Station HYPO

During the tense decades of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy maintained a vigilant presence off the coast of Tsingtao (now Qingdao), China, from the late 1950s through the early 1960s. This strategic deployment was part of a broader effort to contain communist expansion in East Asia, protect American allies, gather intelligence, and assert the principle of freedom of navigation in international waters.

A recently launched Russian satellite has drawn attention for its unusual orbit near a U.S. government satellite. 

Updated: May 31, 2025 04:07 AM EST

In an increasingly contested orbital domain, a recent series of maneuvers by a Russian satellite near a critical U.S. government asset has significantly heightened international concerns.

At 5′ 2″ 105 lbs, Medal of Honor recipient, Sgt. John F. Baker Jr. certainly qualifies as a Giant Killer. He was also the recipient of the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.

Sgt. Baker made up for his diminutive stature by building up his physique. Inspired by his father’s work as a circus trapeze artist, he joined a gymnastics squad in high school and trained on the rings, learning to execute a perfect iron cross.

An Admiral at the Pentagon did not like the relaxed grooming standards enjoyed by SEALs. He told Marcinko he was coming down for a personal inspection.  Marcinko directed his men to wear their dress uniforms with medals.  Mike Thornton was the first man in line. He was wearing the Medal of Honor.  At that time, Thornton was a Petty Officer. Years later, he retired as a Lieutenant.  As soon as he entered, the O-8 saw Thornton. The Admiral saluted the Petty Officer.  Flag Officers are smart. He knew immediately he had been set up. He called Marcinko aside and said: You are one clever SOB!  The Admiral returned to the Pentagon. Grooming standards at SEAL Team 6 remained unchanged.

Citation

SP4 James T. Davis, USA, KIA
June 1, 1936 – December 22, 1961

On 13 May 1961, the first contingent of Army Security Agency personnel arrived in South Vietnam (setting up an organization at Tan Son Nhut Air Base) to provide support to the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group and help train the South Vietnamese Army. During the early years of conflict, ASA troops in Vietnam were assigned to the 3rd Radio Research Unit. Their primary mission was to locate Viet Cong transmitters operating in the south. This mission was in its early stages when one of their direction finding (DF) operators, SP4 James T. Davis, was killed in a Viet Cong ambush on a road outside Saigon. The date of the ambush, 22 December 1961, made Davis the first American soldier to lose his life during the Vietnam War.