Through the jungle
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFPN) -- Staff Sgt. Deroni Brown protects his tactical tracking team during a training mission. Airmen are learning tactical tracking techniques from the Guam Police Department during a weeklong course in the jungles of Guam. course. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)

On this day in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the Union cemetary at Gettysburg.

Also invited was Edward Everett, on of the nation's most famous orators. Everett spoke for more than two hours. Lincoln, who followed him, spoke for two minutes. Here is what he said:


Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal"

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground-- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us, the living, to stand here, we here be dedica-ted to the great task remaining before us -- that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.


After the speech, critics lashed out, pointing to the short speech as proof of Lincoln's lack of eloquence. The Chicago Sun-Times would proclaim, "The cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat and dishwatery utterances of the man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as the President of the United States."

But others got it. Everett himself said, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."

For more info, visit:
Our Documents - Gettysburgh Address
Wikipedia: Gettysburg Address

SUNSET WATCH — As the sun sets over the Persian Gulf, a U.S. Navy sailor remains watchful at a .50 caliber machine gun mount on the Khawr Al Arnaya Oil Terminal . The terminal, located off the coast of Iraq, is one of two major platforms that export the majority of the country's oil. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Randall Damm

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
'Worth Our Sacrifice' - Bush rejects pullout from Iraq
Congress Rejects Iraq Exit Bill (House shoots it down 403 to 3!)
Murtha Stirs Policy Debate
Video: WH Rejects Withdrawal Call
Baghdad Bombing Kills 13
Iraqi Police Make Arrests in Mosque Blasts

Operation Enduring Freedom
Kiwis Build Playground For Afghan Children

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Zarqawi Calls for King of Jordan's Head

Politics
New CIA Leak Jury Possible

Hurricane Season
Tropical Storm Gamma kills two
Tropical Storm Forms Off Central American Coast
Levee Warning Signs May Not Have Been Reported

Oddities
Hollywood Madam to open Nevada 'stud farm'
Nation mourns bird killed in domino shooting

Fox News
Winds Help Firefighters Contain Wildfire Outside L.A.
Missing Colo. Girl Possibly Killed Over a Year Ago
House Barely OKs Budget Bill
House Health Bill Nixed
Sens. Spar Over Oil Taxes
Venezuela to Sell Cheap Heating Oil to U.S. Poor
FDA: No Link Between Tamiflu and Kids' Deaths
Teen Suspect Planned to Kill
Vatican Astronomer: Intelligent Design Not Science
U.N.: Iran Got NuclearInfo on Black Market

Reuters: Top News
Bush vows to 'stay in the fight' in Iraq
Blake found liable in wife's slaying
West warns of possible attacks in Indonesia
Ford to cut 4,000 jobs in North America
Wildfire threatens California community
More aid pledged for Pakistan
Fitzgerald sees new grand jury proceedings
Bird flu survivors may not be all that safe-experts
Surge in US sea lion numbers angers fishermen

AP World News
India, Pakistan Open Kashmir Frontier
APEC Leaders Agree to Support Trade Talks
Al-Zarqawi Tape Threatens Jordan's King
Annan Calls Asian Quake Response 'Weak'
Pakistan: $5.4B in Quake Aid Raised
Tropical Storm Could Threaten Florida
Palestinian Teen Killed in Gun Battle
Poor at Risk After Central America Rains
Talking Chavez Dolls Popular in Venezuela
Indians Vow to Protest in Colombia
Colombians Stay Despite Threat of Volcano
Iran Received Black Market Nuclear Designs
Afghan Blast Kills Portugese Peacekeeper
Turkish Publisher Denies Insulting State
Merkel Signs Coalition Gov't Agreement
Aide: Chechen PM's Car Crash an Accident

CENTCOM: News Releases
NINE TERRORISTS DETAINED IN JOINT MISSIONS
IRAQI, U.S. FORCES DISRUPT TERRORIST OPERATIONS
TASK FORCE SOLDIERS RESPOND TO KHANAQIN BOMBINGS
SUCCESSFUL RAID NETS TERRORIST AND IED MAKING MATERIALS
AFGHAN AND CJTF76 FORCES ATTACK NORTH OF KANDAHAR
U.S. CENTAF PROVIDES PAKISTAN AID
IRAQI, U.S. FORCES RESPOND TO CAR BOMB ATTACK
101ST SOLDIERS FIND WEAPONS CACHE WEST OF BAGHDAD

Military.com
Bosslift Inspires Troop Support
CIA Agents Reveal Interrogation Tactics
Iraq War Architect Probed
Missile Intercepts Warhead

