The conference closed with John of Argghhh!....and a moment of silence while "Taps" was played.

A poignant reminder of why it is that I do this.


Our Heroes.

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

Moderator: Chuck Z of From My Position...On the Way! (http://tcoverride.blogspot.com)
Panelists: Sandra from SewMuchComfort (http://www.sewmuchcomfort.org), Roxie Merritt from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs (OASD-PA, http://www.defenselink.mil, http://www.americasupportsyou.mil), Patti Patton-Bader of Soldiers' Angels (http://www.soldiersangels.org, this blog), and MaryAnn Phillips of Soldiers' Angels Germany (http://www.soldiersangelsgermany.org)

Chuck Z's list of the top 11 things to come out of California
11. Coolio
10. Jerry Garcia
9. Sally Ride
8. Jack London
7. Gen. James H. Doolittle
6. President Richard M. Nixon
5. John Steinbeck
4. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
3. President Ronald Reagan
2. Sandra (on the panel)
1. Patti Bader (on the panel)


Patti noted that there are more than 150,000 registered adopting Angels. Including the others who work with specific programs, etc., there are about a quarter of a million.

Patti, Sandra, and MaryAnn all noted that what they do comes from donations.

Chuck asked Roxie about the issues at Walter Reed - some of the regs that came out of that have, he said, severely limited the ability of the public to support the heroes there. Volunteers can no longer just show up to visit, and there is no mail to "any soldier" on the ward. Chuck asked Roxie if the OASD(PA) is willing to work with charities like SA and the others to make sure that these agencies can do what they do.

Roxie said that http://www.americasupportsyou.mil was started for just that purpose. The office is also looking at putting up offices, similar to USO stations, to facilitate assistance at some of these places.

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

John made an important comment - we're losing the Information War because we are sitting on information too long - for some important reasons, but we're still losing.

The DoD rep said that they're still trying to figure out how to take advantage of the blogosphere. One commenter noted that CENTCOM contacted him and asked if he wanted to interview someone, and when he responded to it, he never heard again. (The same thing happened to me.) CPT. Deiss said that CENTCOM puts staying connected to the bloggers as a priority, so it was not intentional - they definitely want us engaged and working with them.

Lex asked a good question - are we doing PAO stuff reactively, or proactively? It ought to be a top-level objective to get the word out. The DoD folks said that being proactive is not what they do; it would be too much like marketing. They are facilitators of existing desire to get the info out - to be too proactive, they would look like they're inventing the message.

DadManly asked about what the panelists thought about how to handle active mililtary bloggers in the wake of the new OPSEC regs - would it be a good idea to have "embed bloggers"? Credentialed military bloggers? Lex joked that his ideal world was "access without accountability."

Chuck Z said that he has credentials - it's something he's fought for - freedom of speech. He said that he is also accountable for what he says.

Labels: Milblog

Moderator: John of Argghhh! (http://www.thedonovan.com)
Panelists: Noah of Wired's Danger Room (http://blog.wired.com/defense), Lex of Neptunus Lex (http://www.neptunuslex.com), Muroc of Murdoc Online (http://www.murdoconline.net), Captain Anthony Deiss of CENTCOM, ANG (http://www.centcom.mil), Eagle1 of EagleSpeak (http://www.eaglespeak.blogspot.com), Slab of OpFor (http://www.op-for.com, http://op-lightning.blogspot.com)


1st order of business - the new OPSEC reg, and the blogs / MSM relationship.

Noah started with myths about the MSM:

1. The MSM is filled with disloyal people. He said that it is not necessarily a bias about the war that results in the coverage - it's the fact that quiet days are not news. There's a value in the media being skeptical about politicians and officials. Newsroom culture is very different from military culture; there is a lot of ignorance about what military culture is. The thing that military blogs can do is learn 'em.

2. Reporters just kind of hang out in the Green Zone writing. More journalists have been killed in Iraq than in any other war; about 100. There are a lot of reporters out there risking themselves to get the story.

