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Today the President attended the groundbreaking ceremony at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The nearly one billion dollar project will expand the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland, and lead to the closure of the current Walter Reed Army Medical Center just five miles away in Washington. In the afternoon he went for a bike ride at Bethesda. Pray for President Bush -- Day 2850

BETHESDA, Md., April 3, 2008 – Two Marines who were injured in Iraq praised the medical care they’ve received at the National Naval Medical Center here during interviews yesterday in conjunction with a grand re-opening ceremony for their newly renovated outpatient quarters. Wounded Iraq combat veterans Marine Cpl. Daniel B. Nicholson, left, and Marine Lance Cpl. Michael S. Stilson attend a reopening ceremony for newly renovated Mercy Hall, an outpatient quarters for injured troops on the National Naval Medical Center campus in Bethesda, Md., April 2, 2008. Both Marines praised the quality of medical care provided at Bethesda. Defense...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (March 10, 2008) -- He faded in and out of consciousness. He knew his legs were injured, but he did not know to what extent. Capt. Ray Baronie, the executive officer for the Wounded Warrior Battalion-East, Wounded Warrior Regiment, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, has few clear memories of his hospital stays overseas. One of the things he remembers is watching the doctors cut off his boots, as they talked about amputation. Baronie, at the time, a liason officer between the Iraqi Security Forces and the Marines of II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), was on...

WASHINGTON – Sgt. Klay South with help from this mother Janet launched Veterans of Valor on October 4, 2007. South was wounded November 2004 and spent a long recovery process to reconstruct his face and jaw after being shot in the face with an AK-47. Veterans of Valor visited Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed Army Medical Center January 17 to give backpacks and words of encouragement to wounded service members. BETHESDA, Md. – Cpl. Jimmy Kinsey receives his backpack from Sgt. Klay South, founder of Veterans of Valor. Veterans of Valor visited Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed...

The day got off to an interesting start when a fire broke out at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located across the street from the White House. Press Secretary Dana Perino: Today, at 9:15 a.m., the D.C. Fire Department received a call about smoke in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building -- that's also known as the EEOB. Firefighters arrived and found that the second floor through the fifth floor of the EEOB was fairly filled with smoke.... They were able to identify, isolate and … put out the fire within 30 minutes. The Vice President's Ceremonial Office received smoke and...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 1, 2007 CONTACT: Gary Becks (619) 334-1655 San Diego, CA – Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today recommended to President Bush a proposal to replace State Department personnel who refuse to be deployed to Baghdad with wounded veterans from military hospitals at Walter Reed and Bethesda . Hunter, who is currently running for President, went to the White House earlier today and met with President Bush to outline and detail his "Wounded Warrior" project. "My recommendation to the President was simply that we need people in these positions whose top priorities will be to get the job...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2007 – For volunteers with South Riding, Va.-based Operation Pinecone, Halloween is over and the Christmas rush has begun. “We have 25 camps, four hospitals (and) two humanitarian aid contacts,” said Mary Hacker, who founded the group two years ago after deciding to super-size a care package originally planned for one family friend deployed to Iraq. “A neighbor came by, saw what I was doing, and said she had wanted to do something to help the troops but that she didn’t have a contact over there,” Hacker explained. Word spread through Hacker’s rural Virginia neighborhood and,...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2007 – Children of servicemembers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here have a new recreation option thanks to the team effort of three nonprofit groups and a defense contractor. The Yellow Ribbon Fund dedicated a playground at Walter Reed’s Mologne House yesterday. The facility was constructed primarily for children staying at the residential facility for recovering servicemembers and their families. “This playground fills a longstanding need for children staying at our facility who, until now, had very limited recreational opportunities,” said Peter Anderson, Mologne House’s general manager. “We are extremely grateful to the Yellow...

The family of U.S. Marine Sgt. Samuel Nichols is urgently requesting prayer support as they surround Sam, age 23, at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He is in a coma after having suffered a brain injury due to an IED on a mined road in Iraq. The explosion killed three of his men. Sgt. Nichols was so gravely injured that when he arrived at Bethesda last week, doctors initially held out little hope; but his family began praying immediately and are seeing improvements and hopeful signs this week. Sgt Nichols' family are believing Christians who are in prayer constantly over him, believing...

President Bush visited soldiers, sailors, Marines and their families today at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. There he awarded purple hearts to the patients, then spoke briefly to the press outside. (Transcript) The president and first lady will spend Memorial Day weekend at Camp David. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

Thank you America for Supporting Strikeouts for Troops! In April 2005, I asked several of my fellow players from around Major League baseball to take a bold step and help me launch Strikeouts For Troops™ -- a unique program to help our wounded men and woman of the military with some “comforts of home” as they go through their rehabilitation process. The players responded by pledging money for the 1,438 strikeouts they threw, 740 hits they had (including 86 home runs) and 362 runs they drove in. We also saw great contributions from you, the fans, not only with your...

