3:23 P.M. CDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hey, it’s good to be back with you all. I’ll tell you what.  I want to thank General Colt for accompanying me up here.  I get the honor of introducing the General.

I was back here on February 11th, to welcome home members of the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan -- 155 of you got off that plane in the middle of the night, and the only thing that was more exciting than seeing you getting off is watching your families watch you all get off.  So it’s an honor to be back here so soon.

I know many of you have just gotten home in the past few weeks -- so welcome home.  And I know from experience that your families want more than anything to spend time with you.  And so, every time I show up at a welcome home ceremony, I’m always worried about getting in the way.  Because I remember when my son came back home from Iraq after a year, there were all these ceremonies.  And I kept saying, hell, man, stop, I want to see my kid.  (Laughter.)

So, anyway, I get it.  So let me just say how much gratitude the President and I have, and all Americans do, for you all.  You guys have been in the fight from the beginning.  And the risk you’ve taken, the incredible sacrifices you’ve made, the comrades you’ve lost, the losses you’ve personally endured -- you’ve been in some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world.

I’ve been there a number of times, back up those damn mountains.  I’d get a helicopter to go down 9,800 feet, and all I got on is a vest -- a bulletproof vest and a helmet and I’m out of breath climbing up about 40 clicks -- 40 feet.  And you guys are up there, 60 to 80-pound packs running around.  God, you’re amazing.  You just are amazing.  I’m in awe of the job you do, in awe of the job you do.  (Applause.)

As I said back in February, I want to also thank your families.  They made sacrifices as well, those intangible sacrifices -- those missed births and those missed birthdays, those missed graduations, those missed -- an occasional funeral. Perhaps more than anything else, just being missed, just not having you home.

The famous poet -- there was a famous poet I like to quote, John Milton, who said, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” Your families serve as well.  And the rest of America owes your families a debt of gratitude as well.  (Applause.)  And so, to all the families that are listening, I want to say their service is as real as yours and it’s as appreciated.

To the soldiers here, you are the most capable warriors.  Let me say this without any fear of contradiction, you’re the most capable warriors in the history of the world.  There has never, never, never, never been a fighting force as capable as you are.

It’s my job today and my honor to talk a little bit about the man that I get to work with every day.  We’ve just got to spend time with the assaulters who got bin Laden.  (Applause.)

By the way, I shouldn’t say this, but I’m going to tell you anyway -- the President is going to be mad I’m taking so long -- (laughter) -- but today was “Grandfather’s Day,” so I went by earlier this morning before I came out here to my granddaughter’s little spring play.  And after it’s all over she said, “Pop, come back to my classroom with me.”  I said, “I can’t, honey.”  She said, “Are you going someplace on Air Force Two?”  I said, “Yeah, I am, babe.”  She said, “Where are you going?”  I said, going to -- true story -- I said, “I’m going to Fort Campbell.”  I said, “We’re going to see the guys out there who got Osama bin Laden.” Absolutely true story.  She said, “Pop!” and then she grabbed a little friend of hers and she said,  “My Pop is going out to see the whales.”  (Laughter.)  Not the SEALs, the whales  (Laughter.) Because if they’re that good they got to be big, man.  They got to be big.  (Laughter.)  Well, you guys are the gorillas, I’ll tell you.

I want to tell you, look, I’ve watched -- I’ve been around a while with eight Presidents, so I’ve watched Presidents make some difficult decisions.  They’ve all had to make difficult decisions.  But sitting in every meeting getting ready and planning for this mission and assault, for the mission to get bin Laden, I saw something extraordinary.  I saw a President who was told the odds -- told the odds weren’t but much more than 50/50 that he’d be there and we could do this, but they were considerably less than 100 percent.

And I, along with the all the rest of his national security team and Secretary of Defense, stayed -- everyone else, we sat around there and he asked our advice and we gave him our advice, and we told him told him a little this and that.  And finally, he just looked at all of us and said, I got faith in the -- I got faith in these guys.

He walked off on his own without anybody giving him any guarantees at all and he decided -- because he believed in not only the SEALs, but believes in all of you.  He has absolute total faith in all of you.  And he made that determination, and it was an amazing thing to watch.  But it was because he had the absolute confidence that you were there.

And so he decided, when he got into office, because of the fight you all were in from the beginning, that the number one priority was to get Osama bin Laden.  And he knew the risks, he knew there were significant risks, and more importantly, special operations risks to the people who were risking their lives getting there.  But he didn’t hesitate, nor did your guys.

Bob Gates said something interesting.  I’ve known Bob for a long time.  He said, it was one of the gutsiest decisions I’ve ever seen made and one of the gutsiest raids.  This is going to go down in history, what happened.  This is going to go down in history.

And here to introduce your Commander-in-Chief, the guy that I’m proud to serve with, is one of the country’s leading warriors himself, Deputy Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division, General Jeffrey Colt.  Ladies and gentlemen, General Colt.  (Applause.)

GENERAL COLT:  Thank you, sir.

I can only try to tell you today just how proud of you that this Division and this local community are.  But more importantly, today, you’re going to get to hear from the Commander-in-Chief just how appreciative he is of all of your service and your sacrifices.

Please join me in this great privilege of welcoming the President of the United States, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Fort Campbell!  (Applause.)  101st Airborne Division—Air Assault, hello!  (Applause.)

General Colt, thank you for that great introduction -- it was great because it was brief.  (Laughter.)  More importantly, thank you for the extraordinary leadership that you’ve shown here at one of the largest Army bases in America.  (Applause.)

And let me just say, I make a lot of decisions; one of the earliest and best decisions I made was choosing one of the finest Vice Presidents in our history -- Joe Biden, right here.  (Applause.)

Chaplain Miller, thank you for the beautiful invocation.

I want to thank General Colt for welcoming me here today, along with your great Command Sergeant Major, Wayne St. Louis.  (Applause.)  The Quartet and 101st Division Band.  (Applause.)  All these troopers behind me —- you look great.  (Applause.)  You noticed they kind of hesitated.  (Laughter.)  

We got a lot of folks in the house.  We’ve got military police and medical personnel.  We’ve got the Green Berets of the 5th Special Forces Group.  I think we’ve got a few Air Force here.  Ohh -- (laughter.)  Well, we thought we did.  There they go -- okay.  Come on.  (Applause.)  And, of course, the legendary Screaming Eagles.  (Applause.)  And although they’re not in the audience, I want to acknowledge the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment —- the Night Stalkers -— for their extraordinary service.  (Applause.)

Now, I’ve got to say, some of you are starting to look a little familiar -- because last December, when we were at Bagram, I was out there to thank you for your service, especially during the holidays.  And we had a great rally, a big crowd -- it seemed like everybody was there from the 101st.

And since then, I know we’ve had quite a few homecomings.  The Rakkasans.  (Applause.)  Destiny.  (Applause.)  Strike.  (Applause.)  Bastogne.  (Applause.)  And some of the Division Headquarters —- the Gladiators.  (Applause.)  On behalf of a grateful nation —- welcome home.  (Applause.)   

Of course, our thoughts and prayers are with General Campbell, Command Sergeant Major Schroeder, and all of the Screaming Eagles and troops that are still risking their lives in theater.  And I’m so pleased that Ann Campbell and Marla Schroeder, and some of the inspiring military spouses are here.  Where are they at?  Right over there.  (Applause.)  We are grateful to you.  God bless you.  There they are.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  This happens to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day.  (Applause.)  And we honor your service as well.

Now, I didn’t come here to make a really long speech.  I know you're hearing that.  (Laughter.)  It’s like, yeah, it’s hot!  (Laughter.)  What I really wanted to do was come down and shake some hands.  I came here for a simple reason —- to say thank you on behalf of America.  This has been an historic week in the life of our nation.  (Applause.)  Thanks to the incredible skill and courage of countless individuals -— intelligence, military —- over many years, the terrorist leader who struck our nation on 9/11 will never threaten America again.  (Applause.)

Yesterday, I traveled to New York City, and, along with some of our 9/11 families, laid a wreath at Ground Zero in memory of their loved ones.  I met with the first responders —- the firefighters, the police officers, the Port Authority officers —- who lost so many of their own when they rushed into those burning towers.  I promised that our nation will never forget those we lost that dark September day.   

And today, here at Fort Campbell, I had the privilege of meeting the extraordinary Special Ops folks who honored that promise.  It was a chance for me to say —- on behalf of all Americans and people around the world —- “Job well done.”  Job well done.  (Applause.)

They’re America’s “quiet professionals” -- because success demands secrecy.  But I will say this.  Like all of you, they could have chosen a life of ease.  But like you, they volunteered.  They chose to serve in a time of war, knowing they could be sent into harm’s way.  They trained for years.  They’re battle-hardened.  They practiced tirelessly for this mission.  And when I gave the order, they were ready.

Now, in recent days, the whole world has learned just how ready they were.  These Americans deserve credit for one of the greatest intelligence military operations in our nation’s history.  But so does every person who wears America’s uniform, the finest military the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  And that includes all of you men and women of 101st.  (Applause.)

You have been on the frontlines of this fight for nearly 10 years.  You were there in those early days, driving the Taliban from power, pushing al Qaeda out of its safe havens.  Over time, as the insurgency grew, you went back for, in some cases, a second time, a third time, a fourth time.

When the decision was made to go into Iraq, you were there, too, making the longest air assault in history, defeating a vicious insurgency, ultimately giving Iraqis the chance to secure their democracy.  And you’ve been at the forefront of our new strategy in Afghanistan.

Sending you -- more of you -- into harm’s way is the toughest decision that I’ve made as Commander-in-Chief.  I don’t make it lightly.  Every time I visit Walter Reed, every time I visit Bethesda, I’m reminded of the wages of war.  But I made that decision because I know that this mission was vital to the security of the nation that we all love.

And I know it hasn’t been easy for you and it hasn’t, certainly, been easy for your families.  Since 9/11, no base has deployed more often, and few bases have sacrificed more than you.  We see it in our heroic wounded warriors, fighting every day to recover, and who deserve the absolute best care in the world.  (Applause.)  We see it in the mental and emotional toll that’s been taken -- in some cases, some good people, good soldiers who’ve taken their own lives.  So we’re going to keep saying to anybody who is hurting out there, don’t give up.  You’re not alone.  Your country needs you.  We’re here for you to keep you strong.

And most of all, we see the price of this war in the 125 soldiers from Fort Campbell who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice during this deployment to Afghanistan.  And every memorial ceremony —- every “Eagle Remembrance” —- is a solemn reminder of the heavy burdens of war, but also the values of loyalty and duty and honor that have defined your lives.

So here’s what each of you must know.  Because of your service, because of your sacrifices, we’re making progress in Afghanistan.  In some of the toughest parts of the country, General Campbell and the 101st are taking insurgents and their leaders off the battlefield and helping Afghans reclaim their communities.

