The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Desert Storm - The Ground War - Dec. 30th, 2002

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/desert_sabre.htm ^

[SAMWolf]

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Operation Desert Sabre

The ground campaign, initially designated DESERT SWORD and subsequently designated DESERT SABRE, began on 24 February 1991. When ground operations started in earnest, coalition forces were poised along a line that stretched from the Persian Gulf westward 300 miles into the desert. Two corps covered about two-thirds of the line occupied by the huge multinational force.

The XVIII Airborne Corps, under Lt. Gen. Gary E. Luck, held the left, or western, flank and consisted of the 82d Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), the French 6th Light Armored Division, the 3d Armored Cavalry, and the 12th and 18th Aviation Brigades.

The Vll Corps, under Lt. Gen. Frederick M. Franks, Jr., was deployed to the right of the XVIII Airborne Corps and consisted of the 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), the 1st Cavalry Division (Armored), the 1st and 3d Armored Divisions, the British 1st Armored Division, the 2d Armored Cavalry, and the 11th Aviation Brigade.

Three commands held the eastern one-third of the front.

Joint Forces Command North, made up of formations from Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia and led by His Royal Highness Lt. Gen. Prince Khalid ibn Sultan, held the portion of the line east of Vll Corps.

To the right of these allied forces stood Lt. Gen. Walter E. Boomer's I Marine Expeditionary Force, which had the 1st (or Tiger) Brigade of the Army's 2d Armored Division as well as the 1st and 2d Marine Divisions.

Joint Forces Command East on the extreme right, or eastern, flank anchored the line at the Persian Gulf. This organization consisted of units from all six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Like Joint Forces Command North, it was under General Khalid's command.



General Schwarzkopf unleashed all-out attacks against Iraqi forces very early on 24 February at three points along the allied line. The main attack was designed to avoid most fixed defenses, drive deep into Iraq, envelop Iraqi forces from the west and attack and destroy Saddam Hussein's strategic reserve - Republican Guard armored and mechanized infantry divisions augmented by several other Iraqi Army heavy divisions. This wide left sweep was sometimes referred to as the " Hail Mary" plan.

XVIII Airborne Corps attacked in the west and deep into Iraq to control the east-west lines of communication along Highway 8 and cut off Iraqi forces in the Kuwait Theater of Operations. In the far west the French 6th Light Armored and the 101st Airborne Divisions started the massive western envelopment with a ground assault to secure the allied left flank and an air assault to establish forward support bases deep in Iraqi territory. In XVIII Corps' mission of envelopment, the 24th Infantry Division had the central role of blocking the Euphrates River valley to prevent the escape north of Iraqi forces in Kuwait and then attacking east in coordination with VII Corps to defeat the armor-heavy divisions of the Republican Guard Forces Command.

In the approximate center of the allied line, along the Wadi al Batin, Maj. Gen. John H. Tilelli, Jr.'s 1st Cavalry Division attacked north into a concentration of Iraqi divisions, whose commanders remained convinced that the coalition would use that and several other wadies as avenues of attack. VII Corps would conduct the main Coalition effort, attacking east of XVIII Airborne Corps and west of Wadi Al-Batin, driving to the north and then east to find, attack, and destroy the heart of President Saddam Hussein's ground forces, the armor-heavy Republican Guard divisions.



In the east two Marine divisions, with the Army's Tiger Brigade, and coalition forces under Saudi command attacked north into Kuwait. These forces held the enemy's tactical and operational forces in place by breaching Iraqi defenses in Kuwait and encircling Iraqi forces in the heel of Kuwait and Kuwait City. Once Kuwait City was encircled and Iraqi forces were ejected or defeated, Arab-Islamic forces would liberate Kuwait City.

Iraqi forces, often isolated in static defenses for long periods, were steadily demoralized by air and psychological operations along with the harsh conditions Accordingly, many Iraqis lost the will to resist by the time the ground operation began.

In 100 hours of combat XVIII Airborne Corps moved its lead elements 190 miles north into Iraq and then 70 miles east. By the time offensive operations were halted, XVIII Airborne Corps had completed its advance into Iraq, cutting off Iraqi retreat and helping with the Republican Guard's final destruction. The 24th Infantry Division with the 3rd ACR continued its attack to the east to block enemy withdrawal and completed the elimination of the Republican Guard.



In ninety hours of continuous movement and combat, VII Corps achieved impressive results against the best units of the Iraqi military. Franks' troops destroyed more than a dozen Iraqi divisions, an estimated 1,300 tanks, 1,200 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, 285 artillery pieces, and 100 air defense systems, and captured nearly 22,000 men. At the same time, the best Iraqi divisions destroyed only 7 MlA1 Abrams tanks, 15 Bradleys, 2 armored personnel carriers, and 1 Apache helicopter. And while killing unknown thousands of enemy troops, VII Corps lost 22 soldiers killed in action.

Due to the speed of the allied advance, the VII Corps began its attack ahead of schedule early in the afternoon on the twenty-fourth. Penetrating the minefields to their front, U.S. soldiers overran Iraqi positions within a few hours. The Iraqi troops—tired, hungry, and physically and psychologically battered—began surrendering in droves. The next day the 1st Armored Division quickly crushed the Iraqi 26th Infantry Division as VII Corps pivoted to the east. The 24th Infantry Division’s heavy armor moved rapidly to exploit the initial air assaults of the 101st and 82d Airborne Divisions. Linking up with the 101st battle positions, the 24th Division moved the 200 miles north to the Euphrates River by noon on the twenty-sixth, blocking the Iraqi retreat.

