2003

Jan 5, 2003 - Illegal hunting at CAMP ATTERBURY continues to be a problem, with 25 arrests in 2002, mostly for trespassing.  “It’s dangerous for everyone,” said Indiana Conservation Officer Zach Mathews. “If the military’s having a training exercise, then anything can happen.”  Sept. 11 also has led to more military patrols, which increases the chance trespassers will get caught. All except one of the people arrested in 2002 have gone to jail, Mathews said.  Trespassing in a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Jan 7, 2003 - Instruction for anti-terrorism activities and a possible war against Iraq are just part of the reason for increased activity at the Indiana National Guard’s CAMP ATTERBURY.

Jan 17, 2003 - CAMP ATTERBURY live-fire ranges featured on FOX Network throughout the day.

Jan 20, 2003 - U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Columbus, told the Daily Journal (Franklin, IN) last week that the Department of Defense is considering federal activation of CAMP ATTERBURY for the first time since 1954.  Atterbury possibly could become the site of a new homeland security command, Pence suggested.  Already the Pentagon is investing $8.3 million to build a battle-simulation training center there.

Jan 21, 2003 - World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin, who became a favorite of soldiers by portraying them through his cartoon soldiers Willie and Joe, died at a California nursing home. He was 81.

Jan 25, 2003 - A WW2 Army training plane, a PT-19A was 'found' in the Muscatatuck Wildlife Refuge area near Seymour, Indiana.  Placed there for CAP search & rescue training shortly after the war and then forgotten.  Efforts are being made to retrieve it by the Freeman Air Museum.

Feb 1, 2003 - Six Americans and one Israeli die in the Space Shuttle Columbia as it explodes at 200,000 feet over Texas as it was attempting re-entry and landing.

Feb 5, 2003 - Secretary of State Colin Powell addresses UN Security Council and gives proofs of Iraq's deception.

Feb. 10, 2003 - the 326th Quartermaster Detachment trained in water purification, and with 44 members, went to Camp Atterbury, Ind. By April 24, the unit had arrived in Kuwait. About a month later, they were in Iraq.

Feb 13, 2003 - The 500-man National Guard Support Unit at CAMP ATTERBURY is activated for up to one year and will support future troop deployments from the base.

Feb 26, 2003 - Camp Atterbury to be Mobilized.  US Representative Mike Pence says the Pentagon will sign papers Wednesday making Camp Atterbury the first National Guard base to be mobilized in support of the potential Iraq conflict and the war on terrorism. Mobilization means the base will become an active, full-time military installation. It is the first state-owned camp to be called upon by the Pentagon in the recent buildup of forces. In the next 10 days, more than 500 Indiana National Guard troops are expected to arrive at the camp, which covers parts of three south-central Indiana counties.  More than 1,400 soldiers have already passed through Atterbury to train for operations in the war on terrorism. Once additional soldiers arrive, the camp will be capable of processing nearly three times more. Pence says deployment efforts are expected to last 6 to 12 months, but may last much longer. The camp hasn't housed an active military unit full time since 1954. Reserves and National Guardsmen from across the country have already been training at Camp Atterbury. They work on refreshing basic military skills, going through stations where they check the accuracy of their medical and military files and get information about pay and benefits. However, the difference now is that instead of going from Atterbury to another military base like Fort Knox, Kentucky or Fort Dix, New Jersey, the soldiers will go from Atterbury directly to the Middle East or wherever they might be assigned.

Feb 27, 2003 - CAMP ATTERBURY becomes the only National Guard base to be activated in the fight against terrorism.  Atterbury’s deployment efforts are expected to last six to 12 months, though that’s not definite. The magnitude and timeline of what transpires with Iraq will dictate the number of troops that need to be deployed and the length of time it will take to deploy them.

