Norfolk, Va. (April 18, 2008) Aircraft from the "Pukin Dogs" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143 and the "Checkmates" of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 211 perform a flyover during a retirement ceremony for Adm. William J. Fallon aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Fallon has served 41 years in the Navy and is the first Naval officer to command U.S. Central Command. During his career he also served as commander of U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Fleet Forces Command as well as Vice Chief of Naval Operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Matthew D. Leistikow



Pukin Dogs.....gotta love it

Labels: aircraft, Checkmates, photos, Pukin Dogs, US Navy, VAW 211, VFA 143

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Thousands Protest Against Attacks on Christians in Iraq
Rice asks neighbors to offer Iraq debt relief, ties
Cleric Sadr threatens "open war" on Iraq government
Rice: No Excuse for Arabs Not to Support Iraq
Tape: Al Qaeda in Iraq Vows Offensive Against U.S.
Iraqi Faces on Iraqi Jobs
Iraq's car drivers told to wear seatbelts or face a 30,000 dinar fine
Iraq navy tests sea legs, but trainers predict shaky times
Iraq Oil Deal Could Ignite Investment
Iraq qualifies 35 companies for oil deals

Operation Enduring Freedom
Pakistan's ambassador held by Taliban: TV - Video

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Hamas: Carter holds 2nd meeting with chief in Syria
Let's Make a Deal - Carter, Hamas talks yield 3-point proposal (Let me guess - 1. Destroy Israel 2. Destroy America 3. Radical Islam rules the world....no thanks!)
Hamas suicide bombers attack Israel-Gaza crossing; 13 hurt (Wonder if that was part of the peace plan)
U.S. commanders urge wider Pakistan attacks: report

Fallen Heroes
DoD Identifies Army Casualty (Sama Village)

Wounded Warriors
U.S. teams aim to grow ears, skin for war wounded

Other Military News
Soldiers Win Shooting Medals at Beijing World Cup

Worldwide Wackos
Ahmadinejad Says Oil at $115 a Barrel is Too Low, Calls for Higher Prices (Hey, let's keep NOT drilling in ANWAR, so we can be raked over the coals by people like this)
S. Korean Leader, Bush Talk N. Korean Nuke Program
Bush: North Korea must declare nuclear programs

Homegrown Moonbats
Tom Cruise, John Travolta: Homo-Novis
Jeremiah Wright On Estrogen

Politics / Government
Pennsylvania Showdown
Young Voters Leaving Third-Party Candidates in Cold
Dean: McCain Economic Plan More of the Same
McCain Taking Fight to Dems
Handicapping the GOP VP Race
Obama, Clinton trade barbs over negative tactics
Clinton says Obama can't stand the heat
Congress must OK South Korea trade pact : Bush
Rice asks neighbors to offer Iraq debt relief, ties
It's still "the economy, stupid" in Pennsylvania - Video
Video: Race may play a role in Pennsylvania
The Reuters/Zogby Index Election '08
Obama, Clinton trade barbs over negative tactics
Tales from the Trail
Clinton, Obama press for advantage ahead of pivotal primary
Bush asks Congress to reconsider Colombia trade deal
Ex-Mayor Gets Jail for Stealing $20G From Little League

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Police: Indiana Beating of 12-Year-Old Posted Online Similar to Florida Attack
Memorial Service Held for Severed-Head Murder Victim
Polygamy Sect Kids to Stay in State Custody - PHOTOS
Judge kept chaotic Texas polygamist abuse case on track
Harry Potter case illustrates blurry line in copyright law

Adventures in Political Correctness
Ohio Students Bring Bibles to Class to Support Teacher

U.N. News
Farm aid and fair trade key to food crisis: U.N.
Delegation From UN Peacebuilding Commission Begins Visit to Burundi
Cholera kills 67 in Kenya, fungus wipes out rice: UN
Thousands of Poor Timorese Benefit From UN-Backed Small Business Loans

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Bill Maher Takes Back Nazi Joke, Continues Rant About the Pope
CBS Chairman Supports Couric in Newsroom Visit
Google to add China staff, promote products
Tributes to slain Reuters cameraman
Israeli shell blamed for Shana's death
Blog : "Heartbreaking news"

