“Terra Prime” Written by Judith &; Garfield Reeves-Stevens and André Bormanis and Manny Coto Directed by Marvin V. Rush Season 4‚ Episode 21 Production episode 097 Original air date: May 13‚ 2005 Date: January 22‚ 2155 Captain’s star log. After a summary of “Demons‚” we get more of Paxton’s speechifying about the purity of humanity and the desire to get rid of alien influence. As an example of the horrible future that awaits them‚ he shows an image of the human/Vulcan hybrid baby. Because nothing says “humanity is doomed” like a cute little pointed-eared baby. Sure. Sato is unable to jam the signal and unable to get through to Starfleet Command. Paxton has aimed the verteron array at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. If all the aliens aren’t out of the solar system in twenty-four hours‚ he’ll fire on Starfleet HQ. Enterprise returns to Earth after Paxton takes a potshot at the ship with the array. Samuels meets with Soval and Andorian Ambassador Thoris. Apparently there are Terra Prime demonstrations outside both the Vulcan and Andorian embassies. Thoris wants to know why they haven’t left Earth yet. Samuels travels to Enterprise. Their options are limited. Paxton has jiggered the array so that destroying it will also wipe out the Utopia colony. Plus destroying the array will set back the Mars terraforming project and also endanger the colony. Samuels wants Archer to destroy it anyhow—the greater good and all that—but Archer recommends taking a small tactical team to try to extract Tucker and T’Pol and the baby and stop Paxton. If it doesn’t work‚ then Enterprise will go ahead and fire on the array. Image: CBS Paxton wants Tucker to refine the array. He just wants to destroy Starfleet HQ—as he says‚ he needs a scalpel‚ not a bludgeon. Right now‚ the array will wipe out half of San Francisco along with Starfleet. Paxton also lets Tucker and T’Pol meet their daughter‚ and T’Pol gets to spend time with her—but at gunpoint‚ as Paxton threatens T’Pol and the baby’s lives if Tucker doesn’t do as Paxton wants. Paxton explains how he got Tucker and T’Pol’s genetic material: from the frozen samples that are on board Enterprise‚ making it clear that at least one person on Enterprise’s crew is a Terra Prime supporter. While he works‚ Tucker talks with Greaves. Tucker didn’t like Vulcans all that much for a long time‚ but once he got to know some actual Vulcans‚ he changed his tune. Greaves admits that he’s never met any Vulcans‚ but he also blames them for the billions who died in World War III. When Tucker reminds him that first contact was after the war‚ Greaves reminds him that Earth was under observation by the Vulcans during the war. They could’ve stepped in and prevented it‚ but didn’t. Reed meets with Harris‚ who provides intelligence about Mars that is useful: if they fly just ten meters above the surface‚ the sensors can’t detect them‚ as they’re still calibrated for the thinner atmosphere Mars had before terraforming began. But they’ll have to get to Mars first; Reed assures Harris that they have that in hand. Tucker sabotages the array instead of improving it‚ because of course he does. Mayweather flies Enterprise toward Mars while hiding in a comet‚ and then uses that comet to hide the shuttlepod. Before they take off‚ Gannet reveals to Mayweather that she’s not a Terra Prime spy‚ she’s a Starfleet Intelligence spy. But she hasn’t revealed herself because she still hasn’t found the actual Terra Prime spy on board. Mayweather doesn’t entirely believe her‚ and leaves her in the brig. Image: CBS Tucker manages to escape captivity around the same time that a strike team that includes Archer‚ Reed‚ Mayweather‚ and Phlox (the latter because of the baby) invades the mining facility. When Archer arrives in the main control room‚ right when Paxton’s deadline hits‚ he contacts Sato‚ who was left in charge‚ and tells her to stand down‚ as they’ve taken over. Sato is grateful‚ as she was under significant pressure from Samuels to destroy the array. Then a firefight ensues when Greaves fires on Tucker when Archer sends him to turn off the array. Reed shoots Greaves‚ Paxton shoots Reed‚ and so on. It finally ends with a window breaking‚ and Paxton setting the array to fire. However‚ Tucker’s sabotage worked: instead of Starfleet HQ‚ it fires semi-harmlessly into the San Francisco Bay near the Golden Gate Bridge. (I say “semi-harmlessly” because I’m fairly certain some marine life did not get through that unscathed…) The rescue almost didn’t get pulled off due to sabotage of the shuttlepod‚ which Mayweather discovers. At first they think that Kelby is responsible‚ but soon they trace it to Ensign Masaro‚ who shoots himself in the head rather than answer for his crimes. The halfbreed baby‚ whom Tucker and T’Pol name Elizabeth after Tucker’s sister who was killed in the Xindi attack‚ does not survive‚ though Phlox’s autopsy determines that the cause is a flaw in Paxton’s cloning procedure and that Elizabeth would’ve survived if he hadn’t screwed that up‚ which means that future halfbreeds are definitely possible (which we already kinda knew…). The conference to negotiate the formation of the Coalition of Planets is back on‚ Mayweather and Gannet have kissed and made up‚ and the delegates to the conference all agree to