In the most decisive actions of the war, the VII Corps, moving directly east with three heavy divisions abreast, attacked the elite Iraqi Republican Guard units. Late in the afternoon on the twenty-sixth, the VII Corps hit elements of the Tawakalna Division in the battle of 73 Easting. In quick succession, the 2d ACR, 1st and 3d Armored Divisions, and the 1st Infantry Division smashed through the Tawakalna Division. Overwhelming the enemy with accurate tank fire and assisted by deadly Apache helicopter gunships, the VII Corps hit the Medina Division in the early afternoon of the twenty-seventh. At Medina Ridge, an attempted Iraqi ambush of the 1st Armored Division ended with the destruction of over 300 enemy tanks.



During four days of combat Tiger Brigade task forces destroyed or captured 181 tanks, 148 armored personnel carriers, 40 artillery pieces, and 27 antiaircraft systems while killing an estimated 263 enemy and capturing 4,051 prisoners of war, all at a cost of 2 killed and 5 wounded.

The battles of DESERT STORM soon wound down against crumbling resistance. With the VII Corps poised to crush the remainder of the Republican Guard units, only the declaration of a cease-fire saved the Iraqis. When offensive operations ended, the Coalition faced the beaten remnants of a once-formidable foe. Coalition ground forces, with tremendous support from air and naval forces, had defeated the Iraqi Army. Coalition armies stood on the banks of the Euphrates River, stretched across the Iraqi and Kuwaiti deserts and patrolled a liberated Kuwait City.

[SAMWolf]

During the weeks prior to "G-day," Marine units, including artillery, reconnaissance and combined arms task forces, were busy disrupting Iraqi defensive positions. Marine artillery and Army multiple-launch rocket systems, using Air Force airborne spotters as well as Marine forward and aerial observers and clandestine recon teams inside enemy territory, had enormous success with artillery raids and roving gun tactics. Coalition air forces pounded the enemy day and night. Naval gunfire from the battleships Missouri and Wisconsin provided the "Sunday punch" that helped soften up the future battlefield.

On the night of 23 February, Marine units all along the Kuwait border moved into final attack positions and waited for the order to commence the ground offensive. Real-time and near-real-time tactical reconnaissance were provided by Navy and Marine Corps UAVs and Navy F-14s equipped with the tactical air reconnaissance pod system (TARPS). The deadline set by President Bush for Iraq to get out of Kuwait had expired.

Iraq had no "eyes" over the battlefield with which to observe the allied strategy. While the United States and its coalition partners unleashed General Schwarzkopf's "Hail Mary" play, the Iraqis were convinced that the battle would be joined at the center of their defensive lines along the Saudi-Kuwait border, and by amphibious assault.

What the Iraqis could not realize was that the allies had secretly moved two entire corps of American forces (the Army's 7th and 18th), supported by British and French divisions, far to the west in one of the largest and swiftest battlefield troop movements in history. This giant "end run" by more than 250,000 soldiers spread over several hundred miles, moved deep into Iraqi territory from the Saudi border behind the Iraqi forces to deliver a fatal "left hook." The flanking maneuver not only cut off all avenues of retreat north and west of Kuwait, it fulfilled Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell's prediction that the coalition-- specifically the American military --were going to "cut off the head ... and kill" the Iraqi army.

The Marine Corps, with the support of Navy air power, was tasked with going for the jugular. Afte rperforming their own deception by shifting both Marine divisions some 40 to 50 miles northeast from their original staging area, the Marines stepped off into battle. The 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions, each more than 18,000 strong, and the U.S. Army 1st Brigade ("Tiger Brigade"), 2nd Armored Division, plunged into the attack. They were supported by the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and thousands of combat service support staff from the 1st and 2nd Force Service Support Groups, and by Navy air forces.

On their way, the Marines had to cross two belts of minefields, 12-foot high sand berms, barbed-wire defenses, booby traps and fire trenches, all the while under sporadic attack by Iraqi artillery. These "impenetrable barriers" were quickly breached by the Marine teams. As the two Marine divisions advanced, two Saudi and Qatari task forces moved up Kuwait's east coast in a similar drive. The initial Marine advance was described by Schwarzkopf in his 27 February briefing as follows:

"It was a classic, absolutely classic military breaching of a very, very tough minefield, barbed wire, fire trench-type barrier. They went through the first barrier like it was water. Then they brought both divisions steaming through that breach. Absolutely superb operation -- a textbook, and I think it will be studied for many, many years to come as the way to do it."

Overhead, Cobras, Harriers and Intruders provided close-air support as the Marines pushed forward meetingoccasional resistance. Navy A-6 Intruders laid down heavy barrages. Marine aircraft attacked in waves as engineers continued to shoot line charges and drop bundles of plastic pipes near trenches so the blade tanks could form makeshift bridges. Even though the 1st Division Marines encountered artillery fire and a mechanized counter-attack, their attack proved unstoppable. Most Iraqis fought for only a few minutes before surrendering. Massive artillery and air support from Navy and Marine aircraft sparked a frenzy of surrender that, at times, slowed the progress of advancing Marine units.

The 2nd Marine Division enjoyed equal success. With the Army's Tiger Brigade on the west flank, the 8th Marine Regiment to the east, and the 6th Marine Regiment in the center, the division kicked off its attack. Within hours they too had breached both defensive belts. Facing enemy mortar and small arms fire, the 2nd Division drove into Kuwait and took more than 5,000 EPWs by the end of the first day.

