The FReeper Foxhole - Help Save A Veterans Memorial - Dec.14th,2002

Washington Post ^ | 12/09/2002 | Rene Sanchez

[SAMWolf]

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

We hope to provide an ongoing source of information about issues and problems that are specific to Veterans and resources that are available to Veterans and their families.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

Resource Links For Veterans

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Veteran's Memorial Cross Threatened
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE, Calif. -- On a remote ridge known as Sunrise Rock, a five-foot cross erected long ago as a makeshift war memorial has survived harsh desert climates and recurring attacks by vandals. But soon it may be toppled for good by a more powerful force: the Constitution.

Meanwhile, Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), whose district includes the sparsely populated communities of the Mojave, is trying to make the court decision moot with an unusual land swap.

To keep the cross standing, Lewis is proposing legislation to transfer an acre of the public land that surrounds the site to private interests. In exchange, a local landowner would donate five privately owned acres within the boundaries of the vast desert preserve to the federal government. The deal may be taken up early by the next Congress.



Longtime residents here say a World War I veteran who was a local miner erected the cross in 1934. Back then, it was two pieces of wood nailed together and stuck into the desert sands.

It has nearly been destroyed many times, either by nature or desert pranksters. For the past 20 years, its caretakers have been Henry and Wanda Sandoz, an elderly couple who live in the Mojave. They raise the cross whenever it falls and repair it when it gets damaged. Its latest incarnation is two metal pipes that have been welded together and bolted to a concrete base.

Wanda Sandoz, a retired school bus driver, said her husband cares for the cross -- and is determined to keep it standing -- because the man who first raised it in the desert asked him to make it a lasting memorial to veterans shortly before he died.

"My husband made a promise to one of his best friends," she said. "We'll do anything we can to keep the cross up. I can't imagine anyone taking offense to this. Maybe I could understand this debate if someone had tried to put it up recently. But it's been there for so long, and no one ever complained."

Sandoz said the cross serves a religious purpose only once a year, on Easter. "We all know what it's mostly there to honor," she said. "It's not about religion."

If Congress approves Lewis's latest plan, a local Veterans of Foreign Wars post will become the steward of the cross. If the ACLU prevails, Sandoz vowed to continue having solemn gatherings there.

"We would keep doing it even if one of us had to carry a cross up there every time," she said. "We can't imagine what it would be like not see it there after all this time.'

[SAMWolf]

The battle heats up... Join Patriotwatch.com in sending a resistance message to the ACLU.

It's time to draw a line in this sand with the ACLU! Make a difference... call or write your Congressional representative.

Call in your support to Rep. Jerry Lewis

The cross, a makeshift war memorial in the Mojave desert, had stood there in obscurity for nearly 70 years. It was looked after only by a small, devoted band of desert residents who treasure its presence on the barren landscape. Now, it has become the focus of new debate over the separation of church and state.

The American Civil Liberties Union wants the cross taken down. But some Republicans in Congress, like Mojave rep Jerry Lewis, backed by the Bush administration, are taking legislative steps to keep it propped up in the desert.

Earlier this year, the feud over the cross appeared to be over. A federal judge sided with the ACLU and ordered it removed from the Mojave Preserve.

The National Park Service, however, has not done so. Instead, it is urging the Justice Department to appeal the court ruling. The difference a Bush Presidency can make in the affairs of State. God Bless America and our Nation's War Dead!

Call Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) Click for Website
800-233-1700 (within California)
Washington fax: 202-225-6498

[SAMWolf]

Thanks to Freepers Comwatch and AntiJen for the heads-up on this.

[SAMWolf]

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Storms whip up dangerous seas

During a deceptive calm between storms, a Charleston-based U.S. Coast Guard motor life boat crew helps bring the 65-foot sailboat, Broken Hobbels, into Coos Bay this morning. The sailboat crew radioed the Coast Guard for help Thursday morning, after the vessel was damaged in rough seas and heavy winds off Cape Blanco. --World Photo by Madeline Steege

By Susan Chambers, Staff Writer

CHARLESTON -- A typhoon that ravaged Guam last week is now sitting in the Gulf of Alaska -- and spinning off a series of cold fronts that continues to bring high winds and heavy rainfall to the South Coast.

One of the fronts endangered a private sailboat with two people aboard off Cape Blanco on Thursday morning, prompting a call for help to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Winchester Bay couple notified the Coast Guard in North Bend early Thursday that they were struggling with their vessel, the Broken Hobbels, in heavy seas. At 10:30 a.m., they asked for help, according to Coast Guard Lt. Toby Holdridge.

Two North Bend helicopter crews flew to the 65-foot sailboat, where the couple asked to be taken off the boat. Offshore swells were bulging to 30-40 feet with high winds pushing to almost 60 mph.

"It was howling. It was pretty rough," Holdridge said.