Science / Medicine and Health / Technology
Official: Soyuz Capsule Lands 260 Miles Off Target in Kazakhstan
South Korean astronaut OK after rough landing - Video
New virus causes South American fever
Dutch to ease ban on self-balancing Segway scooter
MTV's "Rock Band" to launch full-album downloads

Mother Nature
Cop Saves Ore. Pet Store Owner After Python Attacks
Smoke cloud engulfs Argentine capital for 5th day
States court presidential hopefuls on CO2
Quebec joins U.S.-Canada group to cut emissions
Freshening of deep Antarctic waters worries experts
Attenborough ends nature TV cycle, fears for future - Video:
Protecting precious mangroves

Oddities
Boy in Critical Condition After Stroller Blows Into Lake
More Than 50 African Students Treated for 'Mass Hysteria'
Italian convicted for staring at woman
Teensy thief crawls in mail flap
Psychics see trouble over new laws

Other News of Note
French resistance hero Germaine Tillion dies at 100

Fox News
Pope Encourages Faithful, Assures Them of His Support
FOX News' Papal Visit Special Coverage
FOXBusiness.com: Housing Data Likely to Disappoint
Ticket of Titanic's Last Survivor Sells for $65,000
Pop Tarts: Mariah Carey's Backstage Ordeal at 'Idol'

Reuters
U.S. Church needs purification, pope says - Video
Boxing fans descend on Las Vegas for Hopkins showdown
Giuliani breaks rules by having Communion at papal mass
Torch protests stir strident Chinese nationalism
Russian Elections
The man behind Bond
Factbox: Who was Ian Fleming?
Video: Rushdie writes amid divorce
Fowler explores crime in the blog era
Top 10 forgotten spots of paradise
Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Nairobi
Designer brings touch of travel home
Versace travels globe for home line
Guatemala fights violent reputation
U.S. Church needs purification, pope says - Video
Torch protests stir strident Chinese nationalism
Earnings remain key as Dow nears turnaround
Venture capitalists invest less in first quarter
RBS mulls writedown as high as $14 billion
IATA chief urges airline consolidation
Mercedes takes SUV battle with BMW to China
Blackstone says Alliance Data lawsuit spurious
Wendy's rejects offers, says Peltz "misleading"
Airline deals could hurt airports' credit
EA extends Take-Two bid; 8 pct of shares accepted
Madonna seeks delay in Malawi adoption case
Cate Blanchett takes limelight at Australia summit
Record $500,000 paid for 27 bottles of red wine
Mom's having tummy tuck? What to tell the kids
Chieftains keep wary eye on trade positions
The "jingle mail" phenomenon
Kids and money
Look for next phase
Counting their chickens
Venture capitalists invest less in first quarter
RBS mulls writedown as high as $14 billion
IATA chief urges airline consolidation
Mercedes takes SUV battle with BMW to China
Blackstone says Alliance Data lawsuit spurious
Wendy's rejects offers, says Peltz "misleading"
Airline deals could hurt airports' credit
EA extends Take-Two bid; 8 pct of shares accepted
Serena to play Zvonareva in Charleston final
Blake and Granollers-Pujol reach Houston final
Holder Weekley moves three shots clear at Heritage
Romanian Diaconu lands interim WBC light heavy title
Boxing fans descend on Las Vegas for Hopkins showdown
Countdown to Beijing

AP World News
On 3rd anniversary as pope, Benedict encourages young people
UAW chief unhappy with pace of American Axle talks
James Bond film car plunges into northern Italy lake
Sturm's late tally saves Bruins and forces Game 7 with Habs
Chris Paul shines in playoff debut to lead Hornets over Mavs
Duncan carries Spurs to Game 1 win over Suns in double-OT
Housing-credit woes spur calls for more federal regulation
Sandra Bullock unhurt after suspected drunk driver hits car
LeBron James scores 32 to lead Cavs past Wizards in Game 1
Thai leg of Olympic torch relay festive, with small protests

News Blaze
MND-B Soldiers Detain Suspected Special Groups Cell Leader in Abu T'shir
Iraqi Army Provides First Aid Supplies to Sadr City Residents
Soldiers' Angels and Patriot Guard
Iraq News
Read about Operations in Iraq
FOB Warhorse Memorial Photos
Videos

