Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Military

Operation Overlord 81st Anniversary

Image credit: deviantart.com.

Operation Overlord: A Turning Point in World History

Operation Overlord was the codename for the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France during World War II. It took place on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, and marked a significant turning point in the war. The operation involved a massive airborne assault and amphibious landing on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast.

The invasion was carried out by a coalition of American, British, Canadian, and French forces, with the goal of liberating Western Europe from German occupation. The operation involved over 156,000 troops, 5,000 ships and landing craft, and extensive air support. The Allied forces faced fierce resistance from German troops, but ultimately secured a foothold on the continent. The successful execution of Operation Overlord paved the way for the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe.

After all of the blood treasure lost during the “Crusade in Europe,” it is a damn shame that many of the “liberated” European countries have gone to the hard left and are again flirting with socialist policies that generally have doomed nations in the past. Combine that tendency with the influx of foreign (read Islamist) insurgents to further endanger the citizenry to “intifada.”

We pray daily for the Almighty to temper the growth of the invasion and to restore freedom and for those nations to eject the invaders.

On this anniversary of D-Day, we will be remembering the efforts of the western nations and our USA Armed Forces to liberate Europe from the evils then, and praying for those nations to regain the liberty that they were given by the sacrifice of so many who believed in restoring their freedom in 1944.

06 Jun 2025 by Military Nostalgia 0

Memorial Day 2025

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” – Ronald Reagan

Honoring the Fallen

As we observe Memorial Day, we remember the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy. Their ultimate act of service is a testament to the enduring spirit of patriotism and courage that defines our nation. From the Revolutionary War to the present day, American heroes have fought and died for our country, leaving behind families, friends, and communities forever changed by their loss.

Let us reverently remember them on this Memorial Day.

26 May 2025 by Holidays Military 0

Armed Forces Day

Take a few moments today, to think about and pray for our military heroes, past, present and future. Pray for their safety, security and success in their efforts to keep America safe and secure. Pray for their renewal and restoration to be the mightiest force in the world, that they might ensure peace on Earth.

Image courtesy of Mark Alexander and the Patriot Post.

In his first annual message in January of 1790, then-President George Washington declared, “To be prepared for war, is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” In his 1793 annual message, Washington said likewise, “If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war.”

That is a timeless truth attributed to Roman author Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus’s tract, “Concerning Military Matters” (c400 AD), in which he wrote what is now paraphrased in Latin, “Si vis pacem, para bellum” — “If you want peace, prepare for war.”

Our Founders understood the merits of a strong defense, as all learned men throughout history have understood, but presidents who have neglected to heed the wisdom of that maxim are responsible for the loss of thousands of American military lives when unprepared for war, as was the case with Franklin Roosevelt before World War II.

Clearly, Donald Trump is the strongest advocate of “Si vis pacem, para bellum” since President Ronald Reagan, and our Armed Forces know they have a commander-in-chief they can both respect and trust.

Si vis pacem, para bellum, indeed. If you seek peace, prepare for war.

17 May 2025 by Military Patriotism

V-22 Osprey Flyover

Late this afternoon (04/14/2025), an Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft flew nearly over our place here at an estimated altitude of about 500 feet above ground level. Damsel snapped this photo after retrieving her camera when hearing the unusual sound from this one-of-kind aircraft type.

It appeared that the Osprey, in tilted up rotor configuration, might have been heading for a landing at our local airport, a couple miles west of us. Ospreys tilt the rotors up for takeoff and landing, otherwise the rotors are tilted forward for cruise configuration.

As I mentioned above, this aircraft makes a most unusual sound signature when flying by, especially in the rotors up configuration. At this low altitude, the sound was clearly something foreign to our quiet little abode here in the desert.

I haven’t been able to distinguish from the aircraft markings visible in the photo whether this is a Marine or an Air Force craft. While we have seen Ospreys flying over the past few years, this may have been the closest pass to our home to date.

Click on the image to view enlarged.

