May 6, 2006

Today we were to begin our "Censure Jimmy Carter" TV ad blitz but our first ads were pre-empted by the dual breaking news stories of CIA Chief Porter Goss resigning and Congressman Patrick Kennedy admitting himself into a drug rehab clinic.

I've instructed my staff to therefore start our ad buy on TUESDAY, MAY 9TH - and you'll be able to view them during the day (nationwide!) on the Fox News Channel.
Just from our announcement of the start of this ad campaign we found out that NBC and CNN may do stories on the "Censure Carter" campaign.

It's so very important that the message be delivered that the silent majority of Americans will be silent no longer. While the anti-war Left defiles our troops and their missions, they also celebrate the leaders of the "Blame America First" contingent: Jimmy Carter, Michael Moore, Jane Fonda, et. al.

I'm working very hard to help get this message out.

Today my column, "Jimmy Carter's Middle East Mess" was published. Please read it here.

You can help too! When we launch our national TV ad campaign on Tuesday we can make a bigger impact by increasing the number of ads we purchase! The pre-emption of our ads today because of Breaking News means we have a few more days to raise additional funds to purchase even more ads on Tuesday.

Please, contribute to the "Censure Jimmy Carter" TV ad fund here:
http://www.CensureCarter.com/contribute

by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II
May 8, 2006

Soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division search for terrorists and weapons caches in the Al Jazeera Desert area of Iraq.

From Sara at Soldiers' Angels comes the word of another hero's family fighting Association rules to support their Hero:

An open letter to the Pine Crest homeowners association and residents of Pine Crest.

Although some may consider the war in Iraq an inconvenience and a distraction barely affecting their day-to-day lives, there are others who are much more personally involved. None are more affected than the families of our uniformed men and women who serve in Iraq and at other danger spots throughout the world.

Before I address the issue of the continuing controversy with the Pine Crest Board I would you to meet our Marine. His grandfather on his fathers’ side was a Marine serving in the Pacific in WWII. His grandfather on his mothers’ side was an Army Ranger who saw action in Korea. Our Marine wanted to join the Corp from the time he was 15. When he asked his mother to sign for him at the age of 17 she refused. The moment he turned 18 he was able to join on his own and did so. He is a combat Marine serving in the Sunni triangle in Iraq. He is the SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) light machine gunner for his fire team. We could not be more proud of this splendid young man. You should be too, after all, he truly is one of your own – he lives here in this community. Before he left some of you should have taken the opportunity to meet this real American hero. Maybe you will get that opportunity and privilege when he (hopefully) returns in November.

You might believe that we now have an all volunteer military. But we really don’t. Only the troops volunteer. The families, and particularly the moms, are drafted. Families deal with the deployment of their sons and daughters in a number of different ways, some of which may be difficult to understand by those who have never worn the uniform of their country.

Our most precious resource, the mothers of those we send in harms way, should be protected from unnecessary trauma at all costs. They, more than any other members of our society, will suffer the most if they are ever confronted with the unfathomable image of a government car pulling up to the front of their home and a Marine in dress blues walking toward their door. Such pain, if necessary, should be inflicted by the enemy without, and never from the enemy within – which may include some American citizens in general and members of our own community in particular.

Let me give you a few facts about our particular situation. When our Marine left for Iraq we placed a Marine Corp Service flag on the front of our home. This flag was purchased at the Marine base in Parris Island We also placed 8 yellow ribbons on the property. One ribbon is to be removed each month which means that we will have one ribbon left when he leaves Iraq. That ribbon will remain until he gets back home sometime in November or December.

