For any of you that follow milblogger American Soldier, some scary news:

I want to let everyone know that AS has been injured. He was hurt in an IED attack. It is not life threatening and he should be OK. But he has been injured none the less. He is taking it easy the next few days before he gets further testing to determine the outcome of his injuries. He is not yet sure how this will effect his deployment. However, he is back with his unit but unable to go out on missions. He returned at his own request to be with his fellow soldiers...

Read the full post over at AS' blog - and be sure to leave your good wishes.

Drop zone
Master Sgt. Bruce Leehan observes the mountainous terrain he will be flying over from Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, to get to drop zones miles from the Pakistan border Thursday, March 9, 2006. Sergeant Leehan is from the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 185th Airlift Squadron at the Will Rogers World Airport, Okla. and deployed to the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Lance Cheung

Full Story

If you really want to know, why not get the story from someone who's there? Pay particular attention to the news about some reprehensible behavior by some Stateside scum:

Ok, so I have procrastinated long enough, so it’s time for another update. Here is the way things are as of 13MAR06…

OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom), OIF II, and OIF III reconstruction projects were originally slated to last for two years. We have basically past that time and are now “buttoning up” many of the jobs that were started in June 2004.

The projects in ------- and surrounding areas are winding down…

The clinics (5 of 9) have been “descoped” from Parsons, and will be sent out for competitive bids from local Iraqi contractors. This should have been the case from the beginning but hindsight being what it is, this is the best we can do right now.

The clinics are what are called Class “A” facilities. They are actually more like small hospitals with an x-ray room, lab, dental area, and a few beds for the more seriously injured. They are costing about $1.2 million each and that does not include the lab or x-ray equipment.

The hospital renovations (2) are almost complete. The Pediatric hospital now has a new water treatment facility, a new incinerator, a couple of new offices and examination rooms, and a fully repaired roof system. There were numerous leaks that threatened the stability of some of the upper floor exterior wall surfaces.

The Maternity hospital has all those things as well as a new elevator. Many patients had to walk up four flights of stairs to get to exam and treatment rooms, so this will help them to not have to strain too much getting to their appointments.

The schools (22) are complete. The only work we have now is just going back and checking the for warranty items. I am happy to report that there have been no major problems.

The Iraqi Police Academy which was finished a year ago is now out of the warranty period and no more work is scheduled at this time. However, there are rumors that this facility will be expanded to house 1600 students, up from the current 800. I am not sure who is going to oversee construction this project, but I will probably be gone by the time this gets in the works.

The DBE (Department of Border Enforcement) Academy was completed last August and we are now working warranty items. Sad to say there are many. Building foundations were not placed properly. Concrete cure time was minimal, so we are having major cracking problems with the interior and exterior walls. The only solution is to mud jack many of the buildings and affect the needed repairs. The problem here is that there is no technology in the area to do this. We are working on alternate solutions, bit we are limited in what we can do with the current technology. There are also major roof leaks near the expansion joints.

The Army Recruiting Center, which was completed last June, has had no problems other than some minor checking of the plaster walls. The subcontractor came in, repaired and repainted, and all is well again. This facility not only acts as a recruiting center for the Iraqi Army, but as a meeting hall for the PTO (Peshmerga Transformation Office). The PTO offers services for retired Peshmerga soldiers and their families.

The border forts, many of which were started in November 2004 are just now finishing construction. Winter of 2004-2005 was pretty severe, but there were many other problems with the prime U.S. contractor, Parsons. Without going into too much detail, schedules slipped severely, designs did not account for snow loads, and retrofits went very slowly. So far, we have turned over 35 of the original 45 sites to the DBE, with 4 more scheduled for handover in the next few days.

Police stations (7) are nearing completion as well. Most are between 80-90% complete with minor items to be addressed before final inspection. Mostly we are finding small things like cracked floor/wall tiles, broken glass, areas needing touch up paint, and minor cracks in concrete – again mainly due to improper cure time for the concrete.

The electrical substations (3) are 90-100% complete. There is a final inspection at one site today and it is hoped we will be able to turn it over to the Directorate of Electricity within the week. These stations will allow for more power to reach more people, many of whom only have electricity for 8 hours per day – four hours in the morning and four hours in the evening.

