title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: Lee kept his ships steaming in a circle that was in diameter to cover a wide area as the Japanese scouts approached the fleet early on 19 June. "South Dakota" and the other battleships tracked these aircraft on their air search radars. By 10:04, "South Dakota" picked up the first wave of strike aircraft inbound and ordered her crew to general quarters. In the ensuing Battle of the Philippine Sea, the CAP fighters engaged the incoming aircraft at 10:43, but Japanese planes broke through and continued on to the fleet. One of these, a Yokosuka D4Y dive-bomber, hit "South Dakota" with a bomb at 10:49, blasting an hole in the deck, disabling a 40 mm mount, and killing twenty-four and wounding another twenty-seven men. Gun crews claimed to have shot the bomber down, but observers aboard "Alabama" stated that the plane evaded the fire and escaped.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: At 11:50, a second wave of about twenty aircraft punched their way through the CAP. Two Nakajima B6N torpedo bombers attempted to launch their torpedoes at "South Dakota", but heavy fire from her and "Alabama" forced them to break off their runs. Other aircraft targeted "South Dakota" at around 11:55, but she again emerged unscathed. Third and fourth waves hit the fleet later in the day, but "South Dakota" was not attacked during these actions. That evening, the men killed in the bomb hit were buried at sea; one of the wounded men succumbed to his injuries the next morning and he was buried as well. The battle continued throughout 20 June, but "South Dakota" did not see further action. The American strike aircraft had had to fly at extreme range to attack the retreating Japanese fleet, and so many were forced to ditch their aircraft after running out of fuel; "South Dakota" spent the next morning searching for downed aircrews. During this period, another man who had been wounded by the bomb hit died.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: "South Dakota" turned to the east on 22 June; with the 1st Mobile Fleet having been badly mauled by Mitscher's carrier strike, the invasion fleet off the Marianas was no longer under significant threat and the battleships of TG 58.7 could withdraw from the area. "South Dakota" was transferred to TG 58.2 and sent to Eniwetok on 23 June, arriving there four days later. From there, she got underway for Puget Sound by way of Pearl Harbor; while in Pearl Harbor on 2 July, she embarked a group of 248 wounded, 279 sailors, and 90 marines to carry them to the mainland. She reached Puget Sound on 10 July and disembarked her passengers and her own wounded crewmen the next day. She was then dry-docked for repairs that evening. The work was completed by 6 August and after being re-floated, she loaded ammunition on 19 August. Sea trials began two days later. She was then assigned to Task Unit (TU) 12.5.1 in company with a pair of destroyers on 25 August, departing for Pearl Harbor, which she reached on the last day of the month.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: The ship took part in a series of gunnery exercises off Hawaii from 6 to 8 September, including anti-aircraft shooting and defending against simulated torpedo boat attacks. She replenished fuel and ammunition in Pearl Harbor on 9 September and departed two days later for further maneuvers. During these exercises, she experienced difficulties with her engines; divers inspected the screws and discovered that several of the blades on three of her four propellers were bent or chipped. Instead of participating in the scheduled exercises, she had to return to dry dock in Pearl Harbor for repairs that lasted until 16 September. She resumed training operations that day before getting underway to re-join the fleet on 18 September. TU 12.5.1 initially headed to Seeadler Harbor in Manus Island off New Guinea, but while en route they were redirected to Ulithi, which had recently been seized to serve as the fleet's advance base. They reached their destination on 30 September, by which time Third Fleet had taken operational control of the fast carrier task force.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: On 3 October, the fleet at Ulithi was forced to go to sea to avoid being caught in harbor by a typhoon that struck that night. After returning to the anchorage the next morning, the stores ship accidentally collided with "South Dakota", striking her port side and inflicting only superficial damage. On 5 October, Hanson came back aboard the ship and she resumed her role as the flagship of BatDiv 9. The next day, TF 38, to which BatDiv 9 had been assigned, sortied to embark on the next major operation, a series of carrier raids on Japanese positions in the western Pacific. The fast carrier task force, still under Mitscher's command, steamed north to launch strikes on the Okinawa Islands; they arrived early on the morning of 10 October and began the raid, which sank twenty-nine Japanese vessels in the area. Early the next morning, the battleship picked up a radar contact at long range and "South Dakota" confirmed the contact; it turned out to be a G4M bomber shadowing the task force that was shot down by one of the CAP fighters.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: After leaving the Okinawa area, Mitscher turned to make a feint toward the Philippines late in the day before turning west toward Formosa, which he attacked in a major raid beginning on 12 October. The aircraft inflicted significant damage to Japanese installations around the island, bombing airfields, factories, and other military facilities and sinking eighteen ships and damaging six more. A G4M dropped chaff to interfere with the fleet's search radars, but the measure was only partially effective and the bomber was shot down. CAP intercepted three waves of bombers, but they were able to approach the fleet much closer before being detected, possibly as a result of the chaff. "South Dakota" opened fire with her 5-inch guns at 19:03 as the first wave arrived before the target turned away. The second wave reached the fleet about twenty minutes later and "South Dakota"s gunners engaged it as well. The Japanese air strikes convinced Mitscher to disengage to the east before returning the next morning for another attack. While the Americans were withdrawing, Japanese aircraft repeatedly attacked the ships, though "South Dakota" initially held her fire since no aircraft approached close enough for her to engage them. At 22:31, she reported shooting down one aircraft, and she kept another group of aircraft at bay with long-range 5-inch fire closer to midnight.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: The carriers returned to their strike positions on 13 October, but Japanese aircraft counter-attacked almost immediately, though this first wave was broken up by CAP fighters. Several waves of G4M bombers struck the fleet, torpedoing the cruiser . "South Dakota" maneuvered at high speed to avoid their torpedoes while engaging the bombers. The American carriers launched another round of strikes the next day to cover the withdrawal of "Canberra" and her escorts. Later that afternoon, lookouts on "South Dakota" spotted a wave of seven B6N torpedo bombers approaching the fleet; she opened fire on the two closest aircraft, shooting one of them down. Five more were destroyed by fire from other ships in the area. The fast carrier task force then withdrew to support the invasion of the Philippines.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: The landing on Leyte on 17 October triggered the Japanese high command to initiate Operation "Shō-Gō" 1, a complicated counter-thrust that involved four separate fleets converging on the Allied invasion fleet to destroy it. The 1st Mobile Fleet, now labeled the Northern Force, had been significantly reduced in strength by three years of combat and was intended to serve only as a distraction to lure the American fast carrier task force away from the invasion fleet. Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's Center Force would pass through the San Bernardino Strait and attack the invasion fleet. The Americans detected Kurita's approach, however, and the carriers launched a major attack on his fleet while it passed through the Sibuyan Sea. After losing the powerful battleship in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea on 24 October, Kurita temporarily reversed course. This convinced Halsey, now the commander of Third Fleet, to send the fast carrier task force to destroy the 1st Mobile Fleet, which had by then been detected.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: Later that evening, Commodore Arleigh Burke, Mitscher's Chief of Staff, suggested that Mitscher detach "South Dakota" and "Massachusetts" (along with a pair of light cruisers and a destroyer screen) to send them ahead of the carriers to fight a night action with the Northern Force. Mitscher agreed, and at 17:12 ordered RADM Forrest Sherman to put the plan into action. Halsey intervened before Sherman could send the ships north and overruled Mitscher, ordering them to keep the battleships with the main fleet. As Halsey sent Mitscher north to pursue the Japanese carriers, he established TF  34, consisting of "South Dakota" and five other fast battleships, seven cruisers, and eighteen destroyers, commanded by now Vice Admiral Lee. TF 34 was arrayed ahead of the carriers, serving as their screen.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: On the morning of 25 October, Mitscher began his first attack on the Northern Force, initiating the Battle off Cape Engaño; over the course of six strikes on the Japanese fleet, the Americans sank all four carriers and damaged two old battleships that had been converted into hybrid carriers. Unknown to Halsey and Mitscher, Kurita had resumed his approach through the San Bernardino Strait late on 24 October and passed into Leyte Gulf the next morning. While Mitscher was occupied with the decoy Northern Force, Kurita moved in to attack the invasion fleet; in the Battle off Samar, he was held off by a group of escort carriers, destroyers, and destroyer escorts, TU 77.4.3, known as Taffy 3. Frantic calls for help later that morning led Halsey to detach Lee's battleships to head south and intervene. However, Halsey waited more than an hour after receiving orders from Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, to detach TF 34; still steaming north during this interval, the delay added two hours to the battleships' voyage south. A need to refuel destroyers further slowed TF 34's progress south.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: Heavy resistance from Taffy 3 threw Kurita's battleships and cruisers into disarray and led him to break off the attack before "South Dakota" and the rest of TF 34 could arrive. Halsey detached the battleships "Iowa" and as TG 34.5 to pursue Kurita through the San Bernardino Strait while Lee took the rest of his ships further southwest to try to cut off his escape, but both groups arrived too late. The historian H. P. Wilmott speculated that had Halsey detached TF 34 promptly and not delayed the battleships by refueling the destroyers, the ships could have easily arrived in the strait ahead of Center Force and, owing to the marked superiority of their radar-directed main guns, destroyed Kurita's ships. "South Dakota" refueled at sea on 26 October before in turn refueling a pair of destroyers two days later. She refueled another two destroyers on 30 October, though the process was temporarily interrupted by the appearance of a G4M. On 1 November, "South Dakota" was transferred to BatDiv 6, though Hanson remained aboard the ship until her replacement, the new battleship , arrived later that month. "South Dakota" withdrew to Ulithi the following day.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: Immediately on arrival in Ulithi on 2 November, "South Dakota" sortied as part of TG 38.1, tasked with supporting ground forces ashore on Leyte that had encountered heavy Japanese resistance. On 4 November, "South Dakota" was transferred to TG 38.3 to support a group of four carriers launching strikes on Luzon the next day. The group came under air attack on the afternoon of 5 November; errant rounds from other ships accidentally killed a man and wounded seven more aboard "South Dakota" during the action. Another wave of aircraft approached the following morning, prompting the fleet to assume a defensive formation. The Japanese planes did not attack, however, and the fleet returned to its cruising formation. "South Dakota" spent the next several days refueling destroyers and replenishing her own fuel bunkers. The carriers launched another series of raids on 13 and 14 November before withdrawing to Ulithi, arriving on 17 November.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: The next day Hanson transferred to "Wisconsin" and Lee, who was by now the Commander Battleships, Pacific Fleet, came aboard the ship, making her his flagship. "South Dakota" and the rest of TG 38.3 sortied on 22 November. The unit by this time consisted of two fleet and two light carriers, "South Dakota" and the two s, three cruisers, and two destroyer squadrons. Most of the ships conducted gunnery training while the carriers conducted strikes independently against targets in the Philippines over the next three days. "South Dakota" spent the rest of the month taking part in anti-aircraft training and refueling destroyers. She arrived back in Ulithi on 2 December, where the crew made repairs and loaded ammunition and stores for future operations.