USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders USO Tour ~ December 17 2002

USO ^ | 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub and FRiends of the Canteen

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

WASHINGTON – The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will soon depart on their 50th USO tour to entertain troops stationed in Korea and Japan. In addition to performing their Broadway revue-style show, the Cheerleaders will tour duty stations at military installations, visit and dine with troops, and celebrate the holidays with those serving our country far from their homes and loved ones. The holiday tour, from Dec. 23 through Jan. 4, is sponsored by the USO and Armed Forces Entertainment.

Often referred to as “America’s Sweethearts,” the Cheerleaders first performed on a USO tour at the invitation of the Department of Defense in December 1979. Since then, the squad has performed on more USO tours than any other entertainment group at hundreds of locations -- from Albania to Afghanistan and from Fort Polk to the Philippines.

USO president and CEO Edward A. Powell will present a special award to the Cheerleaders at a pre-game ceremony in Dallas Dec. 21. “For many years, the Cheerleaders have volunteered their time and talents during the holiday season and perform on USO tours at least twice a year. They deserve special recognition for their dedication and for helping to boost the morale of our military personnel around the world. The USO is grateful for their years of commitment and for their association with us.”

In 1991, the Cheerleaders were presented with the USO’s 50th anniversary award, and in 1997 the USO recognized their decades of service with its most prestigious honor, the “Spirit of Hope” Award. Created in honor of Bob Hope, the award is presented to entertainers and other distinguished Americans who demonstrate a commitment to enhancing the quality of life of our armed forces and their families.

The tour is being made possible through the support of Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, BAE SYSTEMS, Clear Channel Worldwide, Coca-Cola, ESPN, PricewaterhouseCoopers, S&K Sales Company, USAA Foundation, VFW, Wal-Mart and The Walt Disney Company.

[Valin]

