Tuesday, May 02, 2006

'I have been in the company of heroes…' 2/7 memorializes 13 fallen

Story and photos by Cpl. Heidi Loredo

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (April 28, 2006) -- Before leaving home for his second tour to Iraq, Staff Sgt. Daniel Clay left a letter with his family and an instruction to open it only in the event of his death. Clay was killed in action in Iraq on Dec. 1, 2005.

“But here is something tangible,” wrote Clay. “What we have done in Iraq is worth any sacrifice. Why? Because it was our duty…Without duty, life is worthless.”

Clay and 12 other Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, who perished during their deployment to Iraq while performing their duties as Marines, were honored at a memorial service April 21 in the presence of their families and brothers-in-arms. The War Dogs deployed to Iraq for the second time in July and returned to Twentynine Palms late January.

“Every Marine we honor here this morning was a great and selfless man drawn to the Corps by a sense of duty,” said Lt. Col. Joseph a. L’Etoile, commanding officer, 2/7. “A duty they were faithfully and bravely performing when they were taken by the enemy, an enemy that attacks hope and the human spirit.”

The first casualty the battalion suffered was Pfc. Ramon Romero, 19, of Huntington Park, Calif., Aug. 22, 2005, when the vehicle he was in was struck by an improvised explosive device near Fallujah. Romero’s mother said her son aspired to study criminology after his enlistment and wanted to become a police officer.

The lives of two other Marines were taken by the enemy Nov. 12 from an IED when they engaged enemy forces in Al Amiriyah. Lance Cpl. David A. Mendez Ruiz, 20, of Cleveland, Ohio, was on his second tour to Iraq. The youngest of eight children was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and moved to the United States when he was 6 years old.

Lance Cpl. Scott A. Zubowski, 20, of Manchester, Ind., was on his second tour to Iraq. Prior to his departure, Zubowski married his high school sweetheart, Klancey Eberly.

Disaster struck the battalion on Dec. 1, in one of the worst tragedies to occur to a Combat Center unit. Ten Marines died while on patrol from an IED fashioned from several large artillery shells.

Gone but not forgotten are:
• Lance Cpl. Adam W. Kaiser, 19, of Naperville, Ill.
• Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten, 19, of Byron, Ill.
• Lance Cpl. Holmason, 20, of Surprise, Ariz.
• Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez, 20, of Splendora, Texas
• Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson, 21, of Union City, Mich.
• Lance Cpl. David A. Huhn, 24, of Portland, Mich.
• Lance Cpl. Scott T. Modeen, 24, of Hennepin, Minn.
• Cpl. Anthony T. McElveen, 20, of Little Falls, Minn.
• Sgt. Andy A. Stevens, 29, of Tomah, Wis.
• Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Clay, 27, of Pensacola, Fla.

“When these Marines enlisted or reenlisted America was already at war,” said Letoile. “The terrible nature of the war on terrorism was well known, and the list of fallen Americans was already long. They volunteered to place themselves between the murderous and the innocent. They accepted the bombs, mortars the snipers and the cost of protecting a vulnerable people.”

The battalion believes their sacrifices were not without gain. They entered an area of operations of 50 square kilometers in Fallujah during its reconstruction phase and made it tougher for terrorists to operate. Additionally, their partners in the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Security Forces continued to make great strides toward a new democracy with their help. At the end of their deployment, the battalion’s area of operations had grown to 750 square kilometers. The 13 Marines sacrificed to give the Iraqi people a liberty they could never have gained without their help, and a chance to live in fearless freedom.

“These young men, these Marines, intuitively understood that free nations stand on the foundation of sacrifice,” said Letoile. “Our future as a free and prosperous people depends on strong men and women who understand duty, who understand honor and are willing to risk all.”

Feelings of profound debt were displayed from the Marines to the families of the fallen as they gathered together after the ceremony to offer their sorrow and stories of time spent with their sons, brothers and husbands. Letoile encouraged his Marines and Sailors to honor those memories by being faithful to the ideals they died for and to be honorable men.

“As a Marine, this is not the last chapter,” wrote Clay in his final letter. “I have the privilege of being one who has finished the race. I have been in the company of heroes. I now am counted among them. Never falter! Don’t hesitate to honor and support those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting.”

The solemn occasion was all the more haunting as the wind caused dog tags to jingle against inverted rifles staked between a set of boots and photograph of the life it represented. A stirring rendition of “Taps” and the ceremonial detail’s rifle shots ringing out through the morning sunshine left people in no doubt of the huge emotion surrounding the occasion.

“I’m standing in front of 13 memorials which represent 13 of the greatest men I have ever known,” said Letoile. “They were proud of our nation, they were proud to be Marines, and they were proud to serve in Iraq. God bless the families, God bless America and God bless the United States Marine Corps.”

Christine Patten kneels in front of her son’s photo.

Marines and family members pay their respects.

A Marine places a helmet on top of an inverted rifle during a memorial ceremony April 21, to honor 13 Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment who died during their deployment to Iraq.

Following the ceremony, the Marines took the dog tags off the rifles and gave them to the families.

Lance Cpl. Eric R. Acevedo embraces family after the ceremony.

posted by Pam @ 9:20 AM |

Viva Fiesta!
Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, waves from the back of a Model A during the Fiesta Battle of Flowers parade on Friday, April 28, 2006. General Moseley was the parade grand marshall. This parade is one of several events during Fiesta, a 10-day celebration to honor the memory of the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. (U.S. Air Force photo/Alan Boedecker)

posted by Pam @ 9:19 AM |

Corpsman Awarded Silver Star for Heroism in Iraq

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Juan M. Rubio was awarded the Silver Star Medal for conspicuous gallantry against the enemy while serving as a Marine platoon corpsman in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Medical Corps, Commander, Navy Medicine East and Commander, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Va., Rear Adm. Thomas R. Cullison made the presentation in front of the Naval Hospital on board Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, April 27, 2006. U.S. Navy photo by Bill W. Love

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Juan Rubio

By Bill W. Love
Naval Hospital Corpus Christi Public Affairs
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, May 1, 2006 —U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Juan M. Rubio, 32, of San Angelo, Texas, was awarded the Silver Star Medal April 27 for conspicuous gallantry against the enemy Jan. 1, 2005, while serving as a Marine platoon corpsman in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Silver Star Medal is the U.S. Navy’s third highest award for gallantry in combat, following the Navy Cross and the nation’s highest award, the Medal of Honor.

Rear Adm. Thomas R. Cullison, commander, Navy Medicine East and commander, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Va., made the presentation in front of the Naval Hospital located aboard Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.

During the ceremony, Cullison spoke about the bond that Navy Medicine, particularly Navy corpsmen, share with Marines.

“When we serve with the Marines and the Marines are with us, it’s a relationship that you can find nowhere else,” said Cullison. “The acceptance between these two groups is like no other. The responsibility that we put on our young corpsmen in battle to perform and to save lives is incredible.”

Clarifying that point, Cullison compared the controlled environment that he and other surgeons work in with the help of many others.

“Young corpsmen who go to Field Medical Service School - usually straight out of high school - perform to save lives in combat, just as Petty Officer Rubio did, and they are amazing!” he said.

Representing the Commanding General, 1st Marine Division, Marine Maj. Gen. R. F. Natonski and Command Master Chief Kelvin Carter hand-carried the award to Texas from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and assisted Cullison with the presentation. He also brought a personal message with him for Rubio.

“I talked to all the Marines and sailors in Iraq before I left, and those back in Camp Pendleton, and they want me to tell you, ‘good job, and outstanding job!’ They are damned proud of you," he said. "Please continue what you have done for our great nation, the Marine Corps and Navy team, and also for the hospital corps community.”

