The League of
Disgruntled Majors

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Thursday, January 19, 2006

Our Heroes...

Marianne's son Tim and his furry partner, MWD Imo are begining to be regular features around here - and it's great. Here are the latest pics Marianne was kind enough to send:

Imo finds out that indeed Santa's sleigh can make it to Iraq - here he is opening his Christmas present.

Air Force and Navy Law Enforcement, Mosul, Iraq.
(Tim and Imo are in the middle, front)

Heroes, all.

Marianne, as always, thanks for sending these!

posted by Pam @ 5:44 PM |

Have You Got What It Takes to be a Soldiers' Angel?

Soldiers' Angels has received over five hundred submissions of Heroes waiting to be adopted in the past week.

Five hundred.

And those Heroes need Angels.

The organization's name is a slight misnomer - granted, Soldiers' Sailors' Airmen's and Marines' Angels would be a bit cumbersome. There are Heroes from all branches of the military looking for Angels. I always tell people that joining SA, and adopting the heroes I've adopted, is probably the thing I've done that I'm most proud of.

If you support our Heroes, and you want to do something to show that, in a very real and meaningful way, SA is the place for you.

One of the most frequently asked questions is when you can expect to hear from your adoptee, and the SA answer is - "In a word - Never." While you are never guaranteed a reply, there is no doubt that what you do as an Angel is appreciated. We hear this from our adoptees, their families, their commanding officers, their friends. And while most Angels do hear from their adoptees at some point, there's no guarantee. But then again, them thanking us isn't really what this is about - it's about US thanking THEM. And the reward of knowing that you are helping them is immeasurable.

As I said in my earlier post today, I've had a total of five "officials" - one active Army, two Army National Guard, one Army Reserves, and one Airman I don't know much about yet.
I've also had several "unofficials" - Army, Marine, and Navy, that I was in regular contact with after sending a letter as part of the Letter Writing Team. I think now I've written to several hundred as part of the program, and have been very lucky in that I've heard from quite a few of them. I have been honored, and sometimes very humbled, to know all of them.

Adoption is a basic commitment of 1-2 letters a week, and 1-2 packages a month, ongoing throughout a troop's deployment. New Angels get a mentor (I'm one of them) to help with getting into the swing of things, and with answering questions (we help with deciphering the alphabet soup that is a military address, too!)

MaryAnn over at Soldiers' Angels Germany has a great post with information about the organization - go check it out if you'd like more information.

Or, if you're ready to sign up, fill out the adoption form here.

posted by Pam @ 5:18 PM |

My Two Cents: Bin Laden Offers a Truce

Al Qaeda is now offering a conditional truce (in addition to threatening more attacks, of course) and some of the moonbat crowd is actually saying that we should negotiate.

My immediate thought was of General Anthony Clement McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne, who during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, was offered a surrender by German forces that surrounded them. Not because of the surrounding, mind you, but because of the sentiment.

His response, which I like to believe is sanitized for posterity, was

"To the German Commander: NUTS! The American Commander."

FYI, the Americans held Bastogne.

My second thought was of the story of the Turtle and the Scorpion:

A scorpion and a turtle stood at the edge of a river. As the turtle prepared to swim across, the scorpion asked, "Will you give me a ride across?"

"Absolutely not," the turtle responded. "You are a scorpion, and you will sting me before we get to the other side."

"No I won't," the scorpion answered. "That wouldn't make any sense, because if I sting you while we cross, we'll both drown. I want to get to the other side as much as you do. So let's work together, what do you say?"

It took a while, but the scorpion finally convinced the turtle to let him ride on his back as he swam across the river. As they drew close to the opposite shore, the scorpion raised his tail and stung the turtle.

"What did you do that for?" the turtle cried. "Now we're both dead!"

The scorpion just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'm a scorpion. It's what I do."

Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are murdering, vile terrorists. It's what they do. No amount of negotiations and hug-a-terrorist campaigns are going to change that.

Labels: Al Qaeda, My Two Cents, opinion, Osama Bin Laden, politics, terrorism

posted by Pam @ 5:04 PM |

A Word That's Worth A Thousand Pictures??

December 9, 2005 (CNN)
While interviewing an anonymous US Special Forces soldier on his sniper skills, a Reuters News agent asked the soldier what he felt when shooting members of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The soldier shrugged and replied, "Recoil."

Heh. Gotta love it.

