The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Robert Frank and VE-Day (5/8/1945) - May 9th, 1945

http://www.87thinfantrydivision.com/History/SpecialTroops/Personal/000003.html ^ | Robert M. Frank

[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 The Foxhole
join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time.

.

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

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.

Welcome to "Warrior Wednesday"(The Friday Edition)
Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different veteran each Wednesday. The "ordinary" Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who participated in the events in our Country's history. We hope to present events as seen through their eyes. To give you a glimpse into the life of those who sacrificed for all of us - Our Veterans.

To read previous Foxhole threads or
to add the Foxhole to your sidebar,
click on the books below.

Resource Links For Veterans

Click on the pix

Celebrating VE-Day with the Russians

Just as the war was ending - I believe we had just taken Falkenstein, Germany - I was told (but did not personally witness) that an American-made Piper Cub with Russian markings had flown over the front and landed. A Russian Major got out - spoke English - and asked to be taken to our "leader." Apparently contact was made back to the Russians and arrangements were made for a meeting. General Culin did not use our radio to make the contact! I do not know how it was done or who did it! But, suddenly I was told to make sure that the "team" had their uniforms clean and pressed and be prepared to go and meet the Russians. Two days later we left early in the morning - a convoy of three vehicles, two jeeps and the M-20. There were 7 officers and 5 enlisted men - yours truly being the one of the five!

PFC Robert Frank with his Russian date. The soldier entering the picture from the left is machine-gunner Robert Baker May 12, 1945

News of our attended arrival must have been circulated through the Russian forces, for we passed through Russian checkpoints without stopping, the Russian soldiers on either side of the road standing at attention. When we arrived at the Russian CP - a hotel in Marienberg, Germany, a Russian band was awaiting us and rendered the most God-awful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner you have ever heard.

After handshakes that seemed to go on for ever I was ordered to take the M-20 to a hilltop - contact Headquarters back in Germany and remain on that hilltop as a radio link, should they need us! This then a PFC followed orders and we began to set things up as directed about one mile out of town.



PFC Feeney, my co-operator suddenly said, "Frank, what good is it to stay here, miss all the fun, when the radio doesn't work?"

"What? The radio doesn't work? " I said.

"Look," he continued, "it doesn't work at all!" He was holding one of the tubes in his hand!

We hid same under a blanket - drove back down to the Hotel and reported to General Culin's aide, that the radio was "kaput" - we thought a tube probably was bad and had carried no replacements with us. Incidentally, for the first time in all these years, I have realized that I do not remember if General McKee was one of those officers! Our alibi was accepted and we became part of the party.



I remember that the facade of the Hotel had three giant posters placed high on the building. One was of Stalin, another of Marshall Zukov and, as I write this, I do not remember who the third Russian Officer was.

The main ballroom in the Hotel had been outfitted for a celebration. Apparently they had heard about "equality" of everyone in the United States - the table had been set for all of us - Officers and Enlisted men together! General Culin quickly put that idea to rest! We waited - and I took pictures - until a separate table was set for we five enlisted men on the balcony overlooking the main ballroom. The meal was food and more food much of which I had never seen or tasted before - and much of which I do not remember - but I do remember the toasting that went on and on, first in Russian and then translated into English - and then the opposite. The translator was a Russian enlisted man. After each toast we were to empty a little glass of Vodka in one gulp. Before long it seemed that every one of the Americans (at least we enlisted-men) was drunk, blotto, you name it!

After the meal, we went downstairs for entertainment they had arranged for us: a male Russian chorus (all army men) and an orchestra consisting of mainly balalaikas. Very good. They then cleared the floor where the tables had been and the band began to play music for dancing. Oh, yes: Everyone of us had a Russian WAC as a partner. You know who I had as mine. Cute, eh?



Then someone suggested American music - the Russian band did not, could not, or would not play anything else but Russian music. I was a pretty good pianist, and there was an upright piano in the corner of the ballroom. So they pushed it and me together and I have distinct memory of the American soldiers trying to teach their Russian "dates" the "Lindy-Hop" - we were all so blotto it made no difference what it looked like.

We were housed in that hotel. Huge four-poster beds with fluffy pillows, etc. all in a spacious suite. What a change from sleeping on the ground, in a foxhole, or the floor of some burnt-out building We were supposed to return back to Division Headquarters that same evening but no one was in a condition able to drive. So we stayed overnight!

We had wanted to see something of the city, so three of us, accompanied by one of our non-com hosts began walking away from the hotel. Some four or five blocks away immediately on our left, we came upon a large rectangular park-like area of green grass, the smaller side of the rectangle paralleling the sidewalk we were on. There was a perimeter of trees completely around the grass area. Within this perimeter, a 6-8 foot fenced enclosure topped with barbed-wire had been constructed which now "housed" about 100 to 150 German prisoners.

Realize that we had driven from Germany through the northwest corner of Czechoslovakia and now were back in Germany. The prisoners were having a wonderful time. The war was over. With the gates into the enclosure pulled back wide open, the civilians of the town had joined their countrymen, brought them food, etc. There was much revelry, laughing, singing, etc. I remember one prisoner playing the accordion! With many of us in the 87th Infantry Division having been into Buchenwald scarcely 4 weeks before. This did not sit well!


Victory parade in Dusseldorf; Germany, on V-E Day, 8 May 1945. (National Archives)

As we walked around the compound, a voice with a British accent called to us, "Say, Yanks - come on in and join the party!" A young man, probably little more than my age, was pointing to the opening in the fence! I am certain he did not expect our reaction. We turned to our host. One of us, who spoke fluent Polish which the Russian noncom seemed to understand, told him that this was not the way we Americans treated our prisoners! The response was immediate. Our host ran to the group of Russian soldiers guarding the enclosure. One of them pulled a pistol and fired one shot into the air! The reaction was immediate! Dead silence! Less than three minutes later, the area had been completely cleared of all civilians. Our host came back to us and with a smile asked, "All OK?" He seemed pleased that we approved.

Looking back, knowing what I know now, that of the approximate 52 million lives lost around the world during WWII, Russian loses totaled somewhere between 21-23 million (with a very large percentage of that being civilian), and given that German forces had completely erased towns and their population in their initial drive in Russia, it does seem incredulous that Russian troops would have been as magnanimous as they were. Did they know about the atrocities in their own homeland? I still do not understand it!

