The FReeper Foxhole Revisits - Leo Siegenthaler - The Hungnam Evacuation(Dec.1950)- Dec 10th, 2004

http://www.kmike.com/hungnam.htm ^

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

USS Diachenko, APD 123
Hungnam, 12/25/50
Crewman Describes Hungnam Evacuation

Dear Folks,

Today in this part of the world is Christmas. You'd never know it without looking at the calendar however. Right now we are underway with other units of the fleet for Pusan.

The last week or two I have witnessed something I'll never forget, or be able to forget. You've probably heard on the radio about the retreat of our forces to Hungnam under the pressure of the Chinese Reds. Well I saw everything that went on and our ship was so close to the ground forces at times that small arms fire could be easily heard. With the naked eye our tanks could be seen in action and with field glasses you could pick out the man loading a 75 mm artillery piece and the one firing it and so forth. Again we were fortunate for the enemy had no planes, ships or artillery of any size.

About a week ago it was comparatively quite at Hungnam with bomb and shell explosions in the distance from our planes and big guns from the Missouri, several cruisers and other ships. The merchant marine was well represented and the ships were continually moving into the docks, loading and moving out.



This went on for several days and nights.

Two Korean ships loaded with civilians tied alongside the Askari for temporary repairs and we escorted them one night down south. They had 8400 Koreans on one of them and you can imagine how crowded it was. The cooks on the Askari boiled GI cans of rice for them and they nearly killed one another to get it. When the weather is cold enough for spray from the sea to freeze on your clothes, it's pretty chilly. Some of the little children had only enough clothes to cover the upper portions of their bodies. The dead people were stacked on the bow and why they were not thrown overboard is beyond me, unless the people believe in sacred burials. When we were underway on the high seas with them, we'd look over at the people huddled on the open decks in the icy wind and realize how lucky we are. Those jammed below decks were fortunate to be out of the weather, but if I would have had to be on a crowded dirty ship among dead, wounded, dirty and sick, I would have taken an airy spot. I imagine they all consider themselves fortunate to be taken out of Hungnam however.



We immediately returned to Hungnam and in the two days we were gone the enemy had advanced considerably, for now our shells and bombs were dropping as close as the other side of Rattlesnake would be to you. During the day the Navy planes continually bombed and rocketed the enemy advancing up the hillsides all around the city and we were able to watch it from one end to the other. At night the planes would all return to their carriers and the fleet would take up with the bombardment. It takes time to make an evacuation and the Reds were pressing harder and harder upon the city. The St. Paul was anchored near to us and when she would fire over our heads the concussion would rock the ship. Every night was a Fourth of July that as a civilian I would never have seen. One night the Reds were taking advantage of the darkness and making a big siege on the city. The rocket boats that used to sit so useless with us in San Diego went into action and sprayed the beaches with rockets, which repelled the Reds. The enemy forces were lit up by flares fired from other ships.



On the 24th and also the 23rd we were lucky for our ship was made control ship of the inner harbor. We had special trained personnel aboard for directing evacuation boats etc. In other words, we were a traffic cop for the ship and boat units in behind the breakwaters. From here we could see our men on top of the hill looking down upon the enemy numbering about 120,000.



On the 23rd it was realized that we needed at least another day to complete the "strategic withdrawal" so the gunfire was stepped up. Without sea and air support the Reds would have run over our ground forces like nothing. All the evacuating boats from our area had to stop by the ship for directions and even though the soldiers looked weary and beaten, you could tell they were happy to get off the beach and go aboard a clean, warm ship where they could shower and eat a Christmas meal. Some of the army's amphibious tractors came along for fueling and the soldiers said the Reds weren't taking any prisoners and were stealing their clothes and weapons. They said some of the Reds were armed with things like shot guns.



On the 24th the last troops were being taken off and the artillery was blazing away at the Reds who were now coming down on our side of the hills. All the ships were out of the docking area by now and only the amphibious boats and tractors were left on the beach to take the last troops.



A mile and half from us explosions began rocking the city for fires had been set to destroy everything of value, and ammunition and other explosives began going off. In another area, a huge ammunition dump went off unexpectedly or prematurely and the troops were showered with debris and things were still dropping in the water a half a minute later in and around our evacuating boats. Our two hospital boats were hastened to the scene to aid in medical attention.



Thousands of civilians were now jamming the docks and beaches begging for transportation that never came. Others rowed out into the bay in sampans to escape the fire and explosions. We watched the figures clad in mostly black and white rags running around in the city and on the beach; not going anywhere in particular but trying to escape somewhere. Another explosion went off that nearly knocked the sightseers on our ship down. The different colors of flame and smoke were quite awesome and burning material dropped all over the fleeing Koreans and started fires in a wide area.



