Casualties

Condolences to the Family, Friends, and Comrades of the following Americans who lost their lives while in the pursuit of gaining freedom for others

United States Army

July 29, 2005

DoD Release # 772-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Capt. Benjamin D. Jansky, 28, of Oshkosh, Wis., died July 27 in Al Taqaddum, Iraq, where his HMMWV was accidentally struck by another military vehicle. Janksy was assigned to the Army Reserve's 983rd Engineer Battalion, Monclova, Ohio.

DoD Release # 775-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died on July 24, in Baghdad, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV while they were on patrol. The soldiers were assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Albany, Ga.

Killed were:
Spc. Jacques E. Brunson, 30, of Americus, Ga.
Staff Sgt. Carl R. Fuller, 44, of Covington, Ga.
Sgt. James O. Kinlow, 35, of Thomson, Ga.
Sgt. John F. Thomas, 33, of Valdosta, Ga.

DoD Release # 776-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Edward L. Myers, 21, of St. Joseph, Mo., died July 27 in Samarra, Iraq, where his unit was conducting patrol operations and an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Myers was assigned to the Army's 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga

DoD Release # 777-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pvt. Ernesto R. Guerra, 20, of Long Beach, Calif., died July 29 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained on July 28 in Baghdad, Iraq, when his HMMWV was involved in an accident. Guerra was assigned to the Army's 4-3rd Brigade Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.






United States Navy




United States Air Force




United States Marine Corps

DoD Release # 773-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Andre L. Williams, 23, of Galloway, Ohio, died July 28, when his unit came under attack by enemy small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades while conducting combat operations in Cykla Village, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Columbus, Ohio. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team-2, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

DoD Release # 774-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Christopher P. Lyons, 24, of Shelby, Ohio, died July 28 when his unit came under attack by enemy small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades while conducting combat operations in Cykla, Iraq. He was assigned to the Marine Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Columbus, Ohio. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team-2, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

Click on the names above for more information (Salute to Fallen Heroes Memorial)

U.S. to Return 11 Army Bases to Germany

Well, it looks like BIG changes for the Army in Europe. 11 bases are scheduled to close under the scheduled return of the 1st Infantry Division to Fort Riley, Kansas in 2006. This includes the Division's subordinate units and selected units of V Corps and US Army Europe (USAEUR).

Along with the 11 bases closing, 2 others will close at a later date.

By the time all the dust settles, sometine in the future, there will be two full brigades stationed in Europe - a Stryker Brigade in Vilseck, Germany, and the 173rd Brigade in Italy. The number of U.S. troops will be half of what we see today.

The Department of Defense release is here.
Related story and links are here.

Having spent a few years stationed in Germany, I am familiar with the listed locations. With over 60,000 military personnel, 11,000 family members as well as DoD Civilian and local national employees, this will have a HUGE impact.

Friday, July 29th
The 210th day of 2005
There are 155 days left in the year

Today's Highlights in History (Via The New York Times)

On July 29, 1981, Britain's Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. (Go to article.)

On July 29, 1905, Dag Hammarskjold, the Nobel Prize-winning Swedish statesman and secretary-general of the United Nations from 1953 to 1961, was born. Following his death on September 18, 1961, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. Other Birthdays)

On July 29, 1871, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the Orange Riots in New York City. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)

********************************************
Today in History (Via Iraq War Today)
1588 - The attacking Spanish Armada is crushed by English defenders.
1715 - A hurricane sinks ten Spanish treasure galleons off the coast of Florida.
1786 - The "Pitts Gazette" becomes the first newspaper published west of the Alleghenies.
1858 - The first commercial treaty between the U.S. and Japan is signed; U.S. citizens are allowed to live anywhere in Japan.
1899 - Manhattan Beach, NY, witnesses the first motorcycle race.
1915 - U.S. marines land in Haiti to quell anarchy and help establish the Haitian armed forces; the last leave in 1934.
1920 - The first transcontinental airmail flight goes from New York to San Francisco.
1928 - Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie" is released
1938 - Olympic National Park is established
1952 - First nonstop transpacific jetflight.
1956 - Jacques Cousteau's Calypso sets a record, anchoring in 7,500 m of water.
1957 - The U.N establishes the International Atomic Energy Agency; Jack Paar's "Tonight Show" premiers.
1958 - President Eisenhower signs the National Aeronautics and Space Act.

