Monthly Archives: July 2021

Bicentennial Minuteman Corsairs

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Last July 4th, we covered the NAVAIR Bicentennial schemes of 1976 so this is a good turnaround.

A pair of Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D Corsair IIs of the New Mexico and Colorado Air National Guard, respectively, flying over the Rocky Mountains. The “Sprit of 76” is 70-1048 of the 188th TFS, 150th TFG, NMANG out of Kirtland AFB. It was one of two Air National Guard A-7s that wore a special bicentennial scheme.

70-1048 served in the New Mexico Air Guard, first in the 188th and then in the 146th TFS under a more traditional scheme until it was transferred to AMARC in 1991 when the unit switched roles to become a refueling squadron. It was scrapped in 1997.

The second “Independence Day” bird was 72-0223 of the Louisiana ANG from the 75th TFS, 23rd TFW, at England AFB.

72-0223 went on to serve in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia ANG and was sent to the boneyard at AMARC in 1991. It was scrapped in 1998.

And another 1976 holdover, since you came this far:

Beauty at the Hilt

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A sample of amazing Japanese sword tsubas, dating primarily to the 1700s, from the John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection at the Worcester Art Museum. 

  1. Tsuba (sword guard) with Ho (sail) Motif. Japanese, 1700s. Copper-gold alloy. 2014.404
  2. Tsuba (sword guard) with Dragon Design, Japanese, 1700s. Iron, silver, gold. 2014.538
  3. Tsuba (sword guard) of openwork design with stylized pawlonia theme. Japanese, the late 1500s–early 1600s. Russeted iron, lead plugs. 2014.536
  4. Tsuba (sword guard): Deer Belling at the Autumn Moon. Japanese, early to mid-1800s. Iron, gold, silver, shakudo, and other copper alloys. 1976.239.
  5. Tsuba (sword guard) with Peony Design. Japanese, 1600s. Iron, shakudo plugs, embedded flat gold inlay. 2014.401
  6. Nanban School, Tsuba with Dragons, Waves, and Tendrils. Japanese, 1700s. Iron with gold inlay. 2014.108
  7. Tsuba of Sukashi-bori (openwork silhouette) type. Japanese, the mid-1500s–early 1600s. Iron. 2014.103
  8. Yoshū Matsuyama Jū Shoami Molikuni, Tsuba (sword guard) with bridge scene. Japanese, the late 1700s–early 1800s. Iron and copper. 2014.405
    9 Tsuba with Design of Sho Ki Chasing a Demon. Japanese 1700s. Iron and shakudo (?) with gilding. 2014.110.

If you have never been to the WAM and seen the 2,500-piece Higgins Collection, you are missing out. If nothing else, check out the website, where they have many more striking items in photos. 

RIP Thunder’s Tavern

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To many followers of the page, including destroyermen, cruiser sailors, battleship sailors, and members of the Gator Navy– who have at one time or another passed through Pascagoula in the past 40~ years, assigned to PCUs in Spruance, Kidd, Burke, Tico, Iowa Tarawa, Wasp, San Antonio or America-class ships being built or modernized at Ingalls– the name Thunder’s rings a bell.

John “Thunder” Thornton, a Pascagoula High and Ole Miss football standout, returned home and opened his Tavern on South Market Street, just below Ingalls Avenue and only a few blocks up from the beach, in 1977.

Offering a military discount, Whisky Wednesdays, Drinking with Lincoln, a volleyball court, and, later, a pool, music venue (Johnny Joe’s), and a liquor store, it was always a popular and, sometimes, controversial hang out that hovered over the SUPSHIP “off-limits” list from time to time. Hell, when I was in high school in Goula, my friends and I would score a gallon of PBR draft at the drive-through window on Friday night, along with two styrofoam cups, for $5.

The next generation of bluejackets will not know of Thunders, as Thorton himself passed in 2019 and, this week, the recently-closed establishment was razed.

Still, you can bet old-school former red stripers everywhere will get a little misty-eyed through the halo smoke of their Camels once they hear the news, that last call at Thunder’s has come and went.

Swiss Give F-35 a Nod as it Passes 400,000 Hours in the Air

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Over 625 F-35s of all variants have been produced so far. (Lockheed Martin Photo by Angel DelCueto Job Reference Number: FP20-08147 Salvo WMJ Reference Number: 20-08147 Customer: F-35 Communications; Tony Salvo Event: First Denmark F-35 (AP-1) Move from EMAS 1 to Soft Station Location: Fort Worth, Texas Date: 09-15-2020 Time: 1700 Public Release: Approved per JPO Document JSF20-906)

Lockheed-Martin announced this week that the global F-35 fleet has achieved 400,000 flight hours– including developmental test aircraft, training, operational, U.S., and international airframes.