While the Reds were held back by Naval gunfire and bombs, our last troops could be seen coming out of the hills and proceeding to the last boats which were loading others. Soon the transports were commencing to leave the area and the cruisers and destroyers began shelling the area. A terrific explosion all along the waterfront went off and when the smoke cleared, the harbor area was in a shambles and burning. These charges were set by demolition crews and consequently the enemy will have a job on his hands before the docks can be used again. The rocket boats moved in apparently to flatten the whole city, but they decided not to evidently. A destroyer came in by us and began shelling oil storage areas. She kept hitting the same place and soon we wondered why she was using ammunition on what appeared to be nothing of value to us. Soon we knew, because an oil explosion threw barrels of fuel all over hell. It was like lighting a string of firecrackers and throwing them in the air. The shelling of the destroyer caused two more like explosions and where I once looked at the first United Nations flag flying, there was nothing but fire.



We finally got underway and after a quick check of a certain area for any remaining soldiers we joined the column of ships going out to sea.

Everyone is feeling low about not being home for Christmas, but everyone is a lot better off than other people I'll never forget. At least we are all dry, warm and have our bellies full.

I have found that movies, pictures or even letters can never point out how devastating war can be. If it ever comes to The States, people will learn something back there.

Well I only hope that next Christmas won't be like this one even though I'll remember this one more than any I have ever seen. Next year at this time I hope I can be home with a big bottle of champagne. I hope everyone else will too.



No mail yet.

Love, Leo

Leo Siegenthaler joined the Navy in Seattle Washington in June, 1948 for a three year hitch. He received Basic Training in San Diego, then was assigned to 3 months in the Bakery. Navy life at this time was flipping do-nuts and going on liberty. He finally got his assignment for schooling to become a Disbursing Clerk, after which he was assigned to the USS Askari (ARL-30). Leo spent about 18 months aboard Askari, acting as Disbursing Clerk. The Askari operated out of San Diego at this time, with one cruise to Hawaii.

The North Koreans invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950. On 27 June, Leo Siegenthaler was transferred to the USS Diachenko, APD-123, and on 30 June 1950 the Diachenko headed west toward Korea. Leo missed the Inchon Invasion (in the Hospital at Sasebo, diagnosed as polio, which turned out to be mononucleosis), but was returned to Diachenko in time for Wonsan, Hungnam, etc.



The Diachenko went back to The States in May 1951 for overhaul. Leo's three years were just about up, but his enlistment had been extended by the US Government. In March 1952, the Diachenko was back in action off the Korean coast, and Leo was still aboard.

In early July 1952, the Diachenko's squadron mate USS Bass (APD-124) was scheduled for a return to The States. As Leo's extended enlistment was close to expiration, he was transferred to Bass to be sent home. The Bass arrived on the West Coast in late July, and three weeks later, Leo Siegenthaler was a civilian again.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

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CHRISTMAS CARGO
A Civilian Account of the Hungnam Evacuation
Dr. Bong-Hak Hyun

My account of these events is a personal remi-niscence rather than a historical analysis, but I hope that students of the Korean War will find my story of some value. My family had fled from Hamhung,North Korea in December 1945 as the Communists took over local governments in the North. Later, I was given the chance to help rebuild Hamhung when Maj. Gen. Edward M. Almond arranged for my transfer to the X Corps as his civil affairs advisor. Schools, hospitals and local governments had to be reorganized, and the general needed someone familiar with the area to advise him on dealing with civilians.



In late November 1950, the X Corps received disturbing reports that Chinese Communist forces had crossed the border and were moving south. I soon realized the U.N. Forces were retreating, and it didn’t seem fair to me that Korean civilians who had risked Communist retaliation by cooperating with the Americans might be abandoned; my only hope was to speak directly to Gen.Almond. Fortunately, his deputy chief of staff, Col. Edward R. Forney of the U.S. Marines, was sympathetic to my cause: by then he had developed friendships among Koreans he had worked with, including me. On Nov. 30, the colonel and I were able to see Almond. “You have people here who really believe in democracy, sir,” I said to the general. “They’ve fought against the Communists for the past five years. You must help them, sir.” “Sir, they have risked their lives by cooperating with us,” added Forney. “Agreed, but at this point, I’m not even sure our own troops can be evacuated,” Almond explained. Enemy forces were approaching Hamhung and Wonsan, and there were seven divisions of U.N. Forces, with over 100,000 troops to move out.



I visited Almond several times, pestering him about the civilian evacuation. Forney and Major James Short, chief of the historical section, argued for it as well. On December 9, the U.S. Army announced it would be unable to evacuate its Korean civilian employees.



On December 14, I got word from ROK Marine headquarters that two LST’s(Landing Ship Tank) would be at the beach the following day to move out Marine equipment; the ships would also be able to carry 4,000 refugees. The next morning there were no LST’s on the beach. I tried unsuccessfully to find out where the ships were and when they would reach Hungnam. It was already December 15, and the deadline for the evacuation of Hamhung had been set for 6:00am the next morning. The Chinese troops were now just outside the city, and the Americans were in a rush to pack their belongings.



