To All.
Good Tuesday morning October 27. Sunny and 63 here on this side of paradise with a high expected of 77 later this afternoon and a low tonight of 52.
Regards
Skip
HAGD
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Keith was one of the good guys . thanks to Sod buster,
We made th 72-73 USS Midway together...Skip
Keith “Sheik” Shean
Just got an email from his daughters that he flew his departure flight last night.
He, Finger and Mugs were good friends. I’m sure they can tell you more but I believe they all served together in VF-161,,, I know he endured all the Linebacker ops, like a lot of your recipients. He was also engaged in one of the MiG tussles. As was mentioned in a recent Hook article, he flew Migs in the Nevada desert. Another thing he never mentioned. He never spoke about anything that made him look good, it was always about someone else and always, always with flattering words.
He was my XO and CO, no better man out there. We grew up here in OK, was one of the many things we shared. When My son was killed he drove ten hours to attend an hour long service then turned around and drove ten hours back because he had a flight he had to catch for a business mtg somewhere.
He did the same thing when our Gunner and Master Chief died.
He was loyal beyond words.
None better than “Sheik”
All the best,
Sodbuster
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Reminder: Our Republic depends on your vote! Don’t fool yourself to think that what we have fought and sacrificed for can’t be taken away. Midterm Elections is right around the corner: https://veteransvote.us/
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Next Bubba Breakfast is scheduled for Friday November 6, 2026. Doors open at 630AM and breakfast is served at 7AM, at the Rockers Senior NCO Club attached to the Fairway Cafe (next to the base golf course).
Add it to your calendar!
Address and Google Map: 3750 Anderson Ave, San Diego, CA 92145
Please don’t be a stranger!
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CC Distribution List: I do my best to keep everyone’s email address private and BCC when sending the list. However, I’ve been getting feedback on the list and a lot of really interesting notes on historical events and notes being shared by friends near and far alike. If you would like to be put on a CC distro list so that you can see each other’s responses and share in the conversation, let me know.
If we missed adding you, hit me again.
Skip
IF YOU NEED YOUR EMAIL UPDATED OR IF YOU ALREADY SENT IT AND IT GOT LOST IN THE WASH, SEND IT AGAIN!
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The Record-Breaking Phantom II
https://youtu.be/xlxWTBrmUMo?si=qij2yRv-GDl-nMPF
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"THE BLACKBIRDS ARE FLYING" LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD PROMO FILM SR-71A / SR-71B X-PLANE
https://youtu.be/G7Kw4SGQKpM?si=-qyjTcs1BcDe1Bos
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Kelly Johnson talks about his greatest creation the SR-71, Uncut interview
https://youtu.be/n8kBiy6RkOs?si=b6RLqTXBzTW61DLc
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China Just Lost Its Best Chokehold On The Global Economy
https://youtu.be/TUK_WjFMFfE?si=5YA1c4uYytB6XhCQ
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The 17th-Century Shipwreck That Changed American History
https://youtu.be/g-XviZhnSAw?si=bj14b3NsAnz4kIS0
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The Outlaw Trail | Robert Redford Documentary (1978)
https://youtu.be/QRX4MuzyUBc?si=6lMTO07BWqkCi1cJ
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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 101 H-Grams.
October 27
1812
During the War of 1812, the frigate Essex, commanded by Capt. David Porter, departs Delaware capes on a cruise into the Pacific Ocean around Cape Horn for attacks on the British whaling industry.
1864
Lt. William B. Cushing takes the torpedo boat Picket Boat No. 1 upriver to Plymouth, N.C. and attacks CSS Albemarle at her berth, sinking her with a spar torpedo.
1922
The Navy League of the United States sponsors the first celebration of Navy Day to focus public attention on the importance of the U.S. Navy. The date is selected because it is Theodore Roosevelts birthday. Navy Day is last observed Oct. 27, 1949. In the 1970s, Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt works with the Navy League to define Oct. 13 to celebrate the Navy.
1944
Aircraft from USS Essex (CV 9) sink the Japanese destroyer Fujinami while aircraft from USS Enterprise (CV 6) sink the Japanese destroyer Shiranui 80 miles north of Iloilo, Panay..
1945
Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB 42) is commissioned at New York Naval Shipyard, NY, with Capt. Apollo Soucek in command. The event marks the first exception to the traditional naming of fleet carriers for battles or famous ships.
1975
As increased fighting among rival Lebanese political factions lead to U.S. concerns for Americans within the country, the State Department advises Americans to evacuate their dependents from Lebanon. The Sixth Fleet dispatches amphibious assault ship Inchon (LPH 12) as contingency evacuation ship, supported by USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67).
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Today in World History October 27
0097 To placate the Praetorians of Germany, Nerva of Rome adopts Trajan, the Spanish-born governor of lower Germany.
1553 Michael Servetus, who discovered the pulmonary circulation of the blood, is burned for heresy in Switzerland.
1612 A Polish army that invaded Russia capitulates to Prince Dimitri Pojarski and his Cossacks.
1791 President George Washington transmits to Congress the results of the first US census, exclusive of South Carolina which had not yet submitted its findings.
