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The USS Vincennes and Iran Air Flight 655

In the Combat Information Center of the USS Vincennes -- a $1.2 billion Aegis cruiser, the most sophisticated warship in the world -- Captain Will Rogers III had just seven minutes to decide whether or not to fire at the Iranian aircraft coming straight for him. It was 3 July 1988, and just a half-hour earlier the Vincennes and the USS Elmer Montgomery had clashed with Iranian gunboats. Captain Rogers became increasingly sure that the aircraft, which had taken off from Bandar Abbas airport in Iran, a joint military-civilian field, was an Iranian F-14. The plane did not respond to seven warnings to identify itself, and the Vincennes picked up transmissions from the aircraft on the Mode 2 military frequency. As the plane came within 20 miles of the cruiser, radar showed it beginning to descend from 9,000 feet and pick up altitude. (Data from other sources subsequently contradicted this.) When the aircraft was nine miles away, Rogers ordered the firing of two SM-2 surface-to-air missiles. At least one missile hit the target -- which turned out to be Iran Air Flight 655, a civilian airliner carrying 290 people. The UN Security Council declined to issue a condemnation of the U.S. action, and President Reagan promised to pay compensation to the families of the victims. The Navy was embarrassed; one of its new Aegis cruisers, capable of tracking and destroying 200 missiles at once, had shot down an unarmed civilian aircraft in its first action. But after a year of surprise attacks and nerves on edge in the Persian Gulf, it seemed almost inevitable that a tragedy such as the shootdown of Flight 655 would happen.

Here are the recommended holiday mailing dates for military mail this year:

For military mail addressed TO APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

Parcel Post - November 13
Space Available - November 27
Parcel Airlift - December 4
Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - Mailing date is December 11 to all locations
- EXCEPT for locations starting with ZIP 093. For all locations starting with ZIP 093 the mailing date is December 6.
Express Mail - December 20 to locations where Express Mail service is available. Check with your local post office to determine which APO/FPO addresses can receive Express Mail. Note: This service is not available to ships.

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For military mail FROM APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

Space Available - November 20
Parcel Airlift - December 4
Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - December 11
Express Mail - December 18 from APO/FPO addresses where Express Mail can be accepted. Check with your local military post office to determine if they can accept Express Mail. Note: This service is not available from ships.

Thanks for the information StayAtHomeMother

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004

The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

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"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

Thanks for these stories from our recent past. We've certainly come a long way in attitudes and engagements. I'm no armchair analyst but the lesson to me is to never do anything half-ass when it comes to the military. Despite the conflicting data (after-the-fact) on Vincennes actions, it's not far-fetched to say this was probably a 9-11-style strike that was thwarted. After the Stark incident, what was the commander to think? And enough with polls of what people think of military action and dithering in Congress. Some things never change.

Saddam Hussein using French planes and missiles to attack a U.S. vessel?
I am shocked, shocked.

Brindel insisted that his ship's combat system was fully operational, but Navy technicians in Bahrain said the Stark's Phalanx system had not been working properly when the frigate put out to sea. (Brindel was relieved of duty and later forced to retire.)

History Channel covered the loss of Marine Electric in a storm off Virginia in 1983. The ship owners blamed the mate for not securing the anchor.

Divers determined that to be spurious. The hatches were so rusted the fabricator deemed them unseaworthy.

The owner's scoffed and put to sea. Three of 31 survived when the waves collapsed the hatch covers.

If the systems on Stark were operational--hang the contractor. If they were not, why was the vessel on station?

Recently we had the Greenville captain hurrying to get his VIP tiger cruise passengers home for supper. His sonar man didn't wish to interrupt the high-level converatiion with trivia such as loss of the fishing vessel.

An act of war by Saddam Hussein was compounded by command phoning it in.

Of course President Reagan was surpassing in eloquence having been so after the loss of the Challenger--while no one was punished for pushing the cold o-rings past their acknowledged limit.

Saddam Hussein has taken his ride on the karmic wheel and found what was up has now come down.

When his Full Mussolini is handed down, the nose should be dry-iced and FedExed to the families of Stark crew lost that day--

Held in reserve for rubbing with the nose of Jacques Chirac.

Next time Monsieur has his nose out of joint, swoosh, butterfly net. Merci.

This week on Putin Broadcasting Service (PBS) This Old Gulag: "Ukraine? No, MYkraine."--Vlad the Inhaler Sucks: