U.S. flag raised on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945

U.S. flag raised on Iwo Jima: During the bloody Battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Regiment of the 5th Division take the crest of Mount Suribachi, the island’s highest peak and most strategic position, and raise the U.S. flag. Marine photographer Louis Lowery was with them and recorded the event. American soldiers fighting for control of Suribachi’s slopes cheered the raising of the flag, and several hours later more Marines headed up to the crest with a larger flag. Joe Rosenthal, a photographer with the Associated Press, met them along the way and recorded the raising of the second flag along with a Marine still photographer and a motion-picture cameraman.

Rosenthal took three photographs atop Suribachi. The first, which showed five Marines and one Navy corpsman struggling to hoist the heavy flag pole, became the most reproduced photograph in history and won him a Pulitzer Prize. The accompanying motion-picture footage attests to the fact that the picture was not posed. Of the other two photos, the second was similar to the first but less affecting, and the third was a group picture of 18 soldiers smiling and waving for the camera. Many of these men, including three of the six soldiers seen raising the flag in the famous Rosenthal photo, were killed before the conclusion of the Battle for Iwo Jima in late March.

In early 1945, U.S. military command sought to gain control of the island of Iwo Jima in advance of the projected aerial campaign against the Japanese home islands. Iwo Jima, a tiny volcanic island located in the Pacific about 700 miles southeast of Japan, was to be a base for fighter aircraft and an emergency-landing site for bombers. On February 19, 1945, after three days of heavy naval and aerial bombardment, the first wave of U.S. Marines stormed onto Iwo Jima’s inhospitable shores.

The Japanese garrison on the island numbered 22,000 heavily entrenched men. Their commander, General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, had been expecting an Allied invasion for months and used the time wisely to construct an intricate and deadly system of underground tunnels, fortifications, and artillery that withstood the initial Allied bombardment. By the evening of the first day, despite incessant mortar fire, 30,000 U.S. Marines commanded by General Holland Smith managed to establish a solid beachhead.

During the next few days, the Marines advanced inch by inch under heavy fire from Japanese artillery and suffered suicidal charges from the Japanese infantry. Many of the Japanese defenders were never seen and remained underground manning artillery until they were blown apart by a grenade or rocket, or incinerated by a flame thrower.

While Japanese kamikaze flyers slammed into the Allied naval fleet around Iwo Jima, the Marines on the island continued their bloody advance across the island, responding to Kuribayashi’s lethal defenses with remarkable endurance. On February 23, the crest of 550-foot Mount Suribachi was taken, and the next day the slopes of the extinct volcano were secured.

By March 3, U.S. forces controlled all three airfields on the island, and on March 26 the last Japanese defenders on Iwo Jima were wiped out. Only 200 of the original 22,000 Japanese defenders were captured alive. More than 6,000 Americans died taking Iwo Jima, and some 17,000 were wounded.

History Channel / Wikipedia / National Archives.gov / February 23, 1945: U.S. flag raised on Iwo Jima (CBS News)

Understanding Military Terminology - Military Post Office

(DOD) A branch of a designated U.S.-based post office established by U.S. Postal Service authority and operated by one of the Services. Also called MPO.

Joint Publications (JP 1-0) Joint Personnel Support - Defense Technical Information Center

The Old Salt’s Corner

“Tales of Legendary Ghost Ships”

Iron Mountain Riverboat

Many say ship disappearances ware the result of some supernatural force, however it is far more likely that each incident is a case of a big, stormy ocean taking its toll on small, poorly-maintained, or simply unlucky craft. But when a ship disappears without a trace from a river, it’s harder to imagine an explanation. And the legend of the SS Iron Mountain is difficult to explain away.

Here is how her story is usually told. This is an excerpt of the version on paranormal.about.com, complete with the picture that’s most often associated with the SS Iron Mountain:

In June, 1872, the S.S. Iron Mountain steamed out of Vicksburg, Mississippi with an on-deck cargo of bailed cotton and barrels of molasses. Heading up the Mississippi River toward its ultimate destination of Pittsburgh, the ship was also towing a line of barges.