attend Elizabeth’s funeral. Can’t we just reverse the polarity? Apparently the verteron array is being used to divert comets that strike the surface of Mars to the poles to aid in the ongoing terraforming of the red planet. Image: CBS The gazelle speech. Archer gives a semi-rousing speech to the delegates to the conference reminding everyone how far humanity has come in the last century‚ from wondering if they were alone in the universe to starting the process of a major interplanetary alliance. It’s a bit better than the speech for which this rewatch section is named‚ I’ll give him that… I’ve been trained to tolerate offensive situations. T’Pol immediately starts to take care of Elizabeth from the moment Paxton locks her in a room with her. Florida Man. Florida Man Saves The Day With Sabotage! Optimism‚ Captain! Phlox admits to Archer that he originally took the assignment to Enterprise as a diversion‚ something to allow him to get away from the complications of family (which are way more complicated on Denobula Triaxa) for a few months. He never anticipated finding a new family‚ and he takes Elizabeth’s death particularly hard (as does everyone else). Ambassador Pointy. Soval is‚ notably‚ the first person to stand and applaud Archer after his speech to the delegates. No sex‚ please‚ we’re Starfleet. After being informed by a tearful Tucker that Elizabeth could have survived with a better cloning procedure‚ T’Pol moves to hold his hand‚ leaving hope for the two of them in the future… I’ve got faith… “Hello. I’m your mother. You’re going to need a name. We should discuss that with your father.” –T’Pol introducing herself to Elizabeth‚ being at once sentimental‚ methodical‚ and logical. Welcome aboard. Back from “Demons” are Harry Groener as Samuels‚ Peter Weller as Paxton‚ Eric Pierpoint as Samuels‚ Peter Mensah as Greaves‚ Adam Clark as Josiah‚ and Johanna Watts as Gannet. Back from “In a Mirror Darkly‚ Part II” are Gary Graham as Soval and Derek Magyar as Kelby. In addition‚ Joel Swetow makes his third appearance as an alien on Trek as Thoris‚ having previously played a Cardassian gul in DS9’s “Emissary” and a Yridian freighter captain in TNG’s “Firstborn.” Josh Holt plays Masaro. trek-enterprise-terra-prime- Trivial matters: Strictly speaking‚ this marks the final real appearance of everyone in it‚ as the only ones we see again in the next episode are holodeck re-creations‚ and none of them have appeared again in any Trek production after that (at least not so far). Though both had recurring roles on Enterprise (and both made guest appearances on prior Treks)‚ this is the first time both Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint have appeared in the same episode. The two were the leads on the tragically short-lived Alien Nation TV series. This is also the final episode of Trek to be scored by Jay Chattaway‚ who used many of the same musicians as on the first Trek episode he scored‚ TNG’s “Tin Man‚” which also guest-starred Harry Groener. Chattaway‚ who is now in his 70s‚ appears to have retired. The flute theme he created for TNG’s “The Inner Light” has continued to be a music cue on Picard. An alternate history where Paxton’s movement was successful and Earth became isolationist in 2155 was explored by William Leisner in the short novel A Less Perfect Union in Myriad Universes: Infinity’s Prism. The characters of Samuels‚ Soval‚ and Harris all appear in several post-finale Enterprise novels. Samuels is established as being the Prime Minister of Earth‚ a position he would retain through the Earth-Romulan War‚ and appears in The Good that Men Do and Kobayashi Maru by Andy Mangels &; Michael A. Martin and The Romulan War duology by Martin. Soval continues his role as Vulcan ambassador in those same novels‚ as well as in regular rewatch commenter Christopher L. Bennett’s Rise of the Federation series. Harris appears in several of Bennett’s RotF books as well‚ continuing his work with Section 31. Shran was originally supposed to play the role played instead by Joel Swetow‚ but they decided they wanted to use him for the finale instead. Why he couldn’t appear in both episodes is unclear. trek-enterprise-terra-prime- It’s been a long road… “The final frontier begins in this hall.” This is a surprising letdown after a very promising first part. There are a number of reasons for this‚ but the main one is that Terra Prime’s actual plan was completely unconvincing to me. I mean‚ seriously‚ if you’re trying to effect permanent change to make Earth pure again‚ quite possibly the worst way to go about it is to engage in terrorist activities and trying to use a very cute baby as the face of evil. Seriously‚ I found myself laughing out loud when Paxton finishes his Evil Speech of Evil by gravely saying that this is what the future will be and he shows us‚ um‚ a cute kid. Yeah‚ she’s got pointed ears‚ but that’s not a particularly big change. The whole thing might’ve worked better with a human/Andorian hybrid with antennae and blue skin or a human/Tellarite hybrid with porcine features or something that really looked like a halfbreed. But Elizabeth just looks like a cute baby with funky ears‚ and the reason why I’m emphasizing the cute is that most people’s reactions to a helpless and adorable little baby is to be protective