We are waiting to hear about one new project that I hope flies. It is a water supply project for the people here in Sulaymaniyah and the folks out in the city of C-----, about 30 miles west of us. C----- has only four main wells for about 40,000 people. They are in need of this project desperately. We do have a new clinic in the area and it would be nice to supply these people with a good source of water so that hopefully they don’t have to use the clinic for anything other than major injuries...

The “civil war” has not affected us here...as the vast majority of the attacks are occurring in the south and in Baghdad in particular. Attacks against Shia and Sunni by each other are more predominant and are getting most of the news time here. Many people that I know have lost family members and/or have been threatened themselves during this period of time and it is disheartening. I am trying to find out if there is a “patriation” or political asylum program in place or being thought about for those who have worked for the coalition since we came here. I believe there was similar program during the last days of Viet Nam whereby many “friendlies” were brought to the U.S...

While in Texas for R&R last time (Jan-Feb), I bought a house out in ----- in the old neighborhood where I used to live. I had given Power of Attorney to a friend to handle the closing, etc. since I was scheduled to return here before this could be handled. All went well until a few days ago when I got an email from this friend telling me that the house had been vandalized. Kids apparently broke into the house and caused some damage. I am not sure about the extent of the damage and have asked my friends to take photos and send them. Maybe that is something not everyone would want, but I have to know. Besides, photos will be good for insurance reasons and to aid in possible disciplinary action against the realtor. (Don’t ask about this because I am not sure of the details on this myself.) The fortunately thing is that none of my personal items were in the house, it’s all still in storage and probably will remain there until I get back, whenever that will be. The woman across street said she thought it might be the son of the woman who owned the house previously, but no one is sure. She did say she would keep an eye out and report any suspicious activity. It’s a helluva note to be here doing what we are and then to have something like this happen. Of course it is not as bad as some other stories I have heard. Many times crooks will watch the papers for funerals of fallen soldiers or contractors, and then ransack their homes when the families are at the funerals. This is despicable behavior by those who these people are defending or assisting in defending America...

To all of you who have sent packages for the children here and for me, THANK YOU. I cannot say it often or loudly enough. Your generosity is most appreciated. The school supplies and clothing items will be distributed as we have time and photos will be taken and included in further updates. We have just been too busy to get many of these items out to those in need. Without your concern, many of these kids would not have much in the way of writing tablets, pencils, erasers, crayons or coloring books. These items are going a long way toward winning “hearts and minds” here...I just wish that the spirit you have shown could be captured and bottled for those who need a bit of a push to show their compassion. Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart.

“Out here.”

Greg
Iraq

P.S. Photos:
Tin Can Man
This Toyota Land Cruiser is actually GREEN. It rained mud for three hours...
Me...





Thanks, Patti

Soldiers' Angels recently received a very special Thank You from a hero:





Patti,
Again I want to thank Soldiers' Angels for what you and many has done for us soldiers, I show you graditude and Respect. Even though we see rough times, people like you and some others show us a route of sanity, "GOD Bless You." I am enclosing a picture of myself to be done whatever to, I would like to put it on Soldiers' Angels website if that is possible and not too much to ask for. It was a picture taken in January 2006 pointing at the environment of Kuwait. The expression what you don't see won't hurt out here doesn't exist. But thanks again and take care.

Love,
James D.

James, Thank YOU for all you do. Keep your head down and your helmet on - Take care, and stay safe.


This is why programs like Soldiers' Angels are so important - because they let our Heroes know they are appreciated, and it tells them just how proud we are of them.


And on a related note, don't forget to visit Holly Aho's blog to see how you can help a Soldier fulfill a wish.

HOMECOMING — U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Greg Knepper of Fighter Squadron 31 is greeted enthusiasticaly by his wife and daughter upon returning from a six month deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of coalition forces operating in Iraq, March 10, 2006. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher M. McCoin

David of The Thunder Run has posted a number of times about Sgt. Mike Stokely, an American Hero killed in Iraq, and about his conversations with Mike's father.

Recently, David received a letter from Mike's father, answering the question - "Is Iraq worth it?"

The day of the night that Mike was killed, he could have gone up to Baghdad for an overnight trip to take equipment for changeout, but a fellow squad member wanted to go as well so he could see his brother in another unit - upon learning both couldn't go, Mike gave up his seat so the other soldier could go see his brother. That night when Mike was killed, he had been on duty 30 hours or so, and saw three Humvees about to go on a mission - one had an empty seat due to a soldier being home on leave rotation - Mike jumped in the seat without being asked.

