31 Days of History: 8 July

On this day in 1960 (49 years ago today), the Soviet Union charged US Air Force pilot Gary Powers with espionage. Two months earlier, Powers was shot down while flying a secret mission over Moscow in a U-2 spy plane. He was found guilty on 17 August of the same year and sentenced to 10 years in prison (three years of imprisonment followed by seven years of hard labor).

Gary Powers on trial in the USSR

Powers' indictment signaled a massive setback in the peace process between the United States and the Soviet Union. Here's why:

The U-2 was a CIA program. U-2 pilots carried out espionage missions using a spy plane that could reach altitudes above 70,000 feet, essentially making it invulnerable to Soviet anti-aircraft weapons of the time. The U-2 was equipped with a state-of-the-art camera designed to take high-resolution photos from the edge of the atmosphere over hostile countries that included the Soviet Union. These cameras systematically photographed military installations and other important intelligence targets.

Gary Powers and his U-2 spy plane

Powers' U-2, which departed from a military airbase in Peshawar (Pakistan), was shot down by a Soviet Surface to Air missile on May 1. The CIA mistakenly believed that since May 1 was a Soviet Holiday ("May Day", similar to our 4th of July), Soviet defenses would be less vigilant. Somewhere over Sverdlovsk, deep in Soviet airspace, Powers plane was struck and he was forced to bail out. Powers was unable to activate the plane's self-destruct mechanism before he parachuted to the ground, right into the hands of the Soviet Army and the KGB.

A map showing Powers' projected route and crash site

The wreckage of Powers' U-2

When the U.S. government learned of Powers' disappearance over the Soviet Union, it issued a cover statement claiming that a "weather plane from Turkey" had crashed down after its pilot had "difficulties with his oxygen equipment" and might have accidentally wandered into Soviet airspace. What U.S. officials did not realize was that the plane crashed almost fully intact, and the Soviets recovered its photography equipment, as well as Powers, whom they interrogated extensively. The White House, believing Powers was dead, went on to proclaim that "there was absolutely no deliberate attempt to violate Soviet airspace and never has been". This propaganda continued until Khrushchev announced the pilot had survived and was in Soviet custody. (Several months later, Powers made a "voluntary confession" and public apology for his part in U.S. espionage.)

The timing couldn't have been worse for the United States. A major summit--with the theme of deconfliction and progress toward peace--between the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France was to begin that month. Instead, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev launched into a tirade against the US, openly accusing the Americans of being "militarist" and "unable to call a halt to their war effort." Suffering major embarrassment, President Eisenhower was forced to admit the truth behind the mission and the U-2 program, although he refused to publicly apologize to Khrushchev. This refusal caused the Paris Summit to collapse when Khrushchev stormed out of negotiations ,effectively ending the conference and setting back the peace talks between Khrushchev and Eisenhower for years.

On February 10, 1962, twenty-one months after his capture, Powers was exchanged along with American student Frederic Pryor in a spy swap for Soviet KGB Colonel Vilyam Fisher (aka Rudolf Abel) at the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin, Germany. (Fisher was an English-born KGB agent that had been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for espionage.)

KGB Agent Vilyam Fisher

Glienicke Bridge, connecting East and West Germany, was the site of three major "exchanges" between the US and USSR during the Cold War

Though Powers claimed he had not divulged details of the U-2 program, he received a cold reception upon his return to the United States. After his return, Powers worked as a test pilot for several years before becoming an airborne traffic reporter for radio and TV stations in the Los Angeles area. Powers died on 1 August 1977 returning from covering brush fires in Santa Barbara county when his helicopter ran out of fuel and crashed.

Gary Powers, recreated as a traffic reporter

In 2000, on the 40th anniversary of the U-2 Incident, his family was finally presented with his posthumously awarded Prisoner of War Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star and National Defense Service Medal. In addition, then CIA Director George Tenet authorized Powers to posthumously receive the CIA's coveted Intelligence Star for extreme fidelity and extraordinary courage in the line of duty. (By means of comparison, upon Vilyam Fischer's return to Moscow, he continued to work as a trainer for the KGB and was rewarded with the Order of Lenin, the highest decoration provided by the Soviet Union.) Powers is buried in Section 11 of Arlington National Cemetery

31 Days of History: 7 July

The Supreme Court of the United States

On 7 July 1981 (28 years ago today), President Reagan announced he was nominating Arizona Judge Sandra Day O'Connor to become the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court (Reagan had pledged during the 1980 presidential campaign to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court). She would be nominated to replace Potter Stewart as an Associate Justice.

President Reagan and Sandra Day O'Connor

There have been 110 Supreme Court Justices in the history of our nation, but only two have been female (of note, there have also only been two Justices of African-American descent: Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas.)