Across Afghanistan, we’ve broken the Taliban’s momentum.  In key regions, we’ve seized the momentum, pushing them out of their strongholds.  We’re building the capacity of Afghans, partnering with communities and police and security forces, which are growing stronger.

And most of all, we’re making progress in our major goal, our central goal in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and that is disrupting and dismantling -- and we are going to ultimately defeat al Qaeda.  (Applause.)  We have cut off their head and we will ultimately defeat them.  (Applause.)

Even before this week’s operation, we’ve put al Qaeda’s leadership under more pressure than at any time since 9/11, on both sides of the border.  So the bottom line is this:  Our strategy is working, and there’s no greater evidence of that than justice finally being delivered to Osama bin Laden.  (Applause.)

But I don’t want to fool you.  This continues to be a very tough fight.  You know that.  But because of this progress, we’re moving into a new phase.  In the coming months, we’ll start transferring responsibility for security to Afghan forces. Starting this summer, we’ll begin reducing American forces.  As we transition, we’ll build a long-term partnership with the Afghan people, so that al Qaeda can never again threaten America from that country.

And, as your Commander-in-Chief, I’m confident that we’re going to succeed in this mission.  The reason I’m confident is because in you I see the strength of America’s military -- (applause) -- and because in recent days we’ve all seen the resilience of the American spirit.

Now, this week I received a letter from a girl in New Jersey named Payton Wall.  She wrote to me on Monday after the news that bin Laden had been killed, and she explained how she still remembers that September morning almost 10 years ago.  She was only four years old.  Her father, Glen, was trapped inside the World Trade Center.  And so, in those final, frantic moments, knowing he might not make it, he called home.  And Payton remembers watching her mom sobbing as she spoke to her husband and then passed the phone to Payton.  And in words that were hard to hear but which she’s never forgotten, he said to her, “I love you Payton, and I will always be watching over you.”     

So yesterday, Payton, her mom, and her sister, Avery, joined me at Ground Zero.  And now Payton is 14.  These past 10 years have been tough for her.  In her letter, she said, “Ever since my father died, I lost a part of me that can never be replaced.”  And she describes her childhood as a “little girl struggling to shine through all the darkness in her life.”

But every year, more and more, Payton is shining through.  She’s playing a lot of sports, including lacrosse and track, just like her dad.  She’s doing well in school.  She’s mentoring younger students.  She’s looking ahead to high school in the fall.  And so, yesterday she was with us —- a strong, confident young woman -— honoring her father’s memory, even as she set her sights on the future.

And for her and for all of us, this week has been a reminder of what we’re about as a people.  It’s easy to forget sometimes, especially in times of hardship, times of uncertainty.  We’re coming out of the worst recession since the Great Depression; haven’t fully recovered from that.  We’ve made enormous sacrifices in two wars.  But the essence of America -- the values that have defined us for more than 200 years -- they don’t just endure; they are stronger than ever.

We’re still the America that does the hard things, that does the great things.  We’re the nation that always dared to dream.  We’re the nation that’s willing to take risks -- revolutionaries breaking free from an empire; pioneers heading West to settle new frontiers; innovators building railways and laying the highways and putting a man on the surface of the moon.

We are the nation -- and you’re the Division -- that parachuted behind enemy lines on D-Day, freeing a continent, liberating concentration camps.  We’re the nation that, all those years ago, sent your Division to a high school in Arkansas so that nine black students could get an education.  That was you.  Because we believed that all men are created equal; that everyone deserves a chance to realize their God-given potential.

We’re the nation that has faced tough times before -- tougher times than these.  But when our Union frayed, when the Depression came, when our harbor was bombed, when our country was attacked on that September day, when disaster strikes like that tornado that just ripped through this region, we do not falter.  We don’t turn back.  We pick ourselves up and we get on with the hard task of keeping our country strong and safe.

See, there’s nothing we can’t do together, 101st, when we remember who we are, at that is the United States of America.  (Applause.)  When we remember that, no problem is too hard and no challenge is too great.

And that is why I am so confident that, with your brave service, America’s greatest days are still to come.  (Applause.)

God bless you.  God bless the 101st.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
3:47 P.M. CDT

Remember what life was like before your iPhone? Before there were palm-sized smartphones with seemingly endless features, there were phones like Motorola's RAZR that peaked with its embedded camera. Before that, there were simple flip phones with texting capabilities, bulky two-pound Gordon Gekkos—even briefcase phones.

The complete visual history of the mobile phone →

Mobile phones have come a long way in the last seventy years, so be thankful yours fits in your pocket. Maybe one day it will even be able to bend like a piece of thin plastic. Maybe you won't even have to touch it, doing all of your multitasking from cellular implants. But seventy years ago, you'd be lugging a 25-pound 'portable' phone on your back, with very limited 5-mile range.

And now, a visual history marking the accomplishments of mobile phones, from military applications to mobile apps. Alexander Graham Bell would surely be proud.

This post originally appeared at WonderHowTo.

1938

Not quite what you would consider a mobile phone, the SCR-194 and 195 were the first portable AM radios, produced by the U.S. Army Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories in Fort Monmouth, NJ.

Considered the first "walkie talkie," these devices weighed roughly 25 pounds and had a 5-mile range. They were widely used for infantry battalion and company intercommunication during World War II.

1940

Next came the SCR-300 radio transceiver, developed for the U.S. Military by Motorola. This time a portable FM radio, it weighed anywhere from 32 to 38 pounds with a 3-mile range.

It replaced the SCR-194 and 195 with nearly 50,000 units used in World War II by Allied Forces

1942

Motorola produced the first "handie talkie" for the U.S., labeled SCR-536. 130,000 units were manufactured and used during the war. Back to AM, this handheld version shed the fat off the previous two transceivers, weighing only 5 pounds. But its land range was only 1-mile (3 miles over water).

Moving away from military-grade portable radios, we get to the mobile radio telephones (or 0G)...

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

For the latest gadget news, visit SAI: Tools. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

See Also:

• Angry Clones Are Taking Over The App World
• How To Disintegrate Objects At Super Speed
• How To Score A Ton Of Free Storage Space On Dropbox

The Army's chief of staff never wants to see soldiers get into a fair fight. How can a simple infantry squad have as big an edge as possible when it needs to go up against the bad guys?

As a dismounted patrol of U.S. soldiers from A Battery, 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team walks through the village of Chil Gazy; Staff Sgt. Jordan Cruz provides security. Afghans in the village voiced their opinions to International Security Assistance Forces troops during their visit in an effort to improve the security situation in the village and throughout the area. Photo via US Army.

Army officials are preparing status report on their Campaign 2015 plan for the greater Fort Riley area.

Fort Riley and 1st Infantry Division leaders will give an update on May 11 on the five-year plan and what is expected over the next year.

The plan was begun 16 months ago as a road map for establishing Fort Riley as the Army's premier division-level post. Army. It's based on four goals of resiliency, sustainability, community and Army Force Generation.

Read more

 

Kargil/Srinagar, May 06 (Scoop News) –   The IGP Kashmir S M Sahai said that the youth of Kargil should strive hard to maintain the peace and prosperity of the District as the district is known for its peaceful atmosphere.

 

SM Saqhai was speaking on the opening Ceremony of the Saheed Zulfiqar Ali Memorial Cricket Tournament. The IGP Kashmir declared open the 1st Saheed Zulfiqar Ali Memorial Cricket Tournament. today at Khree Sultan Choo Stadium Biamathang Kargil, which was organized by the district Police Kargil under Civic Action Programme of the J&K; Police.

 

 IGP Kashmir who was the Chief Guest said that police department is the largest Job providing Department in the State. He said that the civic action programme of the J&K; Police is an ongoing process and various other developmental activities will be carried out in the Future also.

 

In this tournament 56 teams from all the blocks of Kargil District are participating and on the inaugural function all the players of the 56 teams participated in the Oath Ceremony.

 

It may be mentioned here that Saheed Zulfiqar Ali was martyred at Maisuma Chowk Srinagar in the year 2009 in a grenade Attack and this tournament is a tribute to the martyr. On this occasion the Mother of Saheed Zulfiqar Ali along with Brother and two sisters were also present. Others present on the inaugural Function was Acting Chief Executive Councilor LAHDC Kargil Haji Ghulam Amir, MLA Zanskar Feroz Ahmad Khan, Executive Councilor Ghulam Rasool Naqvi, Brigadier 121 Infantry Brigade S K Sahwny Deputy Commissioner Kargil M Raju, SP Kargil Javed Iqbal Matoo and other District officers and prominent citizens. 

www.scoopnews.in

 

CBC.ca

Edmonton soldier goes missing on run Vancouver Sun EDMONTON, AB. MAY 5, 2011 — Troops from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry search for a soldier on a run along the North Saskatchewan River who went missing. A police dog joined the search along the riverbank. (SHAUGHN BUTTS/EDMONTON JOURNAL) ... Soldier goes missing during runToronto Sun Soldier missing in Edmonton river valleyVictoria Times Colonist Soldier goes missing during river valley runCBC.ca 24 Hours Vancouver -Edmonton Sun -iNews880.com all 27 news articles »

As a dismounted patrol of U.S. soldiers from A Battery, 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team walks through the village of Chil Gazy; Staff Sgt. Jordan Cruz provides security. Afghans in the village voiced their opinions to International Security Assistance Forces troops during their visit in an effort to improve the security situation in the village and throughout the area. Photo via US Army.

Born on 22 September 1894 in St. Thomas, Ontario - son of Reverend Reuben and Margaret Elizabeth (nee Schell) Millyard - brother of Malcolm Millyard, Toronto, Ontario - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: present address same as brother; trade as actuary; single; no current or previous military service; Methodist; height of 5 feet 7.75 inches; chest of 37 inches fully expanded; dark complexion; blue eyes; brown hair.

Joined the 5th Overseas Universities Company, CEF, in Toronto, Ontario, on 20 November 1915 (number 487280) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 17 August 1917 - wounded on 31 October 1917 - taken on the strength of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on 8 September 1918 - killed in action on 30 September 1918 - buried in Canada Cemetery (grave I.A.1), France.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force; Commonwealth War Graves Commission, "Debt of Honour" register, www.cwgc.org)

Born on 22 October 1901 (gave 22 October 1898 on enlistment form) in Morewood, Ontario - son of David Nadeau, Chesterville, Ontario - at the time of his enlistment in 1917: present address in Metcalfe, Ontario; trade as bank clerk; single; no current or previous military service; Church of England; height of 5 feet 5.75 inches; chest of 36 inches fully expanded; medium complexion; blue eyes; black hair.

Joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps, CEF, in Ottawa, Ontario, on 30 June 1917 (number 2098920) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 8 March 1918 - transferred to the Canadian Machine Gun Corps, CEF, on 13 May 1918.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force)

This fall, Deep Silver and X1 Software send fans of tactical gameplay and shooters back to 1944 in "Iron Front - Liberation 1944". The location? Southern Poland during the Soviet Offensive in the summer of that year, when the infantry and tank units of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht engaged in fierce combat.

US president remembers victims of Osama bin Laden at the site of 2001 World Trade Centre terrorist attacks

Barack Obama spoke no words as he laid a red, white and blue wreath at the centre of Ground Zero. But then he didn't need to: the location and the identity of the individuals gathered round him spoke for him.

The location was in the shade cast by the Survivor Tree, an oak that was recently planted at the World Trade Centre for a second time. The first time was in the 1970s, but the tree was later engulfed in rubble on 11 September 2001.

Remarkably, it was found alive though badly damaged, then nursed back to health and finally replanted at its old home last December. It now stands 9 metres (30ft) tall.

Close to the oak stood Payton Wall. She was four years old when her father, Glen Wall, died in the Twin Towers. Now 14, she wrote a letter to the president describing how she coped with that loss. By happenstance, Obama read the letter on Monday, the morning after he had orchestrated the killing of the architect of 9/11, Osama bin Laden.

A tree. A child. On the back of one man's killing, the almost 3,000 lives that he took were remembered in their company.

It happened under the same cloudless New York sky that had famously been a feature of 9/11 itself. On that day, almost 10 years ago, the beauty of the crystal clear blue sky seemed to mock the terrible events that were to unfold beneath it.

But on this occasion, with the knowledge that 9/11's architect had been confined to a watery grave, the beauty of the day seemed more in tune with events. Before laying the wreath, Obama walked through the memorial plaza that is now taking shape at the heart of Ground Zero. He saw the two giant footprints of the Twin Towers that form the physical and aesthetic heart of the site, which will become reflective pools and the largest manmade waterfalls in America. In the past week the first of the 2,976 names of those who died in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania have appeared, etched in bronze plates that have just been set out along the pools' edges.

In time, when the memorial area is complete, the sound of falling water and rustling leaves of the Survivor Tree and some 400 other oaks will suffuse the space that once was filled with 1.8m tonnes of rubble and molten steel beneath a mushroom cloud of dust.

Before arriving at Ground Zero, Obama paid homage to the 343 New York firefighters who lost their lives when the two towers collapsed. He visited the Pride of Midtown, a firehouse in Manhattan which lost an entire shift – 15 men – on that day, leaving 28 children fatherless.

He told the surviving rescue workers that he hoped the killing of Bin Laden had brought them some comfort. "Obviously you can't bring back the friends you lost," he said. "But what happened on Sunday sent a message around the world that when we say we will never forget, we mean what we say.

"Our commitment to make sure that justice was done was something that transcends politics. It doesn't matter which administration it was, who was in charge, we were going to make sure that the perpetrators received justice. That's some comfort, I hope."

Later, he visited a police precinct in lower Manhattan, along with New York's 9/11 mayor, Rudy Giuliani. Obama told the officers gathered to greet him: "We did what we said we were going to do."

This being Ground Zero, wherever Obama went he was followed like a faithful dog by the record of history. In particular, he was shadowed by the memory of a previous president's visit to the same place.

Not far from the spot where Obama laid his wreath, that president stood in 2001 on top of a crushed fire truck, his arms around a firefighter, speaking through a megaphone. "Can you hear me?" one of the rescue workers shouted out to him, just four days after the towers came down.

"I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who brought those buildings down will hear all of us soon."

He was right. Twenty three days after he made those off-the-cuff comments, George Bush began the war in Afghanistan. He didn't know then, he couldn't know then, that it would take America another nine years and seven months to be heard by the main culprit.

After Bush spoke, rescue workers at the site broke out into a chorus of "USA! USA!" It was the same chorus that was heard on Sunday night all round the perimeter of Ground zero when news came through of Bin Laden's death.

Thomas Von Essen was the commissioner of the New York fire department in 2001 when the tragedy happened, and recalled spending that day with Bush. "You could see from his face when he saw the mountain of rubble that it had a profound impact on him," he said. "I'm not a fan of politicians, they are so insincere, but I saw his face I knew he really understood what people had been through."

Von Essen said that he was glad that Obama had repeated the presidential visit nearly a decade later. But there was an aspect to the proceedings he was not so happy about.

"It was courageous of the president to authorise the raid on Bin Laden and I'm glad it worked out; it could easily have gone wrong. But this is now the political side – getting the pictures and taking the credit. I'm a little tired of all that."

TJ, a cement mason from Brooklyn who was one of the first people to start clearing the site after the Twin Towers collapsed, remembers helping to pull the fire truck on which Bush stood out of the rubble. He had no qualms about the commemoration.

"Obama's paying his respects just like he should. I don't think it's political. He's coming here to pay respects to the dead – it's what it is, no more no less."

Just outside the security fence around Ground Zero, bouquets of roses had been placed on the side of the road alongside a makeshift altar consisting of an empty bottle of Johnnie Walker blue label, some well-worn military boots and the badge of the 4th Infantry Division from the Iraq war. "Today let us pray for peace," someone had written.

Amid the crowd, a hawker was selling badges. They were stamped with the date 1 May 2011, and the words "Mission accomplished".

We will probably never know a lot of what transpired in that shabby villa in Abbottabad but what we do know is that the release of information has been dreadfully mismanaged by the White House and calls into question whether anyone there is interested in much more than making themselves look good or damaging someone else.

The number of stories emerging from the White House and immediately being contradicted by the White House, and in the process leaving the White House spokescritter, Jay Carney, resembling a stunned mullet, include: which of bin Laden’s sons was killed, bin Laden using a woman as a shield, his wife being killed, bin Laden firing at US forces, the raid being monitored in real time, and the cause of the helicopter crash.

We also can say with some degree of certainty that we’ve been misled on the involvement of Pakistan.

Oddly enough, the one area that everyone seems to have fallen over themselves in agreeing about was Pakistan’s involvement in the operation. While bin Laden’s carcass was still cooling anyone who was anyone in Pakistan was claiming there were no consultations. CIA Director Leon Panetta joined the chorus in rubbing the nose of the Pakistanis in their own unreliability.

But the CIA ruled out participating with its nominal South Asian ally early on because “it was decided that any effort to work with the Pakistanis could jeopardize the mission. They might alert the targets,” Panetta says.

To set the stage for this one has to take into consideration the nature of Abbottabad. It was founded by a British general and, under British rule, was the administrative center of the Hazara District of Punjab. Since independence it has remained a garrison town. It currently is the headquarters of two infantry regiments, the Baloch Regiment and the Frontier Force Regiment. In addition, the compound where bin Laden was killed is about 300 yards from a police station, about half that distance from a university, and half a mile from the Pakistan Military Academy. It is also very close to Kashmir. So bin Laden’s hideout was in a residential area, in a heavily garrisoned town, close by a disputed frontier.

The main concern, again from Panetta, was the Pakistani reaction, again from TIME:

Some of the aides had been involved in the Carter Administration’s effort to go after the hostages held by the Iranians 30 years ago; others had been involved in the ill-fated “Black Hawk Down” raid against Somali warlords in 1993. “What if you go down and you’re in a firefight and the Pakistanis show up and start firing?” Panetta says some worried. “How do you fight your way out?”

A very real concern that we will touch more upon later. On any raid getting into the objective and accomplishing your mission tends to be the easiest part of the planning process. Getting out with your skin mostly intact is always the hardest nut to crack. And how do you unscrew the situation created by having your armed forces in a fire fight with the armed forces of an ostensible ally, and ally who controls your supply routes into Afghanistan, in the middle of one of their cities?

The scenario, as we’ve been told, unfolds like this: Around 2am a helicopter crashes into a residential neighborhood, in this otherwise quiet garrison town not far from a contested border region. There are immediate explosions as breaching charges cut holes in the walls and doors of the bin Laden’s compound and a 40 minute fire fight ensues. As the gunfight winds down there is an explosion as the disabled helicopter is demolished and another, larger and noisier, helicopter arrives on the scene. Then both helicopters fly away.

No local constable decided to mope over to the crash site. No fire trucks or ambulances scrambled to the scene. The gun fight, even though it was tweeted live, didn’t provoke a response from either the police or either of the infantry regiments garrisoned in the city.

A lot of dogs didn’t bark, so to speak.

What we know about the raid, and I use the work “know” very advisedly, is that it apparently consisted of three helicopters. Two of the helicopters were MH-60 variants, one was apparently an MH-47. At least one story mentions a fourth helicopter of undefined type. The number of shooters involved was about 20, according to latest reports, with more than likely additional personnel involved in the intelligence exploitation of the objective.

The critical piece missing from this picture is a security element for the assault force. If, as Panetta suggests, one of the concerns was that Pakistani security forces would show up and start shooting the raiding force, more likely than not, would have contained a security force to stop anyone from interfering with the operation. The last thing you’d want is a couple of dozen SEALs sandwiched between an unknown number of al Qaeda fighters with bin Laden and a couple of Pakistani infantry battalions. Typically this security element would have been a contingent from the Ranger Regiment.  For instance, in the prisoner snatch that led to the Battle of Mogadishu, a small Delta contingent was used to attempt to capture a Somali warlord while a company of Rangers sealed off the objective area. This contingent would have added another 40 persons to the raid and at least one, or maybe two, MH-47s.

Even if we can explain the  absence of curiosity on the part of Pakistani security forces and emergency services by incompetence we are still confronted with both the absence of a security force, and a rather, in my opinion, leisurely amount of time the raiders spent on the objective when every minute exponentially increased the chance that Pakistani police or army would arrive on the scene.

In my view, this all leads to the conclusion that the local Pakistani officials were complicit in the raid. They may not have know when it was coming but they knew enough not to send out police, fire, or military personnel to the scene until after everything was over.

And then there is the former head of Pakistan’s ISI who insists that not only was there security but the Pakistanis provided it:

Lieutenant General Durrani, however, said that the denial was a “political” maneuver by the intelligence services to avoid claims that they were working too closely with the US.

He said: “It is more likely that they did know [about the raid]. It is not conceivable that it was done without the involvement of Pakistani security forces at some stage. They were involved and they were told they were in position.

“The army chief was in his office, the cordons had been thrown around that particular place. The Pakistani helicopters were also in the air so that indicates that it was involved.

Was the national leadership in on the raid? We can’t know. We can suspect from the speed with which Panetta said the Pakistanis were cut out and the Pakistanis claim they were cut out of the mission that maybe both are being somewhat parsimonious with the truth. The claim that Pakistan scrambled fighters to intercept the raiders, when neither their police nor army showed any inclination to do so despite being within an easy walk of the scene also sounds suspicious. Going a bit farther, Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith said in an interview:

Mr Smith disputed a suggestion the Pakistan government knew bin Laden’s whereabouts.