As Marines continued their attack the sea-based arm of the Navy-Marine Corps team continued to provide support. The battleships continued rapid, responsive gunfire on targets designated by Navy and Marine spotters on the ground and in the air. The amphibious task force in the Persian Gulf continued to demand difficult decisions from the Iraqi generals. Because of the threat of an amphibious landing and the uncertainty of where and when it [word/words missing in text] to ten divisions, totaling 80,000 men, to the defense of the Kuwait coastline. In addition they garrisoned troops and equipment on Bubiyan and Faylaka Islands which command sea approaches to vital areas.

About 7,500 Marines from the 5th MEB were off-loaded from amphibious ships at Saudi Arabian ports at the beginning of the ground attack to serve as the 1st MEF reserve force. Marine AV-8B Harriers, AH-l Cobra helicopters and special operations units from the 4th MEB aided the Arab forces in the east coast drive. On the second day of the ground war, both Marine Divisions faced sporadic resistance as they pushed further into Kuwait. They fought some intense battles along the way, and by the time Kuwait's International Airport was secured on the fourth day of the ground war, the two Marine divisions had defeated an Iraqi force of 11 divisions.

At 0800, Persian Gulf time, 28 February, American forces ceased offensive combat operations by order of the President. In 100 hours of offensive combat, the Marines and one Army Brigade, supported by Navy, Marine and coalition aircraft, destroyed or damaged 1,060 tanks, 608 artillery pieces, five Frog launchers and two Scud launchers, and captured more than 20,000 Iraqi soldiers.

[SAMWolf]

War Summary

The Iraqi armed forces had extensive experience of warfare. They had just brought an eight year war with Iran to a successful conclusion. The Coalition troops, on the other hand, were largely inexperienced. Britain had found the Falklands War with marines and paratroopers; this war was fought with tanks and mechanized infantry instead. The Syrians had fought within the last decade in Lebanon, but the 9th Division had not been involved. The Egyptians had last fought a war in 1973, shortly after the US had wound down its involvement in Vietnam. Of the gulf states, only Omani Army had anything approaching extensive combat experience.

One reason that the Iraqis' experience did them little good was that it was the wrong kind of experience. They had plenty of experience in fighting a positional war of wearing down Iran forces. Instead of helping, this was a positive disadvantage when fighting a mobile campaign; they would have been better off starting fresh without a lot of bad habits.

Of Iraq's 545,000 troops in the Kuwait Theater of Operations, about 100,000 are believed to have lost their lives. Of IRaq's 44 army divisions, 42 were found to be combat ineffective. By the end of the war, estimated losses of equipment were as followed:

 
                                 Total Equipment 
                             Iraqi          Coalition 
                           Lost  On hand  Lost On hand 
Tanks                     4,000    4,230     4   3,360 
Artillery                 2,140    3,110     1   3,633 
Armored Personal Carriers 1,856    2,870     9   4,050 
Helicopters                   7      160    17   1,959 
Aircraft                    240      800    44   2,600 

[SAMWolf]

'First we're going to cut it off. Then we're going to kill it.'

-- General Colin Powell

'Iraq went from the fourth-largest army in the world to the second-largest army in Iraq in 100 hours'

-- Lieutenant General Tom Kelly

[MistyCA]

What an amazing initiative that was! Thanks for doing such a good job of telling the story! :)

[MistyCA]

One can get some perspective on the scope of the Gulf air war by comparing it to some predecessors. The following table presents U.S. Army Air Forces, and U.
S. Air Force bomb tonnage statistics extracted from various wars, compared with Air Force tonnage dropped in the Gulf War:

War Tonnage Length Tonnage/Month

WW II 2,150,000 45 months 47,777.78
Korea 454,000 37 months 12,270.27
Vietnam/SEA 6,162,000 140 months 44,014.29
Gulf War 60,624 1.5 months 40,416.00

[MistyCA]

THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES

Originally listed as Missing in Action of Operation Desert Storm

California

1.Air Force Sergeant Damon V. Kanuha, 28 of San Diego. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 1 Block 2 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

Florida

2.Air Force Staff Sergeant John P. Blessinger, 33 of Fort Walton Beach, FL. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at Row 5 Block 2 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

3.Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Paul G. Buege, 43 of Mary Esther, FL. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 7 Block 3 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

4.Air Force Sergeant Barry M. Clark, 26 of Hulburt Field, FL. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 9 Block 2 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

5.Air Force Capt. Arthur Galvan, 33 of Navarre. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 10 Block 2 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

6.Air Force Capt. William D. Grimm, 28 of Hulburt Field. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 3 Block 1 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

7.Air Force Tech. Sergeant Robert K. Hodges, 28 of Hulburt Field. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 8 Block 1 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

8.Air Force Master Sergeant James B. May II, 40 of Fort Walton Beach. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 6 Block 3 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

9.Air Force Staff Sergeant John L. Oelschlager, 28 of Niceville. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 1 Block 4 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

10.Air Force Staff Sergeant Mark J. Schmauss, 30 of Hulburt Field. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 9 Block 4 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

11.Navy Lt. Commander Michael Scott Speicher, 33 of Jacksonville. MIA on Jan. 17. Shot down in his F-18 on the opening day of the war. He is the father of two children. Is remembered at: Row 2 Block 3 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

12.Air Force Capt. Dixon L. Walters, Jr., 29 of Navarre. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 10 Block 2 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

