Free Republic

May 2) - A Marine sergeant who became a symbol of resilience as he strove to recover from a roadside bomb blast in Iraq that blanketed 97 percent of his body with burns has died, the Defense Department said. He was 22. Sgt. Merlin German died April 11 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he was continuing treatment for the injuries he suffered in combat on Feb. 22, 2005, the Pentagon said Thursday. The former turret gunner was dubbed the "Miracle Man" for his determination in facing his wounds, which cost the former saxophone player his fingers...

Margaret Thatcher: The patriot who vanquished failure Last Updated: 12:02am BST 11/04/2008 After decades of decline, Margaret Thatcher's leadership brought courage and conviction to a nation that had grown used to second best, says Charles Moore On the day in 1982 that the British task force set sail to recover the Falkland Islands from the Argentine invaders, Margaret Thatcher was asked on television: "If you fail, would you feel obliged to resign?" "Failure?" she answered, "Do you remember what Queen Victoria once said? 'Failure - the possibilities do not exist'." The remark goes to the heart of Mrs Thatcher's essential...

A St. Louis-born U.S. Army colonel was killed in Iraq Sunday, according to his sister, Kathleen King of O’Fallon. Col. Stephen K. Scott, 54, was serving at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad where he was working with Iraqi leaders on weapons intelligence and defense. Scott, who was an avid runner, was in the workout facilities in the green zone when he was killed during a mortar attack, King said. -snip- After basic training, Stephen Scott worked at the Army Aviation and Troop Command facility on Goodfellow Boulevard in St. Louis until it was closed in 1997. He then moved to...

Sad to say that an active Freeper, Rte66, has passed away. I am her sister and have been a lurker for many years. At this point we don't know exactly what happened but it seems to be natural causes. Please keep her in your prayers. I will post her obit in coming days. If anyone needs more info they can email me here. A memorial service is pending. Thank you for being her "online family". This was her lifeline for many years. And thank you all so much for your help to her. She was much loved and she will...

Daily Kos Attacking Charlton Heston on His Passing Posted on April 6, 2008 I guess we shouldn’t expect any sense of decorum from Kossacks, but it is pretty lame that they had to unleash their hatred only minutes after the announcement of the passing of famed American actor Charlton Heston. A Daily Kos “diarist” named doriangz started out calling Heston a “gun-nut” and ending with his life and causes being considered “political nutdouchebaggery,” and the incivility just flowed like the opening of a damn from Kos posters’ keyboards after that. Not much respect for a man who’s film career spanned...

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. Legendary actor, civil-rights leader and political activist Charlton Heston passed away today, at 84. He died at his home with Lydia, his wife of 64 years, at his side. Heston is survived by his two children, Fraser Clarke Heston and Holly Heston Rochell, and his three grandchildren, Jack Alexander Heston, Ridley Rochell and Charlie Rochell. A private memorial service will be held.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, an Ohio Democrat who was a feisty self-made millionaire before he began a long career fighting big business in the Senate, died Wednesday night. He was 90. Metzenbaum died at his home near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said Joel Johnson, his former chief of staff. No cause was given. During 18 years on Capitol Hill, from 1977 to 1995, Metzenbaum came to be known as "Senator No" and "Headline Howard" for his abilities to block legislation and get publicity for himself. He was a cantankerous firebrand who didn't need a microphone to hold a...

A whole bunch of good articles on Buckley.

Just breaking on NRO...

BREWSTER, Mass. -- The man who had been the oldest living graduate of the United States Military Academy has died. Retired Col. Benjamin Whitehouse died at the age of 105 Wednesday at a Brewster nursing home. He suffered a stroke last month. The West Point Association of Graduates says Whitehouse graduated in 1927 and left military service in 1929. He worked in the automative industry before re-enlisting the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Whitehouse served in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany, earning two Bronze Stars, before retiring from military service in 1957. He's survived by two children,...

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. -- A Virginia Beach-based Navy SEAL was found dead Wednesday morning on a golf course in Casa Grande. The SEAL, whose name was not released, was a Special Warfare Operator from Hampton Roads, Va. He died while conducting a parachute training operation out of Marana, about 30 miles south of Phoenix. The body was found near one of the greens shortly after 7 a.m. by a Mission Royale Golf Course maintenance worker on his morning rounds. Casa Grande police said the Navy arrived immediately to retrieve the body. "I was just coming out of the garage and...

Congressman Tom Lantos of California has died. Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in Congress. His spokeswoman says he died early Monday morning. Lynne Weill said that Lantos, 80, passed away at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland.

Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch, 29, a graduate of Charles County schools and former resident of La Plata, was one of two Navy SEALs based in Virginia Beach killed in Iraq last week. Koch and Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy of Durham, N.H., died Feb. 4 of wounds suffered from small-arms fire during a combat operation, according to Navy officials. Born on Offut Air Force Base in Omaha, Neb., where his father was stationed, Koch moved frequently as a child because of his father's assignments. He graduated from Maurice J. McDonough High School in Pomfret in 1996. For...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in Congress, died early Monday morning, his spokeswoman said.

Former ABC News correspondent John McWethy was killed when he skied into a tree at Keystone Resort Wednesday, the Summit County Coroner confirmed. McWethy, 61, was skiing on an intermediate trail when the accident occurred. Witnesses said he missed a turn and slid chest-first into the tree shortly after 10 a.m

Republican Party Passes Away Washington - The Republican Party also known as the "GOP" passed away yesterday at the age of 154. Long regarded as the founding base for fiscal and social Conservatives, the party's life was cut short by its offspring with the naming of Senator John McCain as the new leader of a recently born effort called "The Consocialists", in an effort to distort and erase the true principles that were once clearly defined in the Republican Party platform. A rolling over of the grave ceremony is expected to take place nationwide in memory of the Republican Party...

EDWARDS AFB - Air Force Col. Bryan Gallagher, commander of the 95th Air Base Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, died Tuesday morning after losing consciousness outside the base fitness center, officials said. Gallagher, 46, was found in his vehicle about 6:50 a.m. in the parking lot of the Rosburg Fitness Center, where he had exercised, Edwards officials said. Three airmen started performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and he was taken to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:45 a.m. "Bryan was an excellent commander that lived the Air Force core values," Brig. Gen. David Eichhorn, the Air Force...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Actress Shell Kepler, who for years played the gossipy nurse Amy Vining on the TV soap opera "General Hospital," has died. She was 49. Kepler died Friday at Oregon Health & Science University hospital, which did not give the cause of death. Kepler's busybody character on "General Hospital" was a fan favorite and enjoyed a long run, 1979-2002. In addition to her run on "General Hospital," she was also in a 1982 Joan Collins film, "Homework," and a couple of episodes of the situation comedy "Three's Company." On the side, she was a businesswoman, marketing clothing...

Dear friend and FReeper nunya bidness has died. It happened last week. It was a heart attack. He was 44. He will be buried tomorrow in Columbia, MD.

Professional extreme skier Billy Poole died this afternoon after taking a fall while filming in Big Cottonwood Canyon between Solitude and Brighton ski resorts. Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesman Paul Jaroscak said the 28-year-old died around 1:30 p.m. at University Hospital. Poole was filming a jump, had a bad landing, and possibly hit some rocks, Jaroscak said. Earlier reports of an avalanche in the area were false, he said. Poole was filming in the area with Boulder, Colo.-based Warren Miller Entertainment. A spokesman reached at the company's corporate headquarters said the company is still trying to learn details about...

PINEVILLE, Ky. - Two teenagers were charged with murder today after they led police on a high-speed chase in southeastern Kentucky and hit a parked sheriff's cruiser, killing the deputy and K-9 dog inside, authorities said. "That happens so often. The bad guys walk away ... too many times," said Bell County Sheriff Bruce Bennett, pausing to brush back tears. "Of course, these are young people. But still, they are murderers now." The driver drove away from an Exxon station in Baxter without paying for $38 worth of gas at 12:35 a.m., authorities said. Police followed the car at least...

Andy Olmsted by hilzoy Andrew Olmsted, who also posted here as G'Kar, was killed yesterday in Iraq. Andy gave me a post to publish in the event of his death; the last revisions to it were made in July. Andy was a wonderful person: decent, honorable, generous, principled, courageous, sweet, and very funny. The world has a horrible hole in it that nothing can fill. I'm glad Andy -- generous as always -- wrote something for me to publish now, since I have no words at all. Beyond: Andy, I will miss you. My thoughts are with his wife, his...

Fort Carson-based Army Major Andrew Olmsted who wrote a blog from the war for the Rocky Mountain News was killed Thursday in Iraq. He went there to teach members of the Iraqi Army how to defend their country and provide security for citizens. Major Olmsted was a veteran blogger and was determined to make a difference in Iraq. He began writing for RockyMountainNews.com on May 21. He left behind a final blog post on his website AndrewOlmsted.com. No details were available on how the Major Olmsted died.

Would you please post and ping From Nora | 12/30/2007 5:19:05 AM PST new My husband, Freeper Devereaux, died yesterday morning, quite suddenly and unexpectedy of an apparent embolism. Please pray for the repose of his soul and the consolation of his friends and family.

