The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Battles for Pork Chop Hill - 1953 - Jan. 13th, 2003

http://13thengineerbn.homestead.com/files/bridgetoporkchopII.htm ^ | Capt. James A. Brettell C.O. Company A 13th Engineer (C) Bn

[SAMWolf]

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THE BRIDGE TO PORK CHOP HILL

By the end of the 4th of July 1953, it had been raining for 24 hours. Summer rains there are devastating to the roads and create enourmous maintanence problems for the supporting Engineer troops. It doesn't just rain it pours very hard for long periods of time. It was not uncommon to schedule around the clock road maintanence operations because the roads would wash out over night if left unattended. The rains also created serious problems for the infantry units defending positions all along the MLR and especially at such outposts such as Pork Chop hill because the rain masked noises that could alert our troops of the approach of the Chinese. Another aspect of the road maintanence problem is the swelling of streams which normally flow at depths of only a few inches, but which during these rains rapidly rise to depths far too deep to ford with a wheeled or even a tracked vehicle. M-46 tanks and APCs were no match for the swift currents of a swollen stream in the summer Korean rains.

On July 6, the Chinese, launched their last attack of the Korean War at Pork Chop Hill under the cover of darkness and the rains. It was ferocious and unrelenting. The 17th infantry suffered heavy casualties in the initial onslaught. Pre-arranged counter attack plans were implemented immediately. Each of these plans included use of "A" Company supporting engineers. A squad of engineers were assigned to each company of the 17th and regularly practiced counter attack procedures. The engineer troops had pre-arranged basic loads of ammunition, satchel charges, bangalore torpedoes. mines, radios and rations that each individual carried with him for use in the counter attack.

During these counter attacks the continuous rains complicated our routine road maintenance operation so much that we considered the need for a Bailey bridge over one particular stream. Normally small and fordable, this stream flowed diagonally to the northwest crossing the only supply route to Pork Chop and on out into "no man's land" just west of the Chop.

The 17th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Infantry Division was defending Pork Chop and being supported by A-Company of the 13th Engineer (C) Battalion. Early on the morning of July 7th, M/Sgt. Goudy and I conducted a reconniassance to determine whether a Bailey bridge could be used to span the stream. Our affirmative report to battalion headquarters set the wheels in motion. The remainder of the story is an example of Murphy's Law in action.

Battalion quickly informed us that an engineer bridge unit normally assigned for such a task from I Corps was not available. That meant the job would fall to "A" Company to do in addition to their other duties. This assignment might not have been so difficult had there been time for even a brief refresher training period of the details of a Bailey bridge and the construction sequences so neccessary for the job to proceed smoothly. Every engineer soldier has training in Bailey bridge construction, but no one in Able company had even thought of a Bailey for a very long time. However the job had to be done and the fact that our troops were rusty on the details of the Bailey was only one of the many handicaps that would present itself in the next 36 hours.



We all knew that a bridge panel was 5 feet by 10 feet and weighed 560 pounds, but in a matter of minutes M/Sgt. Goudy came up with a tech manual to provide the rest of us with the bridge details that we needed. The bridge construction had to begin right away because the stream was rising rapidly and soon would cut off the only re-supply capability of the 17th Infantry to move Troops,ammunition and food to the Chop and to evacuate the wounded.

The first order of business was a recon to determine how much bridge was needed and select the exact location. M/Sgt. Goudy and I during day light hours moved by jeep to a location out of sight of the Chinese occupying "Old Baldy" and prepared to move from there on foot to an area exposed to anyone who wanted to watch us. We realized we were in sight of the Chinese on "Old Baldy" but we hoped the rain would disguise our presence long enough for us to get our job completed. As we approached the general location for the bridge, M/Sgt. Goudy stepped on something that emitted a very loud "CLICK"! We both knew immediately that he had stepped on a pressure release mine, but Goudy had the presence of mind and the courage to stand still with his weight on his left foot so as not to release the pressure on the switch that would detonate the mine. We stood there for what seemed an eternity but after we caught our breath, he asked "What do I do now?" I said "Stand still and let me think a minute." Murphy was alive and well!

It didn't take long to realize we had very few options. By this time it occurred to me that we had been out there for a very long time. The probability of being observed increased each minute and we were well within range of small arms fire of the Chinese on "Old Baldy".



As I looked around I saw no resources except some boulders strewn around the area. I thought must be something we could do with them to solve our dilemma. I told M/Sgt. Goudy to be patient, and soldier that he was he mustered the courage to stand perfectly still while I maneuvered loose boulders to his leg and fashioned a parapet wall right against it. When I finished I told him I couldn't do anything more. I said "I'll get behind that big boulder over there. Whenever you're ready , fall over that wall and drop to the ground as quickly as you can." In a voice typical of his calm and cofident nature, he merely said "OK". Knowing that he was standing on an explosive charge that could take off his leg or even his life didn't seem to faze Sgt. Goudy at all. His voice never wavered a bit! This man was cool!

We both knew this type of mine was designed to be propelled upward with a two or three second delay before exploding, spraying fragments downward in a fan shaped pattern. After assuring that I was in place, he took a deep breath and jumped toward the outside of the boulders. It seemed like an eternity before we realized that the initial explosion had propelled the mine diagonally up and away from M/Sgt. Goudy and me so that when the mine exploded its force was nearly horizontal in one direction and straight down in the other. Neither of us had more then a few scratches! We assumed the mine was an M-2 Bouncing Betty. We knew of no Chinese mine of that sort. This mine must have been planted by our own forces at some earlier time. After recovering our breath, we realized all of Murphy's pronouncements were bad!

In retrospect' it is difficult to understand why the Chinese didn't fire at us or attempt to capture us from their positions on "Old Baldy". Perhaps they didn't fire because they knew the area was mined. Perhaps they were just amusing themselves watching and waiting for us to blow ourselves up. Perhaps they didn't try to capture us because they had only several days earlier captured the Columbian battalion Commander with enough documentation to cause the burning of midnight oil at division headquarters.



What a way to start construction of a Bailey bridge!

In spite of this difficult beginning we remembered our mission. We had come to select a site and determine the lenght required for a Bailey bridge that would provide a life line to the troops defending Pork Chop Hill. As it turned out, it was a good thing we performed that chore when we did because only a few hours later the continuing rains would have made it impossible to do on foot.