1967 - In the Gulf of Tonkin, an explosion and fire aboard the carrier USS Forrestal kills 134 and causes $100 million worth of damage. See Iraq War Today for this post and photos about the Forrestal.

1969 - Mariner-6 begins transmitting far-encounter photos of Mars.
1975 - Gerald Ford becomes the first U.S. President to visit Auschwitz.
1978 - Pioneer-11 transmits images of Saturn and its rings.
1981 - Charles, Prince of Wales, weds Lady Diana Spencer.
1988 - In Lansing, MI, the last Playboy Club in the U.S. closes.
1991 - Donald Trump gives Marla Maples a 7+ carat engagement ring

Birthdays
1861 - Alica Hathaway Lee Roosevelt, Teddy's first wife
1871 - Rasputin (Gregory Efimovich), the mad Russian monk
1883 - Benito Mussolini, Fascist Italian dictator
1898 - Isidor Isaac Rabi, physicist, explored the atom, Nobel Prize winner
1905 - Dag Hammarskjöld, second U.N. Secretary-General (1953-61), Nobel Prize winner
1932 - Nancy Kassebaum (Sen-KS)
1936 - Elizabeth Dole, U.S. Secretary of Transportation (1981-87), wife of Bob Dole
1938 - Peter Jennings, news anchor (ABC Evening News)

Passings
1030 - King Olaf Haraldsson of Norway (Olav II - later canonized as St. Olaf), in battle of Stiklestad
1890 - Vincent Van Gogh, artist
1900 - King Umberto I of Italy, assassinated by anarchist Gaetano Bresci
1960 - Richard Simon, cofounder of Simon and Shuster
1974 - Cass "Mamma Cass" Elliot (Mamas and Papas)

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Brown, Edward D., Jr., USN (NC); F8E shot down, KIA, body not recovered
Weatherby, Jack Wilton, USAF (TX); RF101 shot down, remains returned August, 1978
1966
Bossio Galileo F., USAF (WA); RC47D shot down, presumed dead
Cameron, Virgil K., USN (TX); A4E shot down, remains ID'd August, 1999
Chiarello, Vincent A., USAF (NY); RC47D shot down, KIA in crash, remains returned March, 1988
Conklin, Bernard, USAF (NY); RC47D shot down, KIA in crash, remains returned March, 1988
Di Tommaso, Robert J., USAF (NY); RC47D shot down, presumed dead
Hall, James S., USAF (NC); RC47D shot down, KIA in crash, remains returned March, 1988
Hoskinson, Robert E., USAF (OR); RC47D shot down, presumed dead
Laws, Delmer L., US Army SF (MO); KIA when his unit was ambushed
Mamiya, John II, USAF (HI); RC47D shot down, KIA in crash, remains returned March, 1988
Smith, Herbert E., USAF (FL); RC47D shot down, KIA in crash, remains returned March, 1988
1967
Bennefeld, Steven Henry, USMC (KS); KIA, body not recovered
Johnson, Richard H. USMC (NY); KIA, body not recovered
1968
Auxier, Jerry E. Dixie, US Army (WV); presumed Killed, body not recovered
1972
Kula, James D., USAF (NH); F4E shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel in 1999
Matsui, Melvin K., USAF (HI); F4E shot down, released by DRV March, 1973

********************************************
Today's American Minute
Alexis de Tocqueville was born this day, July 29, 1805.

He was a French social philosopher who traveled the United States in 1831.

His work, "Democracy in America," has been described as "the most comprehensive...analysis...between character and society in America that has ever been written."

In it, de Tocqueville wrote: "In France I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite directions. But in America I found they were intimately united and that they reigned in common over the same country....

Religion in America...must be regarded as the foremost of the political institutions of that country; for if it does not impart a taste for freedom, it facilitates the use of it...