“It doesn’t follow from that that Pakistan or the Pakistan state or the Pakistan government was knowingly harbouring,” he told ABC Television today.

US President Barack Obama praised Pakistan for helping US forces kill and capture bin Laden, and had rung Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to thank him, Mr Smith said.

The minister also disputed an assertion the US didn’t notify the Pakistan government of bin Laden’s death.

“It’s clear to me from President Obama’s comments that he was pleased with Pakistan’s assistance,” Mr Smith said.

This makes sense when one considers that early reports were that the raid was staged out of Tarbela Ghazi air base in Pakistan:

From Ghazi Air Base in Pakistan, the modified MH-60 helicopters made their way to the garrison suburb of Abbottabad, about 30 miles from the center of Islamabad. Aboard were Navy SEALs, flown across the border from Afghanistan, along with tactical signals, intelligence collectors, and navigators using highly classified hyperspectral imagers.

Later reports claim that the raid was launched from Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Either site it well within range of the MH-60 but Jalalabad is 160 miles, or about an hour, away. Tarbela Ghazi is about 35 miles away. All things being equal you’d prefer the shorter distance for the sake of simplicity and reduced fatigue on the part of your troops.

At a minimum if there was no “official” cooperation there appears to be significant coordination between elements of the Pakistan government and the US government on this raid. To the extent this cooperation was unitary or to which it was facilitated by cash transactions we’ll probably never know. But it would have been the height of irresponsibility to send a small raiding force into an ostensibly hostile environment without providing protection for the raiders. It would have been equally irresponsible to send in a security force and risk a full fledged gun battle between US troops and Pakistani security forces. And I can’t believe that any military commander would have let that happen.

By Peter H. Brooks
Best Defense South Asian natural resources bureau chief

"Water security for us is a matter of economic security, human security, and national security, because we see potential for increasing unrest, conflicts, and instability over water."
--Statement by U.S. Secretary of State Hilary, March 22 2011, World Water Day.

"The national security implications of this looming water shortage...will be felt all over the world."
--US Senate Foreign Relations Committee report, Feb. 22, 2011.

"...fresh water scarcity at local levels will have wide-ranging implications for U.S. national security."
-- Testimony of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Feb. 10, 2011.

With a bombing campaign in Libya, counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an ongoing recovery in Japan why are the leaders of the U.S. foreign policy establishment talking about water? Well, when you consider that by 2030 global demand for fresh water will outstrip supply by forty percent you can begin to understand their concern.

But does more scarcity mean more conflict? Are we really in for a future full of water wars? The answer is not quite so clear.

The Fallacy of Water Wars
Mark Twain once said, "Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fightin over." The history of water conflict is extensive and well-documented (pardon the pun). But by and large water conflicts are local, intra-state affairs.

In the last fifty years, of the 1800 or so interstate, water-related disputes the vast majority ended in peaceful agreements on water usage. But many of these agreements were low-hanging, diplomatic fruit, unlikely to be so easily negotiated or resolved again, particularly as demand for fresh water continues to rise. The peaceful relations in three river basins in particular are beginning to show signs of strain. [[BREAK]]

Indus River Basin
In South Asia tensions are mounting between India and Pakistan over the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), an agreement governing the flow of the vital Indus River.

When the Senate report quoted above was released in late February, the Pakistani media jumped on it as proof of India's violations of the IWT. Some opinion-makers have even said that a water war is already underway or at least a "water war of words". Op/Eds in Pakistan argued that India exercises "water hegemony" by continuing to violate the IWT or at the very least by benefiting from its flaws. Some outspoken, fringe voices even suggested the use of nuclear weapons to solve the problem. And all of this in the last month!

Given India's overwhelming military strength, Pakistan's counterinsurgency campaigns in its North West Frontier, and America's vested interests on both sides, the dispute seems likely to remain a water war of the words, but there is certainly no guarantee of peace between the countries.

Tigris/Euphrates River Basin
In 1990 Turkey deliberately cut off water supplies to its southern neighbors, Syria and Iraq, over concerns of their support for Kurdish separatists in Turkey. In February 1992, then Prime Minister of Turkey, Suleyman Demiral said, "We do not say we share their oil resources. They cannot say they share our water resources. This is a matter of sovereignty. We have the right to do anything we like."

In 2009, responding to severe water shortages, Iraqi parliament demanded an increase in the share of Turkish river waters. Despite this and continued droughts, Turkey has continued building dams. As broader regional instability permeates into Syria and Iraq, expect water to play an increasingly important role in future local and international disputes between these three countries.

The Nile Basin
Three prominent Egyptian leaders in the last half century predicted water wars in Egypt. In 1979, Anwar el-Sadat said that water was "the only matter that could take Egypt to war again." In 1995 Egyptian World Bank official, Ismail Serageldin said "Many of the wars this century were about oil, but those of the next century will be over water." In 1988 Egyptian diplomat Boutros Boutros-Ghali said, "The next war in our region will be over the waters of the Nile, not politics."

Fearful that upstream neighbors Sudan, Ethiopia (where 85 percent of the river originates), Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo would turn off the tap, Egypt has fought any attempt by neighbors to divert the Nile. The wars these men predicted have been avoided because of diplomatic agreements like the Nile Basin Initiative. But, as post-revolution Egypt evolves, these statements are important to remember, particularly in light of Ethiopian plans to build a hydropower dam and the growing uncertainty of who will rule the new Egypt.

The Future of Water Conflict
The future of water conflict -- like most other kinds of conflict -- will remain, for the most part, local in its scope. But as diplomatic options dwindle and the scarcity increases, expect water conflict to take on a more international flavor than ever seen before particularly in these three volatile river basins.

In any event, it's safe to say water deserves the attention that it is getting in our political, diplomatic, and intelligence establishments.

So before you dismiss water as some sort of fringe consideration to the future of international security consider Secretary Clinton's words from last year's World Water Day, "It's not every day you find an issue where effective diplomacy and development will allow you to save millions of lives [and] advance our national security interests. Water is that issue."

A former Marine infantry officer, Peter H. Brooks is now a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar in Rajasthan, India, studying drinking water and public governance. The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Fulbright Program or the US State Department.

Dried up river outside of Quetta, Pakistan. (Lynsey Addario/Corbis)

Born on 25 November 1897 in Montreal, Quebec - son of Joseph and Mary Myers, Ottawa, Ontario - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: present address same as mother; trade as student; single; currently a member of the 43rd Regiment, Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles (one year); no previous military service; Roman Catholic; height of 5 feet 8.5 inches; chest of 34 inches fully expanded; fair complexion; blue eyes; light brown hair.

Joined the 77th Battalion, CEF, in Ottawa, Ontario, on 17 November 1915 (number 145450) - departed for overseas on 19 June 1916 - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, in England on 6 July 1916 - landed in France with the 38th Battalion on 13 August 1916 - killed in action on 18 November 1916 - name inscribed on the Vimy Memorial, France.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force; Commonwealth War Graves Commission, "Debt of Honour" register, www.cwgc.org; Anonymous, An Historical Sketch of the Seventy-Seventh Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force (Ottawa: War Publications Limited, 1926), p.127)

Born on3 1 August 1895 in Guelph, Ontario - son of Mrs. Minnie Myers, Ottawa, Ontario - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: trade as steam engineer; single; currently a member of the 43rd Regiment, Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles (four years); no previous military service; Roman Catholic; height of 5 feet 8 inches; chest of 35 inches fully expanded; ruddy complexion; hazel eyes; black hair.

Joined the 38th Battalion, CEF, in Ottawa, Ontario, on 11 May 1915 (number 410144) - served with the 38th Battalion during its period of garrison duty in Bermuda - landed in France with the 38th Battalion on 13 August 1916 - wounded on 18 or 19 November 1916 - invalided to England on 21 November 1916 - rejoined the 38th Battalion on 2 November 1917 - wounded on 10 August 1918 - invalided to England on 18 August 1918.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force)

At 8 a.m. on May 6, 1945, tanks from the U.S. 2nd and 97th Infantry Divisions and the 16th Armored Division entered the streets of Plzen in what was then Czechoslovakia and were greeted as liberators by its grateful residents. The city has remembered the momentous occasion since, and in 1990 held its first annual Liberation Festival. This year it runs Friday through the weekend.

Our Swedish correspondent LN sends his translation of a program on Swedish State Radio, and includes this introductory note:

The following text was read today (May 4) at 13:45 by its author, Margareta Flygt, a freelance cultural journalist with a background as an editor and translator, on the culture program OBS of the Swedish State Radio P1.

You can listen to and read about it here.

The topic is the book Eine Moschee in Deutschland: Nazis, Geheimdienste und der Aufstieg des politischen Islam im Westen (“A Mosque in Germany: Nazis, Intelligence Services, and the Rise of Political Islam in the West”) by Stefan Meining.

Many thanks to LN for the following translation:

How Munich became the center for Islamic terrorists

The United States’ intelligence services spent more than a decade trying to capture Osama bin Laden, following the terrorist attacks against the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Saalam.

Now they have succeeded, Osama bin Laden’s body has been lowered into the sea, and in newspapers and on the Internet it is speculated whether the world has become a safer place.

Looking back it is possible to detect many different times and places where things happened and that in one way or another pointed toward various future terrorist crimes.

One such place, which is important for our understanding of how the European militant Islam has emerged, is in Munich, according to the German TV journalist and historian Stefan Meining.

He has written the book Eine Moschee in Deutschland.

Margareta Flygt has read it.

[The above was spoken by the introducer.]

On my last visit to Munich, I drank a cocktail at “Schumann’s” on the Odeon Platz. Here the members of the in-crowd meet and rub shoulders with one another. Few of them know that Islamic history was written here.

In 1960 seven men met at the restaurant which was then only a simple Wienerwald chicken barbecue. They founded the so called “Mosque Construction Commission”. It was then that the German and European Islamist network was born, according to the author Stefan Meining. Almost all Islamic terrorism in the West, he says, has some connection with the Munich mosque.

How did Munich become a center for Islamic terrorists? Well, says Stefan Meining, it is a story that begins as early as 1941 when Germany attacked the Soviet Union. Nationalist Muslims from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, whose countries had been forcibly incorporated in Stalin’s Soviet Union, joined the Nazi Turkish Infantry Division and the SS. Originally they were not anti-Semites, or Hitler supporters; they just wanted to get their countries back. The Nazis made use of this.

After the war, high-ranking Nazis and SS men who had knowledge of the Eastern Bloc were recruited by the government of the German Federal Republic.

The former yet convinced Nazis Theodor Oberländer became “Minister for expelled people” and Gerhard von Mende head of the “Büro für heimatvertriebene Ausländer” (“Office of Expelled Foreigners”). None of them were prosecuted after the war, but were instead rewarded for their knowledge. Von Mende committed/used Muslim combatants in his espionage activities against the Soviet Union and they also worked for the U.S. Radio Free Europe in Munich.

