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On July 20, 1969, at 10:56 PM, eastern time, television images of Neil Armstrong were broadcast world wide as he put his foot on the lunar surface. But there is far more to the program that represented mankind's first extra-terrestrial steps than that first one. And one mission is perhaps more forgotten than others, because of the coincidence of history.
The Russian Revolutions in 1917 ended Russian involvement in WWI, but precipitated a civil war that dragged in outside powers and lasted for years as the Bolshevik forces sought to enforce control over all the former territories of the Russian Empire. The chaos allowed all manner of smaller movements and independent warlords to flourish for a time, and among them was the brutal so called “Bloody” or “Mad” Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg.
USS Enterprise was the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, and would see an exceptional five decades of active service throughout an astounding number of operations, including being the first nuclear powered ship to engage in combat. However, Enterprise’s deadliest day was not off of Vietnam, but off of Hawaii.