The FReeper Foxhole Remembers When Hollywood Went to War (1942-1945) - Apr. 15th, 2003

E Online ^ | April 2, 2003 | Tom Johnson

[SAMWolf]

Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home ...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

Author Unknown

.

FReepers from the USO Canteen, The Foxhole, and The Poetry Branch
join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time.

.

.................................................................................................................................

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Patriots, Pacifists and Pinups:
Once Upon a Time, Tinseltown Marched Lockstep into Battle

When Michael Moore delivered his now infamous anti-war, anti-Bush proclamation from the Oscars podium, it was difficult to discern the cheers from the jeers. Hollywood, like much of the nation, is divided over the war in Iraq.

But in 1942, it was a different time.

Clark Gable on far right

The Second World War, perhaps more than at any other time in the country's history, found Americans in perfect agreement about a war: This was a black-and-white battle between good and evil. For those who weren't sure that Hitler and his Axis minions were a problem for this country, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor convinced them. The fight was on.

And like the rest of the country, Hollywood pitched in. Stars and the rest of the Hollywood community raised money or joined the service or entertained the troops. Though known as a place of big egos and massive self-involvement, the whole of the Industry seemed to be focused on one goal: Help beat the Nazis and their Fascist buddies by doing whatever you could. And as you'll see, Hollywood could do plenty.


French officer presents Col. Jimmy Stewart with the Corps de Guerre with palm for valor in battle.

Still, real life isn't like a movie. Like millions across the theaters of war, some lost their lives. Others fought against the countries of their birth. Some even found themselves ostracized for holding unpopular beliefs.

It was a different time, indeed.

Bonds Away!


Gov. Dwight Griswold presents Abbott and Costello with an ear of corn as a memento of their trip to Nebraska to help sell war bonds.

In one of the first acts of support, the likes of Mickey Rooney, James Cagney, Harpo Marx, Fred Astaire and Judy Garland crisscrossed the nation selling war bonds, raising millions of dollars for the war effort. It was during one such drive that the beautiful screwball comedian Carole Lombard, wife of Clark Gable, died in a plane crash. Lombard, who had just raised $2.5 million for the cause, had also starred in an anti-Nazi film, the hilarious To Be or Not to Be, with Jack Benny. When she died, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt eulogized her, saying, "She gave unselfishly of time and talent to serve her government in peace and war."

Sorry, Charlie



During the First World War, Charlie Chaplin, at the height of his fame as the Little Tramp, helped raise millions selling war bonds to support U.S. and British troops. But perhaps his more lasting wartime achievement--or at least best remembered one--is a film that spoofed the rise of Adolf Hitler (who was rumored to have patterned his own Tramp-like mustache after Chaplin). In The Great Dictator, released in 1940, Chaplin returns the favor, ranting and raving as psychotic leader Adenoid Hynkel, as well as playing another role as a gentle Jewish barber who gets mistaken for the crazed tyrant. The film was not a huge success, and Chaplin later said had he known the magnitude of Hitler's crimes he wouldn't have joked about them.

Treasured Chests

In another time, perhaps Pamela Anderson might have gotten this honor. But during World War II, the inflatable yellow life vests used by American and British pilots were nicknamed Mae Wests, in honor of the chesty comedienne. The vest, which used inflation hoses, straps and cylinders of CO2 to puff up into flotation devices, saved many pilots who had to bail out over water.

Rearview Miracle



What better way to console homesick GIs than with pictures of pretty women? (Okay, there are other ways, but we aren't going to talk about those...) Betty Grable probably wasn't the biggest star in Hollywood, but she was easily the most popular pinup girl of WWII. Her rearview swimsuit shot, in which she smiled invitingly over her shoulder for the benefit of the fighting men, was tacked up on barracks walls in war zones all over the world. Beauties like Rita Hayworth and Alice Faye could only come in a distant second in the battle to make GI hearts thump the loudest.

Big Band of Brothers


Glenn Miller

The entertainment community has sometimes found novel ways to support the current military effort. Two of the most popular musicians of the World War II era--big band leaders Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw--joined the service and led bands, while many other artists recorded V-Discs, recordings made especially for the troops. So in demand were they that Miller's band played 800 performances in a single year. He died in 1944, when his plane went down over the English Channel. No trace of the plane or Miller was ever found.

Murphy's Raw


Audie Murphy

An underage, undersize, baby-faced farm boy with only five years of schooling, Audie Murphy became the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, winning every citation for bravery the U.S. had to offer, including the Congressional Medal of Honor. Spending more than a year on the front lines in Europe, Murphy was credited with killing more than 240 German soldiers and capturing many others. His appearance in Life magazine attracted the attention of James Cagney, who brought the soldier out to Hollywood. Murphy starred in a series of B westerns and The Red Badge of Courage (where it was claimed he had trouble playing his character's moments of cowardice) and played himself in the autobiographical film To Hell and Back. A humble man who suffered from a gambling problem and post-traumatic stress disorder in the years after the war, Murphy died in a plane crash in 1971.

[SAMWolf]

Really Good Germans


Marlene Dietrich

These days, Marlene Dietrich is best remembered as the inspiration for several of Madonna's more salacious personas. But during WWII, Dietrich--a German who had renounced her country following the rise of the Nazis and rejected Hitler's request that she return--became an ardent and fearless supporter of the Allied Forces, performing hundreds of times for the troops as near the war zone as she could get. Actor Conrad Veidt, who played the weaselly Nazi Major Strasser in Casablanca, was--in reality--a German gentile who felt empathy for persecuted Jews. After making a film called The Wandering Jew, the Nazis denounced Veidt and banned his films. He never returned to his homeland.

They Really Wanted to Direct


Frank Capra

Hollywood directors Preston Sturges, George Stevens and Frank Capra were perfect choices for the U.S. military's field photographic units. After all, who knew more about making movies than Hollywood? One of the best, Frank Capra's Why We Fight series of propaganda films, was particularly effective and led to Capra being awarded a Distinguished Service Medal by chief of staff George C. Marshall. John Ford was wounded filming aboard ship during the Battle of Midway and received a Purple Heart. Later turned into a feature film, William Wyler's documentary Memphis Belle told the story of a B-17's last bombing mission. And director George Stevens--who would later film the James Dean epic Giant--traveled all over Europe with the American Army and was there to film the horrors of Dachau. Sam Fuller saw years of action in North Africa, Sicily, France and Germany and later directed an autobiographical film about his military odyssey called The Big Red One. Director John Huston flew in combat and also made several documentaries, including The Battle of San Pietro, which was so graphic in its depiction of combat it was initially censored by the military.

Hedy Achievements


Hedy Lamarr

Following the outbreak of World War II, actress Hedy Lamarr, an Austrian-born actress who despised the Nazis, collaborated with experimental music pioneer George Antheil on an invention for radio-controlled torpedoes. Lamarr, who never even attended college, had picked up some useful knowledge while married to a German arms dealer, whom she ditched--by drugging her maid and slipping away in her uniform--after he became involved with the Nazis. Her invention was so revolutionary it's the basis for modern mobile telecommunications. Not bad for an actress most famous for her nude scene--cinema's first!--in the film Ecstasy. She also raised $7 million in war bonds for the Allied effort, largely by selling kisses.

