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Sunday, November 20, 2005

From Fox News

Zarqawi Dead?
U.S. checking reports Al Qaeda terror mastermind among 8 dead following Mosul gun battle

Related Stories
The Life and Crimes of Zarqawi
Debate Continues Over Pullout

Kansas Remembers the Fallen

If you're ever in the area of Junction City, KS (near Fort Riley), it's worth your time to stop at Heritage Park. Here you'll find a number of memorials to Kansas' heroes. I stopped there on Friday before I left for my return trip.



My first stop in the park was this monument -
in honor of those who served in Desert Storm


The inscription.


The Vietnam Memorial is incredible.


Among the names inscribed are these panels - and a poem written by a fallen hero.


Close-up of the left central panel -
"To these men, and all men
who died in other wars, this is their tribute."


Close-up of the right central panel -
"History will remember the war. Will America remember her men?"

The poem in the center of the memorial reads:

IF YOU ARE ABLE,
SAVE FOR THEM A PLACE
INSIDE OF YOU
AND SAVE ONE BACKWARD GLANCE
WHEN YOU ARE LEAVING
FOR THE PLACES THEY CAN NO LONGER GO
BE NOT ASHAMED TO SAY YOU LOVED THEM,
THOUGH YOU MAY
OR MAY NOT ALWAYS HAVE.
TAKE WHAT THEY HAVE LEFT
AND WHAT THEY HAVE TAUGHT YOU
WITH THEIR DYING
AND KEEP IT WITH YOUR OWN
AND IN THAT TIME
WHEN MEN DECIDE, AND FEEL SAFE
TO CALL THE WAR INSANE,
TAKE ONE MOMENT TO EMBRACE
THOSE GENTLE HEROES
YOU LEFT BEHIND.

BY MICHAEL O’DONNELL
KILLED IN ACTION 24 MARCH 1970, VIETNAM


The back of the Vietnam memorial


Rear view of the Civil War arch as seen from the Vietnam memorial.


And then there's the OIF memorial. It's a pretty little garden area, and throughout there are crosses, each bearing the name of a fallen hero. Some of those crosses have pictures on them, some do not. Many have flowers and other tokens laid carefully next to or in front of them. There are benches where you can sit and reflect.


"These Crosses Were Built In Loving Memory
Of The Fallen Soldiers From Fort Riley,
That Fought For Our Country In Operation Iraqi Freedom."
This cross is here for SGT Jacob Lee Butler.


SGT. Christopher Ramirez, CPT James A. Shull, SGT Kenneth J. Schall,
PFC Wyatt D. Eisenhauer, SPC Sean A. Mitchell


What made this especially poignant for me was the yellow ribbon on the tree nearby - the knowledge that, in all likelihood, they're not done building this one. In the foreground is the cross for SPC Colby R. Farnan; among those near the tree are those for 1st LT Doyle M. Hufstedler, SPC Christopher Wayne Dickinson, and SPC Roger G. Ling, with more beyond.

I made sure to save my backward glance for all of these fallen heroes as I headed to my car.
READY TO MOVE — Sgt. Adam D. Jamison gives the "thumbs up" for vehicles to be pulled up to his location at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 16, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Bobby J. Segovia

In Today's News - Sunday, November 20, 2005

Quote of the Day
"Right is more precious than peace."
-- Woodrow Wilson


News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Ambush in Iraq Kills 24 (including a Marine)
Bombings Kill 49 Iraqis, 5 GIs
Deadly Bombings

Politics
Aide: Rice Not Woodward's CIA Leak Source

Hurricane Season
Gamma Kills Six, Weakens

Fox News
Rolling Through China
Pa. Teen Attends Slain Parents' Funeral
India, Pakistan Open Border
California Fire 60% Contained
Lawyer: Kevorkian May Die Before '07 Parole
Sharon Near Decision on Quitting Likud
12-Year-Old Charged in Chicago Dice Game Shooting
Chavez Says U.S. Plotting Against Him; Citizens Divided

Reuters: Top News
Bush presses Hu on trade
Pakistan vows to account for quake aid
Bush tries to cool tempers over Iraq
Toll from Iraq funeral car bomb at 50: medics
Iran MPs vow to end atomic checks
Vietnam arrests rocker Gary Glitter--media
Probe fails to land on asteroid
High hopes, disillusionment among Iraqi women
Portugal airport saga showcases political strains

AP World News
Bush Presses China on Trade, Human Rights
Iran Votes to Block IAEA Inspections
Japan: China Military Buildup Big Concern
Violence Reported Against Egypt Voters
Sri Lanka President's Win Angers Rebels
Honduran Teen Escapes Prison for 5th Time
Al-Zarqawi's Jordan Family Renounces Him
Zimbabwe to Process Newly Found Uranium
Jordanians Denounce Al-Zarqawi Threats
India, Pakistan Open Militarized Border
Pakistan Gets $3.4B in New Quake Aid
Sri Lanka's New President Sworn In
Prince Albert II Assumes Throne in Monaco
Quake Off Indonesia Triggers Tsunami Alert
APEC Leaders Challenge Europe on Subsidies
Iraqi Conference Resumes After Walk-Out

CENTCOM: News Release
AFGHAN POLICE VISIT FORT DRUM, U.S. POLICE DEPARTMENTS
SEARCH OF CACHE TURNS UP MORE WEAPONS, MUNITIONS
COALTION FORCES IDENTIFY CAPTURED TERRORIST

Department of Defense
Bush Thanks Troops for Service, Sacrifice -- Story Remarks

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Sept. 11 Survivor Helps Injured -- Story
Exchange, AT&T Offer Phone Cards
Country Music Star Meets Sailors

TOP NEWS
SPECIAL REPORTS
Iraq Transition of Power

IRAQ
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
New Radios Aid Border Police Ops
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
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

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