The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Robert James Dicken, C.S.M. - USS SIMS (5/7/1942)

U.S.S. Sims
Description of Bombing Attack
and
Narrative of Events Following Attack by Japanese Bombers
on May 7, 1942.

During the forenoon of May 7, 1942, while acting as anti-submarine escort for, and patrolling station ahead of the U.S.S. Neosho (AO-23), the U.S.S. Sims was attacked and sunk by Japanese bombers in the Coral Sea. The weather was clear, with alto-cumulus clouds at about 15,000 feet altitude; the sea was smooth, with a slight swell; wind was about three knots.

The ship had steam on all boilers and one 5-inch gun, as well as all four 20 mm. anti-aircraft guns, was manned. The SC radar was manned, and was searching; no FD radar had been installed.

At about 0910 a bomb landed in the water at some distance to port, abreast of the forward guns. One man at Number Two Mount was injured by a fragment, but no material damage was incurred. Gober states, however, that the hearing of all hands at Numbers One and Two Mounts was impaired by the explosion and that normal hearing did not return for about one hour. After the bomb had landed, a lone twin motored reconnaissance plane was sighted at about 15,000 yards range, flying high and crossing above the ship. General Quarters was sounded immediately; the 20 mm. guns began firing; and the 5 inch gun which was manned began firing in director control. The first three projectiles failed to burst, while the following shots appeared to be well off in deflection. Savage says that the plane apparently changed course every time he noted a flash of the gun. This plane then flew out of gun range and continued to shadow the Sims and Neosho. An enemy contact report was sent out by the Sims after this attack.

Off the Kennebec River, Maine, during her builder's trials, 6 July 1939. She is flying the flag of Bath Iron Works, her builder, at the foremast peak. Note that Sims' Mark 37 main gun battery director has not yet been installed.
br> The Sims had numerous radar contacts following this first attack and about 0930 sixteen high level bombers in two groups attacked the Sims and Neosho. They dropped bombs which missed wide, causing no damage to either ship. Sims survivors stated that the bombers were apparently disturbed by the fire from the 5-inch guns, all of which were firing in director control. No information was obtained as to whether any of the planes were shot down. A total of 328 rounds of 5-inch ammunition was expended in these first two phases of the attack.

The horizontal bombers disappeared from sight but the Sims continued to pick up planes on her SC radar. None were sighted, however, until twenty-four dive bombers appeared at about 1130. As soon as these planes appeared, The Sims went to flank speed and turned left to take position on the port quarter of the tanker; fire was opened by the 5-inch battery in director control when the planes came within range. The attacks were directed primarily at the tanker and came in from various bearings astern in three waves. The planes approached at about 15,000 feet and dove close to the ship in shallow dives of about 30°. Bombs were released quite close aboard, because survivors state that some bombers were destroyed by the blast of their own bombs. The Sims made a direct hit on one bomber with a 5-inch shell and the plane was seen to explode in the air. The 20 mm. guns fired continuously at the dive bombers as they passed overhead and tracers were seen to pass through the planes, but the projectiles failed to burst and destroy the aircraft. One of the forward 20 mm. guns jammed early in the action and was not cleared during the remainder of the engagement.

Four planes broke off from one wave of Neosho attackers and directed their attack at the Sims, diving on her in succession from astern. All of these planes were single motored, had fixed landing gear, and had a silhouette similar to that of Japanese dive bombers. The first released a bomb which landed in the water about amidships to port; the second released a bomb which landed on Number Two Torpedo Mount and exploded in the forward engine room; the third released a bomb which apparently hit the after upper deck house and went down through diagonally forward, exploding in the after engine room; the fourth plane is believed to have made a direct hit on Number Four Gun, but this cannot be definitely established. Numbers Three and Four Mounts and the after 20 mm. guns were put out of commission by the bomb hits, but the forward mounts in local control and one 20 mm. gun continued firing at the planes until all of them were out of gun range.

The total number of rounds fired by the Sims cannot be ascertained, but one survivor states that over 200 rounds were fired from Number Two Mount alone. During this last attack, the paint on the barrel of Number One Mount blistered and caught fire; the crew, however, continued to fire with the complete length of the barrel in flames. Several planes were brought down by gun fire during this attack. Neosho survivors told Sims survivors that the planes which attacked the Sims were never seen to emerge from the blast of their bomb explosions. It is believed that the bombs dropped were about 500 pound size.

Though there are only thirteen known survivors of the Sims, these men are from widely separated battle stations and it is possible to reconstruct a fairly accurate account of the damage.

As previously stated, the first bomb released at the Sims during the dive bombing attack was a near miss to port. There appears to have been no material or personnel casualties as the result of this hit. The fireroom survivors say that missiles were heard hitting the shell of the ship but none penetrated.

Because the three direct hits on the Sims came in fairly close succession, it is not possible for the survivors to recall accurately the events connected with each hit. Therefore, the damage can probably be best described by recounting the stories of each individual survivor interviewed.

The immediate effect of the first hit was a complete loss of power. The ship stopped dead in the water and all lights went out. The auxiliary diesel generator started and picked up the electrical load on those units whose power supply cables had not been damaged. When this bomb exploded, flames shot about 150 feet in the air, the forward section of the ship vibrated violently, knocking people down, a lookout stationed on top of the director shield was blown overboard, and Savage, who was stationed at the director, was knocked down by the blast. The radar antennae fell from the mast and landed in the port motor whaleboat; all signal halyards dropped from the yard but the mast stays did not part. Dicken reports that the pilot house "was a shambles"; the chart desk in the chart house was torn loose from its fastenings and the quick acting doors leading from the inside passage to the deck below were jammed shut, leaving the vertical ladder at the after end the only access to and from the bridge. The general alarm sounded with a continuous hum, which is the customary signal for gas attack. This gave several men the impression that they were being subjected to such an attack. This sounding of the alarm, however, was remedied quickly by pulling the switch on the circuit.

No real material damage was noted in the plotting room. The first bomb explosion caused several instrument glasses to break, but all equipment appeared to continue functioning until all power was lost after the second bomb hit, at which time the diesel generator stopped. Ernst then attempted to get onto the main deck by going up through the main deck hatch and out through the galley passageway but he found all quick acting doors in this area jammed shut. He went back down and forward along the first platform deck through C.P.O. quarters and finally succeeded in getting out onto the forecastle deck through the scuttles in the hatches leading to the C.P.O. mess room.

1 posted on 05/07/2003 5:35:20 AM PDT by SAMWolf

To: AntiJen; snippy_about_it; Victoria Delsoul; SassyMom; bentfeather; MistyCA; GatorGirl; radu; ...

Reilly states that the first bomb caused no damage other than the breaking of gage glasses in the forward fireroom. All lights went out immediately and by the time Reilly was able to light a battle lantern to look at the steam pressure on the boilers it had already dropped to 200 pounds per square inch and was falling rapidly. On feeling a second shock, which was probably the second bomb hit, he secured the boilers, closed the master oil valve and all of the crew left the fireroom. No steam or feed lines in the fireroom carried away as a result of these two explosions.