1806 Emperor Napoleon enters Berlin.
1809 President James Madison orders the annexation of the western part of West Florida. Settlers there had rebelled against Spanish authority.
1862 A Confederate force is routed at the Battle of Georgia Landing, near Bayou Lafourche in Louisiana.
1870 The French fortress of Metz surrenders to the Prussian Army.
1873 Farmer Joseph F. Glidden applies for a patent on barbed wire. Glidden eventually received five patents and is generally considered the inventor of barbed wire.
1891 D. B. Downing, inventor, is awarded a patent for the street letter (mail) box.
1904 The New York subway officially opens running from the Brooklyn Bridge uptown to Broadway at 145th Street.
1907 The first trial in the Eulenberg Affair ends in Germany.
1917 20,000 women march in a suffrage parade in New York. As the largest state and the first on the East Coast to do so, New York has an important effect on the movement to grant all women the vote in all elections.
1922 In Italy, liberal Luigi Facta's cabinet resigns after threats from Mussolini that "either the government will be given to us or we will seize it by marching on Rome." Mussolini calls for a general mobilization of all Fascists.
1927 Fox Movie-tone news, the first sound news film, is released.
1941 In a broadcast to the nation on Navy Day, President Franklin Roosevelt declares: "America has been attacked, the shooting has started." He does not ask for full-scale war yet, realizing that many Americans are not yet ready for such a step.
1954 Benjamin O. Davis Jr. becomes the first African-American general in the US Air Force.
1962 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev offers to remove Soviet missile bases in Cuba if the U.S. removes its missile bases in Turkey.
1962 American U-2 reconnaissance plane shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Cuba, killing the pilot, Maj. Rudolf Anderson, the only direct human casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
1964 The political career of future US president Ronald Reagan is launched when he delivers a speech on behalf of Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.
1971 The Democratic Republic of the Congo renamed Zaire.
1986 London Stock Exchange rules change as Britain suddenly deregulates financial markets, an event called the Big Bang.
1988 US President Ronald Reagan decides to tear down a new US Embassy in Moscow because Soviet listening devices were built into the structure.
1997 Stock markets crash around the world over fears of a global economic meltdown.
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From the Archives
Thanks to Barrett
He is also a long range shooter with some very nice tools to use.
Skip, as an Arizona gun-toter and Cowboy Action Shootin' competitor (headed the 1987 national champeen team/posse) the Tombstone event remains of interest. As I recall from a long-ago visit down there, the lot-alley was about 18 feet wide. Here's a summary. In truth, "Shootout at the OK Corral" sounded a lot better than "Shootout behind CS Fly's Photo Studio" (where some miscreants took cover in the Costner movie.)
The gunfight did not actually take place inside the O.K. Corral, but in a narrow vacant lot, or alleyway, next to C.S. Fly's photography studio on Fremont Street. Sources from the period vary, but contemporary reports and maps put the width of the lot at approximately 15 to 20 feet.
Key details about the gunfight's location:
Actual location: A narrow vacant lot between Fly's Photography Studio and the Harwood House, located on Fremont Street.
Distance from the corral: The lot was about six doors west of the rear entrance of the actual O.K. Corral.
Width of the lot: Period maps suggest the width was around 18 feet, while most news reports from 1881 stated it was about 15 feet.
Close quarters: The alley was so narrow that when the shooting began, the opposing groups were only about 6 feet apart.
Maybe 6 feet separation, slinging lead and buckshot maybe 30 rounds for maybe 30 seconds.
Adrenaline, fear, black powder smoke, and obvious lack of practice!
BT
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Rolling Thunder Remembered
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.
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
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Thanks to Micro
Vietnam Air Losses for October 27
Date: 27 October 1967
Aircraft type: F-105D Thunderchief
Serial Number: 62-4231
Military Unit: 469 TFS, 388 TFW
Service: USAF
Home Base: Korat
Name(s):
Col John Peter Flynn (POW)
Aircraft type: F-4D Phantom
Serial Number: 66-7513
Military Unit: 435 TFS, 8 TFW
Service: USAF
Home Base: Ubon
Name(s):
Capt Jon David Black (POW)
1Lt Lorenza Conner (KIA)
Aircraft type: F-105D Thunderchief
Serial Number: 61-0122
Military Unit: 357 TFS, 355 TFW
Service: USAF
Home Base: Takhli
Name(s):
Maj Robert Lewis Stirm (POW)
On the morning of the 27th the USAF flew a major raid against the Canal des Rapides Bridge about five miles northeast of Hanoi. Col John Flynn, the 388th TFW’s vice-commander, led the raid. As Col Flynn rolled his Thunderchief (call sign Olympia 2) at 15,000 feet to dive on the target it was rocked by an explosion from an SA-2 missile. The aircraft became a mass of flames and Col Flynn ejected near the target. He was quickly captured and became the highest-ranking American officer to be held as a POW. With his fellow leaders, Cdr Jim Stockdale and Lt Col ‘Robbie’ Risner, he organized the POWs and, when conditions relaxed later in the war, formed the Fourth Allied POW Wing.