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on December 17:
1493 Philippus A Paracelsus Swiss physician/alchemist (Liber paramixum)
1554 Ernst of Bayern prince/bishop of Liege/archbishop of Cologne
1619 Ruprecht prince of Palts/admiral/chemist/engraver/mathematician
1638 Johann Ulrich Sultzberger composer
1706 Gabrielle Châtelet [La belle Emilie] French writer (Voltaire)
1734 William Floyd US soldier/signer (Declaration of Independence)
1749 Domenico Cimarosa Italian composer (Il Matrimonio Segreto)
1770 Johann Friedrich Schubert composer
1778 Sir Humphrey Davy discovered several chemical elements
1797 Joseph Henry US, scientist/inventor/pioneer of electromagnetism
1800 Gergely Czuczor Hung/Czechoslovakian poet/translator (Great Hung dictionary)
1801 Johan king of Saxon (1854-73) (translated Divina Commedia)
1807 John Greenleaf Whittier US, poet (Snow-bound)
1819 Samuel Jones Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1887
1820 Frederick Tracy Dent Brigadier-General (Union volunteers), died in 1892
1821 Frederick West Lander Brigadier-General (Union volunteers), died in 1862
1824 Thomas Starr King New York NY, Unitarian clergyman (Christianity & Humanity)
1824 John Kerr System physicist (electro-visually Kerr-effect)
1824 Manning Ferguson Force Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1899
1830 Jules de Goncourt France, novelist (Germinie)
1833 James Thadeus Holtzclaw Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1893
1835 Alexander E Agassiz US, businessman/biologist/geology
1838 Berthold Tours composer
1840 Christian Frederik Emil Horneman composer
1842 Marius Sophus Lie Norwegian mathematician (continous groups)
1848 Frederick Grant Gleason composer
1853 Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree England, actor/theater manager (Trilby)
1859 Willem C Grünings Curaçao publisher (People's Friend)
1861 Fritz Volbach German musicologist/conductor/composer
1863 Ion Vidu composer
1864 John Felix August Korling composer
1869 Nikolay Ivanovich Kazanli composer
1873 Ford Madox Ford England, novelist/editor (The Inheritors)
1874 William Lyon Mackenzie King (L), 10th Canadian PM (1921-30, 1935-48)
1876 Júlio Afrânio Peixoto Brazilian writer (O esfinge)
1881 Aubrey Faulkner cricketer (great South Africa all-rounder early 20th cent)
1881 Johannes CB "Jan" Sluyters Dutch painter
1889 Vaslav F Nijinski Ukraine/US ballet dancer (l'après-midi d'une faune)
1891 Robertson Hare London England, actor (Our Girl Friday, Banana Ridge)
1893 Erwin Piscator German stage director (Der Stellvertreter)
1894 Arthur Fiedler Boston MA, conductor (Boston Pops)
1894 Hans [Henry] Kramers Dutch theoretical physicist (quantum mechanics)
1894 Hans Henny Jahnn writer
1894 Willem Schermerhorn Netherlands premier (1945-46)
1895 David Butler San Francisco CA, director (April in Paris, Calamity Jane)
1900 Lucijan Marija Skerjanc Yugoslavia, composer/conductor
1902 Simon Drach writer
1903 Erskine P Caldwell author (Tobacco Road, God's Little Acre)
1904 Paul Cadmus New York NY, etcher/painter (Sailors & Floozies)
1904 Dmitri B Kabalevsky St Petersburg Russia, composer (In the Fire)
1905 Joseph Heifitz film director
1906 Fernando Lopez-Garcia composer
1908 Willard Frank Libby inventor (carbon-14 "atomic clock" (Nobel 1960))
1908 William Brocklesby Wordsworth composer
1909 Ferdinand H Aus der Fünten German war criminal (Breda 4)
1910 Keki Khursedji Tarapore cricketer (0-72 in his only Test for India)
1911 William Roerick actor (Henry Chamberlain-Guiding Light)
1914 Mushtaq Ali cricketer (prolific Indian batsman of 30's & 40's)
1916 Antoine G T "Toon" Hermans Dutch entertainer/poet (Kolderliedjes)
1917 Louis Salvador Palange composer
1920 Armin Mueller-Stahl Tilsit East Prussia, actor (Kafka, Music Box)
1922 Eric Brand diplomat
1922 Hubert H A Beckers Curaçao opera singer
1925 Rijk de Gooyer Dutch actor (Black Rider, Rififi in Amsterdam)
1926 Jeremy Brooks writer
1926 Patrice Wymore Miltonville KS, actress (The Big Tree)
1927 Richard Long Chicago IL, actor (Professor-Nanny & the Professor)
1928 Marilyn Beck newspaper columnist
1929 William Safire political columnist (New York Times)/speech writer (Nixon)
1930 Julia Meade actress/TV hostess (Spotlight Playhouse)
1930 Robert [C J Edward] Guccione magazine publisher (Penthouse, Omni)
1930 Makoto Moroi composer
1931 Yvonne Keuls [Bamberg] Dutch writer (Jan Rap & Co)
1933 Bruce Morrison cricketer (one Test New Zealand vs England 1963)
1933 Paul Snoek [Edm Schietekat] Belgian poet
1935 Cal Ripken Sr baseball manager (Baltimore Orioles)
1936 Roland Sheldon pitcher (New York Yankees)
1936 Frank Martinus Arion [F Efraim M] Antilles, writer (Double Play)
