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Friday, July 01, 2005

Mourning a Local Hero


A very close friend of mine called me yesterday for two things.

One was to chide me about a joke message I'd left on her cell phone.

The other was to tell me that one of the heroes in the helicopter crash in Afghanistan was someone she knew. He graduated a year behind her in highschool. He was married a few months ago. She told me where his father was when they called him to say that The Car was at their house.


The town where his parents live, not far from me, is one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone. The kind of place where when one family is mourning, they all are. In fact, his loss is one felt keenly across the whole area. It's that kind of community.

My friend had something else to say, too. Despite the protesters that show up on the greens on a couple of the local towns to display their moronic signs and beat their drums (quite literally, mind you - a few of them actually have drum circles going), my friend apparently believes in a different approach. Kill the terrorists. Not "bomb them with bread," not negotiate. Kill them. I second that emotion.

I don't believe that ridding the world of every single one of these murderers would "make up" for the loss of even one of our heroes. Every one of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, or Marines is worth so much more than all of these scum combined. But if you're going to try to make up for it, it's sure a hell of a start. These people (and I use the term loosely) MUST BE STOPPED. Because they should NEVER have the opportunity to again attack innocent Americans. Because our heroes shouldn't have to go back in later due to the fact that some "Blame America First" idiots have weak knees and short memories. Because the job that these heroes are willing to give their lives for should be completed - at the very least, they are owed that much. Because the murder of nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001 should not go unpunished on any level. Because no one else needs to witness another September 11th, or something even worse. Because it's what needs to be done.

I am collecting messages for this hero's family. If you would like to send one, please email it to me at iraqwartoday@sbcglobal.net, and I will pass it along with the others I am gathering.

And one other thing. If I can, I am going to the funeral. Both to show the family support, and for one other purpose: if these idiots who like to protest funerals decide to stop by, I want to be there.

This article is from a local paper:

Steve Reich: always a ‘hero’
Local soldier presumed dead after being shot down in Afghanistan

July 01, 2005
By Robert Miller
STAFF WRITER , The New Milford Spectrum
Courtesy of Reich family
Major Steve Reich, shown above with his wife, Jill, on their wedding day March 19, and 16 other Americans are believed dead after their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan Tuesday.

When Steve Reich took the mound for Shepaug Valley High School in the 1980s, he stood in perfect control – of his pitches, his mind, his emotions. There was nothing out of place.
Everyone who saw him then will swear today he could have pitched for the pros. But he had a different path in mind – West Point and the U.S. Army, helicopter pilot, command of Special Operations units in some of the most dangerous spots of the world.

When he went to Afghanistan for what stretched to four tours of duty, his friend assumed Major Reich’s innate strength – his focus, his determination, his control – would see him through.
Wednesday, Major Reich’s friends and family were almost numb, as if one of the stars in the heavens suddenly went out.

Major Reich was one of the 17 troops aboard the Army Special Operations MH-47 helicopter that a rocket-powered grenade brought down at dusk Tuesday in the wild mountains of eastern Afghanistan; he may have been its pilot.

And while storms have prevented at Army team from reaching the crash site, longtime Reich family friend Gary Fitzherbert said the Army has notified the family about the crash, and they are assuming Steve Reich perished there.

“We were all concerned about him,’’ said Scott Werkhoven, his close friend and former teammate.

“But everyone felt that if anybody could handle it, it was Steve,” Mr. Werkhoven said. “It’s not a
good day.’’

“He was married three months ago to a lovely girl, Jill Blue,’’ Mr. Fitzherbert said. “That makes this even sadder.’’

Major Reich is the second area man to die in the wars of the Middle East. Marine Lance Cpl. John T. Schmidt III of Brookfield was injured in Iraq in January after only two weeks in Iraq. He was awaiting orders when an ammonia tank he was sleeping next to exploded, severely damaging his lungs, esophagus and skin. He died May 11.

Steve Reich, 34, was raised in the Marble Dale section of Washington. His father, Ray, is a teacher at The Gunnery, the town’s prominent prep school. His mother, Sue, is a emergency room nurse at New Milford Hospital.

He had two sisters – Megan and Annmarie. In a family that stresses volunteerism, social concern and decency, Steve was a perfect fit.

“Right in the heart of Washington, there’s the Reich family,’’ said First Selectman Richard Sears. “This is an all-American family, and Steve was an all-American kid – a boy of Washington, a boy of America.

“His death,” Mr. Sears said, “is a horrible thing.’’

“They are a wonderful family,’’ said Dave Werkhoven, Scott’s father and coach of the Shepaug Valley High baseball team when the two boys played for it. “They raised their son to be a gentleman.”