Bridge trucks arrived late that afternoon with the bridging materials and we began immediately to move components to a staging area near the bridge site. It was here that the next example of Murphy's law confronted us. The space in the staging area was very limited because the road to the bridge was on a side hill cut and we had to stay behind a nose of the hill to mask our activity from a line of sight to the Chinese. It was difficult and time consuming to maneuver the huge trucks in such a limited space.

By dark we began the construction. We had Korean Army Soldiers, known as KATUSA's integrated into our company. In addition we were fortunate enough to have Korean Service Corps (KSC) personnel to assist in labor tasks. The darkness and rain were serious handicaps for the project but soon the Chinese started firing mortars directly into the bridge site. As if we didn't have enough trouble, it quickly became apparent that due to the language barrier communication with the KATUSAs and the KSC laborers was extremely difficult.Nevertheless the unloading and assembling of the bridge continued. Actual construction of the bridge was under way.



After constructing the first three sections of the bridge, we found that we could no longer push the joined sections of the bridge towards the far shore with the personnel we had available due to the rain, slick footing and intense incoming fire. We moved a Caterpillar D-7 to the site and as sections were added to the bridge they were rapidly pushed toward the far shore. Work halted frequently when it was neccessary to direct the men to take cover from the intense and unrelenting ennemy fire, which continued all night through the entire project. In one instance, M/Sgt. Goudy ran out to the suspended end of the bridge to pick up a wounded KATUSA and carry him back to safety. The men performed heroically time after time, exposing themselves to deadly mortar fire and small arms fire to assemble the bridge that was so essential to the success of the infantry mission. Casualties occured one after the other. Yet the members of Company A as well as the KATUSAs and KSC persisted in assembling section after section until a 60 foof span bridged a rain swollen stream. The vital supply route was reopened by 0600 on the 7th of July.

During the night there were many trips to the Infantry Battalion aid station, not far from the bridge site and to the rear, and we made that trip many times. On one trip M/Sgt. Goudy himself wounded drove another soldier with him to the aid station. After the Medics treated Goudy, they told him the other man was very seriously wounded and would have to be moved to division level immediately. The Doctor said that all of the ambulances were gone and ordered Goudy to take the wounded man to Division. By the time Goudy returned, his platoon leader was pretty grumpy about the delay until he realized Goudy was wearing a new Purple Heart.



By the next morning July 8th, the rising stream was threatening the abutments of the bridge, so we decided to extend the lenght of the bridge to 90 feet. Fortunately the bridging materials were on the site and we were able to begin work right away. Although the in coming mortar fire was threatening every minute, we were able to reassemble the launching nose on the far shore and then assemble additional sections on the near shore without delaying traffic for more then two hours.

When we finally finished the additional 30 feet, we heaved a huge sigh of relief and took stock of our assets. We had suffered 38 casualties during the previous 36 hours! There were 21 valor awards on this single operation. The job was done in spite of Mr. Murphy and his law! NOTE: M/Sgt. James Goudy traveled from his home in Wisconsin to Texas to collaborate with Capt. James A. Brettell on the writing of this historical record of the 13th Engineers. In addition Lt. Edward Larkin, also a member of A Company at the time of this event came from Louisville to assist in preparation of this document.

BRONZE STAR FOR VALOR AWARDS

The Following 21 Men Of A-and H&S CO. were awarded the Bronze Star For Valor. In addition 38 Purple Hearts were awarded to men of A-Company who worked on this bridge.

CAPT. JAMES A. BRETTELL
LT. JOSEPH M. McMAHON
LT. JAMES J. DIETZ (First Oak Leaf Cluster)
2ND. LT. RICHARD W. WHITE
M/SGT. JAMES R. GOUDY
M/SGT. JAMES SILER
M/SGT. HOUSTON LONG
M/SGT. RICHARD J. ASTRUP
SGT. KENNETH KELLY
SGT. NICHOLAS TOMASINI
CPL. WILLIAM J. WEST
CPL. KENNETH B. THOMAS
PFC. JOHN KIMMEL (First Oak Leaf Cluster)
PFC. CHARLES A. AUSTIN
PFC. CHARLES DOUILLETTEE
PFC. ARTHUR J. LaFRANCE
PFC. J. JONES
PFC. JAMES B. YORK
PFC. MARVIN C. WARD
PVT. TOM V. HOWARD
SGT. ROBERT L. HARRIS (H&S-Co)

[SAMWolf]

One of the last skirmishes was the battle for Pork Chop Hill between July 6 and 10, 1953. Officially Hill 255 (from its elevation in yards), it was dubbed Pork Chop Hill because of its geographic shape. One of a series of outposted hills along the "Iron Triangle" in the western sector of the line of contact, it had long been contested by the enemy. Earlier, in November 1952, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division's Thailand Battalion had come under heavy Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) attack there, but the assault was beaten back.

On March 1, 1953, then defended by the 7th Infantry Division's 31st Infantry Regiment, Pork Chop Hill came under an 8,000-round CCF artillery barrage. Then on March 23, the CCF 67th Division, under cover of an intense mortar and artillery barrage, made a ground attack on Pork Chop Hill. After some initial gains they were beaten back, only to resume the attack on April 16. Once again they were beaten back by counterattacks from the 31st Infantry, reinforced by a battalion from the 7th Infantry Division's 17th Infantry Regiment. But it was artillery that made the difference, as the 7th Infantry Division massed the guns of nine artillery battalions and fired 77,349 rounds in support of the two-day battle.

On July 6, 1953, the CCF made yet another attempt to capture Pork Chop Hill. This time they gained a foothold on a portion of the crest. After repeated attempts to dislodge them were repulsed, General Maxwell D. Taylor, the Eighth U.S. Army commander, ordered the hill to be abandoned on July 11, 1953. Two weeks later, with the signing of the armistice agreement at Panmunjom on July 27, the hill became part of the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.

Ever the politician, General Taylor had made his decision based on his perception of American public and political reactions to the high numbers of U.S. casualties. During the month of July 1953 alone, the United States and its allies along the line of contact, including Pork Chop Hill, had suffered 29,629 casualties both from enemy ground attacks and a record 375,565-round CCF artillery barrage. Chinese and North Korean casualties were estimated at 72,112, most from allied airstrikes and a 2-million-round artillery barrage.

