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blog-heap o' links
Marine Cpl.
Christopher E. Esckelson, 22, of Vassar, Mich.Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas A.
Miller, 20, of Silverwood, Mich.Marine Lance Cpl. William D. Spencer, 20, of
Paris, Tenn.Army Pvt. Clinton T.
McCormick, 20, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Dec. 27 in Baghdad, Iraq, of
wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated during combat
operations. McCormick was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. Army Capt. Hayes
Clayton, 29, of Georgia, died Dec. 25 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered
when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting combat
operations. Clayton was assigned to the 842nd Military Training and Transition
team, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan. defenselink.mil/ ... 15:00:26Marine Cpl. Joshua M.
Schmitz, 21, of Spencer, Wis. died December 26Marine Lance Cpl. William C. Koprince
Jr., 24, of Lenoir City, Tenn. died December 27Army Spc. Joseph A.
Strong, 21, of Lebanon, Ind.Army Spc. Douglas L. Tinsley, 21, of Chester,
S.C. Army Spc. Michael J.
Crutchfield, 21, of Stockton, Calif., died Dec. 23 in Balad, Iraq, of a
non-combat related injury. Crutchfield was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th
Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Fort Bragg, N.C. Crutchfield's death is under
investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 14:58:45Army Sgt. 1st Class
Dexter E. Wheelous, 37, of Winder, Ga., died Dec. 25 in Baghdad, Iraq,
of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
vehicle during combat operations. Wheelous was assigned to the 842nd Military
Training and Transition team, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,
Fort Riley, Kan. defenselink.mil/ ... 14:58:32Army Sgt. Jae S.
Moon, 21, of Levittown, Pa., died Dec. 25 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while
on patrol Dec. 14 in Baghdad. Moon was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th
Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson,
Colo. defenselink.mil/ ... 14:58:16Army Spc. Elias
Elias, 27, of Glendora, Calif., died Dec. 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while
on patrol. Elias was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. 
An alert tabby cat saved an Australian family of four from a house
fire by clawing at its owner's face... Army Sgt. John T.
Bubeck, 25, of Collegeville, Pa. died Dec. 26Army Spc. Aaron L.
Preston, 29, of Dallas.Army Pfc. Andrew H. Nelson, 19, of Saint Johns, Mich.
Marine Lance Cpl.
Stephen L. Morris, 21, of Lake Jackson, Texas, died Dec. 24 while
conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Morris was assigned to
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine
Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. defenselink.mil/ ... 15:32:12Marine Lance Cpl.
Myles C. Sebastien, 21, of Opelousas, La., died Dec. 20 from wounds
suffered while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
Sebastien was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine
Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 15:31:59Army Spc. Chad J.
Vollmer, 24, of Grand Rapids, Mich.Army Pfc. Wilson A. Algrim, 21, of Howell,
Mich.Army Pvt.
Bobby Mejia II, Saginaw, Mich. Army Sgt. Jason C.
Denfrund, 24, of Cattaraugus, N.Y., died Dec. 25 in Baghdad, Iraq, of
wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit
while on patrol. Denfrund was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry),
Fort Drum, N.Y. defenselink.mil/ ... 15:30:54Army Spc. Joshua D.
Sheppard, 22, of Quinton, Okla., died Dec. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds
suffered when his patrol came in contact with the enemy using small arms fire.
Sheppard was assigned to the 642nd Engineer Support Company, 7th Engineer
Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.Army Sgt. Curtis L. Norris, 28, of
Dansville, Mich., died Dec. 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an
improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Norris was assigned to
the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.Army Spc. John Barta, 25, of Corpus
Christi, Texas, died Dec. 23 in Buhritz, Iraq, of wounds suffered from indirect
enemy fire during combat operations. Barta was assigned to the 1st Battalion,
12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood,
Texas.Army Pvt.
Evan A. Bixler, 21, of Racine, Wis., died Dec. 24 in Hit, Iraq, of
wounds suffered from enemy indirect fire during security operations. Bixler was
assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Baumholder, Germany.Army Pfc. Eric R. Wilkus, 20, of Hamilton, N.J.,
died Dec. 25 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of a
non-combat related injury Dec. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq. Wilkus was assigned to the
57th Military Police Company, 8th Military Police Brigade, Schofield Barracks,
Hawaii. The incident is under investigation. Army Staff Sgt. Jacob
G. McMillan, 25, of Lafayette, La., died Dec. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, of
wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle
and was followed by enemy small arms fire. McMillan was assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team
(Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. defenselink.mil/ ... 15:16:09Marine Lance Cpl.