“Pick the best person you know,’’ Mr. Fitzherbert said. “He wouldn’t have measured up to Steve.’’

“He was a great friend,’’ Scott Werkhoven said.

And at Shepaug Valley High School, he was the star pitcher, the handsome lefthander who, without fuss or flash, led the varsity baseball team to a state championship in 1987 – he pitched the final game – and, then, back to title contention in 1989. Although he kept his composure, he was a fierce competitor.

“He had a great fastball, he had great control and command of all his pitches,’’ Scott Werkhoven said. “He really had a sense of all the field.’’

“He always wanted to do the toughest things,’’ Dave Werkhoven said. “You want your pitchers to have a 2-to-1 ratio of strikeouts to walks. Steve’s was something like 30-to-1. In his senior year, he only walked nine guys, and five of those were intentional.’’

And while Steve would always listen to his coaches, Dave Werkhoven said, mostly, they just let him pitch his own game.

“He had such talent,’’ Mr. Werkhoven said.

And while Steve could relax and have fun, Scott Werkhoven said, his friends knew if there was something he wanted to do, he would find a way.

“He was just one of those guys who could just do anything,’’ Scott Werkhoven said.
Early on in his high school career, Mr. Fitzherbert said, Steve set his mind on another goal – winning a place at West Point and a commission in the U.S. Army. Given his focus and determination, he did just that.

“It really was his wish to go to West Point from high school on,’’ Mr. Fitzherbert said. “And he loved it.’’

At West Point, he was, again, a star pitcher as well, with one of the lowest collegiate earned run averages in the nation during his years there.

After graduation in 1993, he pitched briefly for a Baltimore Orioles farm team. But rather trying for the big leagues, Steve Reich took his drive to the field of field of combat.

“He was one of those guys who makes us feel comfortable here because we know he is over there,’’ Dave Werkhoven said.

The local product rose to the rank of major and for the past six months was a company commander in the 160th Aviation Regiment – a Special Operations unit known as “The Nighthawks.’’

Major Reich learned to pilot three different models of Army helicopters, including the MH-47, a special operations model of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter that crashed Tuesday. Knowing Major Reich, he was probably at the controls, when the craft went down, Mr. Fitzherbert said.

Army officials said the crash occurred in the eastern Afghanistan province of Kunar in the mountains near Asadabad. The unit was taking part in an offensive against al-Qaida militants in what the Army calls Operation Red Wing.

The helicopter and its 17 troops were fighting the growing insurgency by Taliban and al-Qaida forces against the newly-elected Afghan government and its American allies.

His friends said that Major Reich never expressed a single doubt about the American mission in Afghanistan or his role there– even after his marriage.
“His family said he told them once, ‘I love my wife and I love the men under my command,’ ’’ Mr. Sears said.
And that All-American purity may also have been at the core of Steve Reich, who in all things, was a star.

“He was a hero in high school, and now, a hero again,’’ Dave Werkhoven said.
And like a star – not some meteor flashing in the sky – his light, his memory, will shine for a long time to come.

“We sit here and wonder why this is all happening,’’ said neighbor Nancy Mygatt. “There are things you just have to work out for yourself. But for Steve, it was all about serving his country.
“I don’t think he ever thought why he was over there,” she said. “He just thought it was the right thing to do.’’

Godspeed, Major Reich.
Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.

Tharthar Lake, Iraq

A U.S. Marine assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, provides support by fire during an operation at Tharthar Lake, Iraq, June 20, 2005. The 2nd Marine Division and Multinational Force-West conducted counter-insurgency operations with Iraqi Security Forces to isolate and neutralize anti-Iraqi forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isaac Aguilar


U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Chisolm, assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, looks down a pipe to see if there is an underground base during an operation at Tharthar Lake, Iraq, June 20, 2005. The 2nd Marine Division and Multinational Force-West conducted counter-insurgency operations with Iraqi Security Forces to isolate and neutralize anti-Iraqi forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isaac Aguilar


Iraqi Security Force soldiers, attached to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, search Iraqi civilians for weapons during an operation at Tharthar Lake, Iraq, June 20, 2005. The 2nd Marine Division and Multinational Force-West conducted counter-insurgency operations with Iraqi Security Forces to isolate and neutralize anti-Iraqi forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isaac Aguilar


U.S. Marines from 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, attached to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, use earth-moving equipment to dig into the ground looking for weapons caches or an underground base during an operation at Tharthar Lake, Iraq, June 20, 2005. The 2nd Marine Division and Multinational Force-West conducted counter-insurgency operations with Iraqi Security Forces to isolate and neutralize anti-Iraqi forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isaac Aguilar


