Sunday, August 24, 2025

UFO's and Military Disinformation. You heard it here first.

Last year, the Defense Department released a report of its investigation of decades of claims that Washington was hiding what it knew about extraterrestrial life. The report found allegations of a coverup to be baseless.⁠

In fact, a Wall Street Journal investigation reveals, the report itself amounted to a coverup—but not in the way the UFO conspiracy industry would have people believe.⁠

The public disclosure left out the truth behind some of the foundational myths about UFOs: The Pentagon itself sometimes deliberately fanned the flames, in what amounted to the U.S. government targeting its own citizens with disinformation.⁠

Wall Street Journal.

My guess is a that large majority of the recent reports fit into this category.

Monday, August 18, 2025

Lex Anteinternet: Saturday, August 18, 1945. The last American KIA ...

Lex Anteinternet: Saturday, August 18, 1945. The last American KIA ...

Saturday, August 18, 1945. The last American KIA of World War Two. Anthony J. Marchione.

Sukarno became the first President of Indonesia.

A B-32, an obscure bomber that was a competitor of the B-29.

B-32 crewman Anthony J. Marchione became the last American to die in WWII when the B-32 he was flying in over Tokyo in a photography mission was attacked by Japanese fighter aircraft in spite of the Japanese surrender.  The attack on the two B-32s followed an attack the prior day on B-32s in the same locality, which the bombers were investigating.  Staff Sergeant Joseph Lacharite was severely wounded and would take years to recover from his injuries.

The plane he was on was named "Hobo Queen"

The Consolidated B-32 Dominator is an almost forgotten World War Two aircraft. A competitor with the B-29, it was produced as a fallback to the B-29, and plans to replace B-17s and B-24s with the Dominator were cancelled due to production delays.  118 were built.

Indian nationalist, who sided with the Japanese during the war, died at age 48 in an airplane crash in Formosa.

The Soviets invaded the Kuril Islands, which was certainly a questionable act given the Japanese having announced their surrender.  The resulting Battle of Shumshu was the last battle of the Second World War.

On the other hand, Japanese forces on the Asian mainland continued to resist Soviet advances there, albeit ineffectively.

The Japanese government was clearly having trouble getting some forces to stand down.

Last edition:

Friday, August 17, 1945. The long trip of the U-977.

The Aerodrome: Union reps defy order, flights cancelled.

The Aerodrome: The Aerodrome: Canadian government intervenes in A...: The Aerodrome: Air Canada cancels flights (August 15) due to labo... : Air Canada is facing a flight attendants strike and is basically star...

Strike back on. 

Sunday, August 17, 2025

Friday, August 15, 2025

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Lex Anteinternet: Sunday, August 5, 1945. Enola Gay and Necessary Evil

Lex Anteinternet: Sunday, August 5, 1945. Enola Gay and Necessary E...

Sunday, August 5, 1945. Enola Gay and Necessary Evil.

The 20th Air Force dropped 720,000 leaflets over twelve Japanese cities.  Conventional bombing raids continued.

Gen. LeMay officially confirmed the atomic mission for the next day.

Paul Tibbets named the lead plane in the Hiroshima bombing mission the Enola Gay, after his mother.  This was done over the objection of the planes normal designated pilot, Robert Lewis, who wanted to name the plane  "The Pearl Harbor," "The Avenger," or "The USS Indianapolis".  Lewis also wasn't happy about being moved to the co-pilot's seat for the mission.

Lewis would return to civilian life after the war, and died in 1983 at age 65.

The B-29 that would take photos on the mission would be named Necessary Evil.  It featured, as many plans did, a buxom woman, albeit one clothed in a bikini, as nose art.

The Chinese 13th Army captured the town of Tanchuk. The Chinese 58th Division took Hsinning (Changchun).

Paul Ferdonet, the "Radio Traitor" of Stuttgart, was executed in France.

His pro Nazi broadcast had actually dwindled after 1942.

Oddly enough, today would have been Loni Anderson' birthday.  She passed away yesterday.

Last edition:

Saturday, August 4, 1945. Tibbets briefs his crew.

Friday, August 1, 2025

Lex Anteinternet: Sunday, August 1, 1915. Max Immelmann shot down h...

Lex Anteinternet: Sunday, August 1, 1915. Max Immelmann shot down h...

Sunday, August 1, 1915. Max Immelmann shot down his first aircraft.

Max Immelmann shot down his first aircraft.


Like most of the famous aces, he didn't survive the war.

Irish nationalist Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa was buried at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin.  Patrick Pearse delivered a graveside speech including the phrase "Ireland unfree shall never be at peace".

The Endurance broke up.

Last edition:

Saturday, July 31, 1915. The Russians.

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Lex Anteinternet: Thursday, July 1, 1915. Synchronization Gear.

Lex Anteinternet: Thursday, July 1, 1915. Synchronization Gear.

Thursday, July 1, 1915. Synchronization Gear.

South African forces under Louis Botha defeated German colonial forces at the Battle of Otavi in German South West Africa with assistance from Canada, Great Britain, Portugal and Portuguese Angola. 

The Battle of Gully Ravine started at Gallipoli.  Two Victoria Cross awards would occur due to today's actions.

German fighter pilot Kurt Wintgens became the first person to shoot down a plane using a machine gun equipped with synchronization gear, starting the "Fokker Scourge".


Of the event, he wrote:

Dear Karl:

Unfortunately I gave you the wrong address last time, for during my voyage to Mühlhausen I got a different destination and for the time being I am with the Bavarian (unit) Abteilung 6b. Up to now nothing of real interest happened. In Mannheim I had tested the machine and then from Strasbourg by air to the Front, where lately a (Morane) Parasol fighter monoplane à la Garros had made its presence felt.

I had flown to the Front a couple of times without seeing an opponent, until yesterday evening when the big moment came. Time: 6:00 o'clock. Place: east of Lunéville. Altitude: between 2,000 and 2,500 m. Suddenly I notice a monoplane in front of me, about 300 m higher. And at the same moment he had already dived in front of me, fiercely firing his machine gun decently. But as I, at once, dived in an opposite direction under him, he missed wildly. After four attacks I reached his altitude in a large turn, and now my machine gun did some talking. I attacked at such a close distance that we looked each other into the face.

After my third attack he did the most stupid thing that he could do – he fled. I turned the crate on the spot and had him at once, beautifully, in my (gun)sight. Rapid fire for about four seconds, and down went his nose. I could follow him until 500 meters, then, unfortunately, I was fired upon from the ground too hotly; the fight (now) being far over the French lines. Hopefully, I'll soon meet a biplane.

Cordial greetings and so long,

Your friend,

— Kurt"

He'd be killed in action in September, 1916.

The US Navy started the Office of Naval Aeronautics.

The United States Forest Service combined the Jemez National Forest and Pecos National Forest in northern New Mexico to establish the Santa Fe National Forest, which luckily for us today was not hacked up to be sold by Sen. Mike Lee.

The Moapa National Forest was absorbed into the Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, which fortunately Mike Lee has to keep his hands off of for the time being.

New York City established in the Child Welfare Board.

Blues great Willie Dixon was born.

Last edition:

Wednesday, June 30, 1915. Armenian massacre.

Lex Anteinternet: Monday, June 30, 1975. Changes in the Service.

Lex Anteinternet: Monday, June 30, 1975. Changes in the Service.