The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Veterans in Congress

FEWER VETERANS IN NEW CONGRESS
Excerpted from the TROA Newsletter

With each new Congress, we've noted with dismay the steady decline in the number of senators and representatives who have experienced some form of uniformed service. The following figures include any form of active, Reserve, or National Guard service:

	1975	1991	1995	1999	2003
Senate	73%	68%	56%	43%	35%
House	70%	48%	37%	1%	27%

This year's difference is highlighted by comparing those who left Congress by retirement or defeat vs. the freshmen legislators who replaced them:

	Departees	New Freshman
Senate	46%	18% (2 of 11)
House	36%	14% (7 of 50)

Here's a breakdown of the Service affiliations among the veterans of the 108th Congress (in some cases, a member served in more than one uniformed service):

	Army	Navy	USMC	USAF	USCG
Senate	16	8	5	6	0
House	72	12	23	7	3

Finally, here's a look at the numbers of combat veterans and uniformed service retirees (with at least 20 years of regular and/or Guard/Reserve service):

	Combat	Retirees
Senate	9	3
House	24	8

The declining number of veterans in Congress is a reflection of the same trend among all Americans. With smaller forces, the proportion who have served will continue to decline as time passes.

But we shouldn't jump to the conclusion that veteran status is a good litmus test of the legislator's likely support for issues affecting the uniformed service community. Many non-veterans are among our strongest supporters on the Hill, and some who have advocated severe benefit cutbacks have served in the armed forces with great distinction.

More than anything else, the figures above illustrate the education challenge we face in getting our legislators to understand our issues. Most want to do the right thing, but their unfamiliarity with our issues means constituents who are veterans need to make special efforts to outline both problems and solutions for them. We hope you'll help us take on that challenge again next year.

Alabama

Senator Jeff Sessions served in the Army Reserves from 1973 until 1986, reaching the rank of Captain.

Representative Sonny Callahan served in the US Navy from 1952-1954.

Representative Robert Cramer served as an Armor officer in the Army and was assigned to Fort Knox, KY.

Representative Terry Everett served in the Air Force as an intel specialist in the late 50's.

Alaska

Senator Frank Murkowski served in the US Coast Guard aboard the cutters Sorrel and Thistle in the late 1950's.

Senator Ted Stevens was a pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War Two and served in the China-India-Burma theater of operations. He was awarded 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 1 Air Medal.

Representative Don Young served in the U.S. Army from 1955 - 1957 with the 41st Tank Battalion

Arizona

Senator John McCain graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958 and became a Naval Aviator. In 1967 he was shot down and for 5 1/2 years was a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. He retired from the Navy as a Captain in 1981. He was awarded the the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

Representative Jim Kolbe served in the Naval Reserve - Active duty, Vietnam: 1968-69

RepresentativeBob Stump served in the US Navy from 1943 to 1946 and served in the Pacific Theater of Operations.

Arkansas

Representative Vic Snyder served in the US Marine Corps from 1967-69 and was assigned to HQ Company, 1st Marine Division in Vietnam reaching the rank of Corporal.

California

Representative Joe Baca served in the US Army as a paratrooper from 1966-1968 in Vietnam.

Representative Randy Cunningham served as a Naval Aviator during the Vietnam War and was the first pilot to become an ace during that conflict. He was awarded the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, the Purple Heart and retired in 1987 at the rank of Captain.

Representative Steve Horn served in the US Army Reserve for eight years in Strategic Intelligence

Representative Duncan Hunter served in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He served in combat with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 75th Rangers Regiment.

Representative Pete Stark served in the US Air Force.

Representative Mike Thompson served in the US Army in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade

Colorado

Senator Ben Nighthorse-Campbell served in the US Air Force in Korea from 1951 to 1953 and left the Air Force with the rank of Airman 2nd Class.

Connecticut

Senator Christopher Dodd served in the Army Reserves in the early 70's.

Delaware

Senator Tom Carper served as a Naval Flight Officer in the US Navy from 1970 to 1975.

Florida

Senator Bill Nelson served for 2 years as an officer in the Army reaching the rank of Captain. In addition, he served as a payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986.

Representative Allen Boyd's biography indicates he "served his country in Vietnam" but does not provide any details.

Representative Porter Goss served in the US Army as an Intelligence Officer for two years in the early 60's.

Representative Cliff Stearns served in the US Air Force as an Aerospace Engineer / Satellite Reconnaissance and reached the rank of Captain.

Representative Dave Weldon served in the US Army and Army reserve as a doctor, reaching the rank of Major.

