29 JULY 1967 “FOREST” FIRE There were three major fires aboard US Navy aircraft carriers during the course of the Vietnam conflict. The first occurred on 26 October 1966, killing 44 sailors aboard ORISKANY (CVA-34) after a phosphorous parachute flare accidently Read More
LATE WINTER, 938 AD BATTLE OF THE BACH DANG RIVER In 111 BC the powerful Han dynasty of southern China invaded and conquered the region to their south then called Nam Viet (now northern Vietnam). Hungry for the fertile farmland of Read More
19 JUNE 1968 CELEBRATED SAR MISSION Any search and rescue team member will tell you that no SAR mission is routine. Such was the case shortly after midnight on this date, as LTJG Clyde E. Lassen and the crew of Read More
20 MAY 1967 CAPT HOMER L. SMITH, USN The weather could have been better! The A4D Skyhawks of the VA-212 “Rampant Raiders” launched from USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31) early this morning. CDR Homer Leroy Smith, the squadron CO, led from Read More
10 MAY 1972 CUNNINGHAM vs. “COL TOMB” The title of “ace” has never been officially recognized by the US military. It originated in the French air force of WWI for whom it was a formal honor conferred on pilots downing five Read More
TODAY IN NAVAL HISTORY 16 FEBRUARY 1965 VUNG RO INCIDENT In 1965, the US was becoming more heavily involved in Vietnam with each passing day. Though war had not been declared and we were officially only “advising” the South Vietnamese, Read More