CENTCOM
Well pumps clean water for Zambraniya, Bayjia
ISAF breaks ground on Panjwayi road project
Well pumps clean water for Zambraniya, Bayjia
Women's sewing center opens
ISF, Coalition troops conduct joint operation
Intercepted al-Qaida letter reveals tactics, strategy

USJFCOM
Task Force Ramadi gets fuel flowing
DoD honors USJFCOM efforts to improve command and control linkages - podcast
Joint Urban Warrior 08 comes to a close - podcast
USJFCOM signs letter of intent to support interagency online training
Phase two of Multinational Experiment 5 kicks off
Joint Interoperability Division helps training take flight
USJFCOM opens new Joint Intelligence Laboratory
Joint fires team assists Army training center
Industry symposium to raise awareness of 21st century capabilities
Navy flag officer nominated for deputy commander slot
USJFCOM names its joint junior officer for fourth quarter 2007 - podcast

Multi-National Force - Iraq
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto: Deployed Dad Meets Baby Boy via Robot
Chemical Incident Response Team Trains to Keep Skills Sharp
Iraqi CID Collects Evidence against al-Qaeda
IA and CF Platoons team up for a good cause (Mosul)
Coalition forces detain 22 suspected terrorists
MND-B AWT crew kills two criminals

DefenseLink
TOP NEWS
Course Teaches Civilians About Military Commitment

IRAQ NEWS
Inspectors to Eliminate Corruption
Troops Nab Special Groups Leader
Coalition Helps Streamline Army
Troops Trade Supplies for Smiles

AFGHANISTAN NEWS
Police Training Targets Corruption
Troops Detain Bombing Suspect

MILITARY NEWS
Gates Salutes Fallon for 'Unparalleled' Energy
Military's Top NCO Has New Outlook for Retirement
First Recruits Enlist Using Biometric Technology
Robot Introduces Deployed Soldier to Baby Boy

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Non-Profit Helps Employers Hire Heroes
Texas Festivities Celebrate American Heroes

FACE OF DEFENSE
Army Physical Therapist Shares His Experience
Iraqi-Born Marine Becomes U.S. Citizen

