USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Fallen Warriors ~ February 15 2003

February 15 2003 | snippy about it and friends of FR

[snippy_about_it]

In Memoriam

Operation Enduring Freedom

"Come unto me all ye who are weary and
burdened, and I shall give you rest." (Matt: 11:28).

Fallen Warriors

U.S. Army

• Spc. Marc A. Anderson, 30, of Brandon, Fla. Anderson, a member of the 1st Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, based at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga., was one of six U.S. troops killed March 4, 2002 after their helicopter came under intense fire near the Afghan town of Gardez, southeast of Kabul. Anderson left behind a wife and three sons.

• Spc. Curtis A. Carter, 25, a scout with Headquarters and Head-quarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment. 1st Cavalry Division soldier who deployed with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team to Kuwait in November, died of a gunshot wound from his weapon. Curtis was married.

• Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Ross Chapman, 31, of San Antonio, Texas Chapman was killed Jan. 4, 2002 by hostile, small arms fire in eastern Afghanistan, near the city of Khost. Chapman, a special forces soldier who has spent more than 12 years in the military, was the first U.S. combatant killed by enemy fire.

• Sgt. Steven Checo, 22, of Elizabeth, N.J. Checo, a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, died in surgery at a field hospital on Dec. 21, 2002 after he was shot during a gun battle in the eastern Afghanistan town of Shkhin. An uncle said Checo moved to Elizabeth from New York with his mother and sister about three years ago to "make a better life." A neighbor said Checo has a brother who is also in the military.

• Pfc. Matthew A. Commons, 20, of Boulder City, Nev. Commons, a member of the 1st Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, based at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga., was one of six U.S. troops killed March 4 after their helicopter came under intense fire near the Afghan town of Gardez, southeast of Kabul. His father and grandfather were U.S. Marines.

• Staff Sgt. Brian Craig, 27, of Texas Craig was one of four soldiers killed April 15, 2002 in an explosion in Afghanistan. Craig and the other victims were killed when old Chinese-made rockets they were attempting to dismantle exploded. Craig was a member of the 710th Explosive Ordnance Detachment based in San Diego.

• Sgt. Bradley S. Crose, 27, of Orange Park, Fla. Crose, a member of the 1st Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, based at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga., was one of six U.S. troops killed March 4 after their helicopter came under intense fire near the Afghan town of Gardez, southeast of Kabul. Crose was a tae kwon do master who competed on a national level.

• Master Sgt. Jefferson Donald Davis, 39, of Watauga, Tenn. Davis was killed with Prosser and Petithory on Dec. 5, 2001 when a U.S. bomb missed its Taliban target north of Kandahar in Afghanistan. He was a Green Beret and former high school athlete who leaves behind a wife and three children in Clarksville, Ky.

• Army Spc. Jason A. Disney, 21, of Fallon, Nev. Disney died shortly after a piece of heavy equipment fell on him February 13, 2002

• Pvt. James H. Ebbers, 19, Bridgeview, Ill, October 14, 2002, Djibuoti, Africa Pvt. Ebbers was deployed in the U.S. Central Command area of operations overseas, but the location was not released by Fort Campbell. Died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

• Spc. Jonn J. Edmunds, 20, of Cheyenne, Wyo. Edmunds, who died Oct. 19, 2001 with Stonesifer in the helicopter accident in Pakistan, was planning to make a career out of the military, according to friends and family. "He was just a happy-go-lucky guy," said John Steichen, the father of a close friend of Edmunds. Steichen told The Associated Press that Edmunds wanted to be a Ranger and "wanted to be where the action was."

• Sgt. Ryan D. Foraker, 31, Logan, Ohio, Foraker was reported missing from his unit in Guantanamo, Cuba, on Sep. 24. Exhaustive ground, sea, and air searches were conducted in an effort to locate him but were unsuccessful. Foraker was assigned to the 342nd Military Police Company, U.S. Army Reserve, Columbus, Ohio, which was deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom to support detainee operations in Guantanamo. He was married with two children.