Fernando S. Tamayo, 19, of Fontana, Calif., died December 21 while
conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Tamayo was assigned to
the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. defenselink.mil/ ... 15:15:58Navy Hospitalman Kyle
A. Nolen, 21, of Ennis, Texas, died Dec. 21 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, as
a result of enemy action. Nolen was assigned to H Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th
Marine Division, Regimental Combat Team 7, I Marine Expeditionary Force
Forward, 29 Palms, Calif. Marine Lance Cpl.
Ryan J. Burgess, 21, of Sanford, Mich.Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan L. Mayhan,
25, of Hawthorne, Calif.Army Spc. Scott D.
Dykman, 27, of Helena, Mont., died Dec. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries
suffered from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team
(Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. defenselink.mil/ ... 13:56:39Army Spc. Robert J.
Volker, 21, of Big Spring, Texas, died Dec. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st
Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 13:56:17The
Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that
the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War,
have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with
full military honors.Army Maj. Frederick J. Ransbottom,
of Oklahoma City, Okla.Army Staff Sgt. William E. Skivington Jr. of
Las Vegas, Nev.Army Spc. Andrew P.
Daul, 21, of Brighton, Mich., died Dec. 19 in Hit, Iraq, of injuries
suffered then an improvised explosive device detonated near his Abrams tank
during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Armored
Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany. defenselink.mil/ ... 13:43:40Army Staff Sgt. Brian
L. Mintzlaff, 34, of Fort Worth, Texas, died Dec. 18 in Taji, Iraq, from
injuries suffered when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle rolled over. He was
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry
Division, Fort Hood, Texas. The incident is under investigation.
Soldiers trying to seize
control of one Mexico's top drug-producing regions found the countryside
teeming with a new hybrid marijuana plant that can be cultivated year-round and
cannot be killed with herbicides... 
oogle in 2006... The
Spanish word "rebelde" placed eighth in the general search rankings, with query
results including a popular band, a video-sharing website, and a television
series... JAY, Okla... Police arrested a
woman after finding marijuana in a Christmas card she tried to give her jailed
boyfriend... Marine Cpl. Joshua D.
Pickard, 20, of Merced, Calif., died Dec. 19 while conducting combat
operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian
Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune,
N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 16:55:50Army Staff Sgt. David
R. Staats, 30, of Pueblo, Colo, died Dec. 16 in Taji, Iraq.Army Spc. Matthew J.
Stanley, 22, of Wolfeboro Falls, N.H., died Dec. 16 in Taji, Iraq.Army Pfc. Seth M.
Stanton, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died Dec. 17 in Balad, Iraq.
Army Staff Sgt. Henry
K. Kahalewai, 43, of Hilo, Hawaii, died Dec. 15 at Brooke Army Medical
Center, San Antonio, of wounds suffered Nov. 21 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an
improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker vehicle. He was assigned
to the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
(Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.Army Pfc. Joe L. Baines, 19, of
Newark, N.J., died Dec. 16 at Taji, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised
explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron,
7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
defenselink.mil/ ... 16:54:23Marine Lance Cpl.
Matthew W. Clark, 22, of St. Louis, Mo.Marine Lance Cpl. Luke C. Yepsen,
20, of Kingwood, TexasArmy Capt. Herbert C. Crosby, of Donalsonville, Ga.Army Sgt. 1st Class
Wayne C. Allen, of Tewksbury, Mass.Army Sgt. 1st Class Francis G.
Graziosi, of Rochester, N.Y.
Scientists have discovered
at least 52 new species of animals and plants on the southeast Asian island of
Borneo since 2005, including a catfish with protruding teeth and suction cups
on its belly to help it stick to rocks... hosted.ap.org/ ...
12:57:29Milwaukee County Zoo workers are trying to help scientists slow
the spread of a fungus that has killed millions of frogs and expunged
species... Chytrid has moved rapidly through the frog population in the
Caribbean and Central America, killing nearly every croaker who contracts it.
Scientists have been unable to stop the spread of disease even as amphibians'
deaths tip ecosystems out of balance... hosted.ap.org/ ... 12:57:06
An injured whale died Sunday
after beaching itself in the same spot off Malaysia's coast for the second time
in as many days... 78-foot-long gray Bryde's whale... The bruised and bleeding
whale had been found in the same spot at low tide on Friday, prompting an
hours-long rescue effort that ended in divers helping it swim away...