1936 Tommy Steele London, singer/actor (½ a Sixpence, Finian's Rainbow)
1937 Art Neville New Orleans LA, vocalist (Neville Brothers)
1939 James Booker New Orleans, R & B musician (Gonzo)
1939 Novella Nelson Brooklyn NY, actress (Nellie Cole-Chiefs)
1939 Eddie Kendricks Alabama, rocker (Temptations-My Girl, Boogie Down)
1942 Paul Butterfield Chicago IL, blues musician (Better Days)
1942 Bernard Hill Manchester, actor (Bellman & True, New World, Bounty)
1943 Dave Dee rocker
1943 William Brooks composer
1944 Ference Bene Hungary, record 12 soccer goals (Olympics-gold-1964)
1944 Jack L[aurence] Chalker US, sci-fi author (Charon: A Dragon at the Gate, Saga of Well World)
1945 Christopher Cazenove England, actor (Ben-Dynasty)
1945 Ernie Hudson Benton Harbor MI, actor (Ghostbusters, Weeds)
1946 Eugene Levy Hamilton Canada, comedian/writer (SCTV)
1946 Albert Padmore cricketer (West Indies off-spinner mid-70s)
1947 Simon Bates English DJ
1947 Marilyn Hassett Los Angeles CA, actress (Bell Jar, Other Side of Mountain)
1947 Wes Studi actor (Last of the Mohicans)
1948 Jim Bonfanti rocker (Raspberries-Go All the Way)
1948 Jim Alexander rocker
1949 Paul Rodgers England, rocker (Bad Company-Feel Like Makin Love, The Firm)
1950 Carlton Barrett Jamaicans reggae drummer (Bob Marley & Wailers)
1951 Tatyana Kazankina USSR, middle distance runner (Olympics-gold-1976)
1951 Wanda Hutchison rocker
1952 Hans Alders Dutch minister of environment (PvdA)
1952 Mickey Jones Washington DC, rock bassist
1953 Barry Livingston Los Angeles CA, actor (Ernie-My 3 Sons)
1953 Ikue Ile Mori drummer/composer
1953 Mark Gane Toronto Ontario, rocker (M+M)
1954 Bill Pullman actor (Sommersby, League of their Own, Independence Day)
1957 Bob Ojeda pitcher (New York Mets)
1958 Mike Mills US pop bassist (REM-One I Love)
1959 Albert King actor (BB King & Friends, Blues Alive)
1959 Michelle Mackall Washington DC, LPGA golfer (1995 Friendly's-32nd)
1959 Tammie Green Somerset OH, LPGA golfer (1989 du Maurier Ltd Classic)
1961 Sarah Dallin rocker (Bananarama-Venus)
1961 Venice Kong St Mary Jamaica, playmate (September, 1985)
1962 Giulla Boschi Italian actress (Act of Contrition, Bonus Malus)
1962 Rocco Anthony Mediate Greensburg PA, PGA golfer (1991 Doral-Ryder)
1964 Eric Brown New York NY, actor (Buzz-Mama's Family)
1964 Frank Musil Pardubice Czechoslovakia, NHL defenseman (Ottawa Senators)
1964 Joe Wolf NBA forward/center (Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets)
1964 Tyrone Braxton NFL safety (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32)
1965 Craig Berube Calahoo, NHL left wing (Washington Capitals)
1965 Jeff Grayer NBA guard (Charlotte Hornets, Olympics-bronze-1988)
1965 Scott Edward Gump Rockledge FL, PGA golfer (1991 International-2nd)
1966 Hans Visser Dutch soccer player (MVV, FC Utrecht)
1967 Alan Nolet Toronto Ontario, gymnast (Olympics-96)
1967 Pauline Maurice Welland Ontario, softball outfielder (Olympics-96)
1967 Vincent Damphousse Montréal, NHL center (Montréal Canadiens)
1968 Curtis Pride Washington DC, outfielder (Detroit Tigers)
1968 Jeff[rey] Klepacki Kearny NJ, rower (Olympics-1992, 96)
1969 Dean Wilson Kaneohe HI, golfer (1991 Western Athletic)
1969 Marc Davis Oceanside CA, 3K steeplechase runner (Goodwill-gold-94)
1969 Marty Carter NFL safety (Chicago Bears)
1969 Rob Maas Dutch soccer player (Feyenoord)
1969 Scott Player WLAF punter (Frankfurt Galaxy)
1970 Benedictine [St Bernard]; becomes heaviest known dog (137 kg)
1970 Earl Dotson NFL tackle (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31)
1970 Michael Mols soccer player (FC Twente)
1971 Alyson Habetz Crowley LA, female pitcher (Colorado Silver Bullets)
1971 Carl Reeves NFL defensive end (Chicago Bears)
1971 Mark Byers WLAF linebacker (Frankfurt Galaxy)
1971 Nikki McCray Collierville TN, basketball guard (Olympics-gold-96)
1971 Sari Kristiina Fisk ice hockey defenseman (Finland, Olympics-98)
1971 Tony Richardson NFL fullback (Kansas City Chiefs)
1972 Brian Williams NFL linebacker (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31)
1972 Dewayne Washington cornerback (Minnesota Vikings)
1972 Don Davis linebacker (New Orleans Saints)
1972 Ivan Pedroso Cuba, long jumper (Olympics-4th-92)
1974 Giovonni Ribisi actor (Cory-My 2 Dads, New Leave it To Beaver)
1975 Milla Jovovich Kiev Ukraine, actress (Return to Blue Lagoon, Chaplin)
1975 Napiera Danielle Groves Miss USA-Washington DC (1997, Miss Congeniality)
1975 Nick Farrell East York Ontario, boxer (Olympics-96)
1979 Jaimee Foxworth actor (Judy Winslow-Family Matters)
1979 Cheri Vivette Alexander Miss District of Columbia Teen USA (1997)
1981 Emma Laaksonen ice hockey defenseman (Finland, Olympics-98)

