Memorial Day

[barfle]

I would go over there and take a close look, but it's guarded day and night.

Actually, the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknowns is a remarkable ceremony, and whenever anyone comes to visit us, we take them to see it. It's a reasonable hike from the parking lot (or metro station), but well worth the effort.

[Shapley]

[OperaTenor]

And we still haven't caught the chief perpetrator.

[Schmeelkie]

Can't believe it's been 7 years already!

OK maybe I can - I've left and gained a new job, moved to a new state, had two kids, bought a house and bought a minivan since then...

Some good news - no successful terror attacks since then either....

[Haggis@wk]

No vote for the troops

The Lieberman-Graham resolution is a chance for Democrats to show that their support for the troops is more than rhetorical. It changes no policy and in that sense is only symbolic. Yet it is precisely the political symbolism of admitting they were wrong that is stopping the Democratic leadership from letting it come up for a vote before the Senate adjourns. Unfortunately, the last thing that Democrats want to discuss in this election season is success in Iraq.

[Haggis@wk]

Another one returns.

Officials identify pilot missing from Vietnam War

WASHINGTON (AFRNS) -- The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced Sept. 30 that the remains of a U.S. Airman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Col. David H. Zook, Jr., of West Liberty, Ohio. He will be buried Oct. 4 in West Liberty.

On Oct. 4, 1967, Colonel Zook was on a psychological warfare operation over Song Be Province, South Vietnam, when his U-10B Super Courier aircraft collided in midair with a C-7A Caribou. The C-7 pilot said he saw the other aircraft hit the ground and explode. Several search and rescue attempts failed to locate Colonel Zook's remains.

In 1992, a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, investigated the incident in Song Be Province. The team interviewed Vietnamese citizens who witnessed the crash and saw remains amid the wreckage. The team surveyed the site and found evidence consistent with Colonel Zook's crash. While later examining the evidence recovered from the site, a small fragment of bone was found.

In 1993, another joint team excavated the crash site and recovered a bone fragment and small pieces of military clothing. In March 2008, a final excavation was conducted and more human remains were recovered.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and also used dental comparisons in the identification of Colonel Zook's remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169. (Courtesy of DOD News)

[Shapley]

Navy confirms lost WWII sub USS Grunion found

The Navy has confirmed the wreckage of a sunken vessel found last year off the Aleutians Islands is that of the USS Grunion, which disappeared during World War II.

Underwater video footage and pictures captured by an expedition hired by sons of the commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Mannert L. Abele, allowed the Navy to confirm the discovery, Rear Adm. Douglas McAneny said Thursday in a news release.

McAneny said the Navy was very grateful to the Abele family.

"We hope this announcement will help to give closure to the families of the 70 crewmen of Grunion," he said.

The Grunion was last heard from July 30, 1942. The submarine reported heavy anti-submarine activity at the entrance to Kiska, and that it had 10 torpedoes remaining forward. On the same day, the Grunion was directed to return to Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base. The submarine was reported lost Aug. 16, 1942.

[Haggis@wk]

Pilot missing in action from Vietnam is identified

WASHINGTON (AFRNS) -- The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced Oct. 8 that the remains of a U.S. Airman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Capt. Lorenza Conner of Cartersville, Ga. He will be buried Oct. 25 in Cartersville.

On Oct. 27, 1967, Captain Conner and his co-pilot flew an F-4D Phantom II fighter jet in a flight of four on a combat air patrol mission over North Vietnam where the plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Tuyen Quang Province, North Vietnam. The co-pilot ejected safely, was captured and later released by Vietnamese forces, but Captain Conner could not eject from the aircraft before it crashed.

In 1992, Vietnamese citizens told U.S. officials that they had information concerning the remains of missing U.S. servicemen and they turned over Captain Conner’s identification tag.

Between 1992 and 2003, several joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, investigated this incident, interviewed witnesses and surveyed the crash site. At the crash site, teams found aircrew-related equipment and aircraft wreckage consistent with an F-4 Phantom II.

In 2007, another joint team excavated the site and recovered human remains.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of Captain Conner’s remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169. (Courtesy of DOD News)

[Shapley]

Col. John Ripley (USMC- Ret.) Dies at 69

Col. Ripley is credited with leading a group of 600 South Vietnamese soldiers against the advance of 20,000 North Vietnamese in 1972. The incident is reported in John Grider Miller's book "The Bridge at Dong Ha". He is the only Marine ever inducted into the Army Rangers Hall of Fame.

R.I.P.

[Haggis@wk]

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced Nov. 3 that the remains of a U.S. Airman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Staff Sgt. Martin F. Troy, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Norwalk, Conn. He will be buried on Nov. 20 in Arlington National Cemetery.

On June 30, 1944, Sergeant Troy was on a B-24H Liberator participating in a mission to bomb an oil refinery in Blechammer, Germany. The plane was shot down by German aircraft and crashed into a swampy area near Nemesvita, Hungary, beside Lake Balaton. Seven of the crewmembers parachuted to safety where they were captured by enemy forces and subsequently released. Three crewmen died in the crash and the remains for two of them were eventually recovered and identified. Sergeant Troy's remains were not recovered.

In 1999 and 2003, Hungarian citizens turned over to U.S. officials human remains supposedly recovered from Sergeant Troy's crash site. In 2003 and 2005, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command teams surveyed the site.

