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Posted on 01/21/2004 12:00:23 AM PST by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.
Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different veteran each Wednesday. The "ordinary" Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who participated in the events in our Country's history. We hope to present events as seen through their eyes. To give you a glimpse into the life of those who sacrificed for all of us - Our Veterans.
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It can be said that D-Day, June 6th, 1944, is one of most important days in military history. That long-awaited day, the Allied invasion, combining forces mainly of the United States, Great Britain and Canada, assaulted the Normandy beaches and began to drive back the German occupying forces from western Europe. The landings from the English Channel took place primarily in Normandy; the Americans landed in the southeastern part of the Contentin Peninsula, code-named Utah Beach and just to the east at a placed code-named Omaha Beach.  Five hours before the invasion began, C-47s and gliders made drops of paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions the preceding night into the peninsula with the objective of disrupting German lines of communications and defenses. Due to heavy anti-aircraft fire and inexperienced pilots, most of the paratroopers were given the green light to jump before reaching their assigned drop zones. The troopers were scattered about the peninsula and spent most of the night time trying to muster under the cover of darkness. Many troopers were killed or taken prisoner, but some limited numbers did manage to assemble and begin their missions. As day broke the massive invasion of Allied forces rolled in from the sea but was met with heavy resistance from the German coastal defenses. American forces at parts of Utah Beach were taking indirect fire from a battery of 105 mm guns just inland. These guns were situated in a field to the north of an estate known as Brecourt Manor and just south of the hamlet of Le Grand Chemin. It was imperative that these guns were taken out, as they they were being directed by telephone from a forward observation post on the beach.  There is no arguing that the assault at Brecourt Manor was a well-executed operation. Given the task of assaulting the placement, Lt. Richard Winters, Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, collected 13 others, planned and led the assault. As team member Sgt. Carwood Lipton later said, "The attack was a unique example of a small, well-led assault force overcoming and routing a much larger force. It was the high morale of E Company men, the quickness and audacity of the frontal attack, and the fire into their positions from different directions that demoralized the German forces and convinced them that they were being hit by a much larger force." (Band of Brothers, Ambrose pg. 102) After being assigned the task and gathering his team, Winters had everyone drop everything save their guns, ammunition and grenades (D Day and the Screaming Eagles, Koskimaki pg. 231).  Lt. Richard Winters After a night of havoc with sporadic contact with the enemy, Lt. Richard Winters, Easy Company (506 P.I.R.) managed to collect some of his men and men from other companies. He had landed on the northwest corner of Ste. Mere Eglise and steadily made his way, picking up others, to the east towards the beaches and then south. Eventually he assembled with larger numbers, and moving southward from Le Grand Chemin enemy contact was made; just south of Le Grand Chemin and north of Brecourt Manor a battery of 105 mm guns was shelling Utah Beach. Without realizing most of E Company was still making its way to the assembly point, Lt. Winters was ordered “to take his men” and knock out the placement. Knowing little more than the placement of a machine gun and one artillery piece, Winters and his force of 12 men moved south (Koskimaki, 230 - 231). On scouting the area, Winters found that there were actually four 105 mm guns connected by a trench network and defended from a distance by a collection of German MG42 nests. The highlight area in the middle of the diagram marks where the assault was setup and begun.   Upon arrival to close proximity to the battery, Lt. Winters set up two 30-caliber machine gun positions to act as bases of fire. Pvts. Joe Liebgott and Cleveland Petty were assigned one position, while Pvts. John Plesha and Walter Hendrix manned the second. Sgts. Mike Ranney and Carwood Lipton were sent northwesterly (past the old truck and rubbish pile) to establish covering fire as well. Lipton, with limited visibility, climbed a tree for a better view, but in an exposed position. Sgts. Bill Guarnere and Don Malarkey accompanied Lt Buck Compton down the tree line in a flanking position of the German MG42 nest.  Pvts. Joe Liebgott and Cleveland Petty were given the order to commence firing. Lipton and Ranney also began harrassing fire from the tree position. Meanwhile Compton, Malarkey and Guarnere were in position to attack from the German machine gun's right flank...  ...from the gun's right flank they threw grenades and began charging in thus knocking out the MG42. Lt. Carwood Lipton later recalled, "And then, just like in the movies, I saw Compton and Guarnere running in and throwing grenades with almost every step." (Koskimaki, pg. 230) Winters, along with his group (1) then charged along the tree line then out through the field to the trench system. The Germans in gun position one were overwhelmed...  ...and abandoned the first gun position. What German infantry was left retreated south in the trench system towards the next gun and south across the field towards Brecourt Manor only to be fired on in the open. Contrary to the HBO series depicting Lorraine has having trouble hitting a retreating German, it was Bill Guarnere who actually missed his man. "Guanere missed the ... Jerry, but Winters put a bullet in his back. Guarnere followed that up by pumping the wounded man full of lead with his tommy gun." (Ambrose, 98) The assault team now began to take fire from a line of MG42 nests located in the hedges to the west and southwest. Additionally the Germans in the next gun position began to fire and throw grenades. It was here in the north end of the trenches, as gun one was taken and about to be destroyed, that Popeye Wynn was injured by grenade, and Joe Toye had two close calls.  With the first gun under control, the attack on the second gun was put into place, but Winters, sensing a counterattack, checked the trench system. "I flopped down and by lying prone I could look through the connecting trench to the next position, and sure enough there were two of them setting up a machine gun, getting ready to fire. I got the first shot in however, and hit the gunner in the hip. The second...in the shoulder." (Koskimaki, pg 232) The MG42 fire from the west across the field was almost non- stop at this point, so all activity was limited to a crouch in the trench system. Lipton made his way up to the first gun only to discover that he had left his musette bag with explosives behind. He left, as ordered, to retrieve his bag. Winters now ordered the assault on the second gun. Leaving three men on the first 105, Winters led five others in a charge on the gun. With only one casualty the gun was taken (Ambrose 100). It was at the second 105 position that Winters discovered the radio and map room. This was an important find, as the maps contains locations of every German battery on the Contentin Peninsula. Winters ordered the radios and remaining materials destroyed.  With two guns under their control, Winters ordered the four machine gunners forward to suppress the MG42 fire from across the field. The team was joined by Pvt. John D. Hall of A Company. Hall led the charge on the third gun but was killed. However, the gun was taken (Ambrose, pg. 100). Captain Hester, S3, then joined the team, bringing with him incendiary grenades. Winters ordered all the captured guns destroyed.  Five more men, led by Lt. Ronald Spiers of D Company, arrived to reinforce the effort. Speirs led the assault on the fourth and final gun. The gun was taken but not without the loss of one man, "Rusty" Houch of F Company (Ambrose 101). All guns were now capture and effectively put out of operating order.  With all guns captured and destroyed, Winters ordered a fallback to the original starting point and subsequet retreat to Le Grand Chemin. "Winters' casualties were four dead, two wounded. He and his men had killed 15 Germans, wounded many more and taken twelve prisoner; in short they had wiped out the 50 man platoon of elite German paratroops defending the guns, and scattered the gun crews" (Ambrose, pg. 102)  10,5-cm leichte Feldhaubitze 18/40 For their actions, Lt Richard Winters received the Distinguished Service Cross, while Compton, Guarnere, Lorraine and Toye received the Silver Star; Lipton, Malarkey, Ranney, Liebgott, Hendrix, Plesha, Petty and Wynn recieved the Bronze Star (Ambrose, pg. 104).
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Air Power |
Overview
The presidential air transport fleet consists of two specially configured Boeing 747-200B aircraft (tail numbers 28000 and 29000) with the Air Force designation VC-25A. When the President of the United States is aboard either aircraft, or any Air Force aircraft for that matter, the radio call sign is "Air Force One".
History of 'Air Force One'
Presidential air transport began in 1944 when a C-54 Skymaster, known as the "Sacred Cow," was put into service for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Then came the "Independence," a C-118 Liftmaster which transported President Harry S Truman from 1947 to 1953. President Dwight D. Eisenhower traveled aboard two C-121 Constellations, "Columbine II" and "Columbine III," from 1953 to 1961. A 1953 incident where Eisenhower's aircraft was callsign "Air Force 8610" and an Eastern Airlines plane was callsign "8610" created the need to devise a unique call sign for the presidential aircraft. The callsign "Air Force One" was classified during the 1950s to identify not only the president's plane, but when he was aboard. In 1961, it became popularly known when it identified President John F. Kennedy while flying aboard his C-118.
In 1962, a VC-137B specifically purchased for use as "Air Force One", entered into service with the tail number 26000. It is perhaps the most widely known and most historically significant presidential aircraft. Aircraft 26000 returned President Kennedy's body to Washington, D.C. following his assassination on 22 November 1963. Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office as the 36th president on board the aircraft at Love Field in Dallas. This fateful aircraft also was used to return President Johnson's body to Texas following his state funeral on 24 January 1973.
The original paint scheme was designed at the request of President Kennedy, who wanted the airplane to reflect the spirit of the national character. He also directed that the words "United States of America" appear prominently on the fuselage, and that the U.S. flag be painted on the vertical stabilizer. The result was a striking blue and white color scheme that has more or less carried to this day.