Within seconds of Col Flynn’s Thunderchief being shot down, one of the CAP flight Phantoms (call sign Ford) was hit by AAA as it orbited over Thud Ridge, about 20 miles northwest of Phuc Yen. The aircraft’s port engine caught fire and the WSO ejected a few minutes later. The fate of the pilot, 1Lt Conner, was unknown at the time, but it is reported that he told his WSO that he was unable to eject and was presumed to have died in the crash. Capt Black was captured and taken to the Plantation prison in the centre of Hanoi but was only held for four months and was handed over to two American peace activists on 16 February 1968 for return to the USA. 1Lt Conner’s ID tag was handed over by the Vietnamese government in 1992 and between 1993 and 2003 several investigations into the suspected crash site were made by joint US/Vietnamese teams. It was not until an excavation took place in 2007 that human remains were recovered and later identified as being those of 1Lt Conner. The remains were buried at Cartersville, Georgia on 25 October 2008.
About half an hour after the loss of the first two aircraft Maj Stirm was leading Zebra flight over the target when his aircraft (call sign Zebra 1) was hit by an SA-2 as he was climbing through 12,000 feet to commence his attack. Maj Stirm ejected and was captured as soon as he hit the ground.
Col Flynn had joined the USAAF in 1942 and had flown P-51 Mustangs with the 31st FG in the Italian theatre. He became one of the first US pilots to fly jet fighters when he converted to the P-80 in 1946. He flew P-80s with the 49th FW in the ground attack role during the Korean War and was stationed in the UK and Germany during the 1950s and 1960s. In August 1967, with almost 4,000 hours flying time to his credit, he was assigned to Korat as the vice-commander of the 388th TFW. Following his release from captivity on 14 March 1973 he became the commandant of the Air Command and Staff College and then Inspector General of the USAF. He retired from the Air Force in the rank of lieutenant general in October 1978 and died on 5 March 1997 after a long illness.
Capt Jon Black was only held in captivity for four months. On 16 February 1968 he and two other POWs were released into the custody of two US peace activists and flown back to the USA. This early release caused huge consternation amongst the other POWs and much criticism was directed at Capt Black in particular. However, he did greatly assist US intelligence agencies by providing detailed maps and sketches from memory of the Hanoi Hilton and the Plantation prisons as well as names of many other US prisoners.
Maj Stirm had converted to the F-105 after many years flying interceptors including the F-86D, F-89, F-94, F-102 and F-106. In at least one record he is reported to have been a member of the 333rd TFS when he was shot down. He was released on 14 March 1973 and flew corporate jets from San Francisco after retirement from the Air Force.
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.
From Vietnam Air Losses site for October 27
27-Oct: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1427
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear’s Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…Skip Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady’s work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War. Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Servicemembers Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in “search" feature.
https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
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From the Archives
I came across one of the black Bird stories this morning
From the archives
Subject: SR-71 .. An incredible story
Helluva Story
Bill Weaver SR-71 Blackbird Breakup
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From the Archives
Thanks to Shadow
I wrote this so long ago, don't know if I ever shared it... Seems we Marines were more tolerant of aberrant behavior.
“Son... youʼre in a heap of trouble”
Puresome... I wasnʼt there. Iʼm relaying what was told to me years ago by Frank (Waldo)
Kennedy more than a few years ago. Frank was an intrepid Scooter driver and the AMO
in VMA-214 back in the late 80ʼs.
Iʼd been out to El Toro the week before and visited with Frank and the Boys. About a
week after I got back, Frank calls me and says, “Youʼre not going to believe this one, but
it should be on the news later this morning”... My curiosity peaked I said, “Try me”.
Frank then says... “One of our planes was stolen last night and then returned”... I
immediately assumed it was some of my MAG-11 Bubbas pulling an after Happy Hour
stunt... and opined such to Frank. He said... “No, one of our plane captains stole it and
actually took off”!
Hereʼs how it went down... and if I screw anything up... it ainʼt my fault... Iʼm just
repeating the story (Besides, thereʼs a lot of former Black Sheep out there that correct
story where thereʼs a fault).
The Black Sheep had a rather unique plane captain... the young gent not only
possessed a college degree... but a pilots license as well. His father was an airline
captain and was big in sailplanes... the kid had a “Diamond” rating (what ever the hell
that is?)... and had a lot of flight time beyond normal for his age. He was also a bit
impetuous it seemed... and had enlisted in the Marine Corps after a family argument.
He was gonna learn life the hard way.
After some time in 214... he got motivated and decided he didnʼt want to work on planes
anymore... he wanted to fly them. Now the kid was very well liked by all and was
encouraged by everyone to pursue his dream... some of the junior birdmen gouged him
on the AQT/FAR and he passed with flying colors... he also started spending a lot of
time over at the simulator building, sniveling time in the simulator and getting some
prime one on one instruction from various pilots in the squadron... One of the guys said
he was a good as anyone in the squadron in the Sim... and knew all the check lists cold.