The crew of the 52-foot motor lifeboat Intrepid set off from Charleston to meet the boat, while the helicopters stayed in orbit above the boat. Holdridge said the couple, 72-year-old Richard Carpenter and his wife, Doris Carpenter, age unavailable, asked to be taken off the boat, but it was too risky for rescuers to get on the vessel due to masts. The Broken Hobbel's sails also were torn.

The sailboat headed toward Coos Bay with the Coast Guard escort. Eventually, the couple met up with the Intrepid, which took the boat in tow at about 5 p.m., but was unable to cross the bar due to the rough seas. All the while, the helicopters returned repeatedly to shore to refuel. Charleston Station's two other motor lifeboat crews also sailed out to help keep watch over the stricken sailboat. All were able to cross the bar at 7 a.m. today, Holdridge said.

Medical crews were sent to the Charleston marina to help one of the sailboat's passengers with a possible head injury. Holdridge said later medics were evaluating the couple.

The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory and gale warnings for much of the northern California, Oregon and Washington coasts. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department also is warning visitors to the coast to be careful while watching the storm action.

"There have already been several close calls this winter," said Robert Smith, parks department beach safety education coordinator, in a press release. "A woman nearly drowned in November when a big wave knocked her down and washed her beneath a truck and beachcombers plucked a family from the water after a wave washed them off a rock they were exploring."

November's storms, with ocean swells greater than 20 feet, produced spectacular displays along coastal cliffs and beaches when the waves crashed ashore. They also brought some destruction and at least one death. At Sunset Bay State Park, rocks, rolling logs, sand and seaweed were strewn across the parking lots. In northern California, waves swept a child to sea.

The National Weather Service expected the weather will calm down today, briefly, before picking up again over the weekend. The service predicts ocean swells of 23 to 24 feet with wind-generated seas pushing those heights a couple feet higher. Gale-force winds -- forecast winds of 39-54 mph -- will prevail much of the weekend, and storm-force winds of around 58 mph will often sweep through the area.

"On some of the capes, like Blanco, you could see close to hurricane-force wind," NWS meteorologist Sven Nelaimischkies said. "Isolated gusts over 65 knots."

As of 2:52 p.m. Thursday, winds over inland areas of southern Oregon and northern California did not develop as strongly as forecasters predicted. The NWS canceled high wind warnings inland or downgraded the warnings to advisories.

Officials reiterated the need for safety at the coast, however. The parks department encourages visitors to watch the storms from day-use areas and to stay behind fences and guard railings. Logs on the beach are particularly unstable and cliffs are prone to erosion.

"With the strong winds that we're going to be having, especially with the high tides along the south coast, you could get caught pretty easily," said Nelaimischkies. "Any jetties or things like that I would avoid like the plague."

Rivers, too, are likely to rise quickly, though forecasters didn't expect them to rise above flood stage. Most of the South Coast will see a series of rain events that drop a total of between 2 and 5 inches.

As to boats venturing offshore, Holdridge offered a reminder to keep life jackets aboard, check radios and know how to use them. The Coast Guard monitors Channel 16. He also suggested vessel crews keep a constant check on the weather.

"We recommend they wait this one out. It's going to be rough," Holdridge said.

-- City Editor Elise Hamner contributed to this story.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

I asked the Moderator to remove duplicate post 5

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Tonk.

[Jen]

Drop on in at the FReeper Foxhole!

(If you would like to be added to or removed from this list, please send a FReepmail to AntiJen. Thanks!)

[Jen]

Click the logo for more information.

The Veterans History Project is a unique opportunity for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to play an important role in the preservation of our national collective memory and to learn important lessons from the rich historical resource we have in our military veterans and civilians who served in support of the war effort.

[Jen]

Support Our Troops This Christmas
With the holidays approaching, thousands of Americans are again asking what they can do to show their support for servicemembers, especially those serving overseas in this time of war. Several organizations are sponsoring programs for members of the Armed Forces overseas. Click the holly below to find different ways you can express your support to US troops this Christmas season.

[SpookBrat]

Good morning. :)

[Jen]

Great thread idea, comwatch! We appreciate the suggestion.

Thanks Sam for doing such a fantastic job on this thread, as usual. :-)

[SpookBrat]

Ooops, good morning to you as well. I forgot to add your name. Gotta go fix breakfast. I hope I can come back later.

[Jen]

Spookie!! Hi girlfriend! I've missed you. How are you?