In the after fireroom no extensive damage resulted from the first hit. The after bulkhead of the fireroom appeared to hold and no water entered the space. The fireroom gratings were knocked out of place, lights went out, and the steam pressure dropped to zero. Apparently, Canole and Vessia left the fireroom after the first bomb hit, because the latter states that on coming up onto deck he met the Chief Engineer who ordered him to go back down to insure that the boilers had been secured. (One other survivor states that immediately following the first hit he saw the Chief Engineer, Lieut. W. Silverstein, USN, who was in charge of the Repair Party stationed in the machine shop, lying on deck unconscious. He apparently recovered quickly and directed damage control work in a commendable manner, as will be brought out later in this report). Vessia went down again into the fireroom and secured the boiler.

While he was doing this work, the second explosion occurred. The blast from this bomb split the deck open overhead and forced the after fireroom bulkhead forward almost to the boiler casing. The fuel oil heater, which was mounted on the bulkhead, dropped down into the bilges. There was no immediate flooding, nor was any steam or feed water released, because Vessia states that he was directly under the lines and would most certainly have been burned had this been the case. Other survivors state that the lathe in the machine shop was knocked loose and was hanging suspended down through the hole in the main deck, and that a small fire, which was easily extinguished, was burning in the machine shop. It is believed that all hands were killed at their battle stations in the engine rooms.

Only one man stationed in the after section of the ship during the attack was rescued. This man, E.F. Munch, MM2c, was stationed in the steering engine room. He states that the two other men at this station with him survived the explosions but were probably lost in the water later. When the first bomb hit the ship, Munch states that all power was lost and all communication except with the I.C. Room was severed. Power was restored when the diesel generator started and was maintained for about two minutes. In the berthing compartment immediately forward of the steering engine room all bunks dropped onto the deck and some water entered. Flooding did not appear to progress, however. After the second hit, Munch and the other men stationed in the steering engine room went up to the main deck. What became of the other two men is not known, but Dicken states that Munch remained on the fantail as the ship was sinking and secured a loose depth charge which was rolling about. Munch was later picked up out of the water by Dicken after the Sims had sunk.

An accurate description of the damage to the after end of the ship cannot be pieced together. It appears that the first bomb hit the after torpedo mount and exploded in the engine room below. The torpedo mount was blown overboard and some of the warheads, which must have been sheared off, were seen on deck. The forward torpedo mount was canted upward and the spoons were driven into the stack. The second bomb hit apparently wrecked the after upper deck house, setting it on fire, and probably exploded in the after engine room. Six of the eight life rafts aboard the ship were in the vicinity of these explosions and they were blown to bits. Number Four Gun had apparently received a direct hit, because every one in the gun crew had been killed and the gun was wrecked. A gaping hole was blown in the main deck above the engine rooms. Dicken states that the deck was ruptured from starboard to port. He further states that, from the bridge, the damage did not appear as extensive as it really was, and that the Commanding Officer had every intention of saving the ship and directed his every effort to do so until the last.

After the attack was over the Commanding Officer ordered everyone off the bridge except himself and the Chief Quartermaster. He ordered all hands to assist the repair party in charge of the Chief Engineer in jettisoning topside weights. All loose material was thrown overboard; Lieutenant Silverstein, with several machinist's mates, attempted to free the forward torpedo mount to permit firing the torpedoes. The port boat was lowered over the side and it sank immediately. The two remaining life rafts, located at about frame 76, were launched and the starboard motor whaleboat was lowered. Although this boat had been holed by a large splinter, it was kept afloat by stuffing life jackets in the hole and by continuous bailing; the motor operated satisfactorily. Gober, Cannole, Chmielewski, Scott, Reilly, and Vessia manned this boat.

The Commanding Officer then ordered Dicken to take charge of the boat and to go aft in it to put out the fire in the after upper deck house and to flood the after magazines. Dicken had to swim out to the boat from the ship and he noted that there was no oil on the water at this time. On taking charge of the boat Dicken proceeded around the bow to the lee side of the ship aft. As the motor whaleboat approached, the ship seemed to break amidships and start to sink slowly. The stern went under first and appeared to draw the bow aft, pulling it down stern first. All hands began abandoning ship in life jackets, swimming for the rafts. Just as the water level reached the top of the stack and began running down into it, a terrific explosion occurred. What remained of the ship was lifted ten to fifteen feet out of the water, and the surface of the water around the ship was covered with oil.

This great explosion was followed by another smaller one, which survivors definitely identified as a depth charge explosion. The remaining forward section then settled slowly, sinking in about five minutes. One man who couldn't swim was seen hanging onto the anchor until the stem disappeared into the water. Survivors estimate that the ship sank in about fifteen to twenty minutes after receiving the first direct hit. Under conditions of stress such as existed at the time, minutes would seem like hours and it is quite possible that the ship sank much more rapidly than these men estimate.

The survivors are of the opinion that the terrific explosion was a boiler explosion. This seems hardly plausible, though, because both fireroom survivors state that the steam pressure had dropped to zero. A depth charge or warhead explosion appears to be more likely. No survivor knows definitely whether or not the depth charges were set on "SAFE", but Dicken states that the usual practice on the Sims was to keep them set on "SAFE" until a submarine contact was made.

Following this explosion, Dicken, in the whaleboat, proceeded to pick up all men in the water whom he could find, and who appeared to be still alive. He succeeded in saving a total of fifteen men, including himself, and then began looking for the life rafts in order to take them in tow. His search was fruitless, so he headed toward the U.S.S. Neosho, which was dead in the water, listed about 25° and burning. He approached to within 250 yards and awaited instructions. After about thirty minutes he was called alongside and several of the Neosho wounded were put in the boat.

During the night of May 7th Dicken and the survivors of the Sims, along with the several Neosho men, stayed in the boat, keeping in the vicinity of the Neosho. On May 8th they again went alongside and transferred the wounded back aboard, where mattresses had been laid out on deck. The Sims crew attempted to patch the hole in their boat and succeeded in stopping it somewhat, but continuous bailing was still necessary. They tried to repair the engine, which had stopped, but could not start it again. On the evening of May 8th the captain of the Neosho gave all hands the choice of remaining aboard through the night or taking to the boats. Dicken and his men (one had died during the night), along with ten from the Neosho, spent the night of May 8th in the boat.

The sea was quite rough that night and the Sims whaleboat drifted about three miles away from the Neosho. Dicken realized that the best course was to stay near the Neosho, but without a motor he had no way of getting back. He ingeniously rigged a sail, using blankets and boat staffs, and sailed back to the tanker on May 9th. Meanwhile, the men who had stayed aboard the Neosho had succeeded in launching a 40-foot motor launch and had rigged hoisting gear by which they were able to lift the Sims whaleboat clear of the water to permit patching of the hole. The punctured buoyancy tanks were replaced with 5-gallon cans, a sail rigged, and the boat was stocked with provisions and water. However, since it appeared that the Neosho hulk would remain afloat, all hands remained aboard until they were rescued by the U.S.S. Henley (DD-391) on May 11th.

Additional Sources:

www.history.navy.mil
www.geocities.com/usssimsdd409
www.hazegray.org

2 posted on 05/07/2003 5:35:44 AM PDT by SAMWolf (*ERROR* TAG.TXT REPLACED WITH FOLGERS CRYSTALS.)