Interesting observations:

They did not trust us. We did not trust them! In fact: after the first meeting of the Russians by the 69th Infantry Division on that bridge over the Elbe (?), both forces were pulled back some ten to twenty miles - effectively making a no-mans land!



I believe that our host was a unit from the First Ukrainian Army - a tank Battalion! We could see the antennas of their tanks rising over a high brick wall that surrounded what looked like a factory building, but we could not see the tanks themselves. We had heard about the Russian tanks and really wanted to inspect same. We went to the gate several times - the guards stopped us, actually pointed their rifles at us! We were told "It will be arranged later." Incidentally, I think it was Baker who spoke some Polish and was sort of an interpreter for us. I speak a little French. My escort - she spoke a little French! Would you believe she never left me except to use the lavatory! So, we had a wonderful time! It was an unbelievable adventure for a naive 19-year old! We kept asking to see the tanks. We were assured it would "be arranged." - never did occur!

On the other hand they were interested in our M-20! We were more obliging - drove their non-coms out of town and fired the 50-Caliber - in fact let them fire it! Still we were not permitted to see their tanks!



During that first afternoon - our enlisted men hosts drove us to their bivouac area - a farm just out of town! They had made their home there and, as us, each one of them had a female-partner! Easy life in the Russian army, when you are not fighting eh? Dinner was there. Again some music from soldiers who played the balalaika. And more and more Vodka. Believe me: my memories of exactly what occurred are blurred at best.

Do remember one interesting occurrence: about 4 am that next morning. I was awakened by some singing. Went to the window of the hotel and suddenly the area in front of the hotel was lit by searchlights. Then approaching from our right, marching in formation, were some 40-50 young men (were they soldiers?) - not in uniform at all - but in peasant garb carrying farm implements over their shoulders. They were singing a marshal-type song - they continued past the hotel and then turned the corner. The lights then went out! Later that morning we were told that these were "happy workers" on their way to the fields to bring in the crops!" In May? Even at my tender age, it did not make sense! Such was Soviet propaganda even then!



One final incident at the final closure of our Russian adventure: We convoyed back to our lines - driving through Czechoslovakia, then back again in Germany to where we had left. The town was empty. There was no 87th Infantry Division to be found! "Where in Hell is my Division?" screamed General C. There were blank looks all around. Somehow our formerly defective radio sprang to life. We had the codes and frequencies for that day - called Net Control (at General Headquarters) using "plain English" - no encipherment this time - and asked where they were! We had been relocated to that delightful mountain town of Saalberg (a former R&R retreat for Nazi Officers). We checked the maps and drove home. It was somewhat embarrassing, but no one really cared! The war was officially over!

[SAMWolf]

VE DAY
Victory in Europe



The German leadership was in turmoil by late April 1945. Having lost all communications with Hitler, and fearing him captured or dead, Göring planned to take control of the Germany if he did not get word from Hitler. This move was interpreted as a coup attempt and led to Göring's arrest by the SS. Only intervention from Hitler saved him from execution. At the same time, Albert Speer conspired with senior German officers to arrest key officers and officials. Speer himself attempted to kill Hitler, but was foiled at the last minute. With his officer corps in turmoil, Hitler appointed his top sailor as his successor in his will. On April 30th, 1945, with the Russians in Berlin, Hitler committed suicide. Seven days later, on May 7th, 1945 Grossadmiral (Grand Admiral) Karl Dönitz formally signed the surrender papers officially ending the war in Europe. The war had lasted 5 years, 8 months and 8 days. The toll in combatant and civilian life was horrendous. Most of continental Europe lie in smoldering ruins, and the survivors faced the seemingly daunting task of rebuilding.



For bomber command of the 8th Air Force, the strategic air campaign ended 2 and a half weeks earlier. Fighters of the 8th Air Force, and medium bombers of the 9th Air Force continued flying tactical missions in support of the ground troops until the very end. Still, the war wasn't completely over and air crews continued to fly, and train in preparation for their pending transfer to the Zone of the Interior (ZOI) and then the PTO.



After peace was won the 8th AF was tasked with a new mission: Mercy flights to the mainland. Food and medical supplies were sorely needed by the beleaguered citizens of Europe. Bombers now carried supplies of mercy to the continent, and repatriated exiles and POWs on their return trips. The 486th flew several such missions during the months of May and June. In addition to the mercy flights, the 486th gave some of its ground personnel a Victory Tour of France, Germany, and the BENELUX countries to view the damage created by the intense bombing campaign. Ironically, for some air crews peace didn't make flying any safer. A few aircrews would survive German flak and fighters, only to lose their lives in flying accidents.

[SAMWolf]

THIS IS YOUR VICTORY
May 8, 1945
Ministry of Health, London

During the celebrations that followed the announcement of the end of the war in Europe, Churchill and his principal colleagues appeared on the balcony of the Ministry of Health in Whitehall, and made two brief speeches to the vast crowd. After the words "This is your victory" the crowd roared back, "No-it is yours." It was an unforgettable moment of love and gratitude.



God bless you all. This is your victory! It is the victory of the cause of freedom in every land. In all our long history we have never seen a greater day than this. Everyone, man or woman, has done their best. Everyone has tried. Neither the long years, nor the dangers, nor the fierce attacks of the enemy, have in any way weakened the independent resolve of the British nation. God bless you all.

TO V-E DAY CROWDS
May 8, 1945 London



My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It's a victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny. After a while we were left all alone against the most tremendous military power that has been seen. We were all alone for a whole year.

There we stood, alone. Did anyone want to give in? [The crowd shouted "No."] Were we down-hearted? ["No!"] The lights went out and the bombs came down. But every man, woman and child in the country had no thought of quitting the struggle. London can take it. So we came back after long months from the jaws of death, out of the mouth of hell, while all the world wondered. When shall the reputation and faith of this generation of English men and women fail? I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we've done and they will say "do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be-unconquered." Now we have emerged from one deadly struggle-a terrible foe has been cast on the ground and awaits our judgment and our mercy.