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: On 11 December, TG 38.3 departed Ulithi to join the rest of TF 38 for an assault on the island of Mindoro; the purpose of the operation was to seize a large airfield that could be used to support the invasion of Luzon. The carriers began a series of strikes on airfields on Luzon on 14 December to destroy or otherwise prevent Japanese aircraft there from interfering with the landing on Mindoro. The American raids continued over the next several days and significantly degraded the remaining strength of Japanese air forces in the Philippines. Late in the day on 17 December, Typhoon Cobra swept through the area, battering the fleet, sinking three destroyers, and inflicting serious damage to several other vessels, though "South Dakota" emerged relatively unscathed. The damage inflicted on the fleet delayed further support of ground troops for two days and the continuing bad weather led Halsey to break off operations; the ships arrived back in Ulithi on 24 December.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: TF 38 refueled over the next several days and embarked on another raid on Formosa on 3–4 January 1945, but bad weather hampered flight operations and Halsey broke off the operation, having achieved little. The ships returned to the Philippines and made repeated strikes on Lingayen over the course of 6 and 7 January in preparation for the next landing, particularly targeting the airfields being used by the kamikaze suicide aircraft. The ships then entered the South China Sea on 10 January and refueled before conducting a further series of strikes against various targets in the region, including Formosa on 21 January and the Ryuku Islands the following day.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: By early February, Fifth Fleet had resumed control of the fast carrier task force and "South Dakota" was transferred to TG 58.3, along with "New Jersey", the large cruiser , and several other warships. The fleet carriers conducted a series of air strikes on Japan, targeting the Tokyo area on 17 February, but bad weather made it difficult for the aircraft to operate. The ships of TG 58.3 were then sent to reinforce the invasion fleet during the Battle of Iwo Jima from 19 to 22 February. The carriers made repeated strikes as the marines went ashore on the first day of the landing. The ships of TF 58 were then recalled for another series of raids on Japan, targeting Tokyo on 25 February; planned attacks on Kobe and Nagoya were cancelled due to poor weather.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: The fleet then returned to Ulithi to replenish ammunition and fuel before embarking on another raid of Japan in mid-March. The carriers struck Kyushu on 18 March while the battleships continue their air defense role. Four days later, having inflicted serious damage on airfields and several warships in Kure, the task force withdrew to refuel. The following day, air strikes to prepare Okinawa for assault began, interrupted by the need to disengage and refuel on 28–29 March. The initiation of major attacks on the island, a clear indicator of an impending amphibious assault, led the Japanese to begin a serious, concentrated kamikaze campaign against the fleet, damaging numerous vessels but not seriously impeding the Allies' progress. Over the coming weeks, the task groups of TF 58 rotated through the waters off Okinawa, two groups at a time, to allow the other groups to replenish fuel and ammunition and repair battle damage. Throughout the maelstrom off Okinawa, "South Dakota" emerged without having been hit by any of the kamikazes.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: On 19 April, "South Dakota" was detached from the carriers to join a shore bombardment group sent to support a major offensive by XXIV Army Corps against Japanese defensive positions in southern Okinawa, though they made little progress. The ships of TF 58 then departed for a raid on the Sakishima Islands before withdrawing to Leyte. After replenishing there, the task groups resumed their rotations off Okinawa for the next week. On 6 May, "South Dakota" was replenishing ammunition from the ammunition ship when a tank of propellant for the guns exploded. The blast detonated four more tanks and caused a serious fire, forcing the crew to flood the magazine for turret number 2 to avoid a catastrophic explosion. Three men were killed by the explosion and eight more were seriously wounded and later died; another twenty-four were less-seriously injured in the accident.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: "South Dakota" was detached from TG 58.4 for repairs at Ulithi on 13 May in company with a pair of escorting destroyers, arriving there the next day. She entered the auxiliary floating drydock to be inspected. The ship's propellers, shafts, and strut bearings all had worn badly and suffered from pitting. These were repaired and she was refloated on 27 May; during this period, Third Fleet resumed command of the fast carrier task force, reverting all subordinate unit designations to the 30-series. Two days later, "South Dakota" went to sea to begin anti-submarine training with a pair of destroyers. Further combat practice, including main-battery and anti-aircraft gunnery practice and night combat training, continued over the next several days, during which time the ship crossed the Philippine Sea to Leyte Gulf. A reorganization of TF 38 saw "South Dakota" reassigned to TG 38.1 on 16 June, the same day she became the flagship of RADM John F. Shafroth Jr. The ship took part in more anti-aircraft training from 23 to 24 June.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: With Okinawa in Allied hands, preparations were beginning for Operation Olympic, the invasion of Kyushu. TF 38 sortied from Leyte on 1 July to begin a series of strikes on targets in Japan to deplete Japanese forces in the Home Islands. While en route, "South Dakota" kept several destroyers fueled before the fleet arrived off the coast of Japan on 10 July. The carriers began their raids that day, though the Japanese had anticipated the attacks and had dispersed and camouflaged their aircraft, holding them back for the eventual landing instead of losing them prematurely. As a result, the carrier aircraft found few Japanese planes to destroy over the next several days. On 14 July, "South Dakota" was assigned to TU 38.8.1 with "Indiana", "Massachusetts", two heavy cruisers, and nine destroyers. The battleships were then sent to bombard the town of Kamaishi to destroy the Kamaishi Steel Works, but the mountainous terrain made targeting the facility difficult. This was the first time that Japan came under bombardment by capital ships during the war. Despite their difficulty in observing the effects of their shooting, in the course of six passes, the battleships inflicted what was later estimated to have been a two-and-a-half-month interruption in coke production and a one-month disruption of pig iron manufacture.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: The battleships then returned to their positions with TF 38 and covered them during air strikes on Honshu and Hokkaido on 15 July. Further reinforced by the British Pacific Fleet, the Allied fleet struck targets around Tokyo on 17 July, sinking or damaging several warships in the area. Over the course of 20 through 22 July, "South Dakota" replenished fuel, ammunition, and other supplies at sea. Additional carrier strikes were made from 24 to 28 July, inflicting further losses to the remnants of the Japanese fleet; the battleships , , and were all sunk at their moorings, along with a number of cruisers, destroyers, and other warships. TU 38.8.1 was re-formed on 29 July to bombard Hamamatsu; this time, "South Dakota", "Indiana", and "Massachusetts" were reinforced by the British TU 37.1.2, centered on the battleship , and they were covered by CAP fighters from the carrier . The battleships opened fire shortly before midnight on 29 July and continued firing into the early hours of the 30th.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: The ships withdrew shortly after ceasing fire with "South Dakota" in the lead of the formation. The task unit was again dissolved later that morning and "South Dakota" returned to TG 38.1, which thereafter resumed launching air strikes on the Tokyo and Nagoya areas. Another typhoon threatened the fleet, but Halsey steered the ships out of its way on 31 July and 1 August. "South Dakota" refueled on 3 August and the carriers launched simulated strikes on the fleet for anti-aircraft training two days later. "South Dakota" again replenished her fuel bunkers on 7 August before re-forming TU 34.8.1 for a third bombardment mission on 9 August. This time, the unit consisted of "South Dakota", six Allied cruisers and ten Allied destroyers. "South Dakota" shelled Kamaishi that afternoon for a period of about an hour and a half before disengaging. As the ships withdrew, a single Japanese plane attacked them but evaded all fire from the ships and escaped. "South Dakota" returned to TG 38.1 and supported the carriers during further strikes on airfields later that day and on the 10th. Shafroth transferred to "Alabama" on 12 August and "South Dakota" was reassigned to TG 38.3 the next morning.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: TF 38 carriers had already launched aircraft on the morning of 15 August when Halsey received word that the Japanese had agreed to surrender unconditionally. The aircraft were recalled and "South Dakota" received the order to cease offensive operations at 06:58. Problems communicating their surrender to all subordinate units led to some Japanese aircraft launching attacks on the fleet later that day, but they were all shot down by CAP aircraft. "South Dakota" spent the next several days refueling and replenishing ammunition before steaming to Sagami Wan on 27 August as part of the initial occupation of Japan. Two days later, she moved to Tokyo Bay; that afternoon, Halsey and Nimitz came aboard the ship. Halsey left later in the day, but Nimitz remained until he left for the battleship , where the formal surrender ceremony took place on 2 September. Nimitz returned later that day before departing for Guam on 3 September and "South Dakota" came alongside "Missouri" to transfer Halsey and his staff to the ship. "South Dakota" thereafter served as Halsey's flagship while he directed the initial stages of the occupation.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: Halsey remained aboard until 20 September when he left to return to Pearl Harbor. "South Dakota" got underway that afternoon in company with numerous other warships for the voyage back to the United States. "South Dakota" stopped in Buckner Bay in Okinawa on 23 September and then resumed her journey across the Pacific the next morning with some 600 sailors, soldiers, and marines aboard. The ships passed Hawaii and thereafter dispersed to different ports; "South Dakota" entered San Francisco on 27 October, with Halsey once again aboard for Navy Day celebrations. Governor Earl Warren boarded the ship for the ceremonies. Two days later, she steamed down to San Pedro, California.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: On 3 January 1946, "South Dakota" got underway for the Atlantic; she steamed south and transited the Panama Canal a final time and steamed north to the Philadelphia Navy Yard, arriving there on 20 January. She then underwent an overhaul in preparation for deactivation. A month later on 21 February, RADM Thomas R. Cooley hoisted his flag aboard the ship, making her the flagship of the Fourth Fleet, a reserve unit. Cooley's tenure aboard the ship was brief and he was replaced by Vice Admiral Charles H. McMorris just five days later. On 3 July, McMorris transferred his flag to the heavy cruiser and the Navy dissolved the Fourth Fleet on 1 January 1947. "South Dakota" was decommissioned on 31 January and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: Plans were drawn up during the period she was in reserve to modernize "South Dakota" and the other ships of her class should they be needed for future active service. In March 1954, a program to equip the four ships with secondary batteries consisting of ten twin guns were proposed, but the plan came to nothing. Another plan to convert the ship into a guided missile battleship arose in 1956–1957, but the cost of the conversion proved to be prohibitive. She would have had all three main battery turrets removed and replaced with a twin RIM-8 Talos missile launcher forward, two RIM-24 Tartar launchers aft, anti-submarine weapons, and equipment to handle helicopters. The cost of the project amounted to $120 million.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: The ship remained in the Navy's inventory for another fifteen years before being stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 June 1962. "South Dakota" was sold to the Lipsett Division of Luria Brothers and Co. to be broken up for scrap on 25 October. Tugboats towed her from Philadelphia in November to Kearny, New Jersey to be dismantled. Some parts of the ship were retained through the efforts of the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, and they were installed in a memorial to the ship in the city on 7 September 1969. The memorial consists of a low concrete wall built in the outline of the ship in full scale, and artifacts from the ship, including an anchor, a simulated gun turret, and a 16-inch gun are displayed in the outline. A museum was erected in the center of the outline, and it displays other artifacts, including her bell, sailors' uniforms, a scale model of "South Dakota", and various other displays.


