Looking to determine the type of tick and risk associated that we pulled off our toddlers scalp. My wife killed it, so it’s not in the best condition. This is in Southeast Pennsylvania. Dime for scale

MAY 15th, 2024~Advancing Scandium Use in Metal Alloys for U.S. Weapon System Production and Sustainment

Advancing Scandium Use in Metal Alloys for U.S. Weapon System Production and Sustainment SBIR.gov
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OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Advanced Materials

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

OBJECTIVE: The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) seeks to promote responsive, best value supplies of related materials, components, and systems to Department of Defense (DoD) customers and other DoD stakeholders. DLA investigates advancements in technologies and business processes for new and improved materials, more efficient means of their production, and competitive domestic supply chains which will lead to greater innovation in current and future defense systems combined with benefits to other commercial and government applications.
DLA is interested in exploring future defense industrial base uses for scandium (Sc) because of its unique properties as a pure metal and, as an alloying agent, to significantly increase the performance of traditional aluminum (Al) alloys, and therefore expand the use of Al alloys. Further benefits include, substituting aluminum-scandium (Al-Sc) alloys for incumbent expensive materials (e.g., titanium) and/or replacing material forms that are both costly and difficult to source (e.g., forging, complex machined parts, and extrusions), as Al-Sc alloys are highly compatible with additive manufacturing techniques.
Scandium can impart high strength properties to Al alloys which allows for reduced weight designs (compared to traditional Al alloy) and components for a wide range of defense platforms and other military items. Al-Sc alloys exhibit increased resistance to high temperature and corrosion when compared to common Al alloys. Of further interest, is the high weldability of Al-Sc alloy. Alloys with high weldability can reduce manufacturing labor and other costs associated with joining components and structures. Al-Sc alloy can be especially useful when used as a powder or wire in additive manufacturing. Potential DoD applications for Al-Sc alloy include the production and sustainment of missiles, aircraft, space launch vehicles, satellites, solider systems, military ground vehicles, marine applications, and other weapon systems (e.g., small arms and artillery).
While Sc metal has many attractive material characteristics, its cost is frequently considered prohibitive for Al alloying purposes compared to other alloying elements. In addition, the supply of Sc metal and compounds is limited and highly concentrated in a small number of foreign countries including China and Russia. As such, there is reluctance to develop wide scale uses for Al-Sc alloys for many applications including DoD weapon systems and large-scale non-defense applications (e.g., commercial aviation and automotive manufacturing).

In the United States mining operations for Sc ore are being planned and developed to feed a domestic supply chain and, recently, new sources of Sc now exist in Canada (an important member country of DoD’s National Technology Industrial Base). There are also established defense industrial base companies and other businesses in both countries that can significantly contribute to development and commercialization of Al-Sc supply chains for both military and commercial applications.

Given the important properties of Sc, and in anticipation of increased affordable domestic supply, DLA is interested in engaging small businesses with the capability to develop and expand expertise and industrial base production capacity of Sc-containing materials, especially in areas relevant to the supply of Al-Sc alloy components for DoD end-uses.

Specific materials, processing and manufacturing areas of interest include:

• Raw material refining
• High purity Sc metals, compounds, and alloys
• Additive manufacturing feedstock
• Additively manufactured DoD systems prototype parts

Research and Development (R&D) efforts selected under this topic shall demonstrate and involve a degree of risk where the technical feasibility of the proposed work has not been fully established. Further, proposed efforts must be judged to be at a Technology and/or Manufacturing Readiness Level (TRL/MRL) 6 or less, but greater than TRL/MRL 3 to receive funding consideration.

TRL 3. (Analytical and Experimental Critical Function and/or Characteristic Proof of Concept)
TRL 6. (System/Subsystem Model or Prototype Demonstration in a Relevant Environment)

DESCRIPTION: DLA seeks SBIR project opportunities in new and innovative materials, processing, and manufacturing of Sc compounds, Sc metal, Al-Sc alloy and master alloys, and related areas of additive manufacturing. While Al and Sc are the primary metals of interest for this solicitation, it is anticipated that additional alloying elements may be included to tailor the final alloy properties. Specific areas of interest include:

• Processing mining ores (and/or scrap waste streams) into high purity Sc compounds (ex., Sc-oxide) feedstock for production of pure Sc metal, Al-Sc alloy, master alloys, etc.
• Commercial production of high purity Sc metal (domestic feedstock preferred)
• Commercial production of Al-Sc alloy powder and wire for additive manufacturing
• Demonstrating additively manufactured Al-Sc alloy parts for DoD weapon systems.