March 10, 2003 -- Committee to explore Atterbury’s impact
By Dave Evensen
devensen@therepublic.com

Everyone knows the past few months have seen CAMP ATTERBURY start hopping again.  But the question of how much busier the base will get — and how much impact it will have on surrounding communities — is not so clear.  A group of public and private officials from Bartholomew County hope to get some answers this month. They will visit CAMP ATTERBURY commanders to talk about what the base’s activation will mean to the area. Columbus Mayor Fred Armstrong said a group of about a dozen will go to Atterbury during the third week of March. He said they want to learn if the troop and equipment buildup will grow, or if other major developments might be in the base’s future. “It’s just what does that mean,” Armstrong said of the activation. “We want the worst-case scenario.” Armstrong said the group will include county commissioners, educators, the planning department, law enforcement officers and others. Atterbury was activated Feb. 27 and became the first National Guard base operating full time to help fight the war on terrorism and a possible conflict in Iraq.   Five hundred National Guard troops have been assigned to the base full time to support future deployments from Atterbury. About 500 troops will be deployed overseas from Atterbury every six weeks. Sheriff Kenny Whipker, who spent 26 years in the National Guard and still knows people at the base, is part of the committee. He said the department wants to learn what to do with soldiers from Atterbury who might become unruly and get arrested in Bartholomew County. “We have to look at what’s going to happen up there from a legal standpoint,” Whipker said. The question is whether soldiers will face trials in civilian or military courts. Military courts are typically much swifter, he said. Interim Superintendent Rosemary Rehak of Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. said there have been general discussions about Atterbury but not a lot about the buildup is known. She said she was not aware of the Atterbury committee but she said the district would join if invited. Rehak said the nature of the buildup at the base will help determine how it affects local schools. “A lot depends on whether we have permanent people moving in,” she said. “Or permanent people with families.”

- American Red Cross Helps Out at Camp Atterbury.  The Pentagon signed orders in late February making Camp Atterbury the first National Guard base to be mobilized for the war on terrorism. Troops from around the country will go there for training before they're deployed.  When they arrive, soldiers will meet with someone from the American Red Cross. The organization will serve as a communication link in case of an emergency back home. In peace time or war time, the link enables the Red Cross to get messages to a soldier and his or her unit quickly.

March 14, 2003 - Fighter Maneuvers, Parachute Drops Planned at Camp Atterbury.  Fighter jets from bases across the Midwest are using central Indiana's Camp Atterbury for bombing and flight maneuver exercises. Members of the Kentucky Air National Guard will be practicing heavy equipment parachute drops with C-130 cargo aircraft. But Major Chris Pfaff tells the Republic of Columbus newspaper there's no strict timetable for when they're going to be at Camp Atterbury. Pfaff says officials want people to know what's planned so they won't be concerned if they see the planes near the base in the Edinburgh area.

March 17, 2003 - Training Continues at Camp Atterbury.  Camp Atterbury, located near Edinburgh, is the first and only National Guard base to be mobilized for the war on terrorism.  On Range 12 at Camp Atterbury Monday afternoon, members of National Guard and reserve units from across the country trained with M-16's. “These are things that every soldier should know how to do and do to standard, react to ambush, react to a chemical threat,” said Lt. Col. Ken Newlin.  Some 2,600 soldiers from several states are at Camp Atterbury right now. Of that number, 1,500 have already been deployed to the Middle East, and another thousand are expected to arrive there soon. Thousands of soldiers from ten different states have received training here.

March 20, 2003 -- At approximately 02:30 UTC or about 90 minutes after the lapse of the 48-hour deadline, at 5:30 am local time, explosions were heard in Baghdad. At 03:15 UTC, or 10:15 pm EST, President George W. Bush announced that he had ordered the coalition to launch an "attack of opportunity" against specified targets in Iraq. According to The Pentagon, 36 Tomahawk missiles and two F-117 launched GBU-27 bombs had been used in this assault. It has become clear that the targets were high-level Iraqi governmental officials, including Saddam Hussein himself, and were based on specific intelligence which led the U.S. government to believe it knew his movements. Later, Iraqi state television broadcast an address by Saddam Hussein. The U.S. and U.K. analyzed the footage closely because they believed one of his body doubles may have been used, but the U.S. eventually said it believed the address was indeed delivered by Saddam Hussein himself. It has not yet been ascertained when the address was recorded, however. Speculation started of the possible death of Saddam Hussein.