13.Air Force Major Paul J. Weaver, 34 of Navarre. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 1 Block 1 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

Illinois

14.Air Force Capt. Stephen Richard Phillis, 30 of Rock Island. Is remembered at: Row 4 Block 3 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

Iowa

15.Air Force Staff Sergeant Timothy R. Harrison, 31 of Maxwell. Is remembered at: Row 4 Block 3 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

Maryland

16.Air Force 1st Lt. Thomas Clifford Bland, Jr., 26 of Gaithersburg. Listed as MIA when the AC-130 Specrte Gunship he was flying in was shot down on January 31. The Gunship was believed to be involved in Special Forces operations. On March 6, the gunship was found off the coast of Kuwait and all aboard will be listed as Killed in Action when their remains are identified. Is remembered at: Row 5 Block 1 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

Virginia

17.Navy Lt. Patrick K. Connor, 25 of Virginia Beach. Is remembered at: Row 1 Block 1 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

18.Navy Lt. Cmdr. Barry T. Cooke, 35 of Virginia Beach. Is remembered at: Row 1 Block 2 on The Gulf War Veterans Memorial

Unknown Hometown

19.Army Specialist David Bush, 21.

[MistyCA]

Awesome Weaponry!

A-10 Thunderbolt

Apache Attack Helicopter

F-117 In Flight

F-14

F-15

M-1 In the Desert

Manned Bradley at Sunset

Paladin-Howitzer

Patriots in Action

[Valin]