Georgia

Senator Max Cleland served in the US Army and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam eventually being promoted to the rank of Captain. There he earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Senator Cleland lost both legs and his right arm when a grenade exploded near him.

Senator Zell Miller served for three years as an enlisted US Marine the early 50's.

Representative Sanford Bishop served in the U.S. Army, completed basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, entered Advanced Reserve Officers Training, and received an Honorable Discharge in 1971.

Representative Nathan Deal served as a Captain in the US Army from 1966 to 1968.

Representative John Linder served in the US Air Force as a Captain from 1967 to 1969.

Representative Charlie Norwood served as a Captain in the US Army Dental Corps which inlcuded a tour with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam. He served from 1967 to 1969.

Hawaii

Senator Daniel Akaka served in the US Army Corps of Engineers from 1947 to 1947 including a tour on the island of Saipan and Tinian.

Senator Daniel Inouye served with the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War Two. While assaulting a heavily defended hill in the closing months of the war when Lt. Inouye was hit in his abdomen by a bullet which came out his back, barely missing his spine. He continued to lead the platoon and advanced alone against a machine gun nest which had his men pinned down. He tossed two hand grenades with devastating effect before his right arm was shattered by a German rifle grenade at close range. Inouye threw his last grenade with his left hand, attacked with a submachine gun and was finally knocked down the hill by a bullet in the leg. Senator Inouye was originally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for this action but in 2000 the award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Illinois

Representative Philip Crane served in the US Army from 1954 to 1956.

Representative Lane Evans served in the US Marine Corps during the "Vietnam Era".

Representative Henry Hyde enlisted in the US Navy in 1942 and was commissioned as an Ensign in 1944. He served in the Pacific Theater of Operations during WWII and retired at the rank of Commander from the Naval Reserves in 1968.

Representative Mark Kirk served as a Intelligence Officer in a Navy EA-6B squadron and deployed to Turkey in 2000 to enforce the Northern No-fly Zone over Iraq. Representative Kirk still serves in the Naval Reserves at the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

Representative Bobby Rush enlisted in the US Army in 1963 and was honorbaly discharged in 1968.

Representative John Shimkus is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point. After graduation he graduated from the Army Airborne school and completed Ranger training. He later served as an Infantry officer in Germany and continues to serve in the Army Reserves at the rank of Major.

Indiana

Senator Dick Lugar served in the US Navy from 1956 to 1960 including a tour at the Pentagon.

Representative Dan Burton served in the US Army and Army Reserved from 1957 to 1962.

Representative Steve Buyer served in the US Army for three years in the Judge Advocate General's Corps and later deployed as a Reservist to the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. He currently serves in the Army Reserves at the rank of Major.

Iowa

Senator Tom Harking served as a Naval Aviator from 1962 to 1967 and transferred to the Naval Reserve where he served an additional 3 years.

Representative Leonard Boswell was drafted as a private into the US Army in 1956, where he served for 20 years and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He also served two one-year tours in Vietnam as an assault helicopter pilot. He earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Stars, the Soldiers Medal and numerous other awards and decorations.

Representative Greg Ganske served in the US Army Reserves as a Medical Officer and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Kansas

Senator Pat Roberts served in the US Marine Corps from 1958 to 1961.

Representative Dennis Moore served in the US Army and Army Reserves in the early 70's.

Kentucky

Representative Ernie Fletcher served in the US Air Force as an F-4E Aircraft Commander and NORAD Alert Force Commander.

Representative Ron Lewis was accepted into the U.S. Navy’s Officer Candidate School before a kidney ailment forced his honorable medical discharge in 1972.

Representative Ken Lucas served as a pilot in the US Air Force and reached the rank of Major in the Kentucky Air National Guard.

Representative Hal Rogers served in the Kentucky & North Carolina National Guard from 1957-1964.

Representative Ed Whitfield served as a 1st Lieutenant in the 100th Division of the U.S. Army Reserves.

Louisiana

Representative John Cooksey served in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was stationed at Bergstrom AFB in Austin, Texas, and served temporary duty in northern Thailand.

Representative William Jefferson served as a commissioned First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps, retiring as a Captain.

Maryland

Representative Wayne Gilchrest served in the US Marine Corps. His tour of duty saw action during the invasion of the Dominican Republic, and ultimately the Vietnam War. He earned the rank of Sergeant in Vietnam, where as a platoon leader, he was wounded in the chest. He received the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Navy Commendation Medal.

Massachusetts

Senator John Kerry served in the US Navy as an officer on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. He received a Silver Star, Bronze Star and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat.

Representative William Delahunt served from 1963 to 1971 in the Coast Guard Reserve.