Stars in Bars

Wondering what they could do to support the troops, actors John Garfield and Bette Davis came up with the idea for a nightclub that would raise money for the war and cater to the servicemen passing through Hollywood. Opened in 1942 in a former stable just off Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood Canteen was an immediate success, raising more than $10,000 the first night. Such stars as Abbott & Costello, the Andrews Sisters and Danny Kaye took turns working at the club, as did Hollywood beauties Paulette Goddard, Ann Sheridan and Linda Darnell. In 1944, a star-studded musical--called, appropriately, Hollywood Canteen--was filmed on location. With profits from the film and other efforts, Canteen honcho Jules Stein raised so much money there was still a half million dollars left by the end of the war, which was used to set up a foundation to support the armed forces.

No Wayne



Although the former college footballer never served in the armed forces offscreen--a subject his detractors have not forgotten--John Wayne did volunteer three times for active duty in World War II, in the army, navy and as a member of John Ford's field photographic unit. Classified 4-F due to chronic back pain suffered during a youthful surfing accident (and further aggravated by 10 years of doing his own movie stunts), Wayne was rejected every time. In his first Oscar-nominated role, The Sands of Iwo Jima, Wayne leads his fellow marines through battle to watch the flag be raised on Mt. Suribachi.

Pacifists of Fury


Lew Ayres

Actor Lew Ayres, the star of the 1930 antiwar film All Quiet on the Western Front, was so affected by the film's message he became a conscientious objector during WWII. That act got him dropped by his studio and caused some theaters to ban his films. Ayres served in the Medical Corps and as a chaplain's aid in the South Pacific, where he saw action and, in later years, slowly got work again.

Uneasy Peace


Harold Russel, Dana Andrews, Fredric March

One of the most moving films to come out of World War II wasn't even about the struggles of the battlefield. The Best Years of Our Lives follows three returning veterans and their attempts to readjust to civilian life. The movie won seven Oscars, including two for double amputee Harold Russell, the only actor in Oscar history to win two awards for the same film. (One was the Best Supporting Actor statuette and the other a special Oscar for bringing hope and courage to disabled veterans.) The story was all upbeat, though. In 1992, when his wife was dying, Russell decided to put his Supporting Actor statuette on the block. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tried to keep Russell from selling the award, but he ultimately auctioned it for $60,000. The actor died last year at the age of 88.

Stars in the Sky


After training in Kearney, Nebraska, Clark Gable was stationed in Europe. In May, 1943, he flew this mission to Antwerp, Belgium. Gable flew as photographer/observer on this mission. William R. Calhoun was the pilot and Lt. Col. William A. Hatcher was copilot.

Jimmy Stewart was the first Hollywood celeb to enter the service for World War II. Though initially refused entry into the air force because he was underweight, Stewart talked the recruitment officer into admitting him. He would fly 20 combat missions and command a squadron, eventually earning the rank of colonel, as well as the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Croix de Guerre and seven battle stars. After the war, Stewart continued in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and became a brigadier general, the highest-ranking entertainer in the American military. After the death of his wife, Clark Gable enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a 41-year-old lowly private (though a private that had his uniforms tailored by the MGM costume department). During his tour of duty, Gable filmed German military installations for U.S. Army Intelligence, which led field marshal Hermann Goering to put a price on his head. It was never collected.

Hope He's Funny



With the fundraising help of Prescott Bush, father of the 41st president of the United States and grandfather of current president George W. Bush, the USO became a vital morale booster by providing servicemen with entertainment during World War II. No entertainer is more associated with the USO than Bob Hope, who first appeared with the USO in 1942 and spent the following decades entertaining U.S. servicemen and women around the globe. In 1997, by act of Congress, Hope was made an "honorary veteran." Upon receiving the award, he said: "I've been given many awards in my lifetime, but to be numbered among the men and women I admire most is the greatest honor I have ever received."

[SAMWolf]

Hollywood War?

Hollywood’s position on the war against Iraq has always been partisan and hypocritical. For instance, singer Sheryl Crow is currently bemoaning the “karmic retributions” that apparently result from any military conflict. Strangely enough, she had no such concerns in 1996, when she was entertaining U.S. troops sent to war in Bosnia by former President Bill Clinton. Back then, she “felt extremely patriotic.” Today, her website is selling a $12 tee-shirt that reads: “I don’t believe in your war, Mr. Bush!”

Even more infuriating than Hollywood’s hypocrisy is the contempt that many celebrities seem to have for their own fans, who are quickly tiring of the stars’ knee-jerk “limousine liberalism.” While America’s self-absorbed cultural elites are quick to champion their right to speak freely, they stubbornly refuse to accept the consequences of loudly advancing a point-of-view that the majority of Americans strongly oppose.

According to a poll conducted by “The Hollywood Reporter,” 44 percent of Americans would avoid the work of “a politically active celebrity with whom they disagree.” This poll merely indicates that many Americans have chosen to reserve their disposable income for those celebrities who don’t make a habit of directly attacking and belittling the beliefs of their fans. Some melodramatic Hollywood stars have pointed to this occurrence as undeniable proof that the dreaded “blacklists” of the McCarthy-era have returned. The Screen Actors’ Guild even issued a press release on the need to remain vigilant. But individuals holding loudmouthed celebrities accountable for their unpopular statements is hardly a “blacklist.” To call it that is an insult to the filmmakers whose careers were ruined and livelihoods destroyed by allegations that they were members of the Communist Party. While many celebrities seem to take great pride in their political activism, there is nothing even remotely courageous about the advancement of a liberal agenda in Hollywood. Like stale plots and contrived situations in Hollywood movies, it is something of a cliche. Still, some celebrities cling to the notion that they are the embodiment of moral courage, besieged on all sides because of the liberal positions that they promote.

“Actors such as Mike Farrell and Janeane Garofalo say both the right wing and the media are marginalizing the peace movement and smearing actor Sean Penn, who visited Iraq in December,” an article in “The Washington Times” said.

Forgetting the ideological make-up of her fan base, Dixie Chicks’ singer Natalie Maines said, in London, that the group was “ashamed” that President Bush came from their home state of Texas. (It’s interesting how courageous some celebrities get once they step off of American soil.) Their manager has blamed the ensuing fan reaction and radio station boycotts on “a radical right-wing” website.

Regardless of what these self-pitying celebrities would have you think, not a single one of them will be blacklisted or shunned by their peers for protesting a Republican administration’s decision to commit U.S. troops to battle. In Hollywood, the surest way to get oneself blacklisted is to be overheard expressing a conservative point-of-view on any issue.

That’s why you’ll never see liberal Democrats like Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson appearing in advertisements for National Right to Life, despite the fact that both men consider themselves pro-life. Even when Beatty entertained the idea of running for president and gave a political speech before an audience of celebrity friends, he never mentioned the abortion issue. When asked by online journalist Matt Drudge why he has not gone public with his opposition to abortion, Beatty said, “I can’t.”

