The FReeper Foxhole Enjoys a Lazy Sunday - Capt. Roy Marlin “Butch” Voris - August 14th, 2005

http://www.firstblueangel.com/ ^

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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Capt. (Retired) Roy Marlin “Butch” Voris



Roy Marlin “Butch” Voris (1919-2005)

Capt. (Retired) Roy Marlin “Butch” Voris, creator of the famed Navy Blue Angels air demonstration team and a World War II flying ace from the Pacific War, died Tuesday at his home in Monterey, CA. Voris, 86, had been ill for several years but was still drawing huge crowds at air shows whenever he attended. The 2004 California Air Show at Salinas, CA had been dedicated in his honor.



A fighter pilot’s fighter pilot, he shared the pantheon with other American military aviation greats like Chuck Yeager, Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, and the “Right Stuff” astronauts, all of whom made their marks after Voris had helped pave the way. He himself had ended his active aviation career as a spokesman for NASA during the momentous 1970 moon shots.

Physically a big man with a shaved head, Voris was known for his even-temperedness and coolness in the cockpit, as well as great skill. He had survived numerous accidents and emergency situations in the air, including a midair collision during a Blue Angel demonstration at Corpus Christi, TX, in 1952 in which one Blue Angel was killed and he miraculously brought his plane in despite lack of almost all control and a nearly severed tail. For all his accomplishments, he was unpretentious and had a humorous streak that kept him in demand as a speaker.

Voris’ career spanned 33 years. He had been instrumental in the early development of the F-14 “Tomcat,” one of the navy’s greatest fighter-bombers. He had flown everything from bi-planes to jets, most of them in combat. His status as ace was earned in the hard early years of the Pacific War when he shot down a confirmed eight (8) Japanese fighter planes. Flying from the carriers Enterprise and Hornet, he had taken part in the battles of Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, numerous Central Pacific islands, the First Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, and “The Mission into Darkness,” in which air wing pilots had taken off near dusk to pursue the Japanese fleet knowing many probably wouldn’t have enough gas to return.



But Voris was most known for having forged in 1946 a handful of navy fighter pilots, veterans of the Pacific War, into the navy flight demonstration team that became known world-wide as the Blue Angels, today’s foremost ambassadors of American flight know-how and prowess. It was the first such official venture by any of the services. With the war over, the navy needed a recruiting tool and something that would help attract congressional dollars. Voris, back from the war and a Jacksonville Naval Air Station flight instructor, was given the job.

“My frame of mind was they didn’t offer this to me to come in second to the army,” he recalls in “First Blue,” a book published by St. Martins Press last year about his life. “I felt that if we weren’t the best, it would be my naval career.”

What he forged was the first of its kind: a show about 15 minutes long with three Hellcats, the fighters he’d flown mostly in the Pacific, roaring almost wingtip to wingtip in unison, doing rolls and maneuvers experienced often in dogfights but seldom ever seen by the public. The first show was a sensation, and by the end of the year, the team had found a name based on a New York nightclub and Butch had hand-picked leaders who would succeed him. His strong personality, insistence on excellence through pilot debriefs and commitment, and through teamwork, established a tradition that continues with the Blues today. At Salinas this past year, current as well as former Blues honored him at attention with a red carpet and salutes as he passed them by.



“I wouldn’t change a thing,” he’s quoted in First Blue. “I wish I could do it all over again.”

In 1952, Voris was brought back to reform the Blue’s following their stint as the nucleus of a fighter squadron in the Korean War. They had not performed for several years. As such he was one of only two Blue leaders ever to lead the group twice. This time he did it in Panther jets. Additionally, he was twice the skipper of fighter squadrons - VF-113 and VF-191 - and commanding officer of a carrier air group, CAG-5. After retiring from the navy as a captain in 1963, he went to work as an executive of Grumman Aircraft Corporation, Bethpage, New York - the company whose many airplanes he had flown and loved until 1973, when he joined NASA.



Moved by the sight of airplanes as a youngster, Voris, who was born in Los Angeles, was considering a career as a mortician after graduating from high school in Santa Cruz, CA and Salinas Junior College. He didn’t think he’d have enough money to learn to fly. Then he saw a recruiting poster and realized the navy might teach him for nothing. He was still finishing flight training when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Shipped out to war when things looked bleakest, he served in VF-10 “The Grim Reapers,” under Jimmy Flatley, and later, as the carriers began to take back the Pacific, with VF-2, “The Rippers,” commanded by Bill Dean. At one point, the Rippers had more aces than any other squadron in the Pacific.

