U.S. Naval Institute
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An independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of seapower.
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Since "Chinese Spy Balloon" is trending: In 1945, the crew of USS New York spotted a sphere that they thought might be a Japanese balloon weapon. The captain ordered it shot down but none of the guns could score a hit. Finally, a navigator realized they were attacking Venus.
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#OTD
in 1999, Oliver Reed died while filming GLADIATOR. Reed had consumed 8 pints of beer, 12 shots of rum, half a bottle of whisky, and shots of cognac after challenging sailors from HMS Cumberland to a drinking contest in a pub. He was armwrestling sailors when he collapsed.
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#RIP
former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who died early Friday after being shot while delivering a speech. Abe was the first Japanese PM to set foot on an American warship when he visited USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during the JMSDF Fleet Review in 2015.
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Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Leaves Legacy of Western Pacific Security Changes - USNI News
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#OTD
in 2019, crew members from U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro chased down and boarded a narco-submarine in the Eastern Pacific, seizing 17,000 pounds of cocaine with an estimated value of $232 million.
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Happy 99th Birthday to former THE PRICE IS RIGHT host Bob Barker. Barker served as a naval aviator during WWII, flying 8 different aircraft including the Wildcat and Corsair. Of the entertainers who are WWII veterans, few are left.
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When USS Milwaukee was returned to the U.S. Navy in 1949 after being loaned to the Soviet Union for 5 years, one official said it was the dirtiest ship he had ever seen. The rusty ship smelled of stale fish and was full of rats, lice, and empty vodka bottles.
#WarshipWednesday
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3 Navy Warships, FBI Now Hunting for Wreckage of Chinese Spy Balloon off South Carolina - USNI News
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#OTD
1970, the Oregon Highway Division consulted with the US Navy and decided the best way to dispose of a whale carcass was to blow it up with a 1/2 ton of dynamite. The explosion caused blubber to rain down on spectators for over a 1/4 of a mile. A large chunk demolished a car.
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#OTD
in 1970, the Oregon Highway Division consulted with the U.S. Navy and decided the best way to dispose of a whale carcass was to blow it up with a 1/2 ton of dynamite. The explosion caused blubber to rain down on spectators for over a 1/4 of a mile. The TV segment is classic.
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He will be missing from the
#FreshPrinceReunion
on
@hbomax
, so let's remember that James "Uncle Phil" Avery served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1969 during the Vietnam War.
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By the end of WWII, U.S. industrial might and the need to fight on two fronts resulted in the U.S. Navy having a greater tonnage of combatant ships than all other navies combined. In 1947, the U.S. had 3,820,000 tons versus the world's combined 2,860,000 tons.
#NationalTriviaDay
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Happy 93rd Birthday to James Earl Jones. Jones is an Army veteran who used the GI Bill to study acting before launching a career that has included providing the voice for Darth Vader and portraying Admiral James Greer in THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER.
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Happy 99th birthday to Betty White! Prior to becoming the First Lady of Television, Betty drove a supply truck while serving in the American Women's Voluntary Services during WWII.
#HappyBirthdayBettyWhite
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The Lviv Museum of Science in Ukraine released video of a new exhibit that allows visitors to sink a model of the Russian warship Moskva. The real Moskva sank in the Black Sea in April, 2022 after a fire. Russia denies Ukrainian claims that Moskva was hit with anti-ship missiles.
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The Austrian-based company Migaloo is offering a 541-foot-long "private submersible superyacht” for a base price of $2 billion. The M5 has a range of 9,300 miles and can take its passengers to a depth of 820 feet. The luxury submarine includes a helipad, two swimming pools, a…
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#OTD
in 1967, John McCain was shot down and taken prisoner. He would spend 5 and half years as a PoW during which time he was routinely tortured. He refused an offer for early release. Whether you agreed with him politically or not, there is no denying that the man was tough.
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How big was the U.S. Navy during WWII? By January 1945, the Navy had 61,045 vessels including 23 battleships, over 100 aircraft carriers, 59 cruisers, 425 destroyers, 400 destroyer-escorts, 237 subs and 54,000 landing craft and assault ships, plus 37,000 planes.