Within a few days we received a letter from the board of Pine Crest stating that only the Stars and Stripes were permitted to be flown in this community. That flag was taken down the same day. With very little difficulty we found what we considered an appropriate flag in two different magazines which sell exclusively Marine Corp materials. For those of you who have not seen the flag in the newspapers or on TV, this is a 5’ by 3’ American Flag with the Marine Corp emblem across the face of the red and white stripes. There was a 6-8 week waiting list indicating that they are selling a lot of these flags. When it arrived we placed the flag in the now empty flag holder. In a short time we again received a letter from the board stating that this flag "is in violation of the code for proper display of the American Flag" and that "several community residents have expressed their displeasure with your display of a defaced American flag." We removed the flag and contacted a reporter from the Intelligencer that we met at a meeting of the local chapter of the Marines Mom’s Association of Eastern Pa. An article subsequently written in the Intelligencer led to our being contacted by News 3 and CN8. Both arrived at our home for an interview and portions of that interview were aired the night of May 5th.

One of the news programs reported that the president of the Pine Crest homeowners association stated that some community veterans were offended by the display of the American Flag with the embossed image of the Marine Corp across the face. In my opinion, any veteran, particularly a combat veteran, should feel nothing but shame for doing or saying anything that would cause a combat Marines mom any grief, discomfort or anxiety while her son is deployed in a combat situation in the defense of this country. It would demonstrate a level of callousness, and a mean-spirited disregard for the emotional wellbeing of a military family that I find difficult to believe would exist in any of our veterans.

The president of the Pine Crest homeowners association was interviewed by all three news organizations. A quote from one interview demonstrates my perception of a degree of rigidity and lack of common sense that may be pervasive in this community -- “no exceptions, a rule is a rule and we intend to enforce the rules. If we do not enforce the rules then we will wind up with no rules. We’ll have people putting up flags that are objectionable in many respects.” With all due respect, if this board believes that there is no discernable difference between an American flag being flow to honor a combat Marine currently serving in Iraq and something like an Easter Bunny flag then I believe there really is cause to question the values of this community and I have to agree with Cathy’s comment on the TV news programs that "It is a sad day for the Pine Crest Community."

The president of the Pine Crest homeowners association told reporters that he checked with the Betsy Ross Rules and Regulations for flying the flag, and determined from this reading that the flag being flown qualified as a defaced flag which was not permitted in Pine Crest. The Betsy Ross foundation is not tasked with writing law in this country. Although it may be reporting recommendations and suggestions I do not know if any of the information is actually quoting the legalities of flying the flag. Therefore I have approached our two Federal Senators, one of which is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, for a more formal opinion as to the legality of this flag which is being sold commercially. Regardless of the outcome, sometimes it is not enough to be technically correct, and the human element can and should supercede a book of Community rules and codes. If these Betsy Ross Rules and Regulations are indeed found to be the law of the land then I presume that this board will strictly enforce every one of its Rules and Regulations including those about flying the flag after dusk and in inclement weather. Failure to strictly enforce every single Rule will lead me to believe that the issue of "selective enforcement" quoted by the President of the PineCrest homeowners association in his TV interview only applies when the board chooses. I also suspect that if the all the rules are strictly applied then the PineCrest Community will not longer be flying any American flags at all.

Cathy is a member of SoldiersAngels.org. This is an organization that locates troops in Iraq that would like to receive letters and packages from home. Members of the organization then contact volunteers like Cathy who supply letters and packages to these troops. Every single night you will find Cathy sitting at the kitchen table writing one or more letters to young soldiers she has never met and never will meet. In addition she sends out 13 care packages each month. Three of these are to members of our Marines fire team, three are to our Marine, and seven are to contacts located through SoldiersAngels. Each package costs about $30 including postage and our monthly budget for these packages is $400. If a tiny portion of our citizens would do a fraction as much for our troops in the field as Cathy continues to do every single day there would be no need for an organization such as SoldiersAngels.

When faced with the choice of backing a Marine mom supporting her son who is fighting for us in Iraq versus supporting a Community Association that is fighting only for itself, I found the decision not at all difficult to make. The American flag with the Marine emblem will fly again and we will pay the $50 monthly fine. However, we won’t be paying the fine alone. Our troops in the field will participate. We plan to deduct this $50 from our fund used to send care packages to the troops deployed in Iraq. So, due to the actions of the Pine Crest homeowners association, our troops serving in Iraq will receive less of what they really want from those who put them there.