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on December 30:
0039 Titus 10th Roman emperor (79-81), conqueror of Jerusalem
1566 Alessandro Piccinini composer
1569 Georg Quitschreiber composer
1644 Philips van Almonde Dutch Zeeuws Lieutenant-Admiral
1678 William Croft composer
1741 Bartolomeo Giacometti composer
1756 Pavel Vranicky composer
1774 Pieter G Witsen Geysbeek Dutch historian/literary [or Dec 31]
1775 Heinrich Carl Ebell composer
1784 Dorothea von Benckendorff Baltic monarch of Lieven
1818 James Cantey Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1874
1819 John White Geary Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1873
1819 Theodor Fontane German writer (Effi Briest)
1828 Mark Perrin Lowrey Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1885
1847 John Peter Altgeld German/US (Governor-IL)/pardoned Haymarket-anarchists
1848 Mary Frances Allitsen composer
1851 Asa Griggs Candler developed Coca-Cola
1853 Andre-Charles-Prosper Messager composer
1855 Heinrich Hart German writer (Song of Humanity)
1859 Josef Bohuslav Foerster composer
1864 Alessandro Longo composer
1865 Rudyard Kipling Bombay, author (Jungle Book, Gunga Din-Nobel 1907)
1867 Simon Guggenheim philanthropist (died aboard the Titanic)
1869 Stephen Leacock Canada, economist/humorist/professor
1869 Adolphe Max Belgian Representative (Liberal)
1872 William A Larned tennis champion (US Open-1901)
1879 Sri Ramana Maharshi Hindu philosopher/yogi (Maharshi Research Institute)
1880 Alfred Einstein German/US musicologist/nephew of Albert Einstein
1883 Lester Patrick NHL pioneer
1883 Mary Forbes Hornsey England, actress (Terror by Night)
1884 Tojo Hideki Japanese PM during WWII
1884 Karl Heinrich David composer
1887 Henry George Ley composer
1889 Georg von der Vring German painter/writer (Soldier Suhren)
1891 Antoine Pinay French premier (1952)/minister of Foreign affairs
1892 Jaromir Fiala composer
1892 John Litel Albany WI, actor (Virginia City, My Hero)
1895 August De Boodt Belgian politician
1896 Tom Keene Rochester NY, actor (Our Daily Bread)
1898 Vincent Lopez Brooklyn NY, orchestra leader (Welcome Aboard)
1904 Dmitri B Kabalevsky St Petersburg Russia, composer (In the Fire)
1905 Emmanuel Levinas philosopher
1906 Sir Carol Reed motion picture director (3rd Man)
1906 Johan A earl von Kielmansegg German general/commandant NATO-Europe
1907 Christina E "Christine" Auwen Dutch model/singer (Haghezangers)
1907 Robert Grant Grant-Ferris politician
1910 Dennis Morgan actor (Cattle Town, Canyon Pass, Waterfront)
1910 Herman van der Horst Dutch cinematographer (Faja Lobbi)
1910 Paul Frederic Bowles US composer/writer (Shelting Sky)
1911 Jeanette Nolan Los Angeles CA, actress (Richard Boone Show, Virginian)
1913 Svend Simon Schultz composer
1914 Bert Parks [Jacobson] Atlanta GA, TV host (Miss America)
1917 Nancy Coleman Everett WA, actress (Edge of Darkness)
1918 W Eugene Smith US photographer (Saipan, Walk to Paradise Garden)
1919 David Valentine Willcocks composer
1919 Dick Spooner England, cricket wicketkeeper (Godfrey Evans' shadow)
1919 Jo Van Fleet Oakland CA, actress (Gunfight at OK Corral, East of Eden)
1920 Aad de Haas Dutch religious painter/graphic artist/cartoonist
1920 Michael Allinson London England (George Washington)
1921 Michael Hollings catholic priest/crusader
1921 Rashid Karami Lebanon, 10 time PM: 1955..87 of Lebanon
1923 Sara A Lidman Swedish author (Jag Och Min Son, Samtal in Hanoi)
1926 Stanley Tracey composer
1927 Bernard Barrow New York NY, actor (Ryan's Hope, Louie Slavinsky-Loving)
1927 M Lawrence Antouin college president (Emeritis)
1928 Bo Diddley [Ellas Bates] Mississippi, rock 'n' roll pioneer (Bo Diddley)
1928 Jack Lord New York NY, actor (Steve McGarrett-Hawaii 5-0, God's Little Acre)
1929 Barbara Nichols Jamaica NY, actress (Dear Heart, Disorderly Orderly)
1929 Bob Bouma Dutch TV host (For a Postcard in the Front Row)
1930 Jerome Theisen benedictine
1931 Charles A Bassett II Dayton OH, Captain USAF/astronaut
1931 Richard Christ writer
1931 Skeeter Davis [Mary Penick] Dry Ridge KY, singer (End of the World)
1932 John Hillerman Denison TX, actor (Magnum PI, Blazing Saddles, Audrey Rose)
1934 Nicolas Coster London, actor (Our Private World, Lobo, Ryan's Four)
1934 Russ Tamblyn Los Angeles CA, actor (Twin Peaks, Tom Thumb, Win Place or Steal)
1934 Barry Briggs New Zealand auto maker (World Champion 1957, 58, 64, 66)
1935 Jack Riley Cleveland OH, actor (Carlin-Bob Newhart, Ocassional Wife)
1935 Sandy Koufax Dodger pitcher (Cy Young '63, '65, '66, perfect-1967)
1935 Bruno Canino composer
1935 Omar [Albert B] Bongo President of Gabon (1967- )
1937 John Hartford New York NY, singer/songwriter (Smothers Brothers Hour, Gentle on My Mind)
1937 [Noel] Paul Stookey Baltimore MD, singer/musician/comedian (Peter, Paul, & Mary)
1938 Joseph Bologna Brooklyn NY, actor (Citizen Cohn, My Favorite Year)
1939 Del Shannon [Charles Westover] Coopersville MI, rocker (Runaway)
1939 Doeke Eisma sociologist/Dutch MP (D66)
1940 James Burrows TV producer/director (Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers)
1942 Michael Nesmith Houston, rocker/actor (Monkees-Last Train to Clarksville)
1942 Fred Ward San Diego CA, actor (Chain Reaction, Thunderheart, Equinox)
1942 Robert Quine rocker
1943 Rolf Gehlhaar composer
1945 [David] Davy Jones Manchester England, singer/actor (Monkees-Last Train to Clarksville)
1945 John Kevin Moorhouse test pilot
1945 Preston Andrew Trombly composer
1947 Jeff Lynne rocker (ELO-Telephone Line, Travelling Wilburys)
1947 Michael Burns Mineola Long Island NY, actor (Barnaby West-Wagon Train)
1947 Stephanus S "Tian" van Merwe leader (South Africa Democratic Party)
1948 Surinder Amarnath cricketer (son of Lala 124 on debut vs New Zealand 1976)
1949 Bruce Davidson equestrian 3-day (Olympics-silver-96)
1950 Yunus I Mahomed South African attorney/leader (UDF)
1951 Nancy LaMott singer
1952 Larry Bartlett photographic printer
1952 Somtow Sucharitkul [SP Somtow] Thailand, sf author (Utopia Hunters)
1953 Daniel T Barry Norwalk CT, PhD/astronaut (STS 72)
1956 "Chérie" Samba (Mbimba N'zinga) Zaïre painter (Pitie la prostituée)
1956 Sheryl Lee Ralph actress (Moesia, Designing Women)
1956 Suzy Bogguss Aledo IL, singer (I Want to be a Cowboy's Sweetheart)
1957 Patricia Kalember Schenectady NY, actress (Georgie Whitsig-Sisters, Susannah Hart-thirtysomething)
1957 Matt Lauer New York NY, TV host (Today Show)
1958 Brandon Clark New York NY, actor (Sean-The Fitzpatricks)
1958 Steven L Smith Phoenix AZ, astronaut (STS 68, 82)
1958 Brandon Clark New York NY, actor (Sean-The Fitzpatricks)
1959 Tracey Ullman Slough England, comediennesinger/actress (Tracey Ullman Show)
1960 Addy Bucek Australian 470 class yachter (Olympics-9th-92, 96)
1961 Ben Johnson 100 meter runner (Olympics-gold-1988-disqualified)
1961 Sue Malaxos Australian marathoner (Olympics-96)
1962 Paul Crowder rocker (The Adventures-Sea of Love)
1963 Alessandra Mussolini Naples Italy, actress (Ferragosto OK)
1963 Johnny Schip Dutch soccer star (Ajax, Genua)
1963 Milan Srejber Czechoslovakia, tennis star
1963 Robert Jenkins NFL tackle (Oakland Raiders)
1964 Kimberly [Cindy] Taylor model/Penthouse Pet (1990)
1964 Kris Tschetter Detroit MI, LPGA golfer (1992 Northgate Computer)
1965 Brad McNamara cricketer (New South Wales all-rounder)
1965 David Baker Sheffield England, UK cyclist
1965 Tony Jones WLAF receiver (Amsterdam Admirals, Frankfurt Galaxy)
1967 Colleen Miller Winnipeg Manitoba, rower (Olympics-96)
1968 Kevin Dahl Regina, NHL defenseman (Calgary Flames)
1968 Sean Higgins NBA guard/forward (Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trailblazers)
1969 Anthuan Maybank Georgetown SC, 200 meter/400 meter runner
1969 Jeff Thomason NFL tight end (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31)
1969 Michelle McGann West Palm Beach FL, golfer (1995 Sara Lee Classic)
1970 Grant Carter CFL defensive end (Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
1970 Gus Nketia Auckland New Zealand, 100 meter sprint (Olympics-96)
1970 Kevin Salvadori NBA center (Sacramento Kings)
1970 Robert Hall WLAF wide receiver (Amsterdam Admirals)
1971 Scotty Lewis WLAF defensive end (Frankfurt Galaxy)
1971 Steve Hardin NFL/WLAF offensive tackle (Indianapolis Colts, Rhein Fire)
1971 Sylvester Wright NFL linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles)
1971 Thomas Strzalkowski Krakow Poland, US fencer-sabre (Olympics-96)
1972 Maureen Flannigan actress (Evie-Out of this World)
1972 Kerry Collins NFL quarterback (Carolina Panthers)
1972 Loren Meyer NBA center (Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks)
1973 Don Reid NBA guard/forward (Detroit Pistons)
1973 Robert Walker Australian rower (Olympics-96)
1975 Tiger Woods golfer
1976 Rhoshii Wells Austin TX, middleweight boxer (Olympics-bronze-96)
1976 Solveig Lilja Gudmundsdottir Miss Iceland Universe (1997)
1978 Dikla Hamdy Miss Israel Universe (1997)
1980 Eliza Dushku Boston MA, actress (This Boy's Life, True Lies, Journey)
1983 Rachel & Ross Trudeau twins of Jane Pauley & Gerry Trudeau