14 Apr 2025 by Arizona Aviation Military Photography

USS Brooklyn March 1943

Eighty-one years ago, during WWII, in Casablanca harbor, my father was stationed aboard the USS Brooklyn as an Electrician’s Mate, Second Class. Dad went on to become a Chief Warrant Officer in the US Navy.

USS Brooklyn CL-40 in Casablanca harbor – March 1943

The first of the nine Machine Gun Cruisers*, USS Brooklyn was commissioned in September 1937. With a primary armament of fifteen 6”/47 guns in five triple turrets, each 6”/47 gun had a maximum rate of fire of 8-10 shells a minute. Theoretically, a Brooklyn-Class cruiser could fire a total of 120-150 6” rounds a minute at a target.

USS Brooklyn survived WW2 and was put into reserve in 1946, in 1951 she was transferred to Chile, where she was renamed O’Higgins. Serving for 40 years in the Chilean Navy, she was sold for scrap in 1992, but foundered and sank while under tow to shipbreakers in India. One of her 6”/47 turrets is preserved at the Chilean Navy base at Talcahuano.

LIFE Magazine Archives – J R Eyerman Photographer

*Machine Gun Cruisers typically refer to naval vessels equipped with multiple machine guns for anti-aircraft and anti-small craft defense. The Brooklyn-class cruisers, for example, were armed with several M2 Browning machine guns alongside their main artillery, enhancing their combat capabilities during World War II.

I find the installation and use of the .50 BMG M2 Machine guns to be particularly interesting:

The .50 Browning Machine Gun (BMG) round is one of the most widely used service ammunition. Also known as the .50 Browning and the 12.7x99mm NATO, it is currently listed as military ammunition for the U.S. and at least 30 other countries. However, civilian shooters also enjoy .50 caliber shooting – using this rifle round for long-range hunting and shooting competitions. Developed in the early 1900s by John Moses Browning, the .50 BMG is a scaled-up version of the .30-06.; No stranger to military and law enforcement use, .50 BMG ammo has been fired from WWII fighter aircraft and is still used today on helicopters and ground vehicles.

Once the DOJ and the SCOTUS gets off their collective asses and removes the infringements on ALL firearms and accessories, we might want to own one of those. The ammo, however, is quite expensive and could burn through your weekly allowance in one quick hurry when you go down to the range to have some fun.

10 Mar 2025 by Classics Firearms Military Nostalgia

Beyond Infamy — 83 Years ago

December 7th is the date we post about when it comes around each year, because we choose not to forget “a date that will live in infamy” and because of the massive historical significance of the surprise attack on the US Fleet in Pearl Harbor. Not only that, but the effect that it has had on the lives of many of us that lived during that era and the memories we have of it. My memories are kind of limited, since I was actually born after 1941, so we can discuss those perhaps on the next December 7th — or the one after it.

The image above (found somewhere on the internet), is another aerial view of the final resting place of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. What I did not know until I did some research for today’s post, was that some of the assets of the Arizona went on to provide support in the ongoing war in the Pacific after the initial bombing.

From the National WWII Museum of New Orleans:

USS Arizona’s Last Salvo

Famously, the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39) was only in combat for minutes before a Japanese armor-piercing bomb struck the ship’s forward magazine, causing an explosion that devastated the “super-dreadnought” and killed 1,177 officers and crewmen. The hulk of the vessel, battered and burned, became a symbol of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

While other warships at Pearl Harbor were recovered and refitted, the Navy quickly abandoned the idea of reviving the Arizona in its entirety. But crews worked on the wreck for months, removing equipment, cutting away mangled metal, searching for bodies, and reclaiming weaponry.

The report goes on to describe the salvage and reassignment of some of Arizona’s armament for use by the Territory of Hawai’i and other US Naval vessels.

On this day, we pause to reflect on the lives lost, the resolve of the American people and to thank the Lord above for the eventual outcome of the conflict. We further pray that in these times of reckless global policies of the US that the incoming administration may stay any further escalation of war or other forms of terror on the American people.