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on December 14:
1363 John Van [Jean C] Gerson French theologist
1503 Nostradamus [Michel de Nostre-Dam] French astrologist/prophet
1546 Tycho Brahe Knudstrup Denmark, astronomer (Golden nose)
1553 Henri IV the Bourbon king of Navarra (Henri III)/France
1720 Justus Möser writer
1730 Capel Bond composer
1738 Johann Antonin Kozeluch composer
1777 Juan N Gallego Spanish poet/interpreter (El dos the mayo)
1779 Mariano Rodriguiz de Ledesma composer
1780 Karl Robert von Nesselrode German/Russian minister of Foreign Affairs
1783 Johann Christoph Kienlen composer
1789 Maria Agata Szymanowska composer
1812 Charles J Canning English earl/1st viceroy of British-Indies
1824 Pierre C Puvis de Chavannes French painter (Panthéon)
1829 John Mercer Langston 1st black to hold US political office
1830 Allen Thomas Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1907
1832 Daniel Harris Reynolds Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1902
1837 William Wells Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1892
1853 Salvador Diaz Miron Mexican poet (Los Cien Mejores Poemas)
1862 Alexander V Amfiteatrov Russian/French/Italian writer
1862 John M Acket Dutch literary (Grammatic Conceptions)
1868 Richard Batka composer
1870 Dirk J de Geer Dutch premier (1926-29, 39-40)
1870 Karl Renner Austrian Chancellor/President (1918-20, 45-50)
1873 Marie-Alphonse-Nicolas-Joseph Jongen composer
1875 Dobri Khristov composer
1877 Lieven Duvosel Flemish music writer/composer (Leiecyclys)
1883 Morihei Ueshiba founder (Aikido)
1883 Manolis Kalomiris Greek opera composer
1884 Regina Ullmann writer
1894 Joaquin Zamacois Soler composer
1895 George VI king of England (1936-52)
1895 Paul Eluard French communist/poet/resistance fighter (Le Phénix)
1896 James H Doolittle US Army General (Raid on Tokyo 1942)
1897 Margaret Chase Smith (Representative/Senator-R-ME)
1898 Frederick Douglass Hall composer
19-- Celia Weston Spartanburg SC, actress (Jolene-Alice)
19-- Robert Lussier West Warwick RI, actor (Brent-Man From Atlantis)
19-- Sallie Brophy Phoenix AZ, actress (Annie O'Connell-Buckskin)
1900 Boyan Georgiev Ikonomov composer
1901 Henri Cochet tennis champion (US Open-1928)
1901 Paul I King of Greece (1947-64)
1902 Frances Beauvier actress (Aunt Bea-Andy Griffith Show)
1905 Sydney Lipton bandleader/violin
1906 Helmut Bornefeld composer
1907 Guy Middleton Hove England, actor (Gentlemen Marrie Brunettes)
1908 Laurence Naismith Surrey England, actor (Judge Fulton-Persuaders)
1908 Morey Amsterdam Chicago IL, comedian (Buddy-Dick Van Dyke Show)
1909 Edward L Tatum US, molecular geneticist (Nobel 1958)
1909 Phia [Sophia R] Berghout harpist/founder Eduard of Beinumstichting
1911 Spike Jones Long Beach CA, composer (Cocktails for Two)
1911 Ota Adler Czechoslovakian/British fur trader/founder (Federal Trust)
1914 Dan Dailey New York NY, dancer/actor (Governor Drinkwater-Governor & JJ)
1914 Rosalyn Tureck Chicago IL, pianist (Bach & Rock)
1914 Karl Carstens German (CDU)/President - Germany (1979-84)
1915 Clay Warnick Tacoma WA, choral director (Jimmie Rodgers Show)
1917 Elyse Knox Hartford CT, actress (Hit the Ice, Black Gold)
1917 Wilf Ferguson cricket leg-spinner (West Indian of post-WWII years)
1919 Shirley Jackson US, writer (Road Through the Wall)
1920 Albertus Meintser office clerk/resistance fighter
1920 Quinton Hazell businessman
1922 Charley Trippi NFL halfback (Chicago Cardinals)
1922 Don Hewitt New York NY, CBS news executive producer (60 Minutes)
1923 Gerard K "Simon" van het Reve Dutch writer (Evenings, Dear Guys)
1923 Leonardus S van Egeraat Dutch travel expert
1923 Sully Boyar New York NY, actor (Car Wash)
1924 Marion Morgan singer (Stop the Music)
1924 Siiri Rantanen Finland, cross country skier (Olympics-gold-1956)
1926 Frank King cricketer (West Indies fast bowler in 14 Tests in 50's, 29 wickets)
1927 Jacobus G Rietkerk Dutch internal minister (VVD) (1982-86)
1929 Ron Nelson composer
1932 Abbe Lane Brooklyn NY, aka Mrs Xavier Cugat, singer (Xavier Cugat Show)
1932 Charlie "Silver Fox" Rich Colt AR, singer (Behind Closed Doors)
1932 George Furth Chicago IL, actor/director (Tammy, Good Guys, Dumplings)
1933 Leo N Wright US saxophonist (I Left My Heart in San Francisco)
1934 Petrus van Doorne Dutch industrialist
1935 Barbara Leigh-Hunt Bath England, actress (Search for the Nile)
1935 David White cricketer (England opening attack Brown & White vs Pakistan 1961)
1935 Lee Remick Quincy MA, actress (Days of Wine & Rose, Long Hot Summer)
1935 Lewis Arquette Chicago IL, actor (Horror Show, Book of Love)
1936 Robert Allan Ridley Parker New York NY, PhD/astronaut (STS-9, STS-35)
1938 Janette Scott actress (Day of the Triffids)