USS Sims (DD-409), 1939-1942

The first Sims (DD-409) was laid down on 15 July 1937 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine, launched on 8 April 1939- sponsored by Mrs. William S. Sims and commissioned on 1 August 1939, Lt. Comdr. W. A. Griswold in command.

After shakedown training in the Caribbean and post shakedown availability in the Boston Navy Yard Sims joined the Atlantic Squadron at Norfolk on 2 August 1940. The destroyer operated with the Neutrality Patrol in Caribbean and South Atlantic waters. In November and December 1940, Sims patrolled off Martinque. On 28 May 1941, the ship arrived at Newport, R.I., and began operating from there. She sailed for Iceland on 28 July with an American task force. In August, the destroyer patrolled the approaches to Iceland. In September and October, the ship made two lengthy North Atlantic patrols. Sims had been attached to Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 2 since she began making Neutrality Patrols.

With the outbreak of war on 7 December DesRon 2 became part of a task force ( Task Force 17) formed around Yorktown (CV-5). The task force sortied from Norfolk on 16 December 1941 for San Diego. From there, it sailed as part of a convoy taking marines to Samoa, arriving on 23 January 1942.

At the time, it was believed that the Japanese would attack Samoa to sever Allied communications with Australia. To thwart such a move, a carrier raid against Japanese bases in the Marshall Islands was planned. The Yorktown task force was to strike the islands of Mili, Jaluit, and Makin, while another force centered around Enterprise (CV-6) was to hit Kwajalein, Wotje, and Maloelap.

Task Force 17 departed Samoa on 25 January with Sims in the screen. At 1105 on the 28th, she sighted an enemy bomber. At 1114, a stick of four bombs fell approximately 1,500 yards astern, straddling the wake of the destroyer. The next day, the two carrier forces and a bombardment group attacked the islands and with drew.

Sims, with TF 17, sailed from Pearl Harbor on 16 February to attack Wake Island. Shortly after departing, their sailing orders were changed; and they proceeded to the Canton Island area. Canton is a small island on the Honolulu-New Caledonia air route, and it was thought to be endangered by the Japanese.

Three waves of Japanese fighters and bombers attacked Sims on May 7, 1942 as she escorted the Fleet Oiler USS Neosho (AO-23) to a safe refueling point in the Coral Sea. Sims, hit by three 500-pound bombs, slid beneath the waves at 12:30 PM, taking all but 13 of her crew with her.

For years, historians have glossed over the pivotal role played by Sims and Neosho, during the Battle of the Coral Sea. When a Japanese scout mistakenly identified the destroyer and oil tanker as an aircraft carrier and a cruiser, the Japanese fleet launched the bulk of its airpower against the two hapless ships. Sims put up a blistering barrage of fire to protect Neosho against impossible odds. In the end, she accomplished her mission, shooting down four Jap planes and enabling Neosho to stay afloat long enough so that her survivors could be rescued four days later. But she did so at great cost, losing 235 men.

Sims received two battle stars for World War II service.

3 posted on 05/07/2003 5:36:08 AM PDT by SAMWolf (*ERROR* TAG.TXT REPLACED WITH FOLGERS CRYSTALS.)

The State of the Union is Strong!
Support the Commander in Chief
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4 posted on 05/07/2003 5:36:32 AM PDT by SAMWolf (*ERROR* TAG.TXT REPLACED WITH FOLGERS CRYSTALS.)

5 posted on 05/07/2003 5:36:57 AM PDT by SAMWolf (*ERROR* TAG.TXT REPLACED WITH FOLGERS CRYSTALS.)

To: SAMWolf; snippy_about_it; *all

6 posted on 05/07/2003 5:40:20 AM PDT by Soaring Feather (Hey FOXHOLERS!!! GOOD MORNING!)

Good Morning Bentfeather.

7 posted on 05/07/2003 5:45:55 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ix dinner and leave the @#$! computer alone?)