[SAMWolf]

BATTLE OF PORK CHOP HILL
APRIL 16-18

The following is a snapshot of the war’s final battles as told by the actual participants. All of the accounts you are about to read were submitted by VFW members who were actually there. Most are identified by rank and unit at the time.

Fighting for “The Chop” in April involved Companies E, F, K and L, 31st Inf. Regt. And Companies A, E, F and G of the 17th Inf. Regt., 7th Infantry Division. By 6 p.m. on the 18th, the Chinese were driven from the hill. The 45-hour battle on Hill 255 claimed a heavy toll in U.S. lives and wounded.

Our mission was to construct field fortifications on the hill and to dig out the collapsed trench system. Pork Chop was a reinforced platoon forward position. It was not meant to harbor a company of infantry, much less a battalion of infantry plus support units. The hill was literally covered with parts of bodies. During the course of the battle we were relieved as engineers and reverted to infantry. In fact, just about every unit in the 7th Inf. Div. was reassigned as infantry.

- Master Sgt. Richard J. Astrup, A Co., 13th Engineer Bn., 17th Inf. Regt.

The battle for Pork Chop Hill on April 16-18 was supposedly a turning point of the war and speeded up the negotiations at Panmunjon. At exactly 2300 hours, the green flare went up, the artillery and mortar rounds started coming in and the bugles started to blare. We fired until we ran out of ammo or the barrels of our weapons melted.

The Chinks overran our positions, and we got into hand-to-hand combat in the trenches. There were so many enemy that our own artillery, including the 280mm cannons, were zeroed in to fire V.T. fire on our own position. The 17th Regt. was able to retake the hill. It suffered tremendous casualties. We actually witnessed some of our men being dragged off the hill as prisoners, but could do nothing to stop it.

- Sgt. 1st Class Jeri Wooddell, 1st Plt., E Co., 31st Inf. Regt.

I do remember Cpl. Hatfield was the first killed (in the April battle). He died while I was treating his wounds. He asked me not to leave him. There were several wounded. I don’t remember how many.

Also a patrol (I believe from Love Co.) was on its way out in front of Pork Chop Hill when it was hit by Chinese forces. I do not know the number of men in the patrol, but I remember retrieving three bodies from this patrol the day after the battle.

- Sgt. Samuel K. Maxwell, medic, 1st Plt., K Co., 31st Inf. Regt.

From July 6-10, the hill was again the scene of fierce fighting. Cos. A and G, 17th Inf. Regt., held Pork Chop against successive Chinese attacks. L Co., 32nd Inf. Regt. Relieved them near the end. On the 11th, the 7th Division was ordered off the hill. Lt. Richard T. Shea of A Co. earned a Medal of Honor, posthumously.

The dead bodies of enemy troops were stacked two and three deep in the trenches. It was hot and dry and the stench was almost unbearable. It was a very dark night; not near enough flares, heavy action, good buddies killed, our first aid station mistakenly attacked by our own troops. I received numerous grenade wounds but lived to tell about it. All in all, a day and night I will never forget.

- Cpl. Curtis Gullickson, I Co., 32nd Inf. Regt.

Pfc. White manned a .30 cal. Machine gun all night, was wounded and later died. Pfc. Adam, our company clerk, was killed in a CP (command post) bunker.

- Cpl. R.J. Rodriguez, K Co., 32nd Inf. Regt.

We sustained approximately 50% casualties during this encounter.

- 1st Lt. Raymond C. Allmendinger, I Co., 17th Inf. Regt.

I was one of the 21 survivors who came off the hill.

- Sgt. Addison Lance, medic, 1st Bn., 17th Inf. Regt.

When we were ordered to evacuate, there were a total of 11 men to walk off the hill. These were the ones that were not killed or wounded. That was out of 160 men from King Co., and eight combat engineers. So, you see, if Jesus goes with you, you can go anywhere.

- Pfc. Mark R. Lay, A Co., 13th Combat Engineers
Attached to the 17th Inf. Regt.

Love Co., 32nd Inf., was the last company to leave Pork Chop Hill. We were pulled off on the 10th or 11th. The hill was bombarded for days and nobody ended up holding the hill. Love Co. had no one killed and only a few wounded.

- Paul E. Cassidy, 1st Plt., L Co., 32nd Inf. Regt.

King Company made a counter-attack on Pork Chop Hill. There were so many casualties, seemingly all at once, that I cannot remember how many. There are parts of this that I have no memory of at all.

- Sgt. Samuel K. Maxwell, medic, 1st Plt., K Co., 31st Inf. Regt.

[SAMWolf]

'“War in Korea lasted three full years, from June 25, 1950 through July 27, 1953. Yet the last half of the war, especially 1953, is virtually ignored in all the histories of the Korean War.'

-- VFW Magazine.

[SAMWolf]

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[SAMWolf]

Thanks, Doughty!

[Sparta]

SAMWolf, thanks for the excellent and all too relevant post and for adding me to your ping list.

If you want on or off the Western Civilization Military History ping list, let me know.

[Pippin]

Good Morning Everybody!

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Pippin. Got me just before I walked out the door.

[KantianBurke]

Knowing that he was standing on an explosive charge that could take off his leg or even his life didn't seem to faze Sgt. Goudy at all. His voice never wavered a bit! This man was cool!

All I can say is wow!

[Pippin]

Off to work?

[GailA]

Today's graphic

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for your daily contribution to the Foxhole GailA.

Any left over Biscuits and Gravy?

[SAMWolf]

Yep. Gotta be able to be for my Internet access.

[Pippin]

Great!

[Pippin]

Hi, GailA!

Love the graphic!