That afternoon, Almond called me into his office. Forney and several other XCorps officers were already there, as well as the commanding general, Baik IlKim, and two other high-ranking officers from the I Corps of the ROK Army. “We’ll evacuate 4,000 to 5,000 civilians from Hamhung to Hungnam by train,” Almond finally said, much to my relief. No planes were available for civilians, which meant the only possible route was by ship from Hungnam harbor. Although there were no ships ready for civilians just then, it was decided the evacuation to Hungnam should be started, and we would worry about the ships later.



My job was to tell the civilians to meet in front of the Hamhung railroad station; a train would take them to Hungnam at midnight. They stared at me in disbelief when I told them about the evacuation. I didn’t have time to convince that we weren’t joking or spreading false rumors, since we had other stops to make. “Just get to the railroad station by midnight!” I shouted as we ran out the door. The next stops were the Central Presbyterian Church, the YMCA headquarters, then Nambu Presbyterian Church.



The Hamhung railroad station was packed with more than 50,000 people who wanted to escape; many were left behind. The train, which finally pulled out at 2:00am, arrived in Hungnam at 5:00am. Many of those who had been unable to board the train tried to walk through frozen rice fields and mountain roads to Hungnam. Many civilians did reach Hungnam including refugees from all over the northeast. The military was now faced with the urgent problem of feeding and housing the 100,000 people who had poured into Hungnam. The temperature dropped to –10°C. The sound of gunfire was getting closer, and no boats were insight for the civilians. As tensions grew, people started to complain about the cold, and I even heard some grumble that they should have stayed home because they were sure the Americans were leaving them behind after all.



Finally, on December 17 or 18, three LST’s sent by the ROK Navy arrived at Hungnam, followed by six or seven transports from Japan. The civilian evacuation began on December 19, with thousands of Koreans hurrying on to the ships, many of them pushing to get in front. The LST’s, which might normally carry 1,000 passengers, held at least 5,000 refugees (not counting children strapped to their mother’s backs) squeezed in between tanks and equipment; one was said to have left with more than 10,000 people on board. I was ordered to board the Sergeant Andrew Miller on December 21. I stayed on deck watching the evacuation from a distance. It was becoming more frantic as people panicked at the thought of being left behind. The enemy seemed to be getting closer, for U.N. guns could be heard along the mountain ridges. At night,the sky was filled with streams of bright yellow light from naval gunfire. If I hadn’t known the source, I would have thought it a beautiful sight, like shooting stars falling on the horizon.



On the morning of December 22, the Sergeant Andrew Miller left for Pusan. I realized that it was almost Christmas, practically my first thought unrelated to the evacuation since November. “What a way to spend Christmas,” was my initial reaction. Then I realized that our prayers had been answered, and thousands of Koreans had a chance for a free life, which was the best Christmas gift of all. The evacuation was completed on December 24: 105,000 troops, 17,500 vehicles, 350,000 tons of bulk cargo, and 100,000 Korean civilian refugees were evacuated by sea from Hungnam as Communist troops approached. The Hungnam evacuation has been described in many accounts of the Korean War as a successful military operation, but for the Korean civilians who were transported to safety in the South, it was a miracle



After retiring from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in 1996, Dr. Hyun has been working at the Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Korea, as professor of Clinical Pathology. Hyun has been actively involved with the U.S.-China Korean Friendship Association. He hopes to broaden the Association’s work related to North Korea, particularly the medical relief and education aid programs. Dr. Hyun has made three separate trips to the DPRK.

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[snippy_about_it]

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Generally described as an "amphibious operation in reverse", the evacuation of Hungnam encompassed the safe withdrawal of the bulk of UN forces in eastern North Korea. It was the largest sealift since the 1945 Okinawa operation. In barely two weeks, over a hundred-thousand military personnel, 17,500 vehicles and 350,000 measurement tons of cargo were pulled out. In comparison with the retreat in central and western Korea, little was left behind. Even broken-down vehicles were loaded and lifted out. Also departing North Korea through Hungnam were some 91,000 refugees, a large number, but not nearly as many as had gathered to leave.



The first major unit to go was the First Marine Division, which arrived in Hungnam on 10-11 December after its successful fighting withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir area. The Marines were followed by Republic of Korea troops, the U.S. Army Seventh Division and Third Division. The ROK First Corps was landed at Mukho, on the Korean east coast below the Thirty-eighth Parallel. U.S. forces were mainly taken to Pusan, where the influx initially overwhelmed that port's capacity.



Though the Chinese did not seriously interfere with the withdrawal, the potential threat they represented necessitated a vigorous bombardment by aircraft, artillery ashore and ships' guns. Air cover was available from nearby Yonpo airfield until that was abandoned on 14 December. Thereafter, for the final ten days of the operation, Navy and Marine carrier-borne planes handled the job. Naval gunfire was provided by two heavy cruisers and a battleship plus several destroyers and rocket ships.