Rubio had already earned the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the Jan. 1, 2005, engagement while serving with 4th Platoon, Small Craft Company, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command.

The citation accompanying his Silver Star Medal detailed how a well-emplaced and determined enemy ambushed Rubio and members of his team along the Euphrates River in a complex attack. As Rubio and an assault element swept through the ambush site, insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device. Rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun and small-arms fire followed immediately after the explosion, wounding three Marines.

Realizing the severity of the Marines’ wounds, and bleeding profusely from his own, Rubio low-crawled across open terrain, exposing himself to enemy fire to provide triage. Simultaneously taking care of three urgent surgical casualties, Rubio coached his fellow Marines who were assisting other casualties as incoming enemy fire intensified.

After stabilizing the wounded for casualty evacuation, Rubio directed the platoon to provide covering fire as he and several Marines began moving the casualties towards safety.

Without regard for his own life, he once again exposed himself to the heavy and accurate enemy fire, moving the Marines from the ambush site to the shoreline.

Rubio’s Silver Star Medal elevates him to a distinctively exceptional category of valor among Navy corpsmen since the commencement of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Only two others have been awarded the Silver Star, none have received the Medal of Honor, and only one hero has been presented the Navy Cross.

Rubio does not consider himself a hero, though.

While addressing the audience, he revealed who he believes are the true heroes, mentioning his two sons by name and that of the mortally wounded Marine lance corporal who shielded Rubio from 90 percent of the IED's shrapnel during the engagement.

“When people ask me what it is like to be looked upon as a hero, I don’t see myself as such, because Joshua and Mathew and every son and daughter who’s out there and who has family members in Iraq, they’re the heroes,” he acknowledged while fighting back emotion. “They’re the ones who sacrifice their fathers and their mothers. That takes honor, courage and bravery to go home every night and pray that their fathers and mothers come home safe.

"And Brian Parrillo, this is for you, brother," he said. "Thank you for bringing me home.”

posted by Pam @ 9:02 AM |

Caribbean Sea (April 29, 2006) - Guided missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61), guided missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) and guide missile frigate USS Underwood (FFG 36) prepare to pull alongside Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) for a strike group photo exercise. The George Washington Carrier Strike group is currently participating in Partnership of the Americas, a maritime training and readiness deployment of the U.S. Naval Forces with Caribbean and Latin American countries in support of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) objectives for enhanced security. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Joshua Olson

posted by Pam @ 9:01 AM |

Steak Night Treats Vets' Toughest Injuries

By Paul X. Rutz
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2006 – For the past two and a half years, veterans of wars past have been helping heal the latest generation of wounded troops every Friday in a basement steakhouse here.

Members of Disabled American Veterans help a wounded servicemember before the final Friday night dinner for wounded troops at Fran O'Brien's steakhouse in downtown Washington, D.C. Groups like DAV and Helping Our Heroes Foundation bring dozens of wounded troops out to the Friday dinners, which now will be held at various locations in the nation's capital, beginning May 5. Photo by Paul X. Rutz (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Fran O'Brien's, a low-lit, sports-themed place with red leather chairs, wood paneling and hundreds of signed photos lining the walls, has become a source of healing for many troops as they convalesce in nearby military hospitals. The restaurant closed this weekend, but its owners, Hal Koster and Marty O'Brien, have vowed to keep putting on their free steak dinners at other locations.

Some troops have been coming to steak night since it began in October 2003. "We call them seniors," said Koster, a Vietnam veteran. "They're mentors to the newly injured; they have a job other than just drinking all my beer."

One of those soldiers, Army Sgt. Wasim Khan, lost both legs in Baghdad during the invasion in 2003. "I was one of the first ones to come here," he said.

"When I was in the hospital, I didn't talk to anybody at all," Khan said. "I was worried, angry, mad, upset, depressed. But once I started getting out here, I saw the changes in me. I started talking to people, socializing with my own people, military people."