• Sgt. Gregory M. Frampton, 37, of California Frampton, a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was one of four soldiers who died when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed on Jan. 30, 2003, while on a training mission, 7 miles east of Bagram Air Base, in Afghanistan. The U.S. military has said the cause of the crash is unclear, but there was no indication of enemy fire.

• Staff Sgt. Justin Galewski, 28, of Kansas Galewski was killed in Afghanistan April 15, 2002 when rockets he was attempting to dismantle exploded. He was a member of the 710th Explosive Ordnance Detachment based in San Diego.

• Chief Warrant Officer Thomas J. Gibbons, 31, of Maryland Gibbons, a member of the 106th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was one of four soldiers who died when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed on Jan. 30, 2003, while on a training mission, 7 miles east of Bagram Air Base, in Afghanistan. The U.S. military has said the cause of the crash is unclear, but there was no indication of enemy fire.

• Chief Warrant Officer Stanley L. Harriman, 34, of Wade, N.C. Harriman was killed March 2, 2002 in a ground attack shortly after American forces, joined by Afghan and other allied troops, began an offensive against al Qaeda fighters near the town of Gardez. The father of two children, Harriman was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C.

• Staff Sgt. Daniel L. Kisling Jr., 31, of Neosho, Mo. Kisling, a member of the 106th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was one of four soldiers who died when his special operations helicopter crashed on Jan. 30, 2003, while on a training mission, 7 miles east of Bagram Air Base, in Afghanistan. The U.S. military has said the cause of the crash is unclear, but there was no indication of enemy fire.

• Pvt. Giovanny Maria, 19, of Camden, N.J. Maria, a 10th Mountain Division soldier, died on Nov. 29, 2001 in Uzbekistan from a gunshot wound unrelated to enemy action, according to U.S. officials.

• Sgt. Jamie Maugans, 27, of Kansas Maugans was killed April 15, 2002 in Afghanistan when rockets he was attempting to dismantle exploded. He was a member of the 710th Explosive Ordnance Detachment based in San Diego.

• Chief Warrant Officer Mark S. O'Steen, 43, of Ozark, Ala. O'Steen, a member of the 106th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was one of four soldiers who died when the special operations helicopter he piloted crashed on Jan. 30, 2003, while on a training mission 7 miles east of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The U.S. military has said the cause of the crash is unclear, but there was no indication of enemy fire. O'Steen followed in his three brothers' footsteps when he joined the Army almost 18 years ago. He had a daughter from a previous marriage.

•Spec. Pedro Pena, 35, Fla., November 7, 2002, Kuwait
I could find no other information on this soldier.

• Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Petithory, 32, of Cheshire, Mass. One of three special forces soldiers killed Dec. 5, 2001 when a U.S. bomb missed its Taliban target north of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. He was a member of the Army's 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. His brother described him as a practical joker who had always wanted to join the Army.

• Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser, 28, of Fraizer Park, Calif. Prosser died with Petithory and a third soldier on Dec. 5, 2001 when a U.S. bomb missed its Taliban target north of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. They were all members of the Army's 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Romero, 30, of Colorado Romero, of the Colorado Army National Guard, was killed April 15, 2002 in Afghanistan when rockets he was attempting to dismantle exploded. He was a member of the 19th Special Forces Group based in Pueblo, Colo. He is survived by his wife and parents.

• Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher James Speer, 28, of Albuquerque, N.M. Speer was one of five U.S. soldiers injured in an ambush while hunting for al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan on July 27, 2002. He was moved shortly after to a hospital in Germany, where he died Aug. 12, 2002. Speer was based at U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C.

• Pvt. 1st Class Kristofor T. Stonesifer, 28, of Missoula, Mont. Stonesifer grew up in Pennsylvania and went on to attend the ROTC program at the University of Montana. An instructor there recalls that Stonesifer left the program early with a desire to become one of the best soldiers in the U.S. Army. He died Oct. 19, 2001 when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed upon attempting to land in Pakistan.