It would be a very sad situation if this entire episode was precipitated by a small minority of the 300+ households living in Pine Crest agitating a Board whose members have chosen to behave more like unthinking, uncaring robots rather than living, breathing human beings. I already know the position of this particular Board in PineCrest. I assume that some segment of PineCrest residents wholly supports this position. I also know that some support us and our Marine because they have come and talked to us about it. I wonder how the rest of you feel? I wonder if you even know about this controversy that is ongoing in your community? Does the Board know how you feel? Do you take great pride in the recent actions and positions taken by your Board members? It is my opinion that a more appropriate action would be to hang ones head in shame.

Unlike the letter that we received from the Homeowners association which contained no specific individual’s signature and only noted that it came from "The PineCrest Board of Directors", you will find our names affixed to this document.

In closing I think that the motto of SoldiersAngels is very appropriate.

May no soldier go unloved
May no soldier walk alone
May no soldier be forgotten
Until they all come home

Michael De Vita
Catherine Andreacchio


I have to admit I'm torn whenever I hear these stories. I wholeheartedly support those who support our deployed Heroes, especially the families of those deployed to protect all of us. However, residents of communities like this know the rules going in. To break the rules for one means that "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" flags might also have to be permitted - a sickening thought.

Past stories like this have included families that have wanted to put up their flag / sign their way despite Association guidelines - a waiver of the rules just for their point of view, which I can't support - again, this would leave open a whole host of "expression" I shudder to think about.

In this case, Cathy and her family have made an effort to choose a flag that would express their support as well as comply with Association rules - and one would think that the Association should be able to meet them halfway. I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on whether the superimposing of the Marine Corps emblem is a "defacement," but I suspect that the objection comes from something other than a concern for the flag. Call it my suspicious nature, if you wish.

Read the stories below, and see what you think:

York Dispatch - Homeowner group bans flag with Marine emblem

News on the Lighter Side from the Eyewitness News Newsroom

NBC2 Online - Weird News

Marine Corps Times - Pa. homeownersb association bans flag with Marine emblem

LancasterOnline.com: News in brief from the Philadelphia area

Sgt. Wesley Couch of the Quantico Marine Corps Band is spotlighted as he plays taps for lost and fallen armed service members at the conclusion of the 2006 Virginia International Tattoo in Norfolk.Photo submitted 05/08/2006 Taken by Lance Cpl. Travis J. Crewdson

Dear Soldiers' Angels,

On behalf of the our Navy medical personnel and patients of U.S. Military Hospital, Expeditionary Medical Facility Kuwait, I would like to express our endless appreciation and heartfelt gratitude for your love, kindness, concern, and support to the men and women of our Armed Forces. I received four boxes with 3 stuffed back packs on each box and most of them were already given to our needy patients. Your organization makes a big difference to our patients especially when they are admitted to our hospital empty handed with just the uniform they are wearing. These are our Airman, Sailor, Soldier or Marines who were medically evacuated to our hospital from Iraq, Afghanistan or from the ships. You all should see how much smiling faces you see when our patients received their back pack with short pants, pajama, hygiene items, blanket, hat, shirt, and phone card.

Again, thank you ever so much for the support you all are giving our fellow service members. Best wishes and God Bless each and every one of you.

Attached is a picture of some of the boxes that you sent me.

Sincerely,

Don W.
Expeditionary Medical Facility Kuwait
Camp Pendleton Detachment

Special ops training
Army Master Sgt. Holland Wiler (left) performs a pre-jump inspection of Staff Sgt. Reed's parachute at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., on Wednesday, May 3, 2006. Sergeant Reed, a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist, jumped with special operations Soldiers to complete static-line parachute training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephen J. Otero)
Full Story

Following letter I got from the Chaplain these days! We are proud that we have the great opportunity to support the US troops here in Germany!