#FunFactFriday
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RIP Harry Dean Stanton. The great character actor (Alien, Cool Hand Luke) was a Navy vet who served on LST-970 during the Battle of Okinawa
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Cmdr. Billie Farrell today became the USS Constitution’s 77th commanding officer. Cmdr. Farrell is the first woman to take command of Old Ironsides in the ship’s 224 years of history.
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Happy 96th Birthday to submariner LT James Earl Carter, USN (Ret). Carter is the only President of the United States to have graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. The Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is named in his honor.
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#OTD
in 1975, SVAF Maj. Buang-Ly stole a Cessna O-1 Bird Dog and landed on USS Midway with his wife and 5 children to escape North Vietnamese forces. The Midway's CO ordered $10 million worth of helicopters to be pushed overboard to clear the deck for Buang's landing.
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In 1990, a
@USAF
B-52 was five miles out from USS Ranger and asked permission to do a fly-by. The carrier granted the request, but said they had no visual on the plane. The B-52 told them to look down, and then flew past the Ranger below the flight deck level.
#SeaStorySaturday
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Today is
#NationalDrinkWineDay
. Unfortunately for American sailors at sea, they cannot participate because U.S. Navy ships are dry. Their French counterparts are allowed two drinks per day. On the Charles de Gaulle, wine is available in the carrier's four bars.
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Denmark Sending Ukraine Anti-Ship Harpoon Missiles To Take on Russian Ships in Black Sea - USNI News
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#RIP
Bob Barker who passed away today at the age of 99. The former THE PRICE IS RIGHT host served as a naval aviator during WWII, flying 8 different aircraft including the Wildcat and Corsair.
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When catapult officers reach the end of their tour aboard an aircraft carrier, it is a Navy tradition to launch their boots off the flight deck. This "boot shot" was on USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) in 1970.
#FunFactFriday
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#RIP
actress Betty White who passed away today at the age of 99. Prior to becoming the First Lady of Television, Betty drove a supply truck while serving in the American Women's Voluntary Services during WWII.
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The trailer for Top Gun: Maverick is out. The film is scheduled to be released June 26 2020.
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Authorities Detain Chinese Ship Suspected of Salvaging U.K. WWII Wrecks - USNI News
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#OTD
in 2002, Royal Marines accidentally invaded Spain during a landing exercise. The marines thought they had reached the British colony of Gibraltar until Spanish fisherman informed them that they were on the wrong side of the border. The marines then beat a hasty retreat.
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#RIP
Joss Ackland who has passed away at the age of 95. The British actor, whose career spanned seven decades, portrayed Ambassador Andrei Lysenko in THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990).
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#OTD
1944, the crew of USS Finback (SS-230) rescued a young lanky pilot who had bailed out of his flaming Grumman TBM Avenger after the plane was hit by flak while attacking Japanese installations. LTJG George H. W. Bush would go on to be the 41st president of the United States.
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#FunFactFriday
- The Royal Navy has been testing Jet Suit assault teams to determine if the Iron Man-like suits could be used to rapidly swarm and board ships. U.S. Special Operations Command is also evaluating a jetpack that can reach speeds of more than 200 mph.
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Today is
#NationalDrinkWineDay
. Unfortunately for American sailors at sea, they cannot celebrate because U.S. Navy ships are dry. Their French counterparts are allowed one drink per day. On the Charles de Gaulle, wine is available in the carrier's 4 bars.
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#RIP
Lou Conter who passed away today at the age of 102. Conter was the last living survivor of the sinking of USS Arizona during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. He became a pilot during the war and was shot down twice over the Pacific. He later established the Navy's first…
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Happy 97th Birthday to submariner LT James Earl Carter, USN (Ret). Carter is the only President of the United States to have graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. The Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) is named in his honor.
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#OTD
in 1986, a Marine mechanic stole an A-4M Skyhawk for a 45 minute joyride during which time he performed several aerobatic maneuvers. He had wanted to be a fighter pilot but an injury prevented him from qualifying. His stunt cost him four months in the brig.