There is no country in the whole world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America, and there can be no greater proof of its utility...than that its influence is powerfully felt over the most enlightened and free nation of the earth."

Moving Blogs

Over the next few weeks I will be moving Echo9er to a new host.

In the meantime, I will probably be double posting, here on Blogger and there, on WordPress.

The Blog name will remain Echo9er. I just haven't worked out all the details of moving Blogger Echo9er to WordPress Echo9er.

For those of you interested, you can check out WordPress Echo9er here.

News from around the Net

Military.com
Chinook Destroyed by Fire in Afghanistan -- Story
Army Prepares to Reorganize -- Story

Michelle Malkin
The Scout Jamboree Tragedy -- Link Here
Take Back the Memorial-Update -- Link Here

The News Tribune
Army Reorganization will Shift Units -- Story
Shuttles ‘not ready to fly again -- Story
Shuttle Discovery docks at space station -- Story

The Seattle Times
Ressam judge decries U.S. tactics -- Story

Defenselink and DefendAmerica
Troop Withdrawal to Be Conditions-Based -- Story Here; Related Story
Soldiers Provide Food to Kindi Residents -- Story
Flightline Marines Keep Helicopters Ready -- Story
Training, Hydration Help Troops Cope With Heat -- Story
Team Helps Overcome Platelet Shortage -- Story
Marines, Sailors Open Medical Clinic in Afghanistan -- Story

The Services
Army
Navy
Air Force
Marines
Coast Guard
Coast Guard Auxiliary
Civil Air Patrol
Reserve Affairs
Army Reserve
Navy Reserve
Air Force Reserve
Marine Reserve
Coast Guard Reserve
National Guard
Air National Guard
Army National Guard
ESGR
Merchant Marines

Combat Medic Signs Up for Third Tour

Here is a Soldier with a mission. He has already been deployed for a year, and has begun a second consecutive tour, and in February 2006, he will start a third consecutive tour. At present, he is talking to his leadership to see if he can stay until his ETS in 2009.

BALAD, Iraq, July 28, 2005 —
Soldiers look at deployment in many different ways. Some see it as a way of furthering their careers and some see it as a steppingstone to financial security. However, one soldier sees it as an opportunity to make a difference and he plans to make that difference as long as the Army will let him.

Good luck to U.S. Army Specialist Jonathan Laureles. I would say "Stay out of Harm's way" but as a Medic, that is not always possible. Be safe. Keep your helmet on and watch your six, and HOOAH!!!

A Great Answer

I received this via email.

In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity about our government and its policies, we should remember England's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words to his own people.

During a recent interview, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain was asked by one of his parliament members as to why he believes so much in America . . and does he think America is on the right track?

Blair's reply:
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in... and how many want out."

Thursday, July 28th
The 209th day of 2005
There are 156 days left in the year

Today's Highlights in History

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. World War I began as declarations of war by other European nations quickly followed. (Go to article.)

On July 28, 1929, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the American first lady noted for her style and elegance, was born. Following her death on May 19, 1994, her obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. Other Birthdays)

On July 28, 1877, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about anti-Semitism. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)

Reference: The New York Times

********************************************
Today in History (Via Iraq War Today)
1586 - Sir Thomas Harriot introduces potatoes to Europe.
1588 - The Spanish Armada sails to overthrow England's Queen Elizabeth I.
1821 - Peru declares independence from Spain (National Day).
1830 - In France, a revolution Charles X with Louis Philippe.
1862 - Confederate forces are defeated at More's Hill, MO.
1868 - The 14th Amendment is ratified, granting citizenship to ex-slaves.
1900 - In Connecticut, Louis Lassing creates the Hamburger.
1914 - Austria-Hungary attacks Serbia, officially beginning WW I.
1931 - Congress makes "The Star-Spangled Banner" the U.S. National Anthem.
1942 - Nazis murder 10,000 Jews in Minsk, Russia.
1943 - Italian Facist dictator Benito Mussolini resigns; FDR announces the end of U.S. coffee rationing.
1945 - A U.S. Army bomber crashes into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building, 14 die; the U.S. Senate ratifies the UN charter 89-2
1962 - Mariner I is launched for Mars; it plummets into the Atlantic Ocean.
1964 - Ranger 7 is launched toward the Moon; it sends back 4308 TV pictures.
1977 - Oil first flows through the Alaska pipeline.
1986 - NASA releases the transcript from the doomed Challenger Space Shuttle.
1988 - Israeli diplomats arrive in Moscow for the first Israeli visit in 21 years.
1990 - A blackout hits Chicago.