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Deaths which occurred on December 30:
0273 Felix I Italian Bishop of Rome, dies (or 274)
1525 Jacob Fugger German banker/merchant, dies at 66
1572 Galeazzo Alessi Italian architect (Palazza Marino, Milan), dies at 60
1591 Innocent IX [Giovanni Facchinetti] Pope, (1591 62 days), dies at 72
1635 Jan Baptista Van Helmont physician/alchemist, dies
1777 Maximilian III Jozef elector of Bayern (1745-77), dies at 50
1788 Francesco Zuccarelli Italian rococo painter/etcher, dies at 86
1796 Jean-Baptiste Lamoyne composer, dies at 45
1821 Angelo Maria Benincori composer, dies at 42
1825 Peter Gronland composer, dies at 64
1828 Waldemar Thrane composer, dies at 38
1832 Colonel Abijah Hammond owned large portion of Greenwich Village, dies
1870 Prim Spanish general, murdered
1893 Samuel White Baker English explorer, dies at 72
1894 Amelia Jenks Bloomer suffragist (Bloomers named for her), dies at 76
1895 LP Hartley British writer, dies
1896 José Mercado Rizal anti-Spanish rule of Philippines proponent, dies
1899 James Paget English surgeon (disease of Paget), dies at 85
1912 Alfred von Kiderlen-Waechter German foreign minister, dies at 60
1931 Tyrone Power Sr actor (Big Trial, Test of Donald Norton), dies at 62
1940 Fritz Volbach composer, dies at 79
1943 Hobart Bosworth actor (Woman of Affairs, Big Parade), dies at 76
1944 Romain Roland French writer/pacifist (Nobel 1915), dies at 78
1946 Charles Wakefield Cadman composer, dies at 65
1947 Han [Henricus A] van Meegeren Dutch painter/art forger, dies at 58
1951 Jozef E Stokvis Dutch MP (SDAP), dies at 76
1952 Ivan Olbracht writer, dies
1959 Maria Baers Flemish social female worker/senator, dies at 76
1961 Jacobus "Ko" van den Bosch Dutch actor (Amsterdamned)/director, dies at 53
1966 Christian A Herter US Minister of Foreign affairs (1959-61), dies at 71
1966 Trygve Halvdan Lie 1st UN Secretary-General (1946-53), dies at 72
1967 Bert Berns US songwriter/producer (Twist & Shout), dies at about 38
1971 Dorothy Comingore actress (Citizen Kane), dies after illness at 58
1971 Jan Mul composer, dies at 60
1973 Henri-Paul Busser composer, dies at 101
1979 Richard Rodgers composer (Rogers & Hammerstein), dies at 77
1986 Jiri Jaroch composer, dies at 66
1989 Madoline Thomas actress (Girl in the Canal), dies
1992 César [Caesar] Domela painter/son of Ferdinand D Nieuwenhuis, dies
1992 Ling-Ling 1st panda China gave US, dies at 23
1993 [Irving Paul] "Swifty" Lazar superagent, dies of kidney failure at 86
1993 Mack David US songwriter (Bachelor in Paradise), dies at 81
1994 Lloyd James Austin french Scholar, dies at 79
1995 Heiner Muller dramatist, dies at 66
1995 Roger W Suddards solicitor, dies at 65
1996 Jack Nance actor (Meatballs 4, Whore, Voodoo), murdered at 53
1996 Lew Ayres screen actor (Salem's Lot, State Fair), dies at 88
1996 Robert Grant-Ferris politician, dies at 89