O'Connor was confirmed by the United States Senate 99-0 on 21 September and took her seat on the bench 4 days later.



(A little tidbit of trivia: Associate Justices of the Supreme Court receive an annual salary of $208,100 and the Chief Justice receives $217,400.)

She retired from the Court in 2006 and was replaced by Justice Samuel Alito. She currently serves as the Chancellor of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

31 Days of History: 6 July

On this day, 6 July 1802 (207 years ago today), the Revolutionary hero Daniel Morgan passed away at the age of 66. Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and later served as an United States Representative for the state of Virginia. He is often remembered as one of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War.

Daniel Morgan

Little is known of his early life, but most historians agree that Morgan was born in New Jersey. When he was 16, he left home after a fight with his father and after working odd jobs in various places, he finally settled in frontier Virginia, near what is now Winchester, Virginia.

After the American Revolutionary War began in 1775, Morgan was chosen to command a unit from Virginia. Almost immediately, he took part in an ill-fated invasion of Canada. Along with Benedict Arnold, they launched an unsuccessful attack on Quebec. Forced to surrender, Morgan was among the 372 men captured and remained a prisoner until January 1777.

"Surrender of Burgoyne", painted by John Trumbull (1882). Daniel Morgan is portrayed in white just to the right of center.

In 1781, Morgan, along with forces under Andrew Pickens, defeated the British Colonel Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens. While I’ll skip the minute details of that Battle, consider this: Morgan's plan at Cowpens is widely considered to be the tactical masterpiece of the Revolutionary War. Additionally, it severely weakened the British forces and led to the ultimate British surrender at Yorktown, securing American independence. In 1790, Congress awarded him a gold medal in to commemorate his victory at Cowpens.

(By the way, if anyone has a Daniel Morgan commemorative medal that you don’t want, I’d love to have one. Its current estimated value is $81,000!)

(Left) The medal features Morgan to the right, his sword pointed groundward as a sign of humility, bowing as "America" places a wreath upon his head. The legend COMITIA AMERICANA DANIELI MORGAN DUCI EXERCITUS may be translated as "The American Congress to Commander of the Army Daniel Morgan." (Right) The main legend VICTORIA LIBERTATIS VINDEX translates as "Victory is the defender of liberty." Below, Daniel Morgan is shown mounted and leading the charge at Cowpens. The legend identifies the scene: FUGATIS CAPTIS AUT CAESIS AD COWPENS HOSTIBUS XVII JAN MDCCLXXXI or "The enemy put to flight, captured, or killed at Cowpens, January 17, 1781."

After the war, Morgan dabbled in farming, land ownership and politics. He died on his 66th birthday at his daughter's home in Winchester on his 66th birthday

Where’s the connection? Anyone from my hometown already knows the answer….In 1881 (on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens), a statue of Daniel Morgan was placed in the town square of Spartanburg, South Carolina, where it still stands to this day.

The statue of Daniel Morgan in downtown Spartanburg

“To the American Soldier who on the field of Cowpens, Jan 17, 1781, fought victoriously for the right of Self-Government and Civil Liberty. We enjoy the Result of their toil and sacrifice; let us emulate their fortitude and virtue.”

Connection #2: The painting referenced above ("Surrender of Burgoyne") can be found here in DC. It hangs in the Rotunda of the US Capitol.

31 Days of History: 5 July

On 5 July 1950 (59 years ago today), U.S. forces engaged the North Koreans for the first time at Osan, South Korea. This was the first military engagement between the US and North Korea, and it occurred 11 days after North Korea invaded South Korea (the US and her allies intervened on behalf of South Korea). The 540 men of Task Force Smith engaged the 1,000+ North Koreans who were advancing south towards the town of Osan, South Korea. Before the day was ended, 120 Americans had died (35 captured) and the American position had been overrun by the advancing North Koreans.

In the grand scheme of things, the Korean War doesn't get much publicity and is often overlooked and forgotten. Here in DC, the Korean War Memorial sits adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial, on the opposite side of the Reflecting Pool as the Vietnam Wall. It was dedicated in 1995 by President Bill Clinton and Kim Young Sam, President of the Republic of Korea.

The Memorial is in the form of a triangle intersecting a circle. The walls are 164 feet long, built with 100 tons of highly polished black granite from California: more than 2,500 photographic, archival images representing the land, sea and air troops who supported those who fought in the war are sandblasted onto the wall.



Within the walled triangle are 19 stainless steel statues representing a squad on patrol. They are dressed in full combat gear, dispersed among strips of granite and juniper bushes which represent the rugged terrain of Korea.