Army Staff Sgt.
Joseph E. Phaneuf, 38, of Eastford, Conn., died Dec. 15 in Mehtar Lam,
Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated
near his HMMWV during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion,
102nd Infantry Brigade, Hartford, Conn. defenselink.mil/ ... 20:53:43Army Staff Sgt.
Theodore A. Spatol, 59, of Thermopolis, Wyo., died of a non-combat
related illness in Thermopolis on Dec. 14. Spatol was assigned to the 1041st
Engineer Company, Rock Springs, Wyo. a study released today states
that marijuana is the U.S.'s most valuable crop and promotes the drug's
legalization and taxation... 
pera Software is waging war
against phishing by including real-time protection in the latest version of its
web browser... Opera 9.1 is equipped with beefed-up security technology from
digital certificate expert GeoTrust and phishing data clearing house PhishTank
that includes a real-time tool to protect users from such attacks...
The long arms of the world's tallest man reached in and
saved two dolphins by pulling out plastic from their stomachs... got sick after
nibbling on plastic from the edge of their pool... Attempts to use surgical
instruments to remove the plastic failed because the dolphins' stomachs
contracted in response to the instruments... Veterinarians then decided to ask
for help from Bao Xishun, a 7-foot-9 herdsman from Inner Mongolia with
41.7-inch arms... "The two dolphins are in very good condition now..."
Army Pfc. Paul Balint
Jr., 22, of Willow Park, Texas, died Dec. 15 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when his unit came in contact with the enemy using small arms
fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor
Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.
defenselink.mil/ ... 14:29:29Army Pfc. Albert M.
Nelson, 31, of Philadelphia, Pa.Army Pfc. Roger A. Suarez-Gonzalez, 21 of Miami,
Fla.Army Spc. Nicholas P.
Steinbacher, 22, of La Crescenta, Calif., died of injuries suffered when an
improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec.
10. Steinbacher was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st
Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Army Maj. Gloria D.
Davis, 47, of St. Louis, Mo., died Dec. 12 in Baghdad, Iraq, from a
non-combat related incident. She was assigned to the Defense Security
Assistance Agency, Washington, D.C. The incident is under investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 23:03:46Army Sgt. Brent W.
Dunkleberger, 29, of New Bloomfield, Pa., died of injuries suffered when a
rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle during a convoy security mission in
Mosul, Iraq, Dec. 12. Dunkleberger was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th
Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss,
Texas. 
A tiger belonging to a
rare species in the remote jungles of Indonesia has been destroying
surveillance cameras... the cat was frightened by the camera's flash and
attacked the cameras, destroying them... Fewer than 500 of the big cats are
estimated to be left in the wild... hosted.ap.org/ ... 22:57:28The world's
first cloned cat... Copy Cat... just became a mother - and she even did it
without test tubes... had three kittens in September... hosted.ap.org/ ... 22:56:09An
environmental group went to court Thursday in an effort to force the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service to expand a program to reintroduce the endangered Mexican
gray wolf in New Mexico and Arizona... 
A bodyguard for Yoko Ono has been
arrested for allegedly trying to extort $2 million from her... claimed he had
secret recordings of Ono's personal conversations and allegedly threatened to
make them public unless she paid him... Marine Master Sgt.
Brian P. McAnulty, 39, of Vicksburg, Miss., died Dec. 11 when the CH-53
helicopter he was riding in crashed just after takeoff in Al Anbar province,
Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. The cause of
the crash is under investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 15:04:39Marine Lance Cpl.
Budd M. Cote, 21, of Marana, Ariz.Marine Cpl. Matthew V. Dillon, 25,
of Aiken, S.C.Marine Lance Cpl. Clinton J. Miller, 23, of Greenfield, Iowa
All three Marines died Dec. 11 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar
province, Iraq. They were assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Marine
Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force,
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. defenselink.mil/ ... 15:04:07Army Sgt. Brennan C.
Gibson, 26, of Tualatin, Ore.Army Spc. Philip C. Ford, 21, of
Freeport, TexasArmy Pfc. Shawn M. Murphy, 24, of Fort Bragg, N.C. Marine 1st Lt. Nathan
M. Krissoff, 25, of Reno, Nev., died Dec. 9 from wounds suffered while
conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Krissoff was assigned
to Headquarters and Service Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine
Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. defenselink.mil/ ... 15:03:11Army Staff Sgt.