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on January 13:
1381 St Colette abbess/reformer (Poor Clares)
1406 Matteo Palmieri Italian writer (Della vita civile)
1505 Joachim II Hector ruler (Brandenburg)
1596 Jan J Goyen Dutch landscape painter
1616 Antoinette Bourignon Flemish mystic/French religious fanatic
1628 Charles Perrault France, lawyer/writer (Mother Goose)
1674 Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon French poet (Atrée et Thyeste)
1683 Johann Christoph Graupner German composer
1690 Gottfried Heinrich Stolzel composer
1727 Johann Christoph Schmugel composer
1734 Luca Sorkocevic composer
1778 Anton Fischer composer
1788 Carl Ludwig Cornelius Westenholz composer
1802 Eduard von Bauernfeld Vienna, comedic playwright
1807 Napoleon Bonaparte Buford Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1883
1808 Salmon P Chase (Senator-R) cabinet member, 6th chief justice (1864-73)
1812 Humphrey Marshall Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1872
1815 William Henry French Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1881
1824 Ignacy Marceli Komorowski composer
1834 Horatio Alger Jr Revere MA, author (Lost at Sea, Work & Win)
1835 Gustaaf Rolin-Jaequemyns Belgian jurist/minister of the Interior
1850 Leon Francis Victor Caron composer
1859 Karl Bleibtreu German author (Revolution of Literature)
1859 Kostís Palamás Greek poet/scholar (Flogera tou Basília)
1864 Wilhelm K W Wien German phyicist (Nobel 1911)
1866 Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov composer
1869 Emanuele F duke of Aosta, Italian General (WWI)/fascist
1870 Henryk Opienski Polish composer/conductor (St Moniuszko)
1874 Jozef E van Roey Flemish cardinal/archbishop of Mechlin
1884 Johannes Elsensohn Dutch actor/writer (Arie, novel from the Jordan)
1884 Sophie Tucker [Kalish], Russia, singer/last of red hot mammas
1885 Alfred Fuller CEO (Fuller Brush Man)
1892 Paul Smart US, yachtsman (Olympics-gold-1948)
1893 Clarke Ashton Smith US, sci-fi author (Lost Worlds, Genius Loci)
1893 Jan Evangelista Zelinka composer
1895 Anton Betzner writer
1895 Fortunio Bonanova Palma de Mallorca Spain, opera singer
1898 Pedro de Teixeira de Mattos Dutch diplomat
1900 Yasuji Kiyose composer
1903 Kay Francis [Katherine E Gibbs], Oklahoma City OK, actress (False Madonna)
1904 Richard Addinsell London England, composer (Taming of Shrew)
1905 Percy Humphrey musician
1906 Maxime Jacob composer
1907 Sabine Zlatin nurse
1909 Danny Barker jazz guitarist
1909 Marinus van der Lubbe Dutch communist
1911 Johannes Bjelke-Petersen premier (Queensland Australia)
1913 Jeff Morrow New York City NY, actor (Bart-Union Pacific, Temperatures Rising)
1913 Ralph Edwards Merino CO, TV host (This is Your Life)
1915 Edward Frederick Weston Goodman property developer
1916 Osa Massen Copenhagen Denmark, actress (Jack London, Rocketship XM)
1916 Bella Lewitsky choreographer
1917 Felix Guerro Diaz composer
1918 Steve Dunne Northampton MA, actor (Professional Father)
1918 Lester Sill pioneer music publisher/record producer
1918 Ted Willis prolific English screenwriter (It's Great to be Young)
1919 Army Archerd Hollywood columnist/TV host (Movie Game)
1919 Robert Stack Los Angeles CA, actor (Eliot Ness-Untouchables, Airplane, Unsolved Mysteries)
1923 Jack Watling London, actor (Nanny, Adventure for 2, Naked Heart)
1923 Danil Shafran cellist
1924 Philip Rawson artist/teacher
1925 Gwen Verdon Louisiana, actress/singer/dancer (Cotton Club, Sweet Charity)
1925 Rosemary Murphy Munich Germany, actress (Margaret-Lucas Tanner)
1926 Carolyn Heilbrun [Amanda Cross], author (Lady Ottoline's Album)
1926 Pamela M Cunnington English architect/author (Change of Use)
1928 David Sheiner New York City NY, actor (Paul-Mr Novak, Norman-Diana)
1928 Gregory Walcott Wilson NC, actor (87th Precinct)
1929 Joseph Anthony Pass guitarist
1929 Wim Bary Dutch actor/theater director (Nice Boys)
1930 Frances Sternhagen Washington DC, actress (Outland, Starting Over)
1930 Liz Anderson rocker
1930 Roman Ciesiewicz artist/graphic designer
1931 Charles Nelson Reilly New York City NY, actor (Match Game, Ghost & Mrs Muir)
1933 Nurdin Jivraj Tanzanian/British hotel magnate (Buckingham International)
1933 Ron[ald Joseph] Goulart US, sci-fi author (Deadwalk, Plunder, Cheap Thrills)
1933 Tom B Gola NBA Hall-of-Famer
1934 Rip Taylor comedian (Gong Show, $1.98 Beauty Show)
1936 Ami Maayani composer