The comments about the military got a big response from the bloggers. Somehow, we just weren't buying the "reporters are by and large good people" line.

The past incidents of the NY Slimes exposing covert operations that fight the War on Terror, and other media outlets compromising sensitive data, were brought up. The question - how do we believe that they are trustable, if they appear to be working for the other side?

Noah said that he thinks that some of the people who do these things may genuinely believe that they are doing the right thing; they act out of real concern. (I don't buy that, by and large. Sorry, but I don't). I have seen too many things out in the MSM that conflict directly with what the boots on the ground say, and always with a detrimental spin.

Lex made a good point - they put these stories out because we buy them.

Eagle1 said that there have been stories that have gone so far as to provide enough detail about certain individuals that it could risk their safety.

On the topic of "Do we matter?" John noted that last year, CENTCOM sent two Majors who largely stayed outside. This year, we have an official rep on the panel. This year, the President provided opening remarks. This year, Admiral Fox talked with us live from Iraq. He had planned to be here personally. When those plans changed, the millitary took the time to set up the technology so that he could be here. He read a letter from a Senior field grade PAO officer, who also noted the difficulty in getting stories out there, and said that he saw bloggers being a second or third string information channel, until they showed the ability to impact Congress. The MSM is what they're reading.

John noted, it's not how many people read you - it's WHO reads you.

Slab said he'd like to see unit bloggers. He noted that there was a unit whose base at one point took more indirect fire than any other base in Iraq. Three months later, kids were playing in the fields, and people were sitting outside. There were no PAO folks, no MSM embeds, and therefore, no coverage. His concern, he stated, is that if the military doesn't start recognizing the value, these stories could be completely lost.

Cpt. Deiss said that the General Officers still seem focused on the top media outlets. He said it's going to take some time before the blogosphere gets the notice it should have. He said CENTCOM is going to be seeing some new personnel over the next few months, and he is optimistic that the blogosphere will get more notice.

An audience commenter noted that the Office of the Secretary of Defense has gotten the blogs - that office is hooking bloggers up with interviews, etc. A rep from the Sec Defs office noted that they love the blogs, and are impressed with the ability of the milblogs to get the truth out. The DoD, she said, would be happy to engage with the milblogs.

John asked what has changed in the last year to make the DoD think that this was a good idea? One, the Hezbollah issue and the faked photographs, exposed by the blogosphere.

She said we're almost a barometer of what's coming.

For the first time, the internet is the number one source of news, she noted - over television.

More in a little while

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

is manure.

It's amazing how many times it's getting used today...as in, the MSM is often full of manure.

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

Moderator: Andi (http://www.andisworld.typepad.com)
Panelists: ArmyWifeToddlerMom (http://www.armywifetoddlermom.blogspot.com), Sarah, Trying to Grok (http://tryingtogrok.mu.nu), Becky, Mililtary Families Voice of Victory (http://www.mfvov.com), Carla, Some Soldier's Mom (http://www.somesoldiersmom.blogspot.com)

Good discussion on what it's like to be a milspouse, and what it's like to hear the crap the anti-war crowd sometimes dishes out.

Interrupted by a very special visitor - Mr. Robert Stokely. He told us that today would have marked his son's second wedding anniversary.

Mr. Stokely said that the milblog community gave him his life back after he'd lost his son (which is where many of us started crying).

To the question "Was Iraq worth it?" he had an answer.

Mr. Stokely, holding one of Mike's diapers from when he was a newborn (as Mr. Stokely said, 'unused, of course') said, "Ask the little boy who couldn't even fit in one of these without it falling off, who became a man...he was willing to die for it."

Indeed.

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

Jim noted that when a bunch of the milbloggers visited Walter Reed yesterday, to a man, the troops there stated that they had been treated tremendously there.