Beatty has good reason to be scared. He has only to look at his “Town & Country” co-star Charlton Heston to see what happens when a Hollywood actor becomes too closely associated with conservative positions. Through the years, Heston has revealed himself to be a man of integrity and moral courage, both on screen and off. In the ‘60s, he marched for civil rights alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In the ‘90s, he took the floor at a Time-Warner stockholders’ meeting and read aloud excerpts from Ice-T’s “Cop Killer,” shaming the company into dropping the artist.

Heston could have easily slipped off into a self-imposed retirement, like many of the actors of his generation, content with being remembered for his unforgettable roles and classic films. But, his unwavering dedication to the principles that define him and his life-long commitment to freedom inspired him to seek the presidency of the National Rifle Association.

In a 1995 interview with “The San Francisco Chronicle,” Heston said that his advocacy of Second Amendment rights and his endorsement of conservative political candidates has not cost him any roles “because the casting choices are made on a dollars-and-sense basis.” Heston’s political convictions have undeniably earned him the enmity of liberal film reviewers and the downright hostility of some in the Hollywood film community.

According to Heston, his films have received “some ridiculously biased” reviews in recent years. “The outstanding example” was a review of “Treasure Island” that went out of its way to personally attack Heston for his politics. The review called his performance “over-the-top” and referred to him as “a paid shill of the NRA,” Heston said. Famous Hollywood actors and directors have also hopped aboard the Heston-trashing bandwagon. The most notable examples are actor George Clooney and director Spike Lee, two celebrities who unsuccessfully attempted to disguise their partisan hatred as humor.

A few years ago, at the MTV Movie Awards, George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg were about to announce the winner of the award for “Best Villain.” As what was apparently intended to be light-hearted banter, Wahlberg suggested that they forget about the nominees and, instead, give the award to Heston, simply for being the president of the NRA. Clooney whole-heartedly agreed.

Earlier this year, while accepting an award from the National Board of Review, Clooney mocked Heston’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease, telling the audience that “Charlton Heston announced again today that he is suffering from Alzheimer’s.” After having so cruelly insulted a dying man, whose sole offense was defending the U.S. Constitution, the unrepentant Clooney stubbornly rejected the opportunity to apologize. “I don’t care. Charlton Heston is the head of the National Rifle Association,” Clooney said. “He deserves whatever anyone says about him.”

In 1999, Spike Lee made his own unfunny joke at Heston’s expense. When asked how to solve America’s problem with violent crime, Lee suggested that Heston himself be shot “with a .44-caliber bulldog.” (In the same conversation, the outspoken director listed Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as one of the things he hated about New York City and declared that “we’ve got to dismantle the NRA.”)

It is extremely difficult to imagine that any of the celebrities currently protesting the war will be forced to endure as much scorn and hatred for their political views as Heston has. For that reason, it’s hard to take someone like Martin Sheen seriously when he complains to the press that NBC executives have “let it be known” to him that “they’re very uncomfortable” with his anti-war stance.

Sheen has been championing the same causes for decades. No one has ever suggested that someone shoot him “with a .44-caliber bulldog” and no one ever will.

Denis Grasska

Additional Sources:

scweb.sandiego.edu
www.playwinningpoker.com
www.nebraskastudies.org
www.bbc.co.uk
www.af.mil
www.wpafb.af.mil
www.wm.edu
history.acusd.edu
www-cgsc.army.mil
schwinger.harvard.edu
www.pbs.org
www.nwnews.com
www.uh.edu

[SAMWolf]

From the fall of France in June 1940 to the battle of Midway in June 1942, the Axis forces were winning World War II. Paris occupied, London bombed, Stalingrad under siege, Pearl Harbor sneak attacked... the Allies were losing the War.

Hollywood responded with some of the most political, most inspirational, and most dark films ever made. From A-list movies like So Proudly We Hail with Claudette Colbert and an impressively psychotic Veronica Lake, or Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, to B-movies with Lynn Bari and Preston Foster in Secret Agent of Japan, or Tarzan Triumphs even, Hollywood set out to not just win the War, but turn the tide of the War.

British films like Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's 49th Parallel and One of Our Aircraft is Missing, or Carol Reed's Night Train to Munich also faced the challenge of making cinema about losing that sought to motivate the viewers into winners. The styles, tricks, themes and other motivational devices in these came films came in many forms. The audience's heads, hearts and groins all were appealed to.

Here are ten of the best of the lesser-known "losing the War" films that did in fact do their part (and much more) in winning the War.

Wake Island, 1942.
Bataan, 1943.
Sahara, 1943.
Joan of Paris, 1942.
Went The Day Well, 1942.
Arise, My Love, 1940.
Man Hunt, 1941.
Saboteur, 1942.
Yankee Doodle Dandy, 1942.
Desperate Journey, 1942.

[SAMWolf]

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[SAMWolf]

[SAMWolf]

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[Valin]