Additional Sources:

www.history.navy.mil
www.koreasociety.org
www.history.navy.mil
The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Leo Siegenthaler - The Hungnam Evacuation (Dec.1950) - Oct. 15th, 2003

[snippy_about_it]

Naval gunfire support of the Hungnam redeployment began on 15 December, when USS Saint Paul commenced shooting with her eight-inch and five-inch guns. USS Rochester joined on 17 December and rocket ships (LSMR) began firing on the 21st. On the operation's last day, 23-24 December, the battleship Missouri provided intensified gunfire with her sixteen-inch rifles. Ammunition expenditure was lavish. Among the shells fired were nearly three thousand eight-inch and over eighteen thousand five-inch.

[snippy_about_it]

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[snippy_about_it]

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 StayAt HomeMother

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Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization.

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

Thanks to quietolong for providing this link.

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NOW UPDATED THROUGH JUNE 16th 2004



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

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[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.

[The Mayor]

December 10, 2004

Dangerous Proverbs

Read: Ezekiel 18:1-9

If he has walked in My statutes and kept My judgments faithfully—he is just; he shall surely live! —Ezekiel 18:9

Bible In One Year: Hosea 1-4; Revelation 1

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There is a hidden danger in any proverb. A proverb is a general principle—not an absolute truth—and it can be misused. "Like father, like son," we say, but it depends on who says it and why. There is truth in it, but when someone quotes it to justify the shambles he has made of life, the proverb serves as an excuse to play the victim.

The prophet Ezekiel wanted to get the Hebrew captives in Babylon to return not only to their homes but to their God. It was a tough sell. The people responded by taking refuge in a proverb: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ezekiel 18:2).

This saying blamed their captivity on an earlier generation. "You can't be serious about asking us to repent," they protested. "It's our parents' fault. They ate the sour grapes and we have to bear the consequences."

So God declared through Ezekiel, "You shall no longer use this proverb in Israel" (v.3). Each person bore responsibility for his own actions. "The soul who sins shall die," God said (v.4). But "if he has walked in My statutes and kept My judgments faithfully—he is just; he shall surely live!" (v.9).

Proverbs are wonderful tools for guidance. They were never intended to excuse our bad behavior. —Haddon Robinson

Don't hide your sin and cover up,
Pretending that there's nothing wrong;
Instead, confess it and repent,
And God will fill your heart with song. —Sper

A good test of character: When we do wrong, whom do we blame?

[Professional Engineer]

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On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on December 10:
1538 Giovanni Battista Guarini Italian writer (Faithfull Shepherd)
1787 Francis Gallaudet, founder of the first free school for the deaf.
1794 James Wolfe Ripley Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1870
1805 John E Feisser theologist/founder 1st Dutch baptist church
1805 William Lloyd Garrison, abolitionist publisher (The Liberator)
1813 Zachariah Chandler, US, merchant/politician (found Republican Party)
1824 George MacDonald Scotland, fantasy author (Lilith, Princess & Curdie)
1830 Emily Dickinson (poet: Because I Could Not Stop for Death)
1851 Melville Louis Dewey, created Dewey Decimal System for libraries
1882 Otto Neurath Australian/British philosopher (Foundation of Social Sciences)
1911 TV newscaster Chet Huntley
1913 Morton Gould (composer: Fall River Legend, Billion Dollar Baby)
1914 Dorothy Lamour (Kaumeyer) (actress: Road to Singapore and other 'Road' movies with Bob Hope)
1924 Ken Albers (bass singer: group: The Four Freshmen)
1929 Dan Blocker Texas, actor (Tiny-Cimarron City, Hoss-Bonanza)
1941 Tim Considine Louisville KY, actor (Mike-My 3 Sons)
1941 Tommy Kirk (actor: Old Yeller)
1944 Steve Renko (baseball)
1952 Susan Dey (actress: The Partridge Family, L.A. Law)

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Deaths which occurred on December 10:
0969 Nicephorus II Phocas, Byzantine co-Emperor (963-69), murdered
1041 Michael IV Paphlagonicus, emperor of Byzantine, dies
1198 Averroës ibn-Rusjd Muslim philosopher, dies
1830 Simon Bolivar, South American freedom fighter/"dictator", dies
1896 Alfred Nobel, , dies at 63 [H]
1909 Red Cloud, Sioux indian chief, dies
1946 Damon Runyon, US journalist/writer (Guys & Dolls), dies at 66
1967 Singer Otis Redding died in the crash of his private plane in Wisconsin.
1968 Karl Barth Swiss theologist/minister (Kirchliche Dogma), dies at 82
1978 Edward D Wood Jr director (Plan 9), dies of heart failure at 54
1979 Fulton J Sheen archbishop/religious broadcaster (Life is Worth Living), dies from a heart attack in New York NY at 84
1982 Freeman "Amos" Gosden US radio actor (Amos 'n' Andy), dies at 83
1990 Armand Hammer, CEO (Occidental Petroleum), dies at 92
1996 John Duffey bluegrass musician, dies at 62

