February 2012

Raising of the Flag February 23, 1945

23Feb2012

On February 19, 1945, as part of their island-hopping strategy to defeat Japan, the United States invaded Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima was originally not a target, but the relatively quick fall of the Philippines left the Americans with a longer-than-expected lull prior to the planned invasion of Okinawa. Iwo Jima is located half-way between Japan and the Mariana Islands, where American long-range bombers were based, and was used by the Japanese as an early warning station, radioing warnings of incoming American bombers to the Japanese homeland.

Operation Homecoming 1973

12Feb2012

Operation Homecoming was a series of diplomatic negotiations that in January 1973 made possible the return of 591 American prisoners of war held by North Vietnam.  On Feb. 12, 1973, three C-141 transports flew to Hanoi, North Vietnam, and one C-9A aircraft was sent to Saigon, South Vietnam to pick up released prisoners of war.  The first flight of 40 U.S. prisoners of war left Hanoi in a C-141A, later known as the "Hanoi Taxi" and now in a museum.

The Story of the Patch

6Feb2012

After the mastermind of the 11 September 2001 attacks and the world's most wanted man, had been killed in a US operation in north-western Pakistan. Special Operations Group www.norbay.com wanted to commemorate this event.  So we made a patch.  We copyrighted the patch and we are the only authorized dealer.