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on May 07:
1530 Louis I Condé French prince/leader of hugenots
1574 Innocent X [Giambattista Pamfili] 236th Roman Catholic pope (1644-55)
1700 Gerard van Swieten Dutch botanist
1704 Carl Heinrich Graun composer
1763 Josef Poniatovski Polish general/marshal of France
1769 Giuseppe Farinelli composer
1774 Sir Francis Beaufort naval officer; devised wind force scale
1776 Dániel Berzsenyi [Hungarian Horatius], Hungarian poet
1795 Gerhard M Roentgen industrialist (founder dockyard Fijenoord)
1803 Johan Peter Cronhamm composer
1812 Robert Browning London England, poet (The Pied Piper)
1826 Varina Howell Davis 1st lady (Confederacy), died in 1905
1827 Charles T H Coster Belgian literary (Légendes Flamandes) [or Aug 20]
1827 Francis Engle Patterson Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1862
1832 Carl G Neumann German mathematician/physicist (Neumann-functions)
1833 Johannes Brahms Hamburg Germany, composer, enjoys a good lullaby
1840 Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Votkinsk Russia, composer (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture)
1847 Archibald Primrose Earl of Rosebery (Liberal), British PM (1894-95)
1861 Rabindranath Tagore Hindu poet/mystic/composer (Nobel '13)
1866 Cornelis J K van Aalst president (Dutch Trading Company)
1867 Philippine "Pine" Belder [Mary de Klerk], actress (Hope of Blessing)
1873 Clarence Dickinson composer
1882 Willem Elsschot [Alfons J de Ridder] Flemish writer (Mend)
1883 Gino Roncaglia composer
1883 Martin Albertz German theologist (Church Jesus Christ)
1885 George "Gabby" Hayes Wellesvile NY, actor (In Old Santa Fe, El Paso)
1887 Henri Pourrat French writer (Gaspard of the Montagnes)
1888 Selmer Jackson Lake Mills IA, actor (Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp)
1890 Billy House Minnesota, actor (Imitation of Life, Bedlam, Egg & I)
1892 Archibald MacLeish Glencoe IL, political essayist/poet/dramatist (JB)
1892 Josip Broz Tito WWII partisan, leader of Yugoslavia (1943-80)
1897 Kitty McKane England, tennis (Olympics-gold/2 silver/2 bronze-1920, 24)
1898 Vera Chapman writer
19-- Phil Campbell rocker (Motorhead-No Remorse)
1900 Bauke Tuinstra Dutch/Frisian notary/author (Earste Keur)
1900 Ralph Truman London England, actor (Web of Evidence)
1901 Gary Cooper Helena MT, actor (2 Academy Awards-Sergeant York, High Noon)
1901 L T Coggeshall medical scientist/ US Secretary of HEW (1956-58)
1901 Marcel Poot Belgian baron/composer
1902 Sal Gliatto baseball player
1903 Basil Nield judge/politician
1907 Jef van Durme composer
1908 Ed MacDonald actor (Mysteries of Chinatown)
1908 Wouter Paap composer
1909 Edwin H Land inventor (instant photography (Polaroid))
1912 Paul H F Brenneker Netherlands/Antillian photographer/folklorist
1917 Daniel Gillès Belgian writer
1917 David Tomlinson Scotland, actor (Mary Poppins, Helter Skelter)
1917 William Geoffrey Biddle bomb disposal expert
1918 Argeliers Leon composer
1919 Eva (Evita) [Duarte] Perón Argentina, 1st lady/actress
1922 Darren McGavin Spokane WA, actor (Night Stalker, Tribes, Turk 182)
1922 Gale Robbins Chicago IL, actress/singer (Hollywood House, Fuller Brush Girl, Mr Hex)
1923 Anne Baxter Michigan City IN, actress (Myra-Marcus Welby, Victoria-Hotel)
1923 Pete V Domenici (Senator-R-NM, 1973- )
1926 Val Bisoglio New York NY, actor (Lieutenant Marsh-Police Woman, Danny-Quincy ME)
1927 Jim Lowe Springfield MA, DJ (WNEW) "King of Trivia"
1928 John Ingle actor (Edward Quartermaine-General Hospital)
1928 Marvin Mitchelson attorney
1929 Dick Williams baseball player, manager (including Seattle 1986-87)
1929 Sally L Smith educator/founder (Lab School of Washington)
1930 Aviard Gavrilovich Fastovets Russia, cosmonaut
1930 Horst Bienek German poet
1931 Gene [Rodman] Wolfe US, sci-fi author (Soldier of Arete)
1931 Nel J Ginjaar-Maas Dutch under-secretary of Education (VVD)
1931 Teresa Brewer Toledo OH, singer (Put Another Nickel In)
1932 Hans Boskamp [Johan HG Hoelscher] actor/producer (Oh My Papa)
1932 Pete Domeneci (Senator-R-NM)
1933 Johnny Unitas NFL QB (Baltimore Colts, San Diego); one of the greats
1934 Ben Smith Atlanta GA, PGA golfer (Ralphs Senior Classic-4th)
1934 Donald Russell Holler composer
1934 Heinz Marti composer
1934 Willard Scott weatherman (Today)
1936 Cornelius Cardew composer
1938 Johnny Caldwell Ireland, flyweight boxer (Olympics-bronze-1956)
1938 Kevin O'Connor Honolulu HI, actor (Bogie, Special Effects)
1939 Jimmy Ruffin soloist (What Becomes of the Broken Hearted)
1939 Johnny Maestro New York NY, rock vocalist (Crests-16 Candles, Brooklyn Bridge)
1939 Marco St John New Orleans LA, actor (Rayford-Ball Four)
1939 Rudolphus FM "Ruud" Lubbers director Dutch/CDA-premier (1982-94)
1939 Volker Braun writer
1940 Armando Krieger composer
1940 John Irvin actor (Moment in Time)
1941 Grahame Bilby cricketer (two Tests New Zealand vs England 1966)
1943 Christopher Taylor White rocker
1943 Peter Horak jetboat jumper
1943 Rick West [Richard Westwood] rocker (Brian Poole & Tremeloes)
1944 Alison Margaret Bauld composer
1944 John Heard actor (Pelican Brief, CHUD, Radio Flyer, Big)
1944 Sivi Aberg actress (Batman TV show)
1945 Robin Strasser New York NY, actress (Dorian-One Life to Live, Another World)
1945 Wim A Mateman Dutch MP (CDA)
1946 Bill Danoff Springfield MA, vocalist (Starland Vocal Band)
1946 Richard L Brodsky US lawyer/NY State Assemblyman (D) (1983- )
1948 Peter Wingfield Wales, rocker/actor (Methos-Highlander)
1949 Marilyn Cole Portsmouth England, playmate of the year (January 1972)
1949 Stuart Marshall director (Desire)
1950 Janis Ian [Janis Eddy Fink] New York NY, rock vocalist (At 17, Society's Child)
1950 Prairie Prince rocker (Tubes)
1951 David Whitton campaigner
1951 Robert Hegyes Metuchen NJ, actor (Underground Aces, Welcome Back Kotter)
1952 Amy Heckerling Bronx NY, director (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless)
1952 Derek Taylor rocker (Let it Be, Beatles Anthology)
1955 Peter Reckell Elkhart IN, actor (Days of our Lifes)
1957 [Christopher St John] "Sinjin" Smith Los Angeles CA, volleyballer (Olympics-96)
1957 Shauna McDonald Brown TV producer
1959 Michael E Knight Princeton NJ, actor (Date with Angel, All My Children)
1959 Robin L Freeman St Charles MO, PGA golfer (1993 Northern Telecom-3rd)
1959 Tamara E Jernigan Chattanooga, PhD/astronaut (STS 40, 52, 67, 80)
1960 Arnon Ohad co-pilot (El Al) plane that crashed on Bijlmer Amsterdam
1961 Linda Somers Bitburg Germany, US marathoner (Olympics-31st-96)
1962 Robbie Knievel daredevil, son of Evel (Chips Something Special)
1964 Leslie O'Neal NFL defensive end (San Diego Chargers, St Louis Rams)
1964 Mustapha Zerqti Moroccan/Netherlands writer (Ihtidaar hub fi el-mahd)
1964 Ronnie Harmon NFL running back (San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Oilers)
1965 Reuben Davis NFL defensive tackle (San Diego Chargers)
1966 Anderson Cummins cricketer (in Packer's Valley Barbados & West Indies quickie)
1968 Joe King NFL safety (Oakland Raiders)
1968 Traci Lords [Nora Louise Kuzma], Steubenville OH, porn actress (Cry Baby)
1969 Katerina Maleeva Bulgaria, tennis player (US Open Junior 1984)
1969 Melanie Valerio 400 meter freestyle swimmer (Olympics-96)
1970 Edwin Zoetebier Dutch soccer player (FC Volendam)
1970 Mark Smith Pasadena CA, outfielder (Baltimore Orioles)
1970 Sebastien Britten Brossard Québec Canada, figure skater (1995 Canadian Champion)
1971 Cameron McFadzean Melbourne Victoria Australia, canoeist (Olympics-96)
1971 Dave Karpa Regina, NHL defenseman (Anaheim Mighty Ducks)
1971 José Munoz WLAF offensive tackle (Rhein Fire)
1971 Rondell Jones NFL safety (Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens)
1972 Chris Hayes safety (New York Jets)
1972 John Holecek NFL linebacker (Buffalo Bills)
1972 Vince Stewart WLAF defensive tackle (Barcelona Dragons)
1973 Dameian Jeffries NFL defensive end (New Orleans Saints)
1973 Kristian Lundin record producer
1974 Scott Whittaker center/tackle (Oakland Raiders)
1975 Jason Tunks London Ontario, discus thrower (Olympics-96)
1976 Nicholas Butcher Los Angeles CA, field hockey midfielder/forward (Olympics-96)
1977 Marko Milic NBA guard (Phoenix Suns)
1987 Katie Danza daughter of Tony & Tracy Danza