The circle contains the Pool of Remembrance, a shallow 30-foot-diameter pool lined with black granite and surrounded by a grove of trees with benches. Inscriptions list the numbers killed, wounded, missing in action, and held as prisoners of war.

A plaque reads, "Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."

31 Days of History: 4 July

This should come as no surprise.

The United States Declaration of Independence was ratified (adopted) by the Continental Congress on 4 July 1776 (233 years ago today). It proclaimed that the thirteen American colonies were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, it was adopted more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War.

The Signing of the Declaration of Independence

Written by Jefferson between 11 June and 28 June 1776, the Declaration of Independence is one of our nation's most cherished symbols of liberty. The Declaration is a formal explanation of why Congress had voted to declare independence from Great Britain; it sets forth a list of grievances against the King to justify the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country.



The National Archives took possession of the original Declaration in 1952, and the document, along with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, are now on permanent display in the "Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom", just off of Constitution Avenue. The original Declaration is has faded badly-largely because of poor preservation techniques during the 19th century-but you can still glimpse a piece of history when you are in town.

The National Archives

Inside the Rotunda

In an unrelated event, but one of my favorite 4 July stories--

During the Revolutionary War, the colonists received much assistance (financial and otherwise) from the French, who were sworn enemies of the British. One of the most notable French soldiers to serve in the American Revolution was Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, or as he is known in America, the Marquis de Lafayette. He served with distinction with General George Washington and provided indispensable advice throughout the Revolutionary War.

The Marquis de Lafayette

General Washington and the Marquis at Valley Forge

Fast forward 136 years, to 1917. After remaining neutral for many years, the United States joined World War I and sent fresh troops to mainland France. The Army's First Division-about 14,500 strong-landed at the port of St. Nazaire in late June. They were under command of General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, who would command the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. (Astute readers will remember that it was Black Jack Pershing who awarded Stubby a medal after the war. Read about it here.)

General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing

The allied commanders had come to a full understanding of the deplorable state of morale for the French people and the French Army. The French Army was totally drained; the British Army had suffered several defeats and were on their knees. The AEF knew that the sight of the fresh American soldiers would have a bolstering effect; had anticipated it for months, in fact. For that reason, a grand reception was prepared in Paris.

On the Fourth of July 1917 (92 years ago today), part of the 16th Infantry Regiment entered Paris. The American military has a long memory when it comes to friends, enemies, and giving honor where honor is due. On that day, the Americans marched through Paris to the Marquis de Lafayette's tomb. Amidst the pomp and circumstance, Colonel Charles E. Stanton, on Pershing's staff, boldly declared, "Lafayette, we are here!"

American troops enter Paris

Pershing and the 16th Regiment pay honors to the Marquis de Lafayette

Pershing is buried in Section 34 of Arlington National Cemetery.

31 Days of History: 3 July

Pickett’s Charge, known as the “High Water Mark" of the Confederacy, took place on this day, 3 July 1863 (146 years ago today) on the third and final day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Gettysburg is often described as the turning point of the American Civil War. 72,000 soldiers of the Army of Northern Virginia, under command of Robert E. Lee, went to battle with 94,000 Union soldiers under command of George Meade. It was a tragic battle, with 57,000 Americans giving their lives during the three day campaign.

The Battle of Gettysburg as pictured in an 1863 Currier & Ives print

The second day of fighting saw the famous defense of Little Round Top, a small hill just southwest of the town of Gettysburg. The defense of Little Round Top by the 20th Maine Division’s bayonet charge is one of the most fabled episodes in the Civil War and propelled Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain into prominence after the war. (He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his action at Little Round Top, and rose quickly through the Union hierarchy. When Lee surrounded at Appomattox two years later, Col .Chamberlain was given the honor of supervising the official surrender ceremony.)

Col. Chamberlain, awarded the Medal of Honor for his action at Little Round Top

The third and decisive day at Gettysburg included Pickett’s Charge (so named because the division that led the charge was under command of Gen George Pickett). Lee came to the risky conclusion that the center of the Union lines was the weakest, and ordered a full assault at that spot. 12,500 Confederate soldiers attempted to advance ¾’s of a mile uphill and breach the Union lines, but were unsuccessful—over 6,000 Confederates died in the attempt. The point of furthest Confederate advance is referred to as the "High-water mark of the Confederacy", arguably representing the closest the South ever came to its goal of achieving independence from the Union via military victory.

The site of Pickett's Charge; modern day. The Union line was at the line of trees barely visible in the distance

The connection?

First, Gettysburg is a mere 70 miles or so from DC—close enough for this project to be considered local.

Gettysburg National Military Park

Second, in the American History Museum, there is a Bible carried by James H. Stetson at the Battle of Gettysburg. Unfortunately, he was killed during the Battle and it was collected from the battlefield after the Battle.