Representative Ed Markey served in the US Army Reserves.

Representative Joe Moakley enlisted at the age of 15 in the US Navy and served in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War Two.

Michigan

Representative David Bonior served as a cook in the US Air Force.

Representative John Dingell served in the US Army.

Representative Joe Knollenberg served in the US Army.

Representative Mike Rogers served in the US Army ultimately serving as a Company Commander in a "rapid deployment unit".

Representative Nick Smith served in the US Air Force as an Intelligence Officer and as a Squadron Commander in the Civil Air Patrol.

Minnesota

Representative Collin Peterson served in the Minnesota Army National Guard from 1963 to 1969.

Mississippi

Senator Thad Conchran served as a commissioned officer in the US Navy from 1959 to 1962. He served aboard the USS Macon and was assigned to the Eighth Naval District in New Orleans.

Representative Gene Taylor served in the Coast Guard Reserve from 1971-1984.

Representative Roger Wicker served in the U.S. Air Force and is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.

Montana

Senator Conrad Burns served as a small-arms instructor in the US Marine Corps.

Nebraska

Senator Chuck Hagel served in Vietnam with his brother Tom in 1968. They served side by side as infantry squad leaders with the U.S. Army's 9th Infantry Division.

Nevada

Representative Jim Gibbonsserved in the Unites States Air Force from 1967 to 1971, joined the Nevada Air Guard in 1975, and served as the group's Vice Commander from 1990 through 1996. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, Aerial Achievement Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster for his combat service during the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

New Hampshire

Senator Bob Smith served in the US Navy from 1965 to 1967 and deployed to the Gulf of Tonking during the Vietnam War.

New Jersey

Senator Jon Corzine served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1969 through 1975, and rose to the rank of sergeant in his infantry unit.

Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen served in the U.S. Army in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam in the 93rd Engineer Battalion. He was honorably discharged in 1971.

New Mexico

Senator Jeff Bingaman served in the Army Reserves from 1968 to 1974.

Representative Joe Skeen served a one-year enlistment in the Navy and served in the Air Force Reserve between 1949 and 1952.

Representative Heather Wilson is the first woman veteran to be elected to Congress. She grdauated from the US Air Force Academy in 1982 and served in England at NATO Headquarters. She remained an officer in the Air Force until 1989.

New York

Representative Sherwood Boehlert served two years in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958.

Representative Benjamin Gilman served as a Staff Sergean during World War Two in the 19th Bomb Group of the 20th Army Air Force, flying 35 missions over Japan and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters.

Representative Maurice Hinchey served in the U.S. Navy aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Marshall.

Representative Amo Houghton served as a PFC in the Marine Corps in 1945 and 1946.

Representative John LaFalce served in the US Army Adjutant General Corps, leaving active duty with the rank of Captain.

Representative Charles Rangel served in the U.S. Army in Korea, 1948-52, and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Representative Tom Reynolds served in the New York National Guard from 1970 - 1976 obtaining the rank of Sergeant.

Representative José Serrano served in the 172nd Support Battalion of the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Fort Wainright, Alaska during the Vietnam war.

North Carolina

Senator Jesse Helmsserved in the U.S. Navy from 1942 through 1945.

Representative Cass Ballenger served in the U.S. Naval Air Corps, 1944-1945

Representative Howard Coble served 5 1/2 years in the US Coast Guard and 18 years in the US Coast Guard Reserve finally serving as the Commanding Officer, US Coast Guard Reserve Unit, Wilmington, NC.

Representative Bob Etheridge served two years in the U.S. Army.

Ohio

Representative Dave Hobson served in the Ohio Air National Guard from 1958-63 and served on active duty overseas during Berlin Wall crisis.

Representative Ralph Regula served two years of active duty with the U.S. Navy.

Oklahoma

Representative Wes Watkins served six years in the Oklahoma Air National Guard in the 1960's.

Pennsylvania

Senator Arlen Specter served in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations for two years.

Representative William Coyne served in the U.S. Army in Korea from 1955 to 1957.

Representative George Gekas served two years in the U.S. Army.

Representative Paul Kanjorski served in the Army during the early 1960s.

Representative John Murtha enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserve after graduating high school and retired in 1990.

Representative John Peterson served both active and reserve duty in the U.S. Army from 1957 through 1963.

Representative Joe Pitts served as a Captain in the US Air Force, where he flew 116 combat missions in his three tours of duty during the Vietnam War.

Representative Don Sherwood served as a First Lieutenant in the US Army at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md., Pueblo Army Depot, Co., and in Panama.