Best comment of the morning, from Jim:

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

You can find it here:

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/milblogs/

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

Jim just said something really interesting - that the biggest boost to the troops' morale is being able to go and do their mission. He said seeing the progress and having successes breeds high morale.

Bill also noted that morale is high.

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

Before I get to the panel, we got an interesting update about the new OPSEC regs:
U.S. Senators have written a letter to the Secretary of Defense to advise that the American people have benefited greatly from the direct correspondence with the military represented by the Milblogs, and urged them not to do anything to limit them.

From the Front:
Moderator: Matt of BlackFive (www.blackfive.net)
Panelists: Bill Ardolino (www.indcjournal.com), Bill Roggio (www.billroggio.com), Jim (www.sgthook.com), Sean (www.docinthebox.blogspot.com)

Matt of BlackFive read a letter of thanks from General Petraeus! If that doesn't tell you how much notice Milblogs are getting now. A SFC sent word that Al Qaeda is on the run and has limited movement, and had really nice words of praise for all of us at Soldiers' Angels.

Matt introduced the panelists, and then asked an interesting question: What are the troops bringing with them when deployed?

The technology travelling with them is pretty impressive - laptops, iPods, DVD players. There are internet cafes on bases, and in parts of Iraq now, you can pay for internet service in your hooch!

We then were treated to a discussion of the new OPSEC regs.

Sean of Doc-in-the-Box said "Well, it's an Army regulation; I'm not really too worry about it." (he's a Navy Corpsman). He said he felt that since monitoring all blog posts would just be far too much, he thinks it's likely to be something that is only enforced if someone crosses the line.

There was a little discussion of MSM coverage of the war. Bill Roggio noted that significant developments in Al Anbar have been mischaracterized as negatives, and the MSM is ignoring a real counterinsurgency success there.

It was noted that there is a complete absence of attention on Afghanistan. Although the reporters are there, Jim noted, you never see the stories they've done.

Bill A. talked about a European freelance journalist he knew who had gone to all major European outlets to try and get the ability to do first hand reporting, but had gotten no takers, because they didn't want to be responsibilty for him getting killed.

Bill Roggio said that, "nothing happens quite a lot in Iraq," and no one is going to write about that. The violence is what sells.

Bill A. noted that during the downtime, there are a lot of human interest stories that can be covered, but aren't.

Matt of Blackfive spoke about an AP reporter who told him that he submitted a story every single day - and the only ones that got picked up were the ones where someone got killed.

Matt asked Bill and Bill to talk about embedding, and about the possibility of expanding embedding.

Bill A. said the process of getting approved took months of paperwork and red tape. He said it's not that they're trying to keep people from embedding, but they're not making it easy, either.

There seems to be consensus that the USMC has more of an understanding of public affairs than the other branches. Bill Roggio said that under the new staff, the process seems to be going a little more smoothly.

That's enough for now; oh, and this morning's opening remarks by President Bush are here, at Gateway Pundit.

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

The 2007 Milblog Conference sure opened with a bang....The President made the opening remarks! He thanked the bloggers for their support of the troops and the mission. How cool is that?

Right now, Rear Admiral Mark I. Fox, USN, is speaking to us from Iraq. Characterizing himself as a "jaywalker on the information highway," he said he nonetheless recognizes the power of the internet. MNF-Iraq now takes advantage of You Tube, reaches out to bloggers, etc., to get the word out, and to let people know what our troops are doing. He said that as the military is accountable to "you, as the American people," they recognize that the electronic media is one way to stay closely connected to the people at home.

He took some questions; the first was a request for a status report on Al Anbar.

Paraphrasing his remarks - Al Anbar is a largely Sunni province, and as Al-Qaeda is largely Sunni, they had a presence. One of the key elements to understanding Iraq is an awareness of the tribal culture there. As Al Qaeda has attacked indiscriminately, there is an increasing part of the population that has gotten fed up. He stressed the increasing recruits; 1500 signing up to be part of the security forces over one three-day period. The level of cooperation between not only different U.S. branches, but between the Americans and the Iraqis is significant. Admiral Fox also noted that military victories are not all that is needed; economic and other assistance is needed to accomplish the goals.

