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MWH
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Post what you know happened on This Day in Military History during the month of February.
2/1/2009 2:47:36 PM |
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
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February 1, 1865
William Tecumseh Sherman enters South Carolina on the infamous Shermans March.
From Georgia, Sherman and his army marches north through the Carolinas, continuing to destroy everything of military value along the way on the way to the see. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union.
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MWH
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Ohio
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February 2, 1848
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War which had lasted for two years. Mexico gave up over 50% of its territory creating what shapes the US today. Mexico received money and debts were forgiven but in the end it the treaty was dictacted by the United States. The war started when the US annexation of Texas.
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MWH
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February 3, 1944
United States take control of the Marshall Islands from the Japanese. The Marshall Islands had been in occupied by the Japanese since 1914 via the League of Nations. The Treay of Verailles stipulated that Germany had to give up control of the Marshall to the Japanese. The Japanese left the League in 1933 which allowed them to form a military base there.
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MWH
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February 4, 1902
Charles Lindbergh was born. He became world famous when he flew the Spirit of St. Louis solo non-stop ffrom New York to Paris and won Orteig Prize. Lindbergh, an Army reserve officer, was also awarded the Medal of Honor for this flight. Lindbergh promoted U.S. commercial aviation and opposed war until Pearl Harbor. He was a colonel in the Army Air Force until he resigned in 1941 and FDR would not reinstate him.
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MWH
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February 5, 1918
Stephen W. Thompson was the first person in the United .States to shoot down an enemy aircraft.
Thompson flew as a gunner/bombardier with the French in World War I. After a raid Thompson flight group was attacked by Albatros fighters where he was able to shoot one of them down. He would later go on to get a US patent for the flying wing design in Dayton, Ohio; a concept used by the B-2 Spirit.
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MWH
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February 6, 1756
Aaron Burr was born on this day. Revolutionary War hero but better known was the most famous dual in history. Burr was a policitian after the war and even became Vice President but later failed to be Governor of New York. Burr was upset when Hamiliton a rival made remarks and wrote about Burr in a newspaper, creating some heated animosity. Burr would challenged Hamilton to a duel on July 11, 1804 because Hamilton would not account for his actions. Burr would mortally wound Alexander Hamilton which became the end of Burr's political career.
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MWH
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February 7, 1775
“An Imaginary Speech is published by Benjamin Franklin in defense of Americans. The speech countered a British officer’s comments that the British need not fear the Americans as Americans are unequal to the people of Britain.
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MWH
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February 8, 1725
On this day Tsar Peter I the Great of Russia died.Peter the Great transformed Russia into a major European power while expanding Russia into massive empire.
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MWH
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February 9, 1773
William Henry Harrison was born. Was an Lieutenant in the Army and later became the ninth President of the United States. Harrison would become the first to die in office after just 32 days. His death created a whirlwind of drama as clear succession plans were not identified by congress which led to the creation of the 25th amendment.
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MWH
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February 10, 1906
The British Battleship HMS Dreadnought is launched sparking a world wide naval arms race. The Dreadnought was the first battleship to have a uniform main battery and powered by steam turbines. This really motivated the Germany Navy build up for World War I. The Dreadnought was scrapped in 1923 as much larger battleships came online.
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MWH
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February 11, 1943
On this day General Dwight D. Eisenhower was extended to control the Mediterranean theater under the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces which had already controlled the European and North African Theater of Operations.
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MWH
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February 12, 1809
Abraham Lincoln was born. Lincoln served in the Illinois Militia during 1832 and fought in the Black Hawk War. Indian tribes involved were the Fox, Kickapoo, and Sauk who fought against the Army, militia from Michigan Territory and Illinois for the native american lands.
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MWH
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February 13, 1923
Chuck Yeager was born. Most notable for being the first person to exceed the sound barrier flying the X-1 in 1947. Yeager took a huge risk flying the experimental aircraft at Mach 1 as many of these experiments resulted in failure. Yeager flew the P-51 Mustang in World War II but was shot down on his 8th mission where he would escape into the French Resistance. If it would not have been for World War II Yeager would have never been a pilot since he was denied pilot training because he was too old but WWII changed policy.
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MWH
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February 14, 1814
USS Constitution destroys British HMS Pictou in the War of 1812 on this day. USS Constitution is docked in Boston, MA at the beginning of the freedom trail. She was launched in 1797 and is the oldest Navy commissioned vessel in the world.
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MWH
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February 15, 1989
Gernal Boris Gromov was the last Soviet solder to leave Afghanistan after a decade of war. The Afghan war showed that super powers cannot always win especially when one's enemies supply the people one is trying to defeat.