and want to save it‚ not think that’s it’s the face of evil. (Of course‚ the reason why it’s a human/Vulcan hybrid is so we can have Maximum Tucker/T’Pol Angst‚ which is only not the feeblest development of their relationship by virtue of the existence of the endless “Vulcan neuro-pressure” scenes in season three…) And then Paxton threatens‚ not an alien embassy‚ but Starfleet Headquarters‚ which is mostly full of humans. And also indirectly threatens the Mars colony‚ which is also full of humans. But then it wouldn’t make for exciting enough television‚ I guess‚ to have Terra Prime politicians getting themselves elected to the government‚ have Terra Prime-sympathetic journalists (they almost went there with Gannet‚ but made her a spy instead‚ which‚ um‚ okay) pushing their agenda‚ and all the other things that would actually have a chance of working. There are parts of the episode that work nicely. I especially like Greaves’s justification for his membership in Terra Prime: the Vulcans sat by and watched as World War III raged. That’s a brilliant bit of writing there‚ because you can absolutely see where Greaves is coming from. But it’s just one piece of dialogue swimming upstream against Peter Weller snarling and a big gun threatening Earth. Paxton should’ve been Joe McCarthy or Donald Trump‚ and instead he’s a Bond villain. Snore. Also having Harris and the proto-Section 31 in this two-parter is a complete waste‚ yet another gratuitous use of the worst thing ever to happen to Star Trek as a franchise. Archer gets a Mulligan on the gazelle speech‚ and it almost works. It’s certainly more hopeful and impressive than what he said at the top of season two‚ but it’s still in the bottom tier of Captain Speeches in Trek history. Still and all‚ this would’ve made a nice series finale‚ with the moving toward an alliance‚ with the victory of unity over prejudice‚ with Tucker’s sad declaration that future human/Vulcan hybrids should be just fine‚ and with Phlox’s happier declaration that he found a new family on the NX-01. But we get one more. Alas. Warp factor rating: 6 Keith R.A. DeCandido will be Author Guest of Honor at the inaugural ConVivial in Williamsburg‚ Virginia this weekend‚ alongside Music Guests of Honor HipHopMcDougal‚ Cosplay Guest of Honor Angela Pritchett‚ and Fan Guest of Honor Candi O’Rourke. Keith will be doing lots of programming‚ and also will be performing with the Boogie Knights for a few concerts. His full schedule will be posted to his blog soon.

Despite being out for almost no time at all‚ Palworld has already got some great tweaks out there that improve or change the gameplay. No game is perfect‚ but modders know how to make it closer. These are some of the best mods for Palworld. Palworld VR mod This mod actually works with almost all games made with Unreal Engine‚ and it is almost seamless with Palworld. Using this link and a few tutorials‚ you can play Palworld through your headset and enjoy the deepest level of immersion. As if having a 3D pocket monster RPG wasn’t enough; now you can play it in VR. Youtube: LunchAndVR Performance enhancer If you’re struggling to run Palworld‚ then this mod will be the one to help you out. It works with Unreal Engine to improve performance for low-end PCs‚ allowing for better graphical settings and much better FPS. This is an essential mod if you’re looking for the best experience or you want to stream Palworld without a performanc...

As you start to build your first base‚ you’ll soon realize that it has a radius dictating where you can build things. But can you increase your base size in Palworld? This is something I wondered while playing this creature-collecting survival game. I have the answer for you below‚ but there are some good and bad news. Palworld: Can you expand base radius? Unfortunately‚ for now it seems like you can’t increase your base size in Palworld. The radius does seem a little small for what builds you may have in mind‚ but remember that Palworld is still in Early Access. In the future we could see this become an implemented feature. Screenshot: PC Invasion The good news is that once you level up your base to level 10‚ you’ll get the chance to create a new base in a different location. Some players online have stated that your storage in your bases are connected‚ but other players have come forward arguing that this isn’t correc...

Palworld offers a unique combination of the monster-catching and survival crafting genres. There’s also a sprinkling of RPG mechanics like stats to level up. If you’re wondering what to invest in‚ here are the best character stats to level up in Palworld in our Player Leveling Guide. Related: How to dodge and avoid attacks in Palworld What stats to level up first in Palworld Image: PC Invasion Stats are a little scary in Palworld as they are non-refundable‚ and it can feel like you’ve wasted valuable points if you don’t notice a difference. I definitely made mistakes when I started out‚ so I hope my errors give you a smoother experience. I recommend investing in Weight first‚ as it dramatically increases your carrying capacity. Each point you spend adds 50 to your capacity‚ which is a big deal as resources like Ore and Stone are extremely heavy. Exploring and gathering materials are a huge part of the early game...