• Sgt. Philip J. Svitak, 31, of Joplin, Mo. Svitak, a flight engineer assigned to 2nd Battalion of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in Fort Campbell, Ky., was one of six U.S. troops killed March 4, 2002 after their helicopter came under intense fire near the Afghan town of Gardez, southeast of Kabul. His mother recalled him saying, "If they send me over there and anything happens to me, I'm proud to die for my country." Svitak left behind a wife and two sons, ages 2 and 4.

• Army Sgt. 1st Class Peter P. Tycz II, 32, of Tonawanda, N.Y. Tycz, assigned to the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C., was killed in the June 12, 2002 crash of an Air Force MC130-H near an airstrip in the Gardez region of Afghanistan.

• Gene Arden Vance, a U.S. Special Forces sergeant, was fatally wounded when his unit came under heavy fire while on patrol in eastern Afghanistan on May 19, 2002 and died while waiting to be evacuated. The 38-year-old soldier from Morgantown, W. Va., was recently married and had canceled his honeymoon plans when he was called up to serve in Afghanistan with the 19th Special Forces Unit. He is survived by his wife Lisa and a daughter.

U.S. Navy

• Chief Petty Officer Matthew J. Bourgeois, 35, of Talahassee, Fla. Bourgeois, a Navy SEAL, was killed after stepping on and setting off a land mine March 28, 2002 during a training mission near the U.S. base at Kandahar airport in Afghanistan, officials said.

• Machinist's Mate Fireman Apprentice Bryant L. Davis, 20, of Chicago Fell overboard into the Arabian Sea from the USS Kitty Hawk on Nov. 7, 2001, and declared dead by the Defense Department on Nov. 10.

• Navy Fireman Apprentice Michael J. Jakes Jr., 20, of New York City Jakes died Dec. 4, 2001 of head injuries sustained in a fall from his bunk on the carrier USS Kitty Hawk in the Arabian Sea.

• Petty Officer 1st Class Vincent Parker of Preston, Miss. Parker, 38, was lost at sea Nov. 18, 2001 when the suspicious vessel his security team had boarded sank. Parker joined the Navy after graduating from high school, and was supposed to be on his last tour of duty before his retirement from the military. He had been serving aboard the USS Peterson.

• Petty Officer 1st Class Neil C. Roberts, 32, of Woodland, Calif. Roberts was killed March 4, 2002 after falling from his helicopter during fighting near the Afghan town of Gardez, southeast of Kabul. One of 12 children, he also left behind a wife and an 18-month-old son.

• Petty Officer 3rd Class Benjamin Johnson of Rochester, N.Y. Johnson drowned Nov. 18, 2001 when a suspicious vessel his security team boarded in the Persian Gulf sank. The 21-year-old had been serving aboard the USS Peterson.

U.S. Air Force

• Air Force Master Sgt. Evander Andrews, 36, of Solon, Maine He died Oct. 10, 2001 in a forklift accident while he was helping construct an airstrip in Qatar. Friends and colleagues described Andrews as an ace mechanic and cook. His widow, Judy Andrews, said her husband was devoted to his family and the Air Force.

• Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, 36, of Waco, Texas. Chapman was one of six U.S. troops killed March 4, 2002 after their helicopter came under intense fire near the Afghan town of Gardez, southeast of Kabul. Chapman, who received two Air Force commendation medals, left behind a wife and two daughters.

• Air Force Tech. Sgt. Sean M. Corlew, 37, of Thousand Oaks, Calif. A member of the Air Force's 16th Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Corlew was one of three troops killed June 12, 2002 when their Air Force MC130-H crashed near an airstrip in the Gardez region of Afghanistan.

• Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham, 26, of Camarillo, Calif. Cunningham, a pararescueman and combat medic with the 38th Rescue Squadron, stationed at Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta, Ga., was one of six U.S. troops killed March 4, 2002 after their helicopter came under intense fire near the Afghan town of Gardez, southeast of Kabul. He left behind a wife and two daughters, ages 2 and 4.

• Air Force Staff Sgt. Anissa A. Shero, 31, of Grafton, W.Va. Shero, of the Air Force's 16th Special Operations Wing, was killed June 12, 2002 when an Air Force MC130-H crashed near an airstrip in the Gardez region of Afghanistan.

U.S. Marine Corps

• Capt. Matthew W. Bancroft, 29, of Shasta, Calif. The command pilot of the KC-130 plane that crashed in Pakistan on Jan. 9, 2002 Bancroft had been a Marine since 1994. His parents said he was seven years old when he decided he wanted to be a pilot.

• Lance Cpl. Bryan P. Bertrand, 23, of Coos Bay, Ore. Bertrand could have been home a month ago, but volunteered for another tour of duty as flight navigator. He recently wrote his parents that he had saved enough money to buy an electric guitar. He was among the seven who died on the KC-130 that crashed on Jan. 9, 2002 in Pakistan.

• Gunnery Sgt. Stephen L. Bryson, 35, of Montgomery, Ala. Bryson had just called his mother on his birthday, to tell his mother he was thinking about her — one day before he was killed on Jan. 9, 2002, along with six other Marines when their KC-130 crashed. He joined the Marines straight out of high school in 1983.

• Staff Sgt. Walter F. Cohee III, 26, of Wicomico, Md. Cohee joined the Marine Corps Aug. 3, 1993, and was a communications navigations systems technician. Cohee died Jan. 20, 2002 aboard a CH-53E helicopter that crashed south of Kabul, Afghanistan.

• Staff Sgt. Scott N. Germosen, 37, of Queens, N.Y. A 19-year-veteran of the Marines, Germosen was the loadmaster on the KC-130 that crashed Jan. 9, 2002 in Pakistan.

• Sgt. Nathan P. Hayes, 21, of Lincoln, Wash. In his hometown of Wilbur, Wash., Hayes was remembered as a football player who worked harder than many of the others on his high school team, even if he did not have as much talent as some athletes. He joined the Marines in 1999 and was the flight mechanic on the KC-130 that crashed Jan. 9, 2002 in Pakistan.

• Capt. Daniel G. McCollum, 29, of Richland, S.C. McCollum joined the Marines in 1993 and was the co-pilot of the KC-130 that crashed on Jan. 9, 2002.
Arlington National Cemetary website

• Sgt. Dwight J. Morgan, 24, of Mendocino, Calif. Morgan joined the Marine Corps August 15, 1998 and was a helicopter mechanic. Morgan died Jan. 20, 2002 aboard a CH-53E helicopter that crashed south of Kabul, Afghanistan.

• Lance Cpl. Antonio J. Sledd, 20, Tampa, Fla., October 8, 2002, Kuwait Sledd was assigned to the 11th Expeditionary unit from Camp Pendleton, California. He was killed in a terrorist attack. Gunmen killed Marine Lance Cpl. Antonio Sledd of Hillsbrough, Fla., on Tuesday when they opened fire on a training exercise in Kuwait.

• Sgt. Jeannette L. Winters, 25, of Du Page, Ill. A radio operator who joined the Marines in 1997, she was the first U.S. servicewoman to die since the U.S.-led Afghan bombing began in early October. She was on the KC-130 that crashed on Jan. 9, 2002. Her high school track coach remembered her as someone who gave everything she had, even if she was in physical pain, for her team.

CIA

• CIA officer Johnny "Mike" Spann, 32, of Winfield, Ala. Spann, a former Marine from a small town of 4,500, was questioning Taliban prisoners in a compound near the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif when they erupted in riot. He was killed on Nov. 25, 2001 on the first day of the three-day riot, making him the first American to be killed in combat in Afghanistan. U.S. officials say he died of a gunshot wound and was not tortured.