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1964 SANSONE DOMINICK---NEW YORK NY.
[REMAINS POSS MIX W/VMS&BURIED,REMAINS RETURNED 07/17/84]
1964 VADEN WOODROW W.---CLARKSVILLE TN.
[REMAINS POSS MIX W/VMS&BURIED]
1967 GRZYB ROBERT H.
[09/04/68 DIC ON PRG LIST]
1971 MC INTIRE SCOTT W.---ALBUQUERQUE NM.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0741 Zacharias becomes Pope
1508 League of the kingdom signed (covenant against Venice)
1520 Martin Luther publicly burned papal edict demands he recant
1582 France begins use of Gregorian calendar
1652 Sea battle at Dungeness: Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp beats English fleet
1672 New York Governor Lovelace announces monthly mail service between New York & Boston
1690 Massachusetts Bay becomes 1st American colonial government to borrow money
1745 Bonnie Prince Charlies army enters into Manchester
1799 Metric system established in France
1810 Tom Cribb (Great Britain) beats Tom Molineaus (US-Negro) in 1st interracial boxing championship (40 rounds)
1816 Dutch regain Sumatra
1817 Mississippi admitted as 20th state
1831 "Spirit of the Times" begins publishing (weekly horse racing sheet)
1864 General Sherman's armies reach Savannah & 12 day siege begins
1869 Women suffrage (right to vote) granted in Wyoming Territory (US 1st)
1887 Austria-Hungary/Italy/Great-Britain signs military treaty of Balkan
1896 1st intercollegiate basketball game (Wesleyan beats Yale 4-3)
1898 Spanish-American War ends; US acquires Philippines, Puerto Rico & Guam
1899 1st defeat of "Black Week" - Battle at Stormberg South Africa - Boers vs British army; nearly 3000 British troops killed
1901 1st Nobel Peace Prizes (to Jean Henri Dunant, Frederic Passy)
1903 Nobel for physics awarded to Pierre/Marie Curie
1906 1st American awarded Nobel Peace Prize - President Theodore Roosevelt
1907 Ruyard Kipling receives Nobel prize for literature
1910 JD Van de Waals wins Nobel Prize for physics
1911 Calbraith Rogers completes 1st crossing of US by airplane (84 days)
1911 Tobias Asser given Nobel prize for peace
1915 President Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Galt
1915 10,000,000th model T Ford assembled
1919 National League votes to ban the spitball's use by all new pitchers
1920 President Woodrow Wilson receives Nobel Peace Prize
1922 Pete Henry makes longest known NFL drop-kicked field goal, 45 yards
1922 Nobel awarded to Fridtjof Nansen, Niels Bohr & Albert Einstein
1923 Polish government of Grabski, forms
1926 1st radio broadcast in the Springfield IL area (WCBS)
1926 2nd part of Hitler's Mein Kampf published
1927 Grand Ole Opry makes its 1st radio broadcast, in Nashville TN (Let er rip boys)
1931 Jane Addams (1st US woman) named co-recipient of Nobel Peace Prize
1931 Manuel Azaña becomes premier/Niceto Zamora President of Spain
1932 King Rama VII (Prajadhipok) grants Thailand a constitution
1934 Fascist dictator of Latvia Ulmanis begins building concentration camp
1936 King Edward VIII abdicates throne to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson
1936 Stockholm: physicist PBJ Debije receives Nobel prize for chemistry
1939 Green Bay Packers win NFL championship, beat New York Giants 27-0
1940 British anti-offensive in Libya (Sidi Barrani)
1941 British battleship Prince of Wales sinks off Singapore
1941 Japanese troops land on northern Luzon in the Philippines
1941 Japanese troops overrun Guam
1942 Hitler names Mussert "leader of Netherlands people"
1942 North Africa: 5th German panzer army forms under Colonel-General von Arnim
1943 British 8th Army occupies Orsogna/Ortona Italy
1944 9 Dutch citizens hanged by nazis
1944 German counter attack at Dillingen-bridgehead at Saar
1945 Preston Tucker reveals plan to produce the Torpedo, a new 150 MPH car
1946 American GI awarded Nobel Peace Prize (not really, but a heck of a good idea)
1947 USSR & Czechoslovakia sign trade agreement
1948 UN General Assembly adopts Universal Declaration of Human Rights
1950 1st black American awarded Nobel Peace Prize - Ralph J Bunche
1952 Yitzhak Ben-Zvi elected 2nd President of Israel
1954 Philadelphia Phillies purchase Connie Mack Stadium
1954 Albert Schweitzer receives Nobel Peace Prize
1958 1st domestic (New York-Miami) passenger jet flight-National 707 flew 111
1958 University of Pittsburgh agrees to buy Forbes Field from the Pirates
1961 US performs nuclear test at Carlsbad NM (underground)
1961 USSR & Albania break diplomatic relations
1962 Hunters Point (San Francisco) jitney ends service after 50 years
1963 6 year old Donny Osmond's singing debut on the Andy Williams Show
1963 Zanzibar becomes independent within British Commonwealth
1964 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Dr Martin Luther King Jr
1966 Israeli Shmuel Yosef Agnon wins Nobel Prize for literature
1966 Nobel for chemistry awarded to Robert S Mulliken
1968 "Smokin" Joe Frazier beats Oscar Bonavena in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
1970 North American Soccer League awards New York & Toronto franchises
1971 William H Rehnquist confirmed as Supreme Court justice
1971 West German union chancellor W Burns receives Nobel prize of peace
1974 Helios 1 launched by US, Germany; later makes closest flyby of Sun
1974 European Economic Community calls for a European Parliament
1975 Andrei Sakharov's wife Yelena Bonner, accepts his Nobel Peace Prize
1975 Terry Funk beats Jack Brisco in Miami Beach, to become NWA champion
1976 Wings release triple album "Wings Over America"
1977 Soyuz 26 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station
1978 In Oslo, Menachem Begin & Anwar Sadat accept 1978 Nobel Peace Prize
1979 Piet Dankert appointed as chairman of European Parliament
1980 Soyuz T-3 returns to Earth
1982 Heavyweight Michael Doakes KOs Mike Weaver in 1:03 in Las Vegas
1983 Danuta Walesa, wife of Lech Walesa, accepts his Nobel Peace Prize
1983 Last NFL game at Shea Stadium; Steelers beat New York Jets 34-7
1983 Raul Alfonsin inaugurated as Argentina's 1st civilian president
1984 South African Bishop Desmond Tutu received his Nobel Peace Prize
1984 1st "planet" outside our solar system discovered
1985 Bill to balance the federal budget passed by Congress
1985 Junta leaders Videla & Massera sentenced in Buenos Aires
1986 Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel accepts 1986 Nobel Peace Prize
1986 Atlanta Hawk Dominique Wilkins scores 57 points vs Chicago Bulls
1986 France performs nuclear test (then surrenders)
1988 Massive Earthquake in Armenia kills 100,000 in cities of Leninakan & Spitak
1988 Washington Capitals 1st NHL scoreless tie, vs Montréal Canadiens
1989 President Gustav Husák of Czechoslovakia, resigns
1990 Hindu-Muslim rebellion in Hyderabad-Aligargh India, 140 die
1990 Soyuz TM-10 lands
1991 TV commentator Patrick Buchanan announced a bid to challenge President Bush for the Republican presidential nomination.
1994 European Campaign against Racism "All different, All equal" begins (and blah blah blah)
1994 Nobel prize awarded to Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres & some killer
1995 Worst snowstorm in Buffalo history, 37.9" in 24 hours (Starting Dec 9 at 7 PM, breaks previous record of 25.3" in 1982
2000 In Washington, lawyers for Al Gore and George W. Bush filed briefs outlining their cases to be argued the next day before the U.S. Supreme Court.
2000 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak submitted his resignation, starting the countdown toward a special election.