Thanks to Seamus

posted by Pam @ 4:50 PM |

Talking With Heroes Upcoming Guests

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TALKING WITH HEROES: America's Newest Talk Show
http://www.blogger.com/

Colorado Springs, Colorado, January 18, 2006, YoungHeroes.US announces the guest list for the January 22, 2006 Talking with Heroes Talk Show. Talking with Heroes is not about politics. It is about honoring and supporting our men and women serving our country and their families.

Talking with Heroes guests are men and women talking about their experiences while serving and helping the people in Iraq, Afghanistan and in other areas of the world. Guests include leaders from military support groups who send hundreds of packages to our deployed men and women as well as helping them and their families here in America. Guests include companies, entertainers and others who help and support our troops.

The guests on the Jan 22, 2006 {5pm PST} Show are:

Sparky George, Founder of San Ramon, the founder of Hats Off America, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that raises money for the families of military personnel killed in the line of duty while serving the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hats Off America was created by Sparky George, owner of Classic Car Auto Restoration and Repair in San Ramon, CA, a Vietnam veteran and the “Bear Flag Runner” of Danville. In honor of service personnel being deployed in Iraq, the Bear Flag Runner has been running six miles a night, five days a week with a five-pound weight, regardless of weather, since September 15, 2002.

Carolyn Blashek, Founder of Operation Gratitude. Together with the California Army National Guard, 746th QM BN, Van Nuys, seek to lift troops' morale, and bring a smile to their faces by sending care packages to service members overseas. Operation Gratitude care packages contain food, toiletries, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support.

Major Nico Marcolongo, active duty Marine Corps officer and founder of Buddy Bowl Inc. a non-profit dedicated to raising money for military, law enforcement, and children's related charities through the annual flag football tournament. Major Marcolongo will talk about Buddy Bowl Inc.'s charitable efforts and his participation in the Sumatra tsunami relief efforts. He says that the people there were very grateful for the support and assistance they were receiving from the U.S.

Gregory Wawrytko, retired from Fort Carson as the Personnel Sergeant Major for the entire Division. He is now the District Commander for VFW Posts and also Vice Commander for VFW Post 101 in Colorado Springs. He will talk about helping and assisting deployed men and women and also for when they come back home.

All Talking with Heroes talk shows can be listened to in our past show archives 24 hours a day/7 days a week, from anywhere in the world where there is access to the internet.

For More Information:
Bob Calvert, Talk Show Host http://www.blogger.com/

posted by Pam @ 12:17 AM |

by Sgt. Andre Reynolds
January 18, 2006Sgt. Reinaldo Gotierrez, a medic from Company B, 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, inspects the tooth of an Afghan boy who complained of pain during a medical assistance visit to the village of Zanto Kalay.

posted by Pam @ 12:16 AM |

My Hero...

Michael sends these photos, sent by the 359th Transportation vets' hero, Denise.

Michael, you and your fellows are awesome Angels.

Denise, keep your helmet on - stay safe, and take care.

posted by Pam @ 12:15 AM |

Big Happenings at Milblogging.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MILBLOGGING.COM JOINS FORCES WITH MILITARY.COM

Leading Military Website Adds World’s Largest Military Blog Portal To Accelerate The Spread of Soldier-Journalism

SAN FRANCISCO-- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 17, 2006-- Military.com, the largest military and veteran membership organization, has announced the addition of Milblogging (http://www.milblogging.com/), the leading military-related blog portal to its growing family of definitive military sites.

Military Blogs Redefining War Coverage
The popularity of military blogs has skyrocketed as the military community, mainstream media and the American public look to assess progress in the Global War on Terror. Military blogs deliver perspectives from the warfighters, offering unfiltered, first-hand accounts from the front lines. In addition, servicemembers and families share slices of life on duty or on the home front, covering good news and intensely personal stories that may not make the headlines at home.

Milblogging.com
Miliblogging.com organized the military blogosphere, making it easy to find blogs of interest. Milblogging.com characterizes over 1,100 blogs from 23 countries by country, branch of service, gender and popularity. Milblogging.com offers community and exposure for military bloggers – offering traffic, commentary, recognition and in-depth coverage of the best military blogs on the Internet. In addition, this year marked the first annual Milblogging.com awards, the “Milbloggies” to outstanding military bloggers. Milblogging is the ultimate starting point to find blogs such as “Sandman Chronicles” from Iraq, “Far from Perfect – The Life of an Army Combat Medic”, “My Son, My Soldier”, “Grandmother in Iraq” or “Journal of a Military Wife”.