But there is another foe who occupies large portions of the British Empire, a foe stained with cruelty and greed-the Japanese. I rejoice we can all take a night off today and another day tomorrow. Tomorrow our great Russian allies will also be celebrating victory and after that we must begin the task of rebuilding our heath and homes, doing our utmost to make this country a land in which all have a chance, in which all have a duty, and we must turn ourselves to fulfill our duty to our own countrymen, and to our gallant allies of the United States who were so foully and treacherously attacked by Japan. We will go hand and hand with them. Even if it is a hard struggle we will not be the ones who will fail.



Additional Sources:

www.ibiblio.org
www.winstonchurchill.org
www.486th.org
www.army.mil
www.city.toronto.on.ca
www.puzzlehouse.com
www.gfdscu.com
www.stevebulman.f9.co.uk
technology.cincinnati.com
www.state.de.us
www.zer0.org
www.red-devils.org
www.dday.org
www.veteranshour.com

[SAMWolf]

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

The Allied Armies, through sacrifice and devotion and with God's help, have wrung from Germany a final and unconditional surrender. The western world has been freed of the evil forces which for five years and longer have imprisoned the bodies and broken the lives of millions upon millions of free-born men. They have violated their churches, destroyed their homes, corrupted their children, and murdered their loved ones. Our Armies of Liberation have restored freedom to these suffering peoples, whose spirit and will the oppressors could never enslave.

Much remains to be done. The victory won in the West must now be won in the East. The whole world must be cleansed of the evil from which half the world has been freed. United, the peace-loving nations have demonstrated in the West that their arms are stronger by far than the might of dictators or the tyranny of military cliques that once called us soft and weak. The power of our peoples to defend themselves against all enemies will be proved in the Pacific war as it has been proved in Europe.

For the triumph of spirit and of arms which we have won, and for its promise to peoples everywhere who join us in the love of freedom, it is fitting that we, as a nation, give thanks to Almighty God, who has strengthened us and given us the victory.

Now, THEREFORE, I, HARRY S. TRUMAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby appoint Sunday, May 13, 1945, to be a day of prayer.

I call upon the people of the United States, whatever their faith, to unite in offering joyful thanks to God for the victory we have won and to pray that He will support us to the end of our present struggle and guide us into the way of peace.

I also call upon my countrymen to dedicate this day of prayer to the memory of those who have given their lives to make possible our victory.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

DONE at the City of Washington this eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and sixty-ninth.

-- HARRY S. TRUMAN
By the President:
JOSEPH C. GREW
Acting Secretary of State

[SAMWolf]

The FReeper Foxhole Salutes Military Spouses!

. Thank you for keeping the home fires burning.

Thank you Snippy for the graphic.

[SAMWolf]

Military Spouse Day 2003

Army Family Liaison Office — Soldiers have been "on point for our Nation" for nearly 228 years now - courageously fighting and winning our wars, securing our liberty, and defending the freedom and privilege we all enjoy. But the American Soldier has never soldiered alone - Army spouses have always been making their own, unique contributions to the Well-Being of the force, through ten wars and all the periods of restless peace in between.

The dedication and support of our Army spouses is never more important than during the times of war. Since 11 September, the days have been marked by incredible emotion -the toughest days when our Soldiers were lost, and the jubilant highs of battlefield victories. We have witnessed our Army’s magnificent moments -here at home and in faraway places like Afghanistan, the Philippines, Kuwait, and Iraq - and all of them continue to be delivered by our people: Soldiers, civilians, retirees, veterans, and their families.

The Army family remains strong and vibrant. For that, we owe a tremendous amount to our Army spouses who rely on their own remarkable personal courage, indomitable strength, and great resolve to sustain our families. Over long months of separation from their Soldiers, they have served as both mother and father to their children and as leaders who bind their communities together. Again and again, Army spouses have displayed in their abiding love and constant support their own magnificent moments. We are proud beyond measure of all of them.

On May 9th, Military Spouse Day, we should all pause and take the opportunity to formally recognize our Army spouses and show them our deep gratitude - for their service, their sacrifice, and for their unyielding devotion to our Soldiers and our Army. We do ask a great deal of our Soldiers, but we receive an equal amount from our Army spouses - they are the most generous people I know.

Soldiering remains an affair of the heart, and Army spoouses constantly reinforce the truth of that proposition. So to all of our Army and military spouses, and on behalf of The Army and all of our Soldiers on point for the Nation, thank you -for your unyielding commitment, your profound strength and courage, and for your devoted service. God bless you and your families, The Army, and our great country.

Eric K. Shinseki
General, United States Army

Thanks BeAllYouCanBe for the story.

[SAMWolf]

The State of the Union is Strong!
Support the Commander in Chief
Click Here to Send a Message to the opposition!

[SAMWolf]

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning FOXHOLER'S!

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Feather.