Developed to replace the aging and costly VC-137B/C which had served the nation's chief executives for nearly 30 years, the VC-25A will usher presidential travel into the 21st century, upholding the proud tradition and distinction of being known as "Air Force One." The first VC-25A (#28000) flew as "Air Force One" on 6 September 1990, when it transported President George Bush to Kansas, Florida, and back to Washington, D.C.
The Flying 'Oval Office'
Principal differences between the VC-25A and the standard Boeing 747, other than the number of passengers carried, are the electronic and communications equipment aboard "Air Force One," its interior configuration and furnishings, self-contained baggage loader, front and aft air-stairs, and the capability for inflight refueling.
Both 747s were built at the Boeing facility in Everett, WA then flown to the company's facility in Wichita, KS for configuration as "Air Force One." The aircraft were extensively modified to meet presidential requirements.
The flying "Oval Office" has 4,000 square feet of interior floor space, which features accommodations for the president such as an executive suite consisting of a stateroom (with dressing room, lavatory, and shower) and the president's office. A conference/dining room is also available for the president, his family, and staff. Other separate accommodations are provided for guests, senior staff, Secret Service and security personnel, and the news media. Two galleys provide up to 100 meals at one sitting. Six passenger lavatories, including disabled access facilities, are provided as well as a rest area and mini-galley for the aircrew. The VC-25A also has a compartment outfitted with medical equipment and supplies for minor medical emergencies.
About 238 miles of wire wind through the presidential carrier. This is more than twice the wiring found in a typical 747. All wiring is shielded to protect it from electromagnetic pulse, which is generated by a thermonuclear blast and interferes with electronic signals.
The aircraft's mission communications system provides worldwide transmission and reception of normal and secure communications. The equipment includes 85 telephones, as well as multi-frequency radios for air-to-air, air-to-ground and satellite communications.
Both VC-25A aircraft are flown by the presidential aircrew, maintained by the Presidential Maintenance Branch, and are assigned to the Air Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, MD.
Air Force One is managed by Tinker Air Force Base personnel from the Contractor Logistics Support Management Directorate. Tinker has managed Air Force One since the airplanes were originally delivered back in 1990. The directorate manages Air Force One's day-to-day issues like supply and logistics support, while at the same time ensuring the aircraft are maintained to Federal Aviation Administration regulatory standards. This support also includes engineering and technical support, production management, modification management, budget management and contracting. Programmed Depot Maintenance [PDM] is also managed by this directorate, but the work is contracted out to Boeing's Wichita, Kan., facility. PDM is performed on one of the two Air Force One aircraft every year. To comply with a recent FAA mandate, one aircraft was updated with a new Fuel Quantity Indicating System. Heavy maintenance, completed on that aircraft in December 2000, included installation of the Global Positioning System and Flight Management Computer System. These systems were added as part of increasing FAA mandates to help make the aircraft more efficient. The second Air Force One aircraft was compliant with the FAA mandate when it rolled out of PDM later in 2001. In the wake of the TWA Flight 800 explosion, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board issued an Airworthiness Directive requiring anyone who maintains a 747 install a new FQIS with safety provisions that resulted from the TWA 800 investigation.
In the early 1990s Air Force One was secretly outfitted with a directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system to protect it from a missile attack. According to some reports, the plane can also eject flares to throw heat-seeking missiles off course.
On board Air Force One following the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, President Bush was unable to hold a videoconference in flight, adequately monitor news coverage, or receive necessary data from key people on the ground. The President couldn't even watch CNN. Once Bush arrived at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, StratCom's more advanced equipment put the President in better communication. After September 11, money was immediately allocated to upgrade four Presidential planes at a total cost of less than $50 million.
Specifications |
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| Primary Function | Presidential air transport |
| Contractor | Boeing Airplane Co. |
| Power Plant | Four General Electric CF6-80C2B1 jet engines |
| Thrust | 56,700 pounds, each engine |
| Length | 231 feet, 10 inches (70.7 meters) |
| Height | 63 feet, 5 inches (19.3 meters) |
| Wingspan | 195 feet, 8 inches (59.6 meters) |
| Speed | 630 miles per hour (Mach 0.92) |
| Ceiling | 45,100 feet (13,746 meters) |
| Maximum Takeoff Weight | 833,000 pounds (374,850 kilograms) |
| Range | 7,800 statute miles (6,800 nautical miles) (12,550 kilometers) |
| Crew | 26 |
| Passenger Load | 76 |
| Introduction Date | Dec. 8, 1990 (tail No. 28000); Dec. 23, 1990 (tail No. 29000) |
| Date Deployed | Sept. 6, 1990 (tail No. 28000); Mar. 26, 1991 (tail No. 29000) |
| Inventory | Active force, 2; ANG, 0; Reserve, 0 |
| Systems |
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Thanks carton253
One of the first things he did to P*ss me off.
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