On this Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on April 15:
1452 Leonardo da Vinci Italy, painter/sculptor/scientist/visionary
1469 Nanak 1st guru of Sikhs
1588 Claudius Salmasius [Claude Saumaise] French linguist
1637 Valentin Molitor composer
1651 Domenico Gabrielli composer
1682 John van Huysum Dutch painter (flowers/fruit)
1684 Catherine I empress of Russia (1725-27)
1688 Johann Friedrich Fasch composer
1689 Ferdinand Zellbell composer
1707 Leonhard Euler Bassle Sweden, mathematician (Euler's Constant)
1741 Charles Willson Peale US, port painter/inventor (George Washington)
1757 George Knowil Jackson composer
1766 Friedrich Bouterwek German philosopher/critic
1793 Friedrich Struve Germany, founded dynasty of astronomers
1800 Sir James Clark Ross explorer (British Antarctic)
1809 Hermann Günther Grassmann mathematician
1812 Pierre-Etienne-Theodore Rousseau painter
1814 John Lothrop Motley US, historian/author (Rise of the Dutch Republic)
1820 Evander McNair Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1902
1821 Emerson Brown Joseph (Confederacy), died in 1894
1822 Napolean Jackson Tecumseh Dana Major General (Union volunteers)
1827 Julius Tausch composer
1829 Mary Harris Thompson 1st American woman surgeon
1837 Horace Porter Brevet Brigadier General (Union Army), died in 1921
1843 Carl Eilhardt composer
1843 Henry James New York NY, US/British writer/critic (Turn of the Screw, Bostonians)
1845 Dave Gregory cricketer (Australia's 1st Test captainain)
1850 John Munroe Longyear US, capitalist/bank president
1856 Jean Moréas [Yannis Papadiamantopoulos], Greek/French poet
1858 Anton G O Ridder Van Rappard Dutch painter/lithographer/etcher
1858 Emile Durkheim French sociologist (Division du travail social)
1874 Johannes Stark Germany, physicist (Stark effect) (Nobel 1919)
1875 Klaziena "Ina" Boudier-Bakker Dutch playwright/novelist (Poverty)
1878 Robert Walser writer
1882 Giovanni Amendola Italian antifascist/editor-in-chief (Il Mondo)
1888 Florence Bates San Antonio TX, actress (Kismet, I Remember Mama)
1889 Asa Philip Randolph labor leader (Railroad Porter's Union)
1889 Thomas Hart Benton Neosho MO, painter/muralist (Lonesome Road)
1891 Alvin P[leasant Delaney] Carter Maces Springs VA, vocalist (Carter Family)
1891 Vaino Raitio composer
1891 Wallace Reid St Louis MO, actor/director/screenwriter (Every Inch a Man)
1894 Elizabeth Mae "Bessie" Smith Empress of Blues (over 200 songs)
1895 Corrado Alvaro Italian writer (Gente in Aspromonte)
1895 Harry F V Edward British Guiana, 100 meter/200 meter runner (Olympics-bronze-1920)
1897 Marian Jordan actress (Molly-Fibber McGee & Molly)
1898 Bessie Smith Empress of Blues (over 200 songs)
1898 Nini de Boël Flemish operette singer (White Horse)
19-- Art Ford New York NY, DJ (Art Ford Show)
19-- Derrel Maury Los Angeles CA, actor (Mario-Joanie Loves Chachi, Apple Pie)
19-- Rod McCary St Cloud MN, actor (Bobby-Harper Valley PTA)
1901 Joe Davis English snooker/billiards-world champion (1927-46)
1903 John Williams England, actor (Niles-Family Affair, Dial M for Murder)
1903 Erich Arendt German writer
1906 A J "Sandy" Bell South Africa cricket fast bowler (16 Tests 1929-35)
1906 Susan Walker vice CEO (WRVS)
1907 Gerald Abrahams Liverpool, author (Teach Yourself Chess)
1907 Nicholas Tinbergen Netherlands/British biologist/zoologist (Nobel 1973)
1908 Eden Ahbez songwriter
1908 Louise Chaplin actress
1910 Lord Grey of Naunton chancellor (Ulster University)
1911 Jacob Fresco Dutch architect (Antilles Brewery/Autonomy Monument)
1912 Kim II Sung President of North Korea (1945-94)
1912 Peter Menzies CEO (British Electricity Council)
1914 John Gregory dancer
1915 Ernest Borneman sexual researcher psychotherapist writer/musicologist
1917 Hans Conried Baltimore MD, actor (Bullwinkle Show, Make Room for Daddy)
1917 Pietro Grossi composer
1918 John Baragrey Haleyville AL, actor (Creeper, Colossus of New York)
1919 Clive Beadon airman
1919 Elizabeth Catelett sculptor/lithographer
1919 Meriol Trevor novelist/biographer (Civil Prisoners)
1920 Richard von Weizsäcker baron/President (Germany, 1984-94)
1921 Georgi Timofeyevich Beregovoi USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 3)
1921 Norman Ewart Thurston musician
1922 Harold Washington 1st black mayor of Chicago (D, 1983-87)
1922 Michael Ansara Lowell MA, actor (Cochise-Broken Arrow, Centennial)
1923 Douglas Wass CEO (Equity & Law Life Assurance Company)
1924 Neville Marriner Lincoln England, conductor (Minnesota Orchestra 1978)
1924 John Grigg British historian
1927 Abha Gandhi servant to Gandhi
1928 Norma Merrick Sklarek 1st black woman architect in New York & California
1928 Richard Evans British diplomat
1929 Adrian Cadbury candy manufacturer (Cadbury, Schweppes)
1929 Jocelyn Barrow deputy chair person (British Broadcast Standards)
1930 Vigdis Finnbogadóttir President of Iceland (1980- )
1930 Elijah Barayi head of South Africa union centre (COSATU)
1931 Florian Zabach Chicago IL, violinist (Hot Canary, Club Embassy)
1931 Kenneth Bloomfield BBC governor (Ireland)
1931 Tomas G Tranströmer Swedish psychologist/poet (Mörkerseende)
1932 David Bolton director (British Royal United Service for Defense)
1932 Nikolai Stepanovich Porvatkin Russian cosmonaut
1933 Elizabeth Montgomery Los Angeles CA, actress (Samantha/Serena-Bewitched)
1933 Roy Clark Meherrin VA, country singer (Hee Haw)
1933 Boris Strugatski USSR, sci-fi author (Tale of Troika)
1935 Gene Cherico bassist
1936 Hector Quintanar composer
