US Military History Throughout The Years

Short bits of history you know and some you may not!

• Ace of Aces: Monday, April 29, 1918 – Air Service pilot Eddie Rickenbacker scores his first aerial victory in WW1. It was only two weeks prior to his first victory that he had even flown his first combat mission, which ended in a forced landing due to fog and getting lost. His first victory would be in the skies over Baussant against a German Pfalz D.III plane. Within another months time he would become a flying ace, scoring his fifth victory on 28 May. After becoming an ace he would be awarded the French Croix de Guerre, a first of many awards for his accomplishments. By the end of the war he would have 26 confirmed victories, a record unbroken till WW2 with Richard Bongs record of 40 victories over Japanese aircraft. In total CPT. Rickenbacker would be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross eight times for his actions, with one of those being upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
• Frequent Wind: Tuesday, April 29, 1975 – Operation Frequent Wind begins as the final phase in the evacuation of American civilians and at-risk Vietnamese from Saigon in Vietnam. The operation was the last part of the American evacuation of Vietnam as the surrounding area fell to advancing North Vietnamese troops and fixed wing aircraft were no longer able to safely operate in the area. US Navy Task Force 76 would assemble and begin transporting personnel by helicopter to awaiting US Navy ships off the coast. After only a day of mostly unopposed evacuations
• Sandblast: Monday, April 25, 1960 – The end of Operation Sandblast. This was the code name given to the first submerged circumnavigation of the world, accomplished by the nuclear submarine U.S.S Triton. The operation would begin on 24 February. Over the next 60 days and 21 hours the U.S.S Triton would cover 26,723 nautical miles, generally following the route of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.The operation gathered extensive oceanographic, hydrographic, gravimetric, geophysical, and psychological data while highlighting US long range submerged capabilities while remaining undetected by hostile forces.
• To the Shores of Tripoli: Friday, April 26, 1805 – The US takes part in its first land battle overseas since the Revolutionary War. During the First Barbary War forces from the US Marines, Army and mercenaries marched over 600 miles to reach Derna in Ottoman Tripolitania (modern day Libya). The Battle of Derna would be a US victory and lead to the legends that attributed to the USMC adopting the Mameluke sword.

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