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on May 09:
1265 Dante Alighieri Italian poet (Divina Commedia)
1596 Abraham van Diepenbeeck painter
1738 John Pindar [Peter] physician/poet
1740 Giovanni Paisiello Italian composer (Barber of Seville)
1783 Alexander Ross Canada, pioneer/fur trader
1785 James Pollard Espy Pennsylvania, meteorologist (Philosphy of Storms)
1793 Johannes C de Jonge Dutch historian/archivist
1796 August Pauly German classicus (Real Encyclopedia)
1800 John Brown abolitionist; led attack on Harpers Ferry
1801 Samuel Cousins mezzotint engraver
1810 Louis Gallait historical painter
1810 WFLC Marianne princess of Orange-Nassau/daughter of king Willem I
1814 Adolph von Henselt composer
1824 William Edmonson "Grumble" Jones Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
1829 Ciro Pinsuti pianist/composer
1833 Boleslaw Dembinski composer
1837 Adam Opel German manufacturer (cycling, motorcars)
1843 Belle Boyd spy (Confederate)/actress/lecturer
1844 [Maria] Catharina Beersmans Belgian actress (Bad Herders)
1846 Nikolay Feopemptovich Solov'yov composer
1855 Julius Rontgen composer
1860 Sir James Matthew Barrie Scotland, novelist (Margaret Ogilvy, Peter Pan, The Little Minister)
1865 August de Boeck composer
1873 Howard Carter British archaeologist/Egyptologist (found King Tutankhamen's tomb)
1873 Lilian Mary Baylis manager (Old Vic & Sadler's Wells Theater)
1882 Henry J Kaiser builder (Liberty Ships, Jeeps, Boulder Dam)
1883 José Ortega y Gasset Spain, philosopher (Revolt of the Masses)
1887 Jules Van de Leene Belgian writer
1892 Eric Westberg composer
1892 Zita empress (Austria)/Queen (Hungary)
1895 Lucian Blaga Romaniams philosopher/poet (Dogmatic Aeon)
1895 Richard Barthelmess New York NY, actor (Broken Blossoms, Noose)
1899 Edward Pollock saxophone/clarinet
19-- Jeanna Michaels New London CT, actress (Connie-Dallas, General Hospital)
1901 Fuzzy Knight Fairmont WV, actor (Oklahoma Annie, Cowby & the Lady)
1901 George Duckworth cricket wicket-keeper (England late 20's early 30's)
1903 Walter Dehmel writer
1906 Eleanor Estes author (Ginger Pye, Moffats)
1907 Baldur von Schirach German writer/Nazi politician (Frame)
1910 Barbara Woodhouse dog training expert
1910 P E Palia cricketer (appeared in India's 1st Test-Lord's 1932)
1911 Harry Simeone Newark NJ, choral director (Kate Smith Show)
1912 Pedro Armendariz México, actor (From Russia With Love)
1913 John Hayes Admiral
1913 Victor Smith Admiral (Australian Chiefs of Staff)
1914 Carlo Maria Giulini conductor
1914 Frank Chacksfield arranger/orchestra leader
1914 Hank Snow Nova Scotia Canada, country singer (I Went to Your Wedding)
1914 Josef Muller-Brockmann graphic designer/writer
1914 Theodore Kheel labor negotiator (Fair Employment Practices)
1915 Richard Janvrin British Vice Admiral
1916 Bernard William George Rose composer/organist
1916 Cyril Bowles bishop of Derby
1916 Douglas Guest organist
1917 George Fleming cyclist
1917 John Arnatt actor (Circumstantial Evidence)
1918 Mike Wallace Brookline MA, newscaster (Biography, 60 Minutes)
1918 Orville Freeman Minneapolis MN, (Senator-D-MN)/Secretary of Agriculture (1961-69)
1919 Arthur English comedian/actor (Malachi's Cove)
1920 Richard Adams author (Day Gone By)
1922 Sheila Burrell actress (Black Orchid, Paranoiac, Laughter in Dark)
1924 Bulat S Okudzjava Russian author (Student!)
1924 Connie Russell New York NY, singer (Club Embassy, Garroway at Large)
1924 Gerard Wernars Dutch graphic designer (Library stamps 1991)
1924 Jean J A Girault French director/screenwriter (l'Amour)
1925 Peter Leng Master General of the Ordnance
1926 Alistair MacFarlane principal (Heriot-Watt University England)
1926 Francis Kennedy British diplomat
1926 Joshua Hassan chief minister (Gibralter)
1926 Robin Cooke president (New Zealand Court of Appeal)
1927 John McDermott Lord Justice of Appeal (Northern Ireland)
1927 Manfred Eigen German physicist/chemist (Nobel 1967)
1927 Ray Katt baseball player
1928 Barbara Ann Scott Ottawa Ontario Canada, figure skater (Olympics-gold-1948)
1928 Pall Pampichier Palsson composer
1928 Richard A "Pancho" Gonzalez Los Angeles CA, tennis star (US 1948-49)
1929 Anthony Lloyd Lord Justice of Appeal
1930 Joan Sims actress (Carry on Behind, Carry on Cleo)
1931 Vance DeVoe Brand Longmont CO, astronaut (Apollo 18, STS-5, 41B, 35)
1932 Conrad Hunte cricketer (great West Indian opener 1958-66)
1932 David Plastow CEO (Medical Research Council)
1932 Gavin Lyall author (Conduct of Major Maxim)
1932 Geraldine McEwan actress (Henry V)
1932 J Alex McMillan (Representative-R-NC, 1985- )
1933 Johnny Grant unofficial mayor of Hollywood
1934 Alan Bennett England, playwright/actor (Secret Policeman's Other Ball)
1934 John Robertson deputy chairman (Barclays de Zoete Wedd)