Be sure to read this - an answer from someone who knows in a very personal way exactly what the war costs.

Also talking about Sgt. Stokely - the Mudville Gazette

ROCKET FIND — U.S. Marines assigned to India Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment carry a nine-foot rocket with a 122mm warhead that they found while excavating the area for weapons and ammunition storage points in Baghdaddi, Iraq, March 3, 2006. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael R. McMaugh

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Sadr city morning after attacks - Play Video
Iraq's president warns of civil war after bombings - Video
48 Die in Attack on Baghdad Shiite Slum
Iraqi Judge Admits Ordering Shiite Trials

Operation Enduring Freedom
U.S. Forces Nab 11 Alleged Afghan Terrorists
Taliban's Omar orders execution of foreign hostages - Video
Afghan Bombing Kills Four U.S. Troops

Homeland Security / War on Terror
FBI Agent Faces Cross by Moussaoui Defense
Anti-terror ties focus of Rice's Indonesia visit - Video

Troops on Trial
Dog Handler Faces Abu Ghraib Charges

Other Military News
Most Americans not Fit to Join

Dubai Port Proposal
Democrats see political port in Dubai storm

Hamas Rising
Fatah faces US cut off if it join Hamas government

Worldwide Wackos
Iran Nixes Russian Nuke Deal- Video: Tehran Refuses Offer
Bush campaign against Iran's religious leaders - Wash Post

Politics
Republicans look to a future without Bush
Feingold Proposes Bush Censure Over Spying

Oddities
Ex-Convict Priest Meets His Calif. Flock

Other News of Note
Texas Wildfires Wreak Havoc
Midwest Twisters Kill Three
Videos: Storms Move East - Terrible Tornadoes
Bouncer Blood Match - Police to seek indictment
Video: Blood Match in Coed's Murder

Fox News
U.N.: Afghan Bird Flu Deadly- Bird Flu Reported in Myanmar
Defense Gets Crack at Ex-Enron CFO Fastow
Milosevic Had Heart Attack, Preliminary Autopsy Indicates
Survey: Gas Up 11 Cents
Archeologists Find 17 Statues of Ancient Egyptian Goddess
Stocks to Watch: Nortel
NCAA Brackets Released- Print Out Your Bracket (pdf)
FULL SPORTS COVERAGE

Reuters: Top News
Rodriguez lifts US to win over Japan
Fires destroy six Australian homes
Asia stocks surge, Exporters up
Microsoft takes on Yahoo, Google for Web ad dollars
McClatchy to buy Knight-Ridder for $4.5 billion
Nasdaq could offer LSE share alternative: sources
Northern Foods warns biscuit slide to hit profit
Samsung Elec to invest $1.15 bln on memory lines
McClatchy to buy Knight-Ridder for $4.5 billion
Toyota, Fuji to develop hybrid for Subaru cars: paper
Memory chip testers readying IPOs
US stocks seen up, takeover bids in focus
BAA shares higher on possible bid war
LSE soars as Nasdaq reignites bid battle talk
Stocks to eye bond yields and CPI
AstraZeneca gains as Crestor drug proves its worth
TiVo's Worrisome Future
Digital cinema may not be ready to roll
Dan Brown "astounded" at copying claim
Lowering homocysteine doesn't protect heart-studies
Digital in front-row seat theater owners' confab
Wireless networking baffles some customers
Investors wary of Guatemala gold mine opposition

AP World News
Tokyo Stock Exchange to Delist Livedoor
Rapper Young Jeezy Arrested in So. Florida
Duke Rallies to Take NCAA's Top Seed
Sean Connery Has Surgery for Kidney Tumor
Doubt Cited on Aspirin-Blood Thinner Combo
Deadly Bird Flu Expands in Africa, Europe
Billy Graham Returns With Big Easy Sermon
Kia Motors to Set Up First U.S. Plant
New Credit Card Minimums May Hurt Banks
Safer Method Found to Treat Heart Failure

Military.com
Israel Told US of Withdrawal Plan
Biden: Troops Should Come Home in Summer

CENTCOM: News Releases
IRAQI EOD TEAM HELPS MAKE ROAD SAFER

MND-B SOLDIERS UNCOVER THREE WEAPONS

Department of Defense
Khalilzad: Iraqi Leaders Make Progress - Story
U.S. Army Must Transform to Remain Relevant - Story
Leaders Outline Force Structure Changes
Troops Find Weapons; Iraqis Dispose of IED - Story
Bush: Ending IED Threat Remains Top Priority - Story - Remarks