He was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses, 11 air medals, and three Presidential Unit Citations and the Purple Heart received when he almost was killed by a Japanese Zero on his tail that shot up his cockpit as he defended Guadalcanal. He was in a less-maneuverable F4F Wildcat and figured it was over until he dove in a last-ditch maneuver and escaped. That was his first real dogfight.



Butch is a member of the Navy Aviation Hall of Fame in Pensacola, FL, and the International Air Show Hall of Fame. An aircraft bearing his name is outside Jacksonville Naval Air Station and the Passenger Terminal at the station is named for him. In 1993, he was honored by the air force in a “Gathering of Eagles” ceremony as one of 20 aviators worldwide who have made significant contributions to aviation. The gathering is an annual event. In 2003, his wife of over 50 years, Thea passed away. They had been married since 1947.

Butch is survived by daughters Randie and Jill, sons-in-law Hank and Joe, and grandsons Hank Jr., Ryan and Todd. In addition, he is survived by brothers Robert and Richard.

A memorial service is being planned. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations in Butch’s name to Hospice of the Central Coast 2 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Suite D-210, Monterey, CA 93940-5730.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

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SQUADRON HISTORY

At the end of World War II, on April 24, 1946, the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, ordered the establishment of a flight demonstration team to showcase naval aviation.



Lieutenant Commander Roy “Butch” Voris, the first flight leader, led the team of Lt. Chuck Knight, Lt. Maurice Wickendoll, Lt. Al Taddeo, Lt. Jim Barnitz, Lt. j.g. Gale Stouse, Lt. j.g. Ross Robinson and Lt. j.g. Mel Cassidy. During a trip to New York City, Wickendoll chanced across a reference to the city’s famous Blue Angel nightclub in The New Yorker magazine. Less than two months later, on June 15, the newly-named Blue Angels and their Grumman F-6F Hellcats delivered the team’s first public performance at Craig Field in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Blue Angels transitioned to the Grumman F-8F Bearcat, on August 25, only two months after the first performance. In 1947, Flight Leader Lt. Cmdr. Robert Clarke, introduced the famous Diamond Formation, now considered the Blue Angels’ trademark. The team was flying its first jet aircraft, the Grumman F9F-2 Panther at the end of the 1940s.

In 1950, the Korean Conflict put a great demand on naval aviation. The Navy responded by reassigning the Blue Angels team members to the aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CV 37), where they became the nucleus of Fighter Squadron 191 (VF 191), known as “Satan’s Kittens.”

The Blues reorganized in 1951 and reported to Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Whiting Field in Milton, Florida, then transitioned to Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas, where the team began flying the F9F-5, a faster version of the Panther. The team remained in Corpus Christi until the winter of 1954. The beginning of 1955 brought the team to its present home, Forrest Sherman Field, at NAS Pensacola, Florida, where it adopted the sweptwing Grumman F9F-8 Cougar.

The ensuing 20 years saw the Blue Angels step up into successively advanced aircraft. In 1957, the team began flying the Grumman F11F-1 Tiger; by 1969 the team was performing in its first dual-engine jet, the McDonnell-Douglas F-4J Phantom II.

In December 1974, the Blue Angels team reorganized as the U. S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, establishing Cmdr. Tony Less as the first commanding officer. The squadron added support officers and redefined its mission to support Navy recruiting. The Blue Angels also donned a new aircraft in 1974, the McDonnell Douglas A-4F Skyhawk II.



On November 8, 1986, the Blue Angels marked their 40th anniversary. During the ceremony the squadron unveiled its present aircraft, the sleek McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet. The Hornet is the first dual-role fighter/attack aircraft serving on the nation’s front lines of defense.

In 1992 the Blue Angels deployed for its first European tour in 19 years. More than one million people in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain saw the Blue Angels perform during their 30-day tour. In November 1998, Cmdr. Patrick Driscoll landed the first “blue jet” on a “haze gray and underway” aircraft carrier, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

Since its inception in 1946, the team has flown for more than 393 million fans, including more than 17 million spectators during the 2004 show season.

http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/history/history.html

See our Foxhole Thread on these magnificent flyers.The FReeper Foxhole Studies Aerial Demonstration Teams - Part 3 - The Blue Angels - Dec. 6th, 2003

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Good morning everyone. Enjoy your Sunday.