Deaths which occurred on May 07:
0685 Marwan I ibn al-Hakam 4th kalief of Omajjaden (684-85), dies
0973 Otto I the Great Holy Roman Emperor (962-973), dies at 60
1166 Willem I the Bad, king of Sicily (1154-66)
1205 Ladislaus III Arpad King of Hungary (1204-05), dies at 5 or 6
1523 Franz von Sickingen German knight/protect of poor, dies of wounds at 42
1617 David Fabricius German astronomer, dies at 53
1667 Johann Jakob Froberger German organist/singer/composer, dies at 50
1671 Edward Montagu English baron Kimbolton, dies at about 68
1671 Pieter Stockmans Flemish chairman of Opperkrijgshof, dies at 62
1673 Johannes Teellinck Dutch vicar, dies at about 58
1736 John Weldon composer, dies at 60
1792 Aert Schouman Dutch bird/portrait painter, dies at 82
1793 Johan A Zoutman Dutch Lieutenant Admiral (battle of Doggersbank), dies at 68
1793 Pietro Nardini composer, dies at 71
1800 Laurens P van Spiegel regent/pension advisor (1787-95), dies at 64
1800 Niccolò Piccinni Italian composer (Roland), dies at 72
1814 Franz Volrath Buttstett composer, dies at 79
1818 Leopold Jan Antonin Kozeluh composer, dies at 70
1825 Antonio Salieri Italian composer, dies in Vienna at 74
1836 Norbert Burgmuller composer, dies at 26
1863 Amiel Weeks Whipple US Union general-major, dies of injuries at 46
1871 Louis Papineau political reformer, dies
1876 Franz count of Pocci German artist/composer (Alchemist), dies at 69
1884 Judah P Benjamin confederate minister of War, dies at 72
1900 Richard Storrs Willis composer, dies at 81
1904 Peter Hille writer, dies
1914 Edward Mollenhauer composer, dies at 87
1915 Alfred G Vanderbilt US millionaire, dies aboard Lusitania
1915 Alfred Scott Witherbee Jr US Lusitania officer, dies
1915 Charles Frohman dies aboard Lusitania
1928 Alexander Afanasii Spendiaryan composer, dies at 56
1929 Albert Anselmi US gangster, murdered by Al Capone
1929 John Scalise US gangster, murdered by Al Capone
1929 Joseph "Top Toad" Giunta US gangster, murdered by Al Capone
1932 Albert Thomas French social minister of Weapon production, dies
1934 Edward Naylor composer, dies at 67
1941 David Wijnkoop revolutionary socialist, dies
1942 Felix Paul von Weingartner Austria conductor/composer, dies at 79
1946 Anton A Mussert engineer/NSB leader, executed
1946 Joe Humphries cricket wicket keeper (3 Tests for England 1907-08), dies
1951 Warner Baxter dies at 62
1953 Ormerod Pearse cricketer (55 runs & 3 wickets in 3 Tests for S Af), dies
1958 Nyogen Senzaki 1st Zen teacher to reside in USA, dies at 81
1962 Jimmy Conlin dies at 77
1967 Judith Evelyn dies of cancer at 54
1968 Lurleen Burns wife of George Wallace/Governor of Alabama, dies at 41
1970 Carlos Estrada composer, dies at 60
1971 Willem Banning Dutch theologist/sociologist (Karl Marx), dies at 83
1977 Irwin Fischer composer, dies at 73
1981 Mieczyslaw Kolinski composer, dies at 79
1982 Alfred Adam dies at 72
1983 Peter Edel writer, dies
1985 Dawn Addams actress (Alan Young Show, Star Maidens), dies at 54
1986 Gaston Deferre French politician, dies at 75
1987 Colin Blakely dies at 56
1988 Divine [Harris Glenn Milstead] dies of natural causes at 42
1989 Guy Williams actor (Zorro, Lost in Space), dies in Argentina at 65
1990 Jessica James actress (Spring Break), dies of breast cancer at 60
1993 Mary Philbin actress (Phantom of the Opera), dies at 89
1994 Clement Greenberg US art critic (Art & Culture), dies at 85
1994 Margaret Skeete oldest American, dies at 115
1995 Ernest H Martin impressario, dies at 75
1995 Lawrence Josset engraver, dies at 84
1995 Maria Luisa Bemberg fil maker, dies at 73
1995 Ray McKinley drummer, dies at 84
1996 Albert Meltzer anarchist, dies at 76
1996 Henry Diamond Irish Nationalist MP, dies at 87
1996 Howard Frank Trayton Smith diplomat/head of MI5, dies at 76

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1970 DUDMAN RICHARD
06/15/70 RELEASED REFNO 0614