DLA seeks opportunities that include strong industry supply chain collaboration with established materials companies relevant to the above areas of interest in Sc materials processing, as well as strong collaboration with traditional or non-traditional DoD weapon systems suppliers. DLA similarly desires SBIR opportunities that include collaboration with interested DoD weapon system program offices and/or relevant DoD RDT&E organizations.

PROJECT DURATION and COST: Proposals exceeding these limits will not be evaluated.
PHASE I: Not to exceed a duration of 12 months and cost of $100,000.
PHASE II: Not to exceed a duration of 24 months and cost of $1,000,000.

PHASE I: Phase I will demonstrate proof of concept in one or more of the above areas of interest in scandium materials and processing. A technology development and commercialization roadmap will be produced along with a preliminary business case analysis for transition and industrial scale up. Strong industry supply chain collaboration with established materials companies relevant to the above areas of interest in scandium materials and processing is expected, along with involvement of one or more traditional or non-traditional DoD weapon systems suppliers. Strong support from one or more interested DoD weapon system program offices and/or relevant DoD RDT&E organization required.

PHASE II: Depending on Phase I results, Phase II will consist of establishing pilot scale or low-rate production of technologies that are successfully demonstrated in Phase I. Additional activities may include further materials and processing testing, characterization, and data base development of related materials and processes that can be used by future producers of scandium materials of interest (e.g., compounds, metals, alloys, and master alloys as well as related additive manufacturing powders and wire, and fabricators of aluminum scandium end-items). Development of a detailed business case analysis and commercialization plan will be required.

Strong industry supply chain collaboration with established materials companies relevant to the above areas of interest in scandium materials and processing, along with involvement from traditional and/or non-traditional DoD weapon systems suppliers, is required, along with strong support from interested DoD weapon system program offices and/or relevant DoD RDT&E organizations.

Innovative materials and processes, and commercially viable sources of their supply, shall be developed with the goal to readily transition to production in support of DoD and its supply chains.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III is any proposal that derives from, extends or completes a transition from a Phase I or II project. Phase III proposals will be accepted after the completion of Phase I and or Phase II projects.
There is no specific funding associated with Phase III, except Phase III is not allowed to use SBISTTR coded funding. Any other type of funding is allowed.
Phase III proposal Submission. Phase III proposals are emailed directly to DLA SBIR2@dla.mil. The PMO team will set up evaluations and coordinate the funding and contracting actions depending on the outcome of the evaluations. A Phase III proposal should follow the same format as Phase II for the content and format. There are, however, no limitations to the amount of funding requested, or the period of performance. All other guidelines apply.

Transition Plan

1. Period of Performance: TBD
2. Budget: $ TBD

This Phase of the project should include:

1. Delivery of a production level product to J68 ready for integration into the overall DLA Enterprise system.
   
2. Develop a sustainment plan to support the delivered system for the lifetime of the program.
   

REFERENCES:

1. Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey

Jones, R.; Peng, D.; Ang, A.; Aston, R.W.; Schoenborn, N.D.; Phan, N.D. A Comparison of the Damage Tolerance of AA7075-T6, AA2024-T3, and Boeing Space, Intelligence, and Weapons Systems AM-Built LPBF Scalmalloy. Aerospace 2023, 10, 733.

