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Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Marine on leave attacked in Manitoba bar

This you're just not going to believe.

Hat Tips to Don Quixote, BlackFive.

posted by Pam @ 8:50 PM |

MILITARY POLICE — U.S. Army Spcs. Berneil Mills, Brandon Ashley and Robert Henderson maintain the watch near the south fence line of Forward Operating Base Hotel as the moon rises over the Iraqi sky, near the city of Najaf, Iraq, April 23, 2005. U.S. Army personnel attached to the 940th Military Police unit, based out of Walton, Ky., are forward deployed to central Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Edward G. Martens

posted by Pam @ 11:42 AM |

Iraqi Children Receive Toys

Children wait to receive toys and candy from the Iraqi Intervention Forces attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Company, in Azragya, northwest Fallujah, Iraq, on May 6, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Michael J. O'Brien

An Iraqi girl receives toys and candy from the Iraqi Intervention Forces attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Company, in Azragya, northwest Fallujah, Iraq, on May 6, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Michael J. O'Brien

Children receive toys and candy from the Iraqi Intervention Forces attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Company, in Azragya, northwest Fallujah, Iraq, on May 6, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Michael J. O'Brien

An Iraqi boy receives a toy and candy from the Iraqi Intervention Forces attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Company, in Azragya, northwest Fallujah, Iraq, on May 6, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Michael J. O'Brien

A child shows the toys he received from the Iraqi Intervention Forces attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Company, in Azragya, northwest Fallujah, Iraq, on May 6, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Michael J. O'Brien

An Iraqi girl receives a toy and candy from the Iraqi Intervention Forces attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Company, in Azragya, northwest Fallujah, Iraq, on May 6, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Michael J. O'Brien

Children receive toys and candy from the Iraqi Intervention Forces from the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Company, in Azragya, northwest Fallujah, Iraq, on May 6, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Michael J. O'Brien

posted by Pam @ 11:37 AM |

Major Charles Bergevin - MIA, Vietnam, 1968

A little while ago, I told you about a site where you could adopt a POW/MIA.

Here is some information about my adopted hero, taken from the email I received:

Name: Charles Lee Bergevin
Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force
Unit: 14th Tactical Recon Squadron, Udorn AFB, Thailand
Date of Loss: 23 August 1968
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Other Personnel In Incident: Francis L. Setterquist (missing)

Source:
Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1990 with the assistance of one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS:
On August 23, 1968, aircraft commander, 1Lt. Francis L. Setterquist, and his navigator, 1Lt. Charles Bergevin, were assigned a low altitude night reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. Their aircraft was the reconnaissance version of the F4 Phantom - the RF4C. The target area was about 50 miles northwest of Dong Hoi in Quang Binh Province. Clearance
to proceed with the mission was granted and radio-radar contact broken at approximately 8:30 p.m. No undue concern was felt until 10:59 p.m. when the aircraft was due back at Udorn and the fuel exhaustion point was reached and Setterquist's aircraft did not return to base.

A later North Vietnamese news release stated that an RF4 had been shot down, but there was no mention of the fate of the two man crew. Assuming Bergevin and Setterquist were able to successfully eject and parachute safely to the ground, it is doubtful they would be able to evade capture due to the large concentration of enemy forces in their flight area.

While loss coordinates maintained by the Air Force and Department of Defense indicate that Bergevin and Setterquist were downed in Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam, Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC) records show a loss area of Thailand. No explanation is given for this discrepancy.

In 1973, 591 lucky American prisoners were released from North Vietnam. Bergevin and Setterquist were not among them. Since that time, the U.S. has received nearly 10,000 reports of Americans still missing in Southeast Asia, and many authorities are convinced that hundreds of them are still alive.

The U.S. has not been able to find a way to free any who may still be alive, or to obtain information on a significant number of other Americans who may have perished.

Francis L. Setterquist graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1966.

Charles was promoted to Major after he was presumed dead. His body has never been recovered. His name is on Panel 47W, Row 37 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

I'll keep you posted if I have any new developments.

To adopt your own POW/MIA, go to Operation Just Cause. While you're there, be sure to find out about Operation Higgins.

posted by Pam @ 11:25 AM |

27 Years Ago Today - A Female Marine Makes History

Brigadier General Margaret A. Brewer, U.S.M.C.

On this day in 1978, Margaret A. Brewer became the first female General in the U.S. Marine Corps.

She was born in Michigan, attended the University of Michigan, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in March of 1952.

Her first assignment was in El Toro, as a communications watch officer. She also served as an Inspector-Instructor of a female Marine Reserve unit from 1953-1955. She served as a Commanding Officer in Norfolk and Camp Lejeune, as a platoon commander for female officer candidates in Quantico, and was promoted to Major in 1961 while serving at Camp Pendleton.