07 Dec 2024 by Arizona Military Nostalgia Notions Patriotism

Service Record Post Part 4
  Avionics Line and Shop



In the previous chapter of my Naval Aviation saga, I finally advanced to my billet of Avionics Technician at the Targets and Drones Avionics Shop. At last, I was working alongside my friend and original sponsor that got me assigned to the Targets Department, Emmett.

After transfer to the Avionics Shop, I was assigned as a line troubleshooter and repair technician. My job was to remove and re-install avionics radios and other equipment from the aircraft on the line. The technicians in the shop and the aircraft maintenance schedules kept me pretty busy with that assignment.

Eventually, since I had the coveted Navy Driver’s License, the Chief Petty Officer over the shop put me in charge of the two “Fox Vans” which were a part of the shop’s maintenance responsibility. The vans were Large (think Class A RV) and contained the electronics for remote control of the drone aircraft as well as a large diesel generator to power all the equipment.

I kept the vans fueled up, ran up the generators once a week and drove the vans with the pilots aboard when they were remotely launching and landing the QF9G drone aircraft from the airfield. For safety of the airfield and its personnel, these operations always had a pilot on board the drones just in case something went wrong with the remote systems. NOLO (No Live Operator) operations were restricted to the Auxiliary Field on San Nicholas Island, 60NM south of Point Mugu. “Saint Nick” is an unpopulated island save for the limited base personnel that stay there. The island had their own Fox Vans.

It was at this time that I became senior enough to upgrade from ATNAN to ATN3 or Airman Avionics Technician Navigation Striker to Airman Avionics Technician Third Class Petty Officer. I passed the exams and got the new stripes plus a “hash mark” on my sleeve, since I now had four years as a sailor. A Hash Mark is awarded for each four years of service, including Navy Reserve time. I enlisted in 1960 and it was now 1964.

Concurrently with my Fox Van duties, I was also qualified to be an aircraft crew member, so I started earning “Flight Skins” as a crew member. “Skins” refers to hazardous duty pay which is in addition to the regular paygrade. Although I managed to serve as crew for several different aircraft on the base, I am particularly proud of my service as radioman on many missions aboard our drone launch aircraft, a Lockheed P2V Neptune converted from submarine detection and combat to launch the Ryan BQM-34A (Q2C) Firebee Drone, which was a pilotless drone also managed by our department.

A typical Firebee launch mission would be to fly downrange (over the Pacific Missile Range) and at some designated point, fire up the drone’s jet engine, release the drone (under remote control from the PMR HQ) and bank the aircraft hard away from the Firebee as it proceeds further downrange to be shot at by the target mission aircraft.

Most of the time, however, the drones would survive and splash down somewhere in the area only to be recovered by an old classic H-34 Sikorsky Wright Cyclone Radial Engine Powered rescue Helicopter. I had the opportunity to fly in the left seat of one of these recovery missions. What a blast!

The image at the top of the article is our P2V with a Firebee Drone attached and ready to fly. Click on either image to enlarge.

So that tells some of the story of those days after the Vietnam conflict had begun, but not yet in full swing. I finished my obligation on active duty and mustered out into the civilian world and pursued a career in aerospace engineering in which I not only supported the conflict overseas, but also space programs and many other technological improvements to the state of the art in electronics and software.

Footnote: I mentioned that my Ham Radio pal, Emmett, was involved in getting me assigned to the Targets division, but we were both involved in the Radio Club at Point Mugu, K6CST. Although I only had a Technician Class License at the time, I was able, under the supervision of the Club’s Lead PO, a General Class Ham, to learn and operate the Club’ various stations including RTTY HF, VHF/UHF, SSB HF, CW HF and more. Local Hams in the Oxnard/Ventura/Camarillo area were also involved in the Radio Club. It was a good camaraderie with those old guys, many of whom are now gone to the Savior. I still miss them.

This concludes the story of that part of my life in the service of our Nation as a young buck willing to take the risks of being a part of the Nation’s defense. I hope you enjoyed the story. God Bless.

16 Nov 2024 by Aviation Military Nostalgia Notions Technobabble

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