<p>As many of the longtime Freepers know, D.C. Chapter founder MrConfettiMan has been battling brain cancer for several years.</p> <p>He last posted an update on his condition two years ago.</p> <p>This morning I received a freepmail from a coworker of his who informed me that MrConfettiMan's cancer has flared up and the prognosis is not looking good.</p>

Perry Kucinich, brother of Rep. Dennis Kucinich, was found dead Wednesday morning at his east-side home. Perry Kucinich was found by another brother, Larry Kucinich, at about 9 a.m. The county coroner said that an autopsy is set to be performed to determine the exact cause of death. There were no signs of foul play. Rep. Kucinich is in Washington, D.C. and his spokesman said he is on his way home to Cleveland. There are seven children in the Kucinich family.

Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, famed for the soaring vocals and elegant instrumentation of tunes such as "Longer" and "A Love Like This," died on Sunday, three years after being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He was 56.

As per WTHR 13, Indianapolis, Julia Carson passed early this morning. No articles found yet.

Fox News just announced Henry Hyde has passed away.

MIAMI - Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has died, says family friend Richard Sharpstein. The 24-year-old player was shot in the upper leg, damaging an artery and causing significant blood loss. Family members were concerned that he could have permanent brain damage. Miami-Dade Police were investigating the attack, which came just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor's home. Officers were dispatched about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor's girlfriend called 911. Taylor was airlifted to the hospital. Sharpstein said Taylor's girlfriend told him the couple was awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in...

Two soldiers from Alaska were among four killed in Iraq on Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near their Humvee, the U.S. Department of Defense said today. Staff Sgt. Carletta S. Davis, 34, of Anchorage and Sgt. Derek T. Stenroos, 24, of North Pole were serving with a unit from Fort Drum, N.Y., post spokesmen said in a written statement. They died during combat operations in Tal Al-Dahab, Iraq. Davis was assigned to the 10th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). Stenroos was assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Top distance runner Ryan Shay died during the U.S. men's Olympic marathon trials Saturday after collapsing about 51/2 miles into the race. He was 28. New York Road Runners president Mary Wittenberg said Shay was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital and was pronounced dead at 8:46 a.m. "It cuts a knife through everybody's hearts," Wittenberg said. Wittenberg said Shay received immediate medical attention. "There were several layers of medical response," she said. "It was very quick." Shay of Flagstaff, Ariz., hit the ground near the Central Park boathouse, a popular Manhattan tourist spot, during the 26.2-mile...

coroner has ruled that the death of Lawrence Circuit Judge Richard D. McIntyre was likely a suicide. Coroner John Sherrill says an autopsy found that the 51-year-old McIntyre died from carbon monoxide poisoning. McIntyre’s wife found him unresponsive Tuesday evening in an SUV parked inside a detached garage at their Bedford home. McIntyre gained national attention during a months-long recount of his 1984 congressional campaign against Democrat Frank McCloskey. The Democratic-controlled House ruled McCloskey won in southern Indiana’s 8th District by four votes, prompting a Republican walkout at the Capitol.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Paul Tibbets, the pilot and commander of the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, died Thursday. He was 92.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A police officer shot in the head during a robbery in a doughnut shop died Thursday morning, the police commissioner said, and his killer remained at large. He was the third city officer shot in the span of four days. Officer Charles Cassidy walked in on a robbery and was shot in the forehead, police officials say. Charles Cassidy, 54, was shot in the forehead Wednesday at a Dunkin' Donuts when a hooded robber spun from the counter and fired at him as he walked in the door, according to an employee. The 25-year police veteran...

Tim Jacobs passed away durig the night of 9/27/07. He was also known as the freeper Ralph. Sorry for the delayed notice.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. William J. Crowe died early today at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He was 82. Crowe served as chairman from 1985 to 1989 under presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. His Navy career spanned the entirety of the Cold War, from his entry to the service following graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 to his retirement as the highest-ranking officer in the military in 1989 as the Soviet Union began to crumble. “Every man and woman of the U.S. military joins me in mourning...

<p>The Warren County Sheriff’s Office says its seeks the public's assistance in locating two elderly women from Warren County.</p> <p>Mary Ellen Walters, 68, and Ada Wasson, 80, were last seen last Thursday April 19th at Otterbein Retirement Living Community located at State Routes 741 and 63 in Warren County. The two women live in the Patio Homes section, which is an independent living area.</p>

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A Vietnam War veteran who spent seven years in a POW camp with Sen. John McCain has died in Alabama. Seventy-four-year-old retired Air Force Colonel Warren Lilly died over the weekend after being injured in a fall last week. Lilly earned more than 18 Purple Hearts in his career. He became a POW after being shot down over Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

The doctor at the center of a controversial procedure which stunted the growth of a severely disabled girl has committed suicide. Dr. Daniel F. Gunther died from toxic asphyxia from inhaling car exhaust, said Greg Hewett of the King County Medical Examiner's Office. His time of death was listed as 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 30. The 49-year-old was a pediatric endocrinologist at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington. In 2004, Gunther and his colleague Dr. Douglas S. Diekema performed a hysterectomy, removed the breast tissue and started...