1934 Roy Massey Master of Choristers (Hereford Cathedral)
1936 Albert Finney Salford UK, actor (Dresser, Under the Volcano)
1936 Floyd Robinson baseball player (White Sox, Reds, A's)
1936 Glenda Jackson Cheshire England, actress (Women in Love)
1936 Terry Downes middleweight boxing champion (1961-62)
1936 Terry Drinkwater TV newsman (CBS)
1937 Dave Prater Ocilla GA, rock vocalist (Sam & Dave)
1937 Sonny Curtis Meadow TX, guitarist (Crickets)
1938 Geoffrey Holland civil servant
1938 Nokie Edwards rocker (Ventures)
1939 Bruce Mather composer
1939 Herbert Hippauf baseball player
1939 Jim Dent Augusta GA, PGA golfer (1989 MONY Syracuse Senior)
1939 Kenneth Warby fastest man on water at 300 knots (345 mph)
1939 Nokle Edwards rocker
1939 Ralph Boston Laurel MS, long jumper (Olympics-gold/silver/bronze-60, 64, 68)
1940 Dick Morrissey saxophonist
1940 James L Brooks producer/director (Broadcast News, Taxi, Critic)
1941 Dorothy Hyman England, sprinter (Olympics-silver-60)
1941 Jan Dibbets sculptor/artist (Dutch Mountains)
1941 Pete Birrell rock bassist (Freddie & The Dreamers)
1942 John D Ashcroft (Governor-MO)
1942 Mike Millward rocker
1942 Tommy Roe Atlanta, rocker (Hooray for Hazel)
1942 William Olner MP
1943 Bruce Milner rocker (Every Mother's Son)
1943 Maurice Foster cricketer (West Indies batsman of 70's)
1944 Don Dannemann rocker (Cyrkle)
1944 Richard [Richie] Furay Yellow Springs OH, rock vocalist (Buffalo Springfield, Poco)
1945 Steve Katz New York NY, rock guitarist/vocalist (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
1946 Candice Bergen Beverly Hills, actress (Carnal Knowledge, Murphy Brown)
1947 Anthony Corlan Cork City Ireland, actor (Something for Everyone)
1948 John Drayton Mahaffey Kerrville TX, PGA golfer (1978 PGA Champion)
1949 Billy Joel Hicksville Long Island NY, singer/songwriter/piano player (Pianoman, Captain Jack, Bridge)
1949 Oleg Yuriyevich Atkov Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz T-10)
1950 James A Butts Los Angeles CA, triple jumper (Olympics-silver-1976)
1950 Matthew Kelly actor/TV host (Holding the Fort, Relative Strangers)
1950 Tom Petersson Rockford IL, rock bassist (Cheap Trick)
1951 Alley Mills Chicago IL, actress (Norma Arnold-Wonder Years)
1952 Patrick Ryecart actor (Silas Mariner)
1953 Daniel Talbot Montréal Québec, golfer (Québec Open-1979, 81, 84)
1953 Gregory Beecroft Corpus Christi TX, actor (Guiding Light)
1953 Ron Jackson baseball player
1953 Scott McInnis (Representative-R-CO)
1954 Balazs Taroczy Hungary, tennis star
1955 Kevin Peter Hall Pittsburgh PA, actor (Misfits of Science)
1955 Myra Blackwelder LPGA golfer
1957 Fred Markham 1st man to pedal a bike 65 mph
1957 John Stuper baseball pitcher (St Louis Cardinals)
1958 Esko Rechardt Finland, yachtsman (Olympics-gold-1980)
1959 Andrew Jones cricketer (highly consistent for New Zealand at 1st drop)
1959 Asantha De Mel cricketer (pioneering Sri Lankan Test opening bowler)
1960 Iain Butchart cricket all-rounder (Zimbabwe, Test vs Pakistan 1995)
1960 Jim Reilly rocker (Red Rockers)
1960 Tony Gwynn Los Angeles CA, outfielder (San Diego Padres)
1961 Rene Capo Pinal del Rio Cuba, half-heavyweight judoka (Olympics-96)
1962 David Gahan Epping Essex England, rock vocalist (Depeche Mode-Dreaming of Me)
1962 John Corbett actor/singer (Chris-Northern Exposure)
1962 Paul Heaton rocker (The Housemartins-Happy Hour, Over There)
1964 Miloslav Mecir Czechoslovakia, tennis player (Olympics-gold-1988)
1965 Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot rocker (Curiosity Killed Cat-Keep Distance)
1965 Marc Logan NFL running back (Washington Redskins)
1965 Steve Yzerman Cranbrook British Columbia, NHL forward (Team Canada, Detroit)
1966 Mark Tinordi Red Deer, NHL defenseman (Washington Capitals)
1968 Bruce Pickens NFL cornerback (Oakland Raiders)
1968 David Benoit NBA forward (Utah Jazz, New Jersey Nets)
1968 Marie-José Pérec Guadeloupe, French 200 meter/400 meter runner (Olympics-2 gold-96)
1968 Vince Workman NFL running back (Packers, Panthers, Colts)
1969 Carla Overbeck Pasadena CA, soccer defender (Olympics-96)
1969 Renn Crichlow Ottawa Ontario, canoeist (Olympics-92, 96)
1970 Doug Christie NBA guard/forward (Toronto Raptors)
1972 Dan Hollander Royal Oak MI, figure skater (1996 Great Lakes champion)
1972 Dave Barr WLAF quarterback (Scotland Claymores)
1972 Simon Hollingsworth Australian 400 meter hurdler (Olympics-92, 96)
1974 Pete Kelley 218¼ lbs (99 kg) US weightlifter (Olympics-14th-1996)
1974 Shin Yahata hockey forward (Team Japan 1998)
1974 Stephane Yelle Ottawa, NHL center (Colorado Avalanche)
1976 Faye Johnstone Auckland New Zealand, archer (Olympics-96)
1980 Angela Nikodinov Spartanburg SC, figure skater (1997 Pacific Senior champion)
1980 Tatewin Means Miss South Dakota Teen USA (1996)