Later that day, another steamship, the Iroquois Chief, found the barges floating freely downriver. The towline had been cut. The crew of the Iroquois Chief secured the barges and waited for the Iron Mountain to arrive and recover them. But it never did. The Iron Mountain, nor any member of its crew, were ever seen again. Not one trace of a wreck or any piece of its cargo ever surfaced or floated to shore. It simply vanished.

Some versions go on to say that ghostly voices can be heard near the site screaming “They’re trying to hurt me! Help!”

The Mississippi River was and is the most important naviagble river in the country. In parts it’s over a mile wide and plenty deep enough to swallow a steam ship. Near the region in question, the present day river is about ¾ of a mile across, but 150 years ago she may have been much wider, especially during flood season. It is conceivable that a ship could have sunk rapidly with no one on shore noticing, especially in a time before radio. It would be unusual for no wreckage or debris to be found. Nearly every part of the ship and its cargo was buoyant. The river was a highway, and one of the dozens of other ships also on the river should have seen wreckage or cargo floating downstream.

The shores in that region were dotted with farms, plantations and towns, with frequent riverboat landings to provide the population with supplies and mail and also to transport cotton and other goods north. Riverboats had regular routes, but stops would be scheduled according to where cargo needed to be. These comings and goings were reported in local newspapers. Because of this, we know that there definitely was a sternwheeler on the Mississippi River called the towboat Iron Mountain. She was launched in 1872, and served for ten years. At 181 feet long, she was a giant, and modern with all steel boilers—the first on the river. This was a ship that everyone on the river would recognize.

On March 26, 1882, the SS Iron Mountain was steaming north from Vicksburg towing five empty barges. After she left Vicksburg, the next reported sighting wasn’t of the vessel, it was of her five empty barges, which had been cut loose and were coming down the river, presenting a hazard to navigation.

Such occurrences were not uncommon. The Mississippi is notorious difficult to navigate as the water level changes and submerged objects shift and can’t be seen. A ship pulling barges would cut them loose if there was trouble. This could include running aground or even having an issue with the boilers. Also, the river was in a flood state so severe, it became known as the “Flood of 1882”. It was the largest flood on the Mississippi in recorded history up until that time. This meant that riverboat captains were steaming blind as any obstructions they'd memorized were now underwater, in a different place, or replaced by other unseen hazards.

The next day as men went to survey the damage, they were surprised that the Iron Mountain had indeed, vanished. An extensive search was conducted and while some small parts of the ship were located downstream, the ship itself could not be found.

It wasn’t until several months later, that her wreck was found. Oddly, it wasn’t found on the river, but in a field on a former plantation called Omega. How did a large sternwheeler get off the river and into a field? As was mentioned, the Mississippi River was flooding. Where the Iron Mountain ran into trouble, the river had broken through a levee near Omega Landing. As the river poured through the levee, so must have Iron Mountain, now miles downstream from where it was originally damaged.

With newspapers reporting not only the sinking, but also the finding of the vessel, how did the legend start? Based on the many stories, it seems that they’re all copying each other. The earliest version of the legend was in the Frank Edward’s book, Strangest of All. Published in 1956, this was Edwards’ second book of embellished stories continuing a tradition established by Charles Forte decades earlier. The book was popular, and it’s possible that he was the originator of the tall tale that has been repeated ever since. Books published as recently as 2010 still report the vessel as “vanished without a trace”.

Skeptoid

“I’m Just Sayin”

“Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”

~ Albert Einstein.

“Thought for the Day”

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

To keep our faces toward change

and behave like free spirits

in the presence of fate

is strength undefeatable.”

~ Helen Keller

“What I Have Learned”

“Don’t place your mistakes on your head,

their weight may crush you.

Instead,

place them under your feet

and use them as a platform

to view your horizons.”