Birthdays
1165 - Ibn al-'Arabi, Muslim mystic/philosopher
1746 - Thomas Heyward, soldier, signed Declaration of Independence
1859 - Balington Booth, founded Volunteers of America
1907 - Earl S. Tupper inventor of Tupperware
1929 - Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, First Lady
1961 - Scott E. Parazynski, MD/astronaut

Passings
1540 - Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII's chief minister, executed
1655 - Cyrano de Bergerac, French dramatist/novelist
1746 - John Peter Zenger, journalist, involved in 1st Amendment fight
1750 - Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer (Art of the Fugue)
1794 - Maximilien Robespierre, French revolutionary/avocat, guillotined

Reported Missing in Action
1966
McSwain, George P., USN (CA); A4E shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - alive in 1998

********************************************
Today's American Minute
German composer Johann Sebastian Bach died this day, July 28, 1750.

He was considered the "master of masters," combining the tradition of Baroque music with harmonic innovations.

The majority of his works are religious, including "Passion According to St. Matthew," and "Jesus, Meine Freude" (Jesus, My Joy!).

In commenting on his music, Bach stated: "The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. If heed is not paid to this, it is not true music but a diabolical bawling and twanging."

In the U.S. Supreme Court case McCollum v. Board of Education (1948), Justice Robert H. Jackson wrote: "It would not seem practical to teach. . . appreciation of the arts if we are to forbid exposure of youth to any religious influences.

Music without sacred music, architecture minus the cathedral, or painting without the Scriptural themes would be eccentric and incomplete, even from a secular point of view. . .

One can hardly respect a system of education that would leave a student wholly ignorant of the currents of religious thought that moved the world."

Wednesday, July 27th
The 208th day of 2005
There are 157 days left in the year

Today's Highlights in History

On July 27, 1953, the Korean War armistice was signed at Panmunjom, ending three years of fighting. (Go to article.)

On July 27, 1905, Leo Durocher, the American baseball player and manager, was born. Following his death on October 7, 1991, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. Other Birthdays)

On July 27, 1878, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about an international rowing competition. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)

Reference: The New York Times

The following courtesy Iraq War Today

Today in History
1689 - Jacobite Scottish Highlanders defeat a Royal force at Killiecrankie.
1789 - Congress establishes the Department of Foreign Affairs (State Department.)
1816 - U.S. troops attack Fort Blount, on Apalachicola Bay FL.
1837 - The U.S. Mint opens in Charlotte, NC.
1844 - The U.S. Mint in Charlotte, NC, is destroyed by fire.
1861 - Union General George McClellan takes command of the Army of the Potomac.
1909 - Orville Wright tests the first U.S. Army airplane, flying for 1 hour, 12 minutes.
1944 - The Gloster Meteor becomes the first British jet fighter used in combat; the U.S. regains Guam from the Japanese.
1953 - An Armistice is signed, ending the Korean War and dividing Vietnam into two countries.
1955 - Austria regains full independence after occupation.
1962 - The Mariner-2 is launched to Venus for a flyby; Martin Luther King, Jr., is jailed in Albany, Georgia.
1969 - Pioneer-10 is launched.
1974 - The House Judiciary Committee votes 27-11 to recommend Nixon be impeached.
1987 - John Demjanjuk, accused Nazi "Ivan the Terrible," testifies in Israel.
1988 - Radio Shack unveils the Tandy 1000 SL computer.