Patti from Soldiers' Angels asked how to reach troops that need support.

Admiral Fox said that the level of support from the American people is humbling. He asked that we work with the folks at the DoD to get the support to the people who need it; things are distributed as needed. He said that the troops do feel the support of the American people. MNF-Iraq wants to share its message, but also wants the American people to know how much their support means.

He also gave us a current status overview.

Since General Petraeus took over in February, he has instituted a policy of enforcing the law. Four of the five brigades that were slated to come to Iraq as part of the new strategy are currently there; the next will be there next month. The additional reinforcement consists of nearly 30,000 troops. The Admiral noted that prior to the General's new strategy, the clear, hold, and build method was lacking in the areas of holding and building. The new operation stations built in Baghdad allow the troops to do both of those; to maintain a presence in the city. Admiral Fox noted that prior to the new stations, troops were living in the FOB's - essentially "commuting to the war." The additional contact represented by having troops stationed in the local neighborhoods has increased the confidence of the locals, and increased the level of information, tips, etc. in many key areas of Baghdad. April marked the highest level of tips, seized caches, etc.

He noted that the enemy in Iraq is "completely evil and diabolical," and that the Iraqi people are strong and resilient. The new strategy in Iraq is allowing a window of opportunity for the Iraqi people and their government to get on their feet. He said that it is going to take time for these operations to really take hold, and for us to see the effects.

Over this summer is when MNF-I expects to be able to see the effects of what they're doing.

Andrea Shea-King of Patriot Radio asked what we can do as milbloggers to help the mission, given the media's lack of favorable coverage.

Admiral Fox said that blogging is such an important part of getting information out, and noted that the truth will eventually come out. What has been lost in this debate is the moral aspect - we are the good guys in this, and we represent individual dignity and individual respect. He noted that it is the U.S. military itself that discovered the issues at Abu Ghraib. He says, "I'm not looking for a free pass, but our essence is such that when we see something wrong...we fix it." He said that he would encourage us all to stay engaged in this endeavor, which he believes will only grow in importance. He feels that in some ways, the blogs are leading the MSM. He said his issue is not really with the reporters themselves; it is largely in editing that the stories become filtered. He said that the blogs become a way to really get a truthful picture of what is going on.

Next their was a question on the poll regarding military ethics; the media reports that characterize this as an acceptance of abuse of civilians.

The Admiral noted that this is the first time this particular survey has included questions of battlefield ethics; he said that it was an example of what he had mentioned; that we're actually asking the questions about ethics.

He said it's an honor to serve in the U.S. military, and an honor to represent the American people. The troops have extremely high level of morale, and recognize the importance of their mission. He noted that it is a momentous thing to have the opportunity to bring hope and a chance to move forward to Iraq. Although it is a hard, complex environment, he said, "just because it's hard, doesn't mean it's hopeless."

More a little later...

Labels: Milblog Conference 2007

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Senior U.S., Iranian officials meet at Iraq talks - Video
Patience emerges as critical weapon in Iraq war - Video
Suspicions remain after Iraq conference
U.S. targets Iranian-made weapons

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Coalition partners keep pressure on Olmert - Video
TSA loses hard drive with personal info

Troops on Trial
U.S. Marines unlikely to report civilian abuse: study

Religion of Peace??
Video Shows Kurdish Girl Stoned to Death

Worldwide Wackos
Iran mulls S.African idea to save atom treaty talks
Chavez's nationalization threats more than bluster

Homegrown Moonbats
Activists want chimp declared a 'person'