Rhode Island

Senator Jack Reed was commissioned as an Army officer after graduating from West Point. He trained as an Army Ranger and a paratrooper and served in the 82nd Airborne Division as an Infantry Platoon leader, a Company Commander and a Battalion Staff Officer. He returned to West Point in 1978 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences. Reed resigned from the Army as a Major in 1979

Texas

South Carolina

Senator Ernest Hollings graduated from The Citadel in 1942. He then served in World War II as a U.S. Army officer in the North African and European campaigns. He was decorated with the Bronze Star and received seven other campaign ribbons.

Senator Strom Thurmond is by far the most senior Veteran serving in Congress. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army Reserves in 1924. During World War Two he was assigned to the First US Army and later landed in Normandy with the 82nd Airborne Division on D-Day. During the war, he earned 18 decorations, medals and awards, including the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Bronze Star for Valor, Belgian Order of the Crown, and French Croix de Guerre. He remained in the Army Reserves until 1959 when he retired at the rank of Major General after 36 years of service.

Representative Henry Brown served in the Army National Guard from 1953 to 1962.

Representative Lindsey Graham served from 1989 until his election as Base Staff Judge Advocate at McEntire Air National Guard Base. He maintains his military status as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserves and is a Veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Strom.

Representative Floyd Spence was commissioned as an Ensign in the US Naval Reserve. During the Korean Conflict, he served on active duty aboard the U.S.S. Carter Hall and the U.S.S. LSM-397. He is the former Commanding Officer of a Naval Reserve Surface Division and the former Group Commander of all Naval Reserve Units in Columbia, South Carolina. In 1988, he retired as a Captain in the United States Naval Reserve.

Representative John Spratt served as a captain in the Army in the Operations Analysis Group in the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).

South Dakota

Senator Tom Daschle served three years as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command.

Tennessee

Representative Ed Bryant was commissioned as an officer of the US Army's Military Intelligence Branch. He was nominated to serve in the Judge Advocate General's Corps as a Captain. Among other assignments he taught Constitutional Law to the Army's future officers at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Representative Bob Clement joined the United States Army in 1969 and was discharged two years later as a first lieutenant. He then went directly into the Tennessee Army National Guard, where he served for 30 years, and retired with the rank of Colonel.

Representative John Duncan served in the Tennessee Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserves, starting as an enlisted man and rising to the rank of Captain.

Representative Bart Gordon served in the Army Reserves from 1971 to 1972.

Representative Van Hilleary was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force in 1981. After his active duty tour, He remained in the Air Force Reserve. In 1990 and ‘91, Hilleary served two volunteer tours of duty in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm and flew 24 missions as a navigator on C-130 aircraft. He still remains in the Air Force Reserve with the rank of Major.

Representative Bill Jenkins served on active duty as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army Military Police Corps.

Representative John Tanner entered the U.S. Navy in 1968 and served at the rank of Lieutenant. He received an honorable discharge in 1972, and entered the Tennessee Army National Guard where he currently serves at the rank of Colonel.

Representative Ralph Hall joined the U.S. Navy on December 10, 1942, and served as an aircraft carrier pilot during World War II.

Representative Sam Johnson began his 29 year career in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as director of the Air Force Fighter Weapons School and flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying demonstration team. In Korea he flew F-86s in 62 combat missions. In 1966, Johnson's F-4 was shot down over North Vietnam and he spent nearly seven years as a Prisoner of War. Three of those years were spent in solitary confinement. He was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, and three Outstanding Unit Awards. He retired from the Air Force in 1979.

Representative Solomon Ortiz served in the US Army including a tour with the 61st Military Police Company, Criminal Investigation Office.

Representative Ron Paul served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s.

Representative Silvestre Reyes served in the US Army from 1966 to 1968 including a tour in Vietnam where he reached the rank of Sergeant.

Utah

Representative James Hansen served in the United States Navy during the Korean War.

Vermont

Senator James Jeffords served on active duty with the U.S. Navy from 1956 to 1959, and retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve as a Captain in 1990.

Virginia

Senator John Warner enlisted in the U.S. Navy 1945, at age 17. He served on active duty until the summer of 1946 and was honorably discharged as Petty Officer 3rd Class, electronic technician's mate.

Representative Tom Davis served on active duty in the U.S. Army, and spent eight years with the Virginia National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve.

Representative Robert Scott served in the Massachusetts National Guard and the United States Army Reserves.

Representative Norman Sisisky served in the US Navy during World War Two and was honorably discharged in 1946.

Representative Frank Wolf is listed with the AFA as having served in the Army Reserve from 1962 to 1963 but does not mention this service in his biography.