Read the letter at Soldiers' Angels Germany

And while you're there, check out how some CT Seniors are helping to support our Wounded Heroes:

Residents at the Marvin Senior Housing make blankets

Persian Gulf (May 7, 2006) - Sailors assigned to dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) prepare to board an Iranian dhow after the vessel called for assistance for an injured crew member. A Navy corpsman from Germantown provided medical assistance to the injured Iranian fisherman. Germantown is deployed as part of a routine rotation of U.S. maritime forces in support of Maritime Security Operations (MSO). MSO set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. U.S. Navy photo

Governor M. Jodi Rell today issued the following statement after learning of the death of Marine Lance Cpl. Stephen Bixler, 20, of Suffield while serving in Fallujah, Iraq.

"The thoughts and prayers of all Connecticut residents are with the Bixler family today," Governor Rell said. "Lance Cpl. Bixler served his country honorably, and he bravely defended our freedom. His loss is extremely painful to us, but we will remember with deep gratitude his courageous service and will always honor his sacrifice."

Governor Rell has ordered both the United States flag and the State of Connecticut flag to be flown at half-staff until sundown on the day of Lance Cpl. Bixler’s interment, which has not yet been determined.

Federal law permits the Governor to lower the United States flag to half-staff in the event of the death of a present or former government official which includes the death in the line of duty of any member of the U.S. Armed Services from Connecticut.


Related Stories - Lance Corporal Stephen Bixler:
Journal Inquirer
Boston.com
WRAL
Associated Press
The Nutmeg Grater (blog)

Related Stories - Captain Brian Letendre:
ABC-7
NBC-4
Hartford Courant - Captain Mourned Like a Native Son

Also see:
Hartford Courant - Second Marine with CT Ties killed this week in Iraq
DOD Release


Our hearts are with the family, friends, and comrades of these fallen heroes.

IRAQ-IRAN BORDER — Soldiers from the Multinational Division Central-South stand at the entrance to Fort Tarik on the Iran-Iraq border. The Iraqi outpost helps secure the often contentious border. Defense Dept. photo by Jim Garamone
Story - On Assignment

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Insurgents Bomb Oil Pipeline
Car bomb near Baghdad courthouse kills 5, wounds 10

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Michael Hayden to Be Named CIA Director
Opposition Mounts to Military Leadership at CIA
Transcript: Rep. Hoekstra on 'FNS'
Video: New CIA Chief?
Video: Goss' Resignation Statement
Republican sees problems with likely Bush CIA pick
Likely Nominee for CIA Director Draws Fire
In terror war, American 'outreach' has US Muslims wary

Other Military News
Duty and tuition draw US military recruits
Congress Seeks to Change Civil War Law

Hamas Rising
Hamas, Fatah rival factions battle in Gaza, 3 dead - Video

Worldwide Wackos
Iranian President Proposes Solutions in Letter to Bush
Bush says plenty of US diplomacy ahead on Iran
Blair: Nuking Iran Would Be Absurd
First N.Korean refugees reach US under asylum law

Politics
Bush: My Best Moment as President Was Catching Bass
Democrats pledge probes of Bush, not impeachment

Oddities
Coach says he drank too much to celebrate
Mexicans mark "cinco de mayo" with flying veggies
Spanish Town Hosts Big Blind Date Party

Other News of Note
Last U.S. Titanic Survivor Dies

Fox News
Wachovia to Merge With Golden West Financial
Apple Wins Lawsuit
Fuel Bank Offers Gas in Bulk
Barry Bonds One Home Run Short of Tying Babe Ruth
Stocks to Watch: Edison
Survey: Gas Prices Up 4 Cents
Fla. Brush Fire Evacuations
'M:I:3' Tops Box Office
Identity Theft Page
Cybersecurity Center