The Muslim Soviet exiles in Munich were living a Western life; religion was not as important to them as their nationalism and hatred of the Soviets. Both von Mende and the mosque-building commission had approached radical key personnel in Saudi Arabia, Libya, Algeria, and Egypt. Mende sought help in his anti-communist activities, and the Commission attempted to get both support and money.

Since the Muslim Brotherhood was banned in Egypt, its members made their way to Europe. They were openly accepted in Europe, and with CIA help also in the USA. When the Islamic center was opened in Munich in 1973, with mosque, schools, dormitories, daycare and community centers, this radical group wanted to take over. The power struggle was between the previously appointed Nurredin Namangani, a gulag survivor and a former imam of an SS division, and the new Saudi Arabian and Egyptian Islamists under the charismatic Said Ramadan, son-in-law of Hassan al Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. [Said was also the father of the Swiss “philosopher” Tariq Ramadan. — BB]

That the young newcomers and skilled doctors, lawyers and engineers won against the older, often poorly educated Muslims from the Soviet Union, is not surprising. Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt supported the building of the mosque, but the final decisive contribution was made by none other than Libya’s Muammar Al-Ghaddafi.

No single German journalist and politician reflected on what was said or written at the center. No one realized the implications of what radical opinions could cause, and I simply believe that no one took these people seriously. Muslims did not count for very much; it was believed that they were Western puppets.

But everybody used everybody else. Islamists saw an opportunity to establish political Islam in Europe, old German anti-Semites breathed fresh air, and the CIA gave support to everything anti-communist. Slowly and persistently, the European Islamist network was built up without influence from the outside. Many of the now internationally-known Islamists began their careers in Munich.

One of those who were preparing the terrorist attacks of September 11 was Ghaleb Himmat, a former leader of the “Islamische Gemeinschaft in Deutschland” (“Islamic Community of Germany”). Himmat was one of those who sat at the restaurant in 1960 and took part in the planning of building a mosque in Munich. Today he is a central figure of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is important to point out: most Muslims in Germany do not know anything about — and have nothing to do with — the history of the mosque in Munich. They also have been misled by radical Islamists.

Eine Moschee in Deutschland is not a speculative book, but it suggests how Islamic terrorist groups have been able to grow strong in Europe, and above all it is a settling of accounts with Germany’s irresponsibility in the postwar period. Nazis and anti-communists could affect postwar politics on a scale that has had devastating consequences. It is a bitter lesson of overconfidence in oneself. It is now, as they say in German, that we must eat the soup we have cooked.

The World Trade Towers burning on Sept 11th

My father displaying his plaque as SOF Soldier of the Month

Alleged death photo of bin Laden (Likely a hoax)

Wednesday’s May 4 Twilight Tattoo ceremony at Fort McNair has been canceled due to weather. It was scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Twilight Tattoo is an hour-long military ceremony featuring soldiers from the 3rd U.S. infantry Regiment and the U.S. Army band “Pershing’s Own.”

The next event is scheduled for May 11.

For exact dates and more info, click here.

Battle-tested Philippine unit deployed as peacekeepers to Golan Heights GulfNews Manila: A battle-tested unit of the Philippine Army was ordered deployed to the Golan Heights as United Nations peacekeepers, officials announced recently. A contingent comprised of members of the 76th Infantry ... Army battalion sent to Golan Heights for peacekeepingInquirer.net AFP sending team to Golan HeightsPhilippine Star Philippines to send first peacekeeping team to Golan HeightsPeople's Daily Online all 6 news articles »

Born on 12 January 1891 in London, Ontario - son of Sarah Mutch, St. Thomas, Ontario - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: present address same as mother; trade as baker; single; no current military service; previously served with the Army Service Corps (as a baker, three years); Methodist; height of 5 feet 7 inches; chest of 40 inches fully expanded; dark complexion; brown eyes; dark hair.

Joined the 91st Battalion, CEF, in St. Thomas, Ontario, on 13 August 1915 (number 401449) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 20 or 21 August 1916 - wounded on 30 June 1917 - invalided to England on 19 July 1917.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force)

Born on 23 March 1876 in Chatham, England - husband of Laura Mutter, Ottawa, Ontario - at the time of his enlistment in 1916: trade as labourer; married with two children (12 and 14 years); currently a member of the 43rd Regiment, Duke of Cornwall's Own Rifles (six months); no previous military service; Church of England; height of 5 feet 4.5 inches; chest of 36.5 inches fully expanded; medium complexion; grey eyes; brown hair.

Joined the 77th Battalion, CEF, in Ottawa, Ontario, on 11 January 1916 (number 145760) - departed for overseas on 19 June 1916 - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, in England on 6 July 1916 - landed in France with the 38th Battalion on 13 August 1916 - struck off the strength of the 38th Battalion on 16 June 1919.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force; Anonymous, An Historical Sketch of the Seventy-Seventh Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force (Ottawa: War Publications Limited, 1926), p.127)

A friend came across this claymation video created by 11-year-old Jack, explaining Roman infantry tactics for his sixth grade Social Studies class. The video itself is fun (mainly when claymation non-Roman soldiers are killed); educational (he does explain infantry tactics used by Roman soldiers); and it’s neat to see what you can do with some [...]

Our brethren over at Destructoid have put up a short video review of the first series of DC Unlimited's Killzone action figures. Conducted by Jim Sterling, errr, Hilary P. Helghast, the review takes a look the Helghast Assault Infantry and the Helghast Sniper figures which are available now at all good retailers (and currently discounted at Amazon).

I have to admit, being a Helghast himself, Hilary's probably a little biased, but he does point out quite a bit on each of the figures in his 3 minute look at them. Let's just hope Emperor Scolar Visari is pleased ...

Anyways, hit the jump and BEHOLD Hilary's review.

Brockton, MA – May 3, 2011 – SIE Computing Solutions, Inc. (www.sie-cs.com), a provider of rugged electronic systems for mission-critical and performance-critical embedded computing platforms deployed in harsh environments, today unveiled its new series of VITA 58 Line Replaceable Units (LRU). This new product line launches SIE’s 734 Series chassis, which meets the level 2 and 2- plus maintenance requirements specified in the VITA 58 standard.

Ranging in size from V58/1H1 to V58/8H2, many of the VITA 58 enclosures are backward compatible with the ARINC600 specification, and all utilize a rear-mount blind mating connector system that allows for plug-and-play deployment on the battlefield, in the flight line, or on the shipboard. A front panel indicator light also enables in-field techs to rapidly identify problems and then remove and replace the LRU upon failure, so systems are always mission-ready in minutes, even without specialized expertise on-site. And because all sensitive components are contained within the chassis’s protective ESD shell, further damage of the failed enclosure is avoided during the service and transport stages of the repair process.

The SIE VITA 58 chassis can be integrated with any electronic component set from PC104 to OpenVPX and allows for convection, conduction and liquid cooling options for maximum flexibility depending on environmental performance requirements for land, air, sea, or space applications. The 734 Series’ engineered durability is specifically designed for total portability of the embedded electronic systems deployed in the variety of rugged environments that characterize the in-field, mission-critical military communications networks of bases, aircraft, infantry transportation, and more.

“SIE recognizes the power of Line Replaceable Units and their growing value to defense OEMs for military applications,” said Chris Boutilier, president of SIE Computing Solutions. “The development of the new 734 Series chassis provides us with an opportunity to leverage our 40 years of experience in the development of rugged electronic systems for mission-critical computing platforms. The VITA 58 chassis standard, based on the principles of total interoperability and in-field interchangeability, has the potential to significantly improve aerospace and defense applications with reduced time and costs to deploy troops and equipment.”

The 734 Series LRU chassis is available now, with standard one-year limited warranty. An extended warranty is also available.

About SIE Computing Solutions

SIE Computing Solutions, Inc. specializes in rugged electronic systems for mission-critical and performance-critical embedded computing platforms deployed in harsh environments. With deep engineering expertise in thermal design, signal integrity, complex interconnection and power management technologies, SIE provides enclosures, backplanes, system integration and custom solutions for VME, VPX, CompactPCI, xTCA, small form factors and more developed with a board-agnostic approach to match the precise specifications and supplier preferences of its customers. As a preferred vendor to the world’s largest defense and industrial companies, SIE customers leverage best-in-class processes from initial concepts, design and development, prototypes, certifications and production.

SIE Computing Solutions has an almost forty-year legacy of providing open architecture systems to the military, transportation, oil & gas exploration, medical, telecommunications and other industrial/emerging markets. SIE Computing Solutions’ facilities are ISO 9001/2008, ISO14001/2004 and AS9100 certified to ensure the delivery of consistently high quality products. Based in Brockton, Massachusetts, SIE Computing Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of S.I.E. AG, a privately-held embedded computing company. For more information, visit www.sie-computing.com, call 1.800.926.8722, or email pr@sie-cs.com.

Fast-growing social game maker Kabam launched its Global Warfare game today as it continues to pursue the emerging market for hardcore gamers on Facebook.

Redwood City, Calif.-based Kabam has the ambition of becoming bigger than the console game companies by making sophisticated hardcore games on Facebook, whose audience has mainly enjoyed casual games in the past. But the social network is so big now that its hardcore audience is huge and under-served.

Global Warfare is a “massively multiplayer social game,” where users can band together in groups of 100 to establish city-based empires that fight with each other for control of key resources and territories. The game is similar in style to the company’s other multiplayer strategy games: Kingdoms of Camelot, Glory of Rome (which we just reviewed), and Dragons of Atlantis.

But this one is set in the near-future world of warring city states, and it takes the quality up a notch. Since Facebook is a limited game platform, pushing quality higher is easier said than done, since you can’t really use console-like graphics without bringing the platform to a crawl.

This game, for instance, has “cut scenes,” or the cinematic storytelling trailers that are interspersed between game play sessions in console games. But the cut scenes aren’t over the top 3D animated productions. Rather, you see a still figure such as the character on the right and you hear a voice over. A camera pans over the character, Ken Burns style, and you get a mission assignment. The user interface is also much better than past games.

Kevin Chou, chief executive of Kabam, said in an interview that this kind of improved game play is part of the company’s ambition to challenge Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts for the time of hardcore gamers, or those that want to be but don’t have the time. Kabam’s users play an average of six or seven days a week for four hours at a time.

In the game, you build your own city (pictured below), as you do in games such as Glory of Rome. Then you have to build your resources, defenses, and offensive military might. You get a seven-day grace period to build up and join an alliance. Then you enter the free-for-all combat, where anyone can attack you.

In contrast to Glory of Rome, however, this game takes the multiplayer combat in a more sophisticated direction. For instance, key resources will spawn in a random location. All sides will have to fight for control of the resource and then use it to build key defenses or weaponry. Then it disappears and reappears in another location. To control the territory and the resources requires a lot of coordination and diplomacy with other factions.

