mhansen2
Gold Member
This is an FYI thread showing important events in the US military, a few events extend beyond. The lists are not all encompassing, major battles are mostly omitted. Additions and comments are welcome.
My primary source:
This Day in U.S. Military History
10 August
1776 – Word of the United States Declaration of Independence reaches London.
1821 – Missouri enters the Union as the 24th state–and the first located entirely west of the Mississippi River.
1846 – After a decade of debate about how best to spend a bequest left to America from an obscure English scientist, President James K. Polk signs the Smithsonian Institution Act into law.
1914 – France declares war on Austria-Hungary.
1916 – First Naval aircraft production contract, for N-9s.
1921 – Franklin D. Roosevelt (39) was stricken with polio at his summer home on the Canadian island of Campobello, New Brunswick.
1921 – Congress establishes the Bureau of Aeronautics under RADM William Moffett.
1943 - "Pearl Harbor, Aug. 10, (AP) - A Navy bomber crashed in the Pearl Harbor Navy yard during maneuvers today, killing three of its crew and injuring 17 persons, among them four civilian employees." The aircraft struck a loaded bus and eight civilians died, in addition to the three-plane crew.
1945 – Just a day after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan submits its acquiescence to the Potsdam Conference terms of unconditional surrender, as President Harry S. Truman orders a halt to atomic bombing.
1949 – President Harry S. Truman signs the National Security Bill, which establishes the Department of Defense.
1950 – The first Marine Corps helicopter rescue of a downed pilot was successfully made by VMO-6.
1955 - Two United States Air Force Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar transports of the 10th Troop Carrier Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, collide over Edelweiler, Germany, near Stuttgart, shortly after takeoff for training mission from Stuttgart Army Airfield near Echterdingen. C-119G, 53-3222, c/n 11238, piloted by Robert T. Asher, and C-119G, 53-7841, c/n 11258, piloted by Eugene L. Pesci, both crash. In all, 66 died, 44 on one Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, and 22 on the other. Troops aboard were of the Army's 499th Engineering Battalion.
1961 – First use in Vietnam War of the Agent Orange by the U.S. Army.
1961 – Test pilot Forest Petersen flew the X-15 to 23,835 meters (78,200 feet) and Mach 4.11.
1965 – Test pilot Joe Engle flew the X-15 to 82,601 meters (271,013 feet; 51.33 miles) and Mach 5.20.
1965 - A Virginia Air Guard Cessna L-19 Bird Dog crashes at Camp Pickett, Virginia, while flying a support mission for forces in summer field training, killing the crew. Pilot Capt. Laurence A. White and S/Sgt. Melvin D. Mangum, both of the “Richmond Howitzers,” are killed while flying (KWF) when the liaison aircraft comes down near the Nottoway River reservoir.
1988 – President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, a measure providing $20,000 payments to Japanese-Americans interned by the U.S. government during World War II.
1988 - US Navy Kaman SH-2F Seasprite, BuNo 161910, assigned to HSL-35 NAS North Island. Aircraft suffered tail structure failure and loss of directional control, crashed into ocean approximately 30 miles off Point Loma while returning from weapons training exercise at NALF San Celemente Island, the co-pilot (Lt. Walt Hogan) perished in the crash, the other 3 crew-members survived.
1993 - A McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, BuNo 162955, of VMA-231, crashed on the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina as the pilot was doing "touch and go" landings. The aircraft's flaps jammed when moisture got into the flap controller causing it to short out. The pilot ejected before the aircraft hit the runway however his parachute descended into the fireball killing him.
2007 – Former USS Jouett (CG-29) was sunk as a target during Exercise Valiant Shield.
2011 – Former USS Arthur W. Radford (DD-968) was scuttled as an artificial reef at Del-Jersey-Land reef, New Jersey.
My primary source:
This Day in U.S. Military History
10 August
1776 – Word of the United States Declaration of Independence reaches London.
1821 – Missouri enters the Union as the 24th state–and the first located entirely west of the Mississippi River.
1846 – After a decade of debate about how best to spend a bequest left to America from an obscure English scientist, President James K. Polk signs the Smithsonian Institution Act into law.
1914 – France declares war on Austria-Hungary.
1916 – First Naval aircraft production contract, for N-9s.
1921 – Franklin D. Roosevelt (39) was stricken with polio at his summer home on the Canadian island of Campobello, New Brunswick.
1921 – Congress establishes the Bureau of Aeronautics under RADM William Moffett.
1943 - "Pearl Harbor, Aug. 10, (AP) - A Navy bomber crashed in the Pearl Harbor Navy yard during maneuvers today, killing three of its crew and injuring 17 persons, among them four civilian employees." The aircraft struck a loaded bus and eight civilians died, in addition to the three-plane crew.
1945 – Just a day after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan submits its acquiescence to the Potsdam Conference terms of unconditional surrender, as President Harry S. Truman orders a halt to atomic bombing.
1949 – President Harry S. Truman signs the National Security Bill, which establishes the Department of Defense.
1950 – The first Marine Corps helicopter rescue of a downed pilot was successfully made by VMO-6.
1955 - Two United States Air Force Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar transports of the 10th Troop Carrier Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, collide over Edelweiler, Germany, near Stuttgart, shortly after takeoff for training mission from Stuttgart Army Airfield near Echterdingen. C-119G, 53-3222, c/n 11238, piloted by Robert T. Asher, and C-119G, 53-7841, c/n 11258, piloted by Eugene L. Pesci, both crash. In all, 66 died, 44 on one Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, and 22 on the other. Troops aboard were of the Army's 499th Engineering Battalion.
1961 – First use in Vietnam War of the Agent Orange by the U.S. Army.
1961 – Test pilot Forest Petersen flew the X-15 to 23,835 meters (78,200 feet) and Mach 4.11.
1965 – Test pilot Joe Engle flew the X-15 to 82,601 meters (271,013 feet; 51.33 miles) and Mach 5.20.
1965 - A Virginia Air Guard Cessna L-19 Bird Dog crashes at Camp Pickett, Virginia, while flying a support mission for forces in summer field training, killing the crew. Pilot Capt. Laurence A. White and S/Sgt. Melvin D. Mangum, both of the “Richmond Howitzers,” are killed while flying (KWF) when the liaison aircraft comes down near the Nottoway River reservoir.
1988 – President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, a measure providing $20,000 payments to Japanese-Americans interned by the U.S. government during World War II.
1988 - US Navy Kaman SH-2F Seasprite, BuNo 161910, assigned to HSL-35 NAS North Island. Aircraft suffered tail structure failure and loss of directional control, crashed into ocean approximately 30 miles off Point Loma while returning from weapons training exercise at NALF San Celemente Island, the co-pilot (Lt. Walt Hogan) perished in the crash, the other 3 crew-members survived.
1993 - A McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, BuNo 162955, of VMA-231, crashed on the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina as the pilot was doing "touch and go" landings. The aircraft's flaps jammed when moisture got into the flap controller causing it to short out. The pilot ejected before the aircraft hit the runway however his parachute descended into the fireball killing him.
2007 – Former USS Jouett (CG-29) was sunk as a target during Exercise Valiant Shield.
2011 – Former USS Arthur W. Radford (DD-968) was scuttled as an artificial reef at Del-Jersey-Land reef, New Jersey.