Everyone was high on him and assumed he was a shoo in for Pensacola.. he passed
his various tests and boards and got an endorsement from the Old Man... he then had
one last hurdle... the dreaded Flight Physical. I say dreaded... because the truth be
known, we all dreaded it from application until getting our wings... we all knew you could
be bounced from the program quicker than lickety split if you failed the physical for any
reason.
And here is where the genies of fate urinated on the best intentions of the Marine Corps
and our intrepid Lance Corporal.
He busted the Flight Physical! It seems that during his quest for some glider ticket, heʼd
risen into controlled airspace with a cold and had too rapid a descent... and had a
severe ear block. Eventually to relieve the pressure, either a Doc or the ear itself got
perforated... not sure exactly how it happened... but the net result was no chance of
going to Pensacola. He was devastated and went into the grandest of funks... it seemed
his whole world had caved in.
Donʼt know how long he thought about it... or even what he was thinking for that
matter... but somewhere along the line he decided that if he couldnʼt wear Wings of
Gold... By God he would at least have a “Walter Mitty” experience... if nothing else.
He began planing the appropriation of one A4M from VMA-214. I need to point out here,
he did not intend to get caught... his plan was thorough, complete and very well thought
out... and he did not intend to do damage to the airplane... he intended to fly it and leave
it in a very inconspicuous place... the transit line at Nellis AFB on a late Friday night!
A little sidebar here... if you were ever a part of the East Coast migration to Miramar on
a Friday... you know there were Scooters and Phantoms arriving from all points of the
compass well into the night... and Sunday about 0900, the exodus began, to return to
the various home plates. One Sunday morning I showed up to fly my steed back east....
and it was gone!
Went up and down the flight line and it wasnʼt anywhere to be found! At some point I
remembered that two of our squadron mates had flown in Friday night and planned to
low level into Nellis on Saturday and spend the night rolling the bones and checking out
the bright lights of “Sin City”. My wingman and I went into the line shack and looked at
the launch schedule... sure enough, we confirmed my plane had left on Saturday
morning for Nellis... seems one of our numb nuts had mistakenly preflighted and
launched in my bird, instead of the one heʼd flown in with (cost him a bundle at
Kangaroo Court). So the kids logic was well founded... as I myself had been given to
fantasying about pulling a fast one on a squadron mate who was RON-ing on a Friday
night at Miramar a whole 90 miles from El Toro. Doc and I knew they hadnʼt planned on
leaving ʻtill Sunday morning... we were gonna go down on Saturday morning with our
wives, have them drop us off at the transit line and fly the plane back to the squadron.
Let ʻem come out Sunday morning to find the airplane gone! Common sense finally got
ahold of us and we decided to get the approval of the heavies upstairs... who promptly
showed a complete lack of class and good humor and killed the deal... oh well, we tried.
Back to our Lance Corporal... his plan was to leave after the night crew came on and fly
to Nellis... get out of the plane like he was on a legitimate cross country and take a cab
into town. He even planned to file an enroute flight plan so he didnʼt show up
unexpected! He was also aware that the tower was shut down with just a duty section
down below.
Right after the night crew came on, he slinked out to the far end of the flight line, told
one of the guards walking the line he was going to do a high power turn (he was in full
flight gear and the guard who wasnʼt in the squadron, thought he was a pilot)... cranked
the plane up and taxied out of the line toward the turn up ramp across the field. When
he got near the end of the runway, he turned on it and promptly took off.. by all
accounts, it appeared to be a normal takeoff and transition. So far... so good.
As our newest “Scooter Driver” climbs out and is starting to file his “In Flight” plan...
once again the genies of fate pissed all over the planed... his CSD-Generator went
tango uniform... tits up... testas arribas! Our junior birdman was prepared... just like in
the Sim... he promptly deployed the Rat, the lights came back on and he took stock of
his situation.
Meanwhile back at El Toro... all hell was breaking loose!
Someone finally figured out that an A-4 had taken off... and no body knew who was
flying it! Frank, as the AMO, gets a frantic phone call from his SDO exclaiming that
someone had stolen one of the squadrons airplanes! Frank jumped in his car and raced
to the base.
While this was going on... our young birdman decides that discretion is the better part of
valor and decides to return to El Toro, rather than risk a night landing at a strange field.
He was familiar with El Toro and it various runways having flown with the Flying Club
and sniveling backseat rides in the HAMMS TA-4Fʼs... he turns back toward El Toro and
tries to call the tower... His luck; the lights were on... but nobody was home. The tower
was not manned.
He arrives overhead and decides to announce his arrival by buzzing the field, trying to
wake someone up. About this time, Frank arrives at the squadron and someone finally
alerts the tower crew what was going on... the kid made two passes and as Frank
watches him fly over... the lights went out! Seems the duty tower chief decided he didnʼt
want the stolen plane to land at El Toro! Frank ran into the hangar and called the tower
an screamed at them to turn the lights back on! The Tower Chief was reluctant to say
the least until he said, “Look... who ever the son of a bitch is... he was smart enough to
take the damn thing off... hopefully he can put it down”! Iʼd rather have him run off the
runway, instead of planting the thing in Mission Viejo”! With that the lights came back
on.