1936 Jack Noreiga cricketer (9-95 West Indies vs India 1971)
1936 Maurice Shock rector (Lincoln College in Oxford)
1937 Earl Russell historian
1938 Carles Marsden professor (neurology)
1939 Claudia Cardinale Tunis, actress (Blindfold, 8½, Pink Panther)
1939 Marti Wilder father of rocker Kim Wilde
1940 Edy Hubacher Switzerland, 4-man bobsled (Olympics-gold-1972)
1940 Jeffrey Archer England, (Tory-Commons)/author (Matter of Honor)
1940 Phil Lesh Berkeley CA, bassist (Grateful Dead-Truckin')
1940 Robert Walker Jr New York NY, actor (Ceremony, Don Juan 73, Ensign Pulver)
1941 Howard L Berman (Representative-Democrat-CA, 1983- )
1942 Julie Sommars Fremont NE, actress (Governor & JJ, Herbie Goes to MC)
1942 Kim Il Jong son of North Korean President Kim Il Sung (1972-94)
1942 Walter Raphael Hazzard Wilmington DE, basketball (Olympics-gold-1964)
1943 Riem de Wolff Indonesian/Dutch singer/guitarist (Blue Diamonds)
1944 Dave Edmunds Cardiff Wales, singer/guitarist (Rockpile-Baby I Love You)
1944 Dzhokhar Dudayev separatist leader
1944 Gerard Schoenaker Dutch singer (Les Baroques)
1945 Jos F B van Rey Dutch MP (VVD)
1946 Wayne Gilchrest (Representative-Republican-MD)
1947 Michael DeBello singer (Maniac)
1947 Wooly Wolstenholme keyboardist/vocalist (Barclay James Harvest)
1947 Bojoura [Raina GB van Melzen] Dutch singer/wife of Hans Cleuver
1947 DeDe Lind Los Angeles CA, playmate (August 1967)
1947 Linda Bloodworth-Thomason TV producer (Designing Women, Murphy Brown)
1947 Mike Chapman Australian songwriter/producer (Chinn & Chapman)
1950 Amy Wright Chicago IL, actress (Inside Moves, Accidental Tourist)
1951 Hansel Cuba, Spanish personality
1951 Marsha S Ivins Baltimore MD, astronaut (STS 32, 46, 62, 81)
1951 Heloise II columnist (Heloise's Helpful Hints)
1951 John L Phillips Fort Belvoir VA, PhD/astronaut
1952 Sam McMurray actor (Tracey Ullman)
1954 Emmanuel México City México, Spanish singer
1955 Barbara Barrow LPGA golfer
1955 Enith Salle Brigitha Netherlands, 100 meter/200 meter swimmer (Olympics-bronze-1976)
1956 Michael Cooper NBA star (Los Angeles Lakers)
1956 Gregory J Harbaugh Cleveland OH, astronaut (STS 39, 54, 71, 82)
1957 Evelyn Ashford Shreveport LA, 100 meter runner (Olympics-4 gold-1976, 84)
1958 John Bracewell New Zealand cricketer (premiere spinner of 80's)
1958 Matt Reid rock keyboardist (Berlin-Takes Your Breathe Away)
1959 Emma Thompson Paddington London England, actress (Henry V, Howards End, Oscar-1992)
1959 Kevin Lowe Lachute, NHL defenseman (New York Rangers)
1960 Marvin Clyde Goodwin New Orleans LA, murderer (FBI Most Wanted List)
1960 Philip Belgian prince/husband of princess Paola
1961 Lynne Austin Plant City FL, playmate (July 1986)
1961 Tiina Lillak Finland, javelin thrower (Olympics-silver-1984)
1963 Manoj Prabhakar cricketer (Indian opening batsman & opening bowler)
1963 Teresa Wentzel DeWitt Fort Bragg NC, double trap (Olympics-1996)
1964 Lydie Denier St Nazaire France, actress (General Hospital, Blood Relation)
1964 Nadeem Abbasi cricketer (three Tests for Pakistan vs India 1989)
1965 Anthony Miller NFL wide receiver (Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys)
1965 Kevin Stevens Brockton, NHL left wing (Los Angeles Kings)
1965 Mark Dennis NFL tackle (Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers)
1965 Michele Redman Zanesville OH, LPGA golfer (1995 Star Bank-3rd)
1965 Soichi Noguchi Yokohama Japan, astronaut
1966 Andrei Olhovskiy Moscow Russia, tennis pro
1966 Graeme Clark bassist (Wet Wet Wet-Angel Eyes, Love is All Around)
1966 Samantha [Karen] Fox East End London England, singer (Touch Me, I Wanna Have Some Fun)
1967 Dara Torres Beverly Hills CA, US Olympic swimmer (Olympics-gold-84)
1967 Lance Zeno NFL/WLAF corner (Rams, Scottish Claymores)
1967 Mark Mortimer actor (Nick Hudson-Another World)
1967 Suzy Green Detroit MI, LPGA golfer (1995 Fieldcrest Cannon-26th)
1968 Billy Brewer Fort Worth TX, pitcher (New York Yankees)
1968 Stacey Williams Philadelphia PA, model (SI Swimsuit 1996)
1969 Chris Smith Indianapolis IN, Nike golfer (1993 British Columbia Open-8th)
1969 Jeromy Burnitz Westminster CA, outfielder (Cleveland Indians)
1969 Michael Jones NFL linebacker (Oakland Raiders, St Louis Rams)
1969 Phillippi Sparks NFL cornerback (New York Giants)
1970 Darrin Smith NFL linebacker (Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles)
1971 Craig Whelihan NFL quarterback (San Diego Chargers)
1971 Derek Brown NFL running back (New Orleans Saints)
1971 Guivi Sissaouri Tbilisi Georgia, Canada freestyle wrestler (Olympics-silver-96)
1971 Jason Sehorn NFL cornerback/safety (New York Giants)
1971 Rich McKenzie NFL linebacker (Cleveland Browns)
1971 Tim Tindale NFL running back (Buffalo Bills)
1972 Peter Billingsley New York NY, actor (Real People)
1972 Melvin Johnson NFL safety (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
1972 Ricky Otero Vega Baja Puerto Rico, outfielder (Philadelphia Phillies)
1972 Ronald Cherry NFL tackle (Detroit Lions)
1972 Vickie Johnson WNBA guard/forward (New York Liberty)
1973 Jeremy Burkett NFL/WLAF tight end (New York Giants, Barcelona Dragons)
1974 Marena Bencomo Miss Universe-2nd place (Venezuela, 1997)
1974 Mike Quinn quarterback (Pittsburgh Steelers)
1974 Sergei Krivokrasov Angarsk Russia, NHL right wing (Blackhawks, Olympics-silver-98)
1977 Lisa Bell Rockford IL, figure skater (1997 Midwestern Senior Champion)
1982 Mark Pugh rocker (Another Bad Creation)
1982 Mark Mizzark [Marlis Pugh], Akron OH, rapper (Another Bad Creation)