---

Deaths which occurred on May 09:
1079 Stanislaus Polish bishop of Cracow, murdered
1280 Magnus VI Lagaboeter King of Norway (1263-80), dies at 42
1443 Niccoló d'Albergati Italian cardinal, dies
1460 Jean Lavite Atrechts painter, dies
1474 Peter van Hagenbach Elzasser knight/land guardian, beheaded
1590 Karel "Cardinal" van Bourbon archbishop of Rouen, dies at 66
1657 William Bradford Governor (Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts), dies
1667 Marie Louise de Gonzague-Nevers French Queen of Poland (1645-48)
1688 Frederick William Great Elector of Brandenburg, dies at 68
1707 Dietrich Buxtehude German organist/composer, dies at about 69
1745 Tomaso Antonio Vitali composer, dies at 82
1760 Nikolaus Ludwig und Pottendorf Austrian composer, dies at 59
1770 Charles Avison composer, dies at 61
1785 Franz Xaver Schnitzer composer, dies at 44
1791 Francis Hopkinson US writer/music/lawyer, dies at 53
1799 Claude-Benigne Balbastre composer, dies at 72
1805 Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller poet/playwright, dies at 45
1822 Charles Duquesnoy composer, dies at 62
1850 Louis-Joseph Gay-Lussac chemist/physicist, dies
1853 Johann Philipp Samuel Schmidt composer, dies at 73
1864 "Uncle" John Sedgwick US Union general-major, dies in battle at 50
1864 Thomas Donnely Doubleday US Union Colonel, dies in an accident
1880 Johann Hermann Berens composer, dies at 54
1884 Hermanus W Witteveen theologist, dies at 69
1903 Rudolf Serkin Bohemian/US pianist, dies
1905 Ernst Pauer composer, dies at 78
1926 Joseph Mallaby Dent publisher, dies
1927 Tommy Routledge cricketer (4 Tests for South Africa 1892-96), dies
1928 Constantin Dimitrescu composer, dies at 81
1931 A[lbert] A[braham] Michelson US physicist (1907 Nobel), dies at 78
1937 Walter Mittelholzer Swiss aviation pioneer, dies in crash at 43
1944 Ethel Mary Smyth composer, dies at 86
1945 Clem Hill cricketer (49 Tests for Australia 1896-1912), dies
1949 Louis II Prince of Monaco, dies
1951 Marie Ault dies at 80
1952 Canada Lee black actor (Lost Boundaries), dies in New York NY at 45
1957 Ezio F Pinza Italian bass (Scale of Milan, New York Metropolitan Opera), dies
1957 Heinrich Campendonk German painter/wood carver/glasier, dies at 67
1958 Bill Goodwin TV announcer (Burns & Allen), dies at 47
1965 Leopold Figl premier Austria, dies at 62
1966 Alfred Mendelsohn composer, dies at 56
1966 Wilhelmus M Bekkers bishop of Dukeenbosch, dies
1967 Elmar Berkovich Dutch industrial designer (Eindhoven theater), dies
1967 Philippa Duke Schuyler composer, dies at 35
1968 Finlay Currie dies at 90
1968 Harold Gray US comic strip artist (Little Orphan Annie), dies at 74
1968 Marion Lorne actress (Aunt Clara-Bewitched), dies at 81
1968 Phil Arnold actor (Skidoo, Errand Boy, Damn Yankees), dies at 58
1970 Percy Brier composer, dies at 84
1970 Walter Reuther UAW union leader/president (CIO), dies in a jet crash
1974 Lyubomir Pipkov composer, dies at 69
1975 Philip Dorn dies at 73
1976 Raymond Chevreuille Belgian composer, dies at 74
1976 Valentino Bucchi composer, dies at 59
1977 James Jones US writer (Bad Blood, From Here to Eternity), dies at 55
1977 Walter Kraft composer, dies at 71
1979 Cyrus S Eaton Canada/US multi-millionaire, dies at 95
1979 Lan Adomian composer, dies at 73
1981 C E "Nip" Pellew cricketer (10 Tests 484 runs at 37), dies
1981 Nelson Algren US writer (Man with the Golden Arm), dies at 72
1982 Ab [Albert] Visser poet/writer (Kaïn sloeg Abel), dies
1985 Edmond O'Brien actor (Sam Benedict, Johnny Midnight), dies at 69
1986 Dirk de Vroome [Red Giant] Limbourg activist, dies at 60
1986 Herschel Bernardi actor (Lieutenant Jacoby-Peter Gunn, Arnie), dies at 62
1986 Tenzing Norgay Tibetan climber (Mount Everest 1953), dies at 71
1987 Obafemi Awolowo Nigeria, President of Nigeria (1979-83), dies at 78
1989 Keith Whitley country singer (Don't Close Your Eyes), dies at 33
1989 Paul J Steenbergen actor (Ciske de Rat), dies at 82
1990 Luigi Nono Italian composer (Intolleranza), dies at 66
1990 Pauline Frederick 1st woman to moderate Presidential debate, dies at 84
1991 James L Reinsch media-advisor (Roosevelt/Churchill/Kennedy), dies
1991 Ronnie Brody British actor (Superman III, Whats Up Nurse), dies at 72
1991 Rudolf Serkin Bohemian/US pianist, dies
1992 Mike Tyrell [Red Baron] British air acrobat, dies in an accident
1993 Freya Stark English author (Sunday Bloody Sunday), dies at 61
1993 Mary Duncan Sanford dies at 98
1993 Penelope Gilliatt [Conner] British author
1995 Abha Gandhi servant to Gandhi, dies at 68
1995 Charles Montgomery Monteith publisher, dies at 74
1995 Marshall Royal jazz Sax/Clarinet, dies at 82
1995 Percy Mansell cricketer (355 runs in 13 Tests for South Africa), dies

---

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 KARDELL DAVID A. SONOMA CA.
NO PARA/BEEPER " REMAINS RETURNED 7/31/89, ID 11/08/89"

