About 75 communist soldiers who had seized key outposts in the city of Dalat, 145 miles northeast of Saigon, manage to slip past 2,500 South Vietnamese militiamen and soldiers who had surrounded their positions. In earlier fighting, 47 communist soldiers were reported killed; South Vietnamese reported that 16 soldiers were killed and 2 were wounded.
Operations Continue In Cambodia
A force of 10,000 South Vietnamese troops, supported by 200 U.S. advisers, aircraft and logistical elements, attack into what was known as the “Parrot’s Beak,” the area of Cambodia that projects into South Vietnam above the Mekong Delta. The South Vietnamese reached the town of Takeo in a 20-mile thrust. This action was part of […]
Heyerdahl Sails Papyrus Boat
On May 17, 1970, Norwegian ethnologist Thor Heyerdahl and a multinational crew set out from Morocco across the Atlantic Ocean in Ra II, a papyrus sailing craft modeled after ancient Egyptian sailing vessels. Heyerdahl was attempting to prove his theory that Mediterranean civilizations sailed to America in ancient times and exchanged cultures with the people […]
Air Force Sergeant Awarded Medal Of Honor
At the White House, President Richard Nixon presents Sgt. John L. Levitow with the Medal of Honor for heroic action performed on February 24, 1969, over Long Binh Army Post in South Vietnam. Then an Airman 1st Class, Levitow was the loadmaster on a Douglas AC-47 gunship. His aircraft had been supporting several Army units […]
South Vietnamese Sustain Second Highest Casualties Of War
Allied military officials announce that 863 South Vietnamese were killed from May 3 to 9. This was the second highest weekly death toll of the war to date for the South Vietnamese forces. These numbers reflected the changing nature of the war as U.S. forces continued to withdraw and the burden of the fighting was […]
Ernie Banks Hits 500th Home Run
On this day in 1970, Chicago Cubs slugger Ernie Banks hits the 500th home run of his career. “Mr. Cub” was known for his engaging personality and love of the game, traits on display even as the dismal Cubs suffered through losing season after losing season. The Chicago White Stockings, as the Cubs were originally […]
Blackmun Confirmed To Supreme Court
The Senate confirms President Richard M. Nixon’s nomination of Federal Circuit Judge Harry A. Blackmun to the U.S. Supreme Court. Blackmun, born in Nashville, Illinois, in 1908, was regarded as a staunch conservative when he joined the nation’s highest court as an associate justice in 1970. Widely praised for his scholarly and carefully drafted opinions, […]
Bobby Orr Leads Bruins To Stanley Cup Title
Bobby Orr scores the winning goal 40 seconds into sudden-death overtime to lift the Boston Bruins over the St. Louis Blues for the Stanley Cup title on this day in 1970. It was the Bruins’ first championship in 29 years. The Bruins had finished dead last in their division in seven of the previous eight […]