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Deaths which occurred on December 17:
0695 Begga ancestress of the Carolingians/saint, dies
1187 Gregory VIII [Alberto de Morra] Italian Pope (1187), dies
1195 Boudouin V count of Hainault/Flanders (Boudouin VIII), dies
1213 Jean de Matha French saint, dies at 53
1471 Isabella of Portugal duchess of Burgundy, dies
1562 Adrian Willaert Flemish singer/bandmaster/composer, dies at about 82
1651 Wolfgang Schonsleder composer, dies at 81
1679 Don Juan ruler of Spain, dies
1711 Arnold Moonen vicar/literature (Defeated German Spraekkunst), dies
1751 Kilian I von Dientzenhofer Czechoslovakian master builder, dies at 62
1811 John Antes composer, dies at 71
1811 Louis-Abet Deffroy de Reigny composer, dies at 54
1829 Bernard Jumentier composer, dies at 80
1830 Simon Bolivar President of Colombia, dies at 47 in Colombia
1833 Kaspar Hauser German son of grand duke Karel of Bathe, murdered at 21
1870 Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante composer, dies at 75
1881 Lewis H Morgan US ethnologist (Iroquois-Indians), dies at 62
1891 Msiri king of Garanganja (Katanga), dies in battle
1891 Omer Bodson Belgian captain, dies in battle
1893 Levinus T Keuchenius Dutch Minister of Colonies (1888-90), dies at 71
1899 Frederick "Freddy" Roberts son of British field marshal, dies in battle
1907 Kelvin of Largs [William Thomson] British physicist (Kelvin), dies at 83
1909 Leopold II king of Belgium dies
1913 Stefano Gobatti composer, dies at 61
1925 A N "Monkey" Hornby cricketer (England captain at Oval 1882), dies
1926 Alexandr Dmitriyevich Kastal'sky composer, dies at 70
1930 Peter Warlock composer, dies at 36
1933 Hans Vaihinger German philosopher (Side-Studies), dies at 81
1937 Gerard Vissering banker/president of Dutch Bank, dies at 72
1944 Pieter A Roodenburgh student/resistance fighter, dies at 26
1946 Constance [Clara] Garnett Russian-English translator, dies at 84
1948 Edgar Istel composer, dies at 68
1949 David Stanley Smith composer, dies at 72
1956 Eddie Acuff actor (Guns of Pecos), dies at 48
1957 Dorothy Leigh Sayers [Atherton Fleming] author (Whose body), dies at 64
1961 Marion Perkins sculptor (Man of Sorrow), dies at 53
1962 Thomas Mitchell US, actor (Outlaw), dies of cancer at 70
1965 Tito [Raffaele A] Schipa Italian tenor/composer (Rondine), dies at 76
1966 Gustaf Paulson composer, dies at 68
1967 [Francis] Barry Byrne Chicago IL, architect, dies at 83
1967 Harold Holt Australian premier (1966-67), drowns at 59
1969 Arturo da Costa e Silva President of Brazil (1967-69), dies at 67
1972 Erwin Dressel composer, dies at 63
1973 Charles G Abbot US astronomer (Sun Constant), dies at 101
1973 Patrick Hadley composer, dies at 74
1975 Noble Sissle jazz musician, dies at 86
1975 Frank Sully actor (Parachute Nurse, Inside the Law), dies at 67
1982 Leonid B Kogan Russian violist, dies at 58
1982 Philipp Jarnach composer, dies at 90
1985 Otto Gotsche writer, dies
1986 Ron Kass record company president (MGM), dies at 52 of cancer
1987 Bernard Cardinal Alfrink archbishop of Ultrecht Netherlands, dies at 87
1987 Marguerite Yourcenard author (Memoirs of Hadrien), dies at 84
1990 Don Draper actor (Pepper Agent 00X), dies of AIDS at 61
1990 Mieke Verstraete Belgian/Netherlands actress (Pleasant Settled), dies at 79
1991 John Blatnik (Representative-MN, 1947-75), dies at 80
1992 Dana Andrews actor (Laura, Best Years of Our Lives), dies of pneumonia in Los Alamitos at 83
1993 Frederik "Fried" Löwensteyn Dutch lawyer/writer, dies at 71
1993 Janet Margolin US actress (Annie Hall), dies at 50 of ovarian cancer
1994 Jan Wiegel director/producer (Uninhabitable Country), dies at 64
1995 Lila Clark Knapp publisher, dies at 63
1996 Elizabeth Hill teacher of Salvonic languages, dies at 96
1996 Francesco Siciliani opera administrator, dies at 85
1996 Irving Caesar songwriter, dies at 101
1996 Michael Saunders barrister, dies at 22
1996 Ruby Murray singer, dies at 61
1996 Stanko Todorov PM of Bulgaria (1971-81), dies
1997 Reginald Victor Jones scientist, dies at 86

