Capt. Bill Perry, master of ceremonies for the Gold Medal of Remembrance presentation, Oct. 29, 2007, reflects on the meaning of the medallion before the medals are awarded to the children of five servicemembers that were killed in Afghanistan or Iraq. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen was on hand for the presentation. Defense Dept. photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley


Rev. Daniel P. Coughlin, Chaplain, U.S House of Representatives, Gen. James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the family of U.S Army Sgt. 1st Class Randall T. Lamberson, his wife Dana, son Evan and daughter Kelsi, listen during the Gold Medal of Remembrance ceremony, Washington, D.C., Oct. 29, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley


Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen speaks to the children of fallen service members during the Gold Medal of Remembrance Ceremony , Oct. 29, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley


Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen removes the Gold Medal of Remembrance from its box prior to making the first presentation to the child of a service member, representing each of the branches of the armed services, that were killed in combat in Afghanistan or Iraq at a ceremony at the Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., Oct. 29, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley


Republican U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott, both of Mississippi, congratulate Helena Edge, daughter of U.S. Marine Capt. James Edge, after presenting her with the Gold Medal of Remembrance in memory of her father, who was killed in combat operations in Iraq in 2005. Defense Dept. photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley


After a Gold Medal of Remembrance Ceremony, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and his wife, Deborah, laugh as Kelsi Lamberson shows them the picture she chose to put on the back of her sweatshirt in honor of her father, U.S Army Sgt. 1st Class Randall T. Lamberson, who was killed in Iraq. Defense Dept. photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley


Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen speaks with the Honorable Gordon T. Mansfield, Acting Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs during the Gold Medal of Remembrance ceremony, Oct. 29, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley


Left to right: Beth Downs and her children Bailey, 10, Elle, 11, and Chandler, 13, attend the White House Commission on Remembrance-sponsored ceremony in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., Oct. 29, 2007. Their father, Air Force Maj. William “Brian” Downs, 40, was killed on May 30, 2005, in eastern Diyala province, Iraq, in a crash of an Iraqi air force plane during a training mission. Defense Dept. photo by Gerry J. Gilmore


Beth Downs, left, talks with Deborah Mullen and her husband, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, at a Gold Medal of Remembrance presentation ceremony at the Russell Senate Building in Washington, D.C., Oct. 29, 2007. Each of Downs’ three children received a gold medal at the ceremony. Defense Dept. Photo by Gerry J. Gilmore


Since 2006, more than 200 Goal Medals of Remembrance like these have been presented to children of fallen U.S. servicemembers who have died in Afghanistan or Iraq. Defense Dept. photo by Gerry J. Gilmore




More photo essays at DefenseLink

Labels: Fallen Heroes, Gold Medal of Remembrance, military families, photos

CHECKUP - The commanding officer of B Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, stands with Iraqi children waiting for a medical exam in Saqlawiyah, Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Neill A. Sevelius

Labels: 1-1 Marine Regiment, children, Iraq, photos, Saqlawiyah, USMC

"One of man's finest qualities is described by the simple word "guts "—the ability to take it. If you have the discipline to stand fast when your body wants to run, if you can control your temper and remain cheerful in the face of monotony or disappointment, you have 'guts' in the soldiering sense. This ability to take it must be trained—the training is hard, mental as well as physical. But once ingrained, you can face and flail the enemy as a soldier, and enjoy the challenges of life as a civilian."
News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraq vows to arrest Kurdish rebel leaders
Iraqi Army, Volunteers, Cavalry Troops Celebrate Success in Ameriya
More Iraqi Citizens Identify with Government, Coalition
Eroding Insurgents’ Resources, one Weapons Cache at a time
Come On Home to Baghdad

Operation Enduring Freedom
Germany's Merkel on first visit to Afghanistan
Afghan Army Defeats Taliban In Key Southern Province

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Al Qaeda Sets Sights on Gadhafi - Zawahiri calls Libyan leader 'enemy of Islam' (If these guys weren't so twisted, they'd almost be laughable)

Other Military News
Japan wants partial ban on cluster bombs: media

Worldwide Wackos
North Korean nuclear disabling to start Monday
Congress presses Iran but wants to avoid war

Poltics / Government
Pakistan's Musharraf declares emergency
Changes ahead for Medicare drug program

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Fugitive Teacher-Student Pair Captured in Mexico
Cocaine, Cameras Found in Sex Tape Suspect's Digs
Judge Approves 'A Million Little Pieces' Reader Refunds
Police search for missing Illinois woman
Homeowner found dead; suspect in custody

U.N. News
Gambari in Myanmar amid row over top U.N. official

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
IRS Warns of Wildfire Donation E-Mail Scam
Guests for the Sunday TV news shows

