CHUCK DOWNEY YOUNGEST NAVAL AVIATOR IN WWII

Ok so a lot of us know that former President H.W. Bush was the youngest Naval Aviation Pilot in WWII.......Well folks it has been learned that ....that is not the case at all.

Come to find out by a recent survey that there was a 'Young buck' that beat the former President by a few days.  Now this did not go unnoticed by the then Vice President Bush....he acknowledged this and sent the gentleman congratulating Mr. Downey  of this status.

So....here is his story of how all this took place, and of his encounters as a teen Naval Aviator in WWII.

As far as I know the gentleman is still alive and kicking today

It's a good article click HERE to read.

BAD BEEF=MVTINY

Now folks here is a tad of history that you may have heard of if you are somewhat interested in some of the early wars of our time..

Actually this article describes "How the lowly maggot and mistreatment of Russian sailors aboard the battleship POTEMKIN changed the world

The POTEMKIN was a different design from the usual French-influenced battleships of the day.  As well even the name of the ship had an unusual flare.  

Well I could go on and on here....but if you want to roll your eyeballs over this article I do believe you'll find some interesting historical facts that you did not realize.

To give this a read click: HERE

SHIP LISTING:[Alcoa Pioneer; Alcoa Prospector; Alcoa Puritan; Alcoa Rambler; Alcoa Ranger; Alcoa Shipper;Alcoa Transport; Alexander Graham Bell; Alexander Macomb; Alexander Major.

• SS ALCOA PIONEER - A 6, 711 gross ton C1-B-Cargo freighter her encounter with enemy aircraft at Pearl Harbor.
• SS ALCOA PROSPECTOR - Part of the convoy PA-44 and she had an encounter with a Japanese Submarine I-27, and it did not turn out well.
• SS ALCOA PURITAN - A C1-B freighter built in 1941.  She was in the Gulf sailing toward Mobile Alabama on May 1942, when she was spotted by German U-boat U507.  Then all hell broke loose. 
• SS ALCOA RAMBLER - When laid down she was named "Waxhaw" when completed was named "Mercer Victory" then in 1941 was acquired by Alcoa Co. and named "Alcoa Rambler." Her demise was with German Submarine U-174.
• SS ALCOA RANGER - A Hog Island freighter - completed in 1919 as "Sarcoxie" ...another name change to "Alcoa Ranger" in 1940 when Alcoa took her over.  Involved in convoy PQ-17 & her very serious encounter with German Submarine U-255.
• SS ALCOA SHIPPER - A freighter built in 1920 named "Davenport" .  Acquired by Alcoa in 1940 and renamed to "Alcoa Shipper".  Returning to the U S she encountered the German Submarine U-404 about 500 miles from Cape Charles.
• SS ALCOA TRANSPORT - Was a freighter completed in 1918.  Before acquiring her Alcoa Transport she was assigned names of "Lake Medford, H. J. Lawrence, Elwyn C. Hale, and Ocean Doninion" - met her demise on May 2, 1042 by German Submarine U-201.
• SS ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL - A Liberty ship freighter and troop ship.....struck a mine....details.
• SS ALEXANDER MACOMB - A Liberty ship freighter....coming into the Boston Harbor of Massachusetts she happened to run into German Submarine U-215, and was torpedoed.
• SS ALEXANDER MAJOR - A Liberty ship freighter, built in January 1944.  She was struck by a plane and suffered a fire.

BORIE'S DUEL TO THE DEATH

One of the strangest sea battle of World War II.....yes it was very strange.  You know it is strange when it is referred to as "Battle of the Treacherous Tubers."  Yes readers I kid you not....Tubers are potatoes.....and they were used in this battle you can read about.

Just click HERE to bring up the story

SHIPS LISTING [Frank Lever; Abbot L. Mills; Acme; Adoniram Judson; Afoundria; African Star; Agwimonte; Alamar; Alaskan; Albert F. Paul]

SHIPS LISTING [Frank Lever; Abbot L. Mills; Acme; Adoniram Judson; Afoundria; African Star; Agwimonte ;Alamar; Alaskan; Albert F. Paul]

• SS A.Frank Lever = A Liberty ship.  Named after an extremely interesting man, and the ship itself had a very interesting ship life.  And interesting read if you are interested in ship history.
• SS Abbot L. Mills = A Liberty ship that encountered a mine, en route to Dubrovnik Yugoslavia with over 8,000 tons of wheat....a rough sailing that did not end well.
• SS Acme = A steam tanker completed in 1916 by Union Iron Works, of San Francisco, CA.  Doing well until she met up with German U-boat U-124.
• SS Adoniram Judson = A Liberty Ship freighter helping in getting material to Leyte Islands in the Philippines for the up and coming invasion.
• SS Afoundria = She sailed many an ocean after being built at Hog Island in 1919, but many of those oceans she sailed as SS Haddix. This is her encounter with U-108..
• SS African Star = A Merchant freighter...She got into a fight with the German Sub U-172. This is how it all turned out!
• SS Agwimonte = A Merchant freighter that was launched as "Cape Mendocino" in Long Beach, CA.  Her tangle with German Sub. U-177.
• SS Alamar = A Merchant freighter that was built as "Eurana" in 1916 in San Francisco, CA.  There is a sad story that is part of the "Alamar Sinking".
• SS Alaskan = Former name of "Wheaton"  laid down as "War Jupiter"...her detail of events with U-boat U-172and her sinking.
• SV Albert F. Paul = A schooner that was doing her part in the war, left her home port and just disappeared on March 13, 1942.