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
0607 - Comet 1P/607 H1 (Halley) approaches within 0.0898 astronomical units (AUs) of Earth
1451 - Alam Shah of Delhi resigns throne
1524 - Pope Clemens VII fires Netherlands inquisitor-General French Van de Holly
1529 - 2nd Parliament of Spiers bans Lutheranism
1539 - Charles, protestant German monarch, signs Treaty of Frankrfurt
1552 - Mauritius of Saksen captures Karel
1587 - Sir Frances Drake sails into Cadiz, Spain & sinks Spanish fleet
1591 - Chartres surrenders to king Henri IV in France
1713 - Emperor Karel VI ends Pragmatic Sanctions
1770 - Captain James Cook 1st sees Australia
1775 - Minutemen Captain John Parker orders not to fire unless fired upon; Revolution begins-Lexington Common, shot "heard round the world"
1782 - Netherlands recognizes US
1825 - 33 patriotic exiles return to Uruguay
1839 - Treaty of London constitutes Belgium an independent kingdom and Luxembourg a Grand Duchy
1853 - Netherlands Van Hall government forms
1861 - Baltimore riots - 4 soldiers, 9 civilians killed; Lincoln orders blockade of Confederate ports
1863 - Union troops/fleet occupy Fort Huger, VA
1864 - Naval Engagement at Cherbourg, USS Kearsage vs CSS Alabama
1874 - Barracks on Alcatraz Island destroyed in fire
1890 - Henry Morton Stanley is inaugurated in Brussels
1904 - Much of Toronto destroyed by fire
1906 - Belgian naval education ship Comte The Stain de Naeyer sets sail
1916 - Italian troops conquer Colonel di Lana at Merano
1919 - French assembly decides on 8 hour work day
1921 - Funeral of last German Emperoress, Augusta Victoria
1923 - New Egyptian law allows suffrage for men, except soldiers
1928 - Japanese troops occupies Sjantung-schiereiland
1932 - President Herbert Hoover suggests 5 day work week
1933 - FDR announces US will leave the gold standard
1936 - Anti-Jewish riots break out in Palestine
1939 - Connecticut finally approves Bill of Rights (148 years late)
1940 - Dutch prime minister De Geer declares state of siege
1941 - Bulgarian troops invade Macedonia; Milk rationed in Holland
1943 - Jews attack Nazi occupation forces at Warsaw Ghetto under Mordechai Anielewicz
1944 - Allied fleet attack Sabang Sumatra
1945 - US aircraft carrier Franklin is heavily damaged in Japanese air raid
1947 - French ship explodes in Texas City harbor, kills about 522
1948 - ABC-TV network begins; Chiang Kai-shek elected President of Nationalist China
1951 - General Douglas MacArthur ends his military career
1956 - US actress Grace Kelly marries Monaco's Prince Rainier III (civil ceremony)
1959 - Uprising in La Paz Bolivia, fails
1960 - Baseball uniforms begin displaying player's names on their backs
1962 - NASA civilian pilot Joseph A. Walker takes X-15 to an altitude of 6,900 meter
1964 - Rightist coup in Laos, Suvanna Phuma remains premier
1965 - 1st all news radio station (WINS 1010 AM in NYC) begins operating; At a cost of $20,000, the outer Astrodome ceiling is painted because of sun's glare, this causes the grass to die and eventually led to the installation of Astroturf
1966 - Roberta Bignay becomes the 1st woman to run in the Boston Marathon
1967 - US Surveyor III lands on Moon
1971 - Sierra Leone becomes a republic (National Day); USSR Salyut 1 launched; 1st manned lab in orbit; Charles Manson sentenced to life (Sharon Tate murder)
1972 - Bangladesh becomes a member of British Commonwealth; Hungary revises constitution
1975 - India launches 1st satellite with help of USSR
1978 - Yitzhak Navron elected 5th President of Israel
1982 - Sally Ride announced as 1st woman astronaut; USSR Salyut 7 space station put into orbit; Guinon Bluford announced as 1st Black astronaut
1984 - Nemesis, death star of dinosaurs 1st appears in print (Nature magazine)
1985 - 16th Space Shuttle Mission (51-D)-Discovery 4 returns to Earth
1987 - Last wild condor captured on California wildlife reserve
1989 - Republic Day in Sierra Leone; Gun turret explodes on USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors
1990 - Contra guerrillas, leftist Sandinistas & incoming government agree to truce in Nicaragua's civil war
1993 - Branch Dividians/FBI 51 day standoff in Waco TX ends with the deaths of 4 FBI Agents and numerous deaths from suicide of the cult members; Fire in psychiatric institute in South Korea, kills 40
1994 - Inkatha ends boycott of South African multi-racial election; Rodney King award $3,800,000 in compensation of police beating; Supreme Court outlaws excluding people from juries because of gender
1995 - Truck bomb outside Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, kills 168 & injures 500

Birthdays
1320 - Pedro I, King of Portugal (1357-67)
1721 - Roger Sherman, signer of Declaration of Independence, Constitution; Thomas McKean, attorney (signed Declaration of Independence) [or 3/19]
1821 - Mortimer Dormer Leggett, Union Major General
1832 - José Echegaray y Eizaguirre, mathematician/dramatist (Nobel 1904); Lucretia Rudolph Garfield US First Lady (1881-1885)
1866 - Henri Deterding, Dutch oil magnate (Royal Oil, Shell)
1876 - Hendrik, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin/king of Netherlands
1877 - Ole Evinrude, inventor (outboard marine engine)
1883 - Getúlio Vargas President of Brazil (1930-45, 1951-54), modernizer
1905 - John S. "Jimmy" Thach, US pilot/Admiral (WWII)
1910 - Andrew Gilchrist, historian/diplomat
1912 - Glenn T. Seaborg, head of Atomic Energy Commission/chemist/discovered Plutonium/Nobel 1951
1922 - Erich Hartmann, German WWII pilot (downed 352 Russian aircrafts)
1931 - Denis Henry, British high court judge
1931 - Hendrick J. "Kobie" Coetsee, South Africa minister of Defense/Justice
1936 - Wilfried Martens, Premier (Belgium, 1979-81, 1981-92)
1939 - E. Clay Shaw, Jr. (Representative-FL)
1946 - Viktor Viktorovich Zabolotsky, Russian cosmonaut (BST-02)
1947 - Frits Castricum, journalist/Dutch MP (PvdA)