Khan said he continues to find valuable therapy in talking with veterans from the Vietnam and Korean wars. "They told us their stories about when they came back home," he said. "Those 'Nam vets are doing their best to give us the best possible care and facilities out there."

Having attention and support from all over America makes him feel very lucky, Khan said, but he knows it took work to change America's attitude: "They don't want us to go through what they went through. ... The older vets, they said, 'This is not going to happen to this generation of veterans.'"

Army Staff Sgt. Chris Bain, another of the "seniors," suffered severe arm injuries in April 2004. He said he comes to steak night every week and does his best to pass his good attitude on to the new guys: "I still can't cut my food, so you know what? I purposely sit next to somebody who doesn't have legs. You know why? Because I'm all, look, you got two great arms and great hands. ... You cut my steak. I'll get your food. That's what it's all about."

When he doesn't have physical therapy, Bain said he tries to give back to the older veterans, especially the owners of Fran O'Brien's. "I come down and ask Hal if he needs any help: 'Hal what can I do for you? You give so much to the troops, and it means so much to us and me.' ... Hal and Marty both are just the greatest individuals I've ever met."

At his restaurant's final Friday dinner, April 28, Koster said a change of location would be a difficult thing for some troops because his restaurant kept them from feeling out of place. "The regular customers that we have are accustomed to seeing people without legs and arms, some of the things that maybe the general public isn't," he said.

For the next month, the dinners will be held at a hotel in downtown Washington, except on May 19, when the Italian embassy will take a turn. "I think the troops would enjoy that," Koster said. "We're trying to set up something nice for them, and if they like it, great. If they don't, we'll change it because the dinners are for them."

Koster talked to several reporters April 28 as he and his staff made final preparations to receive young people in wheelchairs and prosthetics. The restaurant's bar filled with regulars, including veterans and members of troop support organizations such as Rolling Thunder and Disabled American Veterans.

When the wounded troops arrived, carefully negotiating the stairs into the basement, reporters were given some time to chat with them. Then everyone but the troops and their families were asked to leave the dining area, and the doors to the room were closed. Koster said in March 2004 he stopped letting reporters view the dinners "because the troops don't want that. They're here to relax."

The dinners began in October 2003, soon after the conflict in Iraq started, he said. Jim Meyer, a veteran wounded in Vietnam, came to Koster and said he thought troops would heal better if they could get a night away from the hospital. Buying some dinners for the troops and their families seemed like a great thing to do.

Koster said he's seen some incredible recoveries happen between the time troops arrive for their first dinner and the weeks following. "We have a young man now, Brian Anderson, who's only been down here twice," he said. "He lost both legs and an arm, and he's up walking. He's got his two prosthetic legs, and his one prosthetic arm, he's got a pair of crutches, and he's out getting around. Just absolutely outstanding in that short a period of time."

Collaboration with local troop support groups has been a great help to the weekly events, Koster said. Some rent busses and provide other logistical support, while others get the word out to troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center in nearby Bethesda, Md.

Koster said he will do his best to help provide the same welcoming atmosphere as always when the weekly dinners move to new places, hopefully allowing troops to become relaxed in the new environment.

"What we're trying to do is get the new guys that aren't that comfortable with their amputations or their face disfigurations or whatever their injury is, and they don't have the strength necessarily to get out and go to a regular place," he said. "First time out of the hospital, they're not strong yet, but they're determined, and that's important."