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#OTD
in 1944, Willy Hitler joined the fight against his uncle Adolf by enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Initially rejected, he received permission to serve after writing to FDR and getting cleared by the FBI. He later changed his name and lived quietly in NY until his death in 1987.
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#OTD
1970, "Tora! Tora! Tora!" premiered. The spectacular scene with a P-40 crashing into other fighters was an accident caused when the stunt radio-controlled plane went out of control. The crew seen running for their lives were not acting. The director decided to use the shot.
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The sailors guarding detainees at Guantanamo embraced the Navy’s core values and put them into practice, doing the right thing simply because it was the right thing to do.
#Proceedings
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Donnie Dunagan was the youngest U.S. Marine drill instructor. He served three tours in Vietnam and was wounded several times, retiring as a Major in 1977. Throughout his career he managed to keep secret that he had been to voice of Bambi in the 1942 Disney film.
#FunFactFriday
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It's
#NationalPigDay
! Dating back to the early 60s, a prank played by carriers in the Mediterranean was to surprise their relieving carrier by releasing greased pigs on the flight deck. This 1986 video is of a helicopter from USS America dropping off pigs on USS John F. Kennedy.
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Today is National Near Miss Day. In 2016, an arresting cable broke as an E-2C Hawkeye attempted to land on USS Eisenhower. The Haweye plunged off the end of the deck but the pilots managed to recover and were later awarded the Air Medal for their skillful actions.
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Tom Selleck is trending. In the original "Magnum, P.I.", Thomas Magnum was a 1967 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, played QB for the Midshipmen (MVP of the Army-Navy game), served 3 tours of Vietnam as a SEAL and was awarded the Navy Cross.
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#FunFactFriday
- In 2003, a polar bear attacked an American submarine. USS Connecticut (SSN-22) had partly surfaced in an ice pack when a polar bear began to stalk the sub and gnaw on the exposed rudder. After 40 minutes, the bear determined the sub wasn't edible and wandered off
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"Today...is Christmas!" The "magic show" mentioned by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in this scene from FULL METAL JACKET is Marine slang for a religious service.
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#RIP
Richard "Old Man" Harrison of "Pawn Stars". As he mentioned many times on the show, he was a proud 20-year Navy vet who had served aboard fleet tug USS Chowanoc (ATF-100)
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Happy National Pet Day! Pets are generally not allowed on U.S. Navy ships, but exceptions are made when an aircraft carrier changes homeports. The carrier may then be used as a giant ferry to transport the crew's cars, dependents, and pets.
#NationalPetDay
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Today is National Near Miss Day. In 2016, an arresting cable broke as an E-2C Hawkeye attempted to land on USS Eisenhower. The Haweye plunged off the end of the deck but the pilots managed to recover and were later awarded the Air Medal for their skillful actions.
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Due to backlash, Uruguay has reversed its decision to melt down the eagle from the Nazi warship Admiral Graf Spee and recast it as a peace dove. An earlier plan to auction the relic had also been met with opposition, so the future of the eagle is uncertain. It remains in storage.
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It's
#NationalPigDay
! Dating back to the early 60s, a prank played by carriers in the Mediterranean was to surprise their relieving carrier by releasing greased pigs on the flight deck. This 1986 video is of a helicopter from USS America dropping off pigs on USS John F. Kennedy.
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#FunFactFriday
- One reason why the Navy gave full support to "The Hunt for Red October" is that "Top Gun" actually had been too successful. So many Midshipmen and ROTC students were opting for aviation that the Navy was concerned for the future of the surface and sub communities
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TOP GUN is now a trilogy. TOP GUN 3 with Tom Cruise returning as Maverick is reportedly in development at Paramount. TOP GUN still has a long ways to go to catch Cruise's MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE franchise which is set to release its 8th film in 2025.
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#OTD
in 1970, TORA! TORA! TORA! premiered. The spectacular scene with a P-40 crashing into other fighters was an accident caused when the stunt radio-controlled plane went out of control. The crew seen running for their lives were not acting. The director decided to use the shot.
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After THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER premiered in 1990, people wondered what the Soviets thought about the movie. When three Soviet ships made a historic visit to San Diego, their top public affairs officer wore a baseball cap embroidered with the film's logo. Apparently he was a fan.