Getting Gold in Palworld is a rather simple process‚ and there are a few avenues you can take when wanting to make a quick buck. Follow one or all of these methods‚ and you’ll be rich in no time. Note that I have ranked these methods from best to worst. Precious Pelt Selling in Palworld In Palworld‚ you can sell almost anything to a Wandering Merchant‚ and you’ll get some sort of money off it. You can resort to selling surplus resources or old crafted goods to make a small fortune. The problem is that you need to keep building up surpluses or keep crafting equipment to keep making money‚ which isn’t always viable. Precious Pelts in Palworld are in the game purely for selling‚ as their description reads. These pelts are only gained for killing Field Bosses‚ and you’ll get at least a few every time. Each Precious Pelt nets you 500 Gold‚ which means that if you go on a Field Boss killing or capturing spree‚ you can gain thousands of Gold. ...

There’s very little Palworld players have not done since getting their hands on the game. From capturing humans to the topic we’re talking about now. Palworld players are already exploiting a glitch to fast travel without Great Eagle Statues. There seems to be a unique “feature” a few Pal trainers have come across‚ and it will send you soaring. Palworld players learn of an exploiting glitch to fast travel Screenshot: PC Invasion The glitch in question involves a few different steps to recreate. First‚ you’ll need to catch a Pal in a Pal Sphere. Next‚ while the animation of catching the Pal is happening‚ quickly jump on top of the Pal Sphere in the air. From here‚ go ahead and wait a few seconds for the Pal to be caught. Once it’s successfully caught‚ an animation on the ball will happen. And if you happen to be on top of the ball‚ once the animation is over‚ you’ll be shot straight into the sky. This gli...

“Truth is incontrovertible‚” Winston Churchill wrote in his War Memoirs. “Panic may resent it. Ignorance may deride it. Malice may distort it. But there it is.” Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida might have wanted to take a page out of Churchill’s book on truth and accuracy when he announced the end of his presidential campaign. In a post on X‚ the governor invoked the famed British Prime Minister‚ quoting: “‘Success is not final‚ failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.’” — Winston Churchill. The issue? Churchill never said that. “We base this on careful research in the canon of fifty million words by and about Churchill‚ including all of his books‚ articles‚ speeches and papers‚” the International Churchill Society said in response to a 2013 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution which also used the same quote. “We can find no attribution for either one of these‚ and you will find that they are broadly attributed to Winston Churchill‚” the organization reports. “They are found nowhere in his canon‚ however.” Ironically‚ the wartime PM is among the more oft-quoted and misquoted figures in history‚ alongside the likes of Thomas Jefferson‚ Maya Angelou and Mohandas K. Gandhi. Here are some zingers that Churchill did say: “Anyone can rat‚ but it takes a certain amount of ingenuity to re-rat.” “We are all worms‚ but I do believe that I am a glow-worm.” “You do your worst and we will do our best.”

In the words of one gunship navigator‚ Fairchild AC-119s “resembled a black and green Hostess Twinkie with wings.” Some nicknamed the aircraft the “Dollar 19.” The Air Force called them fixed-wing gunships. Enemy forces in the war feared these “dragon ships” with their tremendous firepower. However referenced‚ AC-119G “Shadows” and AC-119K “Stingers” were C-119 cargo aircraft converted to gunships in the late 1960s. Flown by skilled airmen and supported by exceptionally dedicated ground crew‚ these aircraft were highly effective during the war.   How the Dragon Ships Began The roots of the Shadow and Stinger gunships go back to Sherman Fairchild‚ an entrepreneur from the Golden Age of Aviation who founded many companies‚ including Fairchild Aviation. Fairchild produced aircraft such as the C-82 Packet‚ designed to replace early World War II transport aircraft such as the Douglas C-47 (the military version of the DC-3). Packets were redesigned with bigger engines and the cockpit moved towards the nose‚ becoming known as the C-119 “Flying Boxcar.” First flown in 1947‚ over 1‚100 were built with production ending in 1955. Boxcars had a 109-foot wingspan‚ two Wright R-3350-85 Duplex Cyclone engines (similar to those used in B-29 Superfortresses)‚ a cruising speed of 180 knots‚ and a range of 1‚600 miles. C-119s saw action in numerous unique missions‚ such as dropping prefabricated bridge components to U.S. Marines fighting their way out of North Korea’s Chosin Reservoir in 1950. Boxcars air-dropped French paratroopers at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and completed midair retrievals of capsules containing spy satellite film of the Soviet Union in the early 1960s. As newer cargo aircraft such as the Lockheed C-130 became available‚ the C-119’s days appeared to be numbered—but one more mission‚ not foreseen by Fairchild’s engineers‚ remained.   