Frank jumps on a tug and heads out toward the runway with his line chief... by then
theyʼd figured out who they thought it was... as the kid makes one more pass, he drops
the gear, puts the boards out and lowers the flaps... he turns downwind and sets up for
a standard approach. Frank said he was a little fast... but touched down on the numbers
and rolls out to the end. There he stops, and shuts her down. As Frank, the Crash Crew
and the MPʼs all arrive at once... our young gent, climbs out of the cockpit... uses the
refueling probe and barrier cutter to slide back past the intake, jumps down on the wing
and slides down the flap onto the ground.
He is immediately attacked by the MPʼs and braced up against the flap... Frank walks
over and looks at him as the kid gave a faint smile... He said, “Son... Youʼre in a heap of
trouble”... the kid looks up as heʼs being handcuffed... “I know Sir”.
Over the next few minutes... he gave Frank and rundown on what had happened... the
plan and then the CSD failing and his decision to turn back. He was cool as a
cucumber... Frank said he couldnʼt help but admire his spunk. As they were putting him
in the paddy wagon, he looks over at Frank and says, “Sir... How was my landing”?
Frank just looked at him and smiled and gave him a thumbs up... the kid gave a nod
and satisfied grin back.
Incredible night!
Thereʼs a long post script... but I will say the young Lance Corporal didnʼt get jail time or
kicked out... in the end, he still had lots of admirers... the Marine Corps loves itsʼ
Characters.
Shadow
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Thanks to Barrett
Thought some Bubbas might like to see this
I was acquainted with Mitch and Marilyn Paige. First met them at dedication of Roseburg, Oregon's airport in Marion Carl's name in '99. Recently three Soldiers (it's Capitalized) had surrendered to some Yugos in Yugoland. They each got three gongs including (as I recall) POW medals and Purple Hearts—got thumped some. A reporter asked Mitch what he thought they should've received.
He said: "Courts martial. On Guadalcanal I was shot, stabbed and blown up. BUT THEY QUIT WITHOUT A FIGHT."
Turned out the GIs had time to holler on their Hummer radio but not to use their .50 cal.
Later Marilyn said some of Mitch's pals kidded him about being the model for the GI Joe doll. He insisted: "It's not a doll. It's an ACTION FIGURE!"
BT
Here's details of the incident: not quite as simple as was thought at Roseburg—they drove into a ditch and were surrounded—but did quit without a fight.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/balkans/stories/pows050899.htm
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From the Archives
Thanks to Billy D. …
The Age of the 727
Those were the good ole days. Pilots back then were men that didn't want to be women or girly men. Pilots all knew who Jimmy Doolittle was. Pilots drank coffee, whiskey, smoked cigars and didn't wear digital watches. They carried their own suitcases and brain bags, like the real men they were.
Pilots didn't bend over into the crash position multiple times each day in front of the passengers at security so that some Gov't agent could probe for tweezers or fingernail clippers or too much toothpaste. Pilots did not go through the terminal impersonating a caddy pulling a bunch of golf clubs, computers, guitars, and feed bags full of tofu and granola on a sissy-trailer with no hat and granny glasses hanging on a pink string around their pencil neck while talking to their personal trainer on the cell phone!!!
Being an airline Captain was as good as being the King in a Mel Brooks movie.
All the Stewardesses (aka. Flight Attendants) were young, attractive, single women that were proud to be combatants in the sexual revolution. They didn't have to turn sideways, grease up and suck it in to get through the cockpit door. They would blush, and say thank you, when told that they looked good, instead of filing a sexual harassment claim. Junior Stewardesses shared a room and talked about men.... with no thoughts of substitution.
Passengers wore nice clothes and were polite; they could speak AND understand English. They didn't speak gibberish or listen to loud gangsta rap on their IPods. They bathed and didn't smell like a rotting pile of garbage in a jogging suit and flip-flops. Children didn't travel alone, commuting between trailer parks. There were no Biggest Losers asking for a seatbelt extension or a Scotch and grapefruit juice cocktail with a twist. If the Captain wanted to throw some offensive, ranting jerk off the airplane, it was done without any worries of a lawsuit or getting fired.
Axial flow engines crackled with the sound of freedom and left an impressive black smoke trail like a locomotive burning soft coal. Jet fuel was cheap and once the throttles were pushed up they were left there. After all, it was the jet age and the idea was to go fast (run like a lizard on a hardwood floor). "Economy cruise" was something in the performance book, but no one knew why or where it was. When the clacker went off, no one got all tight and scared because Boeing built it out of iron. Nothing was going to fall off and that sound had the same effect on real pilots then, as Viagra does now for these new age guys.