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First Blue Angel is a charitable organization. Our goal is simply to get Butch's story in the hands of as many people as possible.

All proceeds will be donated to:

» US Naval Academy Foundation
» Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

[snippy_about_it]

"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!



Good Saturday Morning Everyone.

If you want to be added to our ping list, let us know.

[snippy_about_it]

Showcasing America's finest, and those who betray them!

Please click on the banner above and check out this newly created (and still under construction) website created by FReeper Coop!

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Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

Thanks to quietolong for providing this link.

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We here at Blue Stars For A Safe Return are working hard to honor all of our military, past and present, and their families. Inlcuding the veterans, and POW/MIA's. I feel that not enough is done to recognize the past efforts of the veterans, and remember those who have never been found.

I realized that our Veterans have no "official" seal, so we created one as part of that recognition. To see what it looks like and the Star that we have dedicated to you, the Veteran, please check out our site.

Veterans Wall of Honor

Blue Stars for a Safe Return

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NOW UPDATED THROUGH JULY 31st, 2004




The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

LINK TO FOXHOLE THREADS INDEXED by PAR35

[w_over_w]

MORNING GLORY FOLKS!

[w_over_w]

Excellent read about a true Fighter Pilot. I will always cherish knowing I was raised by one. First saw the Blue Angels at Transpo '76 at Dulles Intrnl. Airport. We got to see the Angels, Thunderbirds and British Red Arrows. Talk about a treat!

Have a blessed day everyone!

[E.G.C.]

From soggy Southwest Oklahoma where we are under a Flash Flood Watch. Good morning Snippy and everyone at the foxhole.

[Soaring Feather]

Flag's up!!
First one in the FOXHOLE!

[Soaring Feather]

Ooooooops!! Lost again. Second place doesn't count.

[The Mayor]

August 14, 2005

Bellyaching And Its Cure

Read:
Matthew 20:1-16

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up. —1 Corinthians 13:4

Bible In One Year: Jeremiah 30-32

A mentally impaired man always shook hands with his pastor after each service. But he often made critical comments like these: "You preach too long." "Your sermons are boring." "You talk about yourself too much." Distressed, the pastor mentioned this to a deacon, who replied, "Oh, don't worry about him. All he does is parrot what he hears others say."

Grumbling is an all-too-common sin among Christians, and some are chronic complainers. They are skilled at finding something wrong with anyone who is actively trying to serve the Lord. And undoubtedly all of us have done some bellyaching.

The best cure for this sinful habit is Christian love—something easy to talk about but difficult to practice. First, we must consciously desire God's best for everyone. This love "suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; . . . love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil" (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Then, as we depend on the Lord, we must put these attitudes into practice.

The next time you feel like finding fault with someone, resist that impulse and look for a way to do good to that person (Galatians 6:10). Do this diligently, and in time you will be cured of your bellyaching. —Herb Vander Lugt

I would not criticize the one who works,
The one who listens to God's Word and heeds;
But I would criticize myself, dear Lord,
Confess to You my faithless words and deeds. —Hess

Don't find a fault—find a remedy.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
The Compassion Of Jesus

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. Flag-o-Gram.

[alfa6]

At work busy boiling water Bump for the Sunday Foxhole

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[investigateworld]

I understand they've worked their C-130 Support bird into the act. That I gotta see.

[GailA]

Good afternoon All.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. We're glad to have you no matter 1st or 3rd. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

Morning. As a youngin' for a time I lived in Vegas and my mother worked at Nellis for a time, got to see the Thunderbirds all the time, back in the old days when you could hear the sonic boom!

[snippy_about_it]

Hugs EGC, stay safe.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Mayor.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning PE.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning. I'd like to see the C130, too. Nice tagline, btw.

[snippy_about_it]

Good afternoon Gail.

[investigateworld]

Anyone have their schedule for 05 - 06, got grandkids that need to see this.



(JPII played a greater role in the gentle collapse of the USSR than what the Curia will admit too ... He has most certainly earned a place in history)

[w_over_w]

back in the old days when you could hear the sonic boom!