title: USS South Dakota (BB-57)

text: Additional artifacts from the ship are preserved at the National Museum of the United States Navy, including one of "South Dakota"s screws and a section of armor plate. Both items are on display in Willard Park.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi (; born 4 January 1953) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 11th and 14th Deputy Prime Minister from July 2015 to May 2018 and again since December 2022 and Minister of Rural and Regional Development in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim since December 2022, 6th Chairman of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, 8th President of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) since May 2018 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bagan Datuk since April 1995. He served as the 14th Leader of the Opposition from July 2018 to March 2019, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Defence and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in the BN administration under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak from March 2008 to May 2018.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: Zahid became the President of the UMNO in 2018 following the party's crushing defeat at the 2018 election. Under his leadership, UMNO and BN won at the 2021 Malacca state election and the 2022 Johor state election, but achieved the worst-ever result in Malaysian history at the 2022 federal election. He was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia on 3 December 2022 making him the first person to be appointed to this position twice, under two different administrations.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi was born on 4 January 1953 in Bagan Datuk, Perak, the eldest son of nine children (seven sons and two daughters) in the family. On 1 October 2011, his mother, Tuminah Abdul Jalil, died of a stroke and heart complication in her hometown Sungai Nipah Darat, Bagan Datoh. She was previously hospitalized at the Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Both of his parents are Indonesian-born Malaysians.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: He was raised by a Chinese foster-father, Chen Jin Ting and sold ice cream together for six years with his foster family when he was in elementary school. Chen was not highly educated and would cycle from his house at Simpang Tiga, Hilir Perak to about three kilometers away selling ice cream. Chen was married with his foster mother, Guo Jin Luan. His father later died in 1999, more than ten days after the general election of that year. Following accusations that he was anti-Chinese, he responded asking: "Am I anti-Chinese when I have a Chinese foster father?".


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: Before venturing into politics, Ahmad Zahid studied at University of Malaya for his bachelor's degree. He also holds a Certificate in Banking from Bank Negara Malaysia before being a banker for OCBC. He was also one of the directors of Bank Simpanan Nasional (1995–1998) and also Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB). He was also a Marketing Executive for Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad, Executive Director for Scandinavian Motors Sdn Bhd, chief executive officer of Kretam Holding Berhad, Chairman of Tekala Corporation Berhad, Chairman of Seng Hup Berhad and Pengerusi Ramatex Berhad. In 1999 he became the Chairman of Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB).


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: In 2008, he has received his PhD in Communication at Universiti Putra Malaysia after he spent seven years to complete his thesis.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: In 1986, Zahid was appointed political secretary to Najib Razak during the latter's term as Youth Minister (1986–1990) and then Minister of Defence (1990–1995).


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: He was elected UMNO Youth Chief in 1996. He was once the chief of UMNO youth Bagan Datoh branch, the Vice Chief for the state of Perak UMNO youth, Head of the UMNO Communication for UMNO youth.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: In 1995, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi became a member of parliament after winning the Bagan Datoh parliamentary seat in Perak in the general elections.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: In 1999, Zahid was re-elected Member of Parliament for Bagan Datoh in Perak in the general elections. He was elected to the UMNO Supreme Council in the following year.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: After he won the seat for a third time in the 2004 general elections, Zahid was appointed Deputy Tourism Minister by former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. While being a Deputy Minister, he pursued a Doctor of Philosophy degree from UPM, thesis entitled "Barisan Nasional Manifesto As Agenda for Malay Language Newspaper During the General Election Campaign".


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: In the political tsunami of 2008, Zahid again retained his Bagan Datoh parliamentary seat at a time when many BN party heavyweights were trounced. He was then appointed a full Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. In the April 2009 cabinet reshuffle, Zahid was appointed Minister of Defence by Prime Minister Najib Razak.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: He was able to retain his parliamentary seat of Bagan Datoh in the 2013 election, although with a decreased majority. He was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs in 2013, replacing Hishamuddin Hussein, who took Zahid's previous position at the Ministry of Defence.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: In the 2018 UMNO leadership election, Zahid gained more votes than his rivals, Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, making him the new president of UMNO and also the first Leader of the Opposition from BN coalition.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: After facing weeks of mounting pressure to step down as party president and calls for fresh party polls, Zahid finally announces his decision to temporary step down and take leave on 18 December 2018. His deputy, Mohamad Hasan, acted the position of leading the party. On 30 June 2019, he announced his return from "garden leave" back to active role as UMNO president.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: In the 2022 election, he led the party to achieve its worst result in Malaysian history, only retaining 26 out of 222 seats (BN won 30 seats). Several key figures including Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Mahdzir Khalid, Azeez Rahim, Tengku Zafrul Aziz and Khairy Jamaluddin, lost to either PN or PH candidates. UMNO/BN was also defeated at several state elections held in Pahang and Perak, and lost all seats in Perlis. Zahid himself was re-elected with a slim majority. Following the election defeat, he faced internal pressures to resign as the UMNO President.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: Ahmad Zahid had been sued by businessman Amir Bazli Abdullah for allegedly punching him in the face on 16 January 2006 at the Country Heights recreational club in Kajang, Selangor, causing the latter to suffer a nasal bone fracture and a swollen left eye. The case was pursued in the civil courts for six years before the matter was settled out of court.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: Shortly after the Black 505 rallies following the 13th Malaysian General Election due to claims of electoral fraud and vote manipulation, he said that Malaysians who are unhappy with the country's political system and dislike the BN government should "get lost" from the country. This statement has raised discontentment among the citizens, putting a serious question mark over his political future in a multiracial society. The statement was made after a series of street demonstrations led by opposition parties that has refused to accept the results of the 13th Malaysian General election. His first act as Home Minister was to order a crack down against opposition leaders and dissent, landing him in a bigger controversy with sedition laws being used to attempt to suppress the voices of opposition parties.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: During a speech in Malacca, Zahid was recorded endorsing the police policy of "shoot to kill" when arresting dangerous criminals, including backing a certain group of gangsters.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: On 18 October 2018, Zahid was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and charged in court the following day on 45 counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT), abuse of power and money laundering involving a total of RM114 million (about US$27.4 million) funds of Yayasan Akalbudi. On 14 December 2018, he was charged with another CBT offence, involving RM10 million. On 20 February 2019, Zahid was again charged with an additional CBT charge, involving RM260,000.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: On 26 June 2019, Zahid became the subject of 7 new corruption charges involving S$4.2 million (RM12.8 million) which he allegedly received from a foreign visa (VLN) system operator totalling RM42.76 million under his capacity as the Home Minister then. On the next day, he faced 33 more charges totalling RM42.76 million involving the VLN system two years before. The latest charges brought the total number of outstanding charges to 87.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: On 24 January 2022, Zahid has been ordered to enter his defence against all 47 criminal breach of trust (CBT), corruption and money laundering charges involving funds.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: On 17 February 2022, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has divulged more details regarding his claims that Ahmad Zahid sought his intervention in court cases. Muhyiddin said Zahid visited a few days after he took office as prime minister with a pile of files. He said he refused to interfere in Zahid and Najib Razak's court cases, which incited their anger and resulted in attempts to destabilise the government.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: On 23 February 2022, Mahathir Mohamad said he had a meeting with Zahid before the former became prime minister in 2018. Mahathir said Zahid went to his house with three other individuals and tried to be nice to him to avoid being charged for his misconduct when Umno was in power.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: On 23 September 2022, Zahid was acquitted by the Malaysian High Court of 40 bribery charges linked to a visa scheme, and seven charges for allegedly receiving bribes when he was home minister from 2013 to 2018.