---

Deaths which occurred on April 15:
1220 Adolf I archbishop of Cologne, dies
1415 Manuel Chrysoloras Byzantine leader/diplomat (Erotèmata), dies
1472 Leon B Alberti Italian humanist/architect (Philodoxis), dies at 68
1502 Jan IV Chalon prince of Orange, dies
1605 Boris Godunov tsar of Russia (1598-1605), dies
1607 Cornelius Kilianus Flemish translator/poet, dies at about 78
1610 Johan van Duivenoorde mister of Warmond, dies at about 62
1659 Simon Dach German poet, dies
1719 Johann Friedrich Treiber composer, dies at 76
1756 Johann Gottlieb Goldberg composer, dies at 29
1764 Jeanne-Antoinette-Poison LeNormant d'Etoiles Marquis de Pomador, dies
1765 Michail von Lomonosov Russian scholar/poet, dies at 53
1772 Karel Jozef ruler of Batthyányi, dies at 73
1788 Giuseppi Bonno composer, dies at 77
1811 Ernest Louis Muller composer, dies at 70
1824 Theodorus F van Capellen Vice-Admiral (Algiers), dies at 61
1853 Johann Leopold Fuchs composer, dies at 67
1863 Jan Nepomuk Kanka composer, dies at 90
1865 President Abraham Lincoln dies, at 7:22 am, morning after being shot by John Wilkes Booth
1866 William Jackson composer, dies at 51
1888 Matthew Arnold English poet, dies at 65
1891 Stephen Albert Emery composer, dies at 49
1911 Georg Knorr German engineer, dies
1916 Alfred Cogniaux Belgian botanist, dies at 75
1920 Jacob van Stolk Azn art collector, dies at 74
1924 Eduardo Caudella composer, dies at 82
1925 John Singer Sargent US portrait painter, dies at 69
1926 Frank Iredale cricketer (14 Tests for Australia, 807 runs at 36 68), dies
1927 Francesco Gaeta Italian poet (Di Giacomo), dies at 47
1929 Antonio Smareglia composer, dies at 74
1937 Nikolai Artzibushev composer, dies at 79
1938 César Vallejo Peru/French poet (Trilce, Russia & 1931), dies at 46
1942 Robert Musil Austrian writer (Mann ohne Eigenschaften), dies at 61
1943 Raffaele Casimiro Casimiri composer, dies at 62
1947 Wolstenholme rocker, dies
1949 Wallace Beery US actor (The Champ), dies at 64
1954 Juan Vicente Lecuna composer, dies at 54
1956 Emile Nolde [Hansen] German painter (Grablegung Christi), dies at 88
1958 Estelle Taylor dies at 64
1962 Clara Blandick committed suicide at 80
1962 Esther Minciotti dies at 74
1965 Syd Chaplin dies at 80
1966 Joseph Crehan dies of stroke at 81
1967 Antonio de Curtis Toto comedian, dies of heart attack at 69
1968 Boris Nikolayevich Lyatoshynsky composer, dies at 73
1969 Victoria von Battenberg wife of Spanish king Alfonso, dies at 81
1972 Otto Brenner German trade union leader, dies at 64
1975 Richard Conte actor (Four Just Men, Jean Arthur Show), dies at 65
1975 Charles Marshall dies
1975 John B McKay US test pilot (X-15), dies
1976 Gerald Smith antisemite/catholic (National Christian Crusade), dies at 78
1980 Jean-Paul Sartre existentialist philosopher (Nobel 1964), dies in Paris at 74
1980 Marshall Reed actor (Fred Asher-Lineup), dies at 62
1980 Paul Langton actor (Leslie-Peyton Place), dies at 76
1980 Raymond Bailey actor (Mr Drysdale-Beverly Hillbillies), dies at 75
1981 French Duynstee Dutch states rights leader, dies at 67
1982 5 Muslim extremist murderers of Egyptian President Sadat executed
1982 Arthur Lowe British actor (Captain Mainwaring in Dad's army), dies at 66
1982 Louis M de Guiringaud Fren forgn minister (1976-78), commits suicide at 70
1983 Rodolfo Hoyos actor (Luis-Viva Valdez), dies at 68
1983 Gyula Illyes Hungarian writer/poet (Az Ismertlen Illyes), dies at 80
1984 Tommy Cooper comedian, dies at 61
1986 Tim McIntire actor (Bob Younger-Legend of Jesse James), dies at 42
1986 Jean Genet French criminal/novelist/dramatist, dies at 75
1986 Sergei Nikolayevich Anokhin cosmonaut, dies at 76
1988 Hendrikus G "Han" Hoekstra Dutch poet (Zandloper), dies at 81
1988 Kenneth Williams dies at 61
1989 Hu Yaobang General Secretary of Chinese Commnist Party, dies
1989 Charles Vanel dies at 96
1990 Greta Garbo actress (Anna Karenina, Camille), dies at 84
1991 Marjorie Warfield dies at 88
1991 Martin Ashe dies
1993 George Ives dies at 111
1993 H H "Bull" Alexander cricketer (Test for Australia 1933, average 154), dies
1993 Leslie Charteris British mystery writer (Saint), dies at 85
1993 William Bakewell dies of leukemia at 84
1994 John Curry English figure skater (Olympics-gold-76), dies of AIDS at 44
1995 Cleo Brown pianist, dies at 91
1995 Denis Harding soldier, dies at 79
1997 Sam Moskowitz San Francisco fandom historian, dies at 76
1997 Zdenek Mlynar Secretary of Czechoslovakian Communist Central Committee (1968), dies