Related Site:
America Supports You

Members of Disabled American Veterans help a wounded servicemember before the final Friday night dinner for wounded troops at Fran O'Brien's steakhouse in downtown Washington, D.C. Groups like DAV and Helping Our Heroes Foundation bring dozens of wounded troops out to the Friday dinners, which now will be held at various locations in the nation's capital, beginning May 5. Photo by Paul X. Rutz

Army Staff Sgt. Chris Bain talks to reporters before the final Friday dinner at Fran O'Brien's for wounded troops in downtown Washington, D.C., April 28. Bain, who was wounded over two years ago, said he tries to take every opportunity to help newly wounded troops recover. Photo by Paul X. Rutz

NOTE: This is the restaurant we all met at the night before the Milblog Conference, and it's the one the Hilton decided not to renew the lease for. Explanations have ranged from "liability concerns" to "it's a business decision." To learn more about the issues surrounding the closing of Fran O'Brien's, and what you can still do to help, visit Andi's World.

posted by Pam @ 8:52 AM |

QUICK REACTION FORCE — U.S. Army Spc. Nathan Crutchfield, assigned to Quick Reaction Force, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, looks for the source of small arms fire while responding to a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device bombing in Mosul, Iraq, Apr. 28, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John M. Foster

posted by Pam @ 8:51 AM |

In Today's News - Tuesday, May 2, 2006

Quote of the Day
"We were going to put Congress in charge of serving dinner tonight,

but we were afraid nothing would ever get passed."
-- Bob Hope

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Bombs Kill U.S. Soldier, Several Iraqi Civilians
Report: Japan to Pull Out of Iraq When U.K., Australia Go
'Mission' Gets Closer to 'Accomplished'

Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghan, bomber, killed in attack on Canadians

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Father Whose Son Attended Al Qaeda Camp Released
Use of secret warrants up last year
Pakistan Detains al-Qaida Fugitive Nasar

Troops on Trial
Second Soldier Pleads Guilty - Admits porn appearance

Immigration
Day Without Immigrants Staged Across the Nation
Republican leader predicts immigration backlash
Pictures: A Day Without Immigrants (Reuters)
Pictures: May Day Around The World

Hamas Rising
Blast in north Gaza kills two security officers
Olmert likely to meet Abbas, Israeli officials say
Quartet envoy questions Palestinian aid cuts

Worldwide Wackos
Iran: We're Ready to Negotiate
Iran says Russia and China will not back sanctions

Politics
Secret Service to Release Abramoff's White House Logs

Supreme Court
Anna Nicole Smith wins ruling

Oddities
Pakistan couple, jailed for falling in love, go free
Thieves gas themselves in cyanide heist blunder

Other News of Note
Going Bust (Social Security / Medicare)
Skakel Lawyer: Two New Suspects in 1975 Murder

Fox News
Israeli General Opposes Occupation of Gaza
Hong Kong Cleric Wants Vatican to Halt China Talks
Stocks to Watch: Hilton Hotels
Duke: Lacrosse Play Should Resume
Small Business Page
Cybersecurity Center

Reuters: Top News
US hikes pressure on Darfur sides to strike deal
S.Lanka Tigers say shelled as violence simmers - Video
Hostage freed unharmed at Arizona prison
Updated list adds more threatened species
Experts say bird flu virus survives longer
China's latest cellphone fad rings up big bucks
Sun rolls out new storage products in data push
Eritrea's last native Jew tends graves, remembers
Vaccine plus antibiotics protects against anthrax
Diuretics first line against heart failure -study
Cruise's appeal put to test as "M:i III" debuts
Keith Richards making "speedy recovery"
Islands dispute
Asia stocks gain
Visteon posts quarterly profit
Ford's China vehicle sales more than double in Q1
Intel to spend $1 bln to push Net in poor nations
Apple-rival Creative seen swinging to Q3 loss
UnitedHealth slashes benefits for senior execs
France's JCDecaux wins Hong Kong tramway deal
PortalPlayer shares drop
Tessera shares fall on profit miss
Court gives Teva hope of generic Zocor exclusivity
Level 3 to buy communications provider TelCove
Exchange shares fall on lackluster volume growth
Not too late to join the party
Valuation Review: Akamai

