A large crowd gathered in Paris on the morning of 15 October 1917. Elegantly dressed in a pearl-grey dress, veil, and her best shoes, Mata Hari walked to an inner courtyard in a Parisian chateau. She refused both blindfold and tether, blew a kiss to the firing squad, and died. One of the soldiers was overcome by emotion and fainted. Her long-estranged husband said "Whatever she’s done in life, she did not deserve that." Whether she was spying for the Germans, or for both the French and Germans, it is likely that neither camp was comfortable with her living with the information she had gathered in the previous decade of very high-level bedhopping.
One of the proudest moments in Seattle history was on a sunny afternoon at a hydroplane race. The pilot doing aerobatics in a jet airliner knew what he was doing, but his bosses were horrified.
Today the war in Vietnam was authorized. Our quotes relate to that experience, I think Senator Fulbright's comment in particular is telling - before Vietnam we did believe what the government said.
We also have the first black women taking Olympic medals (both Americans), the creation of the original Purple Heart, and a Colombian holiday recalling Simon Bolivar's first great revolutionary victory in South America.
1782
- At Newburgh, New York General George Washington devised the Badge of
Military Merit for enlisted men and noncommissioned officers. Decorations
for the lower ranks were then unknown in European armies. Only three were
issued during the Revolution and the medal was not awarded again until
1932. Originally issued for "any singularly meritorious Action," the modern
Purple Heart was awarded to those killed or wounded "in any action against
an enemy of the United States" and has since been expanded to casualties
in peacekeeping actions or as result of terrorist attacks.
1948 - Alice Coachman jumped 5 feet 6-1/4 inches to win the gold medal in the high jump at the Olympic Games in London, England, raising the record a full three inches and becoming the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. It was just days after her teammate Audrey Patterson took the bronze in the 200-meter sprint to be the first black woman to win any Olympic medal.
1955 - Alvin M. "Tex" Johnston flew the Boeing Model 367-80 (the prototype of the 707) over the Seafair Hydroplane race course on Lake Washington, three years before the 707 entered commercial service. In front of a crowd of 200,000 race fans, including Boeing executives, he performed a barrel roll. Then he turned around and did it again. And kept his job for 14 more years.
1964 - In response to reported "unprovoked" attacks by North Vietnamese torpedo boats on 2 and 4 August against USS Maddox and USS C. Turner Joy in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Senate voted 88 to 2 and the House 416 to 0 to pass Joint Resolution of Congress H. J. RES 1145, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Contrary to Administration testimony, the first attack was probably not unprovoked and there is some evidence to suspect that the second didn't occur.
Battle of Boyaca, Colombia - Commemorates a battle fought on this day in 1819 near Boyaca in New Granada (which became Colombia) between a royalist Spanish army and a colonial army led by Simon Bolivar made up from both Venezuela and New Granada. Bolivar had made two earlier starts at a revolution in Venezuela, this was the first in a long string of victories that actually freed most of northern South America.
1876
- Mata Hari, Dutch entertainer, spy - Born Margaretha Geertruida
Zelle in Leewarden, Holland, daughter of a wealthy merchant, attended
private schools, family moved to The Hague 1889. Met Colonel Rudolph MacLeod,
back from East Indies service in the Dutch Army, married 11 July 1895,
moved to Java and had two children. MacLeod raped a servant's daughter,
their son was poisoned in revenge. They returned to Holland where Rudolph
devoted himself to other women and drink, Margaretha left him, sent daughter
to relatives, went to Paris 1902. Tried modeling, "Margaretha" made her
debut as an oriental dancer at Mme. Kireevsky salon in Paris 1905, then
"Lady MacLeod," finally created "Mata Hari" persona ("Child of the Dawn"
in Hindi) with bangles, bracelets, and memories of Javanese dancers. Traveled
the world, sleeping with soldiers and statesmen, returned to Paris 1915.
Suspected of spying, depoted to Holland, she evaded constant surveillance,
probably setup by both German and French Intelligence, arrested 13 February
1917. Claims that she delivered information to Germans was not supported
at a military trial in July, but she was convicted and shot by a firing
squad in an inner court of the Chateau of Vincennes at Paris on 15 October
1917.
The Vietnam War has been the subject of thousands of newspaper and magazine
articles, hundreds of books, and scores of movies and television documentaries.
The great majority of these efforts have erroneously portrayed many myths
about the Vietnam War as being facts.
- Richard M. Nixon
I predict you will sink step by step into a bottomless quagmire, however
much you spend in men and money.
- General Charles De Gaulle
The Vietnam War required us to emphasize the national interest rather
than abstract principles.... What President Nixon and I tried to do was
unnatural. And that is why we didn't make it.
- Henry Alfred Kissinger
The biggest lesson I learned from Vietnam is not to trust [our own] government
statements. I had no idea until then that you could not rely on [them].
- James William Fulbright
Our numbers have increased in Vietnam because the aggression of others
has increased in Vietnam. There is not, and there will not be, a mindless
escalation.
- Lyndon Baines Johnson
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