Hey sweets . . . we got a not so subtle reminder of the "old days" last week when the Space Shuttle landed at Edwards AFB at 5AM . . . KA-BOOM!. Windows rattling, cats running in different directions, car alarms going off . . . it was wonderful!

[MNJohnnie]

To all, Please help me get the word out about these Iraqi War Vet-song writers.

Here is a copy of a message I recieved today.

To: MNJohnnie
hey, my name is JR Schultz, you probably think i'm crazy, but I served with Luke and actually wrote most of the lyrics to that song. I enjoy getting online and seeing what everyone has to say about the song even though I barely get any credit for it. Anyway, you seemed pretty interested in the topic and I thought you might like to know the story behind Luke's rise to fame. He and I, along with another soldier named Nick Brown spent our spare time playing guitars and began writing songs dealing with our experiences. Between the three of us we recorded around 15 songs. Our original plan was to come home and have some CDs printed for family and friends who wanted them and also try to sell them online. Obviously, Luke's success has kept him from doing this but Nick and I have a website where we are selling a 13 track CD of songs we wrote and recorded in Baghdad. If you are interested, the site is www.iraq-songs.com . We don't quite get the advertisement that Luke gets so we'd appreciate any help in spreading the word.

Thanks man. JR

25 posted on 08/14/2005 1:56:00 AM PDT by mortaritaville writer (Co-writer of "American-by God's Amazing Grace")

[tet68]

Boy, I'd have loved to see them in the F-6s and F-8s!!!
The aerobatic area would have been a lot smaller, awesome.
And the sound whayhaaaaaa!!!

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on August 14:
1774 Meriwether Lewis Charlottsville VA, capt of Lewis & Clark Expedition
1777 Hans Christian Oersted Den, physicist/chemist (View of Chemical Law)
1810 Samuel Sebastian Wesley, composer
1851 John Henry "Doc" Holliday gambler born Griffin, Georgia
1860 Ernest T Seton naturalist/painter/author (Buffalo Wind-1938)
1867 John Galsworthy England, author (Forsyte Saga-Nobel 1932)
1901 Sir James Pitman England, educator/publisher/phonetic speller
1903 John Ringling North circus director
1920 Nehemiah Persoff actor (Al Capone, Yentl)
1925 Russell Baker columnist/humorist (NY Times)
1926 Alice Ghostly Montana, actress (Bewitched, With 6 You Get Egg Roll)
1926 Buddy Greco Phila Pa, singer (Away We Go, Broadway Open House)
1930 Earl Weaver St Louis Mo, manager (Balt Orioles 1968-82, 85-86)
1940 Dash Crofts Cisco Tx, singer (Seals & Crofts-Summer Breeze)
1941 Connie Smith Elkhart, Indiana, singer (Dream Painter, New Horizons)
1941 David Crosby rocker (Crosby, Stills & Nash-Southern Cross)
1942 Sandy Gilmour Montclair NJ, newscaster (Prime Time Sunday)
1943 Jon A McBride Charleston WV, Capt USN/astronaut (STS 41G)
1944 Robyn Smith Astaire jockey/wife of Fred Astaire
1945 Steve Martin Waco Tx, comedian (The Jerk, Man With 2 Brains)
1946 Antonio Fargas Bronx NY, actor (Huggy Bear-Starsky & Hutch)
1946 Susan St James LA Cal, (MacMillan & Wife, Kate & Allie, Name of Game)
1950 Gary Larson cartoonist (The Far Side)
1952 Debbie Meyer US, 200m/400m/800m freestyle swimmer (Oly-gold-1968)
1952 Mark C Lee Viroqua Wisconsin, Major USAF/astronaut (STS-30)
1956 Sharon Bryant vocalist (Atlantic Starr - Touch a 4 Leaf Clover)
1958 Earvin (Magic) Johnson NBA star (LA Lakers)
1961 Susan Olson actress (Cindy-Brady Bunch)
1965 Lynette Falls Ridgewood NJ, Miss NJ-America-1991
1975 SevenofNine foreign corespondent FNN (Freeper News Network "we report, you tell us we're wrong") internationaly known tiddlywinks champion.
"The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball."
Happy Birthday
1992 Federal Judge John J. Sirica (Watergate) dies