Washington

Representative Jim McDermott served in the US Navy as a medical officer from 1968 to 1970.

Representative Alan Mollohan is listed with the AFA as having served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1983 but does not mention this service in his biography.

Wisconsin

Senator Herb Kohl served in the Army Reserve from 1958 to 1964.

Wyoming

Senator Mike Enzi is listed with the AFA as having served in the Air National Guard from 1968 to 1973 but does not mention this service in his biography.

American Samoa

Delegate Eni F.H. Faleomavaega served in the US Army from 1966 to 1969 and is a Vietnam Veteran. He joined the US Army Reserves as a Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. He was a member of the 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry Reserve Unit, Ft. DeRussy, Hawaii from 1982 to 1990.

Additional Sources:

http://www.keepingapace.org
http://www.house.gov
www.grunts.net

Veterans in 108^th Congress (167)

By Era (approximate)

	HOUSE	SENATE
WORLD WAR II	7	6
KOREAN WAR	17	8
VIETNAM WAR	95	21
GULF WAR	9	4
Total	128	39

Members of the 108th Congress Who Served
or Are Serving in the Military


Senate Military Experience

Note: 35 have served in an active or reserve status

Note: Some individuals served in more than one service and/or reserve component

	Any	Active	Reserve
	Service	Duty	or Guard	Reserve	Guard

Army	16	9	10	7	3
Navy	8	8	3	3	0
Marine Corps	6	5	1	1	0
Army Air Corps	1	1	0	0	0
Air Force	4	4	3	1	2
Coast Guard	0	0	0	0	0

Total	35	27	17	12	5

House of Representatives Military Experience

Note: 121 have served in an active or reserve status

Note: Some individuals served in more than one service and/or reserve component

	Any	Active	Reserve
	Service	Duty	or Guard	Reserve	Guard

Army	74	48	43	26	17
Navy	13	12	3	3	0
Marine Corps	7	7	1	1	0
Air Force	25	18	12	2	10
Coast Guard	3	1	2	2	0

Total	122	86	61	34	27

'As veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War age and die, memories of those trying times fade away like old soldiers. The number of veterans in Congress is in steady decline and the Clinton administration had the lowest representation of people with military experience than any previous one.

This passing of an era, according to Northwestern University military sociologist Charles Moskos, adds to the growing distance between the average American and the military, making the institution "alien and invisible."'

Augusta Chornicle

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Minnesota
John Kline R. 2nd Congressional District

Although this marks his first elected office, Congressman Kline is familiar with Washington, where he served as a military aide to Presidents Carter and Reagan for three of his twenty-five years in the United States Marine Corps. Mr. Kline’s responsibilities during this period included carrying the nuclear “football” – the package containing launch codes for a nuclear attack – and advising the country’s senior leadership, including the President. Throughout a military career from which he retired at the rank of Colonel, Mr. Kline served as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, commanded all Marine aviation forces in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, and served as Program Development Officer at Headquarters Marine Corps.

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On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on September 21:
1415 Frederick III Innsbruck Austria, German Emperor (1440-1493)
1452 Girolamo Savonarola Florentine monk/preacher/reformer
1756 John Loudon McAdam created macadam road surface (asphalt)
1788 Margaret Smith Taylor 1st lady
1849 Sir Edmund Gosse London, translator/critic (Father & Son)
1866 Charles Jean Henri Nicolle France bacteriologist (Nobel-1928)
1866 H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells Bromley, England (War of the Worlds)
1874 Gustav Holst Cheltenham, England, composer (Planets)
1884 Hugh (Shorty) Ray supervisor of NFL officials, HOF member
1886 Teiichi Igarashi Japan, climbed Mt Fuji at age 99
1902 Limari Salminen Finland, 10K run (Olympic-gold-1936)
1907 Lloyd Gough actor (Mike Axford-Green Hornet)
1909 Kwame Nkrumah President of Ghana (1958-66)
1912 Chuck Jones animator (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck)
1912: Gyorgy Scndor, Budapest Hungary, pianist (L'Apprenti Sorcier)
1914 John Kluge Chemnitz Germany, media CEO (Metromedia)/billionaire
1918 Rand Brooks LA Calif, actor (Cpl Boone-Rin Tin Tin)
1930 Dawn Addams Felixstown Engl, actress (Alan Young Show, Star Maidens)
1931 Larry Hagman Fort Worth Tx, actor (I Dream of Jeannie, JR-Dallas)
1932 Melvin Van Peebles US, playwright/director (Watermelon Man)
1934 Leonard Cohen Montr‚al, singer/songwriter (Death of Ladies Man)
1935 Henry Gibson Germantown Pa, comedian (Nashville, Laugh-In's poet)
1940 Bill Kurtis Pensacola Fla, newscaster (The American Parade)
1942 Ann Elder Cleve Oh, comedienne (Smothers Brothers Show, Laugh-In)
1944 Fannie Flagg Birmingham Ala, actress/comediene (Candid Camera)
1944 Hamilton Jordan political advisor (Crisis, Last Year of Carter Pres)
1947 Stephen King suspense writer (Shining, Kujo)
1948 Artis Gilmore ABA all star (Kentucky Colonels)
1948 Michael Finneran diver (1st perfect 10 on 10m platform)
1950 Bill Murray Evanston Ill, comedian (SNL, What About Bob, Stripes)
1953 John Mengatti NYC, actor (Nick-White Shadow, For Love & Honor)
1955 Richard J Hieb Jamestown ND, astronaut (STS 39, Sk:STS 49)
1959 Corrinne Drewery rocker (Swing Out Sister-Swing Out)
1959 David Coulier Detroit, actor (Joey Gladstone-Full House)
1962 Grant Fuhr Edmonton Alberta, NHL goalie (Oilers)
1968 Ricki Lake actress (Hairspray)
1971 Alfonso Ribeiro NYC, actor/pianist (Alfonso-Silver Spoons)