Science / Medicine / Technology
Expert Spacewalker Faces Dangerous Orbital Repair - PICS
No driver, no problem in robot car race
Drowsy driving is big killer in U.S.
Diabetes "coach" may help diabetic teenagers
Company recalls tainted beef
NY county recalls lead-laced lunch bags
Comet draws scientific, amateur interest

Mother Nature
Noel Leaves Path of Destruction - TRACKER - PHOTOS
Deadly Volcano Erupts in Indonesia
Alaskan town reacts to rabid wolf attack
Weakening Noel parallels US coast

News from My Neck of the Woods
Runner Dies During Olympic Trials

Oddities
Pedestrians Beware
A new speed record, but not a good one

Fox News
Deal Struck Without Strike - UAW, Ford reach auto labor pact
Hollywood Writers Set Monday Strike Deadline

Reuters: Top News
Chad magistrate questions Europeans in children case
Japan political deadlock to deepen: media
Timberlake helping Duran Duran get "sexy back"
Spears on track to exceed 1st-week sales expectations
For stocks, Fed chief in the spotlight
Oil jumps 2.5 percent on strong economic data - Video
Citi shares up on board meeting report
AIG shares rise
Dollar sinks to lows, hit by financial stocks tumble
FTSE hit in global slide as credit fears grip banks
Former CEO Greenberg seeks "alternatives" for AIG
Judge doubles damages in drug pricing case
Berkshire Hathaway profit up 64 pct on investments
U.S. rejects Glaxo's gepirone ER antidepressant
WellCare to conduct internal probe, delay filing

AP World News
Big debut for Big Three; James has 45
Lakers spoil Suns' home opener with rout
Believe the hype: KG, Boston top Wizards
Beach house blaze's cause may be smoking
Boy's 'Privy Prop' keeps the lid on
Bloomberg proposes greenhouse gas tax

CENTCOM: News Releases
TALIBAN COMMANDER POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED
U.S. NAVY STRIKE GROUPS EXERCISE CAPABILITIES IN THE REGION
IRAQI CITIZEN LEADS COALITION FORCES TO EFP FACTORY

Multi-National Force-Iraq
Iraqi Army, Volunteers, Cavalry Troops Celebrate Success in Ameriya
A New Age in Troop Protection
101st Soldiers put initial boots on ground in Iraq
Large weapons cache located by Concerned Local Citizens (Arab Jabour)
MND-Center patrol hit by IED
Tip leads Iraqi National Police to cache (Baghdad)
Iraqi citizen leads Coalition Forces to EFP factory (HUSSEINIYAH)
Three schools open in West Rashid

DefenseLink
TOP NEWS
Gates Seeks to Build Upon Defense Relationships in Asia
Gates to Visit China, Korea, Japan
U.S. Troops Help Iraqi People Reclaim Country, Bush Says
Defense Transformation Efforts Continue

MILITARY NEWS
Officials Warn of Blood Clot Risk
Photos: England at Maxwell AFB
Photos: England Visits Air War College

WILDFIRES
Army Withdraws Command Post
Wildfires Photo Gallery
Guard Ready for Fires’ Aftermath

AFGHANISTAN NEWS
Forces Kill Senior Enemy Commander

AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION
U.S., Afghan Doctors Help Poor

IRAQ NEWS
Concerned Iraqi Citizens Save American Lives
Iraqis Assume Control of Country’s 7th Division
Troops Kill 10 Insurgents, Capture Three

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Troops Thank Public For Support