ON THE GROUND
Division Commander Visits Baghdad Residents - Story - Photos
Ceremony Transfers Base Control to Iraqi Army - Story
USS Ardent Aids Stranded Iraqi-Owned Vessel - Story

IN IRAQ
Troops Deliver Essentials, Toys to Iraqi Orphans
Iraqi Troops Ride Recon Off the Beaten Path
Lifesaver Course Designed for Combat in Iraq

IN AFGHANISTAN
'Muleskinners' Assume Joint Logistics Mission
Medical Assistance Visit Aids Bamian Residents
Civil Affairs Mission Helps Afghan Villagers

FACE OF DEFENSE
Assistant District Attorney Helps Troops in Iraq - Story

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
ASY Groups Meet President Bush - Story
Marine, JROTC Unit Push VFW Effort
Dallas Gives Heroes Warm Welcome

TOP NEWS
IRAQ
8 Suspects Held; Weapons Found
Bomb Kills Marine Near Fallujah
U.S., Iraq Goal: Prevent Civil War
U.S., Iraqi Operations Successful
Iraq Fed Up With Insurgency Video
No Immediate Plans to Close Prison
Casey: Iraqis Resist Terrorists' Lure
Iraqis Graduate From Training
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq (pdf)
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (pdf)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
IED Blast Kills 4 U.S. Troops
Jones Sees Demise of Terrorists
Bush Pleased with Afghan Progress
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Commander: USNORTHCOM Prepared
Bush: Al Qaeda Still Biggest Threat
Bush Signs Patriot Act Extension
Democracy Promotes Human Rights
Special Ops: 'Leading Role' in Fight
African Issues Affect U.S. Security
NATO 'Reinventing' Itself
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Report: Reserves Must Transform
U.S. Forces Train Nigerien Troops
Rumsfeld, Rice Urge Budget Action
Photos: Rumsfeld, Rice Testify
Pace Details Funding Needs
Abizaid Stresses Need for Funds
EUCOM: Funds Needed
National Guard, Reserve Update