Thomas W. Clemons, 37, of Leitchfield, Ky., died Dec. 10 in Ad
Diwaniyah, Iraq, from a non-combat health-related incident. Clemons was
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 123rd Armor, Leitchfield, Ky. 
Agents with the U.S.
Border Patrol in Yuma found an alligator stashed in the suitcase of a
California man who was on his way to Phoenix... a drug-sniffing dog became
alert... agents found 13 grams of marijuana... agents asked the man... if he
had anything else inside the car they should know about... "The guy says,
'There's an alligator in there,'..." Marine Lance Cpl.
Cody G. Watson, 21, of Oxford, Ala., died Dec. 6 from a non-hostile
incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Watson was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th
Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Lejeune, N.C. This incident is under investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 12:55:59Marine Maj. Megan M.
McClung, 34, of Coupeville, Wash., died Dec. 6 while supporting combat
operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. McClung was assigned to I Marine
Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, I MEF, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Army Staff Sgt.
Kristofer R. Ciraso, 26, of Bangor, Maine, died of injuries suffered
when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle in
Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 7. Ciraso was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
defenselink.mil/ ... 17:34:59Army Staff Sgt. Henry
W. Linck, 23, of Manhattan, Kan.Army Spc. Micah S. Gifford, 27, of Redding,
Calif. Army Capt. Travis L.
Patriquin, 32, of TexasArmy Spc. Vincent J. Pomante III, 22, of Westerville, Ohio.
Army Sgt. Jesse J.J.
Castro, 22, of Chalan Pago, GuamArmy Cpl. Jason I. Huffman, 23, of Conover,
N.C.Army Spc.
Joshua B. Madden, 21, of Sibley, La.Army Spc. Yari Mokri, 26, of
Pflugerville, TexasArmy Pfc. Travis C. Krege, 24, of Cheektowaga, N.Y.
Beachgoers in Corpus Christi, Texas were in for a big
surprise this week when a large... 9-Foot, 500-Pound... shark washed up on
shore... hosted.ap.org/ ... 15:07:49HAGERSTOWN,
Md... A man who pleaded guilty last month to killing his ex-girlfriend's kitten
by throwing it into a fire is back in police custody, accused of violating
probation by moving back in with her and her cats... hosted.ap.org/ ... 15:04:59
NEW DELHI... A top court
reprimanded authorities in the Indian capital for failing to stop hundreds of
monkeys from terrifying residents... Government buildings, temples and many
residential neighborhoods are overrun by hundreds of Rhesus macaques. The
animals will occasionally snatch food from unsuspecting passers-by and even
bite them... Over the years city authorities have tried various methods to deal
with the problem. They've used monkey catchers who use langurs - a larger and
fiercer kind of simian - to scare or catch the monkeys... hosted.ap.org/ ...
14:59:27Researchers in Vietnam announced Friday they have caught one of
the world's most endangered turtles in the wild, a development which could
bolster efforts to protect the species from hunters and collectors. The
Vietnamese Pond turtle... first time researchers have caught one in the wild in
65 years... though the turtles are occasionally found in Asian markets and pet
shops... hosted.ap.org/ ... 14:49:35SULLYS
HILL NATIONAL GAME PRESERVE, N.D... Bison being moved from here to Nebraska as
part of a new federal approach to managing the animals were gathered up and
shipped out Thursday with no problems... herd is being moved... to the Fort
Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska, as part of a multistate
management plan... aimed at better managing the bison and preserving their
genetic purity... hosted.ap.org/ ... 14:37:48Recent outbreaks of ebola
among people in Africa also killed thousands of gorillas... Outbreaks in Congo
and Gabon in 2002 and 2003 killed as many as 5,500 gorillas and an uncounted
number of chimpanzees... Marine Cpl. Dustin J.
Libby, 22, of Presque Isle, Maine, died Dec. 6 while conducting combat
operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Libby was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th
Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Pendleton, Calif. defenselink.mil/ ... 22:07:59Army Spc. Nicholas R.
Gibbs, 25, of Stokesdale, N.C., died Dec. 6 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries
suffered when he came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire while
conducting observation and security operations. Gibbs was assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division,
Giessen, Germany. defenselink.mil/ ... 14:24:28Army Cpl. Billy B.