Birthdays
1768 - Charlotte Corday, assassin of Jean-Paul Marat
1857 - Jos‚ Celso Barbosa, found Federalist Party

Passings
1883 - Montgomery Blair, lawyer (Dred Scot case)
1976 - Ray Brennan, first victim of "Legionnaire's Disease"
1980 - Shah Mohammed Reza Pahavala of Iran
1990 - Kim Thomas-Friedland, news anchor (FNN)

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Berg, Kile D., USAF (WA); F105D shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive as of 1996
Kosko, Walter, USAF (VA); F105D shot down, believed Killed
Purcell, Robert B., USAF (KY); F105D shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998
1967
Bare, Wiliam, USAF (OK); RF4C shot down
Corbitt, Gilland W., USAF (CO); RF4C shot down
Hardie, Charles D., USN (TX); presumed Killed after aircraft encountered problems over water, body not recovered
Patterson, Bruce M. USN (OR); presumed Killed after aircraft encountered problems over water, body not recovered
1968
Fullerton, Frank E., USN (GA); A4F crashed on bombing run, cause undetermined, presumed killed, body not recovered
Patton, Ward K., USN (KS); while returning to YRBM-18 from another craft, lost footing and fell into swift-moving river; presumed Killed, body not recovered

Checkmate

Who Killed the King?


(Via Grouchy old Cripple)

PA Funeral Crasher

Michelle Malkin has this story.

All I can say is that this person needs to go AWAY.

See also Blackfive and Irish Pennants

UPDATE (7/26):

The apology was accepted, but it was pretty lame, IMHO.

See this over at Blackfive. And of course, there is more at Michelle Malkin.

MENSA Word Contest

I like these lists.

I don't have a direct link. I received this via a forwarded email. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Some of these are quite clever. My comments are in color.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Washington Post's MENSA Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting or changing one letter and supply a new definition.

Here are the 2005 winners:

1. Intaxication--Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with (I've had this feeling)

2. Reintarnation--Coming back to life as a hillbilly (I think I know a lot of people that fit this)

3. Bozone--The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down. (Unfortunately, I know lots of these)

4. Foreploy--Any misrepresentation of yourself for the purpose of "getting some"

5. Cashtration--The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period (I think Mrs Echo9er and I suffered from this one)

6. Giraffiti--Vandalism spray painted very, very high

7. Sarchasm--The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it (The lights are on, but . . .)

8. Inoculatte--To take coffee intravenously when you are running late (Yeah!!!!)

9. Hipatitis--Terminal coolness

10. Osteopornosis--A degenerate disease

11. Karmageddon--It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's, like, a serious bummer

12. Decafalon--The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you (I get really bad headaches when I try this)

13. Glibido--All talk and no action

14. Dopeler effect--The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly (See #3 and #7)

15. Arachnoleptic fit--The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web (Mrs Echo9er and Daughter Ech9er do this)

16. Beelzebug--Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out (Especially on hot night with no air circulating. The dogs don't like it either)

18. Caterpallor--the color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating

And the pick of the literature:

19. Ignoranus--A person who'e both stupid and an a**hole (I know some of these as well)

Today's American Minute

On this day, July 26, 1775, Benjamin Franklin became the first Postmaster General of the United States. Before the Revolution he served in that position under the British Crown.

Franklin also established the first volunteer fire department, a circulating public library and the lighting of city streets.

He helped found the University of Pennsylvania, a hospital, an insurance company, a city police force, a night watch and the first militia.

He was a printer, scientist, philosopher and statesmen.

In 1787, as the President (Governor) of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin hosted the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where he made the motion: "I therefore beg leave to move - that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business."

Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1787: "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."


Tuesday, July 26th
The 207th day of 2005
There are 158 days left in the year

Today's Highlights in History

On July 26, 1947, President Truman signed the National Security Act, creating the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Go to article.)