Department of Defense
Iraq Progresses, Now Not Time to Leave -- Story Video
Iraqi, U.S. Forces Respond to Bomb Attack -- Story
Soldiers Respond to Khanaqin Bombings
Accident Kills Soldier; Car Bombs Explode

ON THE GROUND
Border Posts Enhance Iraq's Security -- Story
'Clean Sweep' Captures Terror Suspects -- Story
Weapons Find Grows as Digging Continues -- Story
Local Workers Renovate Sadr City Hospital -- Story
Medical Mission Visits Gardez Orphanage -- Story

IN IRAQ
'Cop-pilots' Fly Their Own Kind of Plane

IN AFGHANISTAN
New Technology Connects Afghan Army

IN GEORGIA
U.S.- Georgian Effort Improves School Yard

FACE OF DEFENSE
Air Force Major Works to Outrun Cancer -- Story

TOP NEWS
SPECIAL REPORTS
Iraq Transition of Power

IRAQ
Troops Gain Against Insurgents
Towns Get Drainage Pump Stations
Forces Detain Suspects
School Renovations Benefit Iraqis
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq (pdf)
Multinational Force Iraq
Eye on Iraq Update (pdf)
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (pdf)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Charges Referred to Court-Martial
Women Increase Role in Army
Bomb Detonates Near U.S. Convoy
New Radios Aid Border Police Ops
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Teams Critical to Maritime Security
Rumsfeld: U.S.-Australia Ties Firm
Strike Group Conducts Maritime Ops
Judge Orders Gitmo Trial Halted
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
'Bosslift' Inspires Troop Support
Committee Reaches Out
Protective Vests Recalled
Casey: Progress Defeats Terrorists
Arabic Linguists Train Marines
2nd BCT Prepares to Deploy to Iraq
Employers View Convoy Simulator
Transportation Supports Guard
Agreement Helps Disabled Athletes
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Marine Casualty -- Story

Weather
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

National Hurricane Center

Today in History
1493 - Christopher Columbus discovers Puerto Rico while on his 2nd voyage.
1863 - Lincoln delivers his address in Gettysburg; "Four score and 7 years..."
1874 - William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, of Tammany Hall (NYC) is convicted of defrauding the city of $6M, and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
1919 - U.S. Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles (55-39) and the League of Nations.
1942 - Russia launches a winter offensive against the Germans along the Don front.
1968 - An Army coup seizes power in Mali.
1969 - Apollo-12's Conrad and Bean become 3rd and 4th humans on the Moon.
1971 - Fort Wilderness opens
1985 - President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for first time.
1990 - Iraq announces it will free all German hostages.

Birthdays
1600 - King Charles I of England (1625-49); executed by Parliament
1752 - George Rogers Clark, frontier military leader in the Revolutionary War
1805 - Ferdinand de Lesseps, French diplomat (built Suez Canal)
1831 - James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. President (March 4-Sept 19, 1881)
1917 - Indira Gandhi, Indian PM (1966-77, 1980-84)
1926 - Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, U.S. ambassador to the UN
1933 - Larry King, radio / TV talk show host
1935 - John F. Welch, Jr., CEO (GE)

Passings
1887 - Emma Lazarus, U.S. poet ("Give me your tired, your poor")
1915 - Joe Hill, Labor leader, executed for murder
1971 - Bill Stern, sportscaster (Saturday Night Fights)

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Johnstone, James M., US Army (SC); OV1A crashed (w/Whited), Killed, body not recovered

Whited, James L., US Army (OK); OV1A crashed (w/Johnstone), Killed, body not recovered

1967
Clower, Claude D., USN (TX); F4B shot down (pilot, w/Estes - same flight as eleased by DRV March, 1973) - retired as a Commander - alive as of 1996

Croxdale, Jack L., US Army (LA); Killed, body not recovered

DeHerrera, Benjamin D., US Army (CO); Killed, body not recovered

Estes, Walter O., USN (MI); F4B shot down (RIO w/Clower), remains returned by SRV September, 1977

Ford, David E., USAF (CT); RF4C shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Iandoli, Donald, US Army (NJ); Killed, body not recovered

Klinck, Harrison Hoyt, USAF (CA); F105 shot down, remains returned August, 1985

Ligon, Vernon P., USAF (KY); RF4C shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - deceased
** Also WWII POW **

Stier, Theodore G., USNR (CA); F4B shot down (IRIO, w/Teague), released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998

Teague, James E., USNR (AR); F4B shot down (pilot, w/Stier), remains returned by SRV Septemer, 1977

Vissotzky, Raymond Walton, USAF (MA); F105D shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive as of 1998