Milblogging.com was created by J.P. Borda, an Operation Enduring Freedom veteran who blogged from Afghanistan in 2004-2005 and started Milblogging.com after returning from deployment. “Its mission is to help people from all over the world find the milblogs that interest them in just a few clicks,” he said recently. J.P. has become a respected voice in the military blogging community, but he says he is “still a milbloggers at heart.” In his role as editor of Milblogging, he's been featured by MSNBC, GX magazine, Newsweek, Army Times, AOL.com, Newsmax.com, The Washington Post, The Rush Limbaugh Show, NPR, BBC radio, popular blogs like Instapundit.com and Blackfive.net, as well as newspapers, radio programs, and television stations across the country.

Military Blogs and Military.com: Supercharging Soldier-Journalism
“This acquisition is part of our ongoing efforts to identify emerging technologies and innovations that connect and inform the community, including soldier-journalism,” said Christopher Michel, President and Founder of Military.com. “Our acquisition of the highly popular Defensetech.org blog in 2004 demonstrated the power of bringing a world-class blog along side a thriving online community.” With 6.2 million monthly unique visitors (comScore Media Metrix, December 2005), Military.com is the world's largest online military destination. Military.com’s 6 million members include over 30% of uniformed personnel, as well as veterans, family members, legislators, policymakers and the media. Military.com allows the 30 million Americans with military affinity to access the benefits of service, as well as the news and information that impact them. Military.com wants to provide its members access to the 1,100 military blogs of Milblogging.com while also facilitating the natural connections between, for instance, military spouse blogs and the Military Spouse Career Center (www.Military.com/Spouse) or front line soldier blogs and the Military.com Warfighter’s Forum. “We strongly believe in providing the tools and forums that help servicemembers to stay connected and help each other get ahead personally and professionally,” Michel said. "Milblogging will undoubtedly further engage and enrich the military and veteran community.”

About Monster Worldwide
Founded in 1967, Monster Worldwide, Inc. is the parent company of Monster®, the leading global online careers and recruitment resource. The company also owns TMP Worldwide, one of the world's largest Recruitment Advertising agency networks. Headquartered in New York with approximately 4,800 employees in 26 countries, Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST) is a member of the S&P 500 Index. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at www.monsterworldwide.com.

About Military.com
Military.com, the nation's largest military membership organization, is dedicated to connecting the 30 million members of the military and veteran community to every advantage earned in service to America. Military.com helps its 6 million members access their benefits, advance their careers, enjoy military discounts, and stay connected. Military.com is a division of Monster Worldwide, Inc. Visit the company at www.Military.com.

posted by Pam @ 12:15 AM |

Soldier Asks for Help for Iraqi Kids

Forwarded by Soldiers' Angels:

Hi, I want to say first thank you or all that you do. Next I am a S-5 (civil military operations). We provide aid and projects for the local villages, this operation is imperative to us winning this war...

I saw on your website you guys are sending packages to give to Iraqi Children. The thing I see that we are hurting for in this village and many others is shoes. 90% of the kids here dont have them and when they get them they are hand me downs that are worn out (sandals).

We will take anything you have stinky shoes old shoes new shoes, shoes without shoe strings anything to help these kids.

V/R
SGT S.B.

If you can help, please contact Soldiers' Angels.

posted by Pam @ 12:12 AM |

Staff Sgt. Geoffrey McCurdy of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment entertains his 20-month-old daughter Emma before he leaves with his unit on a seven-month deployment to Iraq at Camp Pendleton Calif., Jan. 7. This will be his and his unit's third tour to Iraq. During the battalions's first deployment to Iraq, the unit participated in several combat engagements and conducted stability operations in southern Iraq. During November 2004, while deployed the second time, the battalion was one of the lead assault units during Operation Al Fajr, the joint operation that wrested the city of Fallujah from insurgent control.Photo by: Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis

Read Story Associated with this photo

Read Story Associated with this photo

posted by Pam @ 12:05 AM |

Your Humble Blogger

Recently, I've gotten a few emails and questions that have led me to believe that although you may not be in any doubt about where I stand on certain things (not that I'm opinionated or anything...), you probably don't really know a whole heck of a lot about who I am - or why I'm blogging.

So, a little over a year after I started blogging, I figured it was high time I told you a little about me.

I'm from CT - have lived there most of my life, although I've also lived in New York and North Carolina. I'm married, with a slew of furry kids, but no human ones (yet - we're working on that).