https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10080733

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1. Conclusions Noting that AA7075-T6 is widely used by both fixed- and rotary-wing military aircraft, as well as in space structures, the initial objective of this study was to directly compare crack growth in identical AA7075-T6 and Scalmalloy specimens tested in the same servohydraulic facility under the same stresses and by the same operators. The experimental data reveal that Boeing Space, Intelligence, and Weapons Systems AM-built Scalmalloy appears to be more damage tolerant than the conventionally built aluminium alloy AA7075-T6. As a result, Boeing Space, Intelligence, and Weapons Systems printed Scalmalloy would appear to be particularly attractive for use on a range of military aircraft, as well as for space applications. It also highlights the potential for Boeing Space, Intelligence, and Weapons Systems Scalmalloy to be used to extend the operational lives of military aircraft through the on-demand printing of limited life Scalmalloy replacement parts. The results of this initial test program have led to the hypothesis that the da/dN versus ∆K curves associated with Scalmalloy and conventionally built AA2024-T3 should be similar. This hypothesis was, subsequently, validated by comparison to AA2024-T3 da/dN versus ∆K curves taken from the Nasgro database. This observation subsequently led to the conjecture that the small crack da/dN versus ∆K curves associated with Scalmalloy and AA2024-T3, which are needed for a durability analysis, should be similar. If this hypothesis can be confirmed, then given that: (i) Scalmalloy has a yield stress significantly greater than that of AA2024-T3; (ii) AA2024-T3 is widely used in both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft; (iii) MIL-STD-1530D mandates that there must be no yield at 100% DLL and the US Joint Services Structural Guidelines JSSG2006 states that there should be no yield at 115% DLL, the use of Scalmalloy for both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, and drones would appear to be very attractive. As such, the next stage in the study will involve the determination of valid upper bound da/dN versus ∆K curves for the growth of short cracks in AA2024-T3.

GIVEN ONCE FINANCED:

ON Sept. 28, 2023~ NioCorp ANNOUNCES Plans to Produce Made-in-USA Scandium Master Alloy to Supply Lightweight Parts to Vehicles

NioCorp Plans to Produce Made-in-USA Scandium Master Alloy to Supply Lightweight Parts to Vehicles NioCorp Developments Ltd.
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NioCorp Now Working With Automakers To Develop Aluminum-Scandium Vehicle Parts That Are Stronger, Lighter, Higher-Performing, and Fully Recyclable
Prototype Aluminum-Scandium Alloy Parts Have Dual Uses in Commercial and Military Applications
EV/Hybrid Sales Forecasts Predict Tens of Millions of Units Globally By 2030^\1]), Underscoring the Importance of Bringing New Sources of Non-Chinese and Non-Russian Scandium Supply Online, NioCorp Says
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (August 14, 2023) – A phased program to establish U.S. commercial production of aluminum-scandium (“AlSc”) master alloy took another step forward recently as NioCorp Developments Ltd. (“NioCorp” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:NB) (TSX:NB) and its development partner Nanoscale Powders LLC (“Nanoscale”) successfully produced scandium metal at pilot-scale at a facility owned and operated by Creative Engineers in Pennsylvania.
The next step in the pilot-scale program is to produce kilogram-sized ingots of AlSc master alloy for independent testing and commercial product samples. The first of these AlSc master alloy ingots is expected to be produced in the coming weeks.

Three-Phase Commercialization Program

NioCorp and Nanoscale are pursuing a three-phased development plan for commercial production of AlSc master alloy. The goal of this program is to achieve full-scale AlSc master alloy production at approximately the same time as the Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project (the “Elk Creek Project”) achieves commercial operation and planned production of approximately 100 tonnes per year of scandium oxide.

1. Pilot scale batch production of 10 kilogram master alloy ingots**. Master alloy produced will be fully analyzed (metals and gases) at independent test facilities. Ingot samples will be available for third-party examination and prospective customer testing / sampling.**
2. Commercial demonstration production of 100 kg ingots**. NioCorp expects to perform this work at a third-party ingot casting facility, which is expected to significantly reduce development timelines and cost as well as leverage existing facility permits and operator experience. The objective of this stage will be to optimize the production process and operating conditions.**
3. Full scale commercial production of master alloy**. Assuming successful results at the pilot scale and commercial demonstration stages, and once project financing is obtained, NioCorp intends to secure an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contractor to construct, start up, and commission a full-scale production facility with the capacity to consume up to the Elk Creek Project’s projected scandium production of approximately 100 tonnes (Sc metal contained in master alloy) per year. NioCorp intends to co-locate the full-scale production facility with the Elk Creek Project in Nebraska in order to take advantage of the infrastructure (i.e., low-cost power, water, and natural gas) that will be in place for mining operations.**

NioCorp and Nanoscale also plan to develop recycling approaches for scrap alloy, including work-in-process material and post-production scrap.
Qualified Persons:
Scott Honan, M.Sc., SME-RM, COO of NioCorp Developments Ltd., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information and verified the data contained in this news release.