On July 26, 1875, Carl (Gustav) Jung , one of the founders of analytic psychology, was born. Following his death on June 6, 1961, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. Other Birthdays)

On July 26, 1884, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the presidential election of 1884. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)

Reference: The New York Times

The following courtesy Iraq War Today

Today in History
1775 - Benjamin Franklin becomes the first Postmaster General.
1788 - New York becomes the 11th state to ratify the Constitution.
1908 - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is established.
1947 - The National Security Act establishes the CIA.
1948 - President Truman issues Executive Order No. 9981, directing "equality of
treatment and opportunity" in the U.S. armed forces.
1953 - Fidel Castro leads an attack on Moncada Barracks, beginning the Cuban Revolution.
1956 - Egypt seizes the Suez Canal.
1957 - The U.S.S.R. launches the first intercontinental multistage ballistic missile.
1958 - The Army launches the 4th successful U.S. satellite, Explorer IV.
1963 - US Syncom 2, the 1st geosynchronous communications satellite, is launched.
1965 - The Republic of Maldives gains independence from Britain (Nat'l Day).
1971 - Apollo 15 is launched to the Moon.
1974 - The U.S.S.R.'s Soyuz fails to dock with the Salyut 3 space station.
1975 - Soyuz 18B returns to Earth.
1991 - Paul Reubens (a.k.a. Pee Wee Herman) is arrested for exposing himself at an adult movie theater.

This Day in Terrorism
1986 - Lebanese kidnappers release Reverend Lawrence Martin Jenco.

Birthdays
1739 - George Clinton, 4th U.S. Vice President
1799 - Isaac Babbitt, invented babbitt's metal for bearings
1829 - Auguste Beernaert Belgium (Nobel Peace Prize-1909)
1875 - Dr. Carl Gustav Jung, founder of analytic psychology
1908 - Salvador Allende Gossens, Chile's last elected president (1970-73)
1928 - Stanley Kubrick, director (2001, )
1940 - Mary Jo Kopechne, killed when Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge in Chappaquiddick
1949 - William M. Shepherd, Captain, USN / astronaut (STS-27, 41)
1951 - William Surles "Bill" McArthur Jr., Lt. Colonel / astronaut

Passings
1863 - Sam Houston, president of Texas
1941 - Marx Dormoy, French socialist, killed by a time bomb
1952 - Eva "Evita" Peron, Argentina's First Lady

Reported Missing in Action
1967
Brazik, Richard, USAF (OH); F4C shot down, presumed KIA, body not recovered
Claflin, Richard Ames, USAF (KS); F4C shot down, presumed KIA, body not recovered
1969
Brenning, Richard D., USNR (NE); A4C crashed in water soon after take-off, Killed, body not recovered

Casualties

Condolences to the Family, Friends, and Comrades of the following Americans who lost their lives while in the pursuit of gaining freedom for others

United States Army

July 26, 2005

DoD Release # 755-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Jason T. Palmerton, 25, of Auburn, Neb., died on July 23 in Qal'eh-Yegaz, Afghanistan, where he came under enemy small arms fire while conducting a dismounted patrol. Palmerton was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

DoD Release # 759-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Christopher J. Taylor, 22, of Opelika, Ala., died July 24 in Balad, Iraq, when he was hit by mortar rounds while he was exiting a bunker. Taylor was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

DoD Release # 761-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Adam J. Harting, 21, of Portage, Ind., died July 25 in Samarra, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Harting was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 42nd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

DoD Release # 762-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Michael W. Schafer, 25, of Spring Hill, Fla., died July 25 in Oruzgan, Afghanistan, when he was shot by enemy forces while on a quick reaction force mission. Schafer was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, Vicenza, Italy.

Click on the names above for more information (Salute to Fallen Heroes Memorial)

General Westmoreland Buried at West Point

Rest in Peace, Sir.

Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam during a major escalation of the war, was buried Saturday at the U.S. Military Academy, where he was once superintendent.

Previous post here.

Casualties

Condolences to the Family, Friends, and Comrades of the following Americans who lost their lives while in the pursuit of gaining freedom for others

United States Marine Corps

July 25, 2005
DoD Release # 754-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Bryan J. Opskar, 32, of Princeton, Minn., died July 23 when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Ar Rutbah, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Click on the names above for more information (Salute to Fallen Heroes Memorial)

Forces Nab Surface-to-Air Missiles in Mosul

Check out Michael Yon's dispatch of this News Story. A really good job by our Stryker Soldiers.