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On this day...
0283 St Gaius begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1526 Ferdinand of Austria chosen as King of Bohemia
1526 Pope Clemens VII publishes degree Cum ad zero - forms Inquisition
1538 Pope Paul III excommunicated England's King Henry VIII
1572 Spanish army begins fires in Haarlem Netherlands
1587 Earl Leicesters army leaves Netherlands
1638 French/Swedish troops occupy Breisach on the Rhine
1718 England declares war on Spain
1728 Congregation Shearith Israel of New York purchases a lot on Mill Street in lower Manhattan, to build New York's 1st synagogue
1745 Bonnie Prince Charles army retreats to Scotland
1777 France recognizes independence of English colonies in America
1777 George Washington's army returns to Valley Forge PA
1788 Russian army of Grigorij Potemkin occupies Ochárov
1790 Aztec calendar stone discovered in México City
1791 NYC traffic regulation creates 1st 1-way street
1792 Opening of 1st legislative assembly of Lower Canada in Québec City
1798 1st impeachment trial against a US senator (William Blount, Tennessee) begins
1819 Congress of Angostura establishes Colombia's independence from Spain
1821 Kentucky abolishes debtors prisons
1832 HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin sails in Strait Le Maire
1852 1st Hawaiian cavalry organized
1860 Anaheim Township created in Los Angeles County
1862 General US Grant issues order #11, expelling Jews from Tennessee
1864 Battle of Franklin TN
1865 Franz Schubert's "Unvolendete Symphony" premieres
1875 Violent bread riots in Montréal
1885 France declares Madagascar a protectorate
1887 Georges Feydeaus' "Tailleur Pour Dames" premieres in Paris
1893 Russia ratifies Duple Alliance with France
1894 Cricket day 3 1T Australia vs England England 325 all out, 261 behind on 1st inning
1895 Anti-Saloon League of America formed, Washington DC
1895 George Brownell patents a machine to make paper twine (Massachusetts)
1900 1st prize of 100,000 francs offered for communications with extraterrestrials. Martians excluded-considered too easy
1900 New Ellis Island Immigration station completed costing $1.5 million
1902 Frank Wedekind's "Der Erdgeist" premieres in Berlin
1903 At 10:35 AM, 1st sustained motorized aircraft flight (Orville Wright)
1907 Ugyen Wangchuck became 1st hereditary king of Bhutan
1909 Leopold II, king of Belgium, buried in Brussels
1914 Jews are expelled from Tel Aviv by Turkish authorities
1914 Austrian troops beat Russians in Limanova Poland
1914 Great Britain declares Egypt a protectorate
1919 Austria parliament approves 8-hour day
1920 British Empire receives League of Nations mandate to Nauru
1920 Japan receives League of Nations mandate over Pacific islands
1920 South Africa receives League of Nations mandate over SW Africa
1920 American League votes to allow pitchers who used the spitball in 1920 to continue using it as long as they are inthe league (The National League will do the same - 17 holdover spitballers in all)
1922 Last British troops leave Ireland Freestate
1923 Greek king George II overthrown by army/republic
1924 1st US diesel electric locomotive enters service, Bronx NY
1925 Colonel William "Billy" Mitchell court-martial for insubordination
1925 Russia & Turkey sign non-aggresion pact
1926 KYA-AM in San Francisco CA begins radio transmissions
1926 German Marx government falls due to cooperation with red army
1926 Lithuanian military state under General Augustine Woldemaras
1927 US sub 'S-4' sinks after collision kills all 34 aboard
1927 Bradman scores 118 on 1st-class cricket debut, 188 minutes 8 fours
1927 Victoria score 793 against Queensland, Bill Ponsford 437
1928 John McGraw backs National League president John Heydler's designated hitter idea
1932 Cardinals trade Jim Bottomley to Reds for Estel Crabtree & Ownie Carroll
1933 NFL starts keeping official statistics as Bears beat Giants 23-21 in championship game
1933 B H Valentine scores 133 on Test Cricket debut, England vs India at Bombay
1933 Lala Amarnath scores century on Test Cricket debut (went on to 118)
1933 Spain's 2nd Government of Lerroux forms
1936 Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen & dummy Charlie McCarthy, appear on TV
1938 Utrecht Central Station destroyed by fire
1939 German pocket battleship Graf Spee scuttled by its crew off Uruguay
1940 British troops occupies Sollum
1941 German troops led by Rommel begin retreating in North Africa
1941 Dutch & Australian troops lands on Portuguese-Timor
1941 German submarine U-31 sunk
1942 Allies in London sentence German war criminals
1943 Transport 63 departs with French Jews to Nazi-Germany
1944 M-Ocean View streetcar resumes service & is extended to Market St
1944 US Army announces end of excluding Japanese-Americans from West Coast; Japanese-Americans are released from detention camps
1944 Green Bay Packers win NFL championship
1944 US destroyers sink in storm off Philippines, 790 killed
1946 US V-2 rocket reaches 183 km, White Sands Proving Grounds NM
1946 Bradman & Barnes complete 405 run 5th wicket stand, score 234 ea
1947 New York struck by a blizzard, resulting with 27" of snow
1947 WEWS TV channel 5 in Cleveland OH (ABC) begins broadcasting
1949 "Regina" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 86 performances
1949 Burma recognizes People's Republic of China
1951 Dutch Communist Party members forbidden to be civil servants
1953 Dmitri Shostakovich's 10th Symphony, premieres in Leningrad
1953 FCC approves RCA's black & white-compatible color TV specifications
1954 1st fully automated railroad freight yard (Gary IN)
1954 WEAU TV channel 13 in Eau Claire WI (NBC) begins broadcasting
1957 US successfully test-fires Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile
1959 "On The Beach" is 1st film to premiere on both sides of Iron Curtain
1960 "La Plume de Ma Tante" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 835 performances
1960 "Take Me Along" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 448 performances
1960 Pablo Casals' oratorio "El Pesebrio" premieres
1961 Disgruntled employee set fire to a Niteroi Circus of Rio de Janeiro circus tent in Niteroi Brazil; 323 die
1961 India seizes Goa & 2 other Portuguese colonies
1962 Current constitution of Monaco promulgated
1962 Beatles 1st British TV appearance (People & Places)
1963 Tsjoi Doo Sun forms government in South Korea
1963 West & East Berlin sign accord about travel rules
1965 Largest newspaper-Sunday New York Times at 946 pages (50¢)
1965 Astrodome opens, 1st event is Judy Garland & Supremes concert
1965 British government proclaims end of oil-embargo against Rhodesia
1965 David Levy begins his search for comets
1965 Dutch government shuts Limburgs coal mine
1967 WEDW TV channel 49 in Bridgeport CT (PBS) begins broadcasting
1969 50 million TV viewers see singer Tiny Tim marry Miss Vicky, on Tonight Show
1969 USAF closes Project Blue Book, concluding no evidence of extraterrestrial spaceships behind thousands of UFO sightings
1970 Gdansk, Poland shipworkers strike
1970 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1970 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1971 Cease-fire between India & Pakistan in Kashmir
1971 Radio Bangladesh begins transmitting
1971 "Diamonds are Forever" premieres in US
1972 New line of control agreed to in Kashmir between India & Pakistan
1972 WGVC (now WUCX) TV channel 35 in Grand Rapids MI (PBS) 1st broadcast
1973 Arab terrorists shoot passengers on Boeing 737 to Kuwait
1975 1st time New York Islanders shut-out New York Rangers, 3-0-Billy Smith's 5th
1975 John Paul Stevens appointed to the Supreme Court
1975 Lynette Fromme is sentenced to life for attempt on President Ford's life
1976 Superstation WTBS in Atlanta went national
1977 Bobby Simpson scores 176 Australia vs India at the WACA, aged 41
1977 Elvis Costello & The Attractions 1st US TV appearance (Saturday Night Live)
1977 France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island
1978 Referendum approves new constitution of Rwanda
1978 OPEC raises oil prices 18%
1979 Budweiser rocket car reaches 1190 kph (record for wheeled vehicle)
1980 Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1980 Mauritania provisional constitution published
1981 Members of the Red Brigades kidnap Brigadier-General James L Dozier
1983 "Peg" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 5 performances
1983 Bomb attack on Harrod's war house in London, 5 killed, 94 injured
1983 Disco in Madrid catches fire; 83 die
1984 New Jersey Devils 1st penalty shot-Rocky Trottier scores against Edmonton
1984 New Jersey Devils 1st shutout, Glenn Resch makes 42 saves beat Minnesota, 2-0
1986 Mrs Davina Thompson makes medical history by having the 1st heart, lung & liver transplant (Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England)
1986 US Congress forms "Irangate" committee
1987 Czechoslovak party leader Gustav Husák resigns
1988 Bryan Murray becomes the 17th NHL coach to win 300 games (Washington Capitals)
1988 New York Islanders break 12 game losing streak, beat Devils 5-2
1988 USS Tennessee, 1st sub to carry Trident 2 missiles, commissioned
1988 77th Davis Cup: Germany beats Sweden in Gothenburg (4-1)
1988 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1989 78th Davis Cup: Germany beats Sweden in Stuttgart (3-2)
1989 Brazil elects conservative Fernando Collor de Mello president
1989 Michael Bevan scores cricket century on 1st-class debut (114 South Africa vs Western Australia)
1989 Patti Rizzo/Mike Hill win LPGA Mazda Golf Championship
1990 KTBN, Salt Lake City UT, begins short-wave radio transmissions
1991 NBA's most lopsided game Cleveland beats Miami 148-80
1991 Soap opera "One Life To Live" airs its 6,000th episode
1991 Cleveland Cavaliers beat Miami Heat 148-80, by record 68 points
1991 Patrick Manning becomes premier of Trinidad & Tobago
1992 "Christmas Carol" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 22 performances
1992 General Suwa finds tooth of 4.4 million year old Australopithecus ramidus
1993 Bangladesh moslems call for murder of feminist Taslima Nasrin
1993 Kevin Scott skates world record 1000 meter (1:12.54)
1993 Northern Exposure star Barry Corbin falls off his horse
1993 Tennis star Boris Becker (26) weds Barbara Feltus (27)
1994 KLM's last DC-10 goes out of service
1995 "School after Scandal" closes at Lyceum Theater NYC after 23 performances