title: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

text: He is married to Hamidah Khamis and has 5 children. He is fluent in Standard Malay, local Perak Malay and Javanese. His English is sub-par, and he speaks some Mandarin.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: The seventh USS "Ranger" (CV/CVA-61) was the third of four supercarriers built for the United States Navy in the 1950s. Although all four ships of the class were completed with angled decks, "Ranger" had the distinction of being the first US carrier built from the beginning as an angled-deck ship.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: Commissioned in 1957, she served extensively in the Pacific, especially the Vietnam War, for which she earned 13 battle stars. Near the end of her career, she also served in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: "Ranger" was decommissioned in 1993, and was stored at Bremerton, Washington until March 2015. She was then moved to Brownsville for scrapping, which was completed in November 2017.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: "Ranger" was the first American aircraft carrier to be laid down as an angled-deck ship (her elder sisters "Forrestal" and "Saratoga" had been laid down as axial-deck ships and were converted for an angled deck while under construction). She was laid down 2 August 1954 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, Virginia in Shipway 10. Her partially completed hull was floated and placed in Shipway 11 four months later for final completion. "Ranger" was launched 29 September 1956, sponsored by Mrs. Arthur Radford (wife of Admiral Arthur W. Radford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and commissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard 10 August 1957, Captain Charles T. Booth II in command.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: "Ranger" joined the U.S. Atlantic Fleet on 3 October 1957. Just prior to sailing on 4 October for Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for shakedown, she received the men and planes of Attack Squadron 85. She conducted air operations, individual ship exercises, and final acceptance trials along the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean Sea until 20 June 1958. Noted artist Jack Coggins was commissioned by the United States Naval Institute to paint the new aircraft carrier; his artwork appeared on the cover of their Proceedings Magazine of July 1958. She then departed Norfolk, Virginia, with 200 Naval Reserve officer candidates for a two-month cruise that took the carrier around Cape Horn. She arrived at her new homeport, Naval Air Station Alameda, Alameda, California, on 20 August and joined the Pacific Fleet.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: The carrier spent the remainder of 1958 in pilot qualification training for Air Group 14 and fleet exercises along the California coast. Departing 3 January 1959 for final training in Hawaiian waters until 17 February, she next sailed as the flagship of Rear Admiral Henry H. Caldwell, Commander, Carrier Division Two, to join the Seventh Fleet. Air operations off Okinawa were followed by maneuvers with SEATO naval units out of Subic Bay, Philippines. A special weapons warfare exercise and a patrol along the southern seaboard of Japan followed. During this first WestPac deployment, "Ranger" launched more than 7,000 sorties in support of 7th Fleet operations. She returned to San Francisco Bay 27 July. During the next 6 months, "Ranger" was kept in a high state of readiness through participation in exercises and coastal fleet operations.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: With Carrier Air Group 9 embarked, she departed Alameda on 6 February 1960 for a second WestPac deployment and returned to Alameda 30 August. From 11 August 1961 through 8 March 1962, "Ranger" deployed to the Far East a third time.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: The next seven months were filled with intensive training along the western seaboard in preparation for operations in Southeast Asia. "Ranger" departed Alameda on 9 November for brief operations off Hawaii, thence proceeded, via Okinawa, to the Philippines. She steamed to the South China Sea 1 May 1963 to support possible Laotian operations. When the political situation in Laos relaxed 4 May, she resumed her operations schedule with the 7th Fleet. Arriving at Alameda from the Far East 14 June 1963, she underwent overhaul in the San Francisco Naval Shipyard 7 August 1963 through 10 February 1964. Refresher training out of Alameda commenced 25 March, interrupted by an operational cruise to Hawaii from 19 June to 10 July.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: In May 1964, "Ranger" was deployed near French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean to monitor the French nuclear tests on Moruroa, a task made possible by launching and recovering a Lockheed U-2 from its flight deck. Work on modifying the U-2 for carrier landing and take-off started in late 1963, and one accident occurred during the carrier landing operation when the aircraft piloted by test pilot Bob Schumacher crashed.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: "Ranger" again sailed for the Far East on 6 August 1964. This deployment came on the heels of the Gulf of Tonkin incident. "Ranger" made only an eight-hour stop in Pearl Harbor on 10 August, then hurried on to Subic Bay, then to Yokosuka, Japan. In the latter port on 17 October 1964, she became the flagship of Rear Admiral Miller, who commanded Fast Carrier Task Force 77. In the following months, she helped the 7th Fleet continue its role of steady watchfulness to keep sea lanes open and stop Communist infiltration by sea.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: General William Westmoreland, commanding Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, visited "Ranger" on 9 March 1965 to confer with Rear Admiral Miller. "Ranger" continued air strikes on enemy targets inland until 13 April when a fuel line broke, ignited and engulfed her No. 1 main machinery room in flames. The fire was extinguished in little over an hour. There was one fatality. She put into Subic Bay 15 April and sailed on the 20th for Alameda, arriving home on 6 May. She entered the San Francisco Naval Shipyard 13 May and remained there under overhaul until 30 September 1965.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: Following refresher training, "Ranger" departed Alameda on 10 December 1965 to rejoin the 7th Fleet. She and her embarked Carrier Air Wing 14 received the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service during combat operations in Southeast Asia from 10 January to 6 August 1966.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: "Ranger" departed the Gulf of Tonkin on 6 August for Subic Bay, then steamed via Yokosuka for Alameda, arriving on the 25th. She stood out of San Francisco Bay 28 September and entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard two days later for overhaul. The carrier departed Puget Sound on 30 May 1967 for training out of San Diego and Alameda. On 21 July 1967, she logged her 88,000th carrier landing.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: From June until November, "Ranger" underwent a long and intensive period of training designed to make her fully combat ready. Attack Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2) embarked on 15 September 1967, with the new A-7 Corsair II jet attack plane and the UH-2C Seasprite rescue helicopter, making "Ranger" the first carrier to deploy with these powerful new aircraft. From carrier refresher training for CVW-2, "Ranger" proceeded to fleet exercise "Moon Festival". From 9 to 16 October, the carrier and her air wing participated in every aspect of a major fleet combat operation.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: "Ranger" departed Alameda on 4 November 1967 for WestPac. Arriving at Yokosuka on 21 November, she relieved and sailed for the Philippines on the 24th. After arriving at Subic Bay on 29 November, she made final preparations for combat operations in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Commander, Carrier Division 3, embarked on 30 November as Commander, TG 77.7, and "Ranger" departed Subic Bay on 1 December for Yankee Station.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: Arriving on station on 3 December 1967, "Ranger" commenced another period of sustained combat operations against North Vietnam. During the next five months, her planes hit a wide variety of targets, including ferries, bridges, airfields, and military installations. Truck parks, rail facilities, antiaircraft guns, and SAM sites were also treated to doses of Air Wing 2's firepower. Bob Hope's "Christmas Show" came to "Ranger" in the Gulf of Tonkin on 21 December. Another welcome break in the intense pace of operations came with a call at Yokosuka during the first week of April. Returning to Yankee Station on 11 April, "Ranger" again struck objectives in North Vietnam.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: At the end of January 1968, was seized by North Korea. "Ranger" turned north and proceeded at full speed from the tropical waters off Vietnam to the frigid waters off North Korea as part of Operation Formation Star. The ship had been on the combat line in Vietnam for one month and was due to for rest and recreation. At the conclusion of the North Korea deployment, the ship had been at sea for 65 days. The carrier stopped at the small Japanese port of Sasebo for several days, then proceeded back to combat operations.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: After five months of intensive operations, "Ranger" called at Hong Kong on 5 May 1968 and then steamed for home. There followed a shipyard availability at Puget Sound that ended with "Ranger"s departure 29 July for San Francisco. Three months of leave, upkeep and training culminated in another WestPac deployment 26 October 1968 through 17 May 1969.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: She departed Alameda on yet another WestPac deployment in October 1969 as the flagship for Rear Admiral J.C. Donaldson, Commander, Carrier Division Three, and Captain J.P. Moorer as commanding officer, and remained so employed until 18 May 1970. During this time, the ship spent at least two extended periods on Yankee Station, the longest being 45 days, due to mechanical problems with the carrier that was to relieve her. A pleasant break in the lives of "Ranger"s crew came with the arrival of the Bob Hope show on 24 December 1969. Upon leaving Yankee after one tour and on the way to Sasebo, "Ranger" was ordered to stand off the coast of Korea for three days due to North Korea forcing down a US C-130 and holding the crew. Initially, "Ranger" was to leave the line on Yankee Station for a week of R&R in Subic Bay while offloading supplies, then to Japan and on to Australia and home. A day before "Ranger" was to leave the line she was ordered to hold on station and fly the first sorties on Cambodia. Finally leaving Yankee Station, "Ranger" made a fast three-day offload in Subic Bay and a two-day port call in Sasebo and back to Alameda, arriving 1 June. "Ranger" spent the rest of the summer engaged in operations off the west coast, departing for her sixth WestPac cruise in late October 1970. On 10 March 1971, "Ranger", along with , set a record of 233 strike sorties for one day in action against North Vietnam. During April, the three carriers assigned to Task Force 77 – "Ranger", "Kitty Hawk", and – provided a constant two-carrier posture on Yankee Station. Hours of employment remained unchanged, with one carrier on daylight hours and one on the noon to midnight schedule. Strike emphasis was placed on the interdiction of major Laotian entry corridors to South Vietnam. She returned to Alameda 7 June 1971, and remained in port for the rest of 1971 and the first five months of 1972 undergoing regular overhaul.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 27 May 1972, she returned to West Coast operation until 16 November, when she embarked upon her seventh WestPac deployment. This had been delayed four months when one of the engines was disabled after Navy fireman E-3 Patrick Chenoweth was accused of dropping a heavy paint scraper into a main reduction gear, one of around two dozen acts of sabotage "Ranger" suffered between 7 June 1972 and 16 October 1972. Chenoweth was charged with "sabotage in time of war", and faced 30 years imprisonment, but was acquitted by a general court-martial.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 18 December 1972, the Linebacker II campaign was initiated when negotiations in the Paris peace talks stalemated. Participating carriers were "Ranger", , , , and . In an intensified version of Operation Linebacker, bombing of North Vietnam above the 20th parallel and reseeding of the mine fields were resumed, and concentrated strikes were carried out against surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft artillery sites, enemy army barracks, petroleum storage areas, Haiphong naval and shipyard areas, and railroad and truck stations. Navy tactical air attack sorties were centered in the coastal areas around Hanoi and Haiphong, with 505 Navy sorties were carried out in this area. These operations ended on 29 December when the North Vietnamese returned to the peace table; on 27 January 1973, the Vietnam cease-fire came into effect, and "Oriskany", "America", "Enterprise", and "Ranger", on Yankee Station, cancelled all combat sorties.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: "Ranger" returned to Alameda in August 1973. She was ordered immediately to refit and repair at Long Beach Naval Base where she was prepared for her next WESPAC Cruise over the next ninety days. Her air wing was lifted aboard by giant crane in Long Beach. She spent two weeks shaking down active duty and Reserve pilots. She returned to Alameda. There were two more two-week shake down cruises between January and April 1974. On 7 May 1974 she deployed again to the western Pacific. During this cruise, "Ranger" was again deployed to Yankee Station to participate in operations significant to the withdrawal of forces involved there. She returned to homeport on 18 October. On 28 May 1976, while on deployment, helicopter crews from HS-4 aboard "Ranger", detachments from HC-3 on , and , and helicopters from Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Republic of the Philippines, assisted in Philippine disaster relief efforts in the flood ravaged areas of central Luzon. Over 1,900 people were evacuated; more than of relief supplies and of fuel were provided by Navy and Air Force helicopters.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 12 July 1976, "Ranger" and her escort ships of Task Force 77.7 entered the Indian Ocean and were assigned to operate off the coast of Kenya in response to a threat of military action in Kenya by Ugandan forces in the wake of the rescue of Israeli hostages held at Entebbe Airport in Uganda several days before.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: In February 1977, "Ranger" departed Naval Air Station North Island for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, for major overhaul. While in overhaul, she received significant technological upgrades to her command information systems and flight deck gear, and was fitted with Sea Sparrow missile defense systems. Additionally, the main machinery spaces were refitted with more reliable 'General Regulator' forced-balance automatic boiler and combustion-control systems. In March 1978, the overhaul was completed and she began several months of shakedown cruises and sea trials for recertifications.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 21 February 1979, "Ranger" deployed for her 14th WestPac cruise, tentatively scheduled to cross the Indian Ocean to present a show of force during the strife between North and South Yemen, a mission she would not complete. On 5 April 1979, she collided with the Liberian-flagged tanker MV "Fortune" just southeast of Singapore while entering the Straits of Malacca. While the large oil tanker was severely damaged, "Ranger" endured a significant gash in her bow, rendering two fuel tanks unusable. "Ranger" turned back to Subic Bay, for temporary repairs and then to Yokosuka, for full repair. The collision resulted in 10,000 tons of crude oil spilled in the South China Sea. MV "Fortune" was hauling 100,000 tons of light crude from Kuwait to Taiwan.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: In September 1980, "Ranger" departed her homeport of San Diego for the 15th WestPac cruise and again crossed into the Indian Ocean via the Straits of Malacca, this time without incident. "Ranger" proceeded to GONZO Station to continue the US Navy's show of force in the region during Iran hostage crisis, which at that point was in its tenth month. "Ranger" remained on-station for over 120 days, during which time the hostages were released on 20 January 1981, the 444th day of the crisis. "Ranger" was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal, for both the ship and her company. She returned to homeport on 5 May 1981.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 20 March 1981, under the command of CAPT Dan Pedersen, "Ranger" rescued 138 Vietnamese boat people from the South China Sea and brought them to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Manila, Philippines. In the same year, following the refugee rescue in 1981, Pedersen was given a nonpunitive letter of censure by Vice Adm. Robert F. Schoultz, commander of the Naval Air Force, United States Pacific Fleet, (COMNAVAIRPAC), after a three-week investigation into the 14 April 1981 death of Airman Paul Trerice, 20 years old, of Algonac, Michigan. Trerice had died after being on a bread-and-water diet for three days, then taking part in punitive exercises in the correctional custody unit. According to "The Washington Post", "Trerice became abusive in the Ranger's correctional custody unit and had to be subdued in a struggle shortly before his death." The ship was just completing a successful WestPAC/Indian Ocean deployment and was at Subic Bay at the time. The Navy reported the airman faced disciplinary action for leaving his post and for leaving the ship twice without permission in Hong Kong.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: A federal court dismissed criminal charges brought by the Trerice family against Pedersen and other officers on the "Ranger", and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 26 February 1983, she received an official visit from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who were on a West Coast tour to visit San Diego.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: "Ranger" entered the history books on 21 March 1983 when an all-woman flight crew flying a C-1A Trader from VRC-40 "Truckin' Traders" landed aboard the carrier. The aircraft was commanded by LT Elizabeth M. Toedt and the crew included LTJG Cheryl A. Martin, Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Gina Greterman, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Robin Banks.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 1 November 1983, a fire broke out in #4 Main Machinery Room due to a fuel spill during fuel transfer operations while "Ranger" was deployed in the North Arabian Sea east of Oman. Six crewmen were killed as a result of the fire, which knocked out one of the ship's four engines and disabled one of her four shafts."Ranger" returned to the Philippines after 121 consecutive days at sea. One enlisted man was imprisoned for two months of a three-month sentence for dereliction of duty relating to the fire, but the Navy released him early and reprimanded four officers after an investigation in 1984. The report blamed the fire, which resulted in $1.7 million ($ today) in damages in addition to the deaths, on engineering officers and their superiors.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: In early 1985, "Ranger" was used to film some interior scenes for the film "Top Gun". In 1986, the ship stood in for for scenes filmed for "".