1965 WISTRAND ROBERT C. NEW YORK NY.
CRASH NO PARA BEEPER SEARCH NEG

1966 DEXTER BENNIE L. BEND OR.

CAPTURE WITNESSED JEEP FOUND

1967 TODD ROBERT JACY NORTH EASTON MA.

1968 LEOPOLD STEPHEN R. OKLAHOMA CITY OK.
03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG INJURED, ALIVE IN 98

1968 VAN ARTSDALEN CLIFFORD V. PLUMSTEADVILLE PA.

1970 HAIGHT STEPHEN H. CAZENOVIA NY.

1972 REEDER WILLIAM S. LAKE ARROWHEAD CA.
03/27/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98

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

---

On this day...
1092 Lincoln Cathedral consecrated
1336 Italian poet Francesco Petrarca climbs Mont Ventoux
1386 Treaty of Windsor between Portugal-England
1460 Court yard episcopal palace Atrecht has witch burnings
1502 Columbus left Spain on his 4th & final trip to New World
1519 Austrian adel/burgerij in uprising against central government
1573 Polish Parliament selects duke of Anjou as king
1588 Duke Henri de Guises troops occupy Paris France
1671 Colonel Thomas Blood attempts to steal Crown Jewels
1689 English King William III declares war on France
1738 England routes fleet in Mediterranean Sea & West-Indies
1753 King Louis XV disbands French parliament
1754 1st newspaper cartoon in America-divided snake "Join or die"
1766 John Byron back in England after trip around the world
1785 Joseph Bramah receives British patent for beer pump handles
1788 English parliament accepts abolishing of slave trade
1836 HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin departs Port Louis, Mauritius
1837 "Sherrod" burns in Mississippi River below Natchez MS; 175 dies
1846 Battle of Resaca de la Palma-US sends México back to Rio Grande
1862 Battle of Farmington MS
1862 Battle of Fort Pickens FL (Pensacola), evacuated by CS
1862 US Naval Academy relocated from Annapolis MD to Newport RI
1864 Battle of Cloyd's Mount & Swift Creek VA (Drewery's Bluff, Fort Darling)
1864 Battle of Dalton GA
1864 Ship battle at Helgoland, Austria-Denmark
1864 Skirmish at Ware Bottom Church VA
1868 Anton Bruckner's 1st Symphony in C, premieres
1874 Victoria Embankment, in London opens
1882 Telegraph Hill RR Company organized
1889 15th Kentucky Derby: Thomas Kiley aboard Spokane wins in 2:34½
1896 1st horseless carriage show in London (featured 10 models)
1899 Lawn mower patented
1901 Australia opens its 1st parliament in Melbourne
1901 Cleveland's Earl Moore no-hits Chicago White Sox 9 innings but loses in 10th 4-2
1908 Dirk Fock becomes Governor of Suriname
1911 Fire breaks out at Empire Theater in Edinburgh Scotland
1913 17th amendment provides for election of senators by popular vote
1914 40th Kentucky Derby: John McCabe aboard Old Rosebud wins in 2:03.4
1914 President Wilson proclaims Mother's Day
1915 German & French fight the Battle of Artois
1916 British-France Sykes-Picot meet over division of Turkey
1925 Cornerstone for Hebrew University, Jerusalem laid
1926 Richard Byrd & Floyd Bennett make 1st flight over North Pole
1927 53rd Preakness: Whitey Abel aboard Bostonian wins in 2:01.6
1927 Australian Parliament 1st convenes in new capital, Canberra
1929 New York Giant Carl Hubbell no-hits Pittsburgh Pirates
1929 WJW-AM in Cleveland OH begins radio transmissions
1930 56th Preakness: Earl Sande aboard Gallant Fox wins in 2:00.6
1931 57th Preakness: George Ellis aboard Mate wins in 1:59
1932 58th Preakness: Eugene James aboard Burgoo King wins in 1:59.8
1932 Piccadilly Circus, 1st lit by electricity
1932 WOC-AM in Davenport IA merges with WHO to become WHO-WOC
1933 Spanish anarchists call for general strike
1934 Bradman out for a Cricket duck against Cambridge University!
1936 1st KLM airplane to land on Bonaire
1936 Italy takes Addis Ababa, annexing Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
1937 Reds beat Phillies 21-10 (Ernie Lombardi goes 6 for 6)
1939 Catholic church beatified the 1st Native American, Kateri Tekakwitha
1941 English Army breaks German spy codes
1942 68th Preakness: Basil James aboard Alsab wins in 1:57
1943 5th German Panser army surrenders in Tunisia
1943 Rotschild-Haddassh University Hospital opens
1944 1st eye bank opens (NYC)
1944 Country singer Jimmie Davis becomes Governor of Louisiana
1944 Dutch resistance fighter Gerard Musch arrested
1944 Joe McCarthy returns as Yankee manager after an illness
1944 Russians recapture Crimea by taking Sevastopol
1945 Czechoslovakia liberated from Nazi occupation (National Day)
1945 Jersey liberated from Nazis
1945 Nazi propagandist Max Blokzijl arrested
1945 New balata ball used in baseball, 50% livilier
1945 Norwegian Nazi collaborators Vidkun Quisling arrested
1945 Victory celebration at Red Square
1946 1st hour long entertainment TV show, "NBC's Hour Glass" premieres
1946 King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy abdicates, replaced by Umberto
1949 Britain's 1st launderette opens in Queensway London
1949 Prince Rainier III becomes leader of Monaco
1950 French Foreign minister Robert Schuman announces the Schuman Plan for European integration
1950 Norman Dello Joco's premieres in Bronxville
1951 Air raid on Chinese positions at Yalu River
1955 German Federal Republic joins NATO
1958 Botvinnik recaptures world chess championship
1959 Dorothy Rigney, husband John, & Hank Greenberg resign from White Sox
1960 Nigeria becomes a member of the British Commonwealth
1960 US is 1st country to use the birth control pill legally
1960 US send U-2 over USSR
1961 Baltimore Oriole Jim Gentile hits 2 grand slams (9 RBIs) vs Minnesota Twins
1961 FCC Chairman Newton N Minow criticizes TV as a "vast wasteland"
1962 Beatles sign their 1st contract with EMI Parlophone
1962 Laser beam successfully bounced off Moon for 1st time
1962 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island
1963 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1964 Khrushchev visits Egypt
1964 Peter & Gordon release "World Without Love"
1965 Beatles attend a Bob Dylan concert
1965 Luna 5 launched (USSR) 1st attempt to soft land on Moon (fails)
1966 1st black member of Federal Reserve Board (A F Brimmer)
1966 China People's Republic performs nuclear test at Lop Nor People's Rebublic of China
1967 1st flight of Fokker F-28 Fellowship
1967 Gijsbert van Hall resigns as mayor of Amsterdam
1969 BPAA All-Star Bowling Tournament won by Billy Hardwick
1970 100,000s demonstrate against Vietnam War
1971 23rd Emmy Awards: All in the Family, Jack Klugman & Jean Stapleton
1971 Elizabeth Bonner runs female world record marathon (3:01:42)
1971 Friends of Earth return 1500 non-returnable bottles to Schweppes
1971 Largest walk in crowd (31,626) in Baltimore Oriole history
1971 Sandra Haynie wins LPGA San Antonio Alamo Golf Open
1973 For 2nd time, Johnny Bench hits 3 homeruns in a game
1974 House Judiciary Committee begin formal hearings on Nixon impeachment
1975 Brian Oldfield shot puts 22.86 meters (world record)
1975 Flyers 1-Isles 5-Semifinals-Flyers hold 3-2 lead
1976 "So Long 174th St" closes at Harkness Theater NYC after 16 performances
1976 Sally Little wins LPGA Ladies Masters at Moss Creek Golf Tournament
1977 Hotel Poland in Amsterdam destroyed by fire, 33 killed
1977 Mabel Murphy Smythe confirmed as ambassador to Republic of Cameroon
1977 Patty Hearst let out of jail
1978 Corpse of kidnapped ex-premier Aldo Moro found
1978 Fee Waybill of the Tubes breaks a leg falling off stage
1978 Musical "Ain't Misbehavin'" opens at Longacre Theater NYC for 1604 performances
1978 PSV beats Bastica, 3-0, to win UEFA Cup in Eindhoven Netherlands
1979 US & USSR sign Salt 2 treaty, limiting nuclear weapons
1980 35 motorists die as a Liberian freighter rams a Tampa Bay Bridge
1981 Kazimiroff Blvd in the Bronx named for a Bronx historian
1982 Arthur Kopit's musical "Nine" premieres at 46th St Theater NYC for 739 performances
1982 Sally Little wins LPGA United Virginia Bank Golf Classic
1983 18th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama & Willie Nelson win
1984 Alexander Calder's "Big Crinkly" sells for $852,000
1984 Chicago White Sox beat Milwaukee Brewers, 7-6, in 25 innings (started 5/8, 8 hour 6 minute game-longest timed baseball game)
1987 183 die aboard a Polish jetliner that crashes in Warsaw
1987 Actor Tom Cruise (27) & actress Mimi Rogers (33), marry
1987 Oriole Eddie Murray is 1st to switch hit homeruns in 2 consecutive games
1988 A's winning streak hits 14, ends tommorow
1988 Australia's new parliament house is opened by Queen Elizabeth
1988 Belgium: 8th Government of Martens forms
1989 "Sarafina!" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 597 performances
1989 Journalists petition Chinese Government for freedom of press
1989 New York Mets Kevin Elster, errors after 88 errorless games at shortstop
1989 New York Mets Rick Cerone, errors after 159 errorless games as catcher
1989 Vice President Dan Quayle says in United Negro College Fund speech: "What a waste it is to lose one's mind" instead of "a mind is terrible thing to waste"
1990 New York Newsday reporter Jimmy Breslin suspended for a racial slur
1990 Sampdoria wins 30th Europe Cup II
1991 Italian actress Laura Antonelli found guilty of cocaine possession
1991 Michael Landon appears on Tonight Show to talk about his cancer
1992 After trailing 9-0, St Louis Cardinals beat Atlanta Braves 12-11
1992 America's Cup finals begin in San Diego
1992 Final episode of "Golden Girls" airs on NBC-TV
1992 Michelle McLean, 19, of Namibia, crowned 41st Miss Universe
1993 "Ain't Broadway Grand" closes at Lunt-Fontanne NYC after 25 performances
1993 "Song of Jacob Zulu" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 53 performances
1993 Landslide in Nambija Ecuador, kills 300
1993 Meg Mallon wins LPGA Sara Lee Golf Classic
1993 Mustapha Matura's "Playboy of West Indies" premieres in NYC
1993 Paraguay holds its 1st presidential & parliamentary elections in 50 years
1994 "Passion" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 280 performances
1994 Massachusetts murderer Joel Rifkind found guilty in New York
1995 Cleveland Indians tie record of scoring 8 runs before making an out, they beat Twins 10-0
1995 Kinshasa, Zaire under quarantine after an outbreak of Ebola virus
1997 1st US ambassador since Saigon fell arrives in Vietnam
1997 San Diego Padres retire #35 worn by pitcher Randy Jones