1938 Leonardo Boff Italy, Brazilian Catholic theologian
1938 Charlie Griffith cricketer (West Indies fast bowler (or did he chuck?))
1938 Hal Williams Columbus OH, actor (Pvt Benjamin, 227, Sanford & Son)
1939 Ernest Davis 1st black to win Heisman Trophy (1961)
1939 Marilyn Cooper New York NY, actress (Broadway Bound, Survivors)
1941 Barry Hadlee cricketer (brother of Dayle & Richard, New Zealand World Cup 1975)
1942 Rex Thompson New York NY, actor (Young Bess, King & I, Her 12 Men)
1942 David Band banker
1943 Frank Allen rock vocalist (Searchers-Needles & Pins)
1946 Elaine Princi actress (As the World Turns, Dorian-One Life to Live)
1946 Joyce Vincent Wilson Detroit MI, singer (Tony Orlando & Dawn)
1946 Patty Duke [Anna Marie] Elmhurst NY, actress (Miracle Worker)
1946 Stan Smith tennis pro (Wimbledon 1972)
1946 Anthonius A M "Ton" Kors Dutch writer (Hannie Schaft)
1946 Jackie McCauley North Ireland, rock pianist (Them Coleraine)
1946 Jane Birkin London England, actress (Mrs Don Juan, Dark Places, Dust)
1946 Michael Ovitz president (Walt Disney Company)
1946 Ruth Fuchs German Democratic Republic, javelin thrower (Olympics-2 gold-72, 76)
1946 Stanley R Smith tennis champion (Wimbledon 1972, US Open-1971)
1947 Christopher Parkening Los Angeles CA, guitarist (transcribed sacred music)
1948 Boudewijn Buch Dutch writer/TV host
1949 Bill Buckner California, 1st baseman, error cost Red Sox 1986 world series
1949 Dee Wallace Stone [Deanna Bowers] Kansas City MO, actress (Critters, Secret Admirer, 10)
1949 Cliff Williams Sydney Australia, rock bassist (AC/DC-Highway to Hell)
1950 Vicki Michelle Essex England, actress (Virgin Witch, Allo Allo)
1951 Jan Timman Dutch chess player
1952 Tamara Danz singer
1953 Joe Toplyn Boston MA, comedic writer (Late Night with David Letterman)
1953 Vijay Amritraj India, tennis player/actor (Octopussy)
1954 James Horean actor (Loving)
1954 Alan Kulwicki Greenfield WI, NASCAR racer (Winston Cup)
1954 Eva Mattes Tegernsee Germany, actress (Celeste, Man Like Eva)
1954 Hans William Schlegel Oberlingen Germany, Astronaut (STS 55)
1954 Ib Anderson Copenhagen, ballet dancer
1954 Steven Glenwood MacLean Ottawa Ontario, astronaut (STS 52)
1955 Jane Crafter Perth Australia, golfer (1987 JC Penney Mixed Teams)
1956 Hanni Wenzel Liechtenstein, Slalom (Olympics-2 gold-1980)
1956 T K Carter Los Angeles CA, actor (Mike-Punky Brewster, Just our Luck)
1958 Steven Rock-Savage Mellville LA, (LSU), actor
1958 Jan Dijksma Dutch bassist (Weekend at Waikiki)
1958 Mike Scott Scottish rocker (Blues Inc, Waterboys-Rainbow Warrior)
1958 Spider Tracy English rock vocalist (The Pogues)
1959 Franco Iglesia Cuba, Spanish singer
1960 Catherine G Coleman Charleston SC, Phd/Captain USAF/astronaut (STS 73)
1961 Jeff Robinson baseball player (Detroit, Baltimore)
1962 Bharat Arun cricketer (Indian pace bowler late-80's)
1962 Chris Dahlquist Fridley, NHL defenseman (Ottawa Senators)
1963 Cindy Gibb Bennington VT, actress (Search for Tomorrow, Youngblood)
1964 C[arl] J[eff] Snare Washington DC, vocalist (Firehouse-Love of a Lifetime)
1964 Chelsea Noble actress (Kate-Growing Pains)
1965 Christine Burton Adelaide Australia, golfer (1990 T25 Victorian Open)
1965 Craig Biggio Smithtown NY, infielder (Houston Astros)
1965 Ken Hill Lynn MA, pitcher (Texas Rangers)
1965 Lawrence Clay-Bey Hartford CT, super heavyweight boxer (Olympics-96)
1966 Anthony Mason NBA forward (New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets)
1966 Bill Ranford Brandon Man, NHL goalie (Team Canada, Boston)
1966 Carl Herrera NBA forward (San Antonio Spurs)
1967 Noelle Beck Baltimore MD, actress (Trisha-Loving, Fletch Lives)
1967 Ali Wood Long Beach CA, WPVA volleyballer (US Open-13th-1995)
1967 Eldridge Recasner NBA guard (Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets)
1968 Cees Marbus soccer player (Go Ahead Eagles)
1968 Jamie Crysdale CFL corner (Calgary Stampeders)
1969 Arthur Numan soccer player (PSV)
1969 Craig Jones Nambour Australia, Canadian Tour golfer (New Zealand Open-1994)
1969 Dave Nilsson Brisbane Australia, catcher (Milwaukee Brewers)
1969 Rogerick Green NFL cornerback (Jacksonville Jaguars)
1970 Bradford Banta NFL tight end (Indianapolis Colts)
1971 Chris Therien Ottawa, NHL defenseman (Philadelphia Flyers)
1971 Lisa-Marie Vizaniari Australian discus/shot putter (Olympics-96)
1972 Johnny Mcwilliams tight end (Arizona Cardinals)
1973 Eelco Wassenaar Netherlands, US field hockey midfielder (Olympics-96)
1974 Billy Koch Garden City NY, baseball pitcher (Olympics-bronze-96)
1975 Inga Drozdova Latvia, playmate (November 1997)
1975 James Cotton NBA guard (Seattle Supersonics)
1975 Tamecka Dixon WNBA guard (Los Angeles Sparks)
1977 Tisha Dabber Shelbyville IN, actress (New Mickey Mouse Club)

