1846: Although heavily outnumbered, a force of Missouri militia led by Col. Alexander W. Doniphan called the “Doniphan Thousand” defeats the Mexican army at El Paso (Texas) and captures the city in one of the major battles of the Mexican-American War. By the time Doniphan and his men return to Missouri, they have undertaken what could be the longest military march (some 5,500 miles) since Alexander the Great.
1935: When a volcanic eruption threatens Hilo, Hawaii, Army Air Corps planes drop bombs in order to divert the lava flow.
1942: (Featured Image) 2nd Lt. (future Maj.) Richard I. Bong, flying a P-38 Lightning over Buna, scores his first of 40 kills against Japanese aircraft. Bong will become the United States’ top ace of World War II and is awarded the Medal of Honor.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur presents the Medal of Honor to Maj. Richard Bong
Picture of Richard Bong’s P-38 Marge
Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, P-38 Lightning “Marge”
1943: With railroad workers threatening a wartime strike, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt seizes the critical infrastructure, putting the railroads under the supervision of the War Department.
1950: Lt. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway takes over as commander of the retreating 8th Army and immediately travels to the front lines, where he reorganizes the command structure and restores his men’s morale. The Chinese offensive soon grinds to a halt and Ridgway will lead a counteroffensive in the spring.
Lt. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway
1992: Lt. Col. Gary North shoots down an Iraqi MiG-25 in Iraq’s southern no-fly zone with an AIM-120A missile, marking the first beyond-visual-range kill and the first combat air-to-air victory for the F-16 Falcon.
Gen. Gary North, Pacific Air Forces commander, poses in front of an F-16.
Airman 1st Class Mark Drennen checks an AIM-120 missile on an F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Russian Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25RB
