FIRSTS IN THE GULF
Here are some of the firsts in the Persian Gulf conflict:
* Largest helicopter assault in military history: The Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division, with 300 attack helicopters, blasted deep into Iraq in the first days of the ground war.
* 100,000-sortie mark passed in a matter of weeks: About four times the missions flown against Japan in last 14 months of World War II.
* Record number of tanks destroyed in one day: Two U.S. pilots who fly as a team reported destroying 23 Iraqi tanks Feb. 26.
* First woman reported killed in the war: Army Spec. 4 Christine Mayes, 22, of Rochester Mills, Pa., was among 28 Americans who died in an Iraqi Scud missile attack Feb. 25 on their Saudi barracks.
* First double kill by a coalition flier: In a Jan. 24 skirmish, a Saudi pilot shot down two Iraqi jets carrying Exocet missiles.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.