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 14 July 1987, "Ranger" started her "Pearl" Anniversary Cruise. During this cruise, "Ranger" relieved "Midway" and her carrier group in the Indian Ocean. During this period, "Ranger" took part in Operation Earnest Will under which the Kuwait tankers were reflagged under US colors.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 24 July 1987, Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron 131 (VAQ-131) began the first Pacific Fleet deployment of the EA-6B Prowler equipped with AGM-88 HARM missiles, deployed in "Ranger".


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 19 October 1987, "Ranger" took part in Operation Nimble Archer, an attack on two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf by US Navy forces. The attack was a response to Iran's missile attack three days earlier on MV "Sea Isle City", a reflagged Kuwaiti oil tanker at anchor off Kuwait. The action occurred during Operation Earnest Will, the effort to protect Kuwaiti shipping amid the Iran-Iraq War. Air cover was provided by , two F-14 Tomcat fighters, and an E-2 Hawkeye from "Ranger".


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 3 August 1989, "Ranger" rescued 39 Vietnamese refugees, adrift for 10 days on a barge in heavy seas and monsoon rains in the South China Sea, about from NAS Cubi Point. SH-3s Sea Kings from HS-14 along with two Sea Knights assisted. An A-6 Intruder from VA-145 spotted the barge, which had apparently broken loose from its mooring near a small island off the coast of Vietnam with 10 men on board. Twenty-nine other refugees from a sinking refugee boat climbed aboard the barge when it drifted out to sea. After examination by medical personnel, all were flown to NAS Cubi Point for further processing.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: President George H. W. Bush addressed the nation on 16 January 1991 at 9 pm EST and announced that Operation Desert Storm had begun. The Navy launched 228 sorties from "Ranger" and in the Persian Gulf, from en route to the Persian Gulf, and from , "Saratoga", and "America" in the Red Sea. In addition, the Navy launched more than 100 Tomahawk missiles from nine ships in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: An A-6E Intruder from "Ranger" was shot down two miles off the Iraqi coast by antiaircraft artillery on 18 January 1991, after laying MK36 naval mines on a waterway linking the Iraqi naval base of Umm Qasr with the Persian Gulf. The pilot and the navigator/bombardier were killed.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 26 January, an EA-6B Prowler from "Ranger" spotted two large tankers in a waterway northeast of Bubiyan Island. Two of "Ranger"s A-6Es hit one of them with an AGM-123 Skipper missile on the starboard side.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 6 February, an F-14A Tomcat from VF-1, off "Ranger" downed an Iraqi Mi-8 Hip helicopter with an AIM-9M Sidewinder missile. At 9 pm EST on 27 February, President Bush declared Kuwait had been liberated and Operation Desert Storm would end at midnight.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 21 April 1992, in harmony with other World War II 50th-anniversary festivities, "Ranger" participated in the commemorative re-enactment of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, Japan. Two World War II-era B-25 bombers were craned on board, and over 1,500 guests (including national, local and military media) were embarked to witness the two vintage aircraft travel down "Ranger" flight deck and take off. In June, "Ranger" made an historic port visit to Vancouver, British Columbia, in conjunction with her final phase of pre-deployment workups.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: Fully combat ready, "Ranger" began her 21st and final western Pacific and Indian Ocean deployment on 1 August 1992. On 18 August, she entered Yokosuka, for a six-day port visit and upkeep. "Ranger" entered the Persian Gulf on 14 September by transiting the Straits of Hormuz. The next day, "Ranger" relieved in an unusual close-aboard ceremony and along with her embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 2, immediately began flying patrol missions in support of the United Kingdom and United States-declared "No Fly" zone in southern Iraq: Operation Southern Watch.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: While in the Persian Gulf, former Cold War adversaries became at-sea partners as "Ranger", British, and French naval forces joined with the Russian guided missile destroyer for an exercise involving communication, maneuvering, and signaling drills. During joint operations, a Russian Kamov Ka-27 "Helix" helicopter landed aboard "Ranger". It was the first such landing on a US Navy aircraft carrier.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: "Ranger" left the Persian Gulf on 4 December 1992 and steamed at high speed to the coast of Somalia. "Ranger" played a significant role in the massive relief effort for starving Somalis in Operation Restore Hope. The "Ranger"/CVW-2 team provided photo and visual reconnaissance, airborne air traffic control, logistics support, and on-call close air support for Navy and Marine amphibious forces. Throughout Operations Southern Watch and Restore Hope, "Ranger" took 63 digital photographs which were sent by International Marine Satellite to the Navy Office of Information within hours of being taken. This was the first time digital pictures were successfully transmitted from a US Navy ship at sea.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 19 December 1992, "Ranger" was relieved on station by "Kitty Hawk" and began her last journey homeward to San Diego.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: After the late 1980s defense cuts, "Ranger" did not undergo the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) modernization process as did her three sisters and the later "Kitty Hawk"-class ships, and by the early 1990s, her material condition was declining. Both the outgoing Bush and incoming Clinton administrations recommended cuts to the defense budget, so the retirement of "Ranger", along with her sisters "Forrestal" and "Saratoga", was put forth. "Ranger" was decommissioned on 10 July 1993 after 36 years of service, and was at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Washington. This decommissioning came instead of a refit scheduled for the same year. Such an extension would have extended "Ranger"s life into 2002, requiring a reauthorization in 1994. In September 2010, the not-for-profit USS "Ranger" Foundation submitted an application to Naval Sea Systems Command proposing the donation of "Ranger" for use as a museum ship and multipurpose facility, to be located on the Columbia River at Chinook Landing Marine Park in Fairview, Oregon. However, in September 2012, NAVSEA rejected the foundation's proposal, and redesignated the ship for scrapping. Preparations for disposal "Ranger" were completed 29 May 2014.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: In August 2014, a new attempt began to convince the Navy not to scrap the ship. A petition on Change.org attracted over 2500 signatures. The hope was that "Ranger" could be located in Long Beach harbor as a museum. However, when asked by the "Long Beach Press-Telegram", NAVSEA stated that "Ranger" was no longer available for donation and was slated to be scrapped in 2015.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 22 December 2014, the U.S. Navy paid one cent to International Shipbreaking of Brownsville, Texas, to tow and scrap "Ranger". International Shipbreaking paid to tow her around South America, through the Straits of Magellan, as "Ranger" was too big to fit through the Panama Canal. The tow began on 5 March 2015 from the inactive ships maintenance facility, Bremerton, Washington, to Brownsville. International Shipbreaking expected to make a profit from "Ranger" after the costs of the tow and the actual dismantling of the ship.