Deaths which occurred on September 21:
1327 Edward II king of England (1307-1327), dies at 43
1558 Charles V, King of Spain (Carlos I)/Holy Roman Emperor, dies at 58
1576 Girolamo Cardano Italian mathematician, dies at 74
1776 Nathan Hale spied on British for American rebels, hanged
1904 Chief Joseph, US Indian chief (Nez Perc), dies
1915 Anthony Comstock anti-vice crusader, dies at 71 in NYC
1956 Anastasio Somoza García Nicaraguan dictator, assassinated by Roliberto Lopez
1957 Haakon VII king of Norway, dies, Olaf succeeds him
1961 Earle Dickson inventor (band-aid), dies at 68
1973 Diana Sands actress, dies at 39
1974 Jacqueline Susann author (Valley of the Dolls), dies at 53 of cancer
1974 Walter Brennan actor, dies at 80
1979 John McQuade actor (Charlie Wild Private Detective), dies at 73
1988 Robert Gwathmey artist, dies at 85

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 AMMON GLENDON L. MUNCIE IN.
[REMAINS RETURNED 08/29/78]
1966 BAUDER JAMES R. LA CANADA CA.
1966 MILLS JAMES B. BAKERSFIELD CA.
1967 KIEN NGUYEN THAI VIETNAM
[RELEASED 09/24/84, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 JUDGE MARK W TORRANCE CA.
[NOT ON ANY OFFICIAL LIST. REMAINS RECOVERED]
1967 PLUMADORE KENNETH L. SYRACUSE NY.
1967 VESCELIUS MILTON J. MILFORD MI.
[REMAINS RECOVERED 08/14/85]
1969 CECIL ALAN B. HOLDENVILLE OK.
1969 JACKSON JAMES W. JR. ATLANTA GA.
1971 CARROLL ROGER W. JR. KANSAS CITY MO.
[REMAINS RETURNED 06/94 IDENTIFIED 10/95]
1972 COOK DWIGHT W. CENTER POINT IA.
[REMAINS RETURNED 06/94 IDENTIFIED 06/95]