“This milestone is a testament to the dedicated work of the joint government, military, and industry teams sustaining, maintaining, operating, and flying F-35s around the globe,” said Bridget Lauderdale, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program. “With every delivery and every flight hour, the enterprise gets more mature and effective and we are laser-focused on continuing to deliver the most capable, available, and affordable 5th Generation fighter aircraft.”

The announcement came at the same time the Swiss gave the F-35 a greenlight against stiff competition that included the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, and Eurofighter Typhoon for its $6.5 billion fighter program. The country, which currently flies 30 F-18C/D models, wants 36 F-35As before 2030 when the older Hornets are set to retire.

Get this, the reason the Lightning got the win in Bern was that the F-35A also has the lowest operating costs, over 30 years, of all of the candidates evaluated.

I hope, for the Swiss and everyone else that is using the F-35, those estimates hold up.

View from Above, Electric Acorn 105 edition

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This is a really great shot of what looks like an M119A2/A3 (L118) 105mm howitzer slung under a UH-60 Blackhawk, one of the few modern guns light enough– just 5,100 lbs– for such lifts.

Soldiers move a howitzer during a joint field training exercise with Marines at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, on May 4, 2021. The exercise enhanced partnership, interoperability, and readiness. Photo By: Army Spc. Jessica Scott VIRIN: 210504-A-PO701-870M

SPC Scott, on the same day, took this image, which gives a pointer as to the unit– the historic 3d Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment. Formed in 1916 as the 7th’s old Battery C, they have been part of the 25th (Tropic Lightning) Infantry Division (Light) since 1986.

Schofield Barracks, HI — Soldiers from Alpha Battery, 3-7 Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division Artillery conducted their M119 Howitzer night live-fire Table VI certification to set conditions for future artillery operations at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, May 19, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jessica Scott)

Note the “Allstate” tube name.

You’re in good hands…

Germans Wheels Up from Afghanistan

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The Bundeswehr has reported that the last of its troops have left Afghanistan after almost 20 years of service. Three A400Ms carried the final 264-member contingent, made up of Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) commandos and their support echelon, from Kabul to Wunstorf air force base, not far from Hanover, arriving at 13:52 (CEST) today.

(Foto: Bundeswehr / Torsten Kraatz)

They then cased their field flag until needed later.

Die Truppenfahne wird in das Einsatzführungskommando nach Schwielowsee überführt und dort aufbewahrt. (Foto: Bundeswehr / Torsten Kraatz)

The Bundestag passed the initial Afghanistan mandate on 22 December 2001 and, just three weeks later, German soldiers took part in a patrol in Kabul for the first time. Since then, around 150,000 German troops have cycled through the country, like Americans often serving multiple deployments.

Spähzug mit ihren Fenneks während eines Trainings auf der Ausbildungsanlage “IED-Lane” im Camp Marmal, Mazar-e Sharif am 18.05.2016. (Foto: Bundeswehr)

No less than 59 German soldiers were killed there, 35 of them in combat. These included the first German reservists and the first German policemen to die in deployments abroad since 1945.

Importantly, the Teutonic troops sent back 65,000 cans of beer from Afghanistan as part of their evac from the country.

Leave no bier behind.

Berlin is not out of the country building just yet. Earlier this week 12 German troops were wounded by a suicide bomber while serving with the MINUSMA mission in Mali.

Ruger May Have Just Changed Pocket Carry Forever

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For better or worse, I have practiced pocket carry off and on for almost 30 years. Sure, while in uniform I had a duty holster and a BUG on my ankle because my pockets were tough to get into due to my duty belt, and today I most often carry IWB concealed at about the 3 o’clock position, but I have always thought that pocket carry has its place at times and have defended the practice.

Speaking of this, one of my all-time faves for pocket carry was the S&W Centennial series (Model 642, specifically) but the Ruger LCP got my attention when it came out in 2008. I mean come on, a 9.4-ounce 6+1 .380 that disappeared in your pocket, who wouldn’t like it?

I liked the original LCP so much for pocket carry that I bought one of the early ones in 2009, had it Cerekoted FDE before it was a factory option, and installed Mag-guts spring kits to gain a 7+1 capacity in a flush-fitting mag.

Then came the LCP II a few years ago that changed the profile to make it easier to handle, and added an ounce to the frame and slide, but didn’t change the footprint.

However, the introduction of the current crop of “Micro 9” pistols, double-stack subcompacts– like the Sig P365 or Springfield Hellcat– that carried over 10 rounds in a flush-fitting mag, has swept the carry market.

To that, Ruger has replied with a Micro 380, the new LCP MAX, which is the same rough size as the LCP II, but carries 10+1 rounds in a flush fit or 12+1 rounds in an extended mag, and still fits in a pocket holster.

Nice.

More in my column at Guns.com.

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