World, discovering various Caribbean islands, the Gulf of Mexico, and the South and Central American mainland, but never accomplished his original goal–a western ocean route to the great cities of Asia. Columbus died in Spain in 1506 without realizing the great scope of what he did achieve: He had discovered for Europe the New World, whose riches over the next century would help make Spain the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth.
1958 – U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. The world’s first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus dived at Point Barrow, Alaska, and traveled nearly 1,000 miles under the Arctic ice cap to reach the top of the world. It then steamed on to Iceland, pioneering a new and shorter route from the Pacific to the Atlantic and Europe. The USS Nautilus was constructed under the direction of U.S. Navy Captain Hyman G. Rickover, a brilliant Russian-born engineer who joined the U.S. atomic program in 1946. In 1947, he was put in charge of the navy’s nuclear-propulsion program and began work on an atomic submarine. Regarded as a fanatic by his detractors, Rickover succeeded in developing and delivering the world’s first nuclear submarine years ahead of schedule. In 1952, the Nautilus’ keel was laid by President Harry S. Truman, and on January 21, 1954, first lady Mamie Eisenhower broke a bottle of champagne across its bow as it was launched into the Thames River at Groton, Connecticut. Commissioned on September 30, 1954, it first ran under nuclear power on the morning of January 17, 1955. Much larger than the diesel-electric submarines that preceded it, the Nautilus stretched 319 feet and displaced 3,180 tons. It could remain submerged for almost unlimited periods because its atomic engine needed no air and only a very small quantity of nuclear fuel. The uranium-powered nuclear reactor produced steam that drove propulsion turbines, allowing the Nautilus to travel underwater at speeds in excess of 20 knots. In its early years of service, the USS Nautilus broke numerous submarine travel records and on July 23, 1958, departed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on “Operation Northwest Passage”–the first crossing of the North Pole by submarine. There were 116 men aboard for this historic voyage, including Commander William R. Anderson, 111 officers and crew, and four civilian scientists. The Nautilus steamed north through the Bering Strait and did not surface until it reached Point Barrow, Alaska, in the Beaufort Sea, though it did send its periscope up once off the Diomedes Islands, between Alaska and Siberia, to check for radar bearings. On August 1, the submarine left the north coast of Alaska and dove under the Arctic ice cap. The submarine traveled at a depth of about 500 feet, and the ice cap above varied in thickness from 10 to 50 feet, with the midnight sun of the Arctic shining in varying degrees through the blue ice. At 11:15 p.m. EDT on August 3, 1958, Commander Anderson announced to his crew: “For the world, our country, and the Navy–the North Pole.” The Nautilus passed under the geographic North Pole without pausing. The submarine next surfaced in the Greenland Sea between Spitzbergen and Greenland on August 5. Two days later, it ended its historic journey at Iceland. For the command during the historic journey, President Dwight D. Eisenhower decorated Anderson with the Legion of Merit. After a career spanning 25 years and almost 500,000 miles steamed, the Nautilus was decommissioned on March 3, 1980. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1982, the world’s first nuclear submarine went on exhibit in 1986 as the Historic Ship Nautilus at the Submarine Force Museum in Groton, Connecticut.
1999 – Arbitrators ruled the government had to pay the heirs of Dallas dressmaker Abraham Zapruder $16 million for his movie film that captured the assassination of President Kennedy.
2005 – The Battle of Haditha continues. Two days after the deaths of six Marine snipers in Haditha, Marine forces launched Operation Quick Strike to disrupt insurgent presence in the Haditha area. Around 1000 Marines from the Regimental Combat Team 2 (RCT-2) and Iraqi soldiers started “Operation Quick Strike”, which included efforts to find the insurgents responsible, however the primary intent was to interdict and disrupt militants’ presence in the Haditha, Haqliniyah, and Barwanah areas. The operation began when Marines and Iraqi soldiers moved into Haqliniyah, about seven kilometers southwest of Haditha. 40 insurgents were killed, including four in a Super Cobra helicopter attack. On the second day of the operation, a Marine amphibious assault vehicle, which was transporting Marines to the initial assault, hit a huge roadside bomb. The vehicle was completely destroyed and 15 out of the 16 people that were inside it were killed, with only one Marine surviving. The lone surviving Marine was a young man from Mississippi. Among the killed was also an Iraqi civilian interpreter.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
LAWTON, HENRY W.
