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MWH
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Post what you know happened on This Day in Military History during the month of April.
4/1/2009 5:15:53 PM |
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 1, 1941
Naval Station Treasure Island was created by the Navy which took over Treasure Island, San Francisco for military use. The island is Articial Island created for the Golden Gate International Exposition. Pan America planned to land planes on the island until the Navy needed it for war time purposes. The island although now inhabited is contaminated by toxic waste.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 2, 1942
The USS Hornet left the United States loaded with 16 Army B-25 bombers. This mission was to be known as Doolittle Raid. In retaliation for the bombing of Pearl Harbor, FDR wanted to attack Japan as quickly as possible in order to boost American moral. Due to fear of being spotted by the Japanese the strike force took off early than they wanted creating a fuel shortage but the planes successfully bombed Tokyo and made headlines. The planes crashed landed in China and 11 crewmen were captured killed.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 3, 1948
President Truman signs the Marshall Plan. Essentially it was the reconstruction of Europe by the United States to create a foundation for war torn countries and to fight against communism. The plan laid the building blocks to what would become the European Union. Many European countries saw increased growth after the war.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 4, 1949
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is formed. Today NAO consists of 28 countries charged with the mutual defense of its allies.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 5, 1937
Colin Powell was born on this day. He earned the rank of 4-star General and Served with President Bush as Secretary of State. Powell also served with Reagan and Nixon. Powell served with Elvis Presley in Germany and later fought in Vietnam and was wounded. Powell served in many prestigious positions after Vietnam.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 6, 1862
Battle of Shiloh erupts. The confederates launched a surprise attack against Grant’s Union troops and achieved success but were ultimately defeated on the second day. Grant did not receive support from newspapers by the victory because it was the costliest battle up to that time but Sherman made a name for himself.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 7, 1975
Even though the United States had pretty much left Vietnam with the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, the Vietnam War was still raging just at a much lower level. Against the peace accord, the NVA begin their final preparations to wipe out the South Vietnamese and end the war. After a string of battles and a final stand in Saigon the South Vietnamese were easily defeated and the Vietnam War would end by the end of April. Nixon had resigned and Ford could not get congress to support the war, so communism won.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 8, 1981
Omar Bradley died on this day. He was the last surviving five-star General, earned during World War II. He was main commander in North Africa and Europe. Bradley’s command would put in the thick of the Battle of the Bulge. Five-star or General of the Army is only used during war time and is the highest position in the Army and has not been awarded since World War II
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 9, 1942
Over 76,000 allied troops surrender to the Japanese ending the Battle of Bataan. What would start next is beyond comprehension. Due to the immense size of men surrendering the Japanese were unwilling to support such an endeavor thus the Bataan Death March began. The men, 11,000 of which were Americans were forced to walk 90 miles in some of the most brutal conditions and brutality possible. The men were already malnutrition which exasperated the difficulty. 1 in 4 men are thought to have died during the march.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 10, 1963
USS Thresher nuclear submarine implodes; it is the first and US nuclear submarine to sink.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 11, 1951
President Truman removes General Douglas MacArthur from his command after a disagreement on Truman’s War Policy.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 12, 1966
First Boeing B-52’s Stratofortress execute bombing runs over Vietnam. The B-52 is still currently in service and has been since 1955. The B-52 is planned yet to have more decades of service in the United States Air Force.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 13, 1990
The Soviet Union claimed responsibility for the Katyn Massacre which occurred in 1940. Thousands of Polish officers were executed, later the Germans took over the territory and later discovered the atrocity in 1943. The information was kept secret because the allies were concerned with a split among themselves over the incident. The Russians denied the incident until Gorbachev wanted to clear relations with Poland and set a new tone for Russia.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 14, 1950
NSC-68 is presented to President Truman. The paper outlines what would become two decades of cold war policy. World War II left the world with two world powers and the growing movement towards communism which footed the USA versus the USSR.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 15, 1986
Operation El Dorado Canyon commences in retaliation for the aggressive terrorist actions that led to two Americans killed in Berlin. Air strikes were ordered against Libya to send a message that support for terrorism will not be accepted. The air strikes ultimately did not achieve their objective but the message was sent.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 16, 1867
