July 30, 1945: Japanese forces attack and sink the USS Indianapolis, a cruiser, resulting in the loss of some 883 Sailors, according to an entry on the This Day in Military History website. It was the worst single loss in the history of the U.S. Navy.
July 31, 1943: During World War II, the U.S. 4th Division takes Santo Stefano in Sicily, according to the book On this Day in America.
Aug. 1, 2005: A battle between U.S. forces and the Ansar al-Sunna insurgents begins in the Euphrates River valley town of Haditha, Iraq, , according to an entry on the This Day in Military History website. Haditha, home to Iraq's second largest dam, was under insurgent control until the battle.
Aug. 2, 1862: The U.S. Army's Ambulance Corps was established by Maj. Gen. George McClellan, according to an entry on the This Day in Military History website.
Aug. 3, 1950: The Marine Corps' VMF-214 "Black Sheep" squadron launch eight Corsair aircraft from the USS Sicily to conduct a raid against enemy bases near Inchon, Korea, according to an entry on the Marine Corps History Division's website. The series of bombardments and strafing runs marked the first Marine aviation mission during the Korean War.
Aug. 4, 1790: The Revenue Cutter Service is established by Congress, according to an entry on Navy.mil. This act authorizes the construction of 10 vessels to enforce federal tariff and trade laws and to prevent smuggling. In 1915, the service is renamed the U.S. Coast Guard when the
Revenue Cutter Service is combined with the Life-saving Service, creating a "single maritime service dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws."
Aug. 5, 1917: All members of the National Guard were drafted into federal service for duty during World War I, according to according an entry on the This Day in Military History website.
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