Politics / Government
Bush Warns Dems on Abortion
NRA: Terrorist Gun Ban is 'Suspect'
911 Calls Show Confusion Over Corzine Crash
Student Accused of Threat to Kill Hillary Clinton
LA mayor cuts short Mexico trip over police clash
GOP lawmakers: Loyalty to Bush may hurt
White House, Democrats differ on Sen. Clinton's war move
Giuliani says Saddam paying for offenses
McCain takes issue with Google employee
Former, current Alaska lawmakers charged

Illegal Immigration / Border Control
20 Haitian Migrants Dead After Boat Capsizes
LA mayor condemns rally violence

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Cops: Cards' Hancock Was DUI in Fatal Crash
Illinois Police Search for Missing Mom
Phone Records of D.C. 'Madam' to Be Aired
N.H. Student Shoots Roommate on Finals Day
Mo. paroles killer of abusive husband
Ex neo-Nazi aide sentenced in Wash.

U.N. News
U.N. says needs more funds for displaced Somalis

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Web alarms, mobile alerts aim to make you safer
Yahoo to shut down Yahoo Photos service, push Flickr

Science / Medicine / Technology
Fowl Play - Toxic feed keeps 20 million chickens off U.S. market
Petfood recall widens on cross-contamination
U.S. dark chocolate sales soar on health benefits
Wind farms urged to go easy on birds and bats
Ariane rocket puts two satellites into orbit

Mother Nature
Climate plan arms world for key talks

Oddities
Missing Corpse Found in Wrong Grave
Frog Smoothies for Sexual Potency
Venice wants St Mark's tourists dressed and tidy - Video
Mourning man lies in own grave, and waits to die - Video
Des'ree boasts worst pop lyric of all time

Other News of Note
Teacher Makes Boy, 7, Hit Himself in Head

Fox News
Queen Elizabeth II Tours Jamestown - VIDEO
Verizon Severs Ties With Hip-Hop Star Akon
Baldwin, Basinger Resume Custody Dispute

Reuters: Top News
Microsoft eyes laptops for poor children
Scottish defeat leaves problem for Blair successor
France's Royal warns of violence if Sarkozy wins - Video
Paris Hilton sentenced to 45 days in jail
Chad-Sudan pact will not halt war: Chadian rebels
Extreme fundraisers take charity to the limit
Critics underwhelmed by "Spider-Man 3"
Eyes on FOMC as stocks seen trending higher
Yahoo falls after WSJ says Microsoft talks off
Wall St ends up; Dow at record on deals, data - Video
Dollar falls on soft payrolls report
Gold hits 2-week high after weak U.S. jobs data
Mutual funds turn shareholder activists
Dollar may complicate Fed's task
Berkshire Hathaway profit rises 12 pct
Yahoo shares rise on reports of Microsoft interest
Murdoch fails to win support from WSJ reporters
Reuters soars on approach, Thomson touted as bidder - Video
U.S. April jobs growth softens, unemployment rises
Gasoline prices hit $3 as refiners strain

AP World News
Sabres stun Rangers for 3-2 series lead
Woods and Singh in Wachovia showdown
Kids breathing pollutants on aging buses
Analysts cynical of Microsoft-Yahoo deal
Jessica Biel wants respect as an actress
Jobless rate hits 4.5 percent

Military.com
Many Troops Say Torture OK (if it would save the life of a comrade)
New Law Would Stop VA Pay Bonuses
Roadside Bombs Claim More U.S. Lives
Slideshow: Pacific Air Aces
Podcast: The Crew of TV's 'The Unit'
Blog: Military Bloggers Under Threat?
Op-ed: Blasting Buffoonery
Def Tech: JSF Engine Pork Continues
Play Trivia and Win an iPod
Send your love home!