I am not, nor have I ever been, active military. I did look to join once upon a time...long story. Had I enlisted, I would have joined the Army. One of the main reasons I didn't was that it was unlikely that I would have had any chance at the type of MOS I wanted. The recruiter I spoke with (who, let's get this clear, NEVER pressured or lied to me), advised me that with my SAT scores, my grades, etc., I was likely to have gone the medical route. It wasn't what I wanted at the time. I still regret not enlisting sometimes. Then again, though, I couldn't be nearly as lippy on this blog if I were serving.

My father-in-law is a Vietnam Vet (Special Forces), of whom I'm extremely proud. My father is an anti-war liberal who did not have to serve in Vietnam due to physical issues. My husband wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and earn his Green Beret, or, he tells me, drive a missile truck. Not sure why the missile truck had such allure... My family has been in this country since its inception, and I can document their presence in the Union ranks during the Civil War (one of them served with the fabled Fighting Irish - the 69th NY). My grandfathers fought in WWII. My stepgrandfather told one of the funniest war stories I've ever heard - about a German prisoner who gave him a hard time one day.

My family was a fortress of liberalism until the past few years, with me standing out as the lone supporter of military action against our enemies and other views more apt to be found among Conservatives. To my mother's credit, though, she has said more than once that what the anti-war crowd did to returning Vietnam vets was, she thought "horrible." Things have improved on that score. I think for everyone, 9/11 was a time of renegotiation of beliefs, and I've heard some surprising things out of some of them lately.

I'm lucky enough to have married my best friend - and we share basically the same political beliefs, which is a good thing, 'cause during the last election, if he'd been voting for the other guy, things might have gotten really ugly.

At the beginning of Desert Storm, I was in college - and living with my father when I wasn't at school. I remember the demonstrations on the college campus - basically, pathetic hippie wannabes who couldn't have gotten a coherent message together if someone had put it on a billboard for them.

Anyway, living with my anti-war father was interesting, to say the least. Worked with him too - he was decidedly higher up on the food chain. He, by the way, said shortly after Desert Storm ended that there was no further need in this country for ground troops - a standing Army - any more; everything could be handled with smartbombs, not that we should be doing any of that, anyway. The showdown at the O.K. Corral came when he insisted that I could not wear my American-flag-and-yellow ribbon pin at work, which I put on the day the war started, and vowed to remove when the last person I knew came home from the Gulf. I refused to remove it. A small battle ensued; I won.

In truth, and it's probably not the best way to handle things, I haven't talked to my father, really, since OIF started. I just can't hack it - I know what he'll say, and I'm likely to react very badly.

During Desert Storm, I wrote to the friend of a friend - a Marine - sending cartoons and jokes to the Land of Sand in some sort of weird foreshadowing.

I remember 9/11 clearly. I remember sitting with one of my best friends while she called the airline family crisis line to try and find out if we'd watched her brother (a pilot who flew one of the doomed planes' routes) fly into the Trade Center. We sat and watched in horror as the Towers fell. She turned to me and said, "There's no more Twin Towers. They're just...gone." She had been there with her kids a couple of months earlier.

When the troops went to Afghanistan, I started looking for a way to support them. I remembered my friend's friend mentioning how much he'd appreciated my letters. I wanted, in the era of political correctness, and unbelievably, argument about the mission, to say "thank you." I wanted to make sure that I was NOT part of the problem. I wanted to make sure at least one Hero knew that someone was proud. Fortunately, there are a lot of other people who learned the lesson of Vietnam - NEVER again will we allow our Heroes to be so abominably mistreated.

It wasn't until early 2004 that I found Soldiers' Angels. I'd looked at a bunch of different venues, but that was the one I decided on. I can still remember how excited I was to get my Soldier's name and address. I remember writing my first letter almost immediately, and hoping I'd get a reply, though I knew I probably wouldn't. But I did - almost immediately. It took only two weeks, and in my mailbox was my first piece of "soldier mail." He was a Cavalry scout, in Iraq. He was a regular writer for quite a while - I could almost predict the day the letter would arrive. One day, watching the news and seeing how particularly ugly it had been that day, I wrote to him that "there is nothing you will ever have to do over there...nothing you can tell me, that will ever make me think you are anything less than a Hero." I remember hearing the few stories that my father-in-law tells about his time in the jungle - and they ain't pretty. The first one I heard, I can remember thinking, "Man, if this is the story he thinks is OK to tell in mixed company, what the h-e-double-hockey-sticks are the other ones like???" I knew that life in Baghdad probably got pretty hard to take sometimes. And I just wanted it out there - he was my hero, and I was proud. Later, he wrote less frequently, as work kept him incredibly busy. But he did instant message me, and email. I think we wore out the emoticons, especially the ROFL one, and it was always great to hear from him.