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

Khmer Republic : Rights of Man Day
Mississippi : Admission Day (1817)
Stockholm, Sweden : Nobel Prize presentation Day (1896)
Thailand : Constitution Day (1932)
UN, Equatorial Guinea : Human Rights Day (1948)
World : World Freedom Day
Wyoming : Wyoming Day (women's suffrage) (1869)
Geminid meteor shower, radiant in Gemini (50-80 per hour) (thru 12-16)

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Religious Observances
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Melchiades, pope (311-14) & martyr

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Religious History
1520 German reformer Martin Luther publicly burned Pope Leo X's bull, "Exsurge Domine," which had demanded that Luther recant his "protestant" heresies, including that of justification by faith alone rather than through purchased indulgences or other papal favors.
1593 Italian archaeologist Antonio Bosio first descended into the subterranean Christian burial chambers, located under the streets of Rome. Bosio was dubbed the "Columbus of the Catacombs," and his books long remained the standard work on the underground tombs of the early Roman Church.
1854 The second construction of the structure known as St Paul's Outside the Walls was consecrated. The church is one of four major basilicas in Rome. The original edifice was erected by Roman emperor Constantine in 324, and rebuilt as a larger basilica in the late fourth century by the Emperor Honorius (395).
1905 "The Gift of the Magi," a short story by William Sydney Porter, 43, was first published. Known by his pen name, O. Henry, Porter's writings were characterized by trick endings, making him a master of short story telling.
1956 English Christian apologist C.S. Lewis wrote in a letter: 'In so far as the things unseen are manifested by the things seen, one might from one point of view call the whole material universe an allegory.'

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"If at first you don't succeed, you're doing about average."

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Albums We Will Never Buy...
Tammy Faye Bakker - The Extended Remixes (A 6 CD Box Set)

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You Just Might Be A Scrooge...
If your prized Christmas ornament is
an Elf shooting the moon -
you just might be a Scrooge

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Dictionary of the Absurd
zealot
1. Sleeping sickness.
2. The 26th parking area.

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Famous Last Words...
I wonder where the mother bear is.

[Iris7]

Photo is St. Paul during Viet Nam, with helo deck. She saved many of our people's lives there.