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
0483 - St. Felix III begins his reign as Catholic Pope
0607 - 12th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet
1138 - German king Koenraad II von Hohenstaufen crowned
1519 - Cortez lands in México
1560 - Spanish fleet occupies Djerba, at Tripoli
1567 - Battle at Oosterweel: Spanish troops destroy Geuzenleger
1569 - Battle of Jarnac, Count of Anjou defeats Huguenots
1591 - Battle at Tondibi: Moroccans army under Judar beats sultan Askia Ishaq II of Songhai
1639 - Cambridge College renamed Harvard for clergyman John Harvard
1656 - Jews are denied the right to build a synagogue in New Amsterdam
1677 - Massachusetts gains title to Maine for $6,000
1759 - 27th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet
1781 - Sir William Herschel sees "comet" (really discovered Uranus)
1790 - John Martin, 1st American-born actor, performs in Philadelphia
1852 - Uncle Sam cartoon figure debuts in the "New York Lantern" weekly
1861 - Jefferson Davis signs bill authorizing use of slaves as soldiers
1865 - US Confederate Congress calls on black slaves for field service
1868 - Senate begins President Andrew Johnson impeachment trial
1869 - Arkansas legislature passes anti-Klan law
1884 - Siege of Khartoum, Sudan begins; US adopts Standard Time
1887 - Chester Greenwood of Maine patents earmuffs
1888 - Great Blizzard of 1888 rages
1894 - J.L. Johnstone of England invents horse racing starting gate
1900 - British troops occupy Bloemfontein, Orange-Free state
1904 - Bronze statue of Christ on Argentine-Chilian border dedicated
1913 - Kansas legislature approves censorship of motion pictures
1915 - Dodgers manager Wilbert Robinson tries to catch a baseball dropped from an airplane, but the pilot substituted a grapefruit
1918 - American Red Magen David (Jewish Red Cross) forms
1920 - Wolfgang Kapp's coup attempt in Berlin fails
1921 - Mongolia (formerly Outer Mongolia) declares independence from China
1923 - Lee de Forest demonstrates his sound-on-film moving pictures (New York NY)
1925 - Tennessee makes it unlawful to teach evolution
1928 - 450 die in St. Francis Valley Dam burst (California)
1930 - Clyde Tombaugh announces discovery of Pluto at Lowell Observatory
1933 - US Banks reopen; Josef Göbbels becomes German minister of Information & Propaganda
1935 - Driving tests introduced in Great Britain
1938 - Anschluß-Austria annexed by Nazi Germany
1940 - Finland-Russian cease fire signed, Finland gives up Karelische
1941 - A. Bougne forms AGRA (Amis du Grand Reich Allemand)
1942 - Julia Flikke, Nurse Corps, becomes 1st woman Colonel in US Army
1943 - Failed assassin attempt on Hitler during Smolensk-Rastenburg flight
1944 - USSR recognizes Italian Badoglio government
1945 - Queen Wilhelmina returns to Netherlands; Sicherheitsdienst arrest Dutch resistance fighter Henry Werkman
1951 - 2nd Dutch government of Drees forms; Israel demands DM 6.2 billion compensation from Germany
1954 - Viet Minh General Giap opens assault on That Bien Phu
1955 - Bir BSD Mahendra succeeds Tribhubana as king of Nepal
1957 - Bloody battles after anti-Batista demonstration in Havana, Cuba
1958 - Govt troops land in Sumatra, Indonesia
1961 - Elizabeth Gurley Finn (70) becomes president of US Communist Party; JFK sets up the Alliance for Progress; Landslide in USSR, kills 145; Old type, black & white notes cease to be legal tender
1962 - Yugoslavia grants 1,000 prisoners amnesty
1963 - 2 Russian reconnaissance flights over Alaska
1963 - Indonesia & Netherlands recover diplomatic relations
1964 - Turkey threatens Cyprus with armed attack
1967 - Congo sentences ex-premier Moïse Tsjombe to death
1969 - Apollo 9 returns to Earth
1970 - 100 year Beehive anniversary ends in brawl in Amsterdam; Digital Equipment Corp introduces PDP-11 minicomputer
1973 - Syria adopts constitution
1974 - Charles de Gaulle Airport opens near Paris, France
1978 - Moluccans "suicide commandos" occupy Province house
1980 - Ford Motor Co found innocent in death of 3 women in a fiery Pinto
1981 - Attempt on Pope John Paul II's life by Mehemet Ali Agca
1985 - Funeral services held for Konstantin Chernenko (Moscow)
1986 - Soyuz T-15 carries 2 cosmonauts to Soviet space station Mir; Space probe Giotto encounters Halley's Comet
1987 - John Gotti is acquitted of racketeering
1989 - 27th shuttle mission, STS-29 (Discovery 8) launched, 1st woman to do the countdown; FDA orders recall of all Chilean fruit in US
1990 - Nicholoas Braithwaite elected premier of Grenada
1991 - Exxon pays $1-billion dollars in fines & cleanup of Valdez oil spill (Prince William Sound, Alaska)
1992 - 570 die in a Turkish earthquake
1993 - Blizzard of '93 hits north-east US
1994 - 33.3% of Austria votes for ultra-right FPÖ; Oil tank/airship crash at Bosporus (huge fire/15+ killed); President Mangope of Bophuthaswana deposed
1995 - Anti fascist Kazakhstan anti-parliament forms; Istanbul police shoot dead 16 Alawitische demonstrators
1996 - Thomas Hamilton kills 16 kindergardeners, their teacher & himself in Dunblane, Scotland

Birthdays
1599 - Johannes Berchmans, Dutch Jesuit/saint
1615 - Innocent XII [Antonio Pignatelli], Pope (1691-1700)
1696 - Louis F.A.D. Duke de Richelieu, French marshal
1741 - Jozef II, Arch Duke of Austria/Roman Catholic German emperor (1765-90)
1764 - Charles Earl Grey (Whig), British Prime Minister (1830-34)
1768 - Charles Louis W.J. van Keverberg, Dutch civil servant
1798 - Abigail Powers Fillmore, US First Lady - Millard Fillmore (1850-53)
1818 - Albion Parris Howe, Union Brevet Major General (Union Army)
1820 - Louis Herbert, Confederate Brigadier General
1855 - Percival "Percy" Lowell, US astronomer (predicted discovery of Pluto)
1904 - Henry Iliffe Cozens, pilot
1909 - Gilbert Inglefield, Mayor of London (1967-68)
1911 - L[aFayette] Ron Hubbard, sci-fi writer/Scientologist (Dianetics)
1912 - James Friell, political cartoonist
1913 - William J. Casey, headed CIA during Iran-contra scandal (1981-87)
1916 - (Corinne) Lindy (Claiborne) Boggs (Representative-LA)
1918 - Faye Glenn Abdellan, US government official (health services)
1920 - Frans van der Elst, Flemish attorney/MP (Volksunie)
1921 - Allan Jaffee, comic strip cartoonist/illustrator (MAD Magazine)
1926 - Raúl Alfonsín, Argentine President (1983-89)
1933 - Frank H. Murkowski (Senator-AK)
1936 - Clarence Nash, animation voice (Donald Duck)
1937 - Fofo I.F. Sunia (Representative-American Samoa)
1958 - Rick A. Lazio (Representative-NY)