1970 MORROW MICHAEL
06/15/70 RELEASED, USG SPELLS MOROW

1970 POND ELIZABETH
06/70 RELEASED REFNO 1614

1972 CONSOLVO JOHN W. FORT BELVOIR VA.

1972 KERNAN JOSEPH E. WASHINGTON DC.
03/28/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 2000

1972 POLFER CLARENCE INDEPENDENCE MO.
03/28/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98

1973 KAY EMMET J. HONOLULU HI.
09/18/74 RELEASED BY PL, DECEASED

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

On this day...
1274 2nd Council of Lyons (14th ecumenical council) opens
1355 1,200 Jews of Toledo Spain killed by Count Henry of Trastamara
1416 Monk Nicolaas Serrurier arrested because of heresy at Tournay
1429 English siege of Orléans broken by Joan of Arc
1579 Congress of Cologne forms in Netherlands
1624 Admiral Hermites conquering fleet reaches Callao the Lima, Peru
1638 Cornelis S Goyer takes possession of Mauritius (uninhabited)
1660 Isaack B Fubine of Savoy, in The Hague, patents macaroni
1663 Theatre Royal in Drury Lane London opens
1700 William Penn began monthly meetings for Blacks advocating emancipation
1727 Jews are expelled from Ukraine by Empress Catherine I of Russia
1748 French troops conquer Maastricht
1765 Admiral Nelson's sailboat HMS Victory runs aground
1771 Samuel Hearne explores the Copper Mine River of Canada
1775 Turkish state of Bukovina secedes from Austria
1789 1st inaugural ball (for George Washington in New York NY)
1792 Captain Robert Gray discovers Grays Harbor (Washington)
1800 Indiana Territory organized
1824 Beethoven's 9th (Chorale) Symphony, premieres in Vienna
1832 Greece becomes independent republic
1832 Otto of Bavaria is chosen king of Greece
1840 Tornado strikes Natchez MS, kills 317
1847 American Medical Association organizes (Philadelphia)
1848 Prussians stop insurrection in Varsovia
1856 Argentine & Brazilian sign a navigation pact
1861 Riot occurs between prosecessionist & Union supporters in Knoxville TN
1862 Battle of West Point VA (Eltham's Landing, Barnhamsville)
1862 Much of Enschede Netherlands destroyed by fire
1864 Battle of Wilderness ends (total losses: USA-17,666; CSA-7,500)
1864 Skirmish at Port Walthall Junction VA (Drewry's Bluff)
1866 German premier Otto von Bismarck seriously wounded in assassin attempt
1867 Blacks stage ride-in to protest segregation in New Orleans
1873 US marines attack Panamá
1875 German SS Schiller sinks near Scilly Islands, 312 killed
1877 Cincinnati Enquirer, 1st uses the term "Bullpen" to indicate foul territory
1885 John E W Thompson, named minister to Haiti
1888 Edouard Lalo's opera "Le roi d'Ys" premieres in Paris France
1888 George Eastman patents "Kodak box camera"
1891 Battle in Bunyoro: Captain F Lugard stops Moslem rebellion, 300 killed
1902 Soufriere volcano on St Vincent kills 2-5,000
1904 Flexible Flyer trademark registered
1907 Charles Collier wins 1st Isle of Man TT Race (38.22 mph)
1909 Construction begins on first 100 houses in Ahuzat Bayit (Tel Aviv)
1910 35th Preakness: R Estep aboard Layminster wins in 1:40.6
1912 Columbia University approves plans for awarding the Pulitzer Prize in several categories The award is established by Joseph Pulitzer
1913 British House of Commons rejects woman's right to vote
1914 US Congress establishes mother's day
1914 Woodrow Wilson's daughter Eleanor marries in the White House
1915 Lusitania sunk by German submarine; 1198 lives lost
1917 Red Sox Babe Ruth beats Washington Senator Walter Johnson, 1-0
1920 USSR recognizes independence of Georgia
1921 47th Kentucky Derby: Charles Thompson on Behave Yourself wins 2:04.2
1922 Belgian soccer team defeats Netherlands, 1-2
1922 New York Giant Jesse Barnes no-hits Phillies, 2-0
1923 Mine strike at Belgian Borinage railroad
1924 Peruvian Torre forms APRA, Alianza Popular Revolutionaria Americana
1925 Phillies have their 8th game postponed in a row
1925 Pirate shortstop Glenn Wright makes an unassisted triple play
1927 San Fransisco Municipal Airport (Mills Field) dedicated
1928 England lowers age of women voters from 30 to 21
1928 Pulitzer prize awarded to Thornton Wilder for (Bridge of San Luis Rey)
1930 Duleepsinhji scores 333 for Sussex vs Northants in 330 minutes
1932 58th Kentucky Derby: Eugene James aboard Burgoo King wins in 2:05.2
1934 Netherlands Princess Juliana opens Juliana Canal
1934 Part of Khabarovsk becomes a Jewish Autonomous Region
1934 Pulitzer prize awarded to Sidney Kingsley (Men in White)
1934 World's largest pearl (6.4 kg) found at Palawan, Philippines
1938 64th Kentucky Derby: Eddie Arcaro aboard Lawrin wins in 2:04.8
1938 Dutch Minister of Justice Goseling calls fugitives of Nazi-Germany "undesired strangers"
1939 Germany & Italy announced an alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis
1941 British House of Commons votes for Churchill (477-3)
1941 Cornerstone of Bank of America building at 300 Montgomery laid
1941 Glenn Miller records "Chattanooga Choo Choo" for RCA
1942 Battle of Coral Sea ends stopping Japanese expansion
1942 Nazi decree orders all Jewish pregnant women of Kovno Ghetto executed
1943 British 11th Huzaren occupies Tunis Tunisia
1943 Dutch men 18-35 obliged to report to labor camps
1943 Liberty Ship George Washington Carver, named after scientist, launched
1943 US 1st Armour division occupies Ferryville Tunisia
1943 US 9th Infantry division occupies Bizerta/Bensert Tunisia
1944 German assault on Tito's hideout in Drvar Bosnia
1945 Branch Rickey announces formation of the US Negro Baseball League
1945 Formal undertaking of complete German surrender
1945 German General Keitel repeats surrender signing in Berlin for the benefit of the Russians; WWII ends in Europe
1945 Mauthausen Concentration Camp liberated
1945 Nazi Generals Jodl & Von Friedenburg surrender
1945 Princess Irene Brigade moves into the Hague Netherlands
1945 Pulitzer prize awarded to John Hersey (Bell for Adano)
1945 SS open fire on crowd in Amsterdam, killing 22
1946 William H Hastie inaugurated as 1st black governor of Virgin Islands
1947 "Kraft Television Theater" premieres on NBC
1947 General MacArthur approves Japanese constitution
1947 Paraguayian Government unleashes contra revolt
1948 Nazi collaborator V-Mann Antonius van de Waals sentenced to death
1949 75th Kentucky Derby: Steve Brooks aboard Ponder wins in 2:04.2
1951 International Olympic committee allows Russia to participate in 1952 Olympics
1951 Pulitzer prize awarded to Conrad Richter (The Town)
1953 "Can Can" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 892 performances
1953 Record 537-kg swordfish is caught by L E Marron, in Chile
1954 French surrender to Vietminh after 55-day siege at Dien Bien Phu
1954 US, Great-Britain & France reject Russian membership in NATO
1955 81st Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker aboard Swaps wins in 2:01.8
1955 USSR signs peace treaty with France & Great-Britain
1955 West Europe Union established
1956 Battle at Oran, Algeria, kills 300
1956 New York Giant Bill White, homers in his 1st at bat
1956 Pulitzer prize awarded to Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett
1957 Indians' pitcher Herb Score is hit in the face by a line drive off Gil McDougald
1958 Major Howard Johnson, USAF, sets aircraft altitude record in F-104 (Lockheed Starfighter), 27,810 meters
1959 "Roy Campanella Night" Largest baseball crowd (93,103 in Los Angeles Coliseum) sees Dodgers' Sandy Koufax beat Yankees 6-2 in exhibition
1960 "Christine" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 12 performances
1960 "Flower Drum Song" closes at St James Theater NYC after 602 performances
1960 "From A to Z" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 21 performances
1960 86th Kentucky Derby: Bill Hartack on Venetian Way wins in 2:02.4
1960 Leonid Brezhnev replaces Kliment Voroshilov as President of USSR
1960 Los Angeles Dodger Norm Sherry's 11th homerun wins the game for brother Larry
1960 Michael Tal beats Botvinnik 12½-8½ for world chess championship
1960 USSR announces Francis Gary Powers confessed to being a CIA spy
1961 "Young Abe Lincoln" closes at Eugene O'Neill NYC after 27 performances
1961 Ruth Jessen wins LPGA Peach Blossom Golf Open
1962 Pulitzer prize awarded to Theodore H White (Making of President 1960)
1962 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island
1963 Bruno Sammartino becomes WWF champion
1963 SETC Telstar 2 launched (apogee 6,700 miles (10,800 km))
1965 WAOW TV channel 9 in Wausau WI (ABC) begins broadcasting
1966 92nd Kentucky Derby: Donald Brumfield aboard Kauai King wins in 2:02
1966 Mamas & Papas "Monday Monday" hits #1
1966 Yankees fire manager Johnny Keene
1967 Carol Mann wins LPGA Tall City Golf Open
1969 2nd ABA championship: Oakland Oaks beat Indiana Pacers, 4 games to 1
1969 Lieutenant General Robert E Cushman, Jr, USMC, becomes deputy director of CIA
1970 "Long & Winding Road" becomes Beatles' last American release
1972 26th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat New York Knicks, 4 games to 1
1972 Betty Burfeindt wins Sealy LPGA Golf Classic
1973 Pulitzer prize awarded to Eudora Welty (Optimist's Daughter)
1974 Pulitzer prize awarded to Robert Lowell (Dolphin)
1975 Flyers 3-Isles 4 (OT)-Semifinals-Flyers hold 3-1 lead
1975 President Ford declares an end to "Vietnam Era"
1975 Small Astronomy Satellite Explorer 53 launched to study X-rays
1977 "Happy End" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 75 performances
1977 103rd Kentucky Derby: Jean Cruguet on Seattle Slew wins in 2:02.2
1979 5th UNCTAD-conference opens in Manila
1979 Gary Roenicke hits into Orioles 13th triple play (Oakland)
1980 Josip Tito, Yugoslav President, buried
1980 Samm-Art Williams' "Home" premieres in NYC
1982 "Is There Life after High School?" opens at Barrymore NYC for 12 performances
1982 Federal jury rules NFL violates antitrust laws in preventing Oakland Raiders from moving to Los Angeles
1982 IBM releases PC-DOS version 1.1
1982 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1983 109th Kentucky Derby: Ed Delahoussaye on Sunny's Halo wins in 2:02.2
1983 August Hoffman perform record 29,051 consecutive sit-ups
1983 August Hoffman performs record 29,051 consecutive sit-ups
1983 Bruins 4-Isles 8-Wales Conference Championship-Isles win series 4-2
1984 $180 million out-of-court settlement reached in Agent Orange suit
1984 Sharon Barrett wins LPGA Potamkin Cadillac Golf Classic
1986 Bucharest wins 31st Europe Cup I
1986 Phillies outfielder Garry Maddox, retires
1987 105º F in Sacramento CA
1987 Diane Chambers' (Shelley Long) final episode on Cheers
1988 114th Kentucky Derby: Gary Stevens on Winning Colors wins in 2:02.2
1988 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR
1989 Juli Inkster wins LPGA Crestar Golf Classic
1989 Mark Merrony (Wales) cycles for 30 minutes in Nepal at 21,030 feet
1989 Panamanian voters reject dictator Manuel Noriega's bid for presidency
1991 France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island
1991 Haryana beat Bombay in the Ranji Cricket Trophy final by 2 runs
1992 5 NYC cops arrested in Hauppauge Long Island for selling cocaine
1992 Constitutional amendment barring mid-term congressional raises passes
1992 Jockey Angel Cordero retires after winning over 7,000 horse races
1992 US space shuttle STS-49 launched (maiden voyage of Endeavour)
1993 South Africa agrees to multi-racial elections
1994 120th Kentucky Derby: Chris McCarron on Go For Gin wins in 2:03.6
1994 Denver Nuggets become NBA's 1st #8 seed to beat a #1 seed (Seattle)
1994 Edvard Munchs painting "The Scream" recovered 3 months after stolen
1994 Gary Hart's girlfriend Donna Rice (36) weds Jack Hughes (42)
1994 Matlock actor Daniel Roebuck (30) weds Kelly Durst (24)
1995 "On the Waterfront" closes at Atkinson Theater NYC after 8 performances
1995 Jacques Chirac wins French presidential election
1995 Michelle McGann wins LPGA Sara Lee Golf Classic
1995 Twins beat Indians 10-9 in 17 innings, 6 hours & 36 minutes
1996 Comedian Martin Lawrence suffers a nervous breakdown
1997 Expos scores 13 in 6th at Giants
1997 Galileo, 4th Ganymede Flyby (Orbit 8)