Reuters: Top News
South Africa braces for Zuma verdict
UK says UFOs caused by natural forces
Japan, US to develop supersonic aircraft: paper
Apple Computer wins trademark dispute vs Beatles
Yahoo reinvigorates Web advertising search battle
Controversial dig sparks pyramid mania in Bosnia
USDA says 156,235 pounds beef recalled for e-coli
Nevada launching Web site for Canada drug imports
Keith Richards undergoes brain surgery: media
Wachovia aims big with $25 bln Golden West buy
Apple Computer wins trademark dispute vs Beatles
Economy to slow, rate hikes end in 2006: survey
Wachovia aims big with $25 bln Golden West buy
Cosmote,Germanos deal news expected after mkt close
Cable firm NTL set to axe up to 6,000 jobs -papers
Stock futures flat; Wachovia, Apple in focus
SkyePharma signs US partner for key asthma drug
Adidas up on "fantastic" soccer business
Fed in focus as Dow flirts with record - Video
Circuit City shares jump after upbeat analyst note
Copper bubble trouble?
On the Radar: Goldcorp hits the screen
CATastic year

AP World News
Gene Marker May Show Prostate Cancer Risk
Wachovia Buying Golden West in $25B Deal
Click Fraud Concerns Hound Google
Poll: 4 in 10 Americans Play Video Games
Thai Court Nullifies April Elections
Cheney Promotes Democratic Reform Overseas
New Orleans Jazz Fest Ends on High Note

Military.com
Controversy Over Hayden
Bush Wants to Close Guantanamo
Academy to Use Rare Court-Martial
Bodies of 10 U.S. Troops Retrieved
Car Bombs Kill 16
DoD Takes Recruiting to new Heights

CENTCOM: News Releases
CRRB RELEASES 299 DETAINEES

RELEASE UPDATE - BOMBMAKERS IN MOSQUE COMPOUND BLOW THEMSELVES UP

COALITION DOCTORS DELIVER AFGHAN BABY GIRL AT PRT

COALITION FINDS WEAPONS CACHE, DETAINS SUSPECTS IN KUNAR

OPERATION MOUNTAIN LION ROARS INTO KORENGAL VALLEY

TERRORIST CHEMICAL EXPERT KILLED IN BAGHDAD RAID

ENEMIES OF AFGHANISTAN DESTROY TWO BRIDGES

IED CELL CAPTURED

COALITION FORCES DELIVER PRECSION MUNITIONS ON INSURGENT AREA

FIVE SUSPECTS DETAINED IN SERIES OF RAIDS

COALITION FORCES RESPOND TO INSURGENT FIRE IN RAMADI

CAR BOMB IN KARBALA KILLS 2, WOUNDS 18

TERRORISTS KILL 11 CIVILIANS WITH MOTORCYCLE IED

RECOVERY OPERATIONS AT HELICOPTER CRASH SITE ON-GOING

BOMBMAKERS IN MOSQUE BLOW THEMSELVES UP

Department of Defense
Helicopter Recovery Operations Continue - Story
10 Soldiers Killed in Helicopter Crash
U.S., Iraqi Forces Launch New Operation - Story
Bush Honors Grad During Commencement - Story
Coalition Forces Kill Terrorists in Iraq - Story

IRAQIS TAKE THE LEAD
Iraqi Border Police Secure Iraq's Frontier - Story - On Assignment
Flight Shows Difficulties of Policing the Border

REBUILDING IRAQ
'Measles Chart' Shows Construction Progress - Story - On Assignment

ON THE GROUND
Hillah SWAT, U.S. Special Forces Aid Iraqi Boy - Story
'Lion’s Pride' Brings Medical Care to Afghans - Story
Kunar Bridge Construction Moves Forward - Story
Task Force Knighthawk Gets New Commander - Story

IN IRAQ
Troops Revive Patrols to Re-establish Security - Photos
Space-Age Drinking Water System Tested
Photos: Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Comm Unit Reaches Milestone
Florida Guard Unit Helps Ailing Afghan Child