There was very little plastic and no composites on the airplanes (or the Stewardesses' pectoral regions). Airplanes and women had eye-pleasing symmetrical curves, not a bunch of ugly vortex generators, ventral fins, winglets, flow diverters, tattoos, rings in their nose, tongues and eyebrows.
Airlines were run by men like C.R. Smith, Juan Trippe, "Eddie Rickenbacker" and Bob Six, who built their companies virtually from scratch, knew most of their employees by name, and were lifetime airline employees themselves...not pseudo financiers and bean counters who flit from one occupation to another for a few bucks, a better parachute or a fancier title, while fervently believing that they are a class of beings unto themselves.
And so it was back then....and never will be again! Damn! Flying is the second greatest thrill known to man. What is first, you ask?
Landing, of course.
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This Day in U S Military History
October 27
1873 – Farmer Joseph F. Glidden applied for a patent on barbed wire. Glidden eventually received five patents and is generally considered the inventor of barbed wire. [see Nov 24,
1874] Joseph Glidden and Isaac Ellwood formed a company in De Kalb, Illinois to manufacture barbed wire, an essential product of old West. Patents on barbed wire were granted as early as
1867, but Glidden was the first to devise a commercially viable way of producing it after seeing a sample of barbed wire at a fair in 1873. Glidden and Ellwood’s product greatly increased the use of barbed wire to protect crops and livestock from roaming cattle. Open ranges dramatically dwindled in the face of new fencing over the next two decades.
1942 – At Guadalcanal, the Japanese halt the offensive. They have suffered 3500 casualties with entire units being destroyed. Both sides are exhaustive by the heavy day and night fighting, but the initiative has passed to the Americans.
1962 – Negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union finally result in a plan to end the two-week-old Cuban Missile Crisis. Since President John F. Kennedy’s October 22 address warning the Soviets to cease their reckless program to put nuclear weapons in Cuba and announcing a naval “quarantine” against additional weapons shipments into Cuba, the world held its breath waiting to see whether the two superpowers would come to blows. U.S. armed forces went on alert and the Strategic Air Command went to a Stage 4 alert (one step away from nuclear attack). On October 24, millions waited to see whether Soviet ships bound for Cuba carrying additional missiles would try to break the U.S. naval blockade around the island. At the last minute, the vessels turned around and returned to the Soviet Union. On October 26, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev responded to the quarantine by sending a long and rather disjointed letter to Kennedy offering a deal: Soviet ships bound for Cuba would “not carry any kind of armaments” if the United States vowed never to invade Cuba. He pleaded, “let us show good sense,” and appealed to Kennedy to “weigh well what the aggressive, piratical actions, which you have declared the U.S.A. intends to carry out in international waters, would lead to.” He followed this with another letter the next day offering to remove the missiles from Cuba if the United States would remove its nuclear missiles from Turkey. Kennedy and his officials debated the proper U.S. response to these offers. Attorney General Robert Kennedy ultimately devised an acceptable plan: take up Khrushchev’s first offer and ignore the second letter. Although the United States had been considering the removal of the missiles from Turkey for some time, agreeing to the Soviet demand for their removal might give the appearance of weakness. Nevertheless, behind the scenes, Russian diplomats were informed that the missiles in Turkey would be removed after the Soviet missiles in Cuba were taken away. This information was accompanied by a threat: If the Cuban missiles were not removed in two days, the United States would resort to military action. It was now Khrushchev’s turn to consider an offer to end the standoff.
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Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
COOLIDGE, CHARLES H.
Living History of Medal of Honor Recipient Charles Coolidge
https://youtu.be/L2Kp6wQYFl8?si=Mo6Ys1FIemTyiJuA
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company M, 141st Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. Place and date: East of Belmont sur Buttant, France, 2427 October 1944. Entered service at: Signal Mountain, Tenn. Birth: Signal Mountain, Tenn. G.O. No.: 53, July 1945. Citation: Leading a section of heavy machineguns supported by 1 platoon of Company K, he took a position near Hill 623, east of Belmont sur Buttant, France, on 24 October 1944, with the mission of covering the right flank of the 3d Battalion and supporting its action. T/Sgt. Coolidge went forward with a sergeant of Company K to reconnoiter positions for coordinating the fires of the light and heavy machineguns. They ran into an enemy force in the woods estimated to be an infantry company. T/Sgt. Coolidge, attempting to bluff the Germans by a show of assurance and boldness called upon them to surrender, whereupon the enemy opened fire. With his carbine, T/Sgt. Coolidge wounded 2 of them. There being no officer present with the force, T/Sgt. Coolidge at once assumed command. Many of the men were replacements recently arrived; this was their first experience under fire. T/Sgt. Coolidge, unmindful of the enemy fire delivered at close range, walked along the position, calming and encouraging his men and directing their fire. The attack was thrown back. Through 25 and 26 October the enemy launched repeated attacks against the position of this combat group but each was repulsed due to T/Sgt. Coolidge’s able leadership. On 27 October, German infantry, supported by 2 tanks, made a determined attack on the position. The area was swept by enemy small arms, machinegun, and tank fire. T/Sgt. Coolidge armed himself with a bazooka and advanced to within 25 yards of the tanks. His bazooka failed to function and he threw it aside. Securing all the hand grenades he could carry, he crawled forward and inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing enemy. Finally it became apparent that the enemy, in greatly superior force, supported by tanks, would overrun the position. T/Sgt. Coolidge, displaying great coolness and courage, directed and conducted an orderly withdrawal, being himself the last to leave the position. As a result of T/Sgt. Coolidge’s heroic and superior leadership, the mission of this combat group was accomplished throughout 4 days of continuous fighting against numerically superior enemy troops in rain and cold and amid dense woods.