1936 Edward R Madigan (Representative-R-IL, 1973- )
1937 Hajé J Schartman Dutch MP (CDA)
1938 Billy Gray Los Angeles CA, actor (Bud-Father Knows Best)
1938 Paavo Johannes Heininen composer
1941 Meinhard Nehmer German Democratic Republic, 2 man bobsledder (Olympics-gold-1976)
1943 Richard Moll California, actor (Night Court, House, Dungeonmaster, Survivor)
1943 William Duckworth composer
1945 [Eileen] Joy[ce] Chant [Rutter] UK, sci-fi author (High Kings)
1947 Peter Sundelin Sweden, yachtsman (Olympics-gold-1968)
1947 John Lees England, rock guitarist/vocalist (Medicine Man)
1948 Kenia Jayantilal cricketer (5 at Kingston 71 his only inns for India)
1948 T Bone' Burnett rocker
1949 Brandon Tartikoff TV exec (NBC)
1949 Rakesh Sharma India, cosmonaut (Soyuz T-11)
1952 Cornelius Bumpus keyboardist (Doobie Brothers-Minute by Minute)
1952 Sharon Gabet Fort Wayne IN, actress (Raven-Edge of Night, Brittany-Another World, Melinda-One Life To Live)
1954 Vicki McCarty Los Angeles CA, playmate (September 1979)
1955 Fred White rocker (Earth Wind & Fire-Shining Star, Easy Lover)
1955 Jay McInerney author (Bright Lights, Big City)
1955 Titus M Mafolo South Africa journalist/ANC-leader
1955 Trevor Rabin rocker (Yes)
1956 Janet Hubert-Whitten actress (Vivian Banks-Fresh Prince of Bel Air)
1956 Jay McInerney writer (Bright Lights, Big City)
1956 Malcolm Foster rock bassist (Pretenders-Mystery Achievement)
1957 Christina Seufert Sacramento CA, diver (Olympics-bronze-1984)
1957 Don Snow rocker (Squeeze)
1957 Mark Francis O'Meara Goldsboro NC, PGA golfer (1984 Greater Milwaukee)
1958 Ricardo Acuna Chile, tennis star
1959 Kevin Anderson Illinois, actor (Hoffa, Sleeping with the Enemy)
1961 Julia Louis-Dreyfus New York City NY, comedienne (SNL, Seinfeld, Day by Day, Soul Man, Troll)
1961 Graham "Suggs" McPherson Sussex, rock vocalist (Madness-Our House)
1961 Kelly Hrudey Edmonton, NHL goalie (Los Angeles Kings)
1961 Kent Hull NFL center (Buffalo Bills)
1962 Brett Maxie NFL safety (Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers)
1962 Kevin Mitchell US baseball outfielder (New York Met, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds)
1963 Tim Patrick Kelly Trenton NJ, guitarist (Slaughter-Stick it Live)
1963 Dirk Tazelaar cricketer (Queensland & Surrey left-arm pace bowler)
1963 Felita Carr Fort Lauderdale FL, dance skater (& Komarov-1995 Pac Champ)
1964 Penelope Ann Miller Los Angeles CA, actress (Kindergarden Cop, Gwen-Popcorn Kids)
1966 Joseph Harper Ventura CA, canoe (alternate-Olympics-96)
1966 Marcus Turner NFL cornerback/safety (New York Jets)
1966 Patrick Dempsey Lewiston ME, actor (Mike-Fast Times, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Can't Buy Me Love, Face The Music)
1966 Tabitha Stevens fictional character (Bewitched)
1968 Kelly Boucher Calgary Alberta, basketball forward (Olympics-96)
1969 Andre Cason US runner (world record 50 indoor)
1969 Dan Footman NFL defensive end (Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts)
1969 John Flannery guard/corner (Dallas Cowboys)
1969 Katarzyna Nowak Lodz Poland, tennis star (1994 Futures France)
1969 Kevin Foster US baseball pitcher (Chicago Cubs)
1969 Orlando Miller Changionola Panama, infielder (Houston Astros)
1969 Robert Wilson NFL running back (Miami Dolphins)
1969 Stephen Hendry British snooker player
1970 Keith Mitchell Palm Springs CA, actor (Jeffrey-Waltons, Gun Shy)
1970 Anne-Marie Goddard Utrechtum Netherlands, playmate (Jan, 94)
1970 Frank Kooiman soccer player (Sparta)
1970 Keith Coogan Palm Springs, actor (Adventures in Babysitting, Hiding Out)
1970 Nachi Abe WLAF tight end (Scotland Claymores)
1971 Elmer Dessens Hermosillo Mexico, pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates)
1972 Byron "Bam" Morris NFL running back (Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers)
1972 Nicole Eggert Glendale CA, actress (Charles in Charge, Chrissie-TJ Hooker, Summer-Baywatch)
1972 Richard Woodley NFL cornerback (Detroit Lions)
1973 Nikolai Khabibulin Sverdlovsk Russia, NHL goalie (Winnipeg Jets)
1974 Matt Lepsis NFL tackle (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl XXXII)
1974 Sergei Brylin Moscow Russia, NHL center (New Jersey Devils)
1975 Angela Holbeck Australian rower (Olympics-96)
1976 Gary Brent cricketer (Zimbabwe ODI pace bowler 1996)
1976 Vaclav Batlik Costa Mesa CA, canoe (alternate-Olympics-96)