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#OTD
in 2006, Somali pirates attacked the USS Cape St. George and USS Gonzalez. Pirate skiffs had chased a couple of small boats before opening fire on the ships with RPGs and small arms. The ships returned fire and set a pirate skiff ablaze with a .50 caliber tracer round.
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Happy Birthday Tom Cruise! At the age of 60 and with over 30 years of service, Maverick is still somehow flying missions as a captain in the U.S. Navy.
#HappyBirthdayTomCruise
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Iran Building Drone Aircraft Carrier from Converted Merchant Ship, Photos Show - USNI News
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In 1961, the White House sent the Navy a set of elaborate plans for a naval base under Antarctica. Attached was a note with the order "Build it! J.F.K." After reviewing the fanciful plans, admirals called the White House to question the feasibility and cost of the project. It…
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#FunFactFriday
- Dating back to the early 60s, a prank played by carriers in the Mediterranean was to surprise their relieving carrier by releasing greased pigs on the flight deck. This 1986 video is of a helicopter from USS America dropping off pigs on USS John F. Kennedy.
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It's
#AwkwardMomentsDay
. In 2014, the Portuguese Navy held a press conference with Portugal's defense minister to demonstrate their new drone. The event had an awkward moment when the drone was launched and immediately plummeted into the water.
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#OTD
in 1990, "The Hunt for Red October" premiered. The film was based on the novel by Tom Clancy published by
@USNIBooks
. The Naval Institute had never published original fiction but decided to take a chance on the unknown Clancy who was working as an insurance agent at the time
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#OTD
1944, the crew of USS Finback (SS-230) rescued a young lanky pilot who had bailed out of his flaming Grumman TBM Avenger after the plane was hit by flak while attacking Japanese installations. LTJG George H. W. Bush would go on to be the 41st president of the United States.
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#RIP
Gen. Al Gray who passed away today at the age of 95. Gray enlisted in the Marines in 1950 and attained the rank of sergeant before being commissioned a second lieutenant. He rose to the rank of general and served as the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991.
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#RIP
Louis Gossett Jr. who passed away today at the age of 87. Gossett won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role as Marine Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982). He was coached by R. Lee Ermey who served as the film's technical advisor.
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In 1975, the U.S. Navy planned to take visiting Soviet sailors on a tour of cultural sites in the Boston area. After stopping for lunch, the Soviets refused to leave a Howard Johnson's restaurant because they were so amazed by all the food they could order.
#SeaStorySaturday
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#WordWednesday
- Sailors who rebel against lawful authority are guilty of mutiny, but as readers of the "The Hunt for Red October" know, a captain and officers who commit gross misconduct against the shipowner are guilty of "barrarty".
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#RIP
Queen Elizabeth II who has passed away at the age of 96. Elizabeth was the last remaining head of state to have been a veteran of WWII. She served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a driver and mechanic.
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“The Dark Knight,” “Shrek,” and “Grease” are among the films just added to the the National Film Registry. Glaringly absent from the Registry's 800 movies maintained by the Library of Congress is "The Hunt for Red October." What movies should be on the Naval Film Registry?
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#OTD
in 1976, RIck Monday of the Chicago Cubs snatched a U.S. flag away from two protestors who were attempting to burn it after invading the field during a game at Dodger Stadium. Monday, who served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, still has the flag.
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Thailand may cancel a $400 million deal to buy a Yuan-class submarine from China—because the sub has no engine. China told Thailand that the sub would have a German propulsion system, but the German company refused to sell it because of the EU weapons embargo imposed on China.
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Happy 233rd birthday to the U.S. Coast Guard!
#DYK
that the USCG has precision marksmen who have topped U.S. Marine and Navy SEAL snipers in shooting competitions? The USCG marksmen are often needed to fire from helicopters to disable the engines of go-fast narco boats.
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When USS Independence encountered a full-rigged ship in 1962, the carrier signaled to ask the vessel to identify itself. “Training ship Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Navy,” was the response.“ Independence replied "You are the most beautiful ship in the world.”