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

Bhutan : Ascension to the throne of the 1st King/National Day
Colombia : Independence Day (1819)
US : Pan American Aviation Day/Wright Brothers Day (1903)
Venezuela : Bolivar Day (1830)
World : Underdog Day - - - - - ( Friday )

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Religious Observances
Christian : Fiesta of the Virgin of the Lonely

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Religious History
1843 Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" was first published. The "social conversion" of Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve may be seen as a literary symbol (based on the events of the first Christmas night) of the human potential released through spiritual conversion.
1917 Confiscation of the property of the Russian Orthodox Church and abolition of religious instruction in schools was announced by the Bolshevik government.
1920 The first orphanage founded by the Church of God opened in Cleveland, Tennessee. Its establishment was the result of the vision and efforts of Church of God pioneer, A.J. Tomlinson.
1934 Birth of Kurt Kaiser, contemporary American Christian songwriter and composer. His abiding works include: "Oh, How He Loves You and Me," "Pass It On" and "Master Designer."
1943 German theologian and Nazi martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in a letter from prison: 'The consciousness of being borne up by a spiritual tradition that goes back for centuries gives one a feeling of confidence and security in the face of all passing strains and stresses.'

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Thought for the day :
" Every human being comes equipped with a brain at no extra cost. "

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good Morning Troops, families, veterans, and Canadian and Israeli allies (and everybody else). Thank you for taking such good care of the USA.

Today in Anchorage, Alaska:

Sunrise 10:11am
Sunset 3:40pm

Hi 22F
Lo 14F

Cloudy with a bit of snow

Actual yesterday in Anchorage:

Hi 20F
Lo 5F

State Hi 48F Annette
State Lo -35F Deadhorse

[Valin]

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
One more proof that
A There is a God
B God Loves me.


C sometimes the answer to prayer is NO. :-)

[Valin]

" Every human being comes equipped with a brain at no extra cost. "


Of course some are low mileage models.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Bless This House sung along with this morning,
twice because I love this song for our troops USO Canteen, and
Prayer of Protection said for all who enter the USO Canteen Freeper Style,
including our troops, our veterans, their families and our allies.
Welcome to all who come to honor our troops and veterans,
for whom this USO Canteen was created.

A PRAYER OF PROTECTION

The light of God surround you
The love of God enfold you
The power of God protect you
The presence of God watch over you
Wherever you are, God is,
And all is well.
Amen.

Wherever you are, God is, and all is well!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hi Tom. Good morning!!

[Valin]

What a patriot! That's what I love about freepers....
always willing to go the extra mile.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Aeronaut and Otto, and thank you for each day's flyover of protection for the USO Canteen.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Kathy.

[Kathy in Alaska]

"Gosh, I'd really like to help you," he said, "but counterfitting is what got me into prison in the first place."

LOL! I like this one, Tom. Off to email.

[NCC-1701]

When only THE BEST will do, send THE BEST.

I hope that JJ will let the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders be themselves. He's done his best to de-construct the team and he has just about achieved that goal.

To you and all here at FR, Merry Christmas and a happy and safe 2003!

[Valin]

1903 At 10:35 AM, 1st sustained motorized aircraft flight (Orville Wright)
And the rest (as they say)is history

Two brothers from middle America
On a cold and windy morning in 1903, two brothers with a shared passion for technological innovation literally flew out of obscurity to international attention. At 10:35 a.m. on December 17th, they flew the world's first powered airplane.

