Wilcox BOSS Xe

Archive for the ‘History’ Category

NASA Releases Space Mission Videos

Saturday, July 29th, 2017

The National Air and Space Administration’s Armstrong Flight Research Center has released a variety of videos depicting the devlopment of equipment used for space exploration.

This 48-second video from 1969 shows a Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) taking off and hovering during an early flight test.

The LLRVs, humorously referred to as “flying bedsteads,” were created by a predecessor of NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center to study and analyze piloting techniques needed to fly and land the tiny Apollo Lunar Module in the moon’s airless environment. (Dryden was known as NASA’s Flight Research Center from 1959 to 1976.)

Success of the LLRVs led to the building of three Lunar Landing Training Vehicles (LLTVs) used by Apollo astronauts at the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, TX, predecessor of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, first human to step onto the moon’s surface, said the mission would not have been successful without the type of simulation that resulted from the LLRVs and LLTVs.

Visit youtube.com for access to the full playlist.

ALCON: WW II Marine Raiders Support Request

Thursday, July 6th, 2017

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the legendary World War II battle Marine Raiders fought in Guadalcanal.


The MARSOC Foundation recently learned that several Marine Raiders from the “Greatest Generation” need financial assistance to reunite at the annual Marine Raiders Reunion in San Diego, CA.

These WW II heroes are over ninety-five years young and on fixed incomes. They need our assistance to offset the high cost of travel. Please help support bringing the World War II Marine Raiders together to mark the historic battle of “Bloody Ridge.”

There are three ways to get involved:

1. Make a donation to the MARSOC Foundation: marsocfoundation.org/donate

2. Send a tax deductible check to the MARSOC Foundation:
To donate by check, please make checks payable to:
MARSOC Foundation
PO Box 2018
Temecula, CA 92593-2018

3. Donate a weapon to the MARSOC Foundation Scottsdale, AZ Gun Club Charity auction scheduled for Friday 03 November, 2017

The MARSOC Foundation is a 501(c)(3), tax exempt, national non-profit charitable foundation. Tax ID # 45-2913544 (**Guidestar Platinum level non – profit charity member**)

The MARSOC Foundation hopes that leaders in the firearms can make a contribution to support this event or donate a weapon to our annual Scottsdale Gun Club charity auction for the MARSOC Foundation. Your contribution will help preserve the legacy of these great American Heroes and recognize their tremendous sacrifice for our Nation. They hope that you can get involved and assist them with this request.

Lastly, if any great Americans would like to attend a special event with the WW II Marine Raiders and the Marines and Sailors from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Marine Raider Battalions, let me know. This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Guadalcanal battle and the WW II Raiders will be celebrating this historic day with us! The 5w’s are below:

Who: Marine Raiders and distinguished guests

What: Annual Raider Reunion 1940’s themed dinner and entertainment

Where: Town and Country Hotel, 500 Hotel Circle N, San Diego, CA, 92108

When: Friday August 11th at 1800

Why: To celebrate the history and traditions of our Marine Raiders.

(Please RSVP back to me no later than 06 July)

E-mail: Andy Christian at achristian@marsocfoundation.org

www.marsocfoundation.org

Inglorious Amateurs – OTS Spy Tech Print

Monday, July 3rd, 2017

Inglorious Amateurs works to perpetuate the history of the Central Intelligence Agency at an unclassified or declassified level. Occasionally, they offer items for sale, to this end.

The Office of Technical Services produced several comic book cover prints for its 50th anniversary in 2001, this Cold War era “Spy Techs” comic being one of them. Originally inspired by the old Spy Hunters comic books from the 1950s, it depicts a Technical Services Division (given the year) or Office of Technical Services Technical Operations Officer conducting a technical operation against foreign forces. This is a very cool momento of Intel history.

The prints are mounted on a foam backer board and available for pre-order until July 9, 2017. Any orders for prints (and combined products with them) will be shipped approximately on July 17th, 2017.

www.ingloriousamateurs.com

Now, That’s A Gun!

Saturday, July 1st, 2017

Vietnam-era photo features a chopped M14 with an M60 foregrip and 40 round magazine.

ALCON: WW II Marine Raiders Support Request

Tuesday, June 27th, 2017

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the legendary World War II battle Marine Raiders fought in Guadalcanal.


The MARSOC Foundation recently learned that several Marine Raiders from the “Greatest Generation” need financial assistance to reunite at the annual Marine Raiders Reunion in San Diego, CA.