WHY WE SERVE
Captain Shares Iraq Story

FACE OF DEFENSE
Airman Hosts Web Show

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

National Hurricane Center

Today in History
1394 - Charles VI has Jews expelled from France.
1679 - The close approach of a comet causes panic in Europe.
1762 - Spain acquires Louisiana.
1783 - Washington orders the Continental Army disbanded.
1820 - Cuenca, Ecuador declares independence.
1839 - Two British frigates engage several Chinese junks, starting the First Opium War.
1868 - John W. Menard of Louisiana becomes the first Black elected to Congress; Ulysses S. Grant is elected President.
1885 - Tacoma vigilantes drive out the Chinese, burning their homes and businesses.
1888 - Jack the Ripper kills lhis last known victim.
1896 - William McKinley is elected President.
1903 - Colombia grants independence to Panama.
1908 - William Howard Taft is elected President.
1916 - A treaty establishes British suzerainty over Qatar.
1918 - The Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolves; Poland proclaims independence from Russia.
1927 - Tropical storm flooding kills 84 in Winooski River Valley (VT).
1928 - Turkey switches from the Arabic to the Roman alphabet.
1930 - The first vehicular tunnel to a foreign country opens (Detroit-Windsor).
1931 - The first commercially produced synthetic rubber is manufactured.
1935 - George II returns to Greece, regaining the monarchy.
1936 - FDR wins reelection in a landslide.
1952 - Clarence Birdseye first markets frozen peas.
1954 - Linus Pauling wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
1955 - The announcement is made of the first crystallization of a virus; an Alabama woman is bruised by a meteor; Australia takes control of the Cocos Islands.
1956 - The "Wizard of Oz" is televised for the first time on CBS-TV.
1957 - The U.S.S.R. launches Sputnik-2 with a dog (Laika) aboard - the first animal in orbit.
1964 - LBJ is re-elected President (assumed the position after the Kennedy assassination).
1970 - Salvador Allende is inaugurated as President of Chile.
1973 - Mariner-10 launched; it takes the first pictures of Venus, and undertakes the first mission to Mercury.
1978 - The U.K. grants grants Dominica independence.
1979 - Five people are mortally wounded during anti-Ku Klux Klan demonstration in NC.
1983 - Jesse Jackson launches his first campaign for the Presidency.
1984 - 3,000 die in a three-day anti-Sikh riot in India; the body of assassinated Indian PM Indira Gandhi is cremated.
1986 - The Lebanese magazine Ash Shirra reveals secret U.S. arms sales to Iran; in Mozambique, President Machel is killed in an air crash.
1988 - Pakistan claims it has downed an Afghan warplane; President Reagan signs the credit card disclosure bill; the Soviet Union allows the teaching of Hebrew; Talk-show host Geraldo Rivera's nose is broken as Roy Innis brawls with skinheads at a TV taping.
1992 - Bill Clinton is elected President.

Birthdays
1718 - John Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich, inventor (sandwich)
1793 - Stephen Fuller Austin, colonized Texas
1903 - Walker Evans, photographer (Fortune Magazine)
1908 - Bronko Nagurski, NFL fullback (Chicago Bears)
1909 - James Reston, columnist (NY Times)
1918 - Russell B. Long (Sen-LA)
1922 - Charles Bronson, actor (Death Wish, Dirty Dozen)
1930 - William H. Dana, pilot (X-15)
1933 - Ken Berry actor/dancer/TV personality (F Troop, Mayberry RFD); Louis W. Sullivan, US Secretary of Health and Human Services (1989-1993); Michael S. Dukakis (Gov-MA, 1988 Presidentidential Candidate)
1953 - Dennis Miller, comedian/TV host (SNL, Dennis Miller Show)
1954 - Kevin P. Chilton, Major USAF/astronaut (sk: STS-49)
1955 - Phil Simms, NFL quarterback (NY Giants, Superbowl 1986)

Passings
1926 - Annie Oakley
1962 - Harlow H. Curtice, President of General Motors (1953-8)
1990 - Mary Martin, actress (Peter Pan)

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Bowles, Dwight Pollard, USAF (VA); F105D shot down (pilot), KIA, body not recovered

Egger, John C., Jr., USAF (OK); O2A crashed (aircrew), remains ID'd August, 1994

Grauert, Hans H., USN (NY); KA3B crashed on takeoff (co-pilot, w/Krusi), Killed, body not recovered

Krusi, Peter H., USN (UT); KA3B crashed on takeoff (pilot, w/Grauert), Killed, body not recovered

1969
Brown, William T., US Army SF (CA); disappeared when reconnaissance/interdiction patrol was ambushed

Norton, Michael R., US Army (WV); disappeared while his unit was withdrawing from a fire base

Shue, Donald M., US Army SF (NC); disappeared when reconnaissance/interdiction patrol was ambushed

Wald, Gunther H., US Army SF (NJ); disappeared when reconnaissance/interdiction patrol was ambushed

1970
Carver, Robert C., Australian Air Force (Australia); B57 likely shot down

Day, Dennis I., US Army (OK); LCU sank, no survivors observed

Dority, Richard C., US Army (ME); LCU sank, no survivors observed

Ginn, David L., US Army (SC); LCU sank, no survivors observed

Herbert, Michael P., Australian Air Force (Australia); B57 likely shot down

Kitchens, Perry C., US Army (GA); LCU sank - remains recovered March, 1974, ID'd March, 1977

Mangus, Arlie R., US Army (PA); LCU sank, no survivors observed

Martin, Jerry D., US Army (IN); LCU sank, no survivors observed

Norris, Calvin A., US Army (TN); LCU sank, no survivors observed

Pantall, James R., US Army (PA); LCU sank, no survivors observed

Shewmake, John D., Sr., US Army (AR); LCU sank, no survivors observed

Woods, David W., US Army (OH); LCU sank, no survivors observed

1971
DeCaire, Jack L., US Army (FL); fell overboard from the ship his transportation unit was stationed on

Labels: Headlines, History