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On this day...
0274 St Felix I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
0987 French King Hugo Capet crowns his son Robert the compassionate king
1317 Pontifical degree "Sancta Romania" against spiritualists
1621 English king James I cracks Protestation of Parliament
1665 "Messiah" Sjabtai Tswi departs to Constantinople
1666 Abraham Crijnssen departs to Suriname
1672 Baron Karl Rabenhaupt occupies Coevorden Netherlands
1685 Don Francisco de Agurto installed as land guardian of South Netherlands
1689 Henry Purcell & Tates opera "Dido & Aeneas" premieres in Chesea
1703 Tokyo hit by Earthquake; about 37,000 die
1731 1st US music concert (Peter Pelham's great room in Boston)
1794 French troops conquer Grave Netherlands
1809 Wearing masks at balls forbidden in Boston
1813 Danzig surrenders to allied armies
1817 1st coffee planted in Hawaii (Kona)
1835 After gold discovery in Georgia, Cherokees are forced to move across Mississippi River
1835 HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin sails from New Zealand to Sydney
1836 Lehman-theater in St Petersburg catches fire; 100s die
1844 The opera "Stradella" is produced (Hamburg) after being rewritten
1853 Gadsden Purchase - 45,000 square miles (120,000 km) by Gila River from México for $10 million; Area is now southern Arizona & New Mexico
1854 Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company, 1st in US, incorporated in New York NY
1861 US, banks stops payments in gold
1869 Philadelphia Knights of Labor forms
1873 American Metrological Society forms (New York NY) weights, measures & money
1875 Andrassy Note calls for Christian-Muslim religious freedoms
1877 Johnannes Brahms' 2nd Symphony in D, premieres in Vienna
1879 Gilbert & Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance" premieres
1884 Anton Bruckner's 7th Symphony in E, premieres in Leipzig
1888 Belgium: king Leopold II installs Order of African Star
1892 Dr Miles V Lynk, physician, publishes 1st Black medical journal
1893 Russia signs military accord with France
1896 Stanley Cup: Montréal Victorias beat Winnipeg Victorias, 6-5
1897 Province of Zululand annexed to Natal colony
1903 602 die as flames swept through Iroquois Theater in Chicago IL
1903 American Political Science Association founded at New Orleans LA
1906 Iran becomes a constitutional monarchy
1907 Abraham Mills' commission declares Abner Doubleday invented baseball
1908 Stanley Cup: Montréal Wanderers outscore Edmonton, 13-10 in 2 game series
1911 Sun Yat-sen elected 1st President of Republic of China
1911 Crickets S F Barnes takes 5-6 in 1st 11 overs vs Australia at MCG
1913 Barnes takes 17 wickets vs South Africa (8-56 & 9-103)
1915 Cromarty Harbour, Scottish-British cruiser Natal explodes: 405 die
1917 -32ºF (-36ºC) in Mountain City TN (state record)
1917 -37ºF (-38ºC) in Lewisburg WV (state record)
1918 John E Hoover decides to be called J Edgar Hoover
1922 Soviet Union organized as a federation of RSFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Belorussian SSR & Transcaucasian SSR
1925 New South Wales score 705 against Victoria, go from 8-475 to 9-701
1926 Chicago Tribune reports the Tigers threw a 4-game series to the White Sox in 1917 to help Chicago win the pennant (never substaniated)
1926 Paul Eliot Greens "In Abraham's Bosom" premieres in New York NY
1927 Japan dedicates 1st subway in the Orient (route under 2 miles long)
1929 Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority incorporates
1929 Cole Porter's musical "Wake Up & Dream" premieres in New York NY
1932 Bradman out for a duck vs England at cricket MCG
1933 -50ºF (-46ºC) in Bloomfield VT (state record)
1933 Government disallows NSB-membership for civil service
1933 Jack Badcock scores 274 vs Victoria, Tasmania's 1st double-ton
1935 Italian bombers destroy Swedish Red Cross unit in Ethiopia
1936 United Auto Workers stage 1st sit-down strike, at Fisher Body Plant
1938 Electronic television system patented by V K Zworykin
1939 Bradman scores 267 South Africa vs Victoria, world record 34th double cricket century
1939 O'Reilly takes 14-45 (8-23 & 6-22) as New South Wales crush Queensland in 2 days
1940 California's 1st freeway (Arroyo Seco Parkway) opens
1941 Al Capone's son Sonny marries in Miami Beach
1941 Nazis require Dutch physicians to join Nazi organization
1941 Winston Churchill addresses Canadian parliament
1943 Phillies trade Babe Dahlgren to Pittsburgh for Babe Phelps & cash
1944 King George II of Greece, abdicates his throne
1947 King Michael of Romania, forced by communists to abdicate his throne
1947 36th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in New York (4-1)
1947 Romanian republic proclaimed
1948 "Kiss Me, Kate" opens at New Century Theater NYC for 1077 performances
1949 India recognizes People's Republic of China
1950 Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia become Independent states in France Union
1952 Tuskegee Institute reports 1952 as 1st year in 71 with no lynchings in US
1954 "House of Flowers" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 165 performances
1954 1st use of 24-second shot clock in pro basketball (Rochester vs Boston)
1954 Harold Arlen/Truman Capotes musical premieres in New York NY
1956 New York Giants beat Chicago Bears 47-7 in NFL championship game
1957 Israeli government of Ben-Gurion, resigns
1957 New York Giants win NFL championship
1958 French franc devalued
1959 The George Washington, 1st ballistic missile sub commissioned
1961 Moscow: premier of Dmitri Shostakovich's 4th Symphony (out 1936)
1962 Green Bay Packers beat New York Giants 16-7 in NFL championship game
1963 Congress authorizes the Kennedy half dollar
1963 "Let's Make A Deal" debuts on NBC-TV
1964 Edward Albee's "Tiny Alice" premieres in New York NY
1965 Ferdinand Marcos inaugurated as President of the Phillipines
1967 Beatles' "Hello Goodbye" single goes #1 & stays #1 for 3 weeks
1967 Great Western Forum opens in Los Angeles
1968 -48ºF (-44ºC), Mazama & Winthrop WA (state record)
1969 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1971 Long Island NHL franchise purchased (New York Islanders)
1971 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1972 President Nixon halts bombing of North Vietnam & announces peace talks
1973 1st picture of a comet from space (Comet Kohoutek-Skylab)
1973 Miami Dolphins beat Oakland Raiders 27-10 in AFC championship game
1973 Minnesota Vikings beat Dallas Cowboys 27-10 in NFC championship game
1974 Beatles are legally disbanded (4 years after suit was brought)
1975 Constitution of Democratic Republic of Madagascar comes into force
1975 "Boccaccio" closes at Edison Theater NYC after 7 performances
1976 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1977 Carter holds 1st news conference by US President in Eastern Europe (Warsaw)
1978 Ohio State dismisses Woody Hayes as its football coach
1978 "King & I" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 719 performances
1979 Rock group, Emerson Lake & Palmer break up
1979 Togo adopts constitution
1980 "Wonderful World of Disney" last performance on NBC-TV
1981 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record of 50 goals by 39th game of season
1982 US Assay Office in New York City NY closes
1982 Anthony Shaffer's "Whodunnit" premieres in New York NY
1982 England defeat Australia by three runs at cricket MCG
1984 Miss Elizabeth (Hulette) & Macho Man Randy Savage (Poffo) wed
1985 IBM-PC DOS Version 3.2 released
1985 President Zia of Pakistan ends martial law
1986 US begins Military exercises in Honduras
1987 Australia hangs on for draw vs New Zealand at MCG, 1 wicket left 17 runs short
1987 Premier Mugabe elected President of Zimbabwe
1988 Canadian Senate OK's free trade pact; with US
1988 Former Soviet President Brezhnev's son-in-law sentenced to 12-year (bribery)
1988 Mercedes-Benz pays $20.2-M fine failed to meet '86 government fuel standard
1988 North subpoenas Reagan & Bush as defense witnesses for upcoming trial
1988 Yugoslav government resigns
1989 10th United Negro College Fund raises $12,000,000
1989 Dmitri Volkov swims world record 50 meter freestyle (27.15 seconds)
1990 "Miser" closes at Circle in Square Theater NYC after 93 performances
1990 11th United Negro College Fund raises $10,000,000
1992 Last day of Test Cricket for Michael Whitney
1992 Shane Warne takes 7-52 to lead Australian MCG win vs West Indies
1993 "Candles, Snow, & Mistletoe" closes at Palace NYC after 7 performances
1993 Singer Deni Hines (22) weds INXS guitarist Kirk Pengilly (35)
1993 Vatican recognizes Israel
1995 Carquest Bowl 6: North Carolina beats Arkansas, 20-10
1997 An abandoned building collapses on New York's 42nd St, no one hurt

