On This Day in History

1909:   The French government awards Orville and Wilbur Wright the Legion of Honor at its New York consulate.

1912:   Through 13 November, the Army uses aircraft to make artillery adjustments for the first time at Fort Riley, Kansas. In this demonstration, Capt Frederick B. Hennessy, Lt Henry H. Arnold, and Lt Thomas DeWitt

    2001:   A 20th Special Operations Squadron MH-53 helicopter crew receives the Mackay trophy for rescuing the crew of a 2nd MH-53 that had crashed in the Afghan mountains.

1952:   The US Atomic Energy Commission explodes the first hydrogen bomb in the Pacific. The test was code named “Mike.”

1968:    In a speech to the nation, President Johnson announces his decision to halt bombing of North Vietnam and that he would not run for re-election.

1918:   Known as the US “Ace of Aces” for that conflict, Capt Edward V. Rickenbacker shoots down his 26th and final enemy aircraft of World War I. 

2004:   NASA’s KC-135A aerospace vehicle trainer, the “Vomit Comet,” flies its final sortie. NASA used the “Comet” at Edwards AFB to provide zero gravity training to students at the Aerospace Vehicle Test Course. The KC-135A

    1940:   First flight of the North American NA-73 (P-51 Mustang prototype) at Mines Field near Los Angeles. It was designed, built and flown in under 130 days.

      1973:   For 1st time since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, DoD imposes DEFCON 3 worldwide in response to Soviet reactions to the war between Israel and Egypt.

    1974:   The Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) launches an ICBM in the air, dropping a Minuteman I from a C-5A over the Pacific.