~ Anonymous

Bizarre News (we couldn’t make up stuff this good – real news story)

This Penis-Shaped Weather Map Aroused A Storm Of Hilarity

A weather map posted on Facebook is arousing all sorts of cheeky comments thanks to the familiar shape of the storm center.

The report on the Gulf Coast Storm Center website suggested the possibility of freezing rain, sleet and light snow.

One woman said, “I’m sick and tired of being promised 6-7 inches and only getting 4!!!” to which another commenter replied, “Well it’s probably because your messing with the wrong weather guy.”

Another guy hoped the storm would prematurely finish and leave people “very unimpressed with the overall experience.”

Other hilarious reactions include:

“If this storm lasts longer than 4 hours, seek immediate medical attention.”

“Tennessee says, ‘Not right now Texas I’m tired.’”

“Don’t expect this storm to pull out quickly...”

“I guess you could say Mother Nature really has a hard on for the gulf coast lately.”

“Storms definitely going to penetrate deep down south.”

“There should always be a warning when it’s more than 6 inches.”

The most philosophical response to the penis-shaped weather map may be one from a woman who wondered how future generations might view it.

“In a few thousand years, some alien historian is going to stumble across this post and read the comments and finally understand, after years of study, exactly how we humans, a clever and able species, managed to let ourselves get caught in another ice age, for we were too busy making dick jokes to flee, and I’m ok with that.”

At the risk of sounding like a dick, it should be noted that penis-shaped weather maps are actually quite common.

Huffington Post (01/16/2018)

Mr. Answer Man Please Tell Us: What is a Polar Vortex?

Polar Vortex. It sounds like it could be some sort of alien death-ray or an extremely powerful washing machine, but what does it have to do with cold weather?

A polar vortex is an area of low pressure—a wide expanse of swirling cold air—that is parked in polar regions. The one up north can cause some pretty wild weather and sub-zero temperatures in the United States. But it's not a new thing—this low-pressure system is almost always up there.

Sometimes this low-pressure system, full of cold Arctic air, strays a little bit too far from home. Part of it can break off and migrate southward, bringing all of that cold air with it. Just like that, areas as far south as Florida get to experience their own little taste of life in the Arctic.

The breaking off of part of the vortex is what defines a polar vortex event. But it actually occurs when the vortex is weaker, not stronger. That might sound weird—but it actually makes sense. Normally, when the vortex is strong and healthy, it helps keep a current of air known as the jet stream traveling around the globe in a pretty circular path. This current keeps the cold air up north and the warm air down south.

But without that strong low-pressure system, the jet stream doesn’t have much to keep it in line. It becomes wavy and rambling. Put a couple of areas of high-pressure systems in its way, and all of a sudden you have a river of cold air being pushed down south along with the rest of the polar vortex system.

That’s what happened in early 2014. The polar vortex suddenly weakened, and a huge high-pressure system formed over Greenland. The high-pressure system blocked the escape of all that cold air in the jet stream, and allowed part of the polar vortex to break off and move southward. Places as far south as Tampa, Florida experienced the wrath of this wandering polar vortex. Most of Canada and parts of the Midwestern United States had temperatures colder than Alaska at the height of this cold snap!

It's important to remember that not all cold weather is the result of the polar vortex. While the polar vortex is always hanging out up north, it normally minds its own business. It takes pretty unusual conditions for it to weaken or for it to migrate far south, and other things can cause cold arctic air to travel our way, too.

National Weather Service NOAA.gov • National Geographic • Quora • Science How Stuff Works • Scijinks.gov • Wikipedia

NAVSPEAK aka U.S. Navy Slang

Roll-em's: Movie night, usually shown in the ready room or the wardroom.

Rollers: Hot dogs.

Rope and Choke: Highly advanced and ultra accurate way the Navy determines the body mass index of people who are deemed too heavy for their height. Consists of an overweight fitness “guru” measuring one's waist and neck.

Ropeyarn: Original-Taking an afternoon off, usually a Wednesday, to take care of personal matters, such as repairing one's uniforms. Today- taking an afternoon off to take care of 'personal matters'.