Still on my desk is the Iraqi money he sent with his first letter - Saddam's face right there in the plexi-frame. I was hooked on SA from day one, and I had found my niche. He's been home now for almost a year. I still hear from him occasionally. In his wake, I've been thrilled to have two more adoptees return safely home from Iraq, and I have two now - both in Afghanistan. One of them is my first deviation from a solidly (and completely by chance) Army pattern - I've got an adopted Airman.

I had read this blog when Patti was doing the bulk of the posting. Patti is the founder of Soldiers' Angels, and her son is an Iraq vet. I forwarded a couple of items I'd found, and she asked me to start helping out. I was more than happy to do so. Soon after, she asked me to take over the management of the blog, and a very small star was born.

I do this because it is one way that I can say thank you. I do this because it still makes me furious to hear anyone maligning the troops. I do this because I believe in them and their mission. I try to stay out of a number of political topics - largely because that's not the point here. My purpose here is to support our Heroes - and to get out there some trickle of the ocean of wonderful things they do.

I have never forgotten the lesson of Vietnam. I will NEVER allow it to happen again - at least, not in my little corner of the world.

So that's a little of who I am and why I blog. Hopefully, you're still awake. I am thrilled that there are so many of you who make this a regular e-stop. I am honored that you find something worthwhile on these pages. I am humbled on a daily basis by the Heroes about whom I post.

posted by Pam @ 12:04 AM |

COUNTERSTRIKE — U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to Bravo Battery, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, prepare their 105 mm Howitzers for a fire mission during Operation Counterstrike, Jan. 5, 2006, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo

posted by Pam @ 12:02 AM |

In Today's News - Thursday, January 19, 2006

Quote of the Day
"There never is a convenient place to fight a war
when the other man starts it."
-- US Admiral Arleigh Burke

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Kidnapped Journo Sought in Iraq; U.S. Civilians Killed
Abducted Reporter's Family Makes Appeal
Baby Noor Back in Hospital
Bush Meets Tortured Iraqis
Video: Journalist Missing
Italians Seek U.S. Help in Shooting Probe
Iraq Investigating Possible Bird Flu Death

Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghanistan's president seeks bombing probe

Troops on Trial
Lawyer: Interrogation method in Iraqi's death had commander's OK

Other Military News
Coast Guard Searches for Crew of Cape Fear Boat

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Hunt for Bodies
Fast Facts: Midhat Mursi Bio
British Dads' Group Folds After Blair Plot
"Fearful" that 9/11 still claiming victims

Moonbat Watch
Rights group says U.S. abuse deliberate

Supreme Court
Alito finds scant Democratic support

Politics
White House won't reveal details of Abramoff meetings with staff
House GOP leaders want to change lobbying rules
Bush speech to focus on health care plans
Obama backs Clinton's criticism of GOP
Problems with Medicare plan worry GOP
New Orleans mayor retracts King Day talk

Oddities
Finger Fraud Sentence - Wendy's scammers to jail
And look at what this guy stole..
Wonder why he keeps forgetting..
Mass. 2-year-old gets summons for jury duty
International tequila dispute settled
At 100, groom not too old to get married

Other News of Note
No Negotiations
Iran Pres: West Sits in 'Ivory Towers'

Fox News
Mine Survivor 'Awakening'
Court Dodges Abortion Law - State Abortion Challenges Loom
Tech Woes Lead Market Slide
High Winds Rock Northeast
Apple Profits Nearly Doubles
EBay Q4 Results Strong
Castro: U.S. Afraid to Play Baseball With Cuba
NYCers Mourn Abused Girl
SPORTS NEWS AND SCORES

