February 9 in U.S. military history

1799: In the Caribbean, the American frigate Constellation spots the larger and more heavily armed French frigate L’Insurgente and gives chase. After pursuing the French vessel through a storm, Capt. Thomas Truxtun – one of the first six Naval officers appointed by President George Washington – manages to force his counterpart into a clash that lasts over an hour, with Constellation inflicting heavy casualties and capturing the ship in the United States’ first naval engagement since the end of the Revolutionary War.

1942: Gen. George Marshall (Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army), Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold (Chief of Army Air Forces), Adm. Harold Stark (Chief of Naval Operations), and Adm. Ernest King (Commander in Chief, United States Fleet) meet to discuss better coordination between the Navy and War Departments – the first formal meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

Today, the President of the United States appoints a chairman, vice-chairman, four service chiefs, and the head of the National Guard to JCS. Their mission is to advise the White House on military matters.

1965: In response to the Viet Cong attack on Camp Holloway, President Lyndon Johnson ordered the deployment of a Marine Corps surface-to-air missile battalion to Vietnam. The 1st Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion flew into Da Nang Air Base the next day (Feb. 8) and on this day are fully operational. These Marines are the first U.S. troops sent to Vietnam in a non-advisory capacity.

1972: 173 years after Constellation’s victory in the Caribbean, the Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carrier Constellation (CV-64) arrives off the coast of Vietnam. Connie (the fourth so-named vessel to serve the U.S. Navy) is one of three U.S. carriers operating in theater, until four more flattops are sent to Vietnam during the North Vietnam Army’s Easter Offensive, which begins in March.