Free Republic

The Navy Secretary touted its ships as “beacons in every port of call” for “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” in a message to the force celebrating Pride Month. In the message to the force, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro highlighted Harvey Milk, the first openly-gay candidate to be elected to state office in California, who was also a lieutenant junior grade. In 2016, then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus named a ship after Milk.

The remnants of Transcontinental Air Mail Route Beacon 37A, which was located atop a bluff in St. George, Utah. (Photo: Dppowell/Wikipedia)Across the United States, from Los Angeles to New York, lies a network of mostly forgotten infrastructure, a system that was obsolete before it was ever finished—forgotten relics from the early days of powered flight. The early 20th century was an era of American history where Manifest Destiny seemed, well, manifest. The West had been won, and the cities blossomed. But with innovation came change and obsolescence. Trains became the prime movers of not only people and goods, but also the mail. The Pony Express proved...

FALFURRIAS — A pair of emergency beacons has been placed in South Texas to help stranded illegal immigrants as they try to head north from the border along a popular desert trail, the U.S. Border Patrol said. The beacons, .. are designed to alert authorities if an immigrant or anyone else finds themselves in distress in the rugged terrain. ... The beacons have instructions in English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, ... Border Patrol officials already have placed 18 beacons in the desert in Arizona.

<p>Forget about leaving a trail of bread crumbs. Getting lost in the woods may become a thing of the past, thanks to a new high-tech panic button for outdoors lovers.</p> <p>In a move that could change society's relationship with wilderness, the federal government today will roll out a new electronic homing system that uses satellites to track ``personal locator beacons'' carried by outdoors enthusiasts. The devices will allow rescuers to immediately locate people stranded miles from civilization and facing life-threatening injuries.</p>

[Short-lived link; full story tomorrow.] The Border Patrol plans to install 20 emergency beacon towers in the desert south and southwest of Tucson in a bid to save lives of illegal border-crossers and even drug-traffickers who find themselves in distress. The beacons — all located about 15 to 30 miles north of the border — will stretch from the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in western Pima County to the area north of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge south of Tucson. The rescue beacons are similar to six other beacons installed south of Yuma in the Border Patrol's Yuma...