CENTCOM: News Releases
COALITION IDENTIFIES TWO AL-QAEDA ADVISORS KILLED
COMMANDOS DISCOVER IRANIAN WEAPONS
IRAQI SECURITY FORCES CAPTURE A FORMER REGIME OFFICER SUSPECTED OF CORRUPTION IN TIKRIT

USJFCOM
Joint Futures Lab flexes cross-domain translation capability during Trident Warrior 2007 - podcast
Learn more about CDCIE
USJFCOM to assist as DoD and DEA partner up to support personnel recovery - podcast
Learn more about JPRA

DefenseLink
Secretary Visits Joint Readiness Training Center - Story
Gates Thanks Wounded Warriors for Sacrifice - Story
Division Targets Flow of 'Accelerants of Violence' - Story
Officials Note Mental Health Assessment Findings - Story
Defense Officials Honor Top Military Installations - Story
Officials Laud Florida Employers for Support - Story
Armed Forces Recruits Take Oath of Enlistment - Story

More Headline News
Secretary Urges Vigilance in War On Terror
Gates Visits ‘Amazing’ Army Rehabilitation Center
Gates Joins Revelers to Welcome Troops Home
Agencies Must Act Now to Move Iraq Forward

Military News
Officials ID Five Missing World War II Airmen
Webcasts Bring Graduations to Deployed Parents
Edwards Airmen Star in 'Ironman' Superhero Movie
U.S. Soldiers, Community Remember Wereth 11

America Supports You
Pentagon Concert Kicks Off Military Appreciation Month - Story
RE/MAX Receives Award for Supporting Troops, Families - Story
Grassroots Groups Join Celebration
Singer Shows Military Appreciation
Vet Notes Cell Phone's Value

War on Terror
Two Al Qaeda Leaders Killed
Seven Soldiers Killed in Iraq
‘Rat Trap’ Targets al Qaeda
Coalition, Iraqi Forces Detain 39

Transformation
Navy to Commission Attack Sub
Unmanned Aircraft Wing Debuts
New Concept Ensures Latest Technologies Reach Warfighters
Technology Leaves No Place to Hide

Face of Defense
Airman Dedicates Work to Fallen - Story
Deployed Airman Helps Others
Army Scientist Studies Soldiers
Soldier Helps African Youngsters
Soldier Beats Injury, Runs Marathon

DefendAmerica
NEWS UPDATES
New Military Division Targets Flow Of 'Accelerants of Violence' - Story

ON THE GROUND
Aerial Porters Save Lives by Moving Air Cargo - Story
Dragon Soldiers Vie for Prestigious Invitation - Story
Kirkuk Police Academy Boosts Training Level - Story
Combat Medics Proven Under Pressure - Story

IN IRAQ
Yusufiyah Joint Security Station Opens
Communications Airmen Make the Connection
Army Engineers, Iraqis Build New Water Plant

IN DJIBOUTI
Marines Donate Fitness Equipment to Villagers
Marines Collect Sandals for Residents in Africa
Country Desk Officers Play Vital Role in Africa

IN AFGHANISTAN
Troop Commander Delivers Aid, Mentorship
Unmanned Aircraft Boosts Surveillance Efforts

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

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

Weather
Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Germany
Ansbach Aschaffenburg Berlin Berlin-Tempelhof Berlin/Schonefeld Bremerhaven
Darmstadt Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Freiburg/Breisgau Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Geilenkirchen Gelnhausen Giessen Kitzingen
Hanau Am Main Heidelberg Mainz Mannheim Nurnberg Stuttgart Trier
Wiesbaden Wurzburg