A haunting illustration by Jack Fellows shows an AC-119G Shadow on a nighttime mission over the highlands of the Vietnam/Laos border—an area through which portions of the Ho Chi Minh Trail snaked. Independent of C-119 development‚ the military considered using fixed-wing gunships. Lt. Fred Nelson unsuccessfully promoted side-firing machine guns from an aircraft in the 1920s. In 1942‚ Lt. Col. Gilmour MacDonald revived the idea and promoted gunships for years‚ but the military remained unconvinced. Finally‚ Capt. Ronald Terry (often referred to as “the father of the gunship”) was given permission to test the concept in August 1964. The successful results led to Terry and Lt. Edwin Sasaki briefing Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Curtis LeMay. LeMay approved further tests in Vietnam although most of his staff was opposed to the idea. Other aircraft converted to gunships in Vietnam were the Douglas C-47 and Lockheed C-130. Secretary of the Air Force Harold Brown wanted to use the older and slower C-119 for this purpose‚ as he needed C-130s for transport duty. Seventh Air Force Commander Gen. William Momyer was opposed‚ as introducing AC-119s to Vietnam would require additional logistical support. Also‚ C-119s had a reputation for mechanical problems such as landing gear and engine mount failures‚ with some describing Boxcars as “thousands of rivets flying in loose formation.” Nevertheless‚ Brown contracted with Fairchild Hiller to modify 26 Boxcars to AC-119G Shadows by adding four 7.62mm Gatling guns. Fairchild modified another 26 Boxcars as AC-119K Stingers that added two multibarrel 20mm M61 cannon‚ a fire control system using an analog computer‚ night observation devices‚ and infrared equipment to search out targets.   Two jet engines were added to supplement the propeller engines on AC-119Ks‚ increasing the Stinger’s chances of returning home if a propeller engine was lost. The added thrust also allowed for higher maximum takeoff weight (thus more ammunition) as well as enabling the flight engineer to reduce the power setting and the fuel mixture richness for the piston engines‚ curtailing the exhaust plumes and making optical tracking difficult for enemy gunners.   “Screw the F-4s‚ get me a Shadow!” Training for the AC-119 aircrews included gunship equipment‚ attack techniques‚ and basic understanding of the Vietnamese and Thai civilian populations. A “Shoot Down Board” at jungle survival school contained the names of Air Force personnel who were shot down or forced to abandon their aircraft over Southeast Asia. Instructors found that the board helped students focus on the matter at hand—especially as there were two blank panels on the wall to list additional names. Once in country‚ AC-119Gs were based at locations such as Phu Cat‚ Phan Rang‚ Da Nang‚ and Tan Son Nhut. Missions included providing close air support for troops in contact with the enemy‚ and attacks against the enemy and supplies on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and Cambodia. American and South Vietnamese convoys would be protected by AC-119 gunships‚ while Forward Air Control aircraft would look for enemy troops preparing ambushes. Enemy forces often would not fire on the AC-119s as they knew the fire would be returned. Forces on the ground appreciated the work of the Shadows and Stingers. In one instance‚ a Special Forces commander on the ground‚ when advised of Phantoms coming to assist‚ shouted into his radio: “Screw the F-4s‚ get me a Shadow!”   Both the AC-119G Shadow and AC-119K Stinger featured four 7.62mm rotary miniguns‚ though the later Stinger also boasted two 20mm M61 cannons. A gunner loads one of the miniguns‚ which were fired by the pilot. Flight altitudes varied based on many factors; firing at enemy personnel would often occur from about 2‚500 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) using their miniguns and at about 5‚000 feet AGL with 20mm cannon against vehicles. The AC-119s were busy. In 1969 alone they saw 3‚700 sorties‚ 14‚000 combat hours‚ and 35 million rounds of ammunition expended. Anti-aircraft fire was a constant risk—gallows humor on board referred to enemy fire going between the tail booms and horizontal stabilizer as “field goals.” While focused on the target‚ pilots used aircraft intercom to direct the gunship crew and the radio with ground forces. Extensive monitoring of all radio and intercom traffic was required and all on the gunship looked for anti-aircraft fire.   Night mission Equipment AC-119Gs typically had six crew on board for day missions or eight for night missions. AC-119Ks often flew with 10 airmen—a pilot‚ copilot‚ flight engineer‚ table navigator‚ Night Observations Sight (NOS) operator (who would amplify any available light and send coordinates to the fire control computer) and Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) operator (both manned by navigators)‚ gunners that loaded and maintained (but did not fire) the weapons‚ and an Illuminator Operator (IO). The IO operated the flare launcher and the 1.5-million-candle power light (white light and infrared) at the rear of the aircraft and served as a jumpmaster if the crew needed to bail out. All guns were mounted on the left side of the aircraft‚ requiring the crew to fly in a continuous left bank orbit around the target; crews often preferred the term “orbit” to “circle.” A Fairchild AC-119K Stinger stands ready for action in Vietnam. The high-powered guns of the AC-119K and AC-119G Shadow‚ both modified Fairchild C-119 “Flying Boxcar” cargo airplanes‚ provided potent ground support for U.S. troops in war zones. Vertigo and target fixation were serious dangers for pilots while flying the firing circle. The FLIR sensor was used to search for intense spots of infrared energy—which could be enemy soldiers or large animals. When the gunners weren’t loading or repairing guns‚ they supplemented the IO to spot anti-aircraft fire as “scanners.”   