***SEE RESPONSES FROM NIOCORP/JIM SIMS FROM AUGUST 14, 2023 ~Good morning - Jim!

While waiting for Niocorp’s 2023 F.S. Release… The announcement for Scandium Alloy Production & Scandium alloy funding are most welcome!

Leading me to add to my line of questions regarding Scandium & (Niocorp).

A) Would Niocorp qualify for a portion of this recent funding once approved by Congress? Moving forward.
RESPONSE:

"This funding was placed in the FY24 DoD Appropriations bill at the request of Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for the purpose of helping to fund NioCorp's effort to establish domestic commercial production of AlSc master alloy. There is always a process within the DoD to select appropriate projects with funding provided to it by Congress. In this case, however, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees provided additional guidance to DoD on this topic in their respective National Defense Authorization bills, including prioritizing domestic production of such materials. "

Next Question ~ For context:

(Imperial mining, CleanTech, & Scandium International all have patents on Scandium & Sc aluminum alloy products. Rio Tinto has established a North American domestic supply(@15 tons/year with expansion capabilities) & has established a working relationship with Boeing.
Niocorp has produced Scandium aluminum with both IBC (under Chris Huskamp now with Jabil) & with Ames Lab, but has yet to patent any process or materials.
Niocorp has established a working relationship with Nanoscale to produce patentable Scandium Aluminum products in the years ahead…)
Jim-
B) How Does/will Niocorp’s expected Scandium production & future patentable Scandium materials be utilized by management moving forward? Once realized…. ; and How do/would they compare to those materials & alloys already developed or patented?
RESPONSE:

"Latent markets for scandium oxide and aluminum-scandium master alloy – both commercial and military -- are quite large, and we are working with a number of potential scandium consumers and related technology companies interested in scandium. We will make announcements in this area as developments require. In general, we don’t comment on detailed commercial business strategies except in the course of necessary announcements and/or public filings. "

C) In addition to Niocorp’s collaboration with NanoScale. Is Niocorp currently working/engaged with other entities such as (Ames Lab, DoD, DoE, Chris Huskamp/Jabil & others) on Scandium Materials/patents?
Or on Niobium, Titanium, or Rare Earth future products (Oxides, Magnets…)
Please comment where possible.
RESPONSE:

"There are multiple such engagements ongoing now for each product in our planned product offering. In general, we don’t comment on commercial business strategies except in the course of necessary announcements and/or public filings. "

D) Are other Entities besides EXIM Bank and Stellantis still interested as possible Debt/Equity finance or Anchor Investos partners moving foward?
Leading to a Final Elk Creek Finance package?
RESPONSE:

"YES!"

FOLLOWING THE TRAIL....

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NIOBIUM, TITANIUM, SCANDIUM & RARE EARTH MINERALS: ~H.R. 2670 - NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024~ The urgent need to diversify the United States Defense Industrial base to advance domestic capability, production, modernization, and resilience!

CRPT-118hrpt125.pdf (govinfo.gov)

Page #251~Secure Supply of Niobium Oxide

Page # 232 & 233 ~Extraction and Processing Methods of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals

Page # 223 -224 Aquisition of Titanium

Page # 225-26 ~Aluminum-Scandium Master Alloy Production

The committee recognizes that China is a major producer of high-purity scandium oxide, which has many powerful applications in defense technologies, including strengthening and light-weighting defense and commercial aviation systems. As scandium oxide pro-duction is established in the United States, a missing supply chain component is the conversion of scandium from its oxide form to aluminum-scandium (AlSc) master alloy. This process step is required for utilization of U.S.-mined scandium by many defense applications. At present, production capacity of AlSc master alloy is limited to one facility in the United States. The committee recognizes that the United States may soon become a major producer of highpurity scandium oxide by virtue of a proposed mine and mineral processing project in Nebraska. The committee recognizes the defense-wide importance of a vertical domestic supply chain for both Scandium Oxide and AlSc master alloy and the critical importance of both materials for the production of air-, land-, and sea-based combat systems.
NIOBIUM, TITANIUM, SCANDIUM & RARE EARTH MINERALS: ~H.R. 2670 - NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024~ The urgent need to diversify the United States Defense Industrial base to advance domestic capability, production, modernization, and resilience!
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AUGUST 9, 2023 ~Nebraska’s U.S. Senator Deb Fischer and Congressman Don Bacon Secure $10 Million in Federal Funding for U.S. Aluminum-Scandium Master Alloy Production~

Nebraska’s U.S. Senator Deb Fischer and Congressman Don Bacon Secure $10 Million in Federal Funding for U.S. Aluminum-Scandium Master Alloy Production NioCorp Developments Ltd.
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FORM YOUR OWN OPINIONS & CONCLUSIONS ABOVE:

IMHO- "I think the DoD is still interested! plus...."