Passings
0843 - Judith, French Empress/2nd wife of Louis de Vrome
1044 - Gothelo, Duke of Netherlands-Lotharingen
1054 - Leo IX [Bruno von Egesheim und Dagsburg], Pope (1049-54), dies at 51
1390 - Robert II, King of Scotland
1645 - Anton van Diemen, Governor-General (Netherlands East Indies), dies at about 51
1658 - Robert Rich, 2nd earl of Warwick English Lord High Admiral, dies at 70
1689 - Christina Queen of Sweden (1644-54)
1813 - Benjamin Rush, physician/abolitionist (signed Declaration of Independence), dies at 67
1862 - Louis Powell Harvey, Governor of Wisconsin, drowns
1881 - Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl (Beaconsfield)/novelist
1882 - Charles Robert Darwin, evolutionist (Origin of Species)
1906 - Pierre Curie, French physicist/chemist (Nobel 1903)
1943 - Alexander Schmorell, Kurt Huber, Willy Graf, German resistance fighters, beheaded
1945 - J. P. Heyboer, resistance fighter, executed
1956 - Léon N. H. Jungschlaeger, head military intelligence Netherlands-Indies, dies at 52
1956 - Lionel K. P. "Buster" Crabb, British diver (WWII), dies at 47
1957 - Charles Funk, Encylopediest (Funk & Wagnalls), dies at 76; Johan W. Albarda, 1st Dutch SDAP minister (1939-45), dies at 79
1966 - Väinö A. Tanner, Finnish premier (1926-27)/minister, dies at 85
1967 - Conrad Adenauer, West Germany chancellor (1949-63), dies at 91
1980 - Alfred [Joseph] Hitchcock, from renal failure at 80
1987 - Maxwell D. Taylor, US commander 101st airborne (WWII), dies at 85
1990 - Vladislav Ivanovich Gulyayev, Russian cosmonaut, dies at 52
1993 - David Koresh [Vernon Howell], cult leader (Davidians)
1993 - George Mickelson, Governor of South Dakota, & 7 others, die in a plane crash

Reported Missing in Action
1961
Baker, Leo, ANG (AL); B26 shot down in Bay of Pigs (flight engineer, w/Ray), captured / shot (KIC), buried

Ray, Thomas "Pete", ANG (AL); B26 shot down in Bay of Pigs (pilot, w/Baker), captured / shot (KIC) - remains returned 1979

1966
Adams, Lee A., USAF (CA); F105D crashed on bombing run, Killed / body not recovered

Brown, Joseph O., USAF (CT); O1F shot down - remains returned, ID'd December, 1998

Robbins, Richard J., USAF (OH); A1E shot down - remains returned September, 1996

1967
Hamilton, John S., USAF (NM); A1E shot down - remains returned October, 1997

Madison, Thomas M., USAF (AL); F105F shot down (pilot, w/Sterling), released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Sterling, Thomas James, USAF (TX); F105F shot down (w/Madison), released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

1968
The following US Army personnel reported MIA after their helicopters were shot down while making supply runs in the A Shau Valley of South Vietnam:
From a CH47A:
Blodgett, Douglas R. (VA); crewman

Dennis, William R. (PA); flight engineer

Gonzalez, Jesus A. (PA); crewchief

From a CH47:
Housh, Anthony F. (IL); flight engineer

Wallace, Michael J. (MI); crewchief

From a CH54:
Lord, Arthur James (GA); aircraft commander

Millard, Charles W. (NC); pilot

Shafer, Philip R. (CO); crewchief

Werdehoff, Michael M. (OH); flight engineer

Also reported MIA this day in 1968:
Wilburn, John E., US Army (OK); fell out of UH1H when it was hit by enemy fire and began to spin - presumed Killed / body not recovered

Labels: Headlines, History