title: USS Ranger (CV-61)

text: On 7 April 2015, ex-"Ranger" was seen anchored about three miles offshore at Panama City, Panama, attracting a lot of wild speculation as President Obama was scheduled to arrive two days later, for the 7th Summit of the Americas. Newspapers went so far as to repeat the local speculation that the ship was there to provide security for President Obama. On 12 July 2015, "Ranger" arrived at Brownsville for scrapping. The scrapping process was completed on 1 November 2017, though more than five tons of historic items from the ship were preserved for display at the USS "Lexington" Museum.


title: Management by objectives

text: Management by objectives (MBO), also known as management by planning (MBP), was first popularized by Peter Drucker in his 1954 book "The Practice of Management". Management by objectives is the process of defining specific objectives within an organization that management can convey to organization members, then deciding how to achieve each objective in sequence. This process allows managers to take work that needs to be done one step at a time to allow for a calm, yet productive work environment. In this system of management, individual goals are synchronized with the goals of the organization.


title: Management by objectives

text: An important part of MBO is the measurement and comparison of an employee's actual performance with the standards set. Ideally, when employees themselves have been involved with the goal-setting and choosing the course of action to be followed by them, they are more likely to fulfill their responsibilities.


title: Management by objectives

text: According to George S. Odiorne, the system of management by objectives can be described as a process whereby the superior and subordinate jointly identify common goals, define each individual's major areas of responsibility in terms of the results expected of him or her, and use these measures as guides for operating the unit and assessing the contribution of each of its members. MBO refers to the process of setting goals for the employees so that they know what they are supposed to do at the workplace. Management by Objectives defines roles and responsibilities for the employees and help them chalk out their future course of action in the organization.


title: Management by objectives

text: Peter Drucker first used the term "management by objectives" in his 1954 book "The Practice of Management". While the basic ideas of MBO were not original to Drucker, they pulled from other management practices to create a complete 'system'. The idea draws on the many ideas presented in Mary Parker Follett's 1926 essay, "The Giving of Orders".


title: Management by objectives

text: After the term and idea were brought up, Drucker's student, George Odiorne, continued to develop the idea in his book "Management Decisions by Objectives", published in the mid-1960s. MBO was popularized by companies like Hewlett-Packard, who claimed it led to their success.


title: Management by objectives

text: Management by objectives at its core is the process of employers/supervisors attempting to manage their subordinates by introducing a set of specific goals that both the employee and the company strive to achieve in the near future, and working to meet those goals accordingly.


title: Management by objectives

text: Companies that use MBO often report greater sales rates and productiveness within the organization. Objectives can be set in all domains of activities, such as production, marketing, services, sales, R&D, human resources, finance, and information systems. Some objectives are collective, and some can be goals for each individual worker. Both make the task at hand seem attainable and enable the workers to visualize what needs to be done and how.


title: Management by objectives

text: There are endless ways to exercise management by objectives. One must find specific goals to aim for in an organization or business. Many noteworthy companies have used MBO. The management at the computer company Hewlett-Packard (HP) has said that it considers the policy a huge component of its success. Many other corporations praise the effectiveness of MBO, including Xerox, DuPont, Intel, and countless others. Companies that use MBO often report greater sales rates and productiveness within the organization. Objectives can be set in all domains of activities, such as production, marketing, services, sales, R&D, human resources, finance, and information systems. Some objectives are collective, and some can be goals for each worker. Both make the task at hand seem attainable and enable the workers to visualize what needs to be done and how.


title: Management by objectives

text: In the MBO paradigm, managers determine the enterprise's mission and strategic goals. The goals set by top-level managers are based on an analysis of what can and should be accomplished by the organization within a specific period of time. The functions of these managers can be centralized by appointing a project manager who can monitor and control the activities of the various departments. If this cannot be done or is not desirable, each manager's contributions to the organizational goal should be clearly spelled out.


title: Management by objectives

text: In many large Japanese corporations, beginning in the late 1990s, MBO was used as the basis of "the performance-based merit system” (seika-shugi) which used clear numerical targets to measure performance in contrast to the previous system of non-specific contracts in Japanese companies.


title: Management by objectives

text: Objectives need quantifying and monitoring. Reliable management information systems are needed to establish relevant objectives and monitor their "reach ratio" in an objective way. Pay incentives (bonuses) are often linked to results in reaching the objectives.


title: Management by objectives

text: The mnemonic S.M.A.R.T. is associated with the process of setting objectives in this paradigm. 'SMART' objectives are:


title: Management by objectives

text: MBO has its detractors and attention notably among them W. Edwards Deming, who argued that a lack of understanding of systems commonly results in the misapplication of objectives. Additionally, Deming stated that setting production targets will encourage workers to meet those targets through whatever means necessary, which usually results in poor quality.


title: Management by objectives

text: Point 7 of Deming's key principles encourages managers to abandon objectives in favour of leadership because he felt that a leader with an understanding of systems was more likely to guide workers to an appropriate solution than the incentive of an objective. Deming also pointed out that Drucker warned managers that a systemic view was required and felt that Drucker's warning went largely unheeded by the practitioners of MBO.


title: Management by objectives

text: That context includes everything from the availability and quality of resources, to relative buy-in by leadership and stake-holders. As an example of the influence of management buy-in as a contextual influencer, in a 1991 comprehensive review of thirty years of research on the impact of Management by Objectives, Robert Rodgers and John Hunter concluded that companies whose CEOs demonstrated high commitment to MBO showed, on average, a 56% gain in productivity. Companies with CEOs who showed low commitment only saw a 6% gain in productivity.


title: Management by objectives

text: When this approach is not properly set, agreed and managed by organizations, self-centered employees might be prone to distort results, falsely representing achievement of targets that were set in a short-term, narrow fashion. In this case, managing by objectives would be counterproductive.


title: Management by objectives

text: The limitations mentioned above, combined with the challenges faced by modern service companies, have led to the development of methods that integrate aspects of MBO but appear to be significantly more effective in application. These include, for example, the Objectives and key results (OKR) method, which was developed by John Doerr (among others) and has been used successfully in many companies, notably at Google. Agile management techniques also have a strong emphasis on goals. The group of management techniques that are based on goals, with a strong focus on engagement, team motivation and leadership, can be summarized as Management by Goals methods.


title: Management by objectives

text: Management by Objectives is still practiced today, with a focus on planning and development aiding various organizations. The most recent research focuses on specific industries, specifying the practice of MBO for each. In addition, following criticism of the original MBO approach, a new formula was introduced in 2016, aiming at revitalizing it, that is the OPTIMAL MBO, which stands for its components, namely: (O) Objectives, Outside-in; (P) Profitability (budget) related goals; (T) Target Setting; (I) Incentives & Influence; (M) Measurement; (A) Agreement, Accountability, Appraisal, Appreciation; and (L) Leadership Support.


title: Management by objectives

text: While the practice is used today, it may go by different names – the letters "MBO" have lost their formality, and future planning is a more standard practice.


title: Amber Mariano

text: Amber Joy Mariano (née Brkich; born August 11, 1978) is an American television personality and winner of "" with its $1,000,000 prize, after appearing as a contestant on one of its predecessors, "", where she placed 6th. Later, she was a participant in the 40th season, "", where she placed 20th, being the second voted out and the first member of the jury. She is married to fellow "Survivor" contestant of "", "", "", "Survivor: Winners at War" and winner of "", Rob Mariano, with whom she appeared in "The Amazing Race" twice, where they placed 2nd and 8th.


title: Amber Mariano

text: Born in the Pittsburgh suburb of Beaver, Pennsylvania, Amber Brkich went to Beaver Area High School. She is a graduate of Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations, with a minor in speech communications, in 2000. She is an alumna of Alpha Gamma Delta, having served as vice president and new member coordinator while still in school. She is of Croatian and Albanian descent on her paternal side.