Reuters: Top News
Tight election race forming in Mexico
Iran scorns EU trio's draft nuclear resolution Video
Democrats propose Congress-lobbying reforms
US strike killed Al Qaeda bomb maker: report Video
Privacy group to sue over US eavesdropping program
Wealthy states back bird flu fund, deaths probed Video
Ex-CIA chief's book to explain "slam dunk" on Iraq Video
Privacy group to sue over US eavesdropping program
Top court orders more hearings on abortion law
NASA's Pluto flight delayed again due to power outage
More Americans trade jobs for life as innkeepers
US stops trial of "intermittent" AIDS treatment
Cingular to sell phone with Microsoft software
H&R Block says Intuit to change ad claims
Drug firms eye fat profits from new obesity pills
US stops trial of "intermittent" AIDS treatment
Kellogg asked to end marketing junk foods to kids
EBay posts strong results, but outlook disappoints
Apple sales outlook rattles shares
AMD reverses loss as sales jump
Abbott role in Guidant bid seen as devices play
Koppers Holdings adds shares to planned IPO
US ad spending up 5.4 pct in 2006: study
Stocks slump as tech earnings disappoint
Apple, eBay decline on Inet
Yahoo, Google shares tumble on lofty expectations
Nautilus plunges 25 percent on Q4 outlook
Oil shares down on warm weather in US Northeast
On the Radar: Defense stocks
Diagnosis for Intel
On the Radar: Stamps.com

AP World News
Europe Rejects Nuclear Talks With Iran
Palestinian Leader Says He May Resign
Ivory Coast Unrest Kills at Least Four
Cold Weather Claims at Least 24 in Russia
Conservatives Surging in Canadian Polls
Castro Announces Overhaul of Electric Grid
Vatican Paper Hits 'Intelligent Design'
French Couple May Face Off for Presidency
Tokyo Stocks Plummet Amid Investigation
Colombian Troops Try to Rid Park of Coca
Mexican Campaign Focuses on Migration
Some Want to Save East German Parliament
U.S. Blocks Syrian Intel Chief's Assets
World Opposed to Nuclear Iran, Rice Says

The Seattle Times
FDA: Hemophilia drug linked to deaths, strokes in off-label use
New air threat: "SUVs with wings"
Calif. district cancels creation course
Study finds teen car crashes kill more than just teens
Face transplant nearly failed, doctor says
Iran lifts CNN ban; apology over mistranslation accepted
Oklahoma City bomb-trials witness to get out of prison
Bolivian Army chief fired over missiles

Chicago Sun-Times
Man gets 12 years in bizarre murder plot
Village closes crossing at site of fatal derailment
Felon charged in rape day after he was freed
Wiseguy is wiseguy in court
GOP calls on Madigan in fight to block keno
Purdue rowers rescued after 16 hours in Atlantic
Saudi Arabia, Egypt tell Cheney to give Iran more time
Firefighter aces exam 12 hours after giving birth
Daley pushes full-day kindergarten
Sex assault rare in prisons, disputed study says
L Car No. 1 travels into history
Rare whales seen in Texas, far from winter turf
Israel's leader eager to restart peace talks
'Little Old Lady Killer' torments Mexico City
Kenya food shortage 'turning into crisis'
'Keep your children away': Bird flu most common in kids

Boston Globe: World
Tape aired of hostage US journalist
Cheney, Arab leaders discuss Hariri standoff
China villagers say police killed girl during protest over seizure of farmland
Tightening of Jordan border leaves many Iraqis frustrated
A death hardens support for Hamas

Military.com
Two U.S. Civilians Killed in Iraq
Milblogging.com Joins Military.com
Navy Shipbuilding Plan Called Unrealistic
Reporter's Family Appeals for Mercy
New Horizons Launch Delayed Again
Italy to Charge GI in Iraq Death

Department of Defense
Bush Meets Victims of Saddam's Regime - Story Remarks
Defense Leader Details U.S. Iraq Strategy - Story
Americans Must Understand U.S. Is at War - Story
Body Armor Evolution Meets Changing Threat - Story

ON THE GROUND
Soldiers Take Out Snipers in Salah Ad Din - Story
Millions Get First Tap Water in Eight Years - Story
Marines Train New Iraqi Logistics Regiment - Story

IN IRAQ
Units Transfer Authority in Iraq Ceremony
Marine Mortarmen Support Infantry Near Hit
Iraqi Helicopter Pilots Make Air Force History
First Fires Brigade Arrives in Theater
Protective Gear Keeps Marines in Iraq Safe

IN AFGHANISTAN
Vendor Day Educates Business Leaders
Photos: Operation Counterstrike

FACE OF DEFENSE
Air Force Handler Adopts K-9 Partner - Story

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Citizen-Soldier Praises Employer - Story