All the above BODES WELL FOR NIOCORP & for all the Goodies they will produce -(The Critical Minerals Niobium, Scandium, Titanium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, {lus BYPRODUCTS ~CaCO3, MgCO3 & some IRON STUFF~) should Financing be achieved.... !

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FULL STEAM AHEAD NIOCORP! Waiting with many....

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Chico

WWE Smackdown Scorecard /Cuadro de mando WWE Smackdown/WWE Smackdown スコアカード
10.05.24 Wilkes Barre, PA
Here is the scorecard of WWE’s weekly Smackdown./Aquí está el cuadro de mando del Smackdown semanal de WWE/これは WWE の毎週 Smackdown のスコアカードです#pwhiddendoor #prowrestling #luchalibre #プロレス #worldwrestlingentertainment #wwesmackdown #wilkesbarre #wwe #pennsylvania

Colonel James M. Gavin shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the War Department and closed his eyes tightly to block out the pressure he felt building up in his head. Opening them, he continued to read the newspaper sprawled out on his mahogany desk:
PRESIDENT LA FOLLETTE ACQUITTED IN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
RUMORS OF SHAKE-UP WITHIN ADMINISTRATION AND MORE OPPOSITION ARRESTS ABOUND
In a rare moment of outward fury for the normally stoic soldier, Gavin crumpled the newspaper and threw it across his Pentagon staff office. He had already read the thing twice over to make sure he hadn’t missed anything the first time. To read it again would just be an exercise in making himself even more depressed. Colonel Gavin stood up and walked to the office window and looked out. Summer was rapidly dying and Fall was taking root, already some of the leaves on the trees were turning to new, vibrant colors. His office with the Strategic Plans Department was on the Eastern side of the Pentagon and offered him a view of the gently flowing Potomac River and into Washington DC itself. On clear days, such as today, he could even see the needle of the Washington Monument sticking triumphantly high into the sky. On other days the view might have filled him with pride, but today all he felt was dread. Looking over the Potomac he tried to make out where the White House would be. What was going on in there right now? Was the President and his gang of fascist jackals working out their next plan to strip away American democracy or disappear another political opponent at this very moment? Was this what he had fought for? What so many of his comrades in arms had died for?
He thought back. Gavin had always wanted to be a soldier. He was not born into some political dynasty or with a silver spoon in his mouth, no, he had to work for everything he wanted. He had been an orphan and whatever free time he had was devoted to work. Whether as a paperboy or a barbers assistant caring for the miners in his poor Pennsylvania town, he was always working. He knew he had to get out. Listening to his school teachers' lectures about the Civil War and the stories of discharged veterans from the Canadian front opened his eyes to the world outside coal mining and poverty. He knew had to be a soldier. The Americans who went off to fight in these wars were heroes to him, they did not fight for riches, they fought for what was good, decent, honorable, and righteous. Democracy. The thought was the only thing that kept him going when he had to get up before the crack of dawn, when he had to give up on making friends, and when his adoptive father forced him to drop out of school in 8th grade to work full time. He had his break when the Revolution began in 1921 and at only 15 years old he ran from home to join an anti-communist militia marching off to liberate New York City. Gavin was filled with pride as they marched off to battle and sang old marching tunes as well as praises for the newly inaugurated President Lejeune. Wearing a shabby, worn-out uniform a kind Sergeant had given to him, and using an old hunting rifle, he fought through the streets of the Big Apple alongside Patton’s regulars and the collaborationist bastard Hugh Johnson. The irony of the fact he had been fighting against Benjamin Gitlow, who now seemed to have been the last best hope of democracy in the United States, did not escape Colonel Gavin.
Federal troops enter the Bronx Soviet in May 1922. A young Gavin first saw combat here in the brutal urban warfare of the Revolution while fighting in an anti-communist militia