IN KUWAIT
U.S. Women’s Team Defeats Kuwaiti Team
Range Helps Troops Train for Iraq Duty - Photos

IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
Coast Guard Detachment Trains Djiboutians
USS Typhoon Operates in Horn of Africa

FACE OF DEFENSE
Airmen Make History in Iraq - Story

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Sinise, Band Rock Pentagon - Story - Photos
Supporters, Lt. Dan Share Stage - Story
Casino Thanks Troops With Bash

TOP NEWS
IRAQ
No. Iraqi Units Engaged in Fight
Officials Show Zarqawi Outtakes
U.S. Commander Meets with Iraqis
Iraqi Army More Capable
U.S. Marines, Iraqis Respond
Scientists Access Virtual Library
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
Terrorist Networks Use Internet
Official Condemns School Burning
Partnership Capability Grows
Forces Kill Enemy Fighters
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
5 Detainees Released from Gitmo
Rumsfeld: Relationships Key
Rumsfeld, Nukaga Talk Realignment
Joint Command Focuses on Ops
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
Florida Employers Honored
Installations Honored
U.S. Sailors Aid Future Homeowners
OIF Vet Honored as Action Figure
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
0535 - John II ends his reign as Catholic Pope
0615 - St Boniface IV ends his reign as Catholic Pope
0685 - St Benedict II ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1360 - Treaty of Brétigny signed by English & French
1429 - French troops under Joan of Arc rescue Orléans
1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion-Kentishmen revolt against King Henry VI
1521 - Parliament of Worms installs edict against Marten Luther
1541 - Hernando de Soto discovers Mississippi River
1624 - Hungarian king Bethlen Gábor & emperor Ferdinand II sign Treaty of Vienna
1639 - William Coddington founds Newport, RI
1660 - English parliament asks King Charles II resigns
1721 - Michelangiolo dei Conti replaces Pope Clement XI, as Innocent XIII
1741 - France & Bavaria sign Covenant of Nymphenburg
1784 - Only known deaths by hailstones in US (Winnsborough SC)
1792 - British Captain George Vancouver sights, names Mount Rainier, WA; US establishes military draft
1794 - US Post Office established
1823 - "Home Sweet Home" 1st sung (London)
1834 - Charles Darwin's expedition returns to the Beagle; Prussia, Austria & Russia sign classified accord about Belgium
1840 - Alexander Wolcott patents Photographic Process
1842 - Versailles to Paris train catches fire; 50 die
1846 - 1st major battle of Mexican War fought at Palo Alto, TX
1847 - Robert Thompson patents rubber tire
1858 - John Brown holds antislavery convention
1861 - Richmond VA, is named the capital of the Confederacy
1862 - Valley Campaign: Federals repulsed at Battle of McDowell VA
1863 - Confederación Granadina becomes Estados Unidos de Colombia
1864 - Actions at Stony Creek/Nottoway Bridge VA (Drewry's Bluff); Atlanta Campaign: Severe fighting near Dalton; Battle of Antietam, VA (Spotslyvania Court House, Laurel Hill)
1871 - English-US treaty ends Alabama dispute
1877 - 1st Westminster Dog Show held
1878 - Paul Hines makes baseball's 1st unassisted triple play
1879 - George Selden files for 1st patent for a gasoline-driven automobile
1881 - Henry Morton Stanley signs contract with Congolian monarch
1886 - Atlanta pharmacist (Jacob's Pharmacy) Dr John Styth Pemberton invents Coca Cola (contained cocaine)
1895 - China cedes Taiwan to Japan under Treaty of Shimonoseki
1900 - 250 grave robbers shot to death
1902 - Mount Pelée erupts, wipes out St Pierre, Martinique, kills 30,000
1916 - German munitions bunker in Fort Douaumont explodes
1919 - 1st transatlantic flight take-off by a navy seaplane
1921 - Sweden abolishes capital punishment
1924 - Memel territories given to Lithuania
1925 - French colonial army beats Rifkabylen in Morocco
1926 - 1st flight over North Pole (Bennett & Byrd); Fire breaks out in Fenway Park
1929 - Jan Mayen island, 500 km NNE of Iceland, incorporated into Norway
1936 - Jockey Ralph Neves unexpectedly revived after being declared dead after a fall; His wife fainted when he returned to the track
1941 - German Q-ship Pinguin sinks in Indian Ocean
1942 - 1st twilight game in 24 years, the Dodgers top Giants 7-6 raising $60,000 for Navy Relief Fund; Battle of Coral Sea ends; Aircraft carrier Lexington sunk by Japanese air attack German summer offensive opens in Crimea
1943 - Admiral Cunningham of British fleet: "Sink, burn & destroy; let nothing pass"
1944 - 1st eye bank opens (NYC); 33 communist resistance fighter sentenced to death;
U-575 sinks Asphodel
1945 - Canadian troops move into Amsterdam; Chinese counter attack at Tsjangte, supports by 14th air fleet; General Von Keitel surrenders to Marshal Zhukov near Berlin; V-E Day - Germany signs unconditional surrender, WWII ends in Europe
1949 - West German constitution approved
1950 - Chiang Kai-shek asks US for weapons
1952 - Mad Magazine debuts
1958 - President Eisenhower orders National Guard out of Central HS, Little Rock; Vice President Nixon is shoved, stoned, booed & spat upon by protesters in Peru
1959 - 3-deck Nile excursion steamer springs a leak panicking passengers who capsized ship; 200 drown just yards from shore
1960 - USSR & Cuba resume diplomatic relations
1961 - 1st practical sea water conversion plant-Freeport, TX; Alan Shepard receives NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Washington
1962 - 1st Atlas Centaur Launch; London trolley buses go out of service
1963 - JFK offers Israel assistance against aggression
1966 - Only homerun ever hit out of Baltimore's Memorial Stadium (Frank Robinson)
1969 - Cambodia recognizes German Democratic Republic
1970 - Construction workers break up an anti-war rally in NYC's Wall Street
1973 - Indians holding South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee for 10 weeks surrender
1974 - Canadian Government of Trudeau falls
1977 - David Berkowitz pleads guilty in "Son of Sam" 44-caliber shootings
1980 - World Health Organization announced smallpox had been eradicated
1984 - Thames Barrier to stop flooding in London officially completed; USSR announces it will not participate in Los Angeles Summer Olympics
1987 - Gary Hart quits democratic presidential race (Donna Rice affair)
1988 - François Mitterrand elected President of France
1989 - US space shuttle STS-30 lands
1991 - CIA director William H Webster resigns
1993 - 16 year old Keron Thomas disguises himself as a motorman & takes NYC subway train & 2,000 passengers on a 3 hour ride
1994 - 500th commentary by Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes; Ernesto Pérez Balladares elected President of Panamá; José Maria Figueres becomes President of Costa Rica; President Clinton announces US will no longer repatriate boat people
1996 - South Africa's Const Assembly adopts permanent post-apartheid constitution