In 1963, she returned to Quantico as the executive officer, then later commanding officer, of the Woman Officer school.

By 1973, she was a Colonel, and was selected as the seventh Director of Women Marines. In 1977, she took over as the Deputy Director of the Division of Information, Headquarters Marine Corps.

Her service earned her the Legion of Merit.

Brigadier General Margaret A. Brewer retired on July 1, 1980.

More information on this outstanding female Marine can be found here:

Official Biography for Margaret A. Brewer

Marine Corps Legacy Museum - Margaret A. Brewer

Who's Who in Marine Corps History - Margaret A. Brewer

Brewer made Corps history when she made general - 2003 Marine Corps Times article

posted by Pam @ 9:51 AM |

In Today's News - Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Quote of the Day
The safest place in Korea was right behind a platoon of Marines. Lord, how they could fight!

-- Major General Frank E. Lowe, 1952

News of Note:
No Court-Martial for Marine Taped Killing Unarmed Iraqi
Troops Capture Zarqawi Associate
Terrorist Leadership Diminishing
Pilot Gets Award for Saving Crew
Forces Net 109 Terrorists

JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Insurgents kill over 60 in 3 Iraqi cities
Grenade found near site where Bush spoke
Bush gets $82B measure for war operations
States challenge Pentagon on base closings
State Dept. offers more material on Bolton

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Suicide attack kills 30, wounds 35
U.S. forces push toward Syrian border
Suicide car bomb kills at least 24 in Iraq
Iran making first locally built submarine

Group: Keep terror suspects out of Egypt
Khalilzad slated for Baghdad post

The US News: Iraq News
AP Exclusive: Iraqi Official Says Neighbors Must Do More to Halt Insurgency
Amid bombings, a dozen Iraqis are found executed
Four Pistols Confiscated From Iraqi President's Security Guards Ahead of Summit
Pentagon sees westward shift of Iraqi insurgents
More Violence In Iraq

British reservists more vulnerable to Iraq war stress
Missing man's brother apologizes, seeks mercy from captors in Iraq Marines Push Toward Iraq's Syrian Border
US Congress OKs An Additional $82 Billion For Iraq, Afghanistan
Egypt backtracks on reforms
Halliburton gets $72 mln bonus for work in Iraq
Court-Martial Opens for Officer Charged With Shipping Home Weapons From Iraq
A Look at the Bill Congress Sent to the President for Iraq, Afghanistan Wars
U.S. Punches Through Deserts in Iraq

Various Sources
Italy to keep troops in Iraq until at least early 2006, well beyond September target
Demoted general says Army relied on shoplifting charge to punish her for Abu Ghraib
Iraq to mediate with rebels through Sunnis
Insurgents kidnap Iraqi governor, demand end to military offensive
Germany dedicates Holocaust memorial
EU urged to fund suit over slaying in Belfast
Rafsanjani seeks to lead Iran again

Fox News
N. Korea May Have Harvested Raw Materials for Nukes
Study: Number of Crimes Against Muslims Soars
Afghan Protests Turn Violent
Dem-Ousting Pastor Resigns
McCain: Make Filibuster Deal
Terror Bombers Kill 60 in Iraq

Georgia Security Scare

Department of Defense
Operation Matador Targets Insurgents — Story
Marines Insist Vests Offer Designed Protection — Story
Program Aims to Repatriate Noncriminal Militia — Story

ON THE GROUND
Army Chief of Staff Visits Vanguard Troops — Story
Work Begins on New Vehicle Repair Facility — Story Photos
USS Mustin Conducts Maritime Security Ops — Story
Australian-Led Command Patrols Persian Gulf

IN IRAQ
Battle Assessment Reviews Hero's Fight
Soldiers Transform Bunker into Coffee Shop
Infantry Soldiers Hunt for Weapons Caches
Air Force Medics Treat Patients at Abu Ghraib
Bengals Continue Fight in Iraqi Skies
Azerbaijani Army Guards Hadithah Dam
Combat Medics Keeps Soldiers Healthy

IN AFGHANISTAN
U.S. Paratroopers Deal Blow to Taliban Forces

IN SOUTHWEST ASIA
Airmen Protect Base, People
Joint Search, Rescue Center Coordinates Search Efforts

IN UZBEKISTAN
C-130 Maintainers Accomplish Depot Maintenance

FACE OF DEFENSE
Marine Blends Passions with Job — Story

Newark Deli Ships Salami — Story
Youth Camp Deadline Approaches

TOP NEWS
IN IRAQ
Three Marines Killed; Ops Continue
Abu Ghraib Attack Suspect Nabbed
Second Soldier Killed in Samarra
Iraq Daily Update
Multinational Force Iraq
Iraq Reconstruction