He had proved himself in the Revolution, enough to stay in with the Pennsylvania National Guard as a Corporal and fight the insurrectionist remnants with distinction until 1924 when one of his superior officers decided he might cut it as an officer and got him an appointment to West Point. The Academy was hard, but he was used to dealing with challenges so he was up at 4:30 every morning to try and catch up on the basic education he had been forced out of as a boy. After graduation, he got to serve on the far frontiers of American global reach where he witnessed brutality not seen since the Revolution, except this time it was not undisciplined militias or renegade Japanese collaborators, but regular United States Federal troops. Confronted by the reality of the crimes committed by a few notable Caribbean officers in the Moroland shook his faith in what he was fighting for, but still, he persisted. Those men were in the minority and their actions brought shame to the military as a whole, even as the politicians back home lauded them or helped to cover it up. It was then he first began to notice the uneasy glances shared between servicemen as they read the newspapers or talked about the events in hushed tones. At the time they were few, and no one was outspoken, but still, Gavin had noticed. When a new Pacific War broke out, all of that was forgotten as the Army of the Free marched off once more to battle. Good god, Guadalcanal had been so hot and the Japanese had been so fierce. As one of the masterminds behind the Airborne Corps, it was only right that he once more serve on the frontlines with his men and so he made every combat jump the 82nd Airborne conducted during the war. Gavin had fought in every major battle and watched as the men around him were maimed, mutilated, and murdered by a vicious enemy in a war of aggression he was beginning to lose faith in.
Theater-Ranked Brigadier General Gavin preparing to make a combat jump into Guadalcanal in late 1942 with his beloved \"All-American\" 82nd Airborne Division
He was off the coast of Iwo Jima, on board an aircraft carrier for a planning conference on the invasion of Japan, when the room suddenly turned white with the flash of the nuclear bomb. In an instant, 75,000 soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands were vaporized by the deadliest weapon known to mankind. A follow-up attack on Guam was just as bad. What had they died for? Democracy. It had to be something as just and noble as that. To spread democracy and bring peace to the Pacific. Right? The atomic bombings of Japan followed soon after.
Because of the nature of the Japanese defeat, the collapsed central government was unable to stop the raging fires, set up food distribution, or stop the roaming bandits in large swathes of the country. To counter this, an immediate American occupation was needed to restore order, end the famine, and set up a provisional government. The planning for the airborne contingent of this action, entitled Operation Eastern Wind, was left in the capable hands of theater-ranked Major General James Gavin. Eastern Wind would include massive amphibious landings across the Japanese Isles, preluded by the largest airborne drop the war had seen pinpointed outside major cities to secure vital infrastructure as the seaborne troops and equipment arrived. In a personal victory during planning, Gavin had used the loss of personnel on Iwo Jima and Guam to argue for the integration of all-black paratroop units into the rest of the Airborne Corps to bolster numbers before the big jump. Then in early September 1945, the skies over Japan were once again filled with the roaring sounds of American engines as thousands of paratroopers jumped from their transports to begin the occupation of Japan. Jumping into the icy vacuum one more time, Gavin landed on the outskirts of Tokyo and was the highest-ranking American officer in Japan for about two hours before the rest of the Army hit the beaches. As he and whatever men landed near him advanced on a railroad depot where he planned to set up his headquarters, they were horrified to find it had become an open-air hospital and mass grave for Japanese civilians caught in the Tokyo atomic bombing. The horrific stench of rotting corpses and gangrenous infected innocents permeated the air and Gavin’s first instinct was to vomit and shield his eyes. But as a soldier, and especially a soldier who was good, decent, honorable, and righteous, he instead directed the creation of an aid station along with an operational headquarters to assist the beleaguered Japanese doctors and nurses. Over the next few months in Japan, Gavin saw the extent of the destruction wrought in the name of ‘democracy’. When the final tally of over 2.5 million civilian casualties, was released he believed it. The Japanese people had suffered greatly, so he could only hope that peace would hold out when he received new orders to head the innovative Strategic Plans Department back in Washington DC at the end of 1946.
Operation Eastern Wind, directed by Theater-Ranked Major General Gavin, would see the largest airborne drop of the war as the American military began its occupation of Japan. The landings would meet no formal Japanese resistance and allowed for the quick seizure of vital infrastructure across the country. American troops encountered firsthand the effects of the nuclear attacks, the subsequent famine, wildfires, and governmental collapse.