• CIA officer Helge Boes,32, of Washington Boes, an operations officer assigned to the CIA's Counterterrorism Center was killed on Feb. 5, 2003, when a grenade detonated prematurely during a live-fire training exercise in eastern Afghanistan. He is the second CIA officer to die in the line of duty in Afghanistan. Boes joined the CIA in January, 2001, after working as a private practice attorney. He is survived by his wife, Cindy, and his parents, Roderich and Monika Boes, of Germany.

Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines

U.S. Army
size="1">Crashed at sea in MH-47 aircraft in Philippines February 21, 2002
The following crashed at sea in MH-47 aircraft in Philippines

• Spec. Thomas F. Allison, 22, Roy, Washington, February 21, 2002

• Staff Sgt. James P. Dorrity, 37, Goldsboro, N.C., February 21, 2002

• Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jody L. Egnor, 32, Middletown, Ohio, February 21, 2002

• Maj. Curtis D. Feistner, 34, White Bear Lake, Minn., February 21, 2002

• Sgt. Jeremy D. Foshee, 25, Pisgah, Ala., February 21, 2002

• Staff Sgt. Kerry W. Frith, 37, Las Vegas, Nev., February 21, 2002

• Capt. Bartt D. Owens, 31, Middletown, Ohio, February 21, 2002

• Staff Sgt. Bruce A. Rushforth, Jr., 35, Middleboro, Mass., February 21, 2002

• Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wayne Jackson, 40, of Glennie, Mich., Oct. 2, 2002
U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. 1st Class Mark Jackson was killed by an Abu Sayyaf terrorist bomb.

U.S. Air Force
Crashed at sea in MH-47 aircraft in Philippines February 21, 2002

• Master Sgt. William L. McDaniel II, 29, Greenville, Ohio, February 21, 2002

• Staff Sgt. Juan M. Ridout, 36, Maple Tree, Wash., February 21, 2002

On honoring those before us and continuing to fight the good fight.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

I was honored to be asked to write a few words in remembrance of the fallen who sacrificed everything in defense of God, country and our precious freedoms.

When I sat down to write, I remembered my friend Marshall.

Marshall was tall and skinny, with a bit of acne.

He was nerdy before the word was invented, the kind of kid that lurked in the dim fog of high school anonymity.

Marshall was my best friend. We had the sort of friendship that would beat all odds and not fade somewhere after graduation day, but would last forever.

I remember Marshall telling me about kissing his first girl.

I remember what he wore to the prom.

I remember when we took the van to the lake with Laura Thompson and Becky Jo. I've long forgotten Becky Jo's last name, but I still remember the sweet scent of her perfume, like fresh-cut roses.

I remember the night we discovered it wasn't such a good idea to mix cheap vodka with Gatorade.

I remember that we both once loved the same girl.

I remember how ridiculous Marshall looked the first time I saw him in his ROTC uniform. My longhaired, unkempt jeans, Led Zeppelin T-shirt, grungy-before-the-word-was-invented self mercilessly and relentlessly reminded Marshall how ridiculous he looked in his crew cut and spotless uniform.

Marshall played the dumbest instrument in our high school marching band, the huge bass drum, while I played the trumpet, blowing high notes like the melodious song of a metallic songbird high above the relentless boom-boom-boom of Marshall's drum.

I wonder what Marshall might have done in this war, how far he might have climbed in rank. And I wondered how he would look at my age. Is middle-age girth inevitable or is it the 10,000 Dunkin Donuts and 15 sit-ups over the last score and seven years?

I wondered if our kids would have been friends, but then I realized he probably wouldn't have waited until his fortieth birthday to have them. I wondered what his kids would look like, tall and skinny with a bit of acne, awkward and nerdy and self-conscious in their ROTC uniform, like Marshall the day he left for basic training.

That image is indelibly inscribed in my memory, of a lanky, nerdy, pimply-faced kid, looking so small and out of place in a man's uniform.