---

Deaths which occurred on December 14:
0872 Adrian II Italian Pope (867-72)/last married pope, dies at about 80
1077 Agnes of Poitou German empress/wife of emperor Henry III, dies
1136 Harald IV "Gylle Krist", king of Norway, murdered
1417 John Oldcastle Lord Cobham, English nobleman, hanged & burned
1542 James king of Scotland (1513-42), dies at 30
1591 Juan de la Cruz [de Yepes] Spanish Carmelet/poet/saint, dies
1732 Johann Philipp Fortsch composer, dies at 80
1734 Noel-Nicolas Coypel French painter/cartoonist, dies at 44
1754 Mahmud I sultan of Turkey, dies at 58
1760 Kacic Miosic Croatian poet (Razgovar Ugodni Naroda Slovinskoga), dies
1788 Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach German composer, dies at 74
1788 Carlos III King of Naples/Spain (1759-88), dies at 72
1799 George Washington 1st President USA (1789-97), dies at Mount Vernon VA, at 67
1823 Vincenzo Cuoco Italian historian (Naple revolution 1799), dies at 53
1829 Luigi Marchesi composer, dies at 74
1849 Conradin Kreutzer composer, dies at 69
1861 Albert prince consort of England & husband of Queen Victoria, dies at 42
1861 George HG earl of Aberdeen English Minister of Foreign affairs, dies at 76
1861 Heinrich August Marschner composer, dies at 66
1862 George Dashiell Bayard Union Brigadier-General, dies at 27
1873 J Louis R Agassiz Swiss geologist/paleo-biologist), dies
1886 Antoni Wincenty Rutkowski composer, dies at 27
1893 Karolina Pawlowa writer, dies at 86
1900 Jean B A Kessler director of oil on Dutch Indies, dies at 46
1903 William Ennis first cop to die in the electric chair
1906 John A C Oudemans Dutch geographer/astronomer, dies at 78
1909 Leopold II king of Belgium, dies
1914 Giovanni Sgambati composer, dies at 73
1918 Sidonio Pais prince of Portugal, murdered
1923 Giuseppi Gallignani composer, dies at 72
1926 Theo van Rysselberghe Belgian painter (pointillism), dies at 64
1928 Theodore Roberts actor (Roaring Road, 10 Commandments), dies at 77
1935 Stanley G Weinbaum US, sci-fi writer (Martian Odyssey), dies
1938 Marie Emmanuel French composer/musicologist (Salamine), dies at 76
1939 Helene Kröller-Müller Dutch museum founder, dies at 70
1942 Eduard C "Edo" Fimmen Dutch trade union leader, dies at 61
1945 Josef Kramer known as "beast of Belsen", & 10 others hanged for crimes committed at the Belsen and Oswiecim Nazi concentration camps
1945 Constantino Gaito composer, dies at 67
1945 Forrester Harvey actor (Tarzan & Mate, Chump at Oxford), dies at 61
1945 Henry van Goudoever Dutch lawyer/judge, dies on his 69th birthday
1947 Franz Zorell German Roman Catholic lexicographer, dies at 84
1947 Stanley Baldwin English premier (1923, 24-29, 35-37), dies at 80
1948 Reginald Owen Morris composer, dies at 62
1950 Albrecht Schaeffer German writer (Heroische Fahrt), dies at 65
1952 Olav Fartein Vålen Norwegian composer, dies at 65
1959 Maria EG "Lizzy" Ansingh Dutch painter (Cast Off), dies at 84
1960 Gregory Ratoff actor (Skyscraper Souls), dies of leukemia at 63
1963 Dinah Washington singer, dies of sleeping pill overdose at 39
1963 Erich Ollenhauer German politician (SPD), dies at 62
1964 William Bendix actor (Life of Riley), dies in Los Angeles at 58
1965 Hermann Sandby composer, dies at 84
1966 Verna Felton actress (Hilda-December Bride), dies at 76
1966 Emma Dunn actress (You Can't Fool Your Wife), dies at 91
1966 Richard Whorf actor (Chain Lightning), dies of heart attack at 60
1973 Yitzhak Edel composer, dies at 77
1974 Walter Lippmann US journalist (One of Dynasty), dies at 85
1975 Arthur Treacher TV announcer (Merv Griffin Show), dies at 81
1979 Nirode Ranjan Chowdhury cricketer (2 Tests for India, average 205), dies
1980 Elston Howard MVP catcher (New York Yankees), dies at 59
1984 Vicente Aleixandre Spanish poet (Historia del corazón), dies at 86
1985 Roger Maris homerun hitter (61 in 61, New York Yankees), dies of cancer at 51
1985 Stanley G[rauman] Weinbaum US, sci-fi author (Red Peri), dies at 85
1987 Paul Clinton Sundberg actor (Belle of New York, Easter Parade), dies
1989 Andrei D Sakharov Soviet Physicist/Dissident/1975 Nobel peace prize winner, dies in Moscow at 68
1989 Jock Mahoney actor (Dallas, Cow Town, Range Rider), dies at 70
1989 Lee Van Cleef actor (Good Bad & Ugly, Sabata), dies at 64
1990 F Dürrenmatt writer, dies at 69
1990 Hope Sansberry actress (Rats are Coming), dies at 94
1990 Johannes von Thurn und Taxis prince in Germany, dies at 64
1991 John Arlott cricketer (the greatest of cricket commentators), dies
1991 Robert Eddison British actor (Uncle Silas), dies at 83
1993 Myrna Loy [Williams] actress (Thin Man, Vanity Fair), dies at 88
1994 Mary Ann McCall singer, dies at 75
1994 Petrus van Doorne bus manufacturer/owner (BOVA), dies at 58
1995 Don Anthony bandleader/songwriter, dies at 85
1995 Eric Brown architect, dies at 84
1995 Rob Harris sky surfer, dies while skydiving at 28
1996 Alan Hargreaves climber, dies at 92
1996 Norman Hackforth broadcaster, dies at 88
1997 Owen Barfield philosopher of language, dies at 99
1997 Robert Sutton electronics engineer, dies at 82
1997 Stubby Kaye actor (Guys & Dolls, Sweet Charity), dies at 79

