“The Inland Sea of Japan was still veiled in darkness when the anchorage at Hashirajima began to awaken. On board the aircraft carrier Akagi, white-clad crewmen, ghostly in the deep twilight on the forecastle, began raising the ship’s anchors. The clatter of the capstan was overlain with the bright sound of spraying water as the…
Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side; Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight, And the choice goes by forever, ‘twixt that darkness and that light. —– —– You and I have a…
Inventor, racer, aviator – intense and relentless competitor. Father of Naval Aviation.  These titles and more accrued to one Glenn Hammond Curtiss, born this date in 1878 in Hammondsport, New York. Not satisfied with the sedate life of the pedistrian, he earned money for his first bicycle while working for Eastman Kodak (where his natural inventiveness and…
  Speaking of ethos…great new site (h/t: Maggie) put up by the family of “Mac” McWhorter, who flew in VF-9, was CO of VF-12 and the first Hellcat ace. Lots of remembrances by those who were there and remember him both during and after the war. We’ve added the site to the blogroll on the right under…
e·thos [ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs] -noun 1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued. 2. the character or disposition of a community,…
So Friday we achieved escape velocity from the Beltway for Norfolk and appearance as a guest speaker for the winging of NFO class 07-5. Hosted by VAW-120 (and Skipper — top flight production too, BZ to ALCON) the ceremony marked the official transition of the fledglings from mere students to replacement NFO’s, designated 1320’s (or…
29 Apr 1961: USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) is commissioned at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The second ship to be named for the wind swept location on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where man’s heavier-than-air journey first met demonstrable success, she represents a substantial improvement in the “super carrier” design first seen with the Forrestal-class…
Americans At War Through the eyes of those who were there, Americans at War® looks back at the moments when ordinary people were called to extraordinary heroism. High-definition interviews offer intimate, one-on-one experiences. It’s a priceless understanding of the effects of war through harrowing personal accounts. Featured on PBS, this award-winning series offers 50 compelling…
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of 11 U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors. They are Capt. Robert L. Coleman, of Wilmington, Del.; 1st Lt. George E. Wallinder, of…
(h/t to Southern Air Pirate for the topic suggestion) 29 April 1975. South Vietnam is ceasing to exist as a geopolitical entity – Saigon is falling. Under leaden skies, the assembled ships and aircraft of TF 76, headed by carriers Hancock and Midway begin executing Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of US personnel along with Vietnamese…