Bryan Bennett, general manager for Global Warfare at Kabam, said in an interview that the game uses the same engine that Kabam built for its other games. But it has been reskinned for an age when government has fallen apart and different factions with modern weapons are vying to rebuild society.

“This is our first attempt to push the quality up a notch,” Bennett said.

This new game includes “crafting,” or using resources and artifacts harvested from the environment and turning them into new research creations. Rather than barbarian camps like in the Rome game, the cities are surrounded by wild environments that include terrorist camps. The valuable resources include titanium, graphene and uranium. The battle to control these resources leads to more “alliance on alliance combat,” Bennett said.

The combat is now balanced in a “rock paper scissors” style, where a tank is effective against infantry but not against aircraft. That makes it much more like a real-time strategy game on the PC, such as StarCraft 2. The combat plays out in real time, but you don’t see the actual combat take place. Instead, you send your troops to a location and then find out the result of the battle through a still screen. The battles are synchronized across the game world, so that 100 players could send their armies to attack the same spot at the same time, resulting in a massive battle. Over time, Kabam plans on offering more visual rewards for combat.

The game also has two kinds of experience systems. XP stands for experience and you can get more of it every time your troops fight. Power, on the other hand, is your military might, which fluctuates with the growth or loss of you military power. With this system, players don’t have to worry about losing status if they fight and lose.

I’ve noted how Glory of Rome lacks some very basic tutorial information, like how to fight. But Global Warfare has a more advanced tutorial system that is aimed at attracting neophyte players and keeping them on board, even though the game is likely to be played first by lots of die-hard Kabam fans.

You can get used to seeing this kind of higher-quality Facebook game from Kabam, which raised $30 million in funding in January and now has 400 employees. Bennett said it took longer to make Global Warfare, and it will likely take a lot longer to make future Kabam games as the quality becomes better and better.

Tags: Global Warfare

Companies: Kabam

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 02: U.S. President Barack Obama talks about the heroic actions of U.S. Army Private First Class Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano and Private First Class Henry Svehla during their posthumous Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House May 2, 2011 in Washington, DC. Acccording to the White House, Kaho'ohanohano received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions in combat on September 1, 1951, while in charge of a machine-gun squad with Company H, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division in the Republic of Korea. Svehla received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions in combat on June 12, 1952, while serving as a rifleman with Company F, 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division in the Republic of Korea. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

U.S. Army Pfc. Aaron Birmingham, an infantryman with 1st Platoon, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke, from Alpena, Mich., keeps on eye on a wadi in Andar, Afghanistan, April 21. The area is known as a Taliban stronghold and is where the unit received small arms fire earlier in the month. (Photo by: Staff Sgt. Andrew Guffey)

U.S. Army Pfc. Aaron Birmingham, an infantryman with 1st Platoon, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke, from Alpena, Mich., keeps on eye on a wadi in Andar, Afghanistan, April 21. The area is known as a Taliban stronghold and is where the unit received small arms fire earlier in the month. (Photo by: Staff Sgt. Andrew Guffey)

Talk about synchronicity...

As regular readers of this blog know, I'm in the midst of transcribing the
Civil War Disability Pension file of my 2x great grandfather Asa Freeman
Ellingwood. Now, last Friday night I checked into cousin Chris Dunham's
Maine Genealogy Network website and saw his post that FamilySearch
had posted Maine court record images. I followed the link over to the
site and didn't see any listing for Oxford County yet, but there was a link
just labeled Maine,


I clicked on it. The link on the next screen said "Military Records-Civil  War".
One more click and I was on a page listing the various Union Army units
from the state of Maine, and on it I found the following:

The second page of the Descriptive Roll of Co, I of the 5th  Infantry. Asa Ellingwood's
name and description is on line 46. He is listed as a mechanic from Paris Me. and
described as being 31 years of age and being 5' 8" in height with light complexion:





Next I found the Enlistment Rolls for the 5th Infantry for Bethel Maine and found Asa's
signature twice: once in the right hand panel on line 34 dated May 2, 1861, then on line
34 in the second column on the right hand side of the screen:




The third image was the also from the Enlistment Rolls and might be the reverse
side of the second half of the previous image. In a group of men on the right hand
side from Oxford County taking the "oath of fidelity to the United States"  on May
3rd 1861 is the name of Asa Ellingwood.



So, exactly 150 years ago to the day I am writing this, my 2x great grandfather
enlisted in the Union Army, then took the oath of fidelity the next day, and by May
28th he was part of Co I of the 5th Maine Infantry. And by some synchronicity, I
happened to see Chris Dunham's post on the Maine Genealogy Network that
lead me to these documents just in time to celebrate that anniversary.

Thanks, Chris!

.

Time for the third instalment of India Porter. This time in the form of a pair of fairly random quotes.

I've timed this to coincide with an event I've awaiting with eager anticipation: the launch in New York City of Pretty Things East India Porter. I'm probably sitting on a train somewhere between Washington and New York as you read this. Getting my thirst all worked up for an evening of fun.

You might notice a recurring theme about the army and Porter. It was pushed as the healthy alternative to rum.

Whilst referring recently to the various systems adopted in the 2nd European Light Infantry to prevent intemperance amongst the men, or rather to keep them from running about outside of the barracks looking for liquor, we omitted to mention a practice that was introduced by Major W. Hands, while he commanded the regiment, and which was attended with the very best effects, which was this :—there were no spirits whatever sold, or allowed to be taken within the barrack square, but at the coffee-room (no canteen) there was always plenty of ale and porter, and at a moderate price; these the men used to go there and drink, but latterly Major Hands issued an order allow ing men to purchase ale or porter, and carry it to their barrack rooms, and drink it there. This was considered a great indulgence, and many who used before to go outside and spend their money on spirits, now laid it out on those more wholesome beverages, and drank them sitting comfortably in their barracks; then, at the dinner hour, half a score of tin tankards might be seen on the table of each mess foaming over with beer or porter, and the men enjoying themselves in a most homely style. Such little indulgences us these are much more beneficial to our European soldiery, than sheets of written rules and vexatious enactments, which only annoy the men, and do them no good whatever.
"Allen's Indian mail and register of intelligence for British and foreign India", 1845, page 186.

This gives an indication of the value of Porter in India:

The Bombay Steamer.— The Bombay Steam Navigation Company's steamer Bombay, which left Bombay, on the morning of the 28th for Kurrachee, with a large number of passengers and a full cargo, experienced such heavy weather on the night of the 28th, the sea making a clean breach over her, that Capt. Haselwood felt it necessary to put back into this port, the pumps, from their having been choked with coals, being found insufficient to keep her clear of water, which made its way into the vessel in all directions. With the exception of the serious loss which the steamer's failure to perform the voyage will entail on the Steam Navigation Company and the passengers, little harm has been done. It was found necessary to ease the vessel by throwing overboard some of the heavy baggage and cargo, but the loss will not be great, as the goods consisted principally of some heavy lumbersome casks of Government porter. — Telegraph, May 31.
"Allen's Indian mail and register of intelligence for British and foreign India, vol. 9", 1851, page 421.

"Government porter" surely refers to Porter bought by the East India Company under contract. The way it's described, it appears to be a bothersome, bulky but not particularly prized commodity. Probably some class considerations coming in again there. It's for the ordinary troops, so it can't be worth much.

Born on 22 March 1881 in Lancashire, England - son of Alice Musgrove, Toronto, Ontario - at the time of his enlistment in 1916: present address same as mother; trade as laborer; single; no current or previous military service; Methodist; height of 5 feet 10 inches; chest of 35 inches fully expanded; fair complexion; blue eyes; grey hair.

Joined the 166th Battalion, CEF, in Toronto, Ontario, on 26 January 1916 (number 669297) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 27 November or 1 December 1916 - wounded on 10 or 13 April 1917 - invalided to England on 18 April 1917.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force)

Born on 21 August 1896 in Dorset, Cheshire, England - brother of Mrs. Louie Roots, Toronto, Ontario - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: trade as electrician; single; no current or previous military service; Church of England; height of 5 feet 6.75 inches; chest of 36 inches fully expanded; fair complexion; blue eyes; brown hair.

Joined the 59th Battalion, CEF, in Lindsay, Ontario, on 5 June 1915 - transferred to the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 22 June 1915 (number 410826) - served with the 38th Battalion during its period of garrison duty in Bermuda - landed in France with the 38th Battalion on 13 August 1916 - invalided sick to England on 12 September 1917 - rejoined the 38th Battalion on 12 April 1918 - invalided sick to England on 1 May 1919.

(sources: Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca), online attestation papers; Canadian War Museum, 19740281-001, Manu 58F 2 3, 207th Canadian Infantry Battalion and 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Nominal Roll; The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regimental Museum, A400-0007, Master Personnel List for the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force)

Can't see the video? Click here

Hilary P. Helghast returns to review the Killzone action figures, available now at all good retailers (and currently discounted at Amazon). Crafted by the fine folks at DC Unlimited, the first series includes the Helghast Assault Infantry and the Helghast Sniper. 

Check 'em out and see what you think. Also, don't forget to BEHOLD!

The 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the first unit from any state pledged to fight for the Union. As part of the Army of the Potomac, the 1st took part in many significant battles and campaigns including Bull Run, the Peninsula Campaign, Antietam, and Gettysburg.The Battle of Gettysburg was the 1st Minnesota’s finest hour, [...]

by Kristin Bricker, Huffington Post

Javier Torres Cruz

On April 18, unidentified gunmen opened fire on Javier Torres Cruz and his brother Felipe as they drove near their hometown of La Morena in Petatlán, Guerrero.  Javier was killed and Felipe was injured in the attack.

Javier Torres was an environmental activist in his hometown.  He entered the national spotlight in 2007 when he testified to the Mexico City Attorney General's Office that Guerrero narco-politician Rogaciano Alba Alvarez ordered the 2001 murder of human rights lawyer Digna Ochoa.  Ochoa defended environmental activists from harassment by the military and Alba Alvarez in Petatlán at the time of her death. The government re-opened the investigation into Ochoa's death as a result of Torres' testimony.

Torres also accused Alba Alvarez of being the intellectual author of the murder of over twenty members of the Torres family.

Prior to Torres' death, gunmen who worked for Alba Alvarez, the former mayor of Petatlán, accompanied the military on raids on La Morena.  Alba Alvarez's gunmen and the military used those raids to harass and threaten the Torres family.

Alba Alvarez is currently in prison for alleged ties to drug traffickers.

In December 2008, Torres was disappeared and tortured for ten days.  During the disappearance, his family said that a witness saw Torres in the Army's 19th Infantry Battalion base in Guerrero near his hometown. After Torres escaped from his captors, he said that the soldiers kidnapped him and handed him over to civilians.