U.S. Marines assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, patrol through a field looking for weapons caches or an underground base during an operation at Tharthar Lake, Iraq, June 20, 2005. The 2nd Marine Division and Multinational Force-West conducted counter-insurgency operations with Iraqi Security Forces to isolate and neutralize anti-Iraqi forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isaac Aguilar


U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Brendan Duffy, assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, searches a small fishing boat looking for weapons during an operation, June 20, 2005, at Tharthar Lake, Iraq. The 2nd Marine Division and Multinational Force-West conducted counter-insurgency operations with Iraqi Security Forces to isolate and neutralize anti-Iraqi forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Robert R. Attebury


U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Ronnie Shertel, assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, jumps down a small incline while patrolling through the area looking for weapons caches and insurgents during an operation at Tharthar Lake, Iraq, June 20, 2005. The 2nd Marine Division and Multinational Force-West conducted counter-insurgency operations with Iraqi Security Forces to isolate and neutralize anti-Iraqi forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Robert R. Attebury


U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Mitch Beeler, assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Amphibious Assault Vehicle Battalion, speaks over the radio while positioning his amphibious assault vehicle in a defensive position to provide security for Marines on the ground searching for weapons caches and insurgents during an operation at Tharthar Lake, Iraq, June 21, 2005. The 2nd Marine Division and Multinational Force-West conducted counter-insurgency operations with Iraqi Security Forces to isolate and neutralize anti-Iraqi forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Robert R. Attebury


An M1A1 Main Battle Tank is parked in a defensive position in a base camp set up by U.S. Marines assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, during an operation at Tharthar Lake, Iraq, June 21, 2005. The 2nd Marine Division and Multinational Force-West conducted counter-insurgency operations with Iraqi Security Forces to isolate and neutralize anti-Iraqi forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Robert R. Attebury

From Move America Forward - Off to Iraq

BAGHDAD - HERE WE COME!

WE'RE HEADING OFF TO IRAQ. and you are welcome to join us for live reports, photographs, and interviews with our troops.

Move America Forward (website: http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org) in conjunction with the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is leading a delegation of talk radio hosts to Iraq.

The "Voices of Soldiers" Truth Tour will take place from July 7th - 17th and will provide our military men and women the opportunity to tell the American people about the accomplishments and progress they are making in Iraq -- the things that are NOT being reported by other media outlets.

The Truth Tour begins at CENTCOM headquarters on July 7th where the talk show hosts will receive an extensive briefing. Then, Move America Forward will host a BBQ for the honorable men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who are stationed at CENTCOM's Tampa headquarters - the command center for the war on terrorism in Iraq.

The group will then travel on to Kuwait, transfer to military aircraft, and finally arrive at Camp Victory (near Baghdad Airport) in Iraq.

We've set up a page where we will be uploading updates, audio files, reports and more on the Truth Tour at the Move America Forward website - http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org. We'll also provide links to more audio clips, images and more that will be hosted at www.VoicesOfSoldiers.com

In addition to live shows broadcast by the radio talk show hosts in attendance, we will also be providing special reports and segments to Sean Hannity's nationally syndicated show, Laura Ingram's nationally syndicated show, Dennis Prager's nationally syndicated show and many others. Just added - reports to John Batchelor's radio show on WABC New York and Bruce Jacob's show on KFYI in Phoenix.

The trip is being led by Move America Forward Co-Chairs Melanie Morgan (of powerhouse KSFO 560 AM - San Francisco) and The Honorable Howard Kaloogian (California State Assemblyman, Republican, 1994-2000); and Lt. Col. (Ret.) Buzz Patterson, a member of the Move America Forward board who is also a bestselling author and radio talk show host on the RighTalk radio network.

Others in attendance include Michael Graham of Washington D.C.'s powerhouse WMAL 630 AM; Martha Zoller of Atlanta/Gainesville talk radio station WDUN 550 AM; Mark Williams - a regular Fox News contributor - of Sacramento's #1 radio station, KFBK 1530 AM; Brad Maaske of NewsTalk 580 AM KMJ in Fresno.

This Day in American History - Gettysburg

The "first shot" marker in Gettysburg, PA


On this day in 1863, General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate forces met U.S. General Meade and the Union forces at Gettysburg. It would be the CSA's "high water mark" in the American Civil War.