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

Dahomey : Anniversary of the Presidential Council
Scotland : Spring Day
Thailand : State Ploughing Ceremony Day
Zambia : Labour Day - - - - - ( Monday )
New Orleans : McDonogh Day (1850) - - - - - ( Friday )

Religious Observances
old Roman Catholic : Feast of St Stanislaus, bishop, martyr, patron of Poland
Anglican, Roman Catholic : Rogation Day

Religious History
1274 The Second Council of Lyons convened under Gregory X. attended by approximately 500 bishops, this council accomplished a temporary reunion of the separated Eastern Orthodox churches with the Roman Catholic Church.
1787 The New Jerusalem Church was formally established in London. More popularly known as Swedenborgianism, its theological tenets were based on the writings of Swedish scientist and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). The first congregation in the U.S. was formed in Baltimore in 1792.
1839 Birth of Elisha A. Hoffman, American clergyman and a prolific writer of Gospel songs. His musical legacy has left the Church such favorites as: "What a Wonderful Savior," "I Must Tell Jesus," "Are You Washed in the Blood?" "Glory to His Name" and "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms."
1899 Amer Presbyterian missionary James Burton Rodgers, 34, preached his first sermon in the Philippines. Rodgers spent the next 35 years in evangelistic and educational ministries, and is regarded as the first Protestant missionary to the Philippines.
1951 Religious program "The Circuit Rider" broadcast for the last time over ABC television. Featuring sacred music and biographies of great evangelists, the series had premiered only two months earlier, in March.

Thought for the day :
"History never looks like history when you are living through it."

8 posted on 05/07/2003 6:00:27 AM PDT by Valin (Age and deceit beat youth and skill)

"History never looks like history when you are living through it."

Boy! Isn't that the truth?

9 posted on 05/07/2003 6:32:02 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ix dinner and leave the @#$! computer alone?)

To: radu; snippy_about_it; TEXOKIE; Bethbg79; LaDivaLoca; cherry_bomb88; beachn4fun; Do the Dew; ...

Current Military News
101st Airborne

American soldiers from the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division wait on a platform for the departure of an Iraqi train, before it was to leave on a ten hour journey with soldiers bound for the northern Iraqi town of Mosul, in Baghdad, Tuesday May 6, 2003. The military paid the Iraqis for the use of the train, and it's employees, in what was described as the first real post-Saddam test of the Iraqi rail system. (AP Photos/Brennan Linsley)

American soldiers from the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division play cards on an Iraqi train shortly before it was to depart on a ten hour journey with soldiers bound for the northern Iraqi town of Mosul, in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday,May 6, 2003.

A soldier from the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division sleeps on an Iraqi train while listening to a CD player, shortly before the train was to depart Baghdad on a ten hour journey with soldiers bound for the northern Iraqi town of Mosul Tuesday, May 6, 2003.

American soldiers from the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division wait on a platform in Baghdad for the departure of an Iraqi train, before it was to leave on a ten hour journey with soldiers bound for the northern Iraqi town of Mosul, Tuesday, May 6, 2003.

An American officer from the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division sleeps on an Iraqi train, shortly before it was to depart on a ten hour journey with soldiers for the northern town of Mosul, in Baghdad, May 6, 2003

Pfc. Terrance Scott of Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 327 Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) surveys the scene during a security halt in the Iraqi town of al-Hawd. (AP Photo/Pfc. Thomas Day, 40th Public Affairs Detachment).

10 posted on 05/07/2003 7:10:03 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ix dinner and leave the @#$! computer alone?)

Current Military News

Sgt. Troy Jenkins

Amanda Jenkins, wife of Army Sgt. Troy Jenkins, wipes away a tear during burial services at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside , Calif., Monday, May 5, 2003. Jenkins, killed by an explosive taken from an Iraqi child in Baghdad, was eulogized as a hero, family man and 'country boy.' A paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division, Jenkins died April 23 of wounds suffered April 19 in an explosion that remains under investigation. Several other soldiers and the child were wounded. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Pallbearers carry the flag drapped casket of Army Sgt. Troy Jenkins, after the funeral service in Yucca Valley, Calif., Monday, May 5, 2003.

Army personell carry the flag drapped casket of Army Sgt. Troy Jenkins during burial services at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, Calif., Monday, May 5, 2003.

Soldiers carry the flag draped casket of Army Sgt. Troy Jenkins, during burial services at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, Calif., Monday, May 5, 2003.

11 posted on 05/07/2003 7:14:47 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ix dinner and leave the @#$! computer alone?)