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Deaths which occurred on January 13:
0533 Remigius van Reims 1st bishop of Reims (459-533)/saint, dies about 96
0858 Aethelwolf king of Wessex (Battle at Aclea), dies
0888 Charles III the Fat One, King of Franconia/Roman emperor, dies
1049 Derrick IV Count of Holland (1039-49), dies in battle
1177 Hendrik Jasomirgott Babenberg Duke of Austria, dies
1307 Arnoud van Foreest Dom deacon of Utrecht, dies
1330 Frederick (III) the Handsome, duke of Austrian/German anti-king, dies
1488 Hermann Vischer "the Old", buried
1599 Edmund Spenser poet (Faerie Queene), dies at about 46
1625 Pieter Bruegel "the Older" (Bloemenbruegel), Flemish painter, dies
1651 Abraham C Bloemaert painter/cartoonist/engraver, dies at 86
1682 Simon van Leeuwen Dutch lawyer/historian, dies at 55
1691 George Fox founder of Quakers, dies at 66
1702 Peter Rabus Dutch poet/translator (Great Name Book), dies at 41
1762 Leonhard Trautsch composer, dies at 68
1795 François-Joseph Krafft composer, dies at 73
1797 Elisabeth C von Brunswick-Bevern wife of Frederick II, dies at 81
1828 Alexandre-Auguste Robineau composer, dies at 80
1838 Ferdinand Reis composer, dies at 53
1864 Stephen Foster composer (My Old Kentucky Home), dies in a New York hospital at 37
1879 WF Hendrik the Navigator prince of Netherlands/viceroy of Luxembourg, dies at 58
1892 Charles Albert White composer, dies at 62
1901 Carlo Angeloni composer, dies at 66
1913 Thomas P Krag Norwegian author/novelist (Jon Graeff, Ulf Ran), dies at 44
1914 Bernardus H Heldt Dutch MP, dies at 72
1914 Valentin de Zubiaurre y Unionbarrenechea composer, dies 76
1924 Georg H Quincke German physicist (Test of Quincke), dies at 89
1928 Johan Peter Koch Danish officer/explorer, dies at 57
1929 Wyatt Earp US marshall (OK Corral), dies at 80
1930 C-E Auguste Rateau French inventor (R-steam turbine), dies at 66
1934 Jean-Baptiste Marchand soldier/explorer (Sudan), dies at 70
1937 Walter Brearley cricketer (17 wickets in 4 Tests for England 1905-12), dies
1939 Jacob Ruppert CEO (New York Yankees, 1915-39), dies
1941 James Joyce novelist (Ulysses), dies in Zürich Switzerland, at 58
1943 Sophie Taeuber/Täuber-Arp Swiss sculptor, dies at 53
1947 Veit Valentin German/US historian (German People), dies at 61
1954 Roland Diggle composer, dies at 69
1958 Edna Purviance actress (Charlie Chaplin, Sunnyside), dies at 61
1958 John Lindeboom Dutch vicar/church historian, dies at 75
1960 Sibilla Aleramo [Rina Faccio], Italian poet (Una Donna), dies at 83
1962 Ernie Kovacs comedian, dies in a car crash in West Los Angeles, at 42
1963 Leonardus G Kortenhorst Dutch MP (KVP), dies at 76
1968 Bill Masterson (Minnesota Northstars) checked into the boards & killed
1969 Fred Price cricket wicket-keep (England, vs Australia Headingley 1938), dies
1969 Wilton Graff actor (Bloodlust, Just Before Dawn), dies at 65
1971 Bernard "Heinz" Lammerding German SS-General/contractor (Tulle), dies at 65
1971 Henri Tomasi French composer (Don Juan de Mañara), dies at 69
1971 Robert Still composer, dies at 60
1976 Margaret Leighton British actress (Much ado about nothing), dies at 53
1978 Hubert Humphrey (Senator-D-MN, Vice President), dies at 66 in Waverly MN
1978 Joseph V McCarthy baseball manager (New York Yankees), dies at 96
1979 Donny Hathaway Chicago IL, rocker (Ghetto), commits suicide at 33
1980 André Kostelanetz Russian conductor, dies at 78
1981 Emiel van Hemeldonck Belgian writer (Mary, My Child), dies at 83
1982 Marcel Camus French director (Orfeu Negro), dies at 69
1983 Arthur Space actor (Doc Weaver-Lassie), dies of cancer at 74
1983 D Mack Reynolds US writer (Amazon Planet, Once Departed), dies
1983 Doodles Weaver comedian (Spike Jones & City Slickers), dies at 71
1983 John McHugh actor (Unspeakable), dies of a heart attack at 69
1985 Carol Wayne Johnny Carson's teatime movie hostess, dies at 42
1986 Abdel Fattah Ismail President of South-Yemen (1969-80), murdered
1987 E van Ruller Dutch journalist/co-founder (Trouw, Loyal), dies
1988 Chiang Ching-kuo President of Taiwan (1978-88), dies at 81
1989 Joe Spinell actor (Maniac, Star Crash, Strike Force), dies at 51
1992 Josef Neckermann German founder mail-order firm/travel bureau, dies
1992 Yvonne Bryceland actress (Road to Mecca), dies of cancer at 66
1993 Rene Pleven PM of France (1950-51, 51-52), dies
1994 Frederick William Sternfield musicologist, dies at 79
1994 Johan J Holst Norwegian minister of defense/foreign affairs, dies at 56
1995 Arnold Smith painter (Vigelius Prize 1935), dies at 89
1995 Arthur Mervyn Stockwood bishop, dies at 81
1995 Maxwell Henley Harris Austrian poet/publisher (Critics), dies at 73
1995 Ruby Starr vocalist (Grey Ghost), dies of brain tumor at 44
1996 Denise Grey [Edouardine Verthuy], actress (Julietta), dies at 99
1996 Willian Myuon Bany Guerrilla leader dies
1997 William Mills painter, dies at 74