I didn't get a chance to see Marshall the day he left for camp, but we talked on the phone the night before. We talked about getting together when he got back and planned a celebration that would put that night with the Gatorade, the cheap vodka and the pretty girls to shame.

Marshall died when his training flight crashed somewhere in the southwest desert. But the memories of our youth and friendship endure undiminished despite the passage of time.

So to honor and remember the valiant dead, I honor and remember my friend Marshall. To me, he represents the very best of us, as do all the valiant boys and men, heroes all who gave everything for God, country and freedom.

When our troops enter the fray in a distant desert, I know that Marshall will be with them. My friend will be there among a vast avenging host of fallen heroes somewhere in the clouds, far above the smoke and thunder of the battlefield, somewhere below heaven, BOOM-BOOM-BOOMING away on his big war drum.

From Lexington, Concord and Valley Forge, Antietam, Cold Harbor, Bellau Wood, Cantigny, Normandy Beach, Iwo Jima, Inchon, Khe Sanh, Kuwait City, Mogadishu and Kabul, their spirits will rise up. From the green grass of Gettysburg to the poppy fields of Flanders, their spirits will awaken to the sound of drums calling them to battle once more.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOMING away, merciless and relentless as a rock.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOMING away from somewhere above a formation of metallic birds, beautiful and terrifying to behold, their guns shrieking like trumpet blasts above the booming thunder of the iron horses far below.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOMING away, relentlessly and mercilessly, to victory and everlasting glory.

Luis Gonzalez

Someone joked the other day about how many French soldiers it would take to defend Paris.

Answer? No way to know -- it's never been tried before.

Nobody jokes about the American soldier, though.

For heroism and valor, courage and bravery, our men and women in uniform are second to none. And I do mean second to none.

Take Iraq and the wrangling at the United Nations.

France, China, Germany (you name it) opposed the U.S. going to war. Oh, they all have ulterior reasons.

The French and the Germans have their oil contracts.

The Chinese hate to lose a client.

But, while their motives for opposing us differ, there's an underlying assumption: Each of them know darn well what the outcome of war in Iraq would be -- U.S. Victory. It's why they're dead-set against it.

Think about that for a moment.

Has there ever been a military force so powerful, so overwhelming that the outcome -- defeating the enemy -- was but a foregone conclusion?

But strength in our military isn't just the number of tanks, planes or ships, nor how advance the technology.

It isn't just the number of Tomahawk cruise missiles or smart bombs either.

No, greatness here comes from men -- not metal.

The men and women who put their lives at risk so that we may be free.

As a nation, we can never thank them enough. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.

May God bless every one of them.

And may God bless the United States of America.

My two cents...

Enrique Noval AKA "JohnHuang2"

[snippy_about_it]

One more huge graphic from Registered for our troops.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Click for current time
in Afghanistan

[Kathy in Alaska]

Duty ~ Honor ~ Country

Click above to visit "A Day in the Life of President Bush"

[Kathy in Alaska]

A PRAYER OF PROTECTION

The light of God surround you
The love of God enfold you
The power of God protect you
The presence of God watch over you
Wherever you are,God is,
And all is well.
Amen.

.

Bless This House

Bless this house O Lord we pray;
Make it safe by night and day;
Bless these walls so firm and stout,
Keeping want and trouble out:
Bless the roof and chimneys tall,
Let thy peace lie over all;
Bless this door, that it may prove
ever open to joy and love.


Bless these windows shining bright,
Letting in God's heav'nly light;
Bless the hearth a'blazing there,
with smoke ascending like a prayer;
Bless the folk who dwell within,
keep them pure and free from sin;
Bless us all that we may be
Fit O Lord to dwell with thee;
Bless us all that one day we
May dwell O Lord with thee.

.

(Click on praying hands above,
or on banner at the top to hear the music)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Canteen Blessing for the Troops. Thank you, ms feather.