SAM, thanks for posting pics of Troy's funeral...

Turns out that he wasn't family, at least not close. But...his heroism is so much like the men I know from that part of the country.

12 posted on 05/07/2003 7:39:03 AM PDT by HiJinx (The right person, in the right place, at the right time...)

You're welcome HiJinx.

13 posted on 05/07/2003 7:41:01 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ix dinner and leave the @#$! computer alone?)

Air Power
Douglas SBD Dauntless (A-24)

The Dauntless

The right plane at the right time. That's what the "Slow But Deadly" SBD Dauntless was. When the US Navy was forced to go to war it did so in an aircraft that was considered by many to be obsolete.
By the end of the war this "obsolete" plane was responsible for sinking more enemy ships than any other aircraft in the US inventory.

The first version of the Dauntless was the dash one and was found to be unsuitable for Navy service. As was Navy tradition, these first 50 aircraft were destroyed on the gound at Pearl Harbor. The most produced versions were the improved dash three and dash five aircraft. These planes ranged from the skies over the Coral Sea to the final victory flight over the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay and are now recognized as treasured museum pieces.

The SBD Dauntless was a two-place, low-wing Navy scout bomber, powered by a single Wright R1820, 1200-horsepower engine. The Dauntless became a mainstay of the Navy's air fleet in the Pacific, with the lowest loss ration of any U.S. carrier aircraft. A total of 5,936 SBDs were delivered between first delivery in 1940 and the end of production in July 1944.

The Dauntless was the standard shipborne dive-bomber of the US Navy from mid-1940 until November 1943, when the first Curtiss Helldivers arrived to replace it. The SBD was gradually phased out during 1944, and the June 20 strike against the Japanese Mobile Fleet - in the Battle of the Philippine Sea - was therefore its last major action. In 1942-43, in the Battle of the Coral Sea, in the bitter Guadalcanal campaign and - most of all - at the decisive Battle of Midway, the Dauntless did more than any other aircraft to turn the tide of the Pacific War. At Midway it wrecked all four Japanese carriers, and later in the battle sank a heavy cruiser and severely damaged another. From 1942 to 1944, in addition to its shipboard service, the SBD saw much action with the Marine Corps flying from island bases.

In the Guadalcanal Campaign the Dauntless - operating from US carriers and from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal itself - took a huge toll of Japanese shipping.

It sank the carrier Ryujo in the battle of the Eastern Solomons, and damaged three other Japanese carriers at Eastern Solomons and in the Battle of Santa Cruz. In the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal SBDs sank the heavy cruiser Kinugasa and, in company with TBD Avengers, sank nine Japanese transports

The Dauntless was older and slower than its Japanese opposite number, the Aichi D3A2 "Val" - but the SBD was far more resistant to battle damage, and its flying qualities perfectly suited it to its role. In particular - as Dauntless pilots testified - it was very steady in a dive. When the more modern and powerful Helldiver went into action alongside the SBD it was soon realized - particularly at Philippine Sea - that the new aircraft was inferior to the Dauntless. However, the Helldiver was already well into large-scale production, and it was too late to reverse the decision that it should supplant the SBD.

Specifications:

Type: Two-seat carrier-based and land-based dive-bomber

Dimensions:
Wing span: 41 ft 6 in (12.65 m)
Length: 33 ft 0 in (10.06 m)
Height: 12 ft 11 in (3.94 m)
Weights: Empty: 6,535 lb (2,964 kg) Max T/O: 9,519 lb (4,318 kg)

Performance:
Maximum Speed: 255 mph (410 km/h) @ 14,000 ft (4,265 m)
Service Ceiling: 25,200 ft (7,680 m)
Range: 773 miles (1,244 km)

Powerplant: One Wright R-1820-66 Cyclone , 1,350 hp (1007 kw), 9-cylinder radial, air cooled engine.
Armament:
Two forward firing .50 inch (12.7 mm) machine guns
and two 0.30 inch (7.62 mm) machine guns on flexible mounts.
Fuselage mount for up to 1,600 lbs (726 kg) of bombs plus,
up to a total of 650 lbs (295 kg) of bombs carried on the wings.

All photos Copyright of their respective websites.

14 posted on 05/07/2003 7:59:45 AM PDT by Johnny Gage (We will not tire, We will not falter, We will not fail. - George W. Bush)

Thanks Johnny. The Dauntless was eventually replaced by the Helldiver, but IMHO the Dauntless was the better looking plane and was there when we needed it.

One of the classic planes.

15 posted on 05/07/2003 8:08:12 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ix dinner and leave the @#$! computer alone?)

To: All; Grampa Dave

Just got this via E-mail and had to post it.

Once upon a time, God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael the archangel found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired of God.
"Where have you been?" God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael. Look what I've made."

Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?" "It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put Life on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."

"Balance?" Inquired Michael, still confused.

God explained, pointing to different parts of earth.

"For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while southern Europe is going to be poor.

Over there I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people," God continued pointing to different countries.

"This one will be extremely hot and while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."

The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to a land mass and said, "What's that one?"

"Ah," said God. "That's Oregon the most glorious place on earth.
There are beautiful beaches, deserts, streams, hills, and forests. The people from Oregon are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent and humorous and they are going to be found traveling the world. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking and high achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace."

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed, "What about balance, God? You said there would be balance!!!"

God smiled, "Wait until you see the idiots I put in Salem."

16 posted on 05/07/2003 8:09:19 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ix dinner and leave the @#$! computer alone?)

Current Military News
Carrier Air Wing 5 Aircraft Returns Home

Lt. Jake Parsons is met by his wife Glory as he returns from duty in the Middle East. Lt. Parsons was deployed in support of the war against Iraq with The Golden Dragons of VFA 27. Parsons and his wife are expecting their first child in September. When asked what she thought of while her husband was deployed to the war Mrs. Parsons answered, "I just prayed all the time." U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Spike Call

Home from the war against Iraq, Capt. Pat Driscoll receives a warm welcome from his wife Caroll and family. Capt Driscoll, who commands Carrier Air Wing 5 was deployed aboard the USS Kitty Hawk. A crowd of family members met the air wing for a homecoming at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Spike Call

Safe at home, Lt Cmdr. Mark Lind and his wife Cile embrace after he has returned home from the war in the Gulf. Lind is an F/A 18 pilot with the Dambusters of VFA-195 and was deployed aboard the USS Kitty Hawk in support of the war against Iraq. He and the majority of Carrier Air Wing 5 recently returned home to Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, after a four-month deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Spike Call

17 posted on 05/07/2003 8:16:02 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ix dinner and leave the @#$! computer alone?)

To: weldgophardline; Mon; AZ Flyboy; feinswinesuksass; Michael121; cherry_bomb88; SCDogPapa; Mystix; ...

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

To be removed from this list, please send me a blank private reply with "REMOVE" in the subject line! Thanks! Jen

18 posted on 05/07/2003 9:22:12 AM PDT by Jen (The FReeper Foxhole - Can you dig it?)

19 posted on 05/07/2003 9:28:20 AM PDT by SAMWolf ((A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ix dinner and leave the @#$! computer alone?)

20 posted on 05/07/2003 9:35:50 AM PDT by E.G.C.

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