Over the course of three days, thousands of Americans lost their lives as the fractured Union continued the struggle that would define us as a nation. To this day, vultures still circle the field. Some scientists theorize that some of the birds could be the very same ones that reaped the grim spoils of that very battle.

Casualties (estimates vary):
Union KIA - 3,155
Union Wounded - 14,530
Union MIA - 5,365

Confederate KIA - 2,600 - 4,500
Confederate Wounded - 12,800
Confederate MIA - 5,250

To learn more about Gettysburg, visit:
The American Civil War - The Battle of Gettysburg
Military History Online - The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg Official Records and Battle Description
Three Days at Gettysburg
Gettysburg National Military Park

I had the privilege of being one of the reenactors at the 135th anniversary reenactment at Gettysburg in 1998. For some battles, we had near accurate numbers. I had a bird's eye view of Pickett's charge from behind the Union lines, up the hill from the 69th New York (Fighting Irish). It was both awesome and terrible, my enjoyment tempered with the knowledge that while reenactors get up at the end of the battle, thousands of Americans didn't in 1863. The battlefield is one of the most amazing locations I've ever visited - make a point to go.

UPDATE: Be sure to visit JackArmy to see some of his pics of the 135th Anniversary of Gettysburg. I'll try to find and post some of my "bird's eye" photos this weekend.


4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION — U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Cynthia A. Pritchett, left, command sergeant major of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, lights candles to celebrate America’s Independence Day, in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 30, 2005. The ceremony was held with the children of the Ministry of Women's Affairs employees in Kabul. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Phillip Chang

In Today's News - Friday, July 1, 2005

Quote of the Day
"The enemy knows the importance of this position and will strain every nerve to secure it, and if we are able to hold it, we will do well."
-- Union Brigadier General John Buford to his Colonels on the night before the Battle of Gettysburg

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Suicide Bombers Foreigners

Operation Enduring Freedom
U.S. Recovers Fallen Chinook's Aircrew
GIs 'Unaccounted for' In Afghan Mountains
U.S. searches for 'recce' team after Afghan crash
Black Hawk Crew Rescues 3 Afghan Children


Gitmo
The Gitmo Diet: Day 4

War on Terror / Homeland Security
Iranian Cabinet Member Among Hostage-Takers
U.S. Probing Iran Allegations
Hostage-takers: Iran leader had no role
U.S. not surprised if Iranian was in 1979 siege
Officials Release Homeland Defense Strategy

Other News of Note
U.S. House approves new vets health care funds

Fox News
Shiite Cleric Killed in Baghdad

Time May Hand Over Reporter's Notes Today
Video: Time Editor-in-Chief
DeLay Probe to Resume
Bush: Kyoto Would Have 'Wrecked' U.S. Economy
Rank-and-File Dems Dig Dean
Fighting Eminent Domain
Video: Eminent Domain Battle
Does Prof Back 'Fragging' Rights?
Video: Ideas of Ward Churchill
Kofi Annan's Delusions of Grandeur
A Less Liberal Lincoln?

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Gunmen kill influential Iraq cleric's aide
Suicide car bomber kills one in Baghdad
Turkish police kill suspected bomber
Group launches campaign to oust Mubarak
Two marchers stabbed in Jerusalem parade
Saniora to form new government in Lebanon
U.N. OKs final claims for Kuwait invasion
Sudan president announces prisoner release
State Dept. cautions on travel to Iran
Witness: I was forced to implicate Nour
Soldiers expel Jewish militants from Gaza
Israel: Gaza is a 'closed military zone'

CENTCOM: News Releases
WEAPONS CACHE FOUND
UPDATE: COALITION GROUND FORCES SECURE CRASH SITE
SERVICE MEMBER MISSING
DETAINEE DIES WHILE IN CUSTODY
TASK FORCE BAGHDAD HELICOPTER CRASHES

Reuters: Top News
Gunmen kill aide to Iraq Shi'ite cleric Sistani
Israeli opinion moves against Gaza pullout foes
Senate defeats move to stop nuclear bomb study
Turk police shoot dead suspected suicide bomber
Taser says it sues USA Today for libel
German parliament vote puts early election on track
UN envoy meets Zimbabweans homeless after clearout
House votes to block China-Unocal Deal

Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Gunmen Kill Influential Iraq Cleric's Aide
Irreverent Iraqi television anchorman shot dead in Mosul
Saddam's novel a bestseller despite ban
Gunmen Rampage Through Samarra
U.S. Army probes death of Iraqi correspondent

Department of Defense
NATO Commander Meets With Karzai — Story
NATO Unit Jobs Critical to Afghan Security — Story
Transcript