---

On this day...
0644 Osman ibn Affan appointed 3rd kalief of islam
0867 Adrian II begins his reign as Catholic Pope
0872 John VIII begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1124 Theobald Buccapecus elected Pope Coelestinus II (he refuses)
1287 Zuider Zee seawall collapses with loss of 50,000 lives
1490 Anna van Bretagne marries a proxy Maximilian of Austria
1575 Polish Parliament selects István Báthory as king of Poland
1582 Zealand/Brabant Netherlands adopt Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is 12/25
1600 Olivier van Noort sinks Sp galleon San Diego at Bay of Manila, 350 die
1656 Artificial pearls 1st manufactured by M Jacquin in Paris made of gypsum pellets covered with fish scales
1708 Prosper Jolyot's "Electre" premieres in Paris
1774 Massachusetts militiamen successfully attacked arsenal of Fort William & Mary
1782 Charleston SC evacuated by British
1793 1st state road authorized, Frankfort KY to Cincinnati OH
1798 David Wilkinson of Rhode Island patents a nut & bolt machine
1819 Alabama admitted to the Union as the 22nd state
1825 Decembrist uprising in Russia against Tsar Nicholas I begins
1849 1st chamber music group in US gives their 1st concert (Boston)
1863 Battle of Bean's Station-Confederacy repulses Union in Tennessee
1882 Henry Morton Stanley returns to Brussels from the Congo
1889 American Academy of Political & Social Science organized, Philadelphia
1894 Day One 1st Test Cricket Australia vs England Australia 5-346 (Giffen 161, Gregory 85)
1894 Test Cricket debut of Joe Darling, Ernie Jones, Archie MacLaren
1901 1st table tennis tournament is held at the London Royal Aquarium
1903 Reg Foster completes 287 England vs Australia on Test Cricket debut
1911 South Pole 1st reached, by Norwegian Roald Amundsen
1913 Greece formally takes possession of Crete
1915 Jack Johnson is 1st black world heavyweight boxing champion
1917 UFA, "Universal Film AG", forms in Germany
1918 Giacomo Puccini's opera "Il Trittico" premieres in New York NY
1920 Heavyweight Jack Dempsey KOs Bill Brennan in 12 for heavyweight boxing title in New York NY
1923 Gerard K "Simon" van het Reve, Dutch writer (Evenings)
1924 Chiang Kai-shek occupies Hankou
1924 Respighi's symphony "Pini di Roma" premieres in Paris
1926 Danish Madsen government, forms
1927 Iraq gains independence from Britain, but British troops remain
1928 2nd Test Cricket Australia vs England starts with Bradman 12th man
1929 Alexander Zaimis elected President of Greece
1930 New York Giants defeat Notre Dame 22-0 in a charity game
1931 1st assembly of Anton Musserts NSB in Utrecht
1932 French government of Herriot falls
1933 Josephine Baker performs in Amsterdam
1934 1st streamlined steam locomotive introduced (Albany NY)
1935 Test Cricket debut of "Chuck" Fleetwood-Smith vs South Africa, Durban
1937 Japanese troops conquer/plunder Nanjing
1938 American League permits Cleveland & Philadelphia to play night games
1938 Major leagues agree on standard ball
1938 Major leagues disagree on increasing rosters from 23 to 25
1938 Will Harridge is elected to a 10-year-term as American League president
1939 Soviet Union attacks Finland - League of Nations drops Soviet Union
1941 1st NFL division playoff, Bears beat Packers 33-14
1941 Premier Winston Churchill travels to US on board HMS Duke of York
1941 U-557 torpedoes British cruiser Galatea
1944 Congress establishes rank of General of the Army (5-star General)
1944 Begin(ning) Liese-Aktion: werving of labor force for Germany
1944 German occupiers forbid use of electricity in parts of Holland
1945 Elmer Rice's "Dream Girl" premieres in New York NY
1946 Togo is made a trusteeship territory of the UN
1946 UN General Assembly votes to establish UN HQs in New York NY
1946 "Three to Make Ready" closes at Adelphi Theater NYC after 323 performances
1947 Cleveland Browns beat New York Yankees 14-3 in AAFC championship game
1950 UN General Assembly establishes High Commissioner for Refugees (Nobel 1954)
1950 "Bless You All" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 84 performances
1950 Baseball owners choose Lou Perini (Braves), Phil Wrigley (Cubs), Del Webb (Yankees), & Ellis Ryan (Indians) to select new commissioner
1952 KROD (now KDBC) TV channel 4 in El Paso TX (CBS) begins broadcasting
1952 R H Shodhan scores 110 on Test Cricket debut vs Pakistan, Calcutta
1952 Uprising of captives in Pongam South Korea, 82 die
1953 Brooklyn Dodgers sign pitcher Sandy Koufax
1954 WOAY TV channel 4 in Oak Hill-Beckley WV (ABC) begins broadcasting
1955 Dutch Reformed Church condemns woman/wife as vicar
1955 Tappan Zee Bridge in New York opens to traffic
1956 Paul-Henri Spaak appointed Secretary-General of NATO
1957 "Most Happy Fella" closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 678 performances