*OLSON, ARLO L.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, 1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Crossing of the Volturno River, Italy, 13 October 1943. Entered service at: Toronto, S. Dak. Birth: Greenville, lowa. G.O. No.: 71, 31 August 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 13 October 1943, when the drive across the Volturno River began, Capt. Olson and his company spearheaded the advance of the regiment through 30 miles of mountainous enemy territory in 13 days. Placing himself at the head of his men, Capt. Olson waded into the chest-deep water of the raging Volturno River and despite pointblank machine-gun fire aimed directly at him made his way to the opposite bank and threw 2 handgrenades into the gun position, killing the crew. When an enemy machinegun 150 yards distant opened fire on his company, Capt. Olson advanced upon the position in a slow, deliberate walk. Although 5 German soldiers threw handgrenades at him from a range of 5 yards, Capt. Olson dispatched them all, picked up a machine pistol and continued toward the enemy. Advancing to within 15 yards of the position he shot it out with the foe, killing 9 and seizing the post. Throughout the next 13 days Capt. Olson led combat patrols, acted as company No. 1 scout and maintained unbroken contact with the enemy. On 27 October 1943, Capt. Olson conducted a platoon in attack on a strongpoint, crawling to within 25 yards of the enemy and then charging the position. Despite continuous machinegun fire which barely missed him, Capt. Olson made his way to the gun and killed the crew with his pistol. When the men saw their leader make this desperate attack they followed him and overran the position. Continuing the advance, Capt. Olson led his company to the next objective at the summit of Monte San Nicola. Although the company to his right was forced to take cover from the furious automatic and small arms fire, which was directed upon him and his men with equal intensity, Capt. Olson waved his company into a skirmish line and despite the fire of a machinegun which singled him out as its sole target led the assault which drove the enemy away. While making a reconnaissance for defensive positions, Capt. Olson was fatally wounded. Ignoring his severe pain, this intrepid officer completed his reconnaissance, Supervised the location of his men in the best defense positions, refused medical aid until all of his men had been cared for, and died as he was being carried down the mountain.
O’BRIEN, GEORGE H., JR.
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Company H, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Korea, 27 October, 1952. Entered service at: Big Spring, Tex. Born: 10 September 1926, Fort Worth, Tex. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a rifle platoon commander of Company H, in action against enemy aggressor forces. With his platoon subjected to an intense mortar and artillery bombardment while preparing to assault a vitally important hill position on the main line of resistance which had been overrun by a numerically superior enemy force on the preceding night, 2d Lt. O’Brien leaped from his trench when the attack signal was given and, shouting for his men to follow, raced across an exposed saddle and up the enemy-held hill through a virtual hail of deadly small-arms, artillery, and mortar fire. Although shot through the arm and thrown to the ground by hostile automatic-weapons fire as he neared the well-entrenched enemy position, he bravely regained his feet, waved his men onward, and continued to spearhead the assault, pausing only long enough to go to the aid of a wounded marine. Encountering the enemy at close range, he proceeded to hurl hand grenades into the bunkers and, utilizing his carbine to best advantage in savage hand-to-hand combat, succeeded in killing at least 3 of the enemy. Struck down by the concussion of grenades on 3 occasions during the subsequent action, he steadfastly refused to be evacuated for medical treatment and continued to lead his platoon in the assault for a period of nearly 4 hours, repeatedly encouraging his men and maintaining superb direction of the unit. With the attack halted he set up a defense with his remaining forces to prepare for a counterattack, personally checking each position, attending to the wounded and expediting their evacuation. When a relief of the position was effected by another unit, he remained to cover the withdrawal and to assure that no wounded were left behind. By his exceptionally daring and forceful leadership in the face of overwhelming odds, 2d Lt. O’Brien served as a constant source of inspiration to all who observed him and was greatly instrumental in the recapture of a strategic position on the main line of resistance. His indomitable determination and valiant fighting spirit reflect the highest credit upon himself and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS
for October 27, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
27 October
1909: Mrs. Ralph H. Van Deman became the first woman airplane passenger in America in a 4-minute flight at College Park with Wilbur Wright. (24)
1925: Lt James H. Doolittle flew a Curtiss R3C-2 floatplane racer to an FAI record of 245.7 MPH for 3 kilometers and 234.4 MPH for 200 kilometers at Bay Shore, near Baltimore. (8: Oct 90)
1944: The first US Army aircraft to be stationed in the Philippines since 1942 landed on the Tacloban airstrip. The 34 P-38s of the 9th Fighter Squadron refueled at once, and before the end of the day shot down four enemy aircraft. (17) Between 27 October and 31 December, the Japanese flew almost 1,050 sorties over Leyte. Pilots from the V Fighter Command shot down 314 confirmed aircraft and received credit for 45 probables, yet suffered only 16 losses. On 29 October, the 49 FG scored its 500th victory. (17)