[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, USS Maine (ACR-1)

Maine class armored cruiser
Displacement. 6,682 t.
Lenght. 319'
Beam. 57'
Draft. 21' 6"
Complement. 374
Speed. 17 k.
Armament. 4 10", 6 6", 7 6-pdrs., 8 1-pdrs., 4 14" tt.

The USS Maine was designed and laid down as an armored cruiser. Her construction was delayed by a fire in the drafting room of the New York Navy Yard and also by the late delivery of her armor. By the time she was ready, the concept of the armored cruiser had moved beyond her. Too slow and heavily armored to be considered a cruiser, she was later redisignated a second-class battleship during her lenghty construction.

The USS Maine (ACR-1), was laid down at New York Navy Yard 17 October 1888; launched 18 November 1889, sponsored by Miss Alice Tracy Wilmerding, granddaughter of Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Tracy; and commissi oned 17 September 1895, Capt. Arent S. Crowninshield in command.

Maine departed New York Navy Yard 5 November 1895 for Newport, R.I., via Gardiner's Bay, N.Y., to fit out 16 to 23 November, and then proceeded on the 25th to Portland, Maine, to visit her namesake. The battlewagon then put to sea on the 29th on trials and inspection, being assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron 16 December, and sailing via Newport to Tompkinsville, N.Y., arriving 23 December. The ship sailed the next day for Fort Monroe, Va., arriving on Christmas Day. She operated out of that place and Newport News through June 1896 and then on the 4th sailed for Key West on a 2-month training cruise, returning to Norfolk 3 August. Maine continued extensive east coast operations until late 1897. Then the ship prepared for a voyage to Havana, Cuba, to show the flag and to protect American citizens in event of violence in the Spanish struggle with the revolutionary forces in Cuba.

On 11 December Maine stood out of Hampton Roads bound for Key West, arriving on the 15th. She was joined there by ships of the North Atlantic Squadron on maneuvers, then left Key West 24 January 1898 for Havana.

Arriving 25 January, Maine anchored in the center of the port, remained on vigilant watch, allowed no liberty, and took extra precautions against sabotage. Shortly after 2140, 15 February, the battleship was torn apart by a tremendous explosion that shattered the entire forward part of the ship. Out of 350 officers and men on board that night (4 officers were ashore), 252 were dead or missing. Eight more were to die in Havana hospitals during the next few days. The survivors of the disaster were taken on board Ward Line steamer City of Washington and Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII. The Spanish officials at Havana showed every attention to the survivors of the disaster and great respect for those killed. The court of inquiry convened in March was unable to obtain evidence associating the destruction of the battleship with any person or persons, but public opinion in the United States was so inflamed that the Maine disaster led eventually to the declaration of war on Spain 21 April.

On 5 August 1910, Congress authorized the raising of Maine and directed Army engineers to supervise the work. A second board of inquiry appointed to inspect the wreck after it was raised reported that injuries to the ship's bottom were caused by an external explosion of low magnitude that set off the forward magazine, completing destruction of the ship.

Technical experts at the time of both investigations disagreed with the findings, believing that spontaneous combustion of coal in the bunker adjacent to the reserve six-inch magazine was the most likely cause of the explosion on board the ship. In 1976, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover published his book, How the Battleship Maine Was Destroyed. The admiral became interested in the disaster and wondered if the application of modern scientific knowledge could determine the cause. He called on two experts on explosions and their effects on ship hulls.

Using documentation gathered from the two official inquiries, as well as information on the construction and ammunition of Maine, the experts concluded that the damage caused to the ship was inconsistent with the external explosion of a mine. The most likely cause, they speculated, was spontaneous combustion of coal in the bunker next to the magazine.

Some historians have disputed the findings in Rickover's book, maintaining that failure to detect spontaneous combustion in the coal bunker was highly unlikely. Yet evidence of a mine remains thin and such theories are based primarily on conjecture. Despite the best efforts of experts and historians in investigating this complex and technical subject, a definitive explanation for the destruction of Maine remains one of the continuing enigmas of American history.