These WW II heroes are over ninety-five years young and on fixed incomes. They need our assistance to offset the high cost of travel. Please help support bringing the World War II Marine Raiders together to mark the historic battle of “Bloody Ridge.”

There are three ways to get involved:

1. Make a donation to the MARSOC Foundation: marsocfoundation.org/donate

2. Send a tax deductible check to the MARSOC Foundation:
To donate by check, please make checks payable to:
MARSOC Foundation
PO Box 2018
Temecula, CA 92593-2018

3. Donate a weapon to the MARSOC Foundation Scottsdale, AZ Gun Club Charity auction scheduled for Friday 03 November, 2017

The MARSOC Foundation is a 501(c)(3), tax exempt, national non-profit charitable foundation. Tax ID # 45-2913544 (**Guidestar Platinum level non – profit charity member**)

The MARSOC Foundation hopes that leaders in the firearms can make a contribution to support this event or donate a weapon to our annual Scottsdale Gun Club charity auction for the MARSOC Foundation. Your contribution will help preserve the legacy of these great American Heroes and recognize their tremendous sacrifice for our Nation. They hope that you can get involved and assist them with this request.

Lastly, if any great Americans would like to attend a special event with the WW II Marine Raiders and the Marines and Sailors from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Marine Raider Battalions, let me know. This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Guadalcanal battle and the WW II Raiders will be celebrating this historic day with us! The 5w’s are below:

Who: Marine Raiders and distinguished guests

What: Annual Raider Reunion 1940’s themed dinner and entertainment

Where: Town and Country Hotel, 500 Hotel Circle N, San Diego, CA, 92108

When: Friday August 11th at 1800

Why: To celebrate the history and traditions of our Marine Raiders.

(Please RSVP back to me no later than 06 July)

E-mail: Andy Christian at achristian@marsocfoundation.org

www.marsocfoundation.org

You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up

Saturday, June 24th, 2017

SSD,

Went on a staff ride to the Lorraine in France. We studied our unit’s (2nd
Cavalry) history and their involvement in the battle.

This is the local French monument to the Battle of Arracourt. The Battle of
Arracourt was a major clash between U.S. and German armored forces near the
town of Arracourt, Lorraine, France, between 18–29 September 1944, during
World War II. As part of a counteroffensive against recent U.S. advances in
France, the German 5th Panzer Army had as its objective the recapture of
Lunéville and the elimination of the U.S. XII Corps bridgehead over the
Moselle River. At the end of the battle, we had lost 25 tanks and 7 tank
destroyers versus German losses of 200 tanks and assault guns (86 destroyed;
114 damaged). It also gave a turbo thrust to the career of then LTC
Creighton Abrams who commanded CCA and was the primary ground tactical
commander for us at the time.

The cool part of the memorial was they found the hulk in a scrape yard in
France in the early 80s. The town paid for the moving and refurbishing of
the tank so they could put it on display in the center of town.

Very respectfully,
SFC MW
Roughnecks!

Vickers Guide: AR-15 (Volume 2) Now Available For Pre-Order

Monday, June 19th, 2017

The two existing Vickers Guides by Larry Vickers and James Rupley have become some of my favorite reference books on the AR and 1911. Now, they are joined by a second volume on the AR-15 family.

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Vickers Guide: AR-15 (Volume 2) is a premium quality, collector’s grade, coffee table reference book. All books contain the following features:
-352 pages
-13″ wide by 11″ tall (approx.)
-Commercial quality, section sewn style binding which allows the book to lay open flat
-Full color prints on premium quality photo paper stock
-Foil stamped, Tan (“FDE”) linen hardcover
-Full color protective dust jacket
-Ribbon page marker

There are going to be some great historical examples in this volume like this gangster grip with light activation switch.

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In addition to the above Standard Edition, two premium versions of the book are available:

Signature Version
Hand signed by Larry Vickers

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Limited Edition Premium Version (Limited to 250 Books)
Personal Message Hand Written and Signed by Larry Vickers
Limited Edition Slip Case (x of 250)
Limited Edition Numbered Signature (x of 250)
Limited 19×13″ Color Print of Delta SR-25 (Operation Anaconda) Signed by Larry Vickers (x of 250)

Get yours before they’re gone.

www.vickersguide.com

American Marauder – Embroidered Jedburgh Wings 

Thursday, June 15th, 2017

American Marauder got some calls from friends to remake the original Jedburgh team patches in embroidery (with Velcro) so they could wear them in country…here’s the details below:

OD VERSION

STANDARD COLOR HISTORIC VERSION