1957 "Rumple" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 45 performances
1959 J B Jordan in F-104C sets world altitude record, 31,513 meters
1959 Archbishop Makarios proclaimed President of Cyprus
1960 Australia vs West Indies 1st Test Cricket at the Gabba ends in a tie
1960 Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) forms
1960 Washington Senators joins American League
1961 Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John" is 1st country song to get a gold record
1962 Mariner 2 launched, makes 1st US visit to another planet (Venus)
1962 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1963 Verne Gagne beats The Crusher in Minneapolis, to become NWA champion
1964 Michael Brown meets Rene Fladen, then writes "Walk Away Rene"
1965 "La Grusse Valise" opens at 54th St Theater NYC for 7 performances
1967 DNA created in a test tube
1969 "La Strada" opens/closes at Lunt Fontanne NYC for 1 performance
1969 Bishen Bedi takes 7-98 (career-best) vs Australia at Calcutta
1969 Jackson Five made their 1st appearance on "Ed Sullivan Show"
1971 Golden Gate Bridge lights out all night due to power failure
1971 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1972 Eugene Cernan & Harrison Schmitt leave the Moon
1972 Willy Brandt re-elected West German chancellor
1974 Islander Glenn Resch's 1st shut-out opponent-Kings 3-0
1974 Viv Richards scores 1st Test Cricket ton 192 vs India 20 fours 6 sixes
1975 6 South Moluccan terrorists surrender, holding 23 hostages for 12 days
1975 WCPR (Brooklyn NY pirate radio station) begins broadcasting on 1620 AM
1975 "Treemonisha" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 64 performances
1976 Dutch 1st Chamber condemns Dutch Liberal/social-democratic abortion laws
1977 Egypt & Israel representatives gather in Cairo for 1st formal peace conference
1977 "Saturday Night Fever", starring John Travolta, premieres in New York NY
1977 Red Sox trade Fergie Jenkins to Rangers for John Poloni & cash
1977 Test Cricket debut of Abdul Qadir, vs England at Lahore
1977 War criminal Pieter Menten sentenced in Amsterdam to 15 years
1978 "Ballroom" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 116 performances
1978 China People's Republic performs nuclear test at Lop Nor People's Rebublic of China
1978 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1979 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1980 Anders Kailur scores on 6th Islander penalty shot
1980 At 2 PM EST there is 10 minutes of silence in memory of John Lennon
1980 New Orleans Saints end 14 game losing streak, beat New York Jets 21-20
1980 "Onward Victoria" opens/closes at Martin Beck NYC for 1 performance
1980 Minnesota Vikings pass for 456 yards against Cleveland Browns, winning 28-24
1980 Nancy Lopez/Curtis Strange win LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic
1980 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1981 Israel annexes Golan Heights (seized from Syria in war of 1967)
1982 Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles CA, becomes 9th NHLer to score 500 goals
1983 "Peg" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC for 5 performances
1984 Howard Cosell retires from Monday Night Football
1985 US Foreign Minister George Shultz arrives in West Berlin
1986 Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, takes off from Edwards AFB, California on 1st non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world
1987 Allan Border scores 205 vs New Zealand to become Australia's top rungetter
1987 Chrysler pleads no contest to selling driven vehicles as new
1988 CBS' $1.1 B bid wins exclusive 1990-94 major-league baseball rights
1988 NBA's Miami Heat wins 1st game ever, 89-88 (Clippers), after 17 losses
1988 Spanish general strike to protest austerity measures
1988 US agrees to talk to Palestine Liberation Organization (1st time in 13 years)
1990 Right to Die case permits Nancy Cruzan to have her feeding tube removed, she dies 12 days later
1990 Louis Jordan's revue "Five Guys Named Moe" premieres in London
1991 57th Heisman Trophy Award: Desmond Howard, Michigan (WR)
1991 Ferry boat Salem Express sinks in Red Sea, 476 killed
1992 Lennox Lewis given WBC title, when Riddick Bowe refuses to fight him
1993 Moslem fundamentalists murder 12 Kroates/Bosnians in Algeria
1995 "Les Miserables" opens at Cable Hall, Helsinki
1995 AIDS patient Jeff Getty recieves baboon bone marrow transplant
1996 12th Soap Opera Digest Awards
1996 62nd Heisman Trophy Award: Danny Wuerffel, Florida (QB)
1997 "View From the Bridge" opens at Criterion Theater NYC
1997 Diners Club Senior Golf Match
1997 Juli Inkster & Dottie Pepper win LPGA Diners Club Matches
1997 Phoenix Coyote Mike Gartner is 5th NHLer to score 700 goals