The first AC-119 unit in country was the 71st Special Operations Squadron (SOS)‚ composed of Air Force reservists who were stationed at Indiana’s Bakalar AFB. Gunship training for these airmen was completed at Ohio’s Lockbourne AFB. In December 1968‚ the 71st began deploying to Southeast Asia. This deployment represented the first time since the Korean War that Air Force Reserve personnel conducted flights inside a combat zone; missions began in early 1969. Some of the AC-119s‚ given their somewhat limited fuel capacity‚ took almost a month to make the flight from Lockbourne to South Vietnam.   During its six-month deployment in the theater‚ the 71st completed over 6‚200 combat flying hours on over 1‚500 sorties. Members of the 71st earned numerous awards‚ including an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award‚ which mentioned the Reservists firing a relatively “sophisticated weapons system being battle tested for the first time‚ working often under intense ground fire‚ in periods of inclement weather‚ and almost totally during hours of darkness.” When the 71st returned home‚ about 65% of the personnel transferred to the active-duty 17th SOS‚ which flew AC-119Gs. The third unit seeing extensive action was the 18th SOS‚ operating with AC-119Ks.   Crew Life Numerous firsthand accounts are available that add perspective to crew life‚ both in the air and on the ground. Virtually all accounts mentioned how teamwork‚ technical know-how‚ and communication were essential in successfully completing the missions. In one example‚ Flight Engineer Jay Collars recalled when his AC-119 “took a .50 caliber hit through the right propeller oil line‚ severing the line and causing a runaway propeller. The aircraft immediately rolled and yawed left and began losing altitude.…While the pilots struggled to gain control‚ I (as flight engineer) began running the emergency checklist. Needless to say‚ for a few minutes there was a lot of scrambling on the flight deck.” Nevertheless‚ Collars’ crew managed to safely land the aircraft.   The Super Sow was an AC-119K Stinger of the 14th Special Operations Wing—hence the “SOW” moniker. Copilot Wayne Laessig described attacking ground targets. After completing the “Strike Checklist‚” a pilot would say‚ “Copilot‚ you have the pitch.” The pilot controlled firing the weapons‚ using a pylon turn flying technique (a constant 30-degree turn)‚ resulting in concentrated fire at ground targets. The aircraft commander/pilot flew rudder and ailerons‚ the copilot flew pitch‚ and the flight engineer worked the throttles and monitored the gauges—a three-man effort requiring extensive coordination. Laessig noted‚ “There wasn’t a single crew member on the airplane you didn’t need (for) the whole mission. Learning that was the best thing in my whole career.”   The often-undermanned maintenance crews routinely worked 12-hour shifts and may have taken shortcuts to get the job done‚ given the high mission tempo. Crew Chief Jesse Lau wrote that occasionally the crew would “clean our engine up the ‘extremely unsafe’ way…the POL truck would pull up and we would fill up the tanks on both wings. After I’d get done fueling on the left wing‚ I would shoot the fuel from the hose into the engine and clean the engine that way. That’s extremely unsafe‚ dangerous‚ and guaranteed to get you a court-martial and jail time if you ever got caught doing that stateside. But…we ran into time constraints (as) there was a war going on.”   Mission Risks Gunners had a very challenging role. Everett Sprous‚ a gunner on AC-119Ks‚ loaded and repaired the 20mm Vulcan cannon (firing 2‚500 rounds per minute) and 7.62mm miniguns (6‚000 rounds per minute). Sprous recalled the noise: “The gunship was shaking so hard that you believed at any second the aircraft would come apart. The noise and smoke were so intense that it would take a couple hours after a mission to clear your brain. Gun barrels would turn red‚ then white‚ from bullets being fired at such high rates.” Reloading the 20mms required using a drill-like device weighing between 30 and 40 pounds while the aircraft might be in a steep banking maneuver. Scanners were always alert for incoming AAA and their calls for evasive action saved many aircraft and crew.   Midair collisions were another risk‚ especially as numerous night missions were flown. On station over Cambodia‚ pilot John Windsor’s crew was talking to a FAC who claimed he was about 10 miles away. “Suddenly an OV-10 filled our windscreen‚” he later described. “He crossed directly in front of us from left to right‚ and at our same altitude. He was flying with his exterior light off and was so close I could actually read his instrument panel.…To this day‚ I don’t know how we didn’t hit him with our right propeller.…This clown drove right across our nose at our altitude.” That FAC was ultimately shipped out.   Two of the best-known missions were Stinger 41 and Stinger 21 (representing the aircrafts’ call signs). Both were representative of the challenges faced on any AC-119 flight—including enemy action‚ mechanical malfunction on the aircraft‚ and/or bad weather. On May 12‚ 1972‚ an AC-119K mission over South Vietnam (“Stinger 41”) was flown by Capt. Terence Courtney. This was a high-risk daylight mission near An Loc. Stinger 41 was heavily damaged by AAA fire‚ causing the loss of both right engines and a fire in part of the right wing. Courtney and copilot Lt. Jim Barkalow kept the heavily damaged aircraft aloft‚ allowing seven crew to bail out (and later be rescued)‚ but the aircraft crashed. Courtney was posthumously awarded an Air Force Cross for sacrificing himself and allowing most of the crew to survive. In addition to Courtney‚ Capt. David Slagle and Staff Sgt. Kenneth Brown could not get off the aircraft in time and died in the incident. The Air Force Cross award stated in part: “Control of the aircraft had become so difficult that Captain Courtney had to use all his strength to maintain control. [Courtney] wrapped his arms around the yoke to keep the aircraft’s nose from pitching down. When he could no longer control the aircraft‚ he ordered his crew to bail out…. His courage‚ gallantry‚ intrepidity‚ and sense of responsibility towards his fellow men overrode any desire…for his own self-preservation.”   