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Deaths which occurred on August 14:
1433 Johan I, king of Portugal (1383-1433)
1778 Augustus Montague Toplady (b.1740), English Calvinist hymn writer (Rock of Ages), dies
1785 John William Fletcher, evangelist, dies
1932 Rin Tin Tin, US Hollywood dog, dies
1936 Rainey Bethea hung, last US public execution
1951 William Randolph Hearst newspaper publisher, dies in Beverly Hills
1958 Gladys L Presley mom of Elvis, dies at 46
1958 Mary Ritter Beard American historian, dies at 82
1972 Jules Romains French novelist, dies at 86
1972 Oscar Levant actor (American in Paris, Dance of Life), dies at 65
1982 Patrick Magee Irish actor, dies at 58
1988 Roy Buchanan guitarist Johnny Otis band, Ronnie Hawkins, Delbert McClinton
1988 Enzo Ferrari Italy, sportscar manufacturer (Ferrari), dies at 90
1991 Douglas Kiker newscaster (NBC-TV), dies of a heart attack at 61
1999 Lane Kirkland, former 16-year AFL-CIO president (1979-1995), die age 77

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Take A Moment To Remember
GWOT Casualties

Iraq
14-Aug-2003 2 | US: 1 | UK: 1 | Other: 0
UK Captain David Martyn Jones Basra - Basrah Hostile - hostile fire - bomb
US Private 1st Class David M. Kirchhoff Landstuhl Reg. Med. Ctr. Non-hostile - illness - heatstroke

14-Aug-2004 1 | US: 0 | UK: 0 | Other: 1
NL Sergeant 1st Class Jeroen Severs Ar Rumaythah (near) - Muthanna Hostile - hostile fire


Afghanistan
A GOOD DAY


http://icasualties.org/oif/
Data research by Pat Kneisler
Designed and maintained by Michael White
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Go here and I'll stop nagging.
http://www.taps.org/
(subtle hint SEND MONEY)

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On this day...
2,000,000bc first there was dirt, then God said "Let there be RaceBannon" 5th hezekiah 6:47. Why? Well this is a question that has troubled theologians, natural philosophers, parking lot attendants since the dawn of time. In the end all we can say is God works in mysterious ways.
" Middle age is the time when a man is always thinking that in a week or two he will feel as good as ever"
Happy Birthday
0410 Vandals under Alaric sacks Rome
0554 Ravenna becomes seat of Byzantines military governor in Italy
1248 Construction of Cologne Cathedral begun
1281 Kublai Khans invading fleet disappears in typhoon near Japan (Kamikaze-Divine Wind)
1385 Grand Duke Jogaila signs a treaty with Poland at Krievos Castle. Agrees to convert to Christianity and to seek the conversion of all of Lithuania and unite with Poland.
1385 Portuguese defeat Castilians at Aljubarrota, retain independence
1457 Oldest known exactly dated printed book (c 3 years after Gutenberg)
1756 French capture Fort Oswego, NY
1765 Mass. colonists challenge British rule by an Elm (Liberty Tree)
1784 First Russian settlement in Alaska, on Kodiak Island, Grigori Shelekhov, a Russian fur trader, founded Three Saints Bay
1813 British warship Pelican attacks & captures US war brigantine Argus
1824 General Lafayette returned to US.
1842 Seminole War ends; Indians removed from Florida to Oklahoma
1846 Henry David Thoreau jailed for tax resistance
1848 Oregon Territory created
1861 Martial Law declared in St. Louis, MI
1862 Lincoln receives 1st group of blacks to confer with US president
1873 "Forest & Stream" begins publishing
1876 Prairie View State University forms
1880 Construction of Cologne Cathedral completed(began in 1248)
1893 France issues 1st driving licenses, included required test
1900 Intl forces including US Marines enter Beijing to put down Boxer Rebellion, which was aimed at ridding China of foreigners
1904 The Hereros of German South West Africa (later Namibia) rebel. Kaiser Wilhelm II sends General Lothar von Trotha to put down the Herero uprising. Trotha drove the Hereros into the desert and then issued a formal "extermination order". 75,000 of 80,000 Hereros die. 1st genocide of the 20th century
1907 "Ha-Tikva" adopted as official Zionist hymn
1908 Race riot in Springfield Illinois
1910 6th International Congress of Esperantists held in Washington, DC
1912 2,500 US marines invade Nicaragua; US remains until 1925
1917 China declares war on Germany & Austria at start of WW I
1919 Yankee Muddy Ruel hits into a triple-play
1925 Mount Rushmore monument 1st proposed
1935 Social Security Act became law
1936 1st Olympic basketball game (Berlin)
1937 Detroit Tigers score 36 runs in double header vs St Louis Browns
1941 Atlantic Charter signed by FDR & Churchill
1942 Dwight D. Eisenhower named the Anglo-American commander for Operation Torch