Just for you MARINE

Swinging Dick: Vulgarity for male Marine, usually used as “every swinging dick” to emphasize an order to a whole group instead of individual(s).

Swoop: Make a long trip in a short period of time, usually in reference to returning to post after liberty, o avoid an UA status.

Sympathy Chit: Voucher sarcastically authorizing the recipient sympathy from others.

Naval Aviation Squadron Nicknames

VFA-31 - “Tomcatters”
CVW-8 - Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. - Established July 1, 1935

Where Did That Saying Come From?

“Let your hair down”  Meaning: To relax or be at ease. Behave in a free or uninhibited manner.

Origin: Parisian nobles risked condemnation from their peers if they appeared in public without an elaborate hairdo. Some of the more intricate styles required hours of work, so of course it was a relaxing ritual for these aristocrats to come home at the end of a long day and let their hair down.

Letting one's hair down was a commonplace part of womens' daily activities in the 17th century. The hair was normally pinned up and was let down for brushing or washing. The term used for this at the time was dishevelling. Anyone who is unkempt and generally untidy might now be described as dishevelled but then it applied specifically to hair which was unpinned. The first reference I can find which refers specifically to this is John Cotgrave's, The English treasury of wit and language, 1655:

“Descheveler, to discheuell; to pull the haire about the eares.”

Phrases.org UK

Science & Technology

Air Force Will Lose More Than a Third of A-10s If the Planes Don't Get New Wings - The service seems determined to send the A-10 Warthog to the boneyard. • Three Things You Need to Know About Trump's New National Defense Strategy • Amazon Is Raising the Monthly Price for Amazon Prime • Learn To Code By Building 14 Different Websites - And it only costs $15 to get started. • Scientists Invent a Way to Measure Impossibly Tiny Amounts of Liquid • Escape From the Rock: How the only successful Alcatraz prison break in history was torn from the pages of Popular Mechanics.

Popular Mechanics

The Strange, Mysterious or Downright Weird

Out-of-This-World Diamond-Studded Rock Just Got Even Weirder

A tiny chunk of stone that looks like nothing else ever seen in the solar system might be even weirder than scientists thought.

The Hypatia stone was found in southwestern Egypt in 1996. It was hardly more than a pebble, just 1.3 inches (3.5 centimeters) wide at its widest and a smidge over an ounce (30 grams) in weight. But analysis revealed that the stone (dubbed “Hypatia” for a fourth-century female mathematician and philosopher) fit into no known category of meteorite. Now, a new study suggests that at least some parts of the stone may have formed before the solar system did.

If so - and that is a big “if” - the stone might reveal that the dust cloud that eventually congealed into our solar system was not as uniform as previously believed. [Big Bang to Civilization: 10 Amazing Origin Events]

Oddball discovery

When the Hypatia stone was first discovered, researchers weren't sure where it came from. Because it is studded with microdiamonds 50 nanometers to 2 micrometers in size, one possibility was that it was a strange example of a type of diamond known as a carbonado diamond. But studies in 2013 and 2015 definitively knocked out that possibility: The ratios of noble gases in the stone show that it is most certainly from out of this world. (The diamonds probably formed from the shock when the space rock blasted through Earth's atmosphere.)

Mysterious minerals

In the new study, researchers focused on the minerals in the Hypatia stone. They discovered that the stone itself is not uniform, but consists of a carbon-rich matrix shot through with a variety of minerals. These mineral inclusions are as weird as the rest of the rock, the research team found. They include pure metallic aluminum nuggets, an extremely rare find in the solar system; moissanite and silver iodine phosphide grains; and strange ratios of elements that fail to match the typical ratios of solar system objects. For example, unlike any other solar object ever found, these minerals include a nickel-phosphide compound with very high ratios of nickel to iron.

“There is no known or imaginable mechanism that [this compound] could have been produced naturally in the solar nebula,”

Live Science (01/06/2018)