AP World News
Bolivia Nationalizes Natural Gas Sector
AP: Government Drafts Pandemic Flu Plan
Nepal Prime Minister Announces Cabinet
Enron Jurors Get Peek at Lay's Lifestyle
Clippers Advance to 2nd Round of Playoffs
Clippers Win First Series in 30 Years
Alzheimer's Theory Set for Drug Test
Limbaugh Cuts Deal in Prescription Case
Ortiz Ruins Damon's Fenway Return 7-3
Jimmie Johnson Wins Talladega Shootout
Governors Push for State Health Programs
Yahoo Introduces New Technology Section

Military.com
Army Seeks Blood Donations
Protesters Demand Better Iraq Security
Senate OKs Bill on War Zone Mortuaries
Army Chief Sticking to Troop Cut Plans
Steak Night Treats Vets' Toughest Injuries

CENTCOM: News Releases
AFGHAN JOURNALISTS GRADUATE MEDIA BASIC TRAINING

CCCI CONVICTS 12 INSURGENTS; THREE SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

AFGHANS CELEBRATE FREEDOM

IRAQI ARMY BATTALION TO ASSUME AUTHORITY IN SINJAR

LASHKAR GAH GETS NEW CONFERENCE HALL

IRAQI GROUND FORCES COMMAND JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER OPENS

COALITION DESTROYS CACHES IN KABUL, KUNAR AND GHAZNI PROVINCES; IEDS DETONATE IN KANDAHAR AND LAGHMAN PROVINCES

ANA SOLDIERS CONDUCT CONVOY TRAINING WITH COALITION FORCES

SOLDIERS VISIT IRAQI STUDENTS, DELIVER GIFTS FROM HOME

ANA COMMUNICATIONS UNIT REACHES CAPABILITY MILESTONE

Department of Defense
Rice, Rumsfeld Brief President on Visit - Story
Casey: Council Represents Another Milestone
'Ring of Steel' Encircles Iraqi Oil Platforms - Story
Trip Gives Civilian Leaders New Perspective - Story
Coalition Forces Kill Enemy in Afghan Action - Story

IRAQIS TAKE THE LEAD
Iraqi Soldiers Graduate from Boot Camp - Story

REBUILDING IRAQ
'Harvest Light' to Help Iraq's Date Industry - Story
Combined Patrols Foster New Relationships

ON THE GROUND
USS Typhoon Operates in Horn of Africa - Story
Dental Clinic Gives Iraqis Reason to Smile - Story
Djiboutian Town Brighter with Task Force Help - Story

IN IRAQ
'Night Stalkers' Tackle Convoy Security in Iraq
Navy Medical Unit Critical to Lifesaving Efforts

IN AFGHANISTAN
C-130 Hercules Support Coalition Operations

IN BAHRAIN
Maritime Operations Have Deterrent Effect
Coalition Cell Develops 'Actionable Intelligence'

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Arizona Bikers Roll Out for Troops

TOP NEWS
IRAQ
Rice: Politics Help Defeat Insurgents
Forces Kill, Capture Insurgents
Forces Nab 10 Terrorism Suspects
Police Progress, Face Challenges
Roadside Bomb Kills U.S. Soldier
Political, Security Strides Evident
U.S. Ready to Help New Government
Renewal In Iraq
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
Leaders Discuss Coalition Efforts
Successes Continue in Ops
U.S. Troop Injured in Copter Landing
Commander Meets With Governor
Taliban Killed; Enemy Targeted
PRT, U.N. Food Program Aid Afghans
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
GEODSS Satellite Provides Vital Info
Iran Maritime Relations 'Courteous'
Democracy Will Hurt Terrorism
Al Qaeda Terrorist Leader Killed
USS Reagan Supports Troops
Prosecution Supports Defense Right
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
Abizaid to JCOC: Will Power Critical
JCOC View Air Force Contributions
England Signs NSPS Into Effect
U.S. Repatriates 10 Somalis
Airmen Work to Avoid Bird Strikes
Military Children Need Consistency
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Defense Officials Identify Casualties - Story

