|
|
Monday, May 26
Arlington burial: Fanfare, precision
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Mon 26 May 2008 02:14 PM EDT
More than 300,000 people are buried at Arlington. The number of marbled headstones is about 200,000, because many family members share a grave site. Each headstone must be lined up perfectly at all times. On any given morning at sunrise, a maintenance crew is at work, noting where adjustments need to be made. Using an old-school method, the maintenance workers string a red thread through the section to spot a stone listing by even a half-inch.
About 9,000 trees and 624 acres of grass grow at Arlington. The horticulture division is charged with planting and pruning, watering and weeding, growing sod and removing the dirt churned up to make room for the caskets. The goal is for the public to never see an overgrown shrub, a dead tree or flowers wilting in the heat.
More>>>
To Live with Honor
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Mon 26 May 2008 01:19 PM EDT
‘My son died with honor.” These words struck this writer like a bolt from the blue. Captured by a television news crew, they were spoken with quiet dignity by Johnny Spann to reporters at the front gate of his home in Winfield, Alabama, upon learning of the death of his son, Johnny Mike Spann, the first American to die on a foreign field of battle in the War on Islamic Terror
More>>>
Last known WWI veteran honored for Memorial Day
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 01:17 PM EDT
Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last known living American-born veteran of World War I, was honored Sunday at the Liberty Memorial during Memorial Day weekend celebrations.
"I had a feeling of longevity and that I might be among those who survived, but I didn't know I'd be the No. 1," the 107-year-old veteran said at a ceremony to unveil his portrait.
More>>>
What Old People Do For Fun
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 12:32 PM EDT
Joseph Farah: If I were prime minister of Israel
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 12:29 PM EDT
What can Israel do to achieve peace with its Middle East neighbors?
I'm often asked that question by radio and TV interviewers. I won't tell you there are any easy answers – especially after so many strategic blunders by Israeli political leaders.
But there is a starting point. If I were prime minister of Israel, I would begin by explaining to the country's enemies and friends alike – all over the world – that practically everything they have heard about the conflict between Arabs and Israelis is wrong.
First, the Jews in Israel took no one's land.
When Mark Twain visited the Holy Land in the 19th century, he was greatly disappointed. He didn't see any people. He referred to it as a vast wasteland. The land we now know as Israel was practically deserted.
More>>>
Life without Miller
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 12:22 PM EDT
Milwaukee is Brew City, USA. So how would the city cope with the loss of its last brewer's headquarters if MillerCoors based itself elsewhere? Can Milwaukee still boast the nickname "Brew City" if its last remaining major brewer packs up its pens, pencils and starched corporate shirts?
More>>>
Report: Women Increasingly Choosing Dead-End Careers Over Dead-End Relationships
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 12:18 PM EDT
COLLEGE PARK, MD—According to a report published Monday in The Journal Of Gender Studies, many American women are bucking centuries of traditional gender roles by placing stunted, emotionally unfulfilling relationships on hold in order to pursue mind-numbing careers devoid of any upward mobility.
More>>>
Spanish village holds baby jump
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 12:16 PM EDT
Grown men have been leaping over rows of babies in the north Spanish village of Castrillo de Murcia in an annual rite meant to ward off the Devil.
More>>>
Medal of Honor for Fallen Hero
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 07:00 AM EDT
In a private White House ceremony on June 2, the 4th Medal of Honor of the Iraq War will be posthumously awarded to Spc. Ross A. McGinnis. McGinnis is the third of four heroes profiled by combat journalist Jeff Emanuel in his The Lost Heroes of the War on Terror to receive the nation's highest honor.
More>>>
American Heroes: Hugh Thompson- The Hero of My Lai
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 05:00 AM EDT
Thompson took off again, and Andreotta reported that Sergeant Mitchell was now executing the people in the ditch. Furious, Thompson flew over the northeast corner of the village and spotted a group of about ten civilians, including children, running toward a homemade bomb shelter. Pursuing them were soldiers from the 2nd Platoon, C Company. Realizing that the soldiers intended to murder the Vietnamese, Thompson landed his aircraft between them and the villagers. Thompson turned to Colburn and Andreotta and told them that if the Americans began shooting at the villagers or him, they should fire their M60 machine guns at the Americans: "Y'all cover me! If these bastards open up on me or these people, you open up on them. Promise me!" He then dismounted to confront the 2nd Platoon's commander, Lt. Stephen Brooks. Thompson told him he wanted help getting the peasants out of the bunker:
Thompson: Hey listen, hold your fire. I'm going to try to get these people out of this bunker. Just hold your men here.
Brooks: Yeah, we can help you get 'em out of that bunker - with a hand grenade!
More>>>
10 Things to Remember About Memorial Day
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 01:00 AM EDT
Memorial Day is more than just a three-day weekend and a chance to get the year’s first sunburn. Here’s a handy 10-pack of facts to give the holiday some perspective.
More>>>
Memorial Day's True Meaning
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Mon 26 May 2008 12:52 AM EDT
To many Americans, Memorial Day means a day off from work with picnics, pool openings and barbecues. But for those who have lost a comrade or loved one in combat, the day takes on a whole new significance. Here are some of their stories.
More>>>
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Wear the uniform, fight and die as ordered, Don't have a Political Opinion
by
Riley Jones
on Mon 26 May 2008 12:13 AM EDT
The highest-ranking U.S. military officer has written an unusual open letter to all those in uniform, warning them to stay out of politics as the United States approaches a presidential election in which the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be a central, and certainly divisive, issue.
"The U.S. military must remain apolitical at all times," wrote Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "It is and must always be a neutral instrument of the state, no matter which party holds sway."
More>>>
|
|