Farris, 20, of Bapchule, Ariz., died Dec. 3 in Taji, Iraq, of injuries
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while
conducting escort operations. Farris was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th
Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis,
Wash.Army Sgt.
Jay R. Gauthreaux, 26, of Thibodaux, La., died Dec. 4 in Balad, Iraq, of
injuries suffered in Baqubah, Iraq, when in improvised explosive device
detonated near his vehicle while on patrol. Gauthreaux was assigned to the 3rd
Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 14:24:02Marine Lance Cpl.
Brent E. Beeler, 22, of Jackson, Mich., died Dec. 7 while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Beeler was assigned to Marine
Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division,
Lansing, Mich. defenselink.mil/ ... 14:23:43Army Staff Sgt.
Robert L. Love Jr., 28, of Meridian, Miss., died Dec. 1 in Ar Ramadi,
Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near
his vehicle during combat operations. Love was assigned to the 16th Engineer
Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Giessen,
Germany.Army
Spc. Marco L. Miller, 36, of Longwood, Fla., died Dec. 5 at Landstuhl
Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered Dec. 3 in Taji, Iraq,
from enemy indirect fire while conducting an escort mission. Miller was
assigned to the 3rd Battalion Support Company, 20th Special Forces Group, Camp
Blanding, Fla. defenselink.mil/ ... 14:23:10Army Spc. Jordan W.
Hess, 26, of Marysville, Wash., died Dec. 5 at Brooke Army Medical Center,
San Antonio, Texas, of injuries suffered on Nov. 11 in Ta'Meem, Iraq, when an
improvised explosive device detonated near his combat patrol. Hess was assigned
to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. defenselink.mil/ ... 14:22:56Army Sgt. Yevgeniy
Ryndych, 24, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died Dec. 6 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while on
patrol. Ryndych was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. 
Former President Bill
Clinton on Thursday endorsed the idea of talks with Iran and Syria to help ease
the bloodletting in Iraq... Army Sgt. Keith E.
Fiscus, 26, of Townsend, Del., died Dec. 2 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during
combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry
Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
defenselink.mil/ ... 20:51:36Army Pfc. Nicholas D.
Turcotte, 23, of Maple Grove, Minn., died Dec. 4 in An Nasiriyah, Iraq,
from injuries suffered in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 135th Infantry, West St. Paul, Minn. The incident is under
investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 20:51:26Marine Maj. Joseph T.
McCloud, 39, of Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.Marine Cpl. Joshua C. Sticklen, 24,
of Virginia Beach, Va.Army Capt. Shawn L.
English, 35, of Westerville, Ohio, died Dec. 3 in Baghdad, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV
during combat operations. He was assigned to the 577th Engineer Battalion, 1st
Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. defenselink.mil/ ... 20:50:48Marine Lance Cpl.
Thomas P. Echols, 20, of Shepherdsville, Ky., died Dec. 4 while
conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st
Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 20:50:37Navy Hospitalman
Christopher A. Anderson, 24, of Longmont, Colo., died Dec. 4 as a result
of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Anderson was a Navy Corpsman
assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine
Force, Atlantic, based in Camp Lejeune, N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 13:19:43Army Pfc. Ross A.
McGinnis, 19, of Knox, Pa., died Dec. 4 of injuries suffered when a grenade
was thrown into his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. McGinnis was assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. CATS can suffer
from a feline form of Alzheimer's disease.... a key protein... can build up in
the nerve cells in their brains and cause mental deterioration....
Army
Spc. Dustin M. Adkins, 22, of Finger, Tenn., was pronounced dead Dec. 4
of injuries suffered after the Chinook helicopter he was in made an emergency
landing near Haditha, Iraq, Dec. 3. He was assigned to the Group Support
Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Ky. The incident remains
under investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 20:44:00Army Pvt. Troy D.
Cooper, 21, of Amarillo, Texas, died Dec. 3 of injuries suffered when an
improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Balad, Iraq. Cooper
was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade,
1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 20:43:42Air Force Capt.
Kermit O. Evans, 31, of Hollandale, Miss. died when the U.S. Marine
Corps CH-46 helicopter he was riding in made an emergency water landing in
western Al Anbar Province, Dec. 3. He was assigned to the 27th Civil Engineer
Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. and was deployed with the 332nd Air
Expeditionary Wing, Balad Air Base, Iraq. The incident is under investigation.