Passings
1202 - Mieszko III the Elder, Grand Duke of Poland (1173-77, 1200-02)
1516 - Vladislav II Jagiello, King of Bohemia (1490-1516), dies at 60
1569 - Louis Condé, French prince/co-leader of Hugenots, dies in battle
1573 - Michel de l'Hôpital, Chancellor of France (1560-68), dies at about 65
1837 - Nikita P. Panin, Russian diplomat/minister of Foreign affairs, dies at 66
1881 - Alexander II, Tsar of Russia, assassinated at 62
1901 - Benjamin Harrison, 23rd US President (1889-1893), dies in Indianapolis at 67
1906 - Susan B[rownell] Anthony, American suffragist, dies at 85
1915 - Sergei J. Witte, Dutch count/premier of Russia, dies at 65
1938 - Clarence S. Darrow, Scopes Monkey Trial attorney, dies in Chicago at 80
1941 - A. Coenradi, Bernard Ijzerdraat, E. Hellendoorn, J. Eyl, Dutch resistance fighters, executed; Isaak E. Babel, Russian writer (Zakat, Marija), executed at 46
1946 - Werner von Blomberg, German minister of Reichswehr, dies at 67
1951 - Alfred Hugenberg, German Roman Catholic president-director of Krupp/media magnate, dies
1955 - Maharajadhiraja Tribhuvana Bir Bikram Yung Bahadur Shum Shere; Yung Deva, King of Nepal (191.-55), dies at about 48
1964 - Kitty Genovese, stabbed to death in Queens - 40 neighbors looked on
1975 - Ali Sastroamidjojo, Indonesian attorney/minister/premier, dies at 71
1977 - Fanie Lou Hamer, freedom fighter
1982 - Wilfred Hawker, Suriname Sergeant-Major, executed
1986 - Alvaro Fayad Delgado, Colombian guerilla leader (M-19)
1995 - Abdul Ali Mazari Afghan shite leader, shot to death; John Silverlight journalist, dies at 75; Leo Kaplan, lawyer (ASCAP), dies at 89; P.C.J. van Lierde, Dutch vicar-general of Vatican (1951-91), dies at 87
1996 - Brian Hulls, television news cameraman, dies at 48

Reported Missing in Action
1966
The following USAF personnel reported MIA when their AC47D disappeared over Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam:
Davis, Gene E. (IN)

Duvall, Dean A. (IN); aerial gunner

Henninger, Howard W. (CA); pilot

Morgan, Edwin E. (NC); aerial gunner

Olson, Gerald E. (FL)

Pasekoff, Robert E. (PA)

Pauley, Marshall I. (WV); aerial gunner

Also reported MIA this day in 1966:
Parker, Udon, US Army (AL); fell into a stream and was swept away - Killed, body not recovered

1967
Harris, Paul Winiford, USMC (OH); UH34D shot down (w/Terwilliger)

Terwilliger, Virgil Byron, USMC (OH); UH34D shot down (w/Harris)

1968
The following personnel reported MIA when their UH1B was hit by enemy fire and forced to land (crew forced to attempt to evade on the ground):
Evans, Cleveland, Jr., USMC (AR); passenger

Heitman, Steven W., US Army (IN); passenger

Watson, Jimmy L., US Army (NC); pilot

Also reported MIA this day in 1968:
Byrne, Joseph Henry, USAF (IL); A1E shot down (w/Collins)

Collins, Guy Fletcher, USAF (FL); A1E shot down (w/Byrne)

Westbrook, Donald E., USAF (TX); A1E shot down while searching for survivors of the attack on Lima 85, Phou Pha Thi, Laos

1971
Creed, Barton S., USN (NY); A7E shot down, believed captured