1945 V-J Day; Japan surrenders unconditionally to end WW II



1947 India granted independence within British Commonwealth
1947 Mildred Babe Didrikson Zaharias gives up amateur status for $300,000
1947 Pakistan gains independence from Britain
1948 14th Olympic games in London closes
1958 Canadian Football League plays 1st game (Winnipeg 29, Edmonton 21)
1958 Cleve Indian, Vic Power steals home twice in 1 game
1961 Phila Phillies lose 17th straight game
1962 French & Italian workers break through at Mount Blanc Vehicular Tunnel
1962 NASA civilian test pilot Joseph A Walker takes X-15 to 60,000 m
1962 US mail truck in Plymouth, Mass robbed of more than $1.5 million
1965 Beatles tape an appearance for the Ed Sullivan Show
1965 Continental Football League plays 1st games
1966 1st US lunar orbiter begins orbiting the Moon
1967 Pirate radio stations Radio 270, Radio London, Radio Ireland, Radio Scotland & Radio Swinging Holland go off the air
1969 British troops intervenes militarily in Northern Ireland
1969 NY Mets fall 9 games back, later to win the pennant
1970 City University of NY inaugurates open admissions
1971 Bahrain proclaims independence after 110 years of British rule
1971 British begin internment without trial in Northern Ireland
1971 St Louis Cards Bob Gibson no-hits Pitts, 11-0
1972 East German Aeroflot Illyushin 62 crashes near Moscow, killing 156
1973 Johnny Unitas files $725,000 suit against Balt Colts

1974 Congress authorizes US citizens to own gold

1978 French TV announced a rating of "0" for a program about an Armenian's woman's 40th birthday, (comp: Napoleonic drama-67%, Knockout-33%)
1979 Rainbow seen in Northern Wales for a 3 hour duration

1980 17,000 Polish workers, led by Lech Walesa, began a 17-day strike at the Lenin Shipyards in Gdansk. Solidarity labor movement founded, begining of the end of the Warsaw act and the USSR.

1981 George Foster hits his 8th HR into the red seats at Riverfront
1982 Pete Rose (Phillies) 12,365 at bat sets record (passes Aaron)
1984 IBM releases MS-DOS version 3.0
1986 Phillies & Pirates play a 6 game series in 4 days
1990 Angel's Louis Palonia is 74th to hit an inside the park grandslam
1990 Denver vote for a 1% sales tax to pay for a baseball franchise
1991 Comedian Jackie Mason marries his manager Jyll Rosenfeld (37)
1992 Food aid to Somalia begins
1994 Ilich Ramirez Sánchez, AKA Carlos the Jackal, captured in Sudan
1997 Timothy McVeigh, convicted on fifteen counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, was sentenced to die by lethal injection.
2001 Helios, a remote-controlled, solar powered NASA plane, reached a record 96,500 feet
2003 Massive power blackout hits 8 northeastern US states and southern Canada. It shut down 10 major airports and 9 nuclear power stations.

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

Arkansas : World War II Memorial Day (1945)
Bahrain : Independence Day (1971)
Chicago : Bud Billiken Day-honors children (1923)
Liechtenstein : Prince Franz-Joseph Day
Massachusett : Liberty Tree Day (1765)
Pakistan-1947, Bahrain-1971 : Independence Day
Portugal : Independence Day (1385)
Rhode Island, Michigan : V-J Day (1945)
US : Atlantic Charter Day; US & UK agree on war aims (1941)
Italy : Palio Del Golfo
Zambia : Youth Day ( Monday )
National Whiffle Ball Day
National Creamsicle Day
National Senior Citizens Day
Foot Health Month(so keep yours out of your mouth)

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Religious Observances
RC : St Vigil of the Assumption of Mary
RC : Memorial of Maximilian Kolbe, priest, martyr at Auschwitz

