John F. Bolt (1921–2004) was a United States Marine Corps aviator and
a decorated flying ace who served during World War II and the Korean
War. After dropping out of the University of Florida for financial
reasons in 1941, he joined the Marine Corps at the height of World War
II. Sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations, he flew an F4U Corsair
during the campaigns in the Marshall Islands and New Guinea, claiming
six victories against Japanese A6M Zeros. Bolt continued his service
through the Korean War, entering combat through an exchange program with
the U.S. Air Force in late 1952. Over a period of several weeks in
mid-1953, he led flights of F-86 Sabres into combat with MiG-15s of the
Chinese Air Force, scoring six victories during fights along the
northern border of North Korea, commonly known as "MiG Alley," giving
him a total of 12 career victories. Bolt stayed in the Marine Corps
until 1962, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel and serving as an
analyst and instructor in his later career. In retirement, he qualified
as a lawyer in Florida. He remains the only US Marine to achieve ace
status in two wars and was also the only Marine jet fighter ace.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Bolt>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
364:
Following the death of the Roman emperor Jovian, officers of the
army at Nicaea in Bithynia selected Flavius Valentinianus to succeed
him.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentinian_I>
1815:
Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from Elba, an island off the coast
of Italy where he had been exiled after the signing of the Treaty of
Fontainebleau one year earlier.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon>
1917:
New Orleans' Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded "Livery
Stable Blues", the first jazz single ever released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livery_Stable_Blues>
1936:
Over 1400 troops of the Imperial Japanese Army staged a coup
d'etat in Japan, occupying Tokyo, and killing Finance Minister Takahashi
Korekiyo and several other leading politicians.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_26_Incident>
1995:
Barings Bank, the oldest merchant bank in London, collapsed
after its head derivatives trader in Singapore, Nick Leeson, lost £827
million while making unauthorized speculative trades on futures
contracts.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Leeson>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
beaver away:
(idiomatic) To work hard at a task.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beaver_away>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
On certain occasions, the eyes of the mind can supply the want of
the most powerful telescopes, and lead to astronomical discoveries of
the highest importance.
--François Arago
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Arago>