James Stetson's Bible

Third, it is believed that the Confederate soldier who made it the furthest in Pickett’s Charge was Brig Gen Lewis Armistead, the commander of one of Pickett’s brigades, who stepped up and over the stone wall that the Union troops were using for protection before he was killed in a volley of rifle fire. Armistead was the nephew of Major General George Armistead, the commander of Fort McHenry (outside of Baltimore) during the British attack on Baltimore (during the War of 1812) that inspired the words to the Star Spangled Banner. The flag that flew over Fort McHenry is the centerpiece of American History Museum in downtown DC.

Major General George Armistead

The Armistead Memorial, marking the spot where he was mortally wounded (not my photo)

Fourth, the casualties at Gettysburg were so numerous that instead of trying to relocate all of the dead to their original homes, a National Cemetery was established on the grounds and the dead were buried where they had fallen. It was at the dedication of that cemetery, four months later, that Abraham Lincoln gave his most famous speech. That speech, remembered to history as “The Gettysburg Address” is engraved in the south wall of the Lincoln Memorial.

. . .that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

31 Days of History: 2 July

I was torn between two possibilities for today, so I went for the more Presidential of the two.

On 2 July 1881 (128 years ago today), the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield was shot at the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Passenger Terminal in Washington, DC (The terminal no longer exists—it was demolished in 1908).



He was shot twice by Charles J. Guiteau, who was upset because his repeated attempts to be appointed as the United States consul in Paris—a position for which he had absolutely no qualifications, despite perhaps a silly-sounding French name—were repeatedly denied by Garfield. (Guitea was found guilty of assassinating Garfield, and was executed by hanging on June 30, 1882)

One bullet grazed Garfield's arm; the second bullet lodged in his spine and could not be found, although scientists today think that the bullet was closer to his lung. Alexander Graham Bell devised a metal detector specifically for the purpose of finding the bullet, but the metal bed frame Garfield was lying on made the instrument malfunction. Because metal bed frames were relatively rare, the cause of the instrument's deviation was unknown at the time.

Six months later, Garfield died from complications from his gunshot wound, making him the second of four Presidents to be assassinated (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy).

(In a very creepy side note, Guiteau's bones and more of his brain, along with Garfield's backbone and a couple of ribs, are kept at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in D.C. on the grounds of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center).

In the traffic circle at First Street, S.W., and Maryland Avenue stands the James A. Garfield Monument, designed by John Quincy Adams Ward and unveiled on May 12, 1887. At the top of the pedestal stands a statue of Garfield, surrounded by three figures that represent three earlier stages of his life, the Student, the Warrior, and the Statesmen.

The artist's initials (John Quincy Adams Ward)

The Student

The Warrior

The Statesman

31 Days of History: 1 July

Here’s the first of 31 Days of History. Since it’s the first day, we’ll start slowly.

The United States Postal Service was established in 1775 (with Benjamin Franklin serving as the first Postmaster General), but the first stamps weren’t issued until 1847. On 1 July, 1847 (162 years ago today), the first postage stamps were offered for sale in New York City. There were two varieties, a 5¢ and 10¢ stamp. The 5¢ stamp had a picture of Benjamin Franklin, and the 10¢ stamp had a picture of George Washington.

The first US postage stamp, a 5¢ value, with Benjamin Franklin's picture

The 5¢ stamp paid for a letter weighing less than 1 oz and travelling less than 300 miles, while the 10¢ stamp was good for deliveries to locations greater than 300 miles. Each stamp was hand engraved on a steel plate, and laid out in sheets of 200 stamps. The stamps were an immediate success; about 3,700,000 of the 5¢ and about 865,000 of the 10¢ were sold,

George Washington on the 10¢ stamp

(For all you stamp collectors out there---unused stamps are worth around $6,000 and $28,000 respectively, if in very fine condition.)

What’s the connection to DC? The United States Postal Museum is located next door to Union Station, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and North Capitol. It’s got a surprisingly good museum -remember the story of Owner, the Postal Mascot? He can be found here, along with a couple of prime examples of the first stamps.

The National Postal Museum

What's the inscription above the door say?
Carrier of News and Knowledge
Instrument of Trade and Industry
Promoter of Mutual Acquaintance
Of Peace and of Goodwill
Among Men and Nations

Coming Up in the Month of July

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the historical significance of the DC vicinity, but since I really enjoy it, and we have such a limited time in the area, I’m going to start an ambitious project for the month of July. For every day in July, I’m going to highlight a historical event, or person, or connection that occurred on that day and tie it into the DC area. If possible, I’ll throw in some original photos of that event, and attempt to make the connection to yours-truly. Come back on the Wednesday for the first installment.