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Bolivia, Chile : Bank Holiday
Iran : Birthday of Iman Reza
Italy : New Year's Eve
Philippiines : Rizal Day (anniversary of his death) (1896)
El Salvador : Bank Holiday

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Religious Observances
Moslem : Night of the Ascent (Rajab 27, 1415 AH)

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Religious History
1741 English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'O how little do I for Jesus, who has done so much for me!'
1838 Hanover College was chartered by the Presbyterian General Assembly of Indiana. The school had been founded as a seminary "in the wilderness" for training ministers.
1927 The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel was incorporated in Los Angeles, CA. Founded in 1923 by evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, the denomination recognizes the significant role that women in ministry. Today, over 40% of its ministers are women.
1937 Birth of No l Paul Stookey, American folk singer. Stookey was "Paul" of the 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary. Converted in the late 1960s, Stookey is now a Christian recording artist, and prefers using his "born_again" name, No l.
1971 The Anglican_Roman Catholic International Commission announced that an agreement had been made between the two Christian traditions on the essential teachings about the Eucharist.

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Thought for the day :
" The light of a hundred stars doesn't equal the light of the moon. "

[SAMWolf]

Good morning Misty.

[SAMWolf]

1963 "Let's Make A Deal" debuts on NBC-TV

Now that makes me feel old.

[MistyCA]

That's an interesting thought. Hmmmmm. Good morning, Valin. Thanks for posting the history for us. :)

[MistyCA]

Good morning, Sam!

[SAMWolf]

Thank you Cote for showing us the Gulf War through the eyes of a 14 year old.

[MistyCA]

Ha! I never watched it! :)

[SAMWolf]

You managed to post two of my favorites, the Warthog and the Abrahms. Thanks.

[MistyCA]

Thank you for posting the touching poem, Coteblanche. Thanks, Canada.

[Soaring Feather]

Good Morning SAM!

This was one hell of a show of force from The United States of America!!

I watched every minute of it on the tube! We have so much to be grateful for!

Our Troops today are as strong and eager as ever in the past to guard and protect our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, our Democracy/Republic (we are both) and freedom to be!

Wonderful, rich presentation SAM, thank you. Furthermore, we shall never forget!

GOD BLESS AMERICA and FREEDOM!

[SAMWolf]

Good morning Bentfeather!

[Vic3O3]

A ping & a hearty Thankyou! to my good friend CAV.