title: Amber Mariano

text: She began a relationship with fellow reality star Rob Mariano in 2003, when they formed an alliance as castmates on "". They became engaged on May 9, 2004, during the show's live finale at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and married on April 16, 2005 at Atlantis Paradise Island in The Bahamas. CBS aired a two-hour special about the wedding, entitled "Rob and Amber Get Married", on May 24, 2005. After their marriage, the couple moved to Pensacola, Florida. They have four daughters: Lucia Rose (born July 4, 2009), Carina Rose (born December 10, 2010), Isabetta Rose (born May 5, 2012), and Adelina Rose (born June 20, 2014). Their family are members of the Catholic Church.


title: Amber Mariano

text: Brkich was a participant in the second season of "Survivor", having auditioned for the season on a whim. She was a member of the green Ogakor tribe, and she was quick to fortify a strong friendship with fellow contestant Jerri Manthey, who helped construct an alliance with Colby Donaldson and Mitchell Olson.


title: Amber Mariano

text: Upon the merge, Ogakor managed to use the knowledge that one of Kucha's members, Jeff Varner, had received votes beforehand, and eliminated him, thus gaining a numeric advantage over the other group. Later in the game however, it was decided by a majority of the remaining players that Brkich had played "under-the-radar", and she was sent home, ultimately landing in sixth place.


title: Amber Mariano

text: Immediately following her appearance on "", Brkich appeared on the cover of "Stuff" magazine. "Maxim" ranked her as the 50th most beautiful woman in the world in 2004 and 73rd in 2005. She also appeared in various commercials for Adelphia Cable, Rite Aid drugstores, and Mountaineer Racetrack in West Virginia.


title: Amber Mariano

text: Brkich was a member of the Chapera tribe, a group including Rob Mariano, Sue Hawk, and fellow "The Australian Outback" player Alicia Calaway. In the season's premiere episode, Mariano and Brkich agreed to form an alliance. They faced their first Tribal Council in the fourth episode, and their relationship was a matter of discussion; but ultimately, it was Rob Cesternino who was sent home. Due to a twist that dissolved one of the three tribes, Jenna Lewis and Rupert Boneham joined the Chapera tribe leading to Mariano and Brkich quickly fortifying a long-term alliance with the duo.


title: Amber Mariano

text: Mid-game, a tribal shuffle managed to swap every contestant to the opposite tribe with the exception of Brkich, who remained on the Chapera tribe with Lex van den Berghe, Shii Ann Huang, Jerri Manthey, and Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien. The tribe went on to lose the next challenge and upon leaving, Mariano informed van den Berghe that he would take care of him if he took care of Brkich. Van den Berghe, Huang, and Vavrick-O'Brien voted out Manthey in hopes that Mariano would keep his word.


title: Amber Mariano

text: After the merge, van den Berghe was voted out despite Mariano promising to take care of him. Mariano and Brkich also managed to maintain several "alliances," including their agreement with Boneham and Lewis, one with "Big Tom" Buchanan, and one with Calaway. Eventually, the pair ended up in the Final Four with Lewis and Boneham. Once there, Brkich won her first individual Immunity challenge, and she and Mariano convinced Lewis to vote out Boneham instead of forcing a tie. In the final three, Mariano won immunity and chose Brkich to continue with him to the Final Two. Facing the jury, they both met criticism for their gameplay. Ultimately, Brkich was victorious by becoming the Sole Survivor in a 4–3 vote, securing her the winner by receiving votes from van den Berghe, Calaway, Huang, and Buchanan while Mariano received votes from Vavrick-O'Brien, Boneham and Lewis. Before the vote was read, Mariano proposed to Brkich, which she accepted without hesitation.


title: Amber Mariano

text: After a 16-year and 32-season hiatus, Brkich, now using her married name of Mariano, returned to compete on the show's first all-winners season alongside her husband, Rob. She was a member of the Dakal tribe. After they lost the second immunity challenge, Mariano became the second contestant voted off as well as the second person sent to the Edge of Extinction. She lost the two Edge return challenges to Tyson Apostol and Natalie Anderson respectively and then became a permanent member of the jury on day 35. Her placement dropped down to 20th after the first boot Anderson won the second re-entry duel. Mariano voted for Tony Vlachos to win the season, which he did in a 12-4-0 vote and become the second two-time winner in "Survivor" history.


title: Amber Mariano

text: As an engaged couple, Mariano and Brkich participated in the seventh season of "The Amazing Race" and came in second place.


title: Amber Mariano

text: During a Roadblock challenge in Mendoza, Argentina, in the third leg of the race, contestants had to eat four pounds of meat. Mariano began the roadblock but very quickly determined he would not or could not eat that quantity. The penalty for not finishing the Roadblock was a 4-hour delay. By convincing several other contestants to refuse to participate, he ensured that several contestants were on the same timetable as he and Brkich. Also in South America, Mariano pooled his money with some other racers to bribe the bus driver to let the teams that contributed off earlier. When he did bribe the driver, Mariano used none of his own money.


title: Amber Mariano

text: In Botswana, during the sixth leg of the race, the couple was criticized by fellow racers, as well as host Phil Keoghan, when they drove by the car accident of another team, brothers Brian and Greg, without stopping. Their fellow competitors all checked in with the brothers prior to continuing on to the next stage of the race.


title: Amber Mariano

text: Mariano and Brkich ultimately finished in second place behind married couple Uchenna and Joyce. Amongst fans, there has been much speculation surrounding the final leg of the race. It has been argued that the production crew had intervened with the airport authorities and aided Uchenna and Joyce onto the same earlier plane as Mariano and Brkich. In the "Revisiting the Race" special feature on the Season 7 DVD, Mariano, along with Uchenna and Keoghan denied these accusations. Mariano describes Uchenna running around frantically trying to get onto the flight, which the final edited version of the show does not portray. Keoghan cites the fact that the decision to re-open the door rested solely with the pilot, and that intervention by the production crew would have resulted in someone leaking such information out. Although Mariano and Brkich lost the one million dollar grand prize and "The Amazing Race 7" winners' title at the final leg of the race, they managed to place 1st in the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 10th legs. They were the only team to not come in last place on any legs of the race.


title: Amber Mariano

text: In 2007, the Marianos competed on the "All-Stars" season of "The Amazing Race" as newlyweds. After achieving first place for the first three legs, they came in last and were eliminated in the season's fourth episode which aired on March 11, 2007.


title: Amber Mariano

text: In 2006, the Marianos filmed a ten-episode show for the Fox Reality Channel, "Rob and Amber: Against the Odds", which aired in 2007. Set in Las Vegas, the show follows Rob's attempt to become a professional poker player and features professional player Daniel Negreanu tutoring him.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Thomas Michael Hoare (17 March 1919 – 2 February 2020), known as Mad Mike Hoare, was a British mercenary soldier who operated during the Simba rebellion, and attempted to conduct a coup d'état in the Seychelles.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Hoare was born on Saint Patrick's Day in Calcutta to Irish parents. His father was a river pilot. At the age of eight he was sent to school in England to Margate College and then commenced training in accountancy and, as he was not able to go to Sandhurst, he joined the Territorial Army. Hoare's childhood hero was Sir Francis Drake. Aged 20 he joined the London Irish Rifles at the outbreak of the Second World War, later he then joined the 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps as a 2nd lieutenant and fought in the Arakan Campaign in Burma and at the Battle of Kohima in India. He was promoted to the rank of major. In 1945, he married Elizabeth Stott in New Delhi, by whom he had three children. A short man, Hoare was described by those who knew him as "dapper" and "charming".


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: After the war, he completed his training as a chartered accountant, qualifying in 1948. Hoare found life in London boring and decided to move to South Africa. He subsequently emigrated to Durban, Natal Province in the Union of South Africa where he later ran safaris and became a soldier-for-hire in various African countries. In Durban, Hoare was restless and sought adventures by marathon walking, riding a motorcycle from Cape Town to Cairo and seeking the rumoured Lost City of the Kalahari in the Kalahari desert. By the early 1960s, Hoare was extremely bored with his life as an accountant, and yearned to return to the life of a soldier, leading to his interest in becoming a mercenary.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Hoare's first mercenary action was in 1961 in Katanga, a province trying to break away from the newly independent Republic of the Congo. His unit was called "4 Commando". Hoare relished the macho camaraderie and the chaos of war, telling one journalist "you can't win a war with choirboys".