Stemming the flow of munitions has been an ongoing challenge, one that’s been met with varying degrees of success. It begins with intelligence about how material moves in and out of a city. Mosul has 34 “major” land routes, consisting of 11 roads and 23 “rat lines.” The so-called rat lines are usually no more than hard-packed dirt trails, but they are navigable avenues into Mosul.

(Via Blackfive)

An 8 year old girl says THANKS!

See what this 8 year old girl has to say to our Troops.


A big Echo9er HOOAH!! to young Brittany. (Thanks, Pam)

And while you're visiting Iraq War Today, check out the story about the Letters to Iraqi Soldiers. This is quite good.

Casualties

Condolences to the Family, Friends, and Comrades of the following Americans who lost their lives while in the pursuit of gaining freedom for others

United States Marine Corps

July 23, 2005
DoD Release # 751-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Steven P. Gill, 24, of Round Rock, Texas, died July 21 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Zaidon, Iraq. He was assigned to the Marine Reserve’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, San Antonio, Texas. During Operation Iraqi Freedom his unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team-8, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

Click on the names above for more information (Salute to Fallen Heroes Memorial)

Korean War Missing In Action Serviceman Identified

Echo9er Blog is very happy to to post this "Good News!" story.

After 54 years the Family, Friends, and Comrades of Cpl. Leslie R. Heath, of Bridgeport, Ill can finally close this chapter of their lives and open another. His internment is scheduled for August 20th.

On April 23, 1951, he and many in his unit were captured by the Chinese Comunists. They were held in a POW camp and witness recounted that CPL Heath died while he was held captive.

Welcome home CPL Heath. May God bless you and your families, friends and comrades.

Following is the DoD Release.

July 22, 2005
DoD Release # 750-05

Korean War Missing In Action Serviceman Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Cpl. Leslie R. Heath, of Bridgeport, Ill. His interment is scheduled for Aug. 20 in Bridgeport.

On the morning of April 23, 1951, Heath and more than 80 members of ‘A’ Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Regimental Combat Team were captured by Chinese Communist forces. They were held in a temporary POW camp known as Suan Camp Complex, in North Hwanghae Province, North Korea. A former American POW who was returned to the U.S. through Operation Little Switch recounted that Heath died in June 1951 while imprisoned.

On July 16, 1993, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea returned 17 boxes of remains to the United States from the Korean War. One of the boxes contained remains of several individuals and two of Heath’s identification tags. Scientists of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) conducted years of forensic examinations of the remains and associated evidence until they made an identification two months ago.

Information provided by the North Koreans about the recovered remains was consistent with the approximate location where Heath was believed held captive and died. Artifacts in the boxes were those of a soldier in the U.S. Army infantry at the time of the war.

JPAC submitted skeletal remains on 11 occasions to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory for analysis. Heath’s mitochondrial DNA sequence matched that of two of his maternal relatives.

Of the 88,000 Americans unaccounted for from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm, more than 8,100 are from the Korean War. More than 2,000 of those were held as prisoners of war.

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

Casualties

Condolences to the Family, Friends, and Comrades of the following Americans who lost their lives while in the pursuit of gaining freedom for others

United States Army

July 22, 2005
DoD Release # 748-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Arthur R. McGill, 25, of Gravette, Ark., died July 19 in Baghdad, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on mounted patrol in a HMMWV. McGill was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

United States Navy

July 22, 2005
DoD Release #: 749-05 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis L. Youngblood, 26, of Surrency, Ga., died July 21 of wounds received July 15 from an improvised explosive device during combat operations in Hit, Iraq. Youngblood was a hospital corpsman assigned to Naval Hospital Great Lakes, Great Lakes, Ill., and deployed with the II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

Click on the names above for more information (Salute to Fallen Heroes Memorial)

More news on the London Bombings

There is nothing I can write about these bombings. I just don't have the writing ability or time to post this in my own words. I will leave it to the Media to keep us informed.