1946: Through 3 November the Navy airship XM-1, with Lt H. R. Walton in command, left Lakehurst flew down the Atlantic coast to Savannah, Ga., the Bahamas, Florida, Cuba, over the Gulf of Mexico and landed at NAF Glynco, Ga. The flight set a world duration record of 170.3 hours for self-sufficient flight in any type aircraft. (24)
1950: KOREAN WAR. The 452 BG (AFRES) flew its first B-26 combat mission, less than a month after it was called to active duty in the US. (28)
1951: KOREAN WAR. On a last medium bomber daylight raid, B-29 gunners downed six MiG-15s, the highest number of enemy aircraft downed on any day of the war. A 3 ARS H-5, with fighter escort, rescued a downed UN fighter pilot despite intense fire from enemy ground troops. (28)
1954: Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., became the USAF’s first black general officer. (21)
1955: The Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Company received an USAF research and development contract for the Titan ICBM. (6)
1961: The Saturn launched for the first time. It flew a suborbital route 215 miles down the Atlantic Missile Range.
1962: The first 10 Minuteman I (Model A) missiles went on alert with the 10 SMS, 341 SMW, at Malmstrom AFB. (6) CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS/FIRST AIR FORCE CROSS. The Cubans shot down a 4080 SW U-2 flown by Maj Rudolf Anderson, Jr., over Cuba. Major Anderson received the first Air Force Cross posthumously. (21)
1972: AFSC launched a 47.8 million-cubic-foot research balloon, the world's largest, from Chico, Calif. The USAF's Cambridge Research Laboratory developed the balloon in 1969.
1976: The DoD announced plans to send an F-15 wing to Germany and an F-111 wing to England. (4)
1983: Exercises ETERNAL TRIANGLE and CRISEX. Three B-52Gs deployed from the 42d BMW at Loring AFB to Moron AB, Spain, for exercises. This marked the first such use of a Spanish base for the Air Force. On 27-28 October, the B-52s participated in Eternal Triangle, a NATO exercise, and from 31 October through 8 November in Crisex, a joint US/Spanish exercise. In both, the B-52s flew high and low altitude bombing, sea search, electronic countermeasures, and fighter-intercept exercises. (1)
1998: HURRICANE MITCH/OPERATION AMIGO. The hurricane ravaged Central America, leaving more than 10,000 people dead and a million people homeless in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. In response, the Air National Guard deployed crews and C-130s from Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island for several months to deliver relief supplies to the region. By the time the operation ended on 19 March 1999, the aircrews had flown more than 200 missions. (21) (32)
1999: Developmental testing on the C-141 Starlifter came to an end when the last test aircraft left the AFFTC at Edwards AFB for March ARB. (3)
2006: The 49 FW flew 25 F-117 Nighthawks in formation over Holloman AFB for the largest flyover in its history to commemorate the aircraft’s 25th anniversary. (USAF Aimpoints, “F-117 Celebrates 25 Years with Historical Flyover,” 31 Oct 2006) The USAF rolled out the 747-400F Airborne Laser aircraft in a ceremony at Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems facility in Wichita. (USAF Aimpoints, “USAF Debuts Laser Weapon Aircraft, 31 Oct 2006)
2007: FIRST MQ-9 REAPER COMBAT MISSION. The MQ-9 Reaper conducted its first precision combat strike sortie against enemy combatants in Deh Rawod, Afghanistan, with a Hellfire missile. (AFNEWS, Oct. 27 Airpower Summary: Reaper Conducts First Strike,” 28 Oct 2007.)
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From the Archives
Thanks to Mike
Food for thought on Gun Control History
Liberals are erasing history, so their communistic policies can be fully implemented. Gun Control is the last one remaining.
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control: From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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In 1911, Turkey established gun control: From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated
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Germany established gun control in 1938: From 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
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China established gun control in 1935: From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Guatemala established gun control in 1964: From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Uganda established gun control in 1970: From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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Cambodia established gun control in 1956: From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
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56 million defenseless people were rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control.
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You will not see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun control laws adversely affect ONLY the law-abiding citizens.
With guns, we are 'citizens'; without them, we are 'subjects'.
During WW II, the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED! Gun owners in the USA are the largest armed forces in the World! If you value your freedom, please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends. The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either.
SWITZERLAND ISSUES A GUN TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD. SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT ISSUES AND TRAINS EVERY ADULT IN THE USE OF A RIFLE. SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!
IT'S A NO-BRAINER! DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL law-abiding CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.
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