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

On this day...
454 In Italy, Aetius, the supreme army commander, is murdered in Ravenna by Valentinian III, the emperor of the West.
687 Conon ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1066 Battle at Fulford: Norway king Harald III Hardrada beats British militia
1192 English King Richard I the Lion Hearted, captured
1348 Jews in Zurich Switzerland are accused of poisoning wells
1451 Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa orders Jews of Holland to wear a badge
1520 Suleiman (the Magnificent), son of Selim, becomes Ottoman sultan in Constantinople.
1621 King James of England gives Canada to Sir Alexander Sterling
1648 Battle at Pilawce: Bohdan Chmielricki's beats John Casimir
1745 A Scottish Jacobite army commanded by Lord George Murray routs the Royalist army of General Sir John Cope at Prestonpans.
1776 Great fire in NY
1780 Benedict Arnold gives British Major Andr‚ plans to West Point
1784 1st daily newspaper in America (Penns Packet & General Advertiser)
1792 1st French Republic declared
1823 Moroni 1st appears to Joseph Smith, according to Smith
1863 Union forces retreat to Chattanooga after defeat at Chickamauga
1872 John Henry Conyers of SC becomes 1st black student at Annapolis
1893 Frank Duryea drives 1st US made gas propelled vehicle (car)
1895 1st auto manufacturer opens-Duryea Motor Wagon Company
1897 NY Sun runs famous "Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus," editorial
1906 Yankee 1st baseman Hal Chase's 22 put-outs ties record
1913 1st aerobatic maneuver, sustained inverted flight, performed in France
1915 Stones at Stonehenge, England, sold at auction for œ6,600
1921 Gas generator explodes at Bradishe Aniline chemical works in Germany
1922 Pres Warren G Harding signs a joint resolution of approval to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine
1928 "My Weekly Reader" magazine made its debut
1929 1st legal forward pass in Canadian senior football thrown (Calgary)
1930 Johann Ostermeyer patents the flashbulb
1931 Britain goes off the gold standard
1934 St Louis Card Paul Dean no-hits Bkln Dodgers, 3-0
1934 Typhoon strikes Honshu Island Japan, kills 4,000
1937 The women's airspeed record is set at 292 mph by American pilot Jacqueline Cochran.
1937 J.R.R. Tolkien, publishes "The Hobbit"
1938 Hurricane (winds 183 MPH) in New England kills 700
1943 Lynch Triangle (Square) in the Bronx named
1948 "Texaco Star Theater" with Milton Berle premieres on NBC-TV
1949 Federal Republic of [West] Germany created under 3-power occupation
1949 People's Republic of China proclaimed
1951 Emil Zatopek runs 15,000 m. in record 44 min, 54.6 sec
1953 Allied forces form West Germany
1954 Nuclear submarine "Nautilus" is commissioned
1956 Yanks set dubious record, stranding 20 men on base Mantle hits a 500' plus homer but Red Sox win 13-9 in Fenway
1957 "Perry Mason" with Raymond Burr premiers on CBS-TV
1958 1st airplane flight exceeding 1200 hours, lands, Dallas Tx
1961 Antonio Abertondo swims the English Channel round trip (44 miles)
1964 Constellation (US) beats Sovereign (England) in 20th America's Cup
1964 Malta gains independence from Britain
1964 Reds Chico Ruiz steals home, beats Phillies 1-0. Phillies start a 10 game losing streak that gives the Cards the pennant
1965 O Kommissarova (USSR) sets women's longest paracute jump (46,250')
1965 Ted Erikson of Chicago, Illinois, became the first American swimmer to complete a round-trip crossing of the English Channel.
1966 Jimmy Hendrix changes spelling of his name to Jimi
1966 5" of rain falls on NYC
1969 NY Jet Steve O'Neal punts 98 yards against Denver Broncos
1970 "Monday Night Football" on ABC premiers (Browns beat Jetss 31-21)
1970 Luna 16 leaves the Moon
1970 Oakland A's Vida Blue no-hits Minn Twins, 6-0
1970 "NFL Monday Night Football" made its debut on ABC TV as the Cleveland Browns defeated the visiting New York Jets, 31-21.
1971 AL OKs Washington Senator move to Arlington (Texas Rangers)
1971 John Lennon & Yoko Ono are Dick Cavett's only guest
1972 Marcos declares martial law in the Philippines
1973 Nate Archibald signs 7 yr contract with NBA KC Kings for $450,000
1973 NY Mets go into 1st place (at .500) after trailing 12« games
1974 US Mariner 10 makes 2nd fly-by of Mercury
1976 Wings performs in Zagreb Yugoslavia
1980 LA Ram Johnnie Johnson scores a 99 yard interception
1980 Richard Todd of the Jets completes 42 passes in a game (NFL record)
1981 Belize gains independence from Britain (National Day)
1981 Sandra Day O'Connor becomes 1st female Supreme Court Justice
1981 Steve Carlton strikes out NL record 3,118th (Andre Dawson)
1982 2,251 turn out to see the Expos play the NY Mets at Shea Stadium
1982 Devils beat Rangers 3-2 in exhibition; 1st hockey in Meadowlands (NJ)
1982 NFL players begin a 57 day strike
1982 SF cable cars cease operations for 2 years of repairs
1982 STS-5 vehicle moves to launch pad
1983 The mutilated body of 13-year-old paperboy Danny Joe Eberle is found in his hometown of Bellevue, Nebraska.
1984 NASA launches Galaxy-C
1985 Michael Spinks becomes 1st light heavyweight to defeat the reigning heavyweight champion, he defeats Larry Holmes
1986 Miami Dan Marino passes for 6 touchdowns vs NY Jets (51-45)
1986 New Orleans Saints Mel Gray returns kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown
1986 NY Jets beat Miami Dolphins 51-45 in OT; record 884 passing yards
1988 Mike Tyson threatens a TV reporter in NJ
1989 Poland's Sejm (National Assembly) approves prime minister Mazowiecki
1990 Oakland A's Bob Welch becomes the 1st 25 game winner in 10 years
1990 Pirate Bobby Bond is 2nd to hit 30 HRs & steal 50 bases in a season
1990 Faye Vincent turns down White Sox bid to reinstate Minnie Minoso, 68, (so he can play in 6 decades) because it is a publicity stunt
1991 Armenia votes on whether to remain in the Soviet Union
1991 An 18-hour hostage drama ended in Sandy, Utah, as Richard L. Worthington, who had killed a nurse and seized control of a hospital maternity ward, finally freed his nine captives, including a baby who was born during the siege. (Worthington committed suicide in prison in 1994.)
1991 Armenia became the 12th Soviet republic to declare independence.
1998 President Clinton's videotaped grand jury testimony, during which he admitted to an inappropriate relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, was shown on television.
2000 An Iranian appeals court reduced the prison terms for 10 Jews convicted of "cooperating" with Israel, in a case that had drawn international criticism.