Gitmo

Guam
Agana Agana Heights Agat Andersen AFB Asan Barrigada

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

Japan
Kadena Air Base Okinawa Tokyo Yokohama

Today in History
0553 - 2nd Council of Constantinople (5th ecumenical council) opens
1382 - Battle of Beverhoutsveld - population beats drunken army
1430 - Jews are expelled from Speyer, Germany
1494 - Christopher Columbus 1st sights Jamaica on his 2nd voyage to the New World
1640 - English Short Parliament unites
1646 - King Charles I surrenders at Scotland
1762 - Russia & Prussia sign peace treaty
1797 - Napoleon I's sister Elisa marries Felix Bacciochi
1809 - Citizenship is denied to Jews of Canton of Aargau Switzerland; Mary Kies is 1st woman issued a US patent (weaving straw)
1814 - British attack Fort Ontario, Oswego, NY
1834 - Charles Darwin's expedition begins at Rio Santa Cruz
1847 - American Medical Association organized (Philadelphia)
1855 - NYC regains Castle Clinton, to be used for immigration
1861 - Alexandria, VA - CS troops abandon city
1862 - French army intervenes in Puebla México: Cinco de Mayo; Peninsular Campaign-Battle of Williamsburg VA
1863 - Battle of Tupelo, MS
1864 - Atlanta Campaign-5 days fighting begins at Rocky Face Ridge; Battle between Confederate & Union ships at mouth of Roanoke; Battle of Wilderness, VA (Germanna Ford, Wilderness Tavern)
1865 - 1st US train robbery (North Bend, OH)
1867 - Battle of Pueblo; Mexicans defeat Maximilian's forces (Cinco de Mayo)
1874 - Dutch 2nd Chamber passes child labor law
1881 - Anit-Jewish rioting in Kiev Ukraine
1893 - Panic of 1893: Great crash on New York Stock Exchange
1908 - Great White Fleet arrives in San Fransisco
1912 - 5th modern Olympic games opens in Stockholm, Sweden; Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda begins publishing
1915 - German U-20 sinks Earl of Lathom
1916 - US marines invade Dominican Republic, stay until 1924
1920 - German-Latvian peace treaty signed; Polish troops occupy Kiev; US President Wilson makes Communist Labor Party illegal
1925 - John T. Scopes arrested for teaching evolution in Tennessee
1926 - Sinclair Lewis refuses his Pulitzer Prize for "Arrowsmith"
1930 - 1st woman to fly solo from England to Australia takes-off (Amy Johnson)
1932 - Japan & China sign a peace treaty
1936 - Edward Ravenscroft patents screw-on bottle cap with a pour lip; Italian troops occupy Addis Ababa
1939 - Flash floods kill 75 in Northeast Kentucky
1940 - Norwegian Government in exile forms in London
1941 - 2 Fokker's employees flee Nazi occupied Netherlands to England; Emperor Haile Selassie returns to Addis Ababa; Pulitzer prize awarded to Robert E Sherwood (There shall be no night)
1942 - British assault on Diego Suarez, Madagascar; US begins rationing sugar during WWII
1943 - Postmaster General Frank C. Walker invents Postal Zone System
1944 - Gandhi freed from prison; Russian offensive against Sebastopol Krim
1945 - Mauthausen Concentration camp liberated; Premier Gerbrandy on Radio Orange tells Dutch they are liberated; Uprising against SS-occupying troops in Prague
1947 - Mississippi Valley flooding kills 16 & causes $850 million in damage
1948 - 1st air squadron of jets aboard a carrier; Belgian Government of Spaak resigns
1949 - Council of Europe established
1950 - Phumiphon Abundet crowned as king Rama IX of Thailand
1952 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Herman Wouk (Caine Mutiny)
1954 - Military coup by General Alfredo Stroessner in Paraguay
1955 - West Germany granted full sovereignty by 3 occupying powers
1957 - Adolf Schärf elected President of Austria
1961 - Alan Shepard becomes 1st American in space (aboard Freedom 7)
1964 - Separatists riot in Québec
1965 - 1st large-scale US Army ground units arrive in South Vietnam
1969 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Norman Mailer (Armies of the Night)
1971 - Race riot in Brownsville section of Brooklyn (NYC)
1972 - Alitalia DC-8 crashes west of Palermo Sicily; killing 115
1975 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Michael Shaara (Killer Angels)
1979 - Voyager 1 passes Jupiter
1980 - Siege at Iranian Embassy in London ends; British commandos & police stormed the building
1987 - Congress begins Iran-Contra hearings
1994 - Labour beats Conservatives in British local elections; North-Yemen air force bombs Aden South Yemen
1997 - Iridium-1 Delta 2 Launch, Successful
2000 - conjunction of Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn & Moon