Singer Steve Nicks is doing her part to support U.S. troops by donating hundreds of iPods to soldiers wounded in Iraq. The former Fleetwood Mac star regularly visits soldiers at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. She explains, "I refuse to be pulled into the politics of war. But once these soldiers sign up, go to war and come back to a hospital, I will do whatever it takes to make them better." Nicks has provided iPods loaded with her music, along with fellow artists Aerosmith and Elvis Presley. She has also sent baby clothes to war widows,...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2006 – Over the past two and a half years, about 500 severely wounded servicemembers and their families have enjoyed 5,000 free dinners out on the town thanks to Hal Koster and Marty O’Brien. “Some of them have come to multiple dinners because some of them are here for years,” Koster said Aug. 18, as he looked over the 60 or so guests dining on the rooftop of The Exchange restaurant here. About 20 servicemembers, many in wheelchairs and prosthetics, family members and other guests dined overlooking a panoramic view of the U.S. Capitol, and the Washington...

Two Potomac teens were arrested for flashing a toy gun at a woman last week... (snip) At about 9:55 p.m. on Thursday, a 29-year-old Rockville woman reported that two boys had aimed a gun at her while driving near the intersection of Westlake Drive and Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda... (snip) The brothers were arrested and charged as juveniles with first-degree assault and released to the custody of their father, police said. Under state law, first-degree assault is a felony that can carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Using a toy weapon in a crime carries the same...

This morning President Bush traveled to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland for his annual physical. He was declared in good health, but has gained a bit of weight (four pounds) which he attributed to 'too many birthday cakes.' Doctors put him in the superior category of fitness for men his age.Some of the fun details.........(excerpted from Reuters......)The nearly 6-foot Bush weighed in at 196 pounds, up from around 191.6 pounds last year.A fitness enthusiast, Bush rides his mountain bike several times a week and also does elliptical training, free-weights, stretching and low-impact workouts on a treadmill.Mountain biking...

Corporate Hillton Apparatchiks have given credence to the old adage, “No good deed goes unpunished” by their not renewing Fran O’Brien’s renewable lease. Since October of 2003 Hal Koster, a two-tour Vietnam veteran and Jim Mayer, a combat injured Vietnam veteran and long time advocate for veterans and a small group of volunteers have been hosting a dinner each and every Friday night for the severely injured patients of Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Ward 57 and severely injured sailors and Marines at Bethesda Naval Medical Center and their families. This was begun as part of a promise to insure...

Thanks to alert FReepers who heeded the call to action, Phelps' Phreakshow did not go unopposed this Saturday at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.FReepers in attendance: Kristinn, Cindy_True_Supporter, Trooprally [Mr. and Mrs.] who brought James and Nancy, Albion Wilde, DollyCali with FReepups Josie and Toby, Wheelbarrow, BufordP, Sauropod, Helllinahandkart, Bill from MD*, Bert, Mindi (PW), IraqiKurd and friend Samir, Exit148, ProtestMania, BStein80, Laruen (PW), BillF, Hoodlum91, RockInRight, and PleaDeal.I counted 19 members of Rolling Thunder headed by our good friend Smitty, but I think there were a few more.The plan was to be there before the devil...

The D.C. Chapter of Free Republic invites all FReepers and lurkers in good standing to join us this Saturday outside Bethesda Naval Hospital as we defend the honor of our sailors and Marines from the despicable Fred Phelps and his traveling freak show laughable called the Westboro Baptist Church.A report about the last time we encountered the Phelps Freak Show can be found here (graphic heavy).The Montgomery County police will be there to make sure everyone's rights are protected. The Phelps crew will do their schtick from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. We'll be there early to set up and...

Calling on Hilton to be the kinda corp it claims to be. Few Americans would argue that American soldiers should not receive the thanks of our nation for their service, and fewer still would argue that, if returning to our country less than whole and in need of help, soldiers should not receive the support of America's corporate giants. Hilton Hotel Corporation, then, has something to answer for. Every Friday is Veterans' Day at Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steakhouse in Washington, D.C., where owners, Hal Koster and Marty O'Brien, bring soldiers — primarily amputees — recovering from their wounds at Walter...