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MWH
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February 16, 1959
Fidel Castro took over power in Cuba as Prime Minister from José Miró Cardona after only a few weeks. The United States had helped overthrow the Cuban government that led to Castro taking power but as soon as Castro started making policy and Cuba went towards communism,; relations between the United States and Cuba quickly deteriorated.
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MWH
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February 17, 1943
Joe DiMaggio enlisted in the Army on this day. He was stationed State side in California, Hawaii, and New Jersey as a PE instructor. He was discharged in September 1945 with a rank of sergeant. Joe's parents were not born in the United States so they suffered like many immigrants did during the war.
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MWH
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February 18, 1967
On this day Julius Robert Oppenheimer died. Known as the father of the atomic bomb, was the scientific director of the Manhattan Project which was created to develop the first atomic bomb during World War II. His team conducted their work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. After the war Oppenheimer raised awareness against a nuclear arms race with Russia and eventually led to his security clearance being revoked during the red scare.
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MWH
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February 19, 1945
The Battle of Iwo Jima starts by the Marines landing on the beaches. This was the first battle on the Japanese main islands by the United States. Iwo Jima had a strategic airfield which was heavily fortified along with a vast network of tunnels. Each Japanese fought to the death inflicting high casualties on the Americans as very few Japanese surrendered. It was here that Joe Rosenthal's picture of the soldiers raising the flag was immortalized.
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MWH
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February 20, 1966
Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz died on this day. In December of 1944 Nimitz was promoted to the highest grade in the Navy as Fleet Admiral. He is the last person to achieve Fleet Admiral. Nimitz started his career in 1901. Nimitz rose through the rank and became oversaw most of the Pacific Navy operations in World War II. Nimitz retired in 1947 but Fleet Admiral is a lifetime job so Chester was active until the day he passed away. The Navy named the first nuclear aircraft carriers after Nimitz known as Nimitz class which designates nuclear as he was instrumental in the developments of nuclear power in Navy ships.
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MWH
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February 21, 1972
President Nixon visits China. In Beijing, Nixon met with Prime Minister Zhou Enlai and wanted peace in Vietnam. North Vietnamese were worried that China a huge supplier of arms would make a side deal with the US. China wanted lower troop levels in Taiwan which Nixon succeeded to them in exchange for early peace possibilities. Ultimately, China increased their supplies to the NVA and Nixon claim of "The week that changed the world" fell short.
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MWH
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February 22, 1943
USS Iowa (BB-61) was commissioned on this day. Iowa was the lead ship of battleship in her class. BB-61 was also the only battleship to enter the Atlantic waters ferrying President Roosevelt to Europe. In 1944 she served in the Pacific fleet. Iowa was not decommissioned until 1990 but was later reinstated because of a law requiring Iowa class readiness. USS Iowa is currently part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet waiting on orders to be donated to a museum.
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MWH
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February 23, 1915
On this day Paul Tibbets was born. Brigadier General Tibbets USAF was the pilot of the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
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MWH
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February 24, 1991
Operation Desert Storm Ground Phase begins in Kuwait by allies. The U.S. VII Corps and U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps simultaneously took Iraqi forces by surprise and in only a few days, Iraqi forces began retreating. Iraq's defeat with its 1.2 million man standing army thus leads to one of the most lopsided victories in history for the allies. 776 (458 Americans) allied casualties were suffered with many coming from non-combat actions.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
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February 25, 1836
Samuel Colt was granted a patent for the revolving gun on this day, numbered X9430. Colt did not invent the revolver but did make it very cost effective by using interchangeable parts and streamlined it. Years later Colt's guns would become so popular that the word Colt became synonymous with the word revolver.
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MWH
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Posts: 346
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February 26, 1940
Air Defense Command was created at Mitchel Field, New York. The base was responsible for the air defense of industrial areas, cities, military facilities, and continental bases. Mitchel field as it origins back to the revolutionary war. Today the Air Force base is closed but the military still uses it for housing and storage.
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MWH
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February 27, 1942
USS Langley (CV-1) was the United States first aircraft carrier. Built in 1911 and converted to an aircraft carrier in 1920. United States aircraft carriers still use the CV designation today. George HW Bush (CVN-77) is newest aircraft carrier, and the last of the Nimitz class. On this day Japanese Betty bombers crippled her after three air strikes. The Langley was crippled and after fears of letting her get into Japanese hands, her escorting Destroyers sunk her.
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MWH
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Posts: 346
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February 28, 1944
On this day Hannah Reitsch of Germany the first female test pilot meets with Hitler to receiver her second Iron Cross in Berchtesgaden. She would then suggest to Hitler that the Nazis create a kamikaze group and volunteers to herself for the assignment. Hitler did not like the idea and thought it was ineffective and a waste of resources whoever later he would consider it.
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