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On this day...
0888 Duke Odo becomes king of West-France
1099 Crusaders set fire to Mara Syria
1547 Earl Henry Howard of Surrey sentenced to death
1559 Elizabeth I crowned queen of England in Westminster Abbey
1610 Galileo Galilei discovers Callisto, 4th satellite of Jupiter
1621 Jan Pieterszoon Coen's fleet sets sail to Moluccas (from Jacarta)
1630 Patent to Plymouth Colony issued
1673 Jean Racine's "Mithridate" premieres in Paris
1695 Jonathan Swift ordained an Anglican priest in Ireland
1733 James Oglethorpe & 130 English colonists arrive at Charleston, SC
1770 De Beaumarchais' "Les Deux Amis" premieres in Paris
1785 John Walter publishes 1st issue of London Times
1794 Congress changes US flag to 15 stars & 15 stripes
1830 Great fire in New Orleans thought to be set by rebel slaves
1849 Vancouver Island granted to Hudson's Bay Co
1854 Anthony Foss patents the accordion
1863 Chenille manufacturing machine patented by William Canter, New York City NY
1863 Thomas Crapper pioneers one-piece pedestal flushing toilet
1865 Federals attack Fort Fisher NC
1869 National convention of black leaders meets in Washington DC
1869 Colored National Labor Union, 1st Black labor convention
1873 PBS Pinchback relinquishes office at Louisiana Governor
1874 Battle between jobless & police in New York City NY, 100s injured
1874 US troops land in Honolulu to protect the king
1882 Richard Wagner completes his opera "Parsifal"
1883 Fire in circus Ferroni in Berditschoft Poland kills 430
1883 Henrik Ibsen's "En Folkefiende" premieres in Oslo
1888 National Geographic Society founded (Washington DC)
1893 British Independent Labor Party forms (Keir Hardie as its leader)
1894 Revolution in Sicily crushed by government troops
1895 Oscar Wilde's "Ideal Husband" premieres in London
1898 Emile Zola publishes his open letter (J'accuse) in defense of Captain Alfred Dreyfus in Paris
1902 Textile workers strike in Enschede Netherlands till June 1
1906 1st radio set advertised (Telimco for $7.50 in Scientific American) claimed to receive signals up to one mile
1908 Montréal Wanderers sweep Ottawa Victorias in 2 for the Stanley Cup
1908 French pilot Henry Farman is 1st European to fly roundtrip
1910 JM Synge's "Deirdre of the Sorrows" premieres in Dublin
1911 Gerhart Hauptmann's "Die Ratten" premieres in Berlin
1911 Roald Amundsens anchors at Walvis Bay
1911 South Africa's 1st win over Australia, at Adelaide
1912 -40ºF (-40ºC), Oakland MD (state record)
1914 IWW-leader/songwriter Joe Hill arrested "Girl from Utah" East-Prussia
1915 Earthquake in Avezzano Italy kills 30,000
1915 W Churchill presents plan for assault on Dardanelles
1919 Dutch Soccer team OSV forms
1920 New York Times editorial (falsely) reports rockets can never fly
1922 WHA-AM in Madison WI begins radio transmissions
1922 Buck Weaver, a Black Sox, applies unsuccessfully for reinstatement
1922 Conference of Cannes concerning German retribution payments ended
1924 Nationalist Wafd-party wins Egyptian parliament elections
1927 US & Mexico battle over oil interests
1929 Humanist Society established, Hollywood CA
1930 "Mickey Mouse" comic strip 1st appears
1935 Plebiscite in Saar, indicates a desire (90.3%) to join Nazi Germany
1939 Belgian premier signs Burgos-treaty for trade relations with Franco
1942 German U-boats begin harassing shipping on US east coast
1942 Henry Ford patents a method of constructing plastic auto bodies
1942 Allied Conference for war trials
1942 Interallied war trial conference publishes St James Declaration
1943 British premier Winston Churchill arrives in Casablanca
1943 Hitler declares "Total War"
1943 Russian offensive at Don under General Golikov
1943 US infantry captures Galloping Horse-ridge Guadalcanal
1945 Prokofchev's 5th Symphony premieres in Moscow
1948 1st country music TV show, Midwestern Hayride, premieres on WLW Cincinnati OH
1949 "Along 5th Avenue" opens at Broadhurst Theater New York City NY for 180 performances
1951 German General F Christian freed early from Dutch prison
1951 9 Jewish Kremlin physicians "exposed" as British/US agents; known as the Doctors' Plot
1953 Gas explosion in Belgium coal mine kills 14
1953 KOLD TV channel 13 in Tucson, AZ (CBS) begins broadcasting
1953 Marshal Josip Tito chosen president of Yugoslavia
1954 Military rule in Egypt; 318 Mohammedan Brotherhood arrested
1954 WEAR TV channel 3 in Pensacola-Mobile, FL (ABC) begins broadcasting
1957 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Allen Tate
1957 Mickey Wright wins Sea Island Golf Open
1957 NFL Pro Bowl West beats East 19-10
1957 Wham-O Company produces the 1st Frisbee
1958 9,000 scientists of 43 nations petition UN for nuclear test ban
1958 US newspaper "Daily Worker" ceases publication
1959 De Gaulle grants amnesty to 130 to Algerian death row convicts
1959 King Boudouin promises Belgian Congo independence
1962 Wilt Chamberlain of Philadelphia Warriors scores NBA-record 73 points vs Chicago
1962 "Do Re Mi" closes at St James Theater New York City NY after 400 performances
1963 AFL Pro Bowl West beats East 21-14
1963 NFL Pro Bowl East beats West 30-20
1964 Karol Wojtyla becomes archbishop of Krakow
1966 1st black selected for Presidential cabinet (LBJ selects Robert C Weaver-HUD)
1966 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1967 Coup in Togo
1967 Rolling Stones appear on Ed Sullivan Show
1968 "Hallelujah, Baby!" closes at Martin Beck Theater New York City NY after 293 performances
1968 "Illya Darling" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater New York City NY after 320 performances
1968 Beginning of Tet-offensive in Vietnam
1968 Minnesota North Stars center Bill Masterton fatally injured (dies on 15th)
1969 Beatles release "Yellow Submarine" album
1971 "Soon" closes at Ritz Theater New York City NY after 3 performances
1972 Former umpire, now housewife Bernice Gera wins her suit against baseball, initiated on March 15, 1971 to be allowed to umpire
1973 "Tricks" closes at Alvin Theater New York City NY after 8 performances
1973 Efskind skates world record 1000m (1 17.6)
1974 Super Bowl VIII Miami Dolphins beat Minnesota Vikings, 24-7 in Houston; Super Bowl MVP Larry Csonka, Miami, Running Back
1976 Sarah Caldwell is 1st woman to conduct at NY's Metropolitan Opera House as she led orchestra in a performance of "La Traviata"
1979 Charlie Daniels hosts the Volunteer Jam
1979 YMCA files libel suit against Village People's YMCA song
1980 "King of Schnorrers" closes at Playhouse Theater New York City NY after 63 performances
1980 Head of narcotic brigade arrested for drug smuggling in Belgium
1980 Togo's constitution becomes effective
1981 Barbara Sonntag, Colorado, crochets record 147 stitches/minutes for 30 minutes
1981 Islander's Mike Bossy's 15th career hat trick-4 goals
1981 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to May Swenson & Howard Nemerov
1982 Air Florida 737 took off in a snowstorm, crashes into the 14th St Bridge in Washington, DC, & falls into the Potomac River, killing 78
1982 Hank Aaron & Frank Robinson elected to Hall of Fame
1983 AMA urges ban on boxing cites Muhammad Ali's deteriorating condition
1983 Québec Nordiques play 251st NHL game without being shut out
1984 TV anchor Christine Craft wins $325,000 in her case against KMBC-TV
1985 99-year-old Otto Bucher scores a hole-in-one at Spanish golf course
1985 Blackhawk Doug Wilson failed on 12th penalty shot against Islanders
1985 Express train derails in Ethiopia, kills at least 428
1985 23rd Tennis Fed Cup Czech beats USA in Nagoya Japan (2-1)
1985 Cerebral Palsy telethon raises $17,1000,000
1986 Bloody coup overthrows government of South Yemen
1986 NCCA institutes eligibility requirements based on college exams
1987 7 top New York Mafia bosses sentenced to 100 years in prison each
1987 W German police arrest Mohammed Ali Hamadi, suspect in 1985 hijacking
1988 Supreme Court rules (5-3) public school officials have broad powers to censor school newspapers, plays & other expressive activities
1988 Los Angeles Dodger/San Diego Padre Steve Garvey retires
1989 "Friday the 13th" virus strikes hundreds of IBM computers in Britain
1989 Jerry Parks, Oklahoma defensive back, charged with shooting a teammate
1989 Ruins of Mashkan-shapir (occupied 2050-1720 BC) found in Iraq
1989 Soap opera "Ryan's Hope" final episode after 13½ year run
1989 Subway gunman Bernhard Goetz begins 1-year jail sentence
1989 Computers across Britain hit by "Friday the 13th" virus
1990 1st elected US black governor inaugurated (Douglas Wilder-Virginia)
1991 UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar meets with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad
1991 12th ACE Cable Awards HBO wins 25 awards
1991 42 killed in exhibition soccer match in Johannesburg South Africa
1991 Phil Mickelson wins PGA Northern Telecom Golf Open
1991 President Mario Soares of Portugal re-elected
1991 Soccer stadium riot in Orkney South Africa, at least 40 die
1992 Excavation of new ballpark at Gateway (Jacobs Field) begins
1992 US serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer pleads guilty but insane
1993 STS-54 (Endeavour) launches into orbit
1994 Italian government of Ciampi resigns
1994 Tonya Harding's bodyguard, Shawn Eric Eckardt & Derrick Brian Smith arrested & charged with conspiracy in attack of skater Nancy Kerrigan
1995 26 HNL teams unanimously ratify agreement to end NHL strike
1995 America3 becomes 1st all-female crew to win an America's Cup race
1998 "Patti LaBelle On Broadway" opens at St James Theater New York City NY
1998 CBS pays $4 billion to televise AFC games for 8-years