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Alabama : Admission Day (1819)
El Salvador : Revolution Day
Iran : Death of Iman Ja'far Sadeq Day
Turkey : Festival of Mevlana-Jelaeddin Rumi (Whirling Dervishes)
World : Halcyon Days

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Religious Observances
Lutheran : Commemoration of Teresa of Avila
Roman Catholic, Lutheran : Memorial of St Spyridon
Roman Catholic, Lutheran : Feast of John of the Cross, priest/doctor

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Religious History
1363 Birth of Jean Charlier de Gerson, French theologian. During the papal schism of 1378_1414, Gerson attended the councils of Pisa (1409) and Constance (1414_18). He spent his last years in a monastery at Lyons teaching children, composing hymns and writing books on Christian mysticism.
l836 Birth of Frances Ridley Havergal, English devotional writer. In frail health most of her life, Miss Havergal was nevertheless a fruitful writer, and authored such hymns as "Take My Life and Let It Be," "Who is on the Lord's Side?" and "I Gave My Life for Thee."
1922 "Toc H" (the British alphabetic letter abbreviation for "Talbot House") was chartered. A Christian fellowship which originated in 1915 in Belgium under Anglican chaplain P.T.B. Clayton, M.C., its various branches minister through a variety of Christian social services.
1955 Catholic religious leader, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, 60, was quoted in "Look" magazine on this date as stating that 'an atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.'
1981 The modern nation of Israel formally annexed the Golan Heights, which had been captured from Syria during the 1967 War.

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Thought for the day :
" If your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt. "

[Valin]

Thanks for this. It's not like this 1, ONE, a single item, solitary, Cross is going to endanger the republic.
I seem to recall the first amendment saying something about the free exercise of religion.

[Alberta's Child]

Thanks for the ping, AntiJen.

And thanks for the heads-up on the Veterans' Memorial Cross, Sam.

[Fiddlstix]

Be sure and
Click the Pics
J

Click Here for Christmas Graphics J

[MistyCA]

Thank you for this today! Good heavens! What is wrong with people! I am so disappointed in human nature sometimes. We need to all erect crosses on our front lawns and just wait for them to come and take them down! It's pure idiocy!

[MistyCA]

Thank you Tonk. And thanks for the mail link and article.