The steaks are great, of course. But it isn't the T-bones, the porterhouses or the rib-eyes that will be sorely, even painfully, missed when Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steakhouse loses its lease and closes its doors this month. The downtown D.C. restaurant, which has hosted a decade's worth of power lunches, political dinners and salacious hookups, is more poignantly known for its Friday night steak dinners for severely wounded soldiers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. "It looks like they're kicking us out," sighed Marty O'Brien, son of the late Redskins offensive lineman Fran O'Brien, before closing the restaurant yesterday...

<p>A two-year tradition for wounded war vets is about to go by the wayside. A downtown DC steak house that’s catered to injured troops every Friday night is about to close.</p> <p>Fran O’Brien’s landlord [Hilton] is forcing out the steakhouse of the same name.</p>

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2006 – Award-winning satirist Garry Trudeau of "Doonesbury" fame visited the Pentagon today to meet with troops wounded in the war on terror and present them autographed copies of his book featuring the healing process of a comic character he said they inspired. Army Spc. Joey Kashnaw, a 4th Infantry Division soldier who lost his leg after being wounded in Taji, Iraq, in September 2003, meets with Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau at the Pentagon. Photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time," tells the story...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2006 – Wounded servicemembers have an extra helping hand thanks to Operation First Response, a group specializing in providing them supplies and funds during their recuperation. Peggy Baker of Culpepper, Va., founder and president of the all-volunteer nonprofit, answered questions from interested troops Jan. 19 at the Washington Capitals' "Salute to the Military Night" at the MCI Center here. While thousands of servicemembers and their families enjoyed free tickets to the hockey game against the St. Louis Blues, Baker took the opportunity to offer assistance. "We're kind of an extension. Where somebody will fall through the loops,...

The following article appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News on December 22, 2005 Here's a Yule Story That Ought to be a Movie By Ronnie Polaneczky AND NOW, in time for the holidays, I bring you the best Christmas story you never heard. It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops. "We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett. So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in...

Online Auction of the 50,000th copy of Military Salute to benefit Operation First Response The Minnesota Platoon, a group of five disabled Vietnam-era Veterans that distributes “Military Salute” at no charge to active-duty Military units, Veterans groups, family support groups, public safety organizations, church groups, school districts, and students working on patriotic projects, is now conducting an online auction of the 50,000th copy of the video to benefit Operation First Response. Operation First Response ... http://www.operationfirstresponse.org ... sends backpacks to Combat Support Hospitals in Iraq, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, and visits Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the...

Bush visits Idaho track star who lost legsTWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) -- President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush personally awarded a Purple Heart to a former Idaho high school track star who lost both his legs in an explosion in Iraq.Marine Cpl. Travis Greene, who graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1999 and was given a track scholarship to Boise State University, received the medal last week at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where he is being treated.Greene's parents, Terry and Sue Greene, have been visiting their son daily since mid-December. Terry...

BETHESDA, Md. - Since the Iraq war began in 2003, it has become an annual pre- Christmas rite for President Bush to personally comfort wounded soldiers. He continued that tradition Wednesday, going bed-to-bed in an intensive care unit and handing out Purple Hearts to the valiant. Bush was visiting with Marines wounded in Iraq and the medical staff treating them at the National Naval Medical Center here. Before going behind closed doors to spend about two hours with servicemen and women, Bush spoke briefly to medical care givers and troops able to leave their rooms.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2005 – President Bush traveled today to the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md., near here to thank an "incredible team of healers" whom he said bring comfort, aid and solace to those who have been hurt on the battlefield, as well as their families. The president recognized the military medical caregivers' "decency and compassion and skill" that assures military members that, if hurt, they will receive the best medical care possible, he said. "And so we're here to thank the nurses and the docs and the healers and the volunteers who put the smile on...

President and Mrs. Bush visited wounded military personnel recovering in the National Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, also thanking caregivers there. He signed the "GO Zone" Gulf Opportunity Zone Act, providing nearly $8 billion in tax breaks for Gulf Coast businesses, as part of the government's plan to help the region rebuild from destructive hurricanes. The Vice President cast a tie-breaking vote as president of the US Senate, enabling passage of a $39.7 billion deficit-reduction bill, the first of its kind in more than ten years. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is in Pakistan. Saddam Hussein Trial Discussed: Christopher Reid, Regime Crimes...

BETHESDA, Md. - This is not how congressional wives are supposed to act. They are not supposed to curse at Pentagon officials, write angry letters to President Bush or say that members of Congress take bribes. But Beverly Young, the wife of Rep. C.W. Bill Young of Indian Shores, doesn't play by those rules. Spend a day with her visiting wounded Marines at the National Naval Medical Center and you'll hear a few expletives. When she sees a photograph of a former hospital official, Beverly says: "See this b----? If she were here, I'd deck her." But mostly what you...