Birthdays
1521 - Peter Canisius [Pieter de Hondt/Kanijs], jesuit/saint
1753 - Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla, father of Mexican independence
1763 - John Goldberg, Dutch patriot/statesman
1786 - Thomas Hancock, founded British rubber industry
1810 - James Cooper, Union Brigadier General
1814 - Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin, anarchist
1824 - William Walker, filibuster/President of Nicaragua (1856-57)
1828 - Jean Henri Dunant, Swiss writer/founder (Red Cross (Nobel Peace Prize 1901))
1833 - Frank Wheaton, Union Brevet Major General
1836 - Bryan Morel Thomas, Confederate Brigadier General
1871 - [Émile M] Louis Madelin, French historian (French revolutionary)
1882 - Philips C. Visser, Dutch explorer/diplomat
1884 - Harry S. Truman, 33rd US President (D) (1945-1953)
1899 - Friedrich August von Hayek, Austrian author (The Road to Serfdom)/co-recipient of Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (1974)
1899 - Jan F. van Hall, Dutch sculptor/resistance fighter
1904 - John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge, BBC news announcer/commentator
1914 - Lord Murton of Lindisfrarne, deputy chairman (Comm House of Lords)
1924 - Tristan Jones, sailor / author / adventurer
1925 - Ali Hassan Mwinyi, President of Tanzania
1926 - Ronald Waterhouse, high court judge; Sir David [Frederick] Attenborough London England, environmentalist/zoologist/TV host (BBC)
1928 - Theodore Sorensen, presidential advisor (JFK)/author (1000 Days)
1929 - V. N. M. Korte-van Hemel, Dutch Secretary of Justice (CDA)
1934 - Leonard Hoffmann, high court judge
1935 - Viscount Falkland, British peer (Liberal-Democrat)
1936 - Neville Purvis, British Vice Admiral (Chief of Fleet Support)
1937 - Dennis DeConcini (Senator-AZ); Michael Simmons, Air Marshal (British Ministry of Defense)
1940 - Peter Benchley, novelist (Jaws, The Deep)
1941 - James A Traficant, Jr. (Representative-OH)
1942 - Norman Lamont, MP/Chancellor of Exchequer
1945 - Arthur Docters van Leeuwen, jurist (Holland's secret service)
1948 - John Reid, MP
1952 - Charles J. Camarda, PhD/astronaut
1963 - Clemens Lothaller, cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-13 backup)