Birthdays
1352 - Ruprecht, Roman Catholic German king
1557 - Emmanuel-Philibert van Lalaing, Baron of Montigny/Marquis of Renty
1818 - Karl Marx, philosopher (Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital)
1823 - James Allen Hardie, Union Army Brevet Major General
1826 - Eugénie M de Montijo y de Guzman, Empress of France
1835 - Leopold II, Belgian crown prince, baptized
1884 - Wang Tjing-Wei, Premier of China (1932-35)
1887 - Lord Geoffrey Fisher of , Archbishop of Canterbury
1900 - Mervyn A. Ellison, British astronomer (spectrohelioscope)
1905 - Arnold Meijer, Dutch leader of fascist Dutch National/Black Front; Robert Houben Belgian, CVP-Minister of Public health (1958)
1908 - Jacques Massu, French general (Algeria)
1910 - William I. Martin, US pilot/Vice-Admiral (WWII)
1930 - Michael James Adams, USAF pilot (X-15)
1939 - James R. Jones (Representative-D-OK)
1943 - Michael Palin, comedian (Monty Python, Fish Called Wanda)

Passings
0311 - Gaius VM Galerius, Emperor of Rome, at about 50
1028 - Alfonso V, King of León/Galicia (999-1028), in battle
1194 - Kazimierz II the Justified, Grand Duke of Poland (1177-94)
1309 - Charles II the Lame, King of Naples (1285-1309)
1504 - Anton of Burgundy, the Great Bastard, knight, at about 82
1525 - Frederik III the Wise, ruler of Saxon (1486-1525), at 62
1582 - Charlotte de Bourbon Princess of Orange
1705 - Leopold I von Hapsburg, Emperor of Holy Roman Empire, at 64
1786 - Pedro III King of Portugal
1821 - Napoleon I Bonaparte, Emperor of France (1799-1815), in St. Helena
1827 - Frederik Augustus I, the Justified, King of Saxon (1806-27), at 76
1864 - Alexander Hays, Union general-major, in battle at 44; John Marshall Jones, Confederate Brigadier-General, in battle at 43; Leroy A. Stafford, Confederate Brigadier-General, in battle at 42
1875 - Jan A.C.A. van Nispen tot Sevenaer, Dutch MP (1848-75), at 71
1921 - Alfred H. Fried Austrian/German pacifist (Nobel 1911)
1971 - Petro Scaglione, Italian procureur-general, killed by Mafia
1977 - Ludwig Erhard, German minister of Economic Affairs (CDU), at 80
1981 - Bobby Sands, IRA activist, dies on 66th day of hunger strike

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Dawes, John J., US Army (CA); CH47 crashed (passenger); presumed Killed/BNR

Heilig, John, USN (FL); RF8A shot down - released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Captain - alive and well as of 1998

Thomas, Kenneth Deane, Jr., USAF (IL); F105D shot down, remains recovered August, 1985

1967
Hughes, James L., USAF (IA); F105D shot down (w/Larson) - released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Larson, Gordon A., USAF (MN); F105D shot down (w/Hughes) - released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998

Shively, James R., USAF (WA); F105D shot down - released by DRV February, 1973 - alive as of 1998

1968
Mitchell, Harry E., USN (IN); possibly seen in U.S.A. September, 1979

Norrington, Giles R., USN (OH); RA5C shot down (pilot, w/Tangeman) - retired as a Captain - released by DRV March, 1973 - alive as of 1998

Tangeman, Richard G., USN (NY); RA5C shot down (navigator, w/Norrington) - released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Captain - alive as of 1998

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