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Before James Doohan became famous playing 'Scotty' in the original Star Trek, he was a Canadian lieutenant in World War II who heroically took out German snipers during the D-Day invasion. Doohan, who died back in 2005, had enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army when he was just 19 years old. He had progressed to the rank of lieutenant with the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division by the time Allied troops invaded Normandy on June 6, 1944. Doohan and his division were tasked with taking Juno Beach on D-Day as other Allied forces, including U.S....

At the beginning of the Second World War, Doohan joined the Royal Canadian Artillery. He was commissioned a lieutenant in the 13th Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Doohan went to England in 1940 for training. His first combat was the invasion of Normandy at Juno Beach on D-Day. Shooting two snipers, Doohan led his men to higher ground through a field of anti-tank mines, where they took defensive positions for the night. Crossing between command posts at 11:30 that night, Doohan was hit by six rounds fired from a Bren gun by a nervous Canadian...

From James Doohan At the outbreak of World War II, aged 19, he joined the Royal Canadian Artillery, and was eventually commissioned as a lieutenant. His first combat assignment was the invasion of Normandy at Juno Beach on D-Day. Shooting two snipers along the way, Doohan's unit made its way to higher ground and took defensive positions. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: four in his leg, one in the chest, and one through his middle right finger. The chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case; he would later generally hide the amputated finger...

POSTED: 7:10 am EST November 26, 2005 UPDATED: 12:06 am EST November 28, 2005 CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- FBI investigators said Mark McGovern of Orlando was the unruly passenger who caused a United Airlines flight to be diverted to Charlotte. Authorities said he lit a cigarette, argued with a flight attendant, then urinated in the plane's aisle. McGovern was taken off flight 1502 in Charlotte over the weekend and questioned by police, spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said. The man was "acting extremely inappropriately," Urbanski said. "When you want to run a safe airline, we don't tolerate that type of activity on our...

 

Byrd Droppings by Jennifer King, Managing Editor May 9, 2003 "The Heretical Housewife" Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia recently denounced President Bush’s airborne visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln. The 85-year old Byrd, the most senior Senator in many ways, spoke in measured tones evincing his grave disapproval. Byrd said that he found it offensive that a “desk-bound President” would assume the “garb of a warrior”. Byrd further criticized the “flamboyant showmanship” which he asserted Bush had shown by landing on the Lincoln in order to declare the “mission accomplished” and thank the troops. Mr. Byrd even took offense...

<p>I had the most astonishing thought last Thursday. After a long day of hauling the kids to playdates and ballet, I turned on the news. And there was the president, landing on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, stepping out of a fighter jet in that amazing uniform, looking--how to put it?--really hot. Also presidential, of course. Not to mention credible as commander in chief. But mostly "hot," as in virile, sexy and powerful.</p>