Today President Bush traveled to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he outlined his strategy for the administration's pandemic influenza preparations and response at the William Natcher Center. The strategy is designed to meet three critical goals:" to detect and contain outbreaks before they spread across the world, to protect the American people by stockpiling vaccines and antiviral drugs and accelerating the development of new vaccine technologies, and to ensure that Federal, State, and local communities are prepared for potential domestic outbreaks. " He also met with Donald Powell, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp in...

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) -- Among the casualties treated aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort in the early weeks of the 2003 invasion of Iraq was a civilian shot multiple times while caught in crossfire. The patient was seriously wounded, but stabilized after emergency surgery. But 24 hours later, the Iraqi was dead after bleeding uncontrollably from his wounds, his blood poisoned by an unknown infection that didn't respond to antibiotics. Within a week, about a quarter of the injured troops on the ship in the Persian Gulf had the same bacteria. Soon, another Iraqi in the intensive care unit died....

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2005 – A well-known artist visiting the nation's capital for the dedication of the "Extra Mile" monument celebrating volunteers went an extra mile himself last week. Thomas Kinkade -- known as the "Painter of Light" for his depictions of light-filled buildings -- and his wife, Nanette, visited with nine servicemembers recovering from injuries at the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md. The United Service Organizations helped arrange the visit and accompanied the Kinkades. "It was the highlight of our trip. We visited with nine (servicemembers), and the stories we heard were amazing," the artist said. While...

The legendary Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, considered by many as the centerpiece of Army hospitals, will close as a result of a decision Thursday morning by a federal panel. City leaders and health care officials reacted with little surprise, but much frustration, over losing the nearly 100-year-old hospital. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, speaking on WTOP's "Ask the Mayor" program, said, "You can't be happy about this if you live in the District of Columbia or work at Walter Reed. But we knew we had an uphill struggle here. They were set to do it their way."...

Just reported on Fox News. Will merge its mission into Bethesda Naval Hospital which is nearby. Good decision: A bad, poorly located campus that needs updating really badly....has needed it for decades.

"These warriors have been coming over and have been as brave in their recovery as the have been in battle. It's been an absolute honor for us to serve them on Friday nights. It's also a pleasure to see them when they get better and walk out of here... You know that the country is with you in your recovery, and we wish you well." Hal Koster, co-owner of Fran O'Brien's Steakhouse ...Marty O'Brien and Hal Koster - took a suggestion from a regular patron (Vietnam veteran Jim Mayer) to invite some wounded troops over for dinner. Nearly two years...

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 27, 2005) – The Houston Astros received a special visit at the ball park July 23, shortly after making a special visit of their own. Several wound-recovering Soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center watched the visiting Astros take on the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium after receiving an invitation by the team’s highest ranking official. The Soldiers were invited guests of team owner Drayton McLane, who took several of his players to visit with recovering troops at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospital the two afternoons prior to the game. McLane arranged for his...

Laura's breast cancer surgery 'couldn't have gone getter,' in the words of her surgeon Dr. Katherine Alley.Initial sentinel node testing showed done suring surgery showed no signs of cancer involvement in the lymph nodes, and we all hope this is good news confirmed by more in-depth tisse testing done in the next 48 hours.'The outpouring of love and concern, coast to coast in prayer, emails, and telephone calls has left me feeling more blessed than I can possibly convey,' said Laura.'I really dont know what I did to deserve such kindness , but I will gladly wrap myself in it,'...

Sports dominated presidential photo opportunities today. President Bush welcomed the New England Patriots to the White House for winning the 2005 Super Bowl. As honorary chairman of the 2005 President's Cup, Bush received golf officials in the Oval Office. Coming soon: Crown Prince Abdallah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the ranch on April 25; and President Martin Torrijos of the Republic of Panama to the White House on April 28. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island!

A large, drab green missile launcher aimed vigilantly skyward has become one of the more distinctive landmarks in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, Md. The launcher claims a commanding position on the lawn at the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center's Carderock facility, a science and engineering center overlooking the Potomac River, the WASHINGTON POST will report on Tuesday. The six non-nuclear missiles in the launcher could ``counter an inbound threat.'' Opinions about the upscale neighborhood's newest security system have varied. Developing...

Inaugural Ball Honors Wounded Troops, Raises Support Funds WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2005 — Troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan were treated here last night to a once-in-a-lifetime experience: an inaugural ball in their honor, with a big lineup of celebrities, entertainers and defense brass thanking them for their sacrifices. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz chats with Army 1st lt. Phil Goodrun, a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, during the Heroes Red, White and Blue Inaugural Ball. The guests of honor at the first Heroes Red, White and Blue Inaugural Ball were about 150 patients from Walter Reed Army...

Troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan were treated here last night to a once-in-a-lifetime experience: an inaugural ball in their honor, with a big lineup of celebrities, entertainers and defense brass thanking them for their sacrifices. The guests of honor at the first Heroes Red, White and Blue Inaugural Ball were about 150 patients from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center in nearby Bethesda, Md., and their guests. Most came in dress uniforms they hadn't worn since before their deployments to Southwest Asia, some wore borrowed or rented tuxedos, but all came ready to...

Less is more is the message from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The hospital has received so many gifts for wounded soldiers and their families that it has run out of space. The hospital announced yesterday that it would not begin accepting new donations until February, at the earliest. "I bet we have at least 10 tons of goods," said Michael Wagner, director of the Medical Family Assistance Center. "It's kind of a pleasant problem." A 40-by-60-foot storage room is nearly stacked up to its 12-foot ceiling with stuffed animals, clothes, shaving kits, books, videos, CDs and DVDs. Girl Scout...

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) -- President Bush was found in good health and pronounced "fit for duty" by his doctors after his annual physical on Saturday. The checkup was delayed for four months because the 58-year-old president had a hectic travel schedule during the campaign. "They determined he is in superior health overall for a man his age," White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said. The White House put out a short letter signed by the 10 doctors who participated in exam and planned to release further details late Saturday about what the team found. Buchan would not comment on any problems...

A six-story parking garage under construction at the National Institutes of Health collapsed Monday, pinning one person in the debris, authorities said. Authorities don't yet know what caused the top three floors of the structure to collapse around 9 a.m., said NIH spokesman John Burklow. Besides the person pinned in the debris, several people had been trapped, but were being freed, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer said. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear, he said. The sprawling campus of the federal agency covers more than 300 acres on the outskirts of Washington.

Md. Country Club Joins Forces With Corps in Display of Gratitude The glittery glass chandeliers, gold linen napkins and fine china made an elegant setting. The food was traditional Thanksgiving fare: turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and pumpkin pie. But the table conversation was far from conventional. "Did some damage, huh?" Manuel A. Rodriguez asked, referring to the AK-47 ammunition that smashed Paul Powell III's right leg. "Mmm," responded Powell, 21, looking at his outstretched leg, sheathed in a metal brace to keep his shattered bones in place. "Hey, at least you have your leg, right?" Rodriguez, 20, said encouragingly,...

BETHESDA, Md. - Three days after an Iraqi grenade shattered two of his limbs and nearly ended his life, Cpl. Mark P. O'Brien found himself in intensive care in the National Naval Medical Center, with a tube down his throat and his head swollen to the size of a basketball. Looking up at his parents for the first time in months, the young Marine from East Aurora grabbed a marker and scrawled a note, using a hand that had never before been used for writing. In awkward shaky letters, it said: "I have no regrets." A week later, O'Brien, 21,...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2004 – WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2004 – It happened to Steve Cobb during his first tour in Vietnam with the 11th Light Infantry Brigade. He was wounded in combat - four times. "I got four Purple Hearts my first tour and zero my second," Cobb said. "I finally learned to duck." While learning to duck may have been an extremely valuable lesson, it can't compare to what being combat wounded taught him. That is what he draws on when he meets the wounded servicemembers who arrive at Andrews Air Force Base from Iraq or Afghanistan three times...

Steakhouse Marks Year Honoring Troops With Weekly Dinners By Samantha L. QuigleyAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2004 -- They've been gathering at Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steakhouse in the Capital Hilton here on Friday nights for a year now, but this week was different. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz presents Hal Koster, left, co-owner of Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steakhouse, with the Distinguished Public Service Award. Fran O'Brien's other co-owner, Marty O'Brien, was presented with the same award later. They were honored for hosting weekly Friday night dinners for wounded servicemembers from the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda,...

WASHINGTON - Al-Qaida may attempt to attack Veterans Affairs hospitals as an alternative to more heavily guarded U.S. military installations, the FBI and Homeland Security Department warn in a new nationwide terrorism bulletin. Although U.S. authorities say there is no credible intelligence regarding a specific threat against such hospitals, the bulletin said there have been persistent reports of "suspicious activity" at medical facilities throughout the United States. That includes "possible reconnaissance activities" this year at unspecified military medical facilities in Bethesda, Md., and Aurora, Colo., the bulletin said. Even though later investigation of these two incidents uncovered no links to...