From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” (1976) Vol. 6, 252-254.

ST. PAUL

CA-73

Displacement: 13,600 t.

Length: 673’5”

Beam: 70’10”

Draft: 26’5”

Speed: 32 k.

Complement: 1,700

Armament: 9 8”; 12 5”; 48 40mm; 22 20mm’ 4 aircraft

Class: BALTIMORE

The second ST. PAUL (CA-73), ex-ROCHESTER, was laid down on 3 February 1943 by the Bethlehem Steel Co. Quincy, Mass.; launched on 16 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. John J. McDonough; and commissioned on 17 February 1945, Capt. Ernest H. von Heimburg in command.

After shakedown in the Caribbean, ST. PAUL departed Boston on 15 May 1945 and headed for the Pacific. From 8 to 30 June, she underwent training out of Pearl Harbor and sailed on 2 July to join Task Force 38. This fast carrier striking force completed replenishment at sea on the 23d and then proceeded to launching points for strikes against Honshu, Japan's largest island. Between 24 July and 10 August, ST. PAUL screened the carriers as they delivered heavy air strikes on Kure, Kobe, and the Tokyo area in southern Honshu, then at Maizuru and various airfields in northern Honshu. During this period, ST. PAUL also bombarded industrial targets: first on textile mills at Hamamatsu during the night of 29 July, and then on 9 August at iron and steel works in Kamaishi, firing the war's last hostile salvo from a major ship. Typhoon warnings canceled air operations on 11 August until the 14th. Then, those launched that morning were recalled, after peace negotiations gave promise of Japan's surrender. On the 15th, all offensive operations against Japan were stopped.

ST. PAUL, with other units of the 3d Fleet, retired to the southeast to patrol the coast while awaiting orders. On the 27th, she steamed into Sagami Wan to support United States occupation forces. On 1 September, she entered Tokyo Bay and was there during the formal surrender ceremony the next day.

ST. PAUL remained in Japanese waters for occupation duty until she was ordered to Shanghai on 5 November to become flagship of TF 73. She navigated the Whangpoo River, anchored off the Shanghai Bund on 10 November, and remained there until late in 1946.

Returning to the Naval Shipyard, Terminal Island, Calif., on 1 October, she was overhauled to prepare for additional Far East duty. From 1 January to 15 February 1947, she conducted refresher training at San Diego.

Following her return to Shanghai in March, ST. PAUL resumed operations as flagship for CTF 71 until returning to the United States in November. Next, came training operations along the west coast, including cruises for Naval Reservists during April and May 1948. From August to December of that year, she deployed to the western Pacific, serving in Japanese and Chinese waters. Back in the United States, she was converted from catapult to helicopter configuration before serving again in the Far East from April through October 1949.

When hostilities broke out in Korea in June 1950, ST. PAUL was conducting a midshipman training cruise from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor. She disembarked the future naval officers and proceeded late in July to the western Pacific where she joined Task Group (TG) 77.3 on patrol in the Formosa Strait. ST. PAUL remained on patrol between Formosa and mainland China from 27 August to 1 November. She then moved north into the Sea of Japan to join carrier TF 77, and commenced combat operations off the northeast coast of Korea on 9 November. On the 17th, she provided gunfire support to the United Nations troops advancing on Chongjin. That day, shrapnel from a near miss by a shell from a Communist shore battery injured six men at gun mount stations. The cruiser destroyed the enemy emplacement with counter-battery fire and continued her support mission.

As the Chinese Communists began massive attacks late in November, United Nations forces commenced a general withdrawal to consolidate and hold south of the 38th parallel. ST. PAUL provided close support for the Republic of Korea I Corps on their east flank as they withdrew from Hapsu, and along the coast, as they retired from Chongjin. On 2 December, she moved north again, conducted night harassing missions above Chongjin, then moved south to support the withdrawal of the Republic of Korea Capital Division to Kyongsong Man. She entered the harbor at Wonsan on the 3d to provide a curtain of shellfire around that city as United Nations forces and equipment were moved to Hungnam; then followed the forces there, and remained to cover the evacuation of that city and harbor between 10 and 24 December.

From 21 to 31 January 1951, ST. PAUL conducted shore bombardment missions north of Inchon where, on 26 January, she was again fired upon by shore batteries. On 7 April, in special TF 74, with destroyers WALLACE L. LIND (DD-703), and MASSEY (DD-778), landing ship-dock FORT MARION (LSD-22) and high speed transport BEGOR (APD-127), ST. PAUL helped to carry out raids on rail lines and tunnels utilizing 250 commandos of the 41st Independent Royal Marines. These highly successful destructive raids slowed down the enemy's resupply efforts, forcing the Communists to attempt to repair or rebuild the rail facilities by night while hiding the work crews and locomotives in tunnels by day.