Army Staff Sgt. John
L. Hartman Jr., 39, of Tampa, Fla., died Nov. 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV
during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Field
Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort
Stewart, Ga. defenselink.mil/ ... 23:10:44Army Spc. Bryan T.
McDonough, 22, of Maplewood, Minn.Army Spc. Corey J. Rystad, 20, of Red Lake Falls,
Minn. Marine Lance Cpl.
Jesse D. Tillery, 19, of Vesper, Wis., died Dec. 2 from wounds suffered
while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Tillery was
assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Air Force Maj. Troy
L. Gilbert, 34, of Litchfield Park, Ariz., died Nov. 27 when his F-16C
fighter crashed 20 miles northwest of Baghdad, Iraq. Maj. Gilbert was assigned
to the 309th Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and was previously
carried as "Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown," awaiting positive DNA
identification of remains from the crash site. defenselink.mil/ ... 16:52:04Army Staff Sgt.
Jeremy W. Mulhair, 35, of Omaha, Neb., died Nov. 30 in Taji, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
vehicle during reconnaissance operations. Mulhair was assigned to the 1st
Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood,
Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 16:51:48Army Cpl. Jonerik
Loney, 21, of Hartselle, Ala., died Nov. 28 in Hit, Iraq, of injuries
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during
combat operations. Loney was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
defenselink.mil/ ... 16:51:32The
Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that
the remains of eight U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Korean War,
have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full
military honors.Army Master Sgt. Alfred H. Alonzo Sr., of Tampa, Fla.Army Sgt. 1st Class
Robert C. Bucheit, of Hamilton, OhioArmy Sgt. Francis E. Lindsay, of Esther, Mo.Army Cpl. Joseph
Gregori, of West Pittston, Pa.Army Cpl. Darrell W. Scarbrough, of Fayetteville,
W.Va.Army Cpl.
Homer L. Sisk Jr., of Ducor, Calif.Army Cpl. Charles E. Sizemore, of Rushville,
Ind.Army Cpl.
William E. Wood, of Moorhead, Minn.Army Pfc. Theodore M.
West, 23, of Richmond, Ky., died Nov. 29 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during
combat operations. West was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry
Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 16:48:33Army Spc. Chris
Kleinwachter, 29, of Wahpeton, N.D., died Nov. 30 in Ghazni, Afghanistan,
of injuries suffered when his vehicle rolled over during combat operations. He
was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery, Grand Forks,
N.D. The incident is under investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 16:48:15Army Staff Sgt.
Michael A. Shank, 31 of Bonham, TexasArmy Spc. Jeffrey G. Roberson, 22,
of Phelan, Calif. Army Sgt. Jeannette
T. Dunn, 44, of Bronx, N.Y., died Nov. 26 in Taji, Iraq, of injuries
suffered from a non-combat related injury. She was assigned to the 15th
Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. The incident is
under investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 16:47:23Army Spc. Christopher
E. Mason, 32, of Mobile, Ala., died Nov. 28 in Bayji, Iraq, of injuries
suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire
while on patrol. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry
Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
A
brace of Christmas opinion polls has left Clinton with a political hangover...
In Iowa... Clinton slumped to fourth place with only 10% of the vote in a
survey of 600 likely Democratic voters... In New Hampshire... last weekend... a
poll in the Concord Monitor newspaper showed her only one point ahead of
Senator Barack Obama... 
A
HERD of nearly 120 wild Asiatic elephants trooped into a town in India's remote
north-east before dawn yesterday, forcing thousands of sleeping residents to
wake up and run for their lives. As the elephants roamed the streets of Hojai,
a town 105 miles south-east of Gauhati, the capital of Assam state, police and
wildlife officials fired in the air, set off fireworks and banged drums to
scare them away... injured two people and damaged several bamboo houses while
retreating... 
GRESHAM, Wis... A Rottweiler
awoke a mother in time to grab her two young sons and escape from their burning
house over the weekend... The Rottweiler and a family cat escaped... 
[20yo male] fined $279 for
tossing a pig over the counter at the Holiday Inn Express in West Point
[Miss.]... [He] didn't know the employees of the hotel. There was no evidence
intoxication was a factor... No one was hurt, including the pig... "He said it
was a prank..." 
UNIONTOWN, Pa... [47yo man]
was feeding a rat to the eight-foot-long albino Burmese python, which belongs
to his daughter, when it when it bit his left hand and wrapped tightly around
his left arm Wednesday night... A police officer used a Taser to subdue [the
snake].... snake immediately went limp and released its grip...