---

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 ZERBE MICHAEL R. JULIAN CA.

1968 METZ JAMES H. POPLAR BLUFF MO.
03/18/77 SRV RETURNED REMAINS TO PCOM

1970 BIVENS HERNDON A. JAMICA NY.
DIED 2 HOURS AFTER CAPTURE

1970 MILLER ROGER A. HOPEWELL JUNCTION NY.
03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG INJURED ALIVE IN 98

1972 DESPIEGLER GALE A. BROWNS VALLEY MN.
03/28/73 RELEASED BY DRV ALIVE IN 98

1972 TRIMBLE LARRY A. FARMINGTON WA.
REMAINS RETURNED 06/89 ID 09/89


POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by the
P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

---

On this day...
0069 Battle at Bedriacum, North-Italy
1205 Battle at Adrianople Bulgaria beats Emperor Boudouin of Constantinople
1250 Pope Innoncent III refuses Jews of Cordova Spain to build a synagogue
1450 French defeat English at Battle of Formigny in 100 Years' War
1493 Columbus meets with King Ferdinand & Queen Isabella
1581 Cortes van Thomar accepts Philip II as king of Portugal
1594 Fleming Pieter Stevens appointed royal painter of Rudolf II (Prague)
1595 Willem I's daughter of Elisabeth of Nassau marries duke Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne of Broth
1621 Hugo the Great arrives in France
1632 Swedish & Saxon army beat Earl Tilly
1654 England & Netherlands signs peace treaty
1689 French king Louis XIV declares war on Spain
1697 Charles XII succeeds Charles XI as King of Sweden
1715 Uprising of Yamasse-Indians in South Carolina
1716 Russian & Prussian troops occupy Wismar
1729 Johann S Bachs "Matthäus Passion" premieres in Leipzig
1738 Bottle opener invented
1776 Duchess of Kingston found guilty of bigamy
1784 1st balloon flight in Ireland
1788 England, Netherlands & Prussia sign peace treaty
1793 Bank of England hands out 1st £5-note
1800 James Ross discovers North Magnetic pole
1817 1st American school for the deaf opens (Hartford CT)
1850 City of San Francisco incorporated
1851 Earl G Andrássy sentenced to death in Hungary
1853 Protestant church questions king Willem III Roman Catholic bishops
1858 Battle of Azimghur, Mexicans defeat Spanish loyalists
1861 Federal army (75,000 volunteers) mobilized by President Abraham Lincoln
1864 General Steeles' Union troops occupies Camden AR
1865 Otto von Bismarck elevated to earl
1870 Last day US silver coins allow to circulate in Canada
1874 New York legislature passes compulsory education law
1877 1st telephone installed Boston-Somerville MA
1878 Harley Procter introduces Ivory Soap
1892 General Electric Company forms & is incorporated in New York
1895 Josephine Blatt (US) makes hip-and-harness lift of 3564 lb (record)
1896 1st Olympic games close at Athens, Greece
1900 An early 50 mile race is won by an electric car in over 2 hours
1900 International Exposition opens in Paris France
1901 1st British motorized burial
1902 Pope Leo XIII encyclical "On the Church in the US"
1909 New York Giant Red Ames 2nd no-hitter, loses in 13 on a 7 hitter to Dodgers
1909 Mien Wenneker, Dutch prince Henry's lover, weds Uncle Cornelis Abbo
1910 William Howard Taft is 1st US President to throw out a 1st ball at a baseball game
1911 Walter Johnson pitches a record tying 4 strike outs in an inning
1911 Jack Lawrence Theater (Playhouse) opens at 137 W 48th St New York NY
1912 Titanic sinks at 2:27 AM in North Atlantic as the band plays on
1915 New York Giant Rube Marquard no-hits Brooklyn, 2-0
1915 Manuel de Falla's ballet "El Amor Brujo", premieres in Madrid
1918 Clemenceau publishes secret French/Austrian documents
1920 New Canadian small cent coin is released
1921 Black Friday-Labour Party strike of mine workers fails
1922 Poodle Dog Restaurant closes
1922 Frederick Banting, John MacLeod & Charles Best discover insulin
1923 1st sound on film public performance shown at Rialto Theater (NYC)
1924 WHO-AM in Des Moines IA begins radio transmissions
1924 Flemish-Walloon riots in Louvain Belgium, 1 dead
1925 NHL's New York Americans (formerly Hamilton Tigers) 1st game, lose 3-1
1927 Babe Ruth hits 1st of 60 homeruns of season (off A's Howard Ehmke)
1927 Switzerland & USSR agree to diplomatic relations
1928 Alioto's on Fisherman's Wharf (San Francisco) forms
1931 The 1st walk across America backwards began
1937 Stanley Cup Detroit Red Wings beat New York Rangers, 3 games to 2
1939 Albert Lebrun elected President of France
1940 British troops land at Narvik Norway
1941 1st helicopter flight of 1 hour duration, Stratford CT
1942 George VI awards the George Cross to the people of Malta
1943 Metropolitan Life Insurance issues a $225 million check to Chase
1945 FDR buried on grounds of Hyde Park home
1945 British & Canadian troops liberate Nazi camp of Bergen-Belsen
1945 Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Communium interpretes dolorum
1945 US troops occupy concentration camp Colditz
1947 Jackie Robinson goes hitless in his major league debut
1947 Operations begin at Radio Netherlands World radio
1948 1st Jewish-Arab military battle, Arabs defeated
1948 Indian territory of Himachal Pradesh created
1948 KCPX (now KTVX) TV channel 4 in Salt Lake City UT (ABC) 1st broadcast
1949 Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Redemptoris nostri
1951 Michael Gorsira is 1st person in charge of Curaçao
1952 1st B-52 prototype test flight
1952 Franklin National Bank issues 1st bank credit card
1952 Stanley Cup Detroit Red Wings sweep Montréal Canadiens in 4 games
1952 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1953 Malans National Party wins South African elections
1953 WHP TV channel 21 in Harrisburg PA (CBS) begins broadcasting
1954 Orioles 1st game in Baltimore; beat White Sox 3-1
1954 Yankees dedicate a plaque to Edward Barrow
1954 KARK TV channel 4 in Little Rock AR (NBC) begins broadcasting
1954 WHO TV channel 13 in Des Moines IA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1955 Ray Kroc starts the McDonald's chain of fast food restaurants (Illinois)
1955 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1956 Marlene Bauer wins LPGA Babe Didrikson-Zaharias Golf Open
1957 KTVI TV channel 2 in Saint Louis MO (ABC) begins broadcasting
1957 Saturday mail delivery restored after Congress givs Post Office $41 million
1958 10th Emmy Awards Gunsmoke, Robert Young & Jane Wyatt win
1958 1st baseball game in California, San Francisco Giants beat Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-0
1959 Fidel Castro begins US goodwill tour
1959 US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles resigns
1960 Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), organizes at Shaw University
1961 "Music Man" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 1375 performances
1962 US national debt above $300,000,000,000
1963 "Sophie" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 8 performances
1964 Chesapeake Bay Bridge opens (Bridge-Tunnel measures 17.6 miles (28.4 km) and is considered the world's largest bridge-tunnel complex)
1964 Ian Smith becomes premier of Rhodesia
1965 NFL changes penalty flag from white to bright gold
1965 James Baldwin's "Amen Corner", premieres in NYC
1966 The Rolling Stones release "Aftermath"
1966 KHET TV channel 11 in Honolulu HI (PBS) begins broadcasting
1967 "Wait A Minim!" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 457 performances
1968 Houston Astros beat New York Mets, 1-0, in 24 innings
1969 North Korea shoots at US airplane above Japanese sea
1970 "Cry for Us All" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 8 performances
1970 Libyan leader Qadhafi launches "Green Revolution"
1970 WMGZ TV channel 16 in Mayaguez Puerto Rico ([M]) begins broadcasting
1970 WPSJ TV channel 14 in Ponce Puerto Rico ([P]) begins broadcasting
1971 "70, Girls, 70" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 35 performances
1971 43rd Academy Awards - "Patton", George C Scott & Glenda Jackson win
1972 Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Carole King & Quincy Jones perform at a benefit for George McGovern for President
1973 Walt Disney Story opens
1973 2nd Colgate Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Mickey Wright
1974 3rd Boston Women's Marathon won by Miki Gorman of California in 2:47:11
1974 78th Boston Marathon won by Neil Cusack of Ireland in 2:13:39
1974 Military coup in Niger, President Diori Hamani deposed
1975 1st appearance of the San Diego Chicken
1975 Pittsburgh Penguins 3-New York Islanders 1-Quarterfinals-Penguins hold 2-0 lead
1975 Gabon amends constitution
1976 Yankee Stadium reopens, Yankees beat Twins after trailing 4-0
1977 1st baseball game at Montréal's Olympic Stadium
1978 43 die as 2 express trains collide head-on south of Bologna Italy
1978 Great Britain performs nuclear test
1979 43rd Golf Masters Championship Fuzzy Zoeller wins, shooting a 280
1981 Janet Cooke says her Pulitzer award 8-year-old heroin addict story is a lie, Washington Post relinquishes Pulitzer Prize on fabricated story
1982 Apollo Computer announces DN400, DN420, & landscape display
1983 New York Rangers 0-New York Islanders 5-Patrick Division Finals-Islanders hold 2-0 lead
1983 Tokyo Disneyland opens
1984 "Human Comedy" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 13 performances
1984 48th Golf Masters Championship Ben Crenshaw wins, shooting a 277
1984 Ayako Okamoto wins LPGA J&B Scotch Pro-Am Golf Tournament
1984 Extremist Sikhs plunder 40 stations in Punjab India
1984 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1985 Challenger moves to launch pad for 51-B missing
1985 Geoff Smith wins his 2nd straight Boston Marathon
1985 14th Boston Women's Marathon won by Lisa Larsen Weidenbach in 2:34:06
1985 89th Boston Marathon won by Geoff Smith of Great Britain in 2:14:05
1985 South Africa will repeal sex & marriage laws against whites & non-whites
1986 US air raids Libya, responding to La Belle disco, Berlin bombing
1986 Viv Richards century off 56 balls vs England in Antigua Test Cricket
1987 "Barbara Cook A Concert For Theatre, Grand Hotel, and The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public" opens at Ambassador NYC for 13 performances
1987 Alfred Uhry's "Driving Miss Daisy", premieres in NYC
1988 Meteorite explode above Indonesia
1988 Wendy Wasserstein's "Heidi Chronicles", premieres in NYC
1989 95 crushed to death at Sheffield Soccer Stadium in England
1989 South African/British Olympic runner Zola Budd marries
1989 Then largest lottery in North America ($69 million) drawn in Illinois
1989 Students in Beijing pro-democracy protests
1989 Sue Marchiano wins 3rd World Cup female marathon (2:30:48)
1990 "In Living Color" premieres on FOX-TV
1990 Greenidge & Haynes make 298 opening stand (v England), their best
1991 Former child actor Adam Rich charged with burglary
1991 Maximum New York State unemployment benefits raised to $280 per week
1991 "Secret Garden" opens at St James Theater NYC for 706 performances
1991 20th Boston Women's Marathon won by Wanda Panfil of Poland in 2:24:18
1991 95th Boston Marathon won by Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya in 2:11:06
1991 East-Europe Bank forms in London
1991 Europe foreign ministers lift most remaining sanctions against South Africa
1991 Magic Johnson sets NBA record for career assists with 9,898
1991 Sacramento Kings set NBA record, losing 35th consecutive game on road
1991 Ton Sijbrands improves world record blind checker games (15 wins)
1992 Billionaire Leona Helmsley is sent to jail for tax evasion
1992 Jay Leno's final appearance as permanent guest host of Tonight Show
1992 Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx loses its accreditation
1992 New York Islander, Al Arbour, coaches the most NHL games (1,438)
1992 William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy & DeForest Kelley inducted into National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame
1994 Indians lose 1st game at Jacobs Field, Kansas City wins 2-1
1994 Robert F Kennedy Jr (21 days after his divorce) weds Mary Richardson
1994 WMMS-FM's Jeff & Flash, & entire station staff, are fired
1996 "Apple Doesn't Fall" closes at Lyceum Theater NYC after 1 performance
1996 100th Boston Marathon won by Moses Tanui of Kenya in 2:09:15.9
1996 25th Boston Women's Marathon won by Uta Pippig of Germany in 2:27:12.6
1997 America OnLine, begins service in Japan
1997 Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams
1997 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Charlotte NC on WXRC 95.7 FM