Wilbur Wright was born in Indiana on this day. Wilbur and his brother Orville were the first people to fly a heavier than air plane in 1903. The Wright brother’s were true entrepreneurs endeavoring in a bicycle shop, printing, and of course aviation. Wilbur would become a celebrity in France during the early days of flight as people were in awe.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 17, 1961
Bay of Pigs Invasion by Cuban exiles into Cuba. Supported by the United States to overthrow Fidel Castro after the United States had previously supported Castro. The invasion failed miserably and was an embarrassment to the new Kennedy administration. Castro became leery of American involvement and even today US – Cuba relations are strained.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 18, 1945
War correspondent Ernie Pyle died on this day in combat. Pyle was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who brought a personal touch to the far off World War II stories back to American newspapers. Pyle was ahead of his time when information was highly censored back to the US. He blazed a path for today’s war correspondents and was allowed exclusive access at times to get the real story back to his country. He was killed in Okinawa by Japanese gun fire while riding in a jeep.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 19, 1775
On this day the shot heard round the world took place during the American Revolutionary War in Concord, Massachusetts. The British were formed around a militia to disarm it but were ordered not to fire unless fired upon. No one is for sure but a shot was fired and the British retaliated thus sparking a battle and becoming the official first shot of the Revolutionary War.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 20, 1861
General Robert E. Lee resigned from the United States Army. Just two days before President Lincoln had offered him the command of the entire Army which he turned down. Virginia was about to succeed and Lee wanted to follow his home state. Lee was a top West Point graduate and was not in favor of succession but none the less he speared headed the Southern armies against the North in the American Civil War.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 21, 1918
The Red Baron was shot down by ground fire after amassing 80 victories. Manfred von Richthofen was a World War I pilot for Germany that became legendary for his exploits. Manfred was so good that he painted his plane bright red and dared the allies to dog fight him. The Red Baron was hit in the chest by a single bullet from ground fire and successfully crashed landed before dying.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 22, 1944
The United States Army land in Hollandia, New Guinea in the Pacific. Numerous Japanese occupying the island were administrators and not soldiers thus giving them hopeless odds. Nonetheless the battle went on for months with very high casualties to the Japanese and very few American casualties.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 23, 1778
John Paul Jones makes the first and only raid on England during the American Revolution. Jones took his ship the USS Ranger to attack a port in Whitehave, England where he eventually burned the fort and city to the ground. Jones became a Naval hero after numerous successful Naval encounters against the British. John Paul Jones is often referred to as the father of the US Navy.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 24, 1944
First B-29’s arrive in the China Burma India theater to flow the “Hump” over the Himalayan Mountains in World War II. Nearly 100 B-29 flew missions over the hump attacking China, Japan, and Thailand from basis in India.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 25, 1960
USS Triton a Navy nuclear powered submarine is the first underwater vessel to circumnavigate the globe. She would server ten years in the Navy.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 26, 1968
First one megaton nuclear device is detonated underground in Pahute Mesa, Nevada. The test was called Boxcar and was highly publicized.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 27, 1822
Ulysses S. Grant was born on this day. He was Union Civil was General of the Army, 18th President of the United States for two terms and currently featured on the $50 United States Bill from Ohio. Grant was known as the “butcher” by some people for the staggering losses for legible gains but one can theorize that the battles so horrific on both sides helped end the war earlier. Either way Grant’s name lives on as an American Hero.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 28, 1952
Even though World War II in the pacific ended in 1945 it was not until this day did World War II officially end with the signing of Treaty of Peace with Japan with 49 nations. The treaty would set the tone for post war Japan and set future relationships with Japan. It also outlined compensation to the Allied Powers.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 29, 2004
The first and only federal World War II memorial is opened to the public, many people believed it was about time. The memorial is located in Washington, DC next to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. It took 17 years of planning and nearly $200 million to complete it. During many weekends during the summer months one can see veterans at the memorial due to the Honor Flight flying World War II veterans to the memorial for free because one man thought every veteran should have the opportunity to go to it.
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MWH
Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 346
Ohio
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April 30, 1945
Nazi Chancellor Adolf Hitler along with Eva Braun commits suicide as Soviets troops get within blocks away. Hitler was then placed in a bomb crater and lit on fire by an aide. The word Nazi and Hitler are often associated with the word evil and I think you know the rest of the story…
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