Maine's hulk was finally floated 2 February 1912 and towed out to sea where it was sunk in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico with appropriate ceremony and military honors 16 March.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Beautiful and breathtaking thread, snippy. Thank you. Thanks too to Luis and JH2 for their letters.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good afternoon Troops, families, veterans, Canadian, Israeli, Great Britain, Australian, New Zealand, and Taiwanese allies (and everybody else). Thank you for taking such good care of the USA.

Today in Anchorage, Alaska:

Sunrise 8:40am
Sunset 5:47pm

Hi 27F
Lo 16F

Clouds and sun

Actual yesterday in Anchorage:

Hi 33F
Lo 30F

State Hi 48F Annette
State Lo -42F Deadhorse

[Soaring Feather]

Duty ~ Honor ~ Country

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks to both of you for your tributes today.

[Soaring Feather]

Weather Report

Currant Temp
5 F
Wind Chill -12 F

I have had my hunting socks on for 2 weeks now. Cold floors outside wall where my computer is and no carpet here, other wise warm. Steam heat!

[Kathy in Alaska]

We finally dropped below freezing, but no snow, nor prospect thereof.

[Bethbg79]

Hi Ms Kathy!

[PhilDragoo]

God lift our fallen heroes who demonstrated John 15:13:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

~~~

Let the news go out:

Mr. Tenet said at a Senate hearing Tuesday that "we see disturbing signs that al Qaeda has established a presence in both Iran and Iraq."

Let the Franco-Germanic-Demunist girly boys be struck by the al Qaeda they defend.

Godspeed Swift Victory and Safe Return to the Finest Fighting Force on Earth

God Bless Our Troops, Our Veterans, and their Families

SADDAM-FREE in '03

Sad, Son of Osama, sez: Iran, but I cannot hide. . .

[Long Cut]

That's funny. I was just outside on my porch, in bare feet, jeans, Hawaiian shirt, and cocktail after getting my first sunburn of the year whilst washing and waxing The Countess.

I am going to miss Florida so much when I leave...

[Long Cut]

Diva, you'll be pleased to know that the car YOU named, La Contessa, The Countess, has scored her first two "kills". Both were Cobra Mustangs, and both happened within minutes of each other, on the Interstate.

The first engagement commenced with both vehicles side-by-side, at about 60 miles per hour. At a nod from both drivers, the fight was on! The Countess easily outran her opponent for the next two miles, WAY up in the triple-digits speed zone. The Cobra, though giving a fair accounting of itself, was of the 2001 variety, and thus was limited, being some 20 horses weaker than the Countess.

She and I were actually DE-celerating when we approached a SECOND Snake from the rear. Slowing down to 65 and matching speed, the second engagement commenced, with the Snake in about fourth gear, I assume. Two seconds later, The CounteSS' LS-1 engine was roaring through 100, headed for the stratosphere, and the Snake was crawling back to its momma.

I never cease to be amazed by this car's performance and handling. Only three more "kills", and she and I make "ACE"!

[Soaring Feather]

Hey LC good to hear from you!

Nothing like rubbing it in is there LC???
Hunting socks are stylish in the hills LOL
Currently the temp is 3 F...
Barefoot huh!! Holey Moley!

How's MS Cut and baby?

The following is for you and Ms Cut in a few months!

You have to watch those little rascals every minute! LOL

[Long Cut]

BTW, FRiends, Mrs. Cut and I were at the doctor's a few days ago...and I got to see our baby at 18 weeks old, on UltraSound. Ten perfect toes, ten perfect fingers, four-chambered heart, stomach...everything was working JUST right. The doc said that "Mini Cut" was about as healthy as could be seen.

I am excited beyond words. We asked NOT to be told the sex...preferring to be surprised, but I'm betting on a boy. So is Mrs. Cut, but thus, she figures, it'll probably be a girl. NO MATTER AT ALL, so long as it's healthy and happy!