Maps
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)

IN AFGHANISTAN
Giambastiani Visits Troops
Afghans Take Over Security Duties
Two U.S. Marines Killed in Firefight
Insurgents, Afghan Soldiers Killed
Afghanistan Daily Update

Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Bush Thanks Georgia for Support
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
USS Nimitz Strike Group Deploys
Military to Improve Training
National Guard, Reserve Update

TRANSFORMATION
Commander Talks Basing Priorities — Story
BRAC Process Sets Stage
BRAC: Surge Capability Examined

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Army Casualty — Story

Weather
from The Weather Channel

Iraq

Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Today in History
1189 - German King and Holy Roman Emperor Frederik I (Barbarossa) leaves Regensburg with 100,000 crusaders.
1330 - Constantinople /Istanbul becomes the new capital for the Eastern Roman Empire.
1421 - Jews are expelled from Styria, Austria.
1502 - Columbus begins his fourth, and last, trip to the "Indies."
1674 - The Netherlands and Cologne sign a peace treaty.
1678 - French Admiral Jean d'Estrées' fleet runs aground in Curaçao.
1689 - The French and English naval Battle of Bantry Bay occurs.
1690 - English troops conquer Port Royal, Nova Scotia.
1749 - The British parliament accepts the Consolidation Act, reorganizing the fleet.
1751 - Pennsylvania Hospital, the first in the U.S., is founded.
1792 - U.S. Captain Robert Gray discovers and names the Columbia River.
1814 - Americans defeat the British at the Battle of Plattsburgh.
1858 - Minnesota is admitted as the 32nd U.S. state.
1862 - The CSS Virginia is scuttled off Norfolk, VA.
1864 - General J.E.B. Stuart is mortally wounded in the Battle of Yellow Tavern (Sheridan's Raid), VA.
1916 - Einstein presents his Theory of General Relativity.
1921 - Tel Aviv becomes the first all Jewish municipality.
1925 - The Communist Party of Holland splits.
1931 - Austria's largest bank, Credit-Anstalt, fails. It is the start of the financial collapse of Central Europe.
1941 - The first Messerschmidt 109F is shot down over England.
1942 - Japanese troops conquer Kalewa.
1943 - A German division in Tunisia surrenders.
- The U.S. 7th division lands on Attu, in the Aleutian islands - the first U.S. territory recaptured.
1945 - U.S. marines conquer Awatsha Draw, Okinawa.
1947 - Laos accepts a constitution for a parliamentary democracy.
1948 - Haganah takes control of Safed and the port of Haifa.
1949 - Israel becomes the 59th member of the United Nations.
- Siam changes its name to Thailand.
1955 - Israel attacks Gaza.
1960 - Israeli soldiers capture Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1962 - The U.S. sends troops to Thailand.
1963 - Racially motivated bomb attacks occur in Birmingham, AL.
1965 - Ellis Island is added to the Statue of Liberty National monument.
1967 - The 100,000,000th U.S. phone is connected.
1968 - Students and police clash in Paris, resulting in hundreds of injuries.
1973 - The Dutch Government of Uyl is formed.
1975 - Israel signs an agreement with the European Economic Market.
1978 - Margaret A. Brewer becomes the first female U.S. Marine General.
1985 - In India, a booby-trap bomb kills 86.
1987 - Corazon Aquino is elected President of the Philippines.
1989 - Kenya announces a worldwide ban on ivory.
1989 - President Bush orders approximately 2,000 troops to Panama.
1994 - 6 white racists are sentenced to death in South Africa.

Birthdays
1568 - Christian I, ruler of Anhalt-Bernburg
1821 - Union Brigadier General Charles (Carlos) John Stolbrand
1830 - Union Brigadier General John Converse Starkweather
1852 - Charles Warren Fairbanks, Vice President to Theodore Roosevelt
1881 - Jan van Gilse composer/resistance fighter
1888 - P. A. J. Losecaat Vermeer, leader of the Dutch High Council
1891 - Henry Morgenthau, Jr., US Secretary of the Treasury
1894 - Anton A. Mussert, Dutch Nazi leader
1905 - Marjorie Sykes, peace activist
1911 - Roy James Alfred Kaulback, soldier
1918 - Richard P. Feynman, physicist, 1965 Nobel Prize winner
1927 - Justice Hollis
1929 - Edward Anson, British Vice-Admiral
1933 - Louis Farrakhan, minister, Black Islam Nation leader
1934 - James M. Jeffords (Representative-VT)
1957 - Luca Urbani, M.D. / astronaut (STS 78-alternate)

posted by Pam @ 8:09 AM |

Iraq War Today is...
...News and photos of Heroes deployed to the Middle East and elsewhere. IWT is dedicated to all of our military Heroes - past, present and future.