Weather
Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Gitmo

Today in History
1345 - "Quaden Maendach" in Gent: Battles between volders & weavers
1497 - John Cabot departs to North-America
1536 - King Henry VIII accuses Anna Boleyn of adultery & incest
1595 - King Philip II names Albrecht of Austria land guardian of Netherlands
1598 - France & Spain sign Peace of Vervins
1668 - 1st peace of Aken ends French-Spanish War in The Netherlands; Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ends War of Devolution
1670 - King Charles II charters Hudson Bay Company
1703 - Portugal signs treaty with England to become a Great Covenant
1776 - France & Spain agree to donate arms to American rebels
1780 - William Herschel discovers 1st binary star, Xi Ursae Majoris
1808 - Uprising against French occupation begins in Madrid
1833 - Czar Nicolas bans public sale of serfs
1863 - Stonewall Jackson attacks Chancellorsville, VA, and is wounded by his own men; South defeats North
1865 - President Johnson offers $100,000 reward for capture of Jefferson Davis
1878 - US stops minting 20¢ coin
1885 - Congo Free State established by King Leopold II of Belgium
1887 - Hannibal W. Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film
1889 - Abyssinian emperor Menelik II/Italy signs Treaty of Wichale
1890 - Territory of Oklahoma created
1902 - The 1st science fiction film, "A Trip To The Moon", is released
1907 - Belgium Jules baron de Trooz forms Belgian Government
1911 - French troops occupy Fès El Bali, Morocco
1916 - US President Wilson signs Harrison Drug Act
1919 - 1st US air passenger service starts
1920 - 1st game of National Negro Baseball League played in Indianapolis
1921 - Beginning of 3rd anti-German revolt in Upper-Silesia
1924 - Netherlands refuses to recognize USSR
1926 - US military intervenes in Nicaragua
1927 - International Economic Conference (52 countries including USSR) opens
1933 - In Germany, Adolf Hitler bans trade unions
1934 - Nazi-Germany begins People's court
1936 - Emperor Haile Selassie & family flee Abyssinia
1941 - FCC approves regular scheduled commercial TV broadcasts to begin July 1; Martin Bormann succeeds Rudolf Hess as Hitler's deputy; Nazi-occupied Netherlands layoff Jewish journalists
1942 - Japanese troops occupy Mandalay Burma
1943 - German troops vacate Jefna, Tunisia
1945 - Allies occupy Wismar; Dutch Queen Wilhelmina & Princess Juliana reach Gilze-Rijen; German Army in Italy surrenders; Russia takes Berlin; General Weidling surrenders; Yugoslav troops occupy Trieste
1946 - Prisoners revolt at Alcatraz - 5 die
1949 - Bolivian state of siege proclaimed
1950 - Dutch 1st Chamber accept Laws on immigration; Dutch PM Malan recognizes South Africa, but not China People's Republic
1952 - 1st scheduled jet airliner passenger service begins with a BOAC Comet
1953 - Feisal II installed as king of Iraq; Hussein I installed as king of Jordan
1955 - India poses discrimination "onaanraakbaren" punishable
1956 - US Lab detects high-temperature microwave radiation from Venus; US Methodist church disallows race separation
1965 - Early Bird satellite goes into commercial service
1968 - Israeli television begins transmitting
1969 - British liner Queen Elizabeth II leaves on maiden voyage to New York
1972 - Electrical fire in Sunshine Silver mine - 126 die (Kellogg, Idaho); Lieutenant General Vernon A Walters, USA, becomes deputy director of CIA
1974 - Former Vice President Spiro Agnew is disbarred
1975 - Apple records closes down
1980 - Joseph Doherty & 3 other IRA men arrested for murder; Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in Wall (Part II)" is banned in South Africa
1982 - Falklands War: Argentine cruiser General Belgrano sunk by British submarine Conqueror, killing more than 350 men
1983 - 6.7 earthquake injures 487 in Coalinga, CA
1990 - South Africa & African National Congress open talks to end apartheid
1992 - Yugoslav Army seize Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic
1994 - Bus crashes into a tree at Gdansk, Poland, killing 30; Dr. Kevokian found innocent on assisting suicides
1995 - Serb missiles exploded in the heart of Zagreb, killing six
1997 - Republic of Texas security chief Robert Scheidt surrenders