ST. PAUL returned to the United States for yard work at San Francisco from June to September, then conducted underway training before sailing on 5 November for Korea. She arrived off Wonsan on 27 November and commenced gun strike missions. During the following weeks, she bombarded strategic points at Hungnam, Songjin, and Chongjin. In December, she served as an antiaircraft escort for TF 77, and, following a holiday trip to Japan, returned to operations off the coast of North Korea. In April 1952, ST. PAUL participated in combined air-sea attacks against the ports of Wonsan and Chongjin. On the 21st, while the cruiser was engaged in gun fire support operations, a sudden and serious powder fire broke out in her forward 8-inch turret. Thirty men died. Before returning to Japan, however, she carried out gunstrikes on railroad targets near Songjin, during which she captured nine North Koreans from a small boat. Following a brief stay in port and two weeks on the gun line, she headed home and reached Long Beach on 24 June.

On 28 February 1953, ST. PAUL departed the west coast for her third Korean tour and was in action again by April. In mid-June, she assisted in the recapture of Anchor Hill. With battleship NEW JERSEY (BB-62), she provided close support to the Republic of Korea army in a ground assault on this key position south of Kosong. The cruiser was fired upon many times by 75 and 105-millimeter guns, and observed numerous near misses, some only ten yards away. But on 11 July at Wonsan, she received her only direct hit from a shore battery. No one was wounded, and only her 3-inch antiaircraft mount was damaged. On 27 July, at 2159, she conducted her last gunstrike and had the distinction of firing the last round shot at sea in the war. The shell, autographed by Rear Admiral Harry Sanders, was fired at an enemy gun emplacement. The truce was effective at 2200. ST. PAUL then commenced patrol duties along the east coast of Korea.

ST. PAUL returned to the western Pacific again in May 1954; and, later that year, she was on hand when the Chinese Communists were threatening the Nationalist Chinese islands of the Quemoy group. Between 19 November 1954 and 12 July 1955, she operated with the 7th Fleet in Japanese and Chinese waters, particularly between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, playing a major role in protecting United States interests in the Far East. She returned to Long Beach for repairs and overhaul, but was back in the western Pacific from 15 August 1955 to 10 January 1956 serving as flagship for the 7th Fleet.

ST. PAUL returned to Long Beach in February and subsequently moved to Bremerton, Wash., for upkeep and overhaul. In September, she became flagship for the 1st Fleet and entertained the Secretary of the Navy during a fleet review at Long Beach. She departed that port on 6 November; and, after refresher training at San Diego, arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, on the 29th to relieve ROCHESTER (CA-124) as flagship of the 7th Fleet. She spent most of her time in Keelung or Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with periods of training in the Philippines and port calls at Buckner Bay, Hong Kong, Manila, and Sasebo. On 26 April 1957, she headed home.

ST. PAUL arrived at Long Beach on 21 May and subsequently cruised along the west coast, as far north as Seattle, until she sailed once more on 3 February 1958 for the Far East. She made an extensive cruise beginning at Pearl Harbor. Thence she steamed to Wellington, New Zealand; proceeded past Guadalcanal and north through the Solomons to New Georgia; visited the Carolines; and ended at Yokosuka on 9 March. She repeated her past WestPac deployments with duties as flagship, and exercises in the Philippines, before returning to Long Beach on 25 August.

Sailing from Long Beach on 4 May 1959, ST. PAUL became the first major United States Navy ship to be homeported in the Far East since pre-World War II days. Based at Yokosuka, she did not return to Long Beach until 39 months later. Then, she assumed duties as 1st Fleet flagship and did not return to WestPac until 1965. From that year, she made five successful deployments with the 7th Fleet in operations off North and South Vietnam, providing gunfire support to allied troops. Reminiscent of her Korean operations, ST. PAUL was hit on 2 September by a shell which struck her starboard bow, near the water line. None of her crew was injured; and her engineers repaired the slight damage, enabling her to continue her mission. For her splendid record of service in helping to combat Communist aggression in South Vietnam, ST. PAUL earned the Navy Unit Commendation and two Meritorious Unit Commendations.

At San Diego on 7 December 1970, ST. PAUL began inactivation procedures. She sailed to Bremerton, Wash., on 1 February 1971 where she was decommissioned on 30 April and was placed in reserve with the Puget Sound Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

ST. PAUL earned one battle star for World War II service, eight battle stars for Korean service, and eight battle stars for Vietnam service.

[Struck from the Navy Register on 31 July 1978, ST. PAUL was sold in January 1980.

K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.139.] Transcribed by Michael Hansen mhansen2@home.com

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning FOXHOLE!
PE how do you like my nose art?

[SAMWolf]

A quick hello to all before Snippy and I head off to OUR salt mine.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Aeronaut.

[Aeronaut]

Hey Sam.

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C.

Don't care what the weather is today. It's gonna be all sunshine for us today. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Morning Mayor.

Live by the proverb, die by the proverb. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Morning PE.

I had to look about three times before I noticed there's a vehicle in the picture.

[SAMWolf]

1941 Tommy Kirk (actor: Old Yeller)

OK, who didn't cry when Old Yeller died?