On This Day in History

  1945:    BATTLE OF THE BULGE: American and British forces counterattack the Germans under the protection of Allied airpower.

1967:    OPERATION BOLO. F-4 Phantom pilots from the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing shoot down seven North Vietnamese MiG-21s in a sweep mission over the Red River valley to set a one-day aerial victory record. This

    1929:    THE QUESTION MARK. Through 7 January, to test inflight refueling and crew and aircraft endurance, Maj Carl A. Spaatz and crew fly the Question Mark, a modified Fokker C2-3 with a Wright

1948:    Allied aircraft log the 100,000th flight of the Berlin Airlift.

1972:    Operation LINEBACKER II. President Nixon halts the bombing of North Vietnam north of the 20th parallel. Peace talks resume in Paris on 8 January.

1951:    KOREAN WAR. Far East Air Forces aircraft flies 900 sorties, the largest number of the month, to damage or destroy locomotives, rail cars, buildings, vehicles, and gun positions.

1972:    Operation LINEBACKER II. President Nixon halts the bombing of North Vietnam north of the 20th parallel. Peace talks resume in Paris on 8 January.

1943:    For extraordinary heroism this date, radio operator TSgt Forrest Vosler receives the Medal of Honor. Citation: http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3041/vosler-forrest-l.php  

1945: President Truman urges establishment of the Department of Defense with an air arm equal to the Army and Navy. www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/public-papers/218/special-message-congress-recommending-establishment-department-national

1972:    Operation LINEBACKER II: President Nixon orders this 11-day all-out bombing campaign against targets in Hanoi and Haiphong, one of the most heavily defended areas of the world. Altogether, the USAF completes 714 B-52 and