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: In 1964, Congolese Prime Minister Moïse Tshombe, his employer in Katanga, hired Hoare to lead a military unit called 5 Commando, "Armée Nationale Congolaise" 5 Commando (later led by John Peters; not to be confused with No.5 Commando, the British Second World War commando force) made up of about 300 men, most of whom were from South Africa. His second-in-command was a fellow ex-British Army officer, Commandant Alistair Wicks. The unit's mission was to fight a revolt known as the Simba rebellion. Tshombe distrusted General Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, the commander of the "Armée Nationale Congolaise" who had already carried two coups, and preferred to keep the Congolese Army weak even in the face of the Simba rebellion. Hence, Tshombe turned to mercenaries who already fought for him in Katanga to provide a professional military force.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: To recruit his force, Hoare placed newspaper ads in Johannesburg and Salisbury (modern Harare, Zimbabwe) calling upon physically fit white men capable of marching 20 miles per day who were fond of combat and were "tremendous romantics" to join 5 Commando. The moniker Mad Mike which was given to him by the British press suggested a "wildman" leader, but in fact Hoare was a very strict leader who insisted the men of 5 Commando always be clean-shaven, keep their hair cut short, never swear and attend church services every Sunday. The men of 5 Commando were entirely white and consisted of a "ragbag of misfits" upon whom he imposed stern discipline. 5 Commando was a mixture of South Africans, Rhodesians, British, Belgians, and Germans, of which the latter were mostly Second World War veterans who arrived in the Congo wearing Iron Crosses. Racist views towards blacks were very common in 5 Commando, but in press interviews, Hoare denied allegations of atrocities against the Congolese.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: To the press, Hoare insisted that the 5 Commando were not mercenaries, but rather "volunteers" who were waging an idealistic struggle against Communism in the Congo. Tshombe paid the men of 5 Commando a sum of money equal to $1,100 U.S dollars per month. Hoare always argued that he was a "romantic" who was fighting in the Congo for martial "glory", and insisted that for him the money was irrelevant. Whatever may have been Hoare's motivation, his men showed rapacious greed in the Congo, being noted for their looting and a tendency to steal equipment from the United Nations forces in the Congo. Reflecting his pride in his Irish heritage, Hoare adopted a flying goose as the symbol of 5 Commando and called his men the Wild Geese after the famous Irish soldiers who fought for the Stuarts in exile in the 17th and 18th centuries. Hoare was known for coolness and courage under fire as he believed that the best way to inspire his men, some of whom wilted under fire, was to lead from the front. He crushed a mutiny in his commando by pistol-whipping the leader of the mutiny.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Hoare led his men south and then turned north in a swiftly moving offensive, supported with aircraft flown by Cuban emigres. A particular specialty for Hoare was hijacking boats to take up the Congo river as he set about rescuing hostages from the Simbas. The Simbas were badly disciplined, poorly trained, and often not armed with modern weapons, and for all these reasons, the well-armed, -trained, and -disciplined 5 Commando had a shattering impact on the Simba rebellion. The British journalist A.J. Venter who covered the Congo crisis wrote as Hoare advanced, "the fighting grew progressively more brutal" with few prisoners taken. Hoare's advance was aided by the fact that the roads in the Congo left over from Belgian colonial rule were still usable in 1964-65. Hoare's men tended to collect the heads of Simbas and stick them to the sides of their jeeps.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Later Hoare and his mercenaries worked in concert with Belgian paratroopers, Cuban exile pilots, and CIA-hired mercenaries who attempted to save 1,600 civilians (mostly Europeans and missionaries) in Stanleyville (modern Kisangani, Congo) from the Simba rebels in Operation Dragon Rouge. This operation saved many lives. Hoare and the 5 Commando are estimated to have saved the lives of 2,000 Europeans taken hostage by the Simbas, which made him famous around the world. Many of the hostages had been so badly treated as to barely resemble humans, which added to the fame of Hoare, who was presented in the Western press as a hero. He wrote about Stanleyville under the Simbas: "The mayor of Stanleyville, Sylvere Bondekwe, a greatly respected and powerful man, was forced to stand naked before a frenzied crowd of Simbas while one of them cut out his liver." About Operation Dragon Rouge, he wrote: "Taking Stanleyville was the greatest achievement of the Wild Geese. There is only so much 300 men can do, but here we were, part of a very big push and clearing the rebels out of Stan was a major victory for our side." Hoare did not stop his men from sacking Stanleyville as the 5 Commando blew up the vaults of every bank and cleared out the alcohol in every bar in the city.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Hoare was later promoted to lieutenant-colonel in the "Armée Nationale Congolaise" and 5 Commando expanded into a two-battalion force. Hoare commanded 5 Commando from July 1964 to November 1965. After completing his service, he told the media that he estimated that 5 Commando had killed between 5,000-10,000 Simbas. The Simbas had been advised by Cuban officers, and one of them was the Argentine Communist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, which led to Hoare to claim he was the first man to have defeated Che Guevara.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Speaking on the conflict, he said, "I had wanted nothing so much as to have 5 Commando known as an integral part of the ANC, a 5 Commando destined to strike a blow to rid the Congo of the greatest cancer the world has ever known—the creeping, insidious disease of communism".


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Later, Hoare wrote his own account of 5 Commando's role in the 1960s Congo mercenary war, originally titled "Congo Mercenary" and much later repeatedly republished in paperback simply as "Mercenary" (subtitled "The Classic Account of Mercenary Warfare"). The exploits of Hoare and 5 Commando in the Congo were much celebrated for decades afterward and helped contribute significantly to the glorification of the mercenary lifestyle in magazines such as "Soldier of Fortune" together with countless pulp novels that featured heroes clearly modeled after Hoare. The popular image of mercenaries fighting in Africa in the 1960s to the present is that of a macho adventurers defiantly living life on their own terms together with much drinking and womanizing mixed in with hair-raising adventures.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: In the mid-1970s, Hoare was hired as technical adviser for the film "The Wild Geese", the fictional story of a group of mercenary soldiers hired to rescue a deposed African president who resembled Tshombe while the central African nation the story was set in resembled the Congo. The character "Colonel Alan Faulkner" (played by Richard Burton) was modelled on Hoare. At least one of the actors in the film, Ian Yule, had been a mercenary under Hoare's command, before which he had served in the British Parachute Regiment and Special Air Service (SAS). Of the actors playing mercenaries, four were born in Africa, two were former POWs, and most had received military training.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: In an interview, Hoare praised "The Wild Geese" as an authentic picture of the mercenary lifestyle in Africa saying: "In a good mercenary outfit, they're all there because they want to be. All right, the motive is probably the high money they earn, but they all want to do it. They're all volunteers". The film's message that Africa needed pro-Western leaders like Tshombe and that mercenaries who fought for such leaders were heroes seemed to reflect Hoare's influence.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: In 1978, Seychelles exiles in South Africa, acting on behalf of ex-president James Mancham, discussed with South African Government officials launching a coup d'état against the new president France-Albert René, who had "promoted" himself from prime minister while Mancham was out of the country. The coup was seen favorably by some in Washington, D.C., due to the United States' concerns over access to its new military base on Diego Garcia island, the necessity to move operations from the Seychelles to Diego Garcia, and the determination that René was not someone who would be in favour of the United States.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Associates of Mancham contacted Hoare, then in South Africa as a civilian resident, who eventually raised a force of about 55 men including ex-South African Special Forces (Recces), former Rhodesian soldiers, and ex-Congo mercenaries.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Now in November 1981, Hoare dubbed them "Ye Ancient Order of Froth Blowers" (AOFB) after a charitable English social club of the 1920s. In order for the plan to work, he disguised the mercenaries as a rugby club, and hid AK-47s in the bottom of their luggage, as he explained in his book "The Seychelles Affair":


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: We were a Johannesburg beer-drinking club. We met formally once a week in our favourite pub in Braamfontein. We played Rugby. Once a year we organised a holiday for our members. We obtained special charter rates. Last year we went to Mauritius. In the best traditions of the original AOFB we collected toys for underprivileged kids and distributed them to orphanages ... I made sure the toys were as bulky as possible and weighed little. Rugger footballs were ideal. These were packed in the special baggage above the false bottom to compensate for the weight of the weapon.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: The fighting started prematurely when one of Hoare's men accidentally got into the "something to declare" line at which the customs officer insisted on searching his bag. The rifles were well-concealed in the false-bottomed kitbags; however, one rifle was found and a customs officer sounded the alarm. One of Hoare's men pulled his own, disassembled AK-47 from the concealed compartment in the luggage, assembled it, loaded it and shot the escaping customs man before he could reach the other side of the building.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: The plan for the coup proceeded despite this set-back with one team of Hoare's men attempting to capture a barracks. Fighting ensued at the airport and in the middle of this, an Air India jet (Flight 224) landed at the airport, damaging a flap on one of the trucks strewn on the runway. Hoare managed to negotiate a ceasefire before the aircraft and passengers were caught in the crossfire. After several hours, the mercenaries found themselves in an unfavorable position where some wanted to depart on the aircraft, which needed fuel. Hoare conceded and the captain of the aircraft allowed them on board after Hoare had found fuel for the aircraft.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: On board, Hoare asked the captain why he had landed when he had been informed of the fighting taking place, to which the pilot responded once the aircraft had started to descend he did not have enough fuel to climb the aircraft back to cruising altitude and still make his destination. Hoare's men still had their weapons and Hoare asked the captain if he would allow the door to be opened so they could ditch the weapons over the sea before they returned to South Africa, but the captain laughed at Hoare's out-of-date knowledge on how pressurized aircraft functioned, telling him it would not be at all possible.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Six of the mercenary soldiers stayed behind on the islands; four were convicted of treason in the Seychelles.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: In January 1982 an International Commission, appointed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 496, inquired into the attempted coup d'état. The UN report concluded that South African defence agencies were involved, including supplying weapons and ammunition.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Being associated with the South African security services, the hijackers were initially charged with kidnapping, which carries no minimum sentence, but this was upgraded to hijacking after international pressure.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Hoare was found guilty of aeroplane hijacking and sentenced to ten years in prison. In total, 42 of the 43 alleged hijackers were convicted. One of the mercenaries, an American veteran of the Vietnam War, was found not guilty of hijacking, as he had been seriously wounded in the firefight and was loaded aboard while sedated. Many of the other mercenaries, including the youngest of the group, Raif St Clair, were quietly released after serving three months of their six-month terms in their own prison wing. Hoare spent 33 months in prison until released after a Christmas Presidential amnesty. During his 33 months in prison, Hoare consoled himself by memorising Shakespeare.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Hoare was a chartered accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Previously the Institute had said it could not expel him despite protests from members as he had committed no offence and paid his membership dues. His imprisonment allowed the ICAEW to expel him from membership in 1983.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Hoare's account of the Seychelles operation, "The Seychelles Affair", was markedly critical of the South African establishment. In 2013, he published his seventh book, a historical novel entitled "The Last Days of the Cathars" about the medieval persecution of the Cathars in the south-west of France. In his last decades, Hoare had extensively studied the beliefs of the Cathars.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: Hoare married Elizabeth Stott in New Delhi in 1945 and together they had three children, Chris, Tim and Geraldine.


title: Mad Mike Hoare

text: He left accountancy and ran a motor car business. In 1954, he motorcycled across Africa from Cape Town to Cairo. In 1959 he set up a safari business in the Kalahari and the Okavango delta. A keen sailor, he had a yacht in Durban, then later bought a 23-metre Baltic trader called "Sylvia" in which he sailed the Western Mediterranean for three years with his family and wrote a book about the travels.