As always, Michelle Malkin is on top of the news

Fox News:
London Cops Scour Bomb Scenes
Top Cop: Forensic Evidence Key
Same Bomb Cell May Still Be Active
NYC Cops Search Subway Riders
Musharraf Vows to Curb Extremism

Reuters:
British police hunt fugitive London bombers

Other Sources:
Police shoot bomb suspect on London Underground
Again: four more bombs hit London transit -- UPDATED
Post-bombing tubemap

And then there is the issue of Random Bag Searches in NYC. Again, from Michelle Malkin.

Friday, July 22nd
The 203rd day of 2005
There are 162 days left in the year

Today's Highlights in History

On July 22, 1934, a man identified as bank robber John Dillinger was shot to death by federal agents outside Chicago's Biograph Theater. (Go to article.)

On July 22, 1849, Emma Lazarus, the American poet best known for her words inscribed at the Statue of Liberty, was born. Following her death on November 19, 1887, her obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. Other Birthdays)

On July 22, 1905, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the problem of yellow fever during construction of the Panama Canal. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)

Reference: The New York Times



The following courtesy Iraq War Today

Today in History
1298 - The English defeat the Scots at the Battle of Falkirk.
1775 - George Washington takes command of American troops.
1796 - Cleveland, OH, is founded by General Moses Cleaveland.
1812 - In Spain, the Duke of Wellington defeats the French at the Battle of Salamanca.
1864 - Confederate General John Bell Hood attacks William Sherman's Union forces at the Battle of Atlanta; the Confederates suffer terrible losses.
1916 - During the San Francisco Preparedness Parade, anti-militarist terrorists detonate a bomb, killing 10.
1917 - Alexander Kerensky becomes PM in Russia.
1937 - The U.S. Senate rejects FDR's proposal to enlarge the Supreme Court.
1942 - Gasoline rationing begins in the U.S.; the Nazis begin deportations from Warsaw to Treblinka.
1943 - Allied forces captured Palermo, Sicily.
1944 - Soviets set up the Polish Committee of National Liberation.
1950 - After six years in exile, King Leopold returns to Belgium
1952 - The Polish constitution is adopted (National Day)
1955 - Richard Nixon becomes the first U.S. Vice President to preside over a Cabinet meeting.
1962 - Mariner 1, the first American Venus probe, fails at lift-off.
1969 - The U.S.S.R. launches Sputnik 50 and the Molniya 1-12 communications satellite.
1972 - Venera 8 makes a soft landing on Venus
1975 - The House of Representatives votes to posthumously restore citizenship to General Robert E. Lee.
1981 - In Rome, Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Agca is sentenced to life.
1983 - Polish PM Januzelski lifts martial law.
1986 - The U.S. House of Representatives impeaches Judge Harry E. Claiborne on tax evasion
1987 - The Soyuz TM-3 Is launched with three cosmonauts (1 Syrian); the U.S. begins escorting Kuwaiti tankers in the Persian Gulf.
1991 - Jeffrey Dahmer confesses to killing 17 young men in 1978.

Birthdays
1478 - Philip I (the Handsome), first Habsburg king of Spain (1506)
1822 - Gregor Mendel, monk/geneticist; discovered the laws of heredity
1849 - Emma Lazarus, poet ("The New Colossus," at the base of the Statue of Liberty)
1887 - Gustav Hertz, quantum physicist, Nobel Prize Winner
1890 - Rose Kennedy, mother of JFK, RFK, Ted
1921 - William Roth (Sen-DE)
1923 - Robert Dole (Sen-KS)
1930 - Yuri P. Artyukhin, cosmonaut (Soyuz 14)
1955 - Willem Dafoe, actor (Platoon, Roadhouse 66, Mississippi Burning)

Passings
1461 - Charles VII king of France (1422-61), dies at 58
1802 - Marie-François-Xavier Bichat, one of the founders of histology (microscopic study of tissue)
1826 - Giuseppe Piazzi discoverer of 1st asteroid, dies
1934 - John Dillinger shot dead at Biograph Theater in Chicago
1967 - Carl Sandburg, poet (Abraham Lincoln: The Prarie Years)

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Wells, Robert J., US Army (PA); drowned when his safety line broke as he was crossing a river, Killed, body not recovered
1972
Paige, Gordon C., USN (CA); RF8G shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - alive as of 1998