ON THE GROUND
Signal Soldiers Connect Base, Battlefield — Story
Discipline, Teamwork Vital Part of Training — Story
Task Force Baghdad Delivers Tons of Food — Story

IN IRAQ
Iraqi Police Train for 'Hardest Job in the World'
Airman Tests New Body Armor
Former Professor, Students to Deploy to Iraq
Engineers' Gulf Region Division Has New Commander

IN AFGHANISTAN
Operation Diablo Reach Back Targets Militia
Mountain Warfare Instructors Train Troops Photos
Deployed Marine Shares Combat Skills

IN GEORGIA
Marines Give, Receive Key Insights in Georgia
Training for Iraq Boosts Security in Caucasus

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Singer Supports Troops, Families — Story
Leaders Call on American Support
Couple Helps War-Wounded GIs
President Thanks Troops
Baseball Pitchers Show Support

TOP NEWS
IN IRAQ
Insurgents Changed Tactics
Terror Suspects Captured
Iraqi Navy Charts Future Course
Photos: Iraqi Brigade Activates
Bush Discusses U.S. Troop Levels
Bush: U.S. to Stay Until Job is Done
Task Force Liberty Find Caches
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Iraq Daily Update
Multinational Force Iraq
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)
'Eye on Iraq' (pdf)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Fact Sheet: Helping Women in Iraq

IN AFGHANISTAN
NATO Unit Deploys to Afghanistan
Afghans Rescued from Floodwaters
Afghan Ready to Begin West Point
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Religious Practices Respected
Detainees Treated Humanely
Al Qaeda Manual Drives Behavior
Camp Paves Way for Future Ops
DoD Works to Improve Detainee Ops
Detainees Medical Policy Reaffirmed
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Leaders Ask Congress for Support
Pentagon Holds Town Hall Meeting
Confirmation Hearings Held
Hearing Looks at Overseas Basing
National Guard, Reserve Update

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

Gitmo

Today in History
1535 - Sir Thomas More goes on trial for treason in England.
1690 - England's Protestant King William III defeats Roman Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland (Now celebrated as "The Battle of the Orange").
1776 - The first vote on the Declaration of Independence.
1795 - John Rutledge (member of Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence signer, assisted with drafting the Constitution) becomes the second Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
1847 - The first U.S. postage stamps go on sale, (5¢ Franklin, 10¢ Washington).
1861 - In San Francisco, the first public schoolhouse opens.
1862 - Congress outlaws polygamy; Day 7 of the 7 Days-Battle of Malvern Hill.
1863 - The Battle of Gettysburg begins
1869 - The U.S. mint at Carson City, NV, opens.
1870 - James W. Smith of SC is the first African-American to enter West Point; the second, Henry Flipper, enters West Point this day in 1873.
1874 - Four-year-old Charles Ross is held for $20,000; the first U.S. kidnapping for ransom.
1881 - The first international telephone conversation takes place ( Maine to Canada).
1889 - Frederick Douglass is named Minister to Haiti.
1898 - Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders charge up San Juan Hill.
1919 - The First Class postage rate drops from 3¢ to 2¢.
1943 - Taxes are first withheld from paychecks.
1963 - The USPS institutes the zip code (Zone Improvement Plan).
1968 - The U.S., U.S.S.R., Britain, and 58 other nations sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty.
1982 - The Kosmos 1383, first search and rescue satellite, is launched.
1997 - China regains sovereignty of Hong Kong.


Birthdays
1810 - Walter White, NAACP secretary
1861 - Samuel D. Riddle, racehorse owner (Man 'o War)
1872 - Louis Bleriot, first man to fly an airplane across English Channel
1879 - Léon Jouhaux, French socialist, co-founder of the UN International Labor Organization, Nobel Prize winner
1930 - Imelda Marcos former First Lady of the Philipines / shoe collector
1934 - Jamie Farr, actor (Klinger-M*A*S*H, AfterMASH)
1961 - Lady Diane Spencer (Princess Di), Princess of Wales

Passings
1958 - Dr. Harry Nicholls Holmes, crystallized Vitamin A
1983 - R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor/philosopher

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Campbell, Burton W., USAF (OH); F105 shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel in 1996, alive and well as of 1998
Peters, Charles Henry, USN (NE); A4E shot down, remains returned October, 1988
Williams, Robert C., USAF (IL); A1E shot down, remains returned October, 1998

1972
Cheney, Kevin J., USAF (FL); F4E shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel as of 1996 - alive as of 1998
Robinson, Paul K. USAF (OH); F4E shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel in 1988 - alive and well as of 1998

nocashfortrash.org