Rep. Jo Ann Davis, a Virginia Republican first elected to the House of Representatives in 2000, died on Saturday after a long battle with breast cancer, her spokesman said. She was 57. Davis, who died at her home in Gloucester, Virginia, had a mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and was able to return her job, spokesman Chris Connelly said. "She was back and doing well and then she had a recurrence at the beginning of 2007," he said. Davis served on the House Armed Services and the House Foreign Affairs committees. Her heavily Republican district along...

12 Heroes supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 20, 2007 when "Easy 40", the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter they were in, crashed. These Heroes have been honored in their home towns, and they are now to be honored as a group with a common burial in the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery, with calling hours from 1800-2000 hours on 11 October at Murphy's Funeral Home in Arlington, VA and burial services from the Old Chapel at Ft. Meyer on 12 October at approximately 0900 hours. PGR will stand tall and honor these Heroes Who Stood...

Rose Stanley AKA "Thespottedowl" is gravely ill and is not expected to make it, doctors say. Rose has posted here many years and has many friends, please keep Rose and her family in your prayers. Cards and flowers can be sent to Desert valley hospital ICU, rm#264 16850 bear valley rd victorville Ca 92395 Thank you and God bless.

Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA), 57, died Saturday morning after a two-year battle with breast cancer. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and had a reoccurrence earlier this year. Gov. Tim Kaine (R-VA) issued the following statement: “Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis made history when she became the first female Republican elected to the House of Representatives from the Commonwealth in 2000. She inspired Virginians as she battled breast cancer, while continuing to serve the Commonwealth. Anne and I are saddened by her passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends today.”

A Virginia man was killed Wednesday night in a motorcycle crash that forced the southbound lanes of U.S. 501 outside of Conway closed for hours, Horry County officials said. Brad Duane Winchester, 55, of Alexandria, Va., was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, said Horry County Deputy Coroner Tony Hendrick. Another victim, a woman also from Virginia, was seriously injured in the same incident, Hendrick said.

Freepers, Just learned that an acquaintance of mine was killed while serving with the US Army in Iraq. Here's the DoD release:The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Sgt. Robert T. Ayres III, 23, of Los Angeles, died Sept. 29 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany. Please pray for SGT Ayres' soul, and for the peace and healing of his family and friends. Thank you.

It seemed like a headache, nothing more. But when pain killers and a trip to the emergency room didn't fix Aaron Evans, the 14-year-old asked his dad if he was going to die. "No, no," David Evans remembers saying. "We didn't know. And here I am: I come home and I'm burying him." What was bothering Aaron was an amoeba, a microscopic organism called Naegleria fowleri that attacks the body through the nasal cavity, quickly eating its way to the brain. The doctors said he probably picked it up a week before while swimming in the balmy shallows of Lake...

Actress Alice Ghostley, seen in 1952, battled colon cancer and a series of strokes, her friend said. Ghostley died Friday at her home in Studio City after a long battle with colon cancer and a series of strokes, longtime friend Jim Pinkston said.

A MELBOURNE GP refused high-level chemotherapy, ultimately sacrificing her life to save her unborn daughter.Family and friends farewelled Dr Ellice Hammond, 37, at a funeral service yesterday, the same day anti-solarium campaigner Clare Oliver succumbed to melanoma.Dr Hammond lost her battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma on Sunday, three weeks after daughter Mia Ellice was born nine weeks prematurely at the Monash Medical Centre, where she remains in neonatal intensive care, The Herald Sun said today.Dr Hammond was diagnosed in the 22nd week of pregnancy and refused high-level chemotherapy that could have saved her but might have killed Mia, whose induced birth...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jane Wyman, the Oscar-winning actress who was Ronald Reagan's first wife and starred in the popular 1980s television drama "Falcon Crest," died on Monday at age 90, her longtime manager said. Wyman married fellow actor and future U.S. President Reagan in 1940 but divorced him in 1948. She died at her home in Palm Springs, California, having been in failing health for several years, business manager Michael Mesnick said in a statement. Known as "one-take Wyman" for her professional work ethic, Wyman appeared in more than 80 films during a career spanning four decades. Her...