This note was posted over the weekend by Hal Barker of the Korean War Project in the discussion of Friday's post about Army War College papers.

I was particularly interested in it because until last year, I knew almost nothing about the Korean War. I now wonder if it eventually will be seen as more historically significant than the Vietnam War. It was the first hot conflict of the Cold War. It was the emergence of Communist China as a major power. It introduced us to limited war in the nuclear era.

CMH has a substantial series of After Action Reports and monographs, but no mandate to digitize these records. Same with Carlisle Barracks. Korean War records are scattered at many government locations. Researching the Korean War has formidable obstacles.

At the Korean War Project, we recently obtained a set of Marine Corps digital records in a proprietary format created in 1999 but almost unusable for research. We now have over 30,000 pages of those Marine records converted to PDF and will have them online next week. As part of this work, we discovered after the Marine Corps digitized the records, they sent the files to NARA. Through a bureaucratic error, the Marine records were reclassified and cannot be accessed by the public to this day, many years later.

Recently, DOD started a multi-million dollar research project to digitize Korean War Command Reports and Unit Histories. Over 100,000 pages of these records are digitized but have been declared off limits under FOIA under an arcane and unsupportable interpretation of the "Agency Records" case law. Many government agencies consider public records as private property, and use a FOIA denial to create a brick wall requiring a federal court battle to obtain simple public records available at NARA for a quarter a page.

On the good side, we recently obtained access to 30 boxes of Korean War Second Infantry Division records independently obtained in paper form by a veterans group. When these records are digitized, it will be the first time the most blooded Division from Korea will have records online for intense research free of charge.

Who would have thought DOD would deny access to digital Korean War records? This is one of the many reasons why Korea has often been called the Forgotten War.

12:08 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  Please be seated. On behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White House.  To our many guests from Hawaii, aloha.  And thank you, Chaplain Carver, for that wonderful invocation.

I think we can all agree this is a good day for America.  Our country has kept its commitment to see that justice is done. The world is safer; it is a better place because of the death of Osama bin Laden.

Today, we are reminded that, as a nation, there’s nothing we can’t do —- when we put our shoulders to the wheel, when we work together, when we remember the sense of unity that defines us as Americans.  And we’ve seen that spirit -— that patriotism -— in the crowds that have gathered, here outside the White House, at Ground Zero in New York, and across the country -- people holding candles, waving the flag, singing the National Anthem -- people proud to live in the United States of America.

And we’re reminded that we are fortunate to have Americans who dedicate their lives to protecting ours.  They volunteer.  They train.  They endure separation from their families.  They take extraordinary risks so that we can be safe.  They get the job done.  We may not always know their names.  We may not always know their stories.  But they are there, every day, on the front lines of freedom, and we are truly blessed.

I do want to acknowledge before we begin the ceremony two individuals who have been critical as part of my team who are here today:  First of all, I think somebody who will go down as one of the finest Secretaries of Defense in our history, Secretary Bob Gates, who is here.  (Applause.)  And sitting beside him, someone who served with incredible valor on behalf of this country and is now somebody who I think will go down as one of the greatest Secretaries of Veterans Affairs in our history -- Eric Shinseki.  (Applause.)

Now, I have to say that as Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform.  That is true now, in today's wars.  It has been true in all of our wars.  And it is why we are here today.

Long ago, a poet of the First World War wrote of the sacrifice of young soldiers in war:

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Today, we are joined by two American families who six decades ago gave our nation one of their own —- Private First Class Henry Svehla and Private First Class Anthony Kaho’ohanohano.

They did not grow old.  These two soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice when they were just 19 and 21 years old.  Age did not weary them.  In the hearts of their families, they remain forever young —- loving sons, protective brothers, hometown kids who stood tall in America’s hometown -- in America’s uniform.

Today, we remember them.  And we honor them with the highest military decoration that our nation can bestow -- the Medal of Honor.  In so doing we also honor their families, who remind us that it is our extraordinary military families who also bear the heavy burden of war.

We are joined by members of Congress who are here.  We very grateful for you.  We are also joined by leaders from the Army and our Armed Forces, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and the Vice Chairman, General Jim “Hoss” Cartwright.  Where -- there they are right there.  (Applause.)

And this is not in the script, but let me just acknowledge that without the leadership of Bob Gates, Mike Mullen, Hoss Cartwright, today and yesterday would not have happened.  And their steadiness and leadership has been extraordinary.  I could not be prouder of them, and I am so grateful that they have been part of our team.  (Applause.)

I especially want to welcome some of those who fought so bravely 60 years ago —- our inspiring Korean veterans -- Korean War veterans who have made the trip here.  And I also want to acknowledge those who are welcoming two more American heroes into their ranks -- members of the Medal of Honor Society.  Thank you so much for your presence.  (Applause.)

This past November, I paid a visit to South Korea -- a visit that coincided with the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, as well as November 11th, Veterans Day.  And I was privileged to spend part of the day with our troops and with dozens of veterans of the Korean War -- members of a generation who, in the words of their memorial here in Washington, fought for “a country they never knew and a people they never met.”

It was a generation that included Private First Class Anthony Kaho’ohanohano.  Tony grew up in Hawaii, in Maui.  He learned early that we have a duty to others -- from his father, a dedicated police officer, and his mother, who devoted herself to their nine children.  Tony was a tall guy.  He loved Hawaii, swimming in the ocean, playing basketball —- sounds like my kind of guy.  (Laughter.)  His siblings remember him as the big brother -- quiet but strong -- who took care of them, stood up for them in the neighborhood, and who would treat them to ice cream.

Tony’s loyalty to family was matched by his love of country -- even though Hawaii wasn’t even a state yet.  By September 1951, the Korean War had been raging for more than a year, and Tony was part of the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, which had been fighting for strategic hills that could shape the course of the war.

His squad was near a village called Chupa-ri when they came under a ferocious attack.  With the enemy advancing, with his men outnumbered, Tony made a decision.  He ordered his squad to fall back and seek cover.  And then Tony did something else.  He stayed behind.  Machine gun in hand, he laid down fire so his men could get to safety.  He was one American soldier, alone, against an approaching army.

When Tony was wounded in the shoulder, he fought on.  He threw grenade after grenade.  When his weapon ran out of ammunition, he grabbed another.  And when he ran out of ammo, he reached for the only thing left -- a shovel.  That’s when the enemy overran his position.  And in those final moments, the combat was hand to hand.  

It was that bravery -- that courage -- of a single soldier that inspired his men to regroup, to rally and to drive the enemy back.  And when they finally reached Tony’s position, the measure of his valor became clear.  After firing so many bullets, the barrel of his machine gun was literally bent.  But Tony had stood his ground.  He had saved the lives of his men.

After his death, Tony was awarded the Army’s second highest award for valor -- the Distinguished Service Cross.  But his family felt he deserved more.  And so did Senator -- and World War II vet -- Danny Akaka.  We’re honored that Senator Akaka has joined us, as well as Mazie Hirono.  And obviously we are extraordinarily grateful that we’re joined by another Senator and a Medal of Honor recipient, Dan Inouye.  Thank you so much for your presence.  (Applause.)        

Now, Hawaii is a small state, but the Kaho’ohanohanos are a very big family.  In fact, I went to high school with one of their cousins, Whitey.  Tell Whitey I said, “How’s it?”  (Laughter.)

This is a remarkable family.  Service defines them. Tony’s father and all six sons served in the military.  Another member of the family has served in Afghanistan.  Nearly 30 members of the family have traveled from Hawaii to be here, including Tony’s sister Elaine and brother Eugene.

For the sacrifice that your family endured, for the service that your family has rendered -- thank you so much.  Mahalo nui loa.

I would ask that you all join me in welcoming Tony’s nephew George, who worked for many years to get his uncle the honor that he deserved.  George.  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE READS THE CITATION:  The President of the United States of America, authorized by act of Congress,     March 3, 1863, has awarded, in the name of Congress, the Medal of Honor to Private First Class Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

Private First Class Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano, Company H, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy in the vicinity of Chupa-ri, Korea, on one September 1951.  On that date, Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano was in charge of machine-gun squads supporting the defense positioning of Company F when a numerically superior enemy force launched a fierce attack.  Because of the enemy’s overwhelming numbers, friendly troops were forced to execute a limited withdrawal.  As the men fell back, Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano ordered his squad to take up more defensible positions and provide covering fire for the withdrawing friendly force.

Although having been wounded in the soldier during the initial enemy assault, Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano gathered a supply of grenades and ammunition and returned to his original position to face the enemy alone.

As the hostile troops concentrated their strength against his emplacement and in an effort to overrun it, Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano fought fiercely and courageously, delivering deadly accurate fire into the ranks of the onrushing enemy.

When his ammunition was depleted, he engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat until he was killed.  Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano’s heroic stand so inspired his comrades that they launched a counter-attack that completely repulsed the enemy.

Upon reaching Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano’s emplacement, friendly troops discovered 11 enemy soldiers lying dead in front of the emplacement, and two inside it, killed in hand-to-hand combat.

Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano’s extraordinary heroism and selfish devotion to duty are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service, and reflect great credit upon himself, the 7th Infantry Division and the United States Army.

(The Medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  About the time that Tony was inspiring his men, another young soldier was joining up with the 7th Infantry Division in Korea -- Private First Class Henry Svehla.  He grew up in New Jersey.  He loved fishing on the Jersey shore.  He was one of six kids and the youngest son, but the one who seemed to take care of everybody else.

His sister Dorothy remembers how their mom would be in the kitchen, at the end of a long day, trying to cook dinner for six kids.  Henry -- a teenager -- would walk in, grab his mother’s hand and dance her around the kitchen. “If anybody needed him,” said Dorothy, “Henry was there.”

And he was there for America, in Korea, as the war neared its third and final year.  Henry knew the dangers.  And in one of his last letters home, he wrote, “I may not return.”

That June of 1952, the heat was unbearable.  The monsoon rains and mosquitoes were relentless.  But the 7th Infantry Division pushed on -- probing enemy lines, fighting bunker by bunker, hill by hill.  And as Henry and his company neared the top of one hill, the rocky slopes seemed to explode with enemy fire.  His unit started to falter, and that’s when Henry made his move.

He stood up.  He looked ahead.  And he charged forward into a hail of bullets.  Those who were there describe how he kept firing his weapon, kept hurling grenades, and how -- even after being wounded in the face -- he refused medical attention and kept leading the charge.

That’s when an enemy grenade landed among his men.  Every human instinct, every impulse, would tell a person to turn away. But at that critical moment, Henry Svehla did the opposite.  He threw himself on that grenade.  And with his sacrifice, he saved the lives of his fellow soldiers.

Henry Svehla’s body has never been recovered.  That’s a wound in the heart of his family that has never been fully healed.  It’s also a reminder that, as a nation, we must never forget those who didn’t come home, are missing in action, who were taken prisoner of war -- and we must never stop trying to bring them back to their families.