---

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

Channel Island : Liberation Day
Poland, USSR : Victory Day [in World War II]
World : North Pole Flight Day (1926)
US : Mother's Day, give her a call today - - - - - ( Sunday )
Ireland : Feis Ceoil music festival (1897) - - - - - ( Monday )
US : Native American/Indian Day - - - - - ( Saturday )

---

Religious Observances
Christian : Feast of St Joan
old Roman Catholic, Anglican : Commemoration of St Gregory Nazianzen, bp of Constantinople/doctor
Islam : New Year's Day (Muharram 1, 1418 AH)

---

Religious History
1619 In Holland, the six month long Synod of Dort ended. Confirming the authority of the "Heidelberg Catechism," the decisions of the Synod led to some 200 Arminian clergy being afterward deprived of their offices.
1828 Birth of Andrew Murray, South African Dutch Reformed clergyman and devotional writer. His most famous writing was "Abide in Christ" (1864).
1905 Birth of Merrill Dunlop, American sacred chorister and hymnwriter. He directed the Chicago Gospel Tabernacle for many years, and is author of the hymn, "My Sins Are Blotted Out, I Know."
1961 English apologist C.S. Lewis, offering an evaluation of English Bible translations, wrote in a letter: 'A modern translation is for most purposes far more useful than the Authorized [i.e., King James] Version.'
1983 John Paul II announced the reversal of the Catholic Church's 1633 condemnation of Galileo Galilei, the scientist who first espoused the Copernican (i.e., heliocentric) view of our solar system.

---

Thought for the day :
"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity."

[SAMWolf]

The last know photo of Saddam Hussein seen fleeing Baghdad with two of his mistresses.

[SAMWolf]

1913 17th amendment provides for election of senators by popular vote

IMHO a bad decision. Now they spend their terms trying to get relected and stay in Office forever.

[Soaring Feather]

The last know photo of Saddam Hussein seen fleeing Baghdad with two of his mistresses.

[SAMWolf]

Our Military Today
On Patrol

Pvt. Robert Kelly and other soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, secure a perimeter on May 2 outside Al Hawd, a village in northern Iraq, after exiting a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek Gaines


Army Sgt. Eric Spencer and Pvt. Ezekiel Sanders, both from 2nd Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), patrol the wheat fields surrounding Al Hawd, a village in nothern Iraq, during Operation Iraqi FreedomU.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek Gaines


Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), descend a hill during a patrol of Al Hawd, a village in northern Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek Gaines


Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), climb a hill during a patrol of Al Hawd, a village in northern Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek Gaines


Army Sgt. Jay Faulk, a member of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), patrols the northern Iraqi village of Al Hawd in search of hidden weapons caches on May 2. DoD photo by U.S. Army Spc. Derek Gaines


Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), maintain "pick-up zone posture" while awaiting the incoming UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek Gaines

[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

[Jen]

Off to Alabama for the weekend! Happy Mothers Day to all the Foxhole moms! Have a great weekend everyone.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Jen.

[SAMWolf]

Happy Mother's Day, Jen. Drive safely.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[WSGilcrest]

Just found a great American flag screensaver. It's free:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/WinXPHome/Utility/1/W982KMeXP/EN-US/AmericanFlag.EXE