Bumped back down to a peacetime rank, Gavin continued to climb the ladder arguing for the modernization and integration of the armed forces. He tried to readjust to peacetime service and revert to how he had served all the other presidential administrations, but something was different about La Follette. Gavin had initially viewed him positively, seeing as he had been a soldier in the Pacific before rising to the highest office, but that quickly changed with the appointment of MacArthur as Secretary of State and the dictatorial nature of the Administration in occupied Japan. As the years passed, Gavin noticed a rise in the uneasy glances he had not seen since the Moroland warcrimes had been revealed. Officers reading their newspapers would shoot a look at their comrades before receiving a knowing and acknowledging look back. Pre-briefing meetings often took an off-topic turn as someone would bring up current events and the whispers and hushed voices began. Perhaps someone would bring up the actions of the Black Shirts and reminisce about their actions during the Revolution and how the revolutionary militias and extremist fascists seemed awfully similar. Sometimes the room would go silent when an Administration appointee or outwardly supportive serviceman would walk in and the huddled soldiers would quickly and quietly disperse. Still, it was business as usual in the Pentagon and on all the bases that Gavin would visit on tours. Then the chaos of the 1948 Farmer-Labor Convention happened, followed by the streetfighting, followed by the reelection of the President, the arrests of political opponents, and the revelations preceding the impeachment attempt. Slowly but surely the number of disaffected servicemen rose with each incident and some commanders were beginning to give uncomfortable, but necessary, reminders to their men on the apolitical nature of the military and its members, even if they were beginning to lose faith in that too.
The Pentagon was abuzz with quiet discontent. Even if it was unconfirmed it was clear to most servicemen that Lindbergh and La Follette had murdered General Smedley Butler or were at the very least deeply involved in the cover-up. Once again paramilitary forces were roaming the streets of America. Once again opponents of a political philosophy were in real, mortal danger. Once again American democracy was under threat from the inside. Gavin’s generation of servicemen had marched off to war to fight for something that the La Follette administration did not care about. The current Officer Corps of the United States Military idolized Smedley Butler and John Lejeune and every affront against their names and legacies was duly, but as of yet silently, noted. The Lower Enlisted and especially Non-Commissioned Officer Corps also looked on at the proceedings with great interest as it seemed that their sacrifices in the Revolution and Pacific War were being forgotten and their authority handed over to a bunch of undisciplined and hyper-partisan Black Shirts. The uneasy glances abounded in the War Department. Outspoken fascists and La Follette supporters who seemed to have forgotten their oaths were increasingly shunned and effectively exiled by their comrades and superior officers.
James M. Gavin took a step back from the window and sneered. I cannot believe that disgrace Batista came in second he thought. Looking out at the skyline of the home of sacred American democracy, it very suddenly became very clear that the union was approaching a precipice. It was quite possible that the Administration might call upon the military to enforce its will should they take a step to alter the very fabric of the United States. If and when that time comes… what would the military’s response be? Not the reaction from the higher-ups, the ones appointed by the politicians, but the reaction from the men? The Officers and Enlisted who had watched their buddies die overseas as they fought for some vague notion of advancing the cause of freedom? The Officers and Enlisted who had set out to defend America during the Revolution? Personally, Gavin knew what he would do, and he had a general feeling about what the rest of the men of the military might do. But the revelation had forced the thought into his mind and he knew he would never be able to shake it again. He sat down at his desk once again and began to outline a list of names. Once he had finished, he looked it over again, committed it to memory, took out his lighter, and burned the paper. He would set about doing what he did best. Organizing and planning. He wasn’t sure just how paranoid the Administration was, but he would leave no paper trail, only speak to those he was absolutely sure he knew the sentiments of, and take every precaution as he made feelers. Too much was at risk. Too many had died. Too many had sacrificed. Too many who naively believed that their bloodshed would not be in vain and that their superiors in the government were also good, decent, honorable, and righteous. James M. Gavin would do whatever he could to remind Washington that there were still patriots willing to fight for a worthy cause. And if necessary, die for it. Democracy.
Washington's Last Patriot: James M. Gavin

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