Henry was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, but his family believed that he had earned this nation’s highest military honor.  They contacted their congressman and his staff, who made it their mission, and we thank Representative Bill Pascrell for making this day possible.

Henry’s parents and brothers did not live to see this day, but two of his sisters -- Dorothy and Sylvia -- are with us.  Dorothy, Sylvia, you remind us that behind every American who wears our nation’s uniform stands a family who serves with them. And behind every American who lays down their life for our country is a family who mourns them, and honors them, for the rest of their lives.  Every day, for nearly 60 years, you have lived the poet’s words:

At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

And so I want to conclude today by inviting everyone to join me in welcoming Henry’s sister Dorothy to the stage for the presentation of the medal.  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE READS THE CITATION:  The President of the United States, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded, in the name of Congress, the Medal of Honor to Private First Class Henry Svehla, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity and the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.  Private First Class Henry Svehla distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with F Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Pyongony, Korea, on 12 June, 1952.

That afternoon, while Private First Class Svehla and his platoon were patrolling a strategic hill to determine enemy strength and positions, they were subjected to intense enemy automatic weapons and small arms fire at the top of the hill.  Coming under heavy fire, the platoon’s attack began to falter.  Realizing the success of mission and the safety of the remaining troops were in peril, Private First Class Svehla leapt to his feet and charged the enemy positions, firing his weapon and throwing grenades as he advanced.

In the face of this courage and determination, the platoon rallied to attack with renewed vigor.  Private First Class Svehla, utterly disregarding his own safety, destroyed enemy positions and inflicted heavy casualties, when suddenly, fragments from a mortar round exploding nearby seriously wounded him in the face.  Despite his wounds, Private First Class Svehla refused medical treatment and continued to lead the attack.

When an enemy grenade landed among a group of his comrades, Private First Class Svehla, without hesitation and undoubtedly aware of extreme danger, threw himself upon the grenade.  During this action, Private First Class Svehla was mortally wounded.  Private First Class Svehla’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The Medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Let’s give both families a big round of applause -- (applause) -- for Anthony and for Henry.  (Applause.)
CHAPLAIN CARVER:  Please join me in prayer.

Gracious God, you’ve stirred our hearts once again today as we’ve heard the accounts of two great American soldiers, who valued the lives of those under their care more than their very own.

You’ve told us in the Holy Scripture that there’s no greater love than this.  And so, would you etch this eternal truth in our own hearts as we carry out our responsibilities to you, our families and our great nation.

Bless the young men and women of our armed services, who walk in the footsteps of both Anthony and Henry, protecting and defending our lives in freedom’s cost.  And, Lord, continue to bless, empower and give great wisdom to our President, Barack Obama, as he leads our nation in these challenging times.

And God bless America.  In your holy name, we pray.  Amen.

AUDIENCE:  Amen.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much, everyone.  Please enjoy the reception.

And again, to the families, we could not be prouder of Anthony and Henry.  We are grateful for their sacrifice.  We are grateful for your sacrifice.  You have made this country safer.  Tony and Henry stand as a model of courage and patriotism.

God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  Thank you, everyone.  (Applause.)

END
12:32 P.M. EDT

Thank you to the producers at CBS' The Early Show for distilling the raid on Osama bin Laden's Pakistani compound into a hilarious, cheap and brief cartoon with all the visual sizzle of a computer game circa 1992. Watch the elite Navy SEAL "Team Six," sporting what appears to be World War II infantry garb, just walk right in and massacre everyone for a while. Anyone could have done this! More »

Powhatan Red-Cloud Owen is a Combat Veteran that served during the Vietnam War in Chu Lai, assigned to the Americal Division – 523rd Signal Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment. As a “31-Mike,” Owen studied Multi-channel Transmission Systems and provided communications support...

A team of engineers with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, currently attached to 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd AAB, 1st Inf. Div., conduct military operations in urban terrain drills to clear a building during a training exercise, April 18, at Camp Taji, Iraq. The intent of the training was to re-familiarize the soldiers with the techniques and tactics involved in handling demolitions safely and efficiently in a stressful environment. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Molleigh Crotty)

A team of engineers with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, currently attached to 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd AAB, 1st Inf. Div., conduct military operations in urban terrain drills to clear a building during a training exercise, April 18, at Camp Taji, Iraq. The intent of the training was to re-familiarize the soldiers with the techniques and tactics involved in handling demolitions safely and efficiently in a stressful environment. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Molleigh Crotty)

By: Lynette Holloway

"This is a fiction," Fergus M. Bordewich, renowned historian and author of five nonfiction books, told The Root about the latest rancorous debate about black Confederates that comes as the nation's commemoration of the Civil War's 150th anniversary continues.

"It's a myth," continued Bordewich, author of Washington: The Making of the American Capital and Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America. "It is nonsense. I could be blunter than that, but you get the drift. It's a meaningless term, 'black Confederates.' There is no evidence whatsoever from any responsible source that there was more than the occasional slave who was forced to serve in the war."

Bordewich is not alone in his position. Top-ranking scholars have repeatedly torpedoed the myth, including Bruce Levine, the renowned professor of African-American studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Edwin Bearss, historian emeritus at the National Park Service; and Henry Louis "Skip" Gates, editor-in-chief of The Root and chair of Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute. Yet it persists.

Gates weighed in on the issue in a quote that appeared in a column by Ta-Nehisi Coates, a senior editor and blogger at Atlantic Magazine, several weeks ago. " 'I would worry if anything I wrote lent credence to the notion that tens of thousands of black men served as soldiers in the Confederate Army,' " Gates said of the bloody four-year battle, fought from 1861 to 1865. "No black rebel units ever fought Union forces, although many slaves fought alongside their owners, and thousands more were compelled to labor for the Confederacy, rebuilding rail lines or construction fortifications."

And still the myth persists. Why?

Counting the Black Confederates

Proponents of the existence of black Confederates are equally adamant that it is not a myth. Just ask Charles Kelly Barrow -- lieutenant commander in chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, an organization dedicated to preserving and chronicling the army's history -- who has written extensively on the subject, including Black Confederates and Black Southerners in Confederate Armies.

"This is not like it's something that's made up after the war," Barrow told The Root. "Some people have agendas, and they refuse to believe there were black Confederates. To them, the Civil War was all about slavery. If you have blacks supporting the Confederacy in aid or combat, it goes against the crutch that the war was all about slavery."

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Barrow said that he has uncovered countless examples of black Confederates. One is Wiley A. Stewart. He found Stewart's name in public records listed as a free man of color who fought for Confederates. Barrow replaced Stewart's nondescript headstone with one that says, "Private Wiley A. Stewart, free man of colour," he said.

"He is in Stonewall Confederate Cemetery," Barrow said. "Stewart was a private in Company H, 4th Tennessee Cavalry. He enlisted Aug. 24, 1861; was wounded on July 22, 1864, at the Battle of Atlanta; and sent to Catoosa Hospital in Griffin. He died and was buried on July 26, 1864. He isn't the only one." Barrow argues that Confederates have a difficult time producing more documents because many were destroyed after they lost the war.

A War That's Not Over?

The vicissitude of the debate is emblematic of just how much the Civil War continues to divide the nation. The schism is no longer about allegiances to the North and South but about politics itself, with conservatives and liberals duking it out.

Three-quarters of adult Americans believe "there are issues that divided the nation during the Civil War that still divide us today," according to a recent IBOPE Zogby interactive poll. Conservatives were more likely than all adults or Southerners to believe that states' rights, not slavery, was the main cause of the Civil War, pollster and political pundit John Zogby wrote a in a recent Forbes column.

For example, 40 percent of all adults and 47 percent of Southerners said that the Confederate flag should be seen today as a symbol of Southern heritage, not a symbol of bigotry. Among conservatives, 65 percent chose Southern heritage, the poll shows.

"We remain captivated by the Civil War for what it says about us as a nation," Zogby wrote. "Societal and technological change has put us in a different world than that of 150 years ago. But we are still a nation of different nationalities, races and ideologies. If we had a civil war now, we would be fighting our neighbors. Fortunately, our conflicts are confined to politics and polemics. That is at least one thing the Civil War resolved for us."

The poll results highlight exactly why historians are deeply divided about black Confederates. Conservatives, for the most part, support the idea of black Confederates, while moderates and liberals do not.

Perhaps the myth persists, too, because as Gates points out, slaves likely were involved in the Confederate Army, but under duress.

Fighting With the Enemy

Such was the case for Creed Holland. Apparently he was a slave who drove a horse-drawn wagon who was made to serve in the Confederate infantry, according to a 2002 Associated Press article. The story came to light when his great-great-grandson William Holland and his family reportedly joined the Sons of Confederate Veterans after making the discovery.

Beyond that, blacks were barred until 1865 from enlisting in the Confederate Army. Confederate President Jefferson Davis, seeing his troops decimated, signed a bill to lift the ban in March of that year that had been passed by the Confederate Congress, Bruce Levine -- author of several books, including Half Slave and Half Free: The Roots of Civil War -- told The Root. "It looks like there were 60 men who had seen very little service, and then the war was over," Levine said. "And everybody in the Confederacy is quite clear until then that blacks had been barred from service."

Levine makes the bold assertion that the myth of black Confederates is perpetuated by the Sons of Confederate Veterans to bolster its argument that the Confederacy was a great place to live -- otherwise, why would blacks fight so vigorously to preserve it?

He said that the group has infiltrated the Internet with almost viral-like material that is made up of propaganda. "The contents are almost completely mirror images of one another, with the same misleading so-called evidence on them," Levine said. "So anybody who goes looking on the Web for black Confederates is going to fall into this pit."

Further, he argues, there may have been a small number of blacks who fought for the Confederacy of their own volition. But he is convinced that the Confederate Army was not teeming with blacks. "In the Second World War, there were people throughout Europe who collaborated with the Nazi occupiers," said Levine, who has a new book, The Fall of the House of Dixie: The Confederacy's Defeat and Slavery's Destruction, due out next year.

"When the Nazis occupied Scandinavia, there were collaborators. When the Nazis occupied France, there were collaborators, and so on and so forth, " he continued. "There is always somebody who for whatever reason is prepared to sell his own people down the river for some greater power, some greater money or greater recognition, or something.

"There were people like that among the slaves as well," he added, "but that doesn't change the fact that the Confederacy did not allow them to serve as soldiers. So whether there were loyal black slaves on the battlefield, there were no black soldiers in the Confederate Army. I've documented this repeatedly."

The fact remains that the Civil War was fought over slavery, as Gates points out, and the Confederate Army was overwhelmingly white. It rankles the mind to think that anyone would fight to remain enslaved.

Lynette Holloway is a frequent contributor to The Root. The Chicago-based writer is a former New York Times reporter and associate editor for Ebony magazine. Follow her on Twitter.

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