---

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

Africa : African Freedom Day
Massachusetts, Maine : Patriots Day-Boston Marathon run (1775) - - - - - ( Monday )

---

Religious Observances
Ancient Rome : Fordicidia a d xvij Kal Maias
Buddhist : New Year (Bangladesh)

---

Religious History
1746 Colonial missionary to the American Indians David Brainerd wrote in his journal: 'Oh, how precious is time, and how it pains me to see it slide away, while I do so little to any good purpose. Oh, that God would make me more fruitful and spiritual.'
1817 In Hartford, CT, American clergyman Thomas H. Gallaudet, 30, and deaf Frenchman Laurent Clerc opened the first American school for the deaf, called the American Asylum.
1872 In deciding the legal case "Watson v. Jones," the U.S. Supreme Court declared that a member of a religious organization may not appeal to secular courts against a decision made by a church tribunal within the area of its competence.
1892 Birth of Corrie ten Boom, Dutch devotional author whose family was arrested by the Gestapo during WWII for hiding Jewish refugees in their home. (Corrie's experience with the Nazis was depicted in the 1971 film, "The Hiding Place.")
1958 British apologist C. S. Lewis wrote in "Letters to an American Lady": 'I had been a Christian for many years before I really believed in the forgiveness of sins, or more strictly, before my theoretical belief became a reality to me.'

---

Thought for the day :
"The desire to work is confined to classified ads."

[SAMWolf]

Current Military News
HomeComing

Senior Chief Jeff Garber, top-center, hugs his three children, Taylor Garber,10, left, Paige Garber,8, center-bottom, and Josh Garber,6, right, Friday, April 11, 2003, after the USS Portland returned to Norfolk, Va. Hundreds of families stood in the rain and fog Friday as the USS Portland steamed into port after delivering Marines and equipment to Kuwait. It was the first Navy ship to come home from the war. (AP Photo/Gary C. Knapp)


Petty Officer 1st Class Dale Tischler, second from right, from Virginia Beach, takes his youngest daughter, Katie Tischler,2, center, from his wife, Sherry Tischler, as his other daughters, Christina Tischler,14, left, and Stacie Tischler,11, right, wait for their turn to hug ther dad during the homecoming of the USS Portland in Virginia Beach, Va., Friday, April 11, 2003. Hundreds of families stood in the rain and fog Friday as the USS Portland steamed into port after delivering Marines and equipmentto Kuwait. (AP Photo/Gary C. Knapp)

[SAMWolf]

Current Military News
Working Dogs

Hero, a military working dog, practices wearing goggles to get used to them while waiting for more vehicles to search during a mobile security patrol in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen


U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Chad Reemtsna, a military working dog handler, and Hero, his military working dog, perform a foot patrol as part of a random anti-terrorism measure during a mobile security patrol. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen


Staff Sgt. Chad Reemtsna, a military working dog handler and Hero, his military working dog. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen


U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Chad Reemtsna, a military working dog handler and Hero, his military working dog practice biting a rap to keep ready and alert for duty. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen


U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Chad Reemtsna, a military working dog handler deployed to the 363rd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, praises Hero, his military working dog prior to starting a mobile security patrol. Before military working dogs can be deployed they must pass an explosive ordinance test. The 363rd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron search crews work around the clock checking coalition forces, third country nationals, and contractor vehicles for bombs, knives, and other explosive devices in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen


Staff Sgt. Chad Reemtsna, a military working dog handler and Hero, his military working dog search for explosives around a car at an entry control point. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen


Staff Sgt. Chad Reemtsna, a military working dog handler, feeds Hero, his military working dog. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen


U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Chad Reemtsna, a military working dog handler, and Hero, his military working dog, both assigned to the 363rd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, spend quality time together while waiting for more vehicles to search during a mobile security patrol in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen


Hero, a military working dog, listens over obedience commands after running an obstacle course. The obstacle course is designed to build up trust, obedience, and confidence to be able to accomplish any task at anytime. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen


Staff Sgt. Chad Reemtsna, a military working dog handler and Hero, his military working dog spend quality time together while waiting for more vehicles to search during a mobile security patrol on April 8, 2003. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen

[HiJinx]

Son, here's one you've got to see.

SAM, you've outdone yourself today...the research looks to be outstanding!

Thanks.

[SAMWolf]

1940 British troops land at Narvik Norway

Unfortunately another of Churchill's "sideshows" that failed like Gallipoli and Anzio. Even though the British managed to cause the Kreigsmarine serious losses they were foreced to withdraw due to lack of air cover shortly therafter.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks HiJinx.

It was a last minute schedule change, the article caught my eye while looking for something else and I thought it worth posting considering the situation in Hollywood today.

[HiJinx]

That's two days in a row you've managed to compare/contrast history and the present.

The French haven't changed much in the last 100 years, and Hollywood has!

[SAMWolf]

LOL The one I moved for today's Hoolywood thread was on the "Liberation of Paris". It's historically accurate but I don't aree with the author's concluding paragraph although the article was written in 1998 so I'll cut him a little slack.

[SAMWolf]

Current Military News
Down Time

An Iraqi tries evade his blocker while an U.S. soldier of 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division attempts to throw a pass in Karbala, some 40 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, April 14, 2003. (AP Photo/ Pfc. James Matise/U.S. Army


An U.S. soldier with the 101st Airborne Division does his laundry during a moment of 'down time' in Kabrala, some 40 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, April 14, 2003. Clean clothes, showers, hot food and mail are the main things soldiers say they are lacking while out in the field. (AP Photo/Pfc. James Matise/U.S. Army)


US marines rest behind the cover of a concrete wall in Baghdad. The commander of the Iraqi army's Anbar sector command, who led 16,000 troops with control extending to the Syrian border, surrendered to US forces(AFP/Odd Andersen)


A soldier waits reads a map while resting on the wheels of his vehicle in Iraq, Monday April 14, 2003. The first elements of 4th Infantry Division started moving into Iraq Monday. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

[Jen]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

To be removed from this list, please send me a blank private reply with "REMOVE" in the subject line! Thanks! Jen

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Jen

[E.G.C.]

Bump for the freeper foxhole. BTTT!!!!!!

[Jen]

Sam, you have outdone yourself with today's thread. I read every word and it's fabulous and so timely. THANK YOU!!! I appreciate all the hard work you do every day for the Foxhole. {{{HUGS}}}