Passings
0535 - John [Mercurius], Italian Pope (533-35)
0685 - Benedict II, Italian Pope (683-85)
1319 - Haakon V, King of Norway (1299-1319)
1725 - John Lovewell, US Indian fighter, dies in battle
1773 - Ali Bey, Egyptian Mameluk head
1794 - Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, chemist (identified oxygen), guillotined
1844 - Charles XIV Johan [Jean B Bernadotte], King of Sweden/Norway
1853 - Joannes P. Roothaan 1st Dutch Lieutenant Colonel-General of Jesuits, dies at 67
1861 - Láseló Teleki, Hungarian earl/revolutionary, commits suicide
1864 - James Samuel Wadsworth, Union Major-General, dies in battle at 56
1887 - Alexander Ulyanov, brother of Lenin/hanged for assassination of tsar
1909 - Friedrich von Holstein, German diplomat
1915 - Henry McNeal Turner, 1st Black US Army chaplain, dies at 82
1932 - Albert Thomas, French socialist politician
1943 - Mordicai Anielewicz, commander of Warsaw ghetto uprising, killed
1958 - Nasni Matni, Lebanese journalist, murdered
1973 - Ralph Miller, last 19th century baseball player
1976 - Ulrike Meinhof, led Germany Red Army Faction
1994 - Cobina W. "Coby" Molenaar, peace activist, dies at 88
1997 - Kai-Uwe Von Hassel, German President of Bundestag (CDU 1969-72)

Reported Missing in Action
1965
LaHaye, James D., USN (WI); F8D shot down, KIA/BNR

1966
Ray, James E., USAF (TX); F105 shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

1967
McCuistion, Michael K., USAF (NE); F105D shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Steimer, Thomas Jack, USN (CA); F4B shot down, KIA/BNR

1968
The following US Army personnel reported MIA when their UH1C was shot down - all KIA/BNR:
Condrey, George T. III (GA); pilot

Dayton, James L. (IL); aircraft commander

Jenne, Robert E. (UT); crewman

Jurecko, Daniel E. (TX); crewchief

1969
Brashear, William J., USAF (CA); F4C shot down (w/Mundt)

Mundt, Henry G., USAF (TX); F4C shot down (w/Brashear)

1972
Leaver, John M., Jr., USN (MA); SH3G shot down (passenger, w/Taylor)

Taylor, Edmund B., Jr., USN (OH); SH3G shot down (passenger, w/Leaver)