TOP NEWS
IRAQ
U.S., Iraq Begin Ops in Anbar
Pentagon Looks Into Helo Crashes
Suicide Bomber Kills 5, Wounds 18
Iraq, U.S. Troops Find Weapons
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in 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
Police Discuss Internal Security
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Detainees Released; Bombs Found
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Military, Diplomats Need 'Jointness'
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Army 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

Today in History
0379 - Theodosius installed as co-emperor of East Roman Empire
0973 - Pope Benedictus VI elected
1419 - French city of Rouen surrenders to Henry V in Hundred Years War
1493 - France cedes Roussillon & Cerdágne to Spain by treaty of Barcelona
1668 - King Louis XIV & Emperor Leopold I sign treaty dividing Spain
1746 - Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops occupy Stirling
1770 - Battle of Golden Hill (Lower Manhattan)
1793 - French King Louis XVI sentenced to death
1795 - Democratic revolution in Amsterdam ends oligarchy
1806 - Britain occupies the Cape of Good Hope
1808 - Louis Napoleon signs 1st Dutch aviation law
1825 - Ezra Daggett & nephew Thomas Kensett patent food storage in tin cans
1833 - Charles Darwin reaches Straits Ponsonby, Fireland
1839 - Aden conquered by British East India Company
1840 - Antarctica discovered, Charles Wilkes expedition (US claim)
1853 - Napoleon III marries Eugénie de Montijo
1861 - Georgia becomes 5th state to secede; MS troops take Fort Massachusetts an Ship Island
1862 - Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky (Fishing Creek, Logan's Crossroads)
1863 - General Mieroslawski appointed dictator of Poland
1865 - Union occupies Fort Anderson NC
1885 - Battle at Abu Klea Sudan 800-1000 killed
1899 - Anglo-Egyptian Sudan forms
1903 - 1st regular transatlantic radio broadcast between US & England
1910 - Germany & Bolivia ends commerce/friendship treaty; National Institute of Arts & Letters incorporated by Congress
1913 - Raymond Poincaré installed as President of France
1915 - 1st German Zeppelin attack over Great Britain, 4 die; Neon Tube sign patented by George Claude
1917 - Silvertown Essex's ammunition factory explodes; 300 die
1918 - Soviets disallows a Constitution Assembly
1920 - Alexandre Millerand forms French government; US Senate votes against membership in League of Nations
1921 - Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras & El Salvador sign Pact of Union
1922 - Geological survey says US oil supply would be depleted in 20 years
1927 - British government decides to send troops to China
1929 - Acadia National Park, Maine established
1937 - Millionaire Howard Hughes sets transcontinental air record (7h28m25s)
1938 - GM began mass production of diesel engines
1939 - Ernest Hausen of Wisconsin sets chicken-plucking record-4.4 seconds
1941 - British offensive in Eritrea; British troops occupy Kassalaf Sudan
1942 - Japanese forces invade Burma; Titus Brandsma (Carmelite priest) arrested by German occupiers for speaking out against Nazism as a "lie" and "pagan"
1943 - Joint Chiefs of Staff decide on invasion in Sicily
1947 - SS Himera runs aground at Athens, kills 392
1950 - Maiden flight by Canada's Avro Canada CF-100 military plane
1952 - PGA approves allowing black participants
1955 - 1st Presidential news conference filmed for TV (Eisenhower); "Scrabble" debuts on board game market
1960 - Eisenhower & Premier Kishi sign US-Japanese Security pact
1966 - Indira Gandhi elected India's 3rd prime minister
1970 - Nixon nominates G Harrold Carswell to Supreme Court (fails)
1972 - Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra, & Early Wynn elected to Hall of Fame
1974 - Belgium government of Leburton falls
1975 - 4 mail truck assault on El Al B-747 in Paris, escape to Iraq
1977 - President Ford pardons Iva Toguri D'Aquino (Tokyo Rose); World's largest crowd-12.7 million-for Indian religious festival
1978 - Judge William H. Webster appointed head of FBI
1979 - John N. Mitchell (former AG) released on parole from federal prison
1981 - Muhammad Ali talks a despondent 21 year old out of committing suicide; US & Iran sign agreement to release 52 American hostages
1982 - Heater explodes at Star Elementary School-Oklahoma, kills 6 kids & teacher
1983 - Klaus Barbie, SS chief of Lyon in Nazi-France, arrested in Bolivia
1984 - California Supreme Court refuses to allow quadriplegic Elizabeth Bouvia to starve herself to death in a public hospital, she appeals and is later granted the right to die
1986 - Israeli premier Simon Peres visits Netherlands; Spain recognizes Israel
1987 - Guy Hunt becomes Alabama's 1st Republican governor since 1874
1988 - "48 Hours" premieres on CBS-TV
1989 - President Reagan pardons George Steinbrenner for illegal funds for Nixon
1993 - Israel recognizes PLO as no longer criminal; Robert M. Gates ends term as 15th director of CIA; STS-54 (Endeavour) lands