#SeaStorySaturday
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In 1956, photographers working in their lab on board USS Bennington (CV-20) noticed that the 55-gallon drum of alcohol used to dry film was lower than it should have been. When they tried to move the drum, they found it had become attached to the floor. They then discovered that…
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To help put the size of the Navy's hospital ships into perspective, this is a photo of USNS Mercy alongside the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort were activated earlier this week as part of the DoD response to the spreading COVID-19 virus.
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#OTD
in 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Like all Navy veterans,
#JFK
was extremely proud of his service. He famously commanded PT 109 during WWII and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroics in the rescue of the crew.
#JFKassassination
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After years of legal battles with the salvage team, Uruguay announced that it will melt down the 660lb Nazi bronze eagle recovered from the wreck of the Graf Spee and recast it as a peace dove. A proposed sale was rejected to prevent the eagle from being bought by Nazi fanatics.
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It's
#AwkwardMomentsDay
. In 2014, the Portuguese Navy held a press conference with Portugal's defense minister to demonstrate their new drone. The event had an awkward moment when the drone was launched and immediately plummeted into the water.
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In 1945, a flak-torn Avenger was limping back to a carrier when it was spotted by a Japanese Zeke that moved in for the kill. The Avenger's turret gun was out of commission but the gunner grabbed a hand signal light and began to flash it at the Zeke. Apparently the Japanese pilot…
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Today is National Look Alike Day! The Chinese military is full of weapons that look a lot like systems developed by other nations. The Shenyang J-31 is an attempt to copy the Lockheed Martin F-35. More Chinese clone weapons:
#nationallookalikeday
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During WWII, two officers were trying to pull rank to cut in line for ice cream when someone barked at them to wait their turn. As the officers looked to see who had dared to rebuke them, they spotted ADM Bull Halsey waiting in line with the rest of the sailors.
#SeaStorySaturday
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Happy 78th birthday to actor Tim Curry. As Dr. Yevgeni Petrov, he was duped by Captain Marko Ramius into abandoning the Red October.
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#OTD
in 2007, Queen Elizabeth II presented U.S. Marine Maj. William D. Chesarek Jr. with the UK's Distinguished Flying Cross. Chesarek had saved lives in Iraq while flying a British helicopter as an exchange officer. He was the first American to receive the award since WWII.
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#RIP
Sean Connery who has asked for his last ping. Connery passed away this morning at the age of 90. He will always be Captain Marko Ramius to us.
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#OTD
in 1963, Lt. James Flatley began a series of unarrested full stop landings and unassisted takeoffs on USS Forrestal in a KC-130F Hercules. It set the record for the largest and heaviest aircraft ever to land on a carrier. Written on the fuselage was "Look Ma, No Hook".
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Blue Angels Announces First Female Jet Pilot - USNI News
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Rather than the block letters used on most U.S. Navy ships, the name on the transom of the Spruance-class destroyer USS John Hancock (DD-981) was a facsimile of the statesman's famed signature.
#WarshipWednesday
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#OTD
in 1970, TORA! TORA! TORA! premiered. The spectacular scene with a P-40 crashing into other fighters was an accident caused when the stunt radio-controlled plane went out of control. The crew seen running for their lives were not acting. The director decided to use the shot.
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#OTD
in 1992, USS Missouri was decommissioned. Because Missouri was the site of Japan's formal surrender in 1945, she was moved to Pearl Harbor near the wreck of USS Arizona where the two battleships now symbolize the beginning and end of America's involvement in WWII.
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It's International
#PolarBearDay
! In 2003, USS Connecticut (SSN-22) had partly surfaced in an ice pack when a polar bear began to lick the exposed rudder to determine if it was worth eating. The bear eventually decided he was not in the mood for a sub and wandered off.
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#OTD
in 1944, Willy Hitler joined the fight against his uncle Adolf by enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Initially rejected, he received permission to serve after writing to FDR and getting cleared by the FBI. He later changed his name and lived quietly in NY until his death in 1987.
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#OTD
in 1987, a Navy F-14 shot down a USAF RF-4C during a war game. The RF-4C was conducting a simulated attack on USS Saratoga when the F-14 pilot became confused and launched a live sidewinder. The RF-4C crew ejected and were recovered. The F-14 pilot never flew again.
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