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Religious History
1739 English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'Our extremity is God's opportunity.'
1810 Birth of Samuel S. Wesley, grandson of Methodist hymnwriter Charles Wesley. Himself a sacred composer, Samuel Wesley penned over 130 original hymn tunes. The best remembered of these today is AURELIA, to which is sung "The Church's One Foundation."
1814 During the American Revolution, American patriot Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) was held overnight as a British prisoner during their shelling of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. In the morning, Key penned what later became our national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner."
1848 Death of English devotional writer Sarah Flower Adams, 43. In 1845 she published The Flock at the Fountain, a catechism containing hymns for children. One of those hymns remains popular to this day: "Nearer, My God, To Thee."
1944 German Lutheran theologian and Nazi martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in a letter from prison: 'God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill all His promises ... leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself.'

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Surf's up for Australian rodents!


CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia -- land of sun, sand and ... surfing mice?

Australian Shane Willmott is training three mice, named Harry, Chopsticks and Bunsen, to surf small waves on tiny mouse-size surf boards at beaches on the country's Gold Coast. The mice are put through rigorous bathtub training and then some have their fur dyed when it is time to hit the beach.

"Usually if he is surfing big waves, I usually color his hair up. Because he's white, when he gets in the whitewash it's hard to find him," Willmott told Australian television.

Despite Willmott's training, Harry, Chopsticks and Bunsen -- who live in miniature custom-made villas and own specially made jet skis -- are proving no threat to world champion Kelly Slater just yet.

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Thought for the day :
"Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right."
John Donne

[w_over_w]

On this day . . .

87th PGA Championship from Baltusrol CC in Springfield, NJ called due to inclement weather. Five players atop the leader board separated by two strokes the final round to be resumed tomorrow(Monday) while I'm at work . . . this really sucks.

[Valin]

It's a PLOT! :-)

[Colonial Warrior]

Enjoyed the thread snippy... You taught me something about the Blues.

God Bless CAPT Butch. RIP.

[Valin]

Something people might be interested in

Freeper to be on Wisconsin Public Radio Today at 10 a.m. CDT for Full Hour (8/12/05)
Wisconsin Public Radio ^ | Friday, August 12, 2005 | Kristinn

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1462020/posts
Posted on 08/12/2005 10:01:54 AM CDT by kristinn


10:00 AM
Kathleen Dunn - 08/12E


After ten, Kathleen Dunn's guest says the actions of war-protester Cindy Sheehan are misguided, and hurt troop morale.

Guest: Kristinn Taylor, co-leader of the Washington D.C. chapter of FreeRepublic.com

The station has live streaming (got to source link.)

[alfa6]

Fat Albert pics, if you can't get to the show we will bring it to you :-)

The big guy arriving

Low pass over the beach

JATO take off at rotation

JATO takeoff at rotation with Prop Vortices COOOL

JATO gettin' airborne

A little night action by the big guy

Last but not least Fat Albert head on with Alcatraz in the background.

Well that's it for tonite, y'all have a good night

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[investigateworld]

Thanks.

[Professional Engineer]

Howdy ma'am

[Professional Engineer]

1988 Enzo Ferrari Italy, sportscar manufacturer (Ferrari), dies at 90

The reason a farm tractor manufacturer decided to build a sports car himself.

[Professional Engineer]

1974 Congress authorizes US citizens to own gold

How nice of them

[Valin]

Farm tractor? Never knew that.

[Professional Engineer]

Not Enzo hisownself, but another guy. Seems an Italian gentleman who did make tractors was having trouble with his car. He went to Maranello to talk with Senor Ferrari, and was turned away.

The gentleman didn't care for the rude treatment he had received, so he went home, and sold the rest bucket with the prancing pony on the hood. Senor Lamborghini went on to create even more exclusize cars than his new rival.

[Valin]

My acme sarcasm meter is twitching

[Valin]

And now you know...the rest of the story.

[Professional Engineer]

Don't upset your customers, eh?

[Professional Engineer]

Hi miss Feather

I gave Bittygirl a new nickname tonight. She dragged a BUNCH of Spiderboy's clothes all around. It looked as if a tornado had it. I've started calling her "The Gail".

[Soaring Feather]

She'll be a tornado in no time.:)

[snippy_about_it]

You're welcome. I learn something here every day!

[snippy_about_it]

Cool! I would have loved to hear that!

[snippy_about_it]

Good luck tomorrow.

[Valin]

Ya never know.