Birthdays
0570 - Mohammed Islamic, prophet (Koran)
1200 - Dogen Kigen, Zen teacher, 1st patriarch of the Japanese Soto
1544 - Francis II de Valois-Angoulême, King of France (1559-60)
1736 - James Watt, inventor (steam engine); Laurens P. van de Spiegel, Dutch regent/secretary of State 1787-95
1749 - Isaiah Thomas, US printer/editor/publisher/historian
1802 - (Jean) Silvain van de Weyer, 1st Belgian minister of Foreign affairs (1831)
1807 - Robert Edward Lee Stratford VA, Confederate General-in-Chief
1809 - Edgar Allan Poe, author (Pit & the Pendulum)
1813 - Sir Henry Bessemer, engineer/inventor (Bessemer engine)
1816 - Henry Gray, Confederate Brigadier General
1820 - John Haskell King, Union Brevet Major General
1830 - George Blake Cosby, Confederate Brigadier General
1863 - Werner Sombart German fascist (Juden und das Wirtschaftsleben)
1869 - Alfred R. Zimmerman, mayor (Rotterdam 1906-22)/Director (League of Nations)
1892 - Olafur Thors, Icelandic PM (6 times, 1942-63)
1904 - James Winston Watts developer (Frontal Lobotomy)
1905 - Oveta Culp Hobby, government official/newspaper publisher/CEO (Houston Post)
1912 - Leonid V. Kantorovich, economist (Nobel); Francis David Charteris Earl of Wemyss & March/Scottish landowner; Jean G.H. "Sjeng" Tans, Dutch socialist democratic chairman (1965-69)
1920 - Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, 5th Secretary-General of UN (1982-91)
1924 - 7th Earl of Carnarvon, English large landowner
1931 - Robert MacNeil, news anchor (NBC Weekend News 1965-67); Ron Packard (Representative-CA)
1938 - Denny Smith (Representative-OR)
1940 - Barend J. du Plessis South African minister of Finance
1944 - Dan Reeves, NFL Coach (New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons)
1946 - Alexandr Vladimirovich Shchukin, Russian cosmonaut; Dolly Rebecca Parton, country singer (Dolly, 9 to 5)
1947 - Ann Compton, news reporter (ABC TV)

Passings
0639 - Dagobert I, King of Austrasia/Soissons/Burgundy/Neustrië
1479 - Johan II, King of Aragón/Navarra, dies at 81
1547 - Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, army commander/poet, beheaded at 29
1549 - Barthout van Assendelft, 1st land advocate of Holland
1629 - Abbas I, Shah of Persia (1588-1629), dies at 57
1927 - Charlotte, princess of Belgium/Empress of Mexico (1864-67), dies at 86
1980 - William O. Douglas, Supreme Court Justice (1939-75), dies at 81
1982 - Leopold Trepper Polish/Israeli spy (WWII), dies at 77
1990 - Herbert Wehner German ex-communist/chairman (1958-73), dies at 83
1993 - Reginald Lewis CEO (Beatrice), dies of brain cancer at 50

Reported Missing in Action
1967
Ashby, Donald R., Sr., USN (VA); F4B shot down and crashed in water, KIA, body not recovered

Brady, Allen C., USN (VA); A6A shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Captain - alive and well as of 1998

Ehrlch, Dennis Michael, USN (NJ); F4B shot down over water, KIA, body not recovered

Jayroe, Julius S., USAF (SC); F4C shot down (w/Kramer), released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Kramer, Galand D., USAF (OK); F4C shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive as of 1998

Yarbrough, William P., Jr., USN (TX); A6A shot down (w/Brady) - remains returned August, 1985

1968
Johnson, William D., US Army (NC); disappeared during ambush

Murray, Patrick Peter, USMC (MN); A6A shot down (w/Wallace), remains returned April, 1986

Wallace, Hobart McKinle, Jr., USMC (WV); A6A shot down (w/Murray)

1974
Kosh, Gerald E.; released January, 1974

posted by Pam @ 12:01 AM |

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