In 2007, another JPAC team excavated the site and recovered human remains and non-biological evidence.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Sergeant Troy's remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

[Shapley]

I received my latest edition of Proceedings, the U.S. Naval Institute publication, and noticed that there was an article on Tarawa by Col. Ripley. I haven't subscribed to Proceedings very long. Apparently Col. Ripley was a regular contributor to the magazine.

[Haggis@wk]

Obama attended quite a few gatherings during the inaugural celebrations, but the Salute To Heroes Inaugural Ball was not one of them. For the first time in 56 years, a newly-inaugurated president has not attended the ball begun by President Eisenhower. 8 presidents later, a snub.

FORTY-EIGHT Medal of Honor recipients were in attendance, that's half of the recipients that are still alive, and probably all that are physically able to attend events.

This is a personal G.I. thing that bugs me. In the grand sceme of things it doesn't say much about the new president....but it doesn't say much for him, either. Especially a president who's military approval rates are the lowest in my memory.

Biden did, apparently, attend and was well received

[piqaboo]

I wonder me if they split the events, and decided that Biden was the better person to go, since Obama never served? (I cant remember - did Biden?)

[Haggis@wk]

Today in 1967 Grissom, White and Chaffee, the Apollo 1 astronauts were killed when there O2 filled lunar module caught fire. On 31 Jan 1967 they were buried. Grissom and Chaffee were buried in Arlington National Cemetery and White at the Military Academy at West Point.

Amid these last rites, a similar tragedy took the lives of two men in an oxygen-filled chamber at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio. Airman 2/c William F. Bartley and Airman 3/c Richard G. Harmon were drawing blood samples from rabbits when a fire suddenly swept through the enclosure. The spacecraft and chamber tragedies pinpointed the dangers inherent in advanced space-simulation work.

Bartley and Harmon were altitude chamber technicians, AFSC 911X0. I joined the USAF in May 1967 and after training I was qualified as a Altitude Chamber Tech, Airman 3/c. The chamber career field was very, very small. Less that 500 people, officers and enlisted and that was at the height of the manning for the Vietnam War. I was initially supposed to be assigned to Brooks to take one of these two techs' position.

In those days there was one class a year (at Brooks, BTW). While going through training they showed us the chamber where they had perished, still in use of course. It was a research chamber, huge by comparison to other chambers. There was nothing apparent that the tragedy had occurred although I remember Ken Benefield, one of my best buds in the USAF in those early years said he could see scorch marks; I doubt he could. The accident apparently happened when a light bulb blew and there was enough of a spark to start an O2 overpressured fuel fire. Just before I graduated my assignment was changed from a research chamber tech position to a pilot training chamber tech position at Moody AFB, GA.

I was glad. The research guys spent a lot of time with animals, especially monkeys and cleaning lots of monkey doo out of chambers.

I also met the MRHYN at Moody.

No real reason why I posted this. I just wanted to put their names into the Memorial thread. I never knew them but someone should remember their names.

[Haggis@wk]

"Dover is ours"

I don't trust the press's intention when they clamor for permission to show the returning caskets of our fallen military brothers and sisters and think the linked article adequately articulates my opinons and objections.

[Haggis@wk]

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.


"Mansion of the Lord"

Honoring those who have fought and died this week in Operations Iraqi Freedon and Enduring Freedom

Air Force 1st Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte
May 20, 2009

Army Spc. David A. Schaefer Jr.
May 16, 2009

Army Staff Sgt. Esau I. De la Pena-Hernandez
May 15, 2009

Army Sgt. Carlie M. Lee III
May 15, 2009

Army Cpl. Ryan C. McGhee
May 13, 2009

Navy Cmdr. Charles K. Springle
May 11, 2009

Army Maj. Steven Hutchison, 60
May 10, 2009

Oldest serviceman to die in OIF/EF, A Vietnam vet, he rejoined the Army in 2007 after his wife died. He was my age and I joined the USAF on 10 May 1967

[analog]

end of ww2

http://68.142.219.100/edward-r-murrow/t ... --48016563

a little over 4 minutes

a.

[Haggis@wk]

Georgia recently sent elements of its 48th BCT to Afghanistan. Within 3 weeks 3 of their warriors were killed by an IED explosion. The following video is simply magnificent. It's 12 minutes long, but it makes an incredible point - the people of America love and honor their warriors and appreciate the sacrifice they make. The video is shot from inside the procession which picked up the remains of SSG John Beale and shows the crowds which turned out to honor him as it traveled through various parts and towns in Henry County, GA, where SSG Beale was from.

If you get through this without tearing up a bit, you're a better person than I am. This is living proof of the change that has taken place among this nation's citizens since the Viet Nam era and I can't adequately express my thanks for the incredibly positive change that has been.

Thank you, citizens of Henry County, GA for the magnificent way in which you honored the sacrifice of SSG John Beale. You make us all proud.

And thank you SSG Beale for the service and sacrifice you gave to our country. My prayers are with your family.

A hero's salute

[Haggis@wk]

A soldier comes home

[Shapley]

Medieval Battle Records Go Online

Apparently, the office of the exchequer had an obsession for accuracy, leaving behind a detailed account of the pay records of those who served the king. I'm sure the penalty for innaccuracy was pretty stiff, so the obsession was probably warranted.