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

Watticism Day
Malta : Independence Day (1964)
Philipines : Thanksgiving
US : Press Sunday (Sunday)
UN observance : Intl Day of Peace (Tuesday)
National Rehabilitation Week Begins
National Singles Week Begins
National Rice Month
Latino Heritage Month

Religious Observances
Ang, RC, Luth : Feast of St Matthew, apostle, evangelist
Baha'is : World Peace Day
Orth : Nativity of the Birth-Giver of God (ie, Mary) (9/8 OS)
Wiccan : Alban Elfed-sabbat

Religious History
1452 Birth of Girolamo Savonarola, Italian reformer. A Dominican from 1474, he was famous for his religious zeal. For 14 years he led in the reformation of Florence, before attacks on Alexander VI led to his excommunication. In 1498, he was convicted of heresy, hanged and burned.
1522 Martin Luther, 36, first published his German translation of the New Testament. (Luther's translation of the entire Bible was completed in 1534 -- perhaps the greatest literary achievement of the great Reformer.)
1814 Francis Scott Key's patriotic verses, entitled "The Star Spangled Banner," were first published in "The Baltimore American." (The poem became the American National Anthem in 1931.)
1848 The Arkansas Baptist State Convention was organized in Tulip, Arkansas, by 72 delegates from several area-wide Baptist churches and organizations. It was the first statewide Baptist organization in the history of Arkansas.
1933 In Germany during Hitler's rise to power, Martin Niemoeller began organizing the Pastors' Emergency League. Over 7,000 churches joined, although some 2,500 later withdrew under Nazi pressure. (The League itself gave birth to the more famous Barmen Synod, formed in May 1934.)

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"Make new friends but keep the old, One is silver the other gold."

You Know You've Had Too Much Coffee When...
You want to be cremated just so you can spend eternity in a coffee can.

Murphys Law of the day...
Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.

It's a little know fact that...
A poem written to celebrate a wedding is called an epithalamium.

The decline of national military experience marks a gradual but fundamental change in the relationship between the armed forces and the society they serve. That is an issue of national security.

I never really thought of it this way. Of course I would want more of my reps to have the experience of serving but I hadn't really thought about the issue of national security, very thought provoking indeed.

I can see that I have even more to be concerned about with some of these people who amazingly enough continue to get elected to office.

And what about the Veterans we have who are complete yahoos in office, I hope they are balanced out by folks who didn't serve but still have America's best interest at heart. (Some days I don't think any politician does.)

Not only does this hurt to have less elected officials who are veterans but that also means we have less who served to show up at the voting booth.

We need to encourage more of our young people to join up.

Thank you SAM. This was actually more interesting than I thought it would be. ;)

Morning EGC.

Things are going pretty good, I'll know more after I have some coffee.

Good morning Valin.

Kline has an impressive looking service record. Thank you for posting it on today's thread.

Good morning manna.

Good morning Mayor.

Those donuts sure look good. Thanks.

God bless them. However, this doesn't explain why many on this list constantly vote against the Armed Forces.

Morning E.G.C. Beautiful cool day here.

Thanks for the adding Representative Joe Kline of Minnesota. I was afraid I'd miss a few.

I tried to find the most current list I could, but I knew any omissions would be added by our readers.

FEWER VETERANS IN NEW CONGRESS Excerpted from the TROA Newsletter

FEWER VETERANS IN NEW CONGRESS
Excerpted from the TROA Newsletter