Bombed-out enemy trucks speak to the gunships’ effectiveness. Both airships provided critical close air support; the AC-119K in particular gained a reputation as an excellent truck killer. Stinger 21 involved a May 1970 mission commanded by Capt. Alan Milacek‚ who along with his crew were awarded the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of 1970 when their heavily damaged AC-119 was flown safely back to base. Hit by ground fire‚ the aircraft was about 90 minutes from Udorn‚ Thailand‚ with a series of mountain ranges to cross‚ including a 9‚300-foot peak‚ on the return. Milacek ordered the crew to toss out everything they could to reduce weight. Milacek and copilot Capt. Brent O’Brien nursed the plane back to Udorn. Inspection of the damaged aircraft revealed that more than 14 feet on the leading edge and more than 17 feet on the trailing edge of the right wing were missing‚ with damage to the right outboard aileron and to a fuel tank at the end of the wing. Milacek was heard over the intercom as the aircraft went onto the taxiway at the end of the runway: “Thank you‚ Lord‚ thank you.”   A Changing War While the AC-119s and their crews were compiling a distinguished combat record‚ the war itself was changing. As American participation in the war wound down‚ President Nixon’s Vietnamization program began turning the war over to South Vietnam. Part of that effort included AC-119 personnel training their Vietnamese counterparts‚ such as Air Force Capt. Hoa Ngoc Bach. He later fled from the South after the communist takeover and came to the U.S. as a refugee at Camp Pendleton‚ California. With the assistance of navigator William Gericke‚ Bach secured housing‚ learned to drive‚ and became an American citizen. Changing his name to Harold Hoa Bach‚ he sponsored 21 family members in coming to America‚ and had a 28-year career in the auto industry.   Minigun mounts on an AC-119K Stinger. As one crewman reported‚ when the gunships fired‚ the “noise and smoke were so intense that it would take a couple hours after a mission to clear your brain”. in May 1970‚ Capt. Alan Milacek was able to land his Stinger even though chunks of his wing had been shot off. Capt. Terence Courtney was awarded the Air Force Cross for sacrificing his life during 1972’s Stinger 41 mission. As the war concluded‚ AC-119 crews returned to the U.S. while the aircraft remained behind. The military record of the AC-119 was assessed in a Contemporary Historical Examination of Current Operations report‚ which concluded that the AC-119G was an extremely useful weapon system‚ performing a variety of missions above and beyond its primary mission of close air support. The AC-119K was an excellent truck killer and proved equally useful in providing close air support for troops in contact. AC-119 crews “performed assigned tasks with resourcefulness‚ overcoming equipment limitations through operator skill.”   What the air crews and ground support personnel accomplished was remarkable. Seventeen airmen that were part of the Shadow and Stinger missions were killed in action. These personnel all demonstrated a high level of courage‚ skill‚ and dedication to duty while completing these missions‚ flying aircraft originally designed as cargo haulers.   A Shadow flies over South Vietnam in 1971. While popular and political support for the war was dwindling‚ the crews‚ whatever their rank‚ maintained a high level of camaraderie‚ teamwork‚ and desire to successfully complete the missions‚ while saving countless lives of those on the ground.   Barry Levine works at the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn‚ Michigan‚ vol- unteers at the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville‚ Michigan‚ and writes on a variety of aviation and history topics. His most recent book is Michigan Aviation: People and Places that Changed History. This story appeared in the 2024 Winter issue of Vietnam magazine. this article appeared inhistorynet vietnam magazine See more stories Subscribe now! Facebook @VietnamMag Twitter @VietnamMag

In 1942‚ British authorities in Cairo arrested an Egyptian dance superstar for espionage. Her name was Hekmet Fahmi. Allegedly a nationalist with connections to Anwar el-Sadat‚ Gamal Abdel Nasser‚ and members of the Egyptian revolutionary Free Officers Movement‚ Fahmi had gained access to top secret intelligence from a well-informed British lover who worked at GCHQ and had passed this information to a pair of German spies who had managed to infiltrate Cairo. At least‚ that was what Fahmi stood accused of. The espionage threat was credible enough for British authorities to put Egypt’s most famous dancer behind bars for more than two years. Her career would never recover. Yet Fahmi’s story remains a captivating part of World War II history‚ not only because of her alleged espionage but because of the talent that likely worked to her advantage as a spy: Egyptian cabaret belly dancing.  