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

Ghana : Redemption Day (1972)
Togo : Liberation Day (1963)
US : Stephen Foster Memorial Day
Switzerland : Meitlisunntig Festival-Woman in Villmergen War (1712) - - - - - ( Sunday )

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Religious Observances
Christ-Sweden/Norway : Tyvendedagen/St Knute/20th day of Christmas
old Roman Catholic : Feast of the Baptism of Jesus
Roman Catholic : Feast of Blessed Yvette
Roman Catholic : Feast of St Leontius
Christian : Plough Monday
Christian : Feast of Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers
Roman Catholic, Anglican : Memorial of St Hilary, bishop of Poitiers/doctor (opt)
Lutheran : Commemoration of George Fox, renewer of society

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Religious History
1501 The world's first hymnbook printed in the vernacular was published in Prague. It contained 89 hymns in the Czech language. (The name of the hymnal is no longer known, since the only surviving copy lacks the title page.)
1635 Birth of Philip Jacob Spener, founder of German pietism. The name for the Bible studies (called "collegia pietatis") held in his home came to be associated with his followers, who were afterward called Pietists.
1691 Death of George Fox, 67, English founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers). Fox left the Anglican church at 23 and founded the Quaker movement in 1660 at age 36.
1936 Baptist clergyman B.B. McKinney, 50, wrote the words and tune to the gospel song, "Wherever He Leads, I'll Go," a few days before the opening of a Sunday School convention in Alabama.
1974 A Gallup poll on religious worship showed that fewer Protestants and Roman Catholics were attending weekly services than ten years earlier, but that attendance at Jewish worship services had increased over the same period.

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Thought for the day :
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair."

[SAMWolf]

(((Monday Foxhole Ping)))

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[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)

Independence class light aircraft carrier
Displacement. 11,000 t.
Lenght. 622'6"
Beam. 109'2"
Draft. 26'
Speed. 31.6 k.
Complement. 1569
Armament. 26 40 mm

Begun as the light cruiser New Haven (CL-76), she was converted to a carrier and renamed Belleau Wood on 16 February 1942. She became CVL-24 on 15 July 1943. USS Belleau Wood was launched 6 December 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N. J.; sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Holcomb, wife of the Commandant of the Marine Corps; and commissioned 31 March 1943, Captain A. M. Pride in command.

After a brief shakedown cruise Belleau Wood reported to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at Pearl Harbor 26 July 1943. After supporting the occupation of Baker Island (1 September) and taking part in the Tarawa (18 September) and Wake Island (5-6 October) raids, she joined TF 50 for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands (19 November-4 December 1943).

Belleau Wood operated with TF 58 during the seizure of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, Marshall Islands (29 January-3 February 1944), Truk raid (16-17 February); Saipan-Tinian-Rota-Guam raids (21-22 February); Palau-Yap-Ulithi-Woleai raid (30 March-1 April); Sawar and Wakde Island raids in support of the landings at Hollandia, New Guinea (22-24 April); Truk-Satawan-Ponape raid (29 April-1 May); occupation of Saipan (11-24 June), 1st Bonins raid (15-16 June), Battle of the Philippine Sea (19-20 June); and 2nd Bonins raid (24 June). During the Battle Of the Philippine Sea, Belleau Wood's planes sank the Japanese carrier Hiyo.

After an overhaul at Pearl Harbor (29 June-31 July 1944) Belleau Wood rejoined TF 58 for the last stages of the occupation of Guam (2-10 August). She joined TF 38 and took part in the strikes in support of the occupation of the southern Palaus (6 September-14 October); Philippine Islands raids (9-24 September); Morotai landings (15 September); Okinawa raid (10 October); northern Luzon and Formosa raids (11-14 October); Luzon strikes (15 and 17-19 October), and the Battle of Cape Engaño (24-26 October). On 30 October, while Belleau Wood was patrolling with her task group east of Leyte, she shot down a Japanese suicide plane which fell on her flight deck aft causing fires which set off ammunition. Before the holocaust could be brought under control 92 men were killed or missing.

Burning aft after she was hit by a Kamikaze, while operating off the Philippines on 30 October 1944. Flight deck crewmen are moving undamaged TBM torpedo planes away from the flames as others fight the fires. USS Franklin (CV-13), also hit during this Kamikaze attack, is afire in the distance.

After temporary repairs at Ulithi (2-11 November), Belleau Wood steamed to Hunter's Point, Calif., for permanent repairs and an overhaul, arriving 29 November. She departed San Francisco Bay 20 January 1945 and joined TF 58 at Ulithi on 7 February. During 15 February-4 March she took part in the raids on Honshu Island, Japan, and the Nansei Shoto, as well as supporting the landings on Iwo Jima. She also took part in the 5th Fleet strikes against Japan (17 March-26 May) and the 3rd Fleet strikes (27 May-11 June). After embarking a new air group at Leyte (13 June-1 July) she rejoined the 3rd Fleet for the final strikes against the Japanese home islands (10 July-15 August).

Belleau Wood launched her planes 2 September for the mass flight over Tokyo, Japan, during the surrender ceremonies. She remained in Japanese waters until 13 October. Arriving at Pearl Harbor 28 October, she departed three days later with 1248 servicemen for San Diego. She remained on "Magic Carpet" duty, returning servicemen from Guam and Saipan to San Diego, until 31 January 1946. During the next year Belleau Wood was moored at various docks in the San Francisco area undergoing inactivation. She was placed out of commission in reserve at Alameda Naval Air Station 13 January 1947. She remained in reserve until transferred to France 5 September 1953 under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. Under the name Bois Belleau, she served the French Navy until 1960, when she was returned to U.S. custody and sold for scrapping.

Belleau Wood received the Presidential Unit Citation and twelve battle stars during World War II.

[Fiddlstix]

Mornin' SAM
(Your Breakfast as ordered)

Good Morning Everybody.

You Know The Drill
Click the Pics

Fresh Coffee
Biscuits & Gravy
Enjoy