Birthdays
1729 - Catherine II (the Great), Empress of Russia (1762-96)
1810 - Leo XIII, 257th Roman Catholic pope (1878-1903)
1821 - Abram Sanders Piatt, Union Brigadier General
1844 - Elijah McCoy, Black inventor, held over 50 patents including a lubricator for steam engines ("the Real McCoy")
1849 - Fürst Bernhard HM von Bülow, German chancellor/Prussian PM (1900-09)
1918 - Frederick Archibauld Warner, diplomat
1930 - Morris Courtright, manned spaceflight pioneer and Arizona State legislator
1935 - Faisal II, King of Iraq (1939-58)/son of Ghasi I; Hussain ibn Talal, King of Jordan (1952-99)
1938 - Constantine Bereng Seeiso, King Moshushoe II of Lesotho
1940 - Sari van Heemskerck Pillis-Duvekot, Dutch MP (VVD)
1941 - Jules Wijdenbosch, premier of Suriname
1947 - Bill Lowery (Representative-CA); Jo Ann Pflug Atlanta GA, actress (MASH, Candid Camera, Rituals)
1954 - Bulelani T Ngcuka South African attorney/leader (UDF)

Passings
1250 - Toeransa, sultan of Egypt, murdered
1459 - Pierozzi Antoninus, Italian archbishop of Florence/saint, dies
1488 - Jacob van Horne, Burgundy statesman
1818 - Herman W. Daendels, Governor-General of Guinea (1815-18), dies at 55
1849 - David H. Chassé, Baron/General (fought Napoleon at Waterloo), dies at 84
1945 - Martin Bormann, propoganda minister for Hitler
1957 - Joseph McCarthy Communist-hunting senator (WI), dies at 47
1968 - Donald L. Hall, airplane designer (Spirit of St Louis), dies at 69
1969 - Franz von Papen, German chancellor (1932), dies at 89
1972 - J. Edgar Hoover, head of FBI (1924-72)/cross dresser, dies at 77
1985 - Milton S. Eisenhower, US diplomat, dies at 85
1990 - Oleg Anatolyevich Yakovlev, Russian cosmonaut, dies at 49
1992 - Wilbur Mills (Representative-AR)/involved with Fanne Foxe, dies at 82

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Wood, Walter S., USN (NC); A4E shot down, KIA/BNR

1968
Englander, Lawrence J., US Army SF (CA)

1969
Mascari, Phillip L., USAF (NJ); O2A disappeared on mission

1970
The following US Army personnel reported MIA when their UH1H was shot down (one passenger made it back to US lines):
Crowson, Frederick H. (FL); crew, released by PRG February, 1973 (injured) - retired as a CSM - alive as of 1998

Griffin, Rodney L. (MO); passenger

Maslowski, Daniel L. (IL); crew, released by PRG February, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive as of 1998

Price, Bunyan D., Jr. (NC); passenger

Richardson, Dale W. (WI); passenger, died in Cambodia September, 1970 - remains returned July, 1989

Varnado, Michael B. (LA); passenger, died in Cambodia September, 1970 - remaisn returned July, 1989

Young, Robert M. (PA); passenger, reportedly DIC due to lack of medical care September, 1972

1972
The following US Army personnel reported MIA when their UH1H was shot down:
Berkson, Joseph Mike (IL); remains recovered July, 1972

Jesse, William Clifton (OK); remains recovered July, 1972

Morgan, Charles Vernon (KY); remains recovered July, 1972

Petrilla, John Joseph, Jr. (PA); remains recovered July, 1972

Porterfield, Dale Kyette (CA) remains recovered July, 1972

posted by Pam @ 7:07 AM |

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