An Elusive Art Egyptian belly dance‚ known as raqs sharqi‚ has a history stretching back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian temple reliefs from the days of the pharaohs contain strikingly similar imagery to modern Egyptian belly dancing‚ such as women dancing wearing hip scarves to the accompaniment of clarinets and drums. While belly dancing expressed itself in different forms over time‚ including group dancing and male dancing‚ female belly dancing proved the most enduring and popular incarnation of raqs sharqi. Historically seen as a desirable trait for wives‚ brides-to-be were taught the art of belly dancing so that they could dance for their husbands. Some women became professional dancers to entertain primarily male audiences.  Samia Gamal dances a belly dance at Franco Egyptian Gala in Deauville Casino before HM King Farouk. August 1950. Belly dance is a highly disciplined dance style comparative to a sport. It is a full body exercise that requires dancers to move different muscle groups independently. Essential to Egyptian-style belly dance‚ a scarf worn around the hips accentuates isolated hip and waist movements and adds flair to performances. Aside from complex hip‚ waist and chest movements‚ the dance also incorporates fluid arm and finger movements. To gain the amount of flexibility‚ precision and rhythmic grace to belly dance successfully takes rigorous practice. Once the essential basic movements are mastered‚ a dancer may weave together endless combinations and improvisations to form complex choreography. The dance can be performed to any type of music and also be highly dramatized if desired. Special types of belly dance performances can include candle dances‚ sword dances‚ floor dancing (performed on one’s knees and sometimes bending backwards)‚ and the ever-popular veil dances‚ all of which require finesse. Appeal to Foreigners Foreigners who visited Egypt were captivated by belly dance performances they witnessed. Although Western paintings and illustrations from the 19th century often portrayed “oriental dancers” with colorful garb and bare stomachs‚ religious convictions saw female belly dancers in Egypt cover up more over time. The essential hip scarves were still worn but bare waists became less common and dance movements became more restricted as time passed.  Belly dance experienced a Renaissance in the 1920s thanks to the creative genius of Badia Masabni‚ popularly known as Madame Badia. Originally from Syria‚ Badia spoke five languages and traveled in many countries throughout the world. Drawing inspiration from French cabaret performances‚ Badia realized how to create an elegant and exciting new dance style fusing the best of Egyptian belly dance traditions with Western flair. Cairo’s Favorite Casino With innovation and entrepreneurial skills‚ Badia set up a nightclub in Cairo called the Casino Opera‚ also known as the Casino Badia: an exclusive venue that also functioned as a training school to teach her new style of dance to adventurous young local women. Egyptian cabaret style belly dance was born. Badia revolutionized belly dance. She introduced sweeping changes to dance costume‚ modeling her dancers’ costumes on two-piece French cabaret outfits with decorative brassieres‚ short hip scarves‚ and plenty of sequins. The dancers performed in high heels and sometimes barefoot. Badia developed new signature moves in the dance; she also allowed the dancers a wider field of movement and mixed signature Egyptian techniques with Latin dance styles and ballet. Badia also upended music‚ blending Western orchestral instruments like violins‚ cello and accordion with Egyptian traditional instruments such as clarinets and tabla drums to create powerful and enchanting background music for performances. The results were fantastic. Badia’s new cabaret dance style became all the rage in Cairo and influenced other schools of dance.  Cabarets offering belly dance performances became magnets for British troops garrisoned in Cairo both before and during World War II. Badia’s Casino Opera was one of the most popular hotspots. Egypt’s King Farouk was a patron as was Randolph Churchill and many other famous personages. Many British soldiers in Cairo were eager to enjoy the company of attractive Egyptian females in nightclubs as well as to drink and socialize. Cabarets like Badia’s Casino Opera in Cairo were great places to mix—and to spy. South African soldiers serving in the British Army enjoy a performance by the belly dancers of Madame Badia Masabni’s famous cabaret troupe at the opening night of the El Alamein Club in Cairo in 1943. During World War II‚ many Egyptians were sympathetic to the Germans due to a general dislike at living under a de facto British occupation. We will probably never know how many Egyptian women who gained access to influential military and government officials through nightclub entertainment passed information they learned to German intelligence operatives‚ spurred by a desire to further the cause of Egyptian independence. Accused spy Hekmet Fahmi herself was trained at the Casino Opera and was one of Madame Badia’s star pupils. Badia herself was rumored to have engaged in espionage‚ although for whom she may have been spying remains a mystery. What is clear is that the special dance style that Badia and her proteges wielded to enchant their audiences has had staying power. The Casino Opera debuted many famous Egyptian belly dancers and movie stars‚ such as Samia Gamal and Taheyya Kariokka‚  icons of 1950s Egyptian cinema. These talented and graceful women remain an inspiration for practitioners of Egyptian cabaret belly dance‚ a style which spread from Cairo all over the world and remains popular today. this article first appeared in military history quarterly See more stories subscribe now!  

Insane: NPR Compares Chris Rufo to the Proud Boys and Ku Klux Klan