Rank and organization: Captain, Company A, 30th Indiana Infantry. Place and date: At Atlanta, Ga., 3 August 1864. Entered service at: Ft. Wayne, Allen County, Ind. Birth: Ohio. Date of issue: 22 May 1893. Citation: Led a charge of skirmishers against the enemy’s rifle pits and stubbornly and successfully resisted 2 determined attacks of the enemy to retake the works.
*WITEK, FRANK PETER
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: December 1921, Derby, Conn. Accredited to: Illinois. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division, during the Battle of Finegayen at Guam, Marianas, on 3 August 1944. When his rifle platoon was halted by heavy surprise fire from well-camouflaged enemy positions, Pfc. Witek daringly remained standing to fire a full magazine from his automatic at point-blank range into a depression housing Japanese troops, killing 8 of the enemy and enabling the greater part of his platoon to take cover. During his platoon’s withdrawal for consolidation of lines, he remained to safeguard a severely wounded comrade, courageously returning the enemy’s fire until the arrival of stretcher bearers, and then covering the evacuation by sustained fire as he moved backward toward his own lines. With his platoon again pinned down by a hostile machinegun, Pfc. Witek, on his own initiative, moved forward boldly to the reinforcing tanks and infantry, alternately throwing handgrenades and firing as he advanced to within 5 to 10 yards of the enemy position, and destroying the hostile machinegun emplacement and an additional 8 Japanese before he himself was struck down by an enemy rifleman. His valiant and inspiring action effectively reduced the enemy’s firepower, thereby enabling his platoon to attain its objective, and reflects the highest credit upon Pfc. Witek and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for 3 August, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
3 August
1904: Capt Thomas S. Baldwin made the first circuit flight in an airship equipped with a Curtiss motor at Oakland. This was the first successful powered airship flight in the US. (21)
1938: Through 12 August, Maj Vincent J. Meloy led three B-17s of the 2 BG at Langley Field on a goodwill mission to Bogota, Colombia. (21)
1942: The US began work on its top secret Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb. (4)
1944: The Far East Air Forces (FEAF), predecessor of PACAF, was officially activated at Brisbane, Australia. Lt. Gen. George C. Kenney was the first FEAF Commander.
1950: KOREAN WAR. Lt Gen George E. Stratemeyer, FEAF Commander, ordered Fifth Air Force to destroy key transportation facilities between the 37th and 38th parallels in Korea in FEAF Interdiction Campaign No. 1. (17) Marine fighters began operations over Korea. (16) (24) SA-16 amphibious rescue aircraft began flying sorties along the Korean coast to retrieve U.S. pilots forced down during operations. (28) . In this first Jet War, units assigned to the Fifth Air Force established an unprecedented 14.5 to 1 victory ratio. By the time the truce was signed in 1953, Fifth Air Force had flown over 625,000 missions, downing 953 North Korean and Chinese aircraft.
1954: The Navy’s YF2Y-1 Sea Dart, a hydro-skifighter and the world’s fastest water-based plane, exceeded the speed of sound in a test flight at San Diego. (24)
1956: The first missile wing in the USAF and USAFE, the 42924st Tactical Missile Wing, established.
1963: Sam Miller and Louis Fodor completed a round-the-world flight from New York and return in 46 hours 28 minutes to set a FAI record. (9)
1965: The first firing of a Lance battlefield missile from its self-propelled launchers took place at White Sands Missile Range.
1969: Members of the Alaskan Air Command helped put out Alaska’s worst forest fire of the year.
1972: The F-15 Eagle fighter completed its first supersonic flight. It reached Mach 1.5 during a 45- minute test flight at Edwards AFB.
1973: The USAF accepted its first F-5E for flight testing at Edwards AFB. (3)
1981: USAF air traffic controllers manned civilian airport facilities in the US to replace striking air controllers. The USAF’s assistance allowed civilian air operations to continue service despite the widespread strike. (26)
1982: The YA-10B flew its first test flight at Edwards AFB in the night attack evaluation program. The two-seat model allowed a safety observer to fly behind the pilot. (3)
1987: Martin Marietta rolled out its first converted Titan II space launch vehicle in a ceremony at its Denver facilities. NASA powered up the Space Shuttle Discovery at Kennedy Space Center to check out modifications made since the 1986 Challenger accident, marking a major milestone in the shuttle’s return to flight.
1994: A B-52 launched a research satellite using a Pegasus rocket. (16) (26)
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SkipsList" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to skipslist+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/skipslist/007f01dd236a%24f2ca1b60%24d85e5220%24%40san.rr.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.