The flight lasted a scant 12 seconds and covered just 120 feet above the sandy beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. But, that brief moment captured the extraordinary genius of two rather ordinary men. Wilbur and his younger brother Orville repaired and manufactured bicycles in Dayton, Ohio. The sons of a church bishop, they were both bachelors who never finished high school. But, they took a common childhood fascination for flight - sparked by a toy "hélicoptère" driven by rubber bands brought home by their father - and turned it into a time-consuming hobby. Soon, that hobby became an obsessive desire to achieve human flight.

"For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. My disease has increased in severity and I feel that it will soon cost me an increased amount of money if not my life,"

wrote Wilbur Wright in a letter in 1900 to Octave Chanute, a civil engineer who compiled and published information on early aviation experiments.

The more Wilbur read about flight, the more convinced he became that human flight was possible. Together with his brother Orville, a mechanical wizard, they became self-taught engineers.

"We had taken up aeronautics merely as a sport. We reluctantly entered upon the scientific side of it. But we soon found the work so fascinating that we were drawn into it deeper and deeper."


Their experiments eventually led to the world's first flying machine, but the accomplishment didn't happen in a vacuum. The early 1900s was a ripe time for such an invention. Aerodynamics, structural engineering, engine design and fuel technology had all reached a stage of development where they could all be brought together to produce a practical flying machine.

Although neither graduated from high school, Wilbur had been an outstanding student. (A family move prevented Wilbur from receiving his diploma, and a skating accident ruined his plans to go to Yale). Orville, on the other hand, caused much mischief in school and quit before his last year to start a printing shop. Both brothers however, shared a fascination for technological problem solving, which was encouraged by their father who filled the house with two extensive libraries.

"We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate whatever aroused curiosity."

They also possessed a mechanical aptitude, developed with the help of their mother, who, having spent much of her childhood in her father's carriage shop, had learned to design and build simple household appliances and toys for the Wright home. While Orville loved to concentrate on the detailed mechanics of a given problem, Wilbur looked at the big picture, the systems involved in the whole project. Glimpses of the brothers' successful collaboration - often characterized by heated debate - can be seen in the printing press they made out of recycled buggy parts and items from local junkyards for their first business venture together, and later in the creation of two lines of bicycles for their bike shop. Orville also invented a self-oiling wheel hub.

But it wasn't until the death of a famous German engineer in 1896 that the brothers embarked on a path to their biggest achievement.

Continued ...
http://www.exn.ca/FlightDeck/Aviators/wright.cfm

[Kathy in Alaska]

INFO — U.S. Army Spc. Bryan Zapp, 310th Psychological Operations, hands out fliers to the local community outside of Bagram Air Base. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Erica Leigh Foley

[Kathy in Alaska]

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, Dec. 16, 2002 (AFPN) — More than 1,000 airmen are replacing Operation Northern Watch veterans as the Air and Space Expeditionary Force system performs its regular three-month rotation from late November through the first part of December. Based at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, the new airmen join Turkish and British coalition partners to enforce the no-fly zone in northern Iraq and monitor Iraqi forces to determine compliance with United Nations Security Council resolutions."This is a combat mission that has been going on for more than 11 years," said Brig. Gen. Robin Scott, Combined Task Force Operation Northern Watch commanding general. "This is the real thing. Coalition aircraft are under fire and threatened by Iraqi anti-aircraft systems nearly every time we fly."

[larryjohnson]

USAF Flag going up now(a little late).Thanks for the reminder

[Johnny Gage]

Ok, for a Canteen thread titled "Dallas Cheerleaders",
and the fact there's only 2 pictures posted, seems like an issue here.
ROFL

Greetings everyone, Happy Tuesday!

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS

Let's Roll!

[SAMWolf]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Uncle Sam says, "Fill it with water."

Fill er up!! Bye, OBL! LOL! Good one, SouthernHawk.

[Johnny Gage]

AIR POWER
F/A-18 "Hornet"

The F/A-18 "Hornet" is a supersonic, single seat (A and C models) or tandem seat (B and D models), twin engine, all weather, night, combined fighter and attack aircraft and can be refueled in flight. The F/A-18 multi-mission aircraft can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases. The F/A-18 fills a variety of roles: air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control, close and deep air support, and day and night strike missions. The F/A-18 Hornet replaced the F-4 Phantom II fighter and A-7 Corsair II light attack jet, and also replaced the A-6 Intruder as these aircraft were retired during the 1990s.

The combat-proven F/A-18 Hornet is the first tactical aircraft designed from its inception to carry out both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The F/A-18, (models A, B, C and D), can deliver conventional air-to-air, air-to-ground decoy expendables, and can carry airborne control pods for various missions. The combination of excellent thrust-to-weight ratio, and maneuverability an unmatched combat capability.

The A and C models have AN/APG-65 radars and the B and D models have AN/APG-73 radars. The AN/APG-65 and AN/APG-73 airborne radars provide excellent long-range, all-weather, lookup and lookdown capability over land or over sea. Communications for all four models include dual UHF/VHF radios, one KY-58 secure radio, and a two-way Link 4 capability. These F/A-18 aircraft also have Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) capabilities for passive detection and ranging. Later model aircraft can actively and specifically interrogate other aircraft identification beacons.

