Free Republic

Over the next ten weeks before the start of the season, CFN will examine some of the great historical questions around college football from the best games, worst Heisman winners, all-time offensive and defensive teams, and more.

Story Number: NNS040310-04 Release Date: 3/10/2004 8:58:00 AM By Stacey Byington, Naval Station Pascagoula Public Affairs PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) -- USS Ticonderoga (CG 47) will depart its homeport at Naval Station Pascagoula for its final deployment March 10. The ship is scheduled to be decommissioned Sept. 30. While deployed, the ship will initially conduct counter-drug operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and then participate in UNITAS operations off the coast of South America. UNITAS is an annual series of multinational training exercises and operations conducted by the Navy, Marine Corps, Special Operations and U.S. Coast Guard forces...

Shown above are 3 women from left to right: Sandy Unitas, John and Sandy's daughter, Dorothy Hamill. Center is Maryland candidate for governor, Bob Ehrlich.click here for the story in the Baltimore Sun

WASHINGTON -- Some 600 U.S. Marines will exercise for the first time in the Amazon Basin of Peru, but Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo said Saturday the maneuvers are not a precursor to building a U.S. military base in the South American country. The Peruvian Congress has authorized the Marine operation at the Peruvian navy's Nanay base on the banks of the Amazon near Iquitos, 650 miles northeast of Lima. Previous significant U.S.-Peruvian operations have been in the Pacific and not inland. Peruvian press reports maintain the Marines aboard the dock landing ship USS Portland would be testing areas in Peru...