The F/A-18 is in service with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the air forces of Canada, Australia, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Switzerland, and Malaysia. As of May 1999 Hornet pilots had accumulated more than 3.7 million flight hours and, in the process, are establishing new records daily in safety, reliability, maintainability and mission performance.

A key aspect of the Hornet's popularity with pilots is the ease with which the aircraft can be converted from fighter to strike mode and back again; it's as easy as flipping a switch. During Operation Desert Storm, F/A-18s routinely performed fighter and strike missions on the same sortie. Fulfilling a variety of roles-air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control, close air support, and day and night strike missions-the F/A-18 has proven to be the most versatile combat aircraft in service.

The Hornet was designed to be reliable and easily maintainable. These factors result in significantly lower operating and maintenance costs for the F/A-18 compared to other U.S. Navy fighter and attack aircraft; and life cycle costs comparable to other modern multi-role aircraft. Survivability is another key feature of the Hornet. The F/A-18 uses a variety of systems and technologies to increase its likelihood of reaching a target undetected, of escaping unhurt if detected, and of returning its crew safely if it is hit.

The F/A-18 has a digital control-by-wire flight control system which provides excellent handling qualities, and allows pilots to learn to fly the airplane with relative ease. At the same time, this system provides exceptional maneuverability and allows the pilot to concentrate on operating the weapons system. A solid thrust-to-weight ratio and superior turn characteristics combined with energy sustainability, enable the F/A-18 to hold its own against any adversary. The power to maintain evasive action is what many pilots consider the Hornet's finest trait. In addition, the F/A-18 was also the Navy's first tactical jet aircraft to incorporate a digital, MUX bus architecture for the entire system's avionics suite. The benefit of this design feature is that the F/A-18 has been relatively easy to upgrade on a regular, affordable basis.

The F/A-18 has proven to be an ideal component of the carrier based tactical aviation equation over nearly two decades of operational experience. The only F/A-18 characteristic found to be marginally adequate by battle group commanders, outside experts, and even the men who fly the Hornet, is its range when flown on certain strike mission profiles. However, the inadequacy is managed well with organic and joint tanking assets.

During the initial hours of Desert Storm, 89 Navy and 72 Marine Corps F/A-18C’s conducted both defense suppression and strike missions against Iraqi targets. the Navy Hornets flew 4,449 sorties and the Marine Corps’ F/A-18C’s flew 4,936 sorties resulting in a combined total of 4,551 strikes against targets during Operation Desert Storm. A total of 174 American Hornets (90 Navy; 84 Marines) participated in the war; 26 Canadian models, known as the CF-18, also participated in Desert Storm. Only three Hornets were lost during the war, one of them in a noncombat accident.

The F/A-18 has been upgraded regularly since entering service in 1983. In November 1989, the first F/A-18s equipped with night strike capability were delivered. Since 1991, F/A-18s have been delivered with F404-GE-402 enhanced performance engines that produce up to 20 percent more thrust than previous F404 engines. The Hornet's two engines deliver about 36,000 pounds combined thrust and a top speed of more than Mach 1.8.

Contractors:
Boeing [McDonnell Douglas Aerospace] and
Northrop Grumman (Airframe),
General Electric (Engines), and
Hughes (Radar)

Power Plant:
Two F404-GE-402 afterburning engines, each in the 18,000 pound thrust class, which results in a combat thrust-to-weight ratio greater than 1-to-1. Depending on the mission and loading, combat radius is greater than 500 nautical miles. Twin F414-GE-400 engines, each in the 22,000 pound thrust class. On an interdiction mission, the E/F will fly up to 40 % further than the C/D.

Accommodations:
The F/A-18C and F/A-18E are single seat aircraft.
The D and F models are flown by two crew members.

Performance:
F/A-18C maximum speed at level flight in altitudes of 36,089 ft. Mach 1.7
F/A-18E maximum speed at level flight in altitudes of 36,089 ft. Mach 1.6

Armament:
F/A-18C/D can carry up to 13,700 pounds of external ordnance.
Weapon stations include: two wingtip stations for Sidewinders; two outboard wing stations for air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons; two inboard wing stations for fuel tanks, air-to-air, or air-to-ground weapons; two nacelle fuselage stations for AMRAAMs, Sparrows, or sensor pods; and one centerline station for fuel or air-to-ground weapons.
M61 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon with 520 rounds of 20mm ammunition is internally mounted in the nose
F/A-18E/F can carry up to 17,750 pounds of external ordnance; two additional wing store stations have been added.

Mission and Capabilities:
The F/A-18 Hornet can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

Unit cost: $FY98

[Radix]

Hey Kathy

Great pictures as usual. Thank you.

You know I used to be stationed just outside Ramstein Air Base. That was one big place. I have been there a very many times.

I have been away from the Canteen for a few days, but I am here now and glad to see that you still post such great stuff.

By the way, is the sun up yet? Have you gotten any snow yet? If things are to warm for you up there you might want to consider a short trip to "sunny Florida". That place will cool you off. LoL, it was totally freezing where I was. Needless to say I do not have to wash out my bathing trunks this time around. Perhaps I shall start taking my winter vacations in Alasaka. LoL.

Have a great day!