March 21, 2003 -- Throughout the day, U.S. and U.K. forces moved through the south of the country, with forces towards the East reportedly reaching the edge of Iraq's second city, Basra and the U.S. Third Infantry division towards the West reaching the outskirts of the strategically crucial town of Nasiriya on the river Euphrates, where they came under fire from Iraqi defenses. The British government claimed that the forces had all the major southern oil fields under control.  At around 18:00 UTC, Baghdad came under heavy aerial bombardment, in what appears to be the start of the promised massive aerial attack of Iraq intended to produce a "Shock and awe" effect on the population of the country. The Pentagon later reported that 320 Tomahawk missiles had been launched on targets in and around Baghdad. According to the Iraqi Minister for Information, the strikes wounded 207 civilians, although this has not been independently verified. Simultaneous air strikes were reported to have taken place in the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk. Near midnight UTC, it was reported by the U.S. military that the commander and deputy commander of the Iraqi Army 51st Division had surrendered to U.S. Marines. It was not reported how many of the division's men had also surrendered. The Iraq government reported that no Iraqi troops had surrendered, and that reports to the contrary were US propaganda.

March 22, 2003 -- Air strikes on Baghdad continued, with the attacks now concentrated on the city's outskirts.  Iraqi government puts a bounty of 50 million dinars ($33,000) for capture, 25 million dinars for the killing of each "mercenary".

March 23, 2003 -- USA and British forces succeeded in taking the airport outside of Basra, and are in battle with Iraqi forces for control of the city itself. US Marines battle Iraqi forces near the city of Nassiriya, a key crossing of the Euphrates River about 225 miles southeast of Baghdad. A British Tornado fighter airplane was hit by an American Patriot missile resulting in the death of the two British pilots.

March 24, 2003 -- An operation of about 30 attack helicopters against the Medina Division of Iraq's Republican guard, entrenched in the Karbala area, has taken place during the early hours of March 24. One US Apache helicopter which was captured by Iraqi civilians, along with its two crew members, appeared later in Arab satellite channels. A CNN embedded reporter with a helicopter unit that participated in the raid, also reported the destruction of another helicopter and that helicopters were under heavy fire, with only two of them managing to achieve their objectives. Its crew however was safely recovered.

March 25, 2003 -- Coalition forces begin fighting Iraqi militia in Basra, second largest city in Iraq. British soldiers report that the Shiite population of Basra appears to be rebelling against the Iraqi militia.

March 26, 2003 -- The American central command in Qatar admitted Wednesday to have carried out bombardments which could have killed civilians due to the fact that Iraqi military assets were being placed close to civilian areas (within 300 feet in some cases). This occurred a few hours after two explosions occurred in on a commercial street of Baghdad which killed 14 Iraqi civilians and injured thirty more, according to Iraqi civil defense. Also on this day special units of the Iraqi Republican Guard, for the first time, took part in the fights against the American and British forces. Just after the marketplace explosions in Baghdad, Russia called for "the immediate end of the war against Iraq" and discussions to resume within the Security Council.

- Atterbury Trains Soldiers in Proper Treatment of POWs.  A military police battalion based in Fort Wayne is getting a refresher course at Camp Atterbury on first aid. The men and women here are not going to be assigned to combat duty. They're going to oversee refugees and prisoners of war. "Whether it's a head injury, sucking chest wound or fracture, we're just training our soldiers to make sure they can react appropriately,” said Sergeant Wendy Grooms, Army Reserve. "The bottom line is we tell our soldiers to treat these prisoners as they would want to be treated," said Sergeant Major Steve Short, Army Reserve.

March 27, 2003 -- U.S. forces have taken the bridge at Samawah

March 28, 2003 -- Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution allowing the resumption of the program Oil-for-Food, suspended on March 18 and upon which depends the subsistence on 60 % of the Iraqi population. The Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan underlined that this vote should not be confused with a recognition of the war carried out and with a way to legitimize the military action afterwards. The resolution makes clear that the chief responsibility for addressing humanitarian consequences of the war would fall to the United States and Britain if they take control of the country. This refers to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, which defines the responsibilities of the occupying power.

- Camp Atterbury Trains Soldiers to Rebuild Iraq.  Soldiers from West Virginia are training at camp Atterbury before they'll be deployed to the Middle East. "Being engineers and doing all the little types of things there are to do, we're probably gonna be scattered out having all kinds of little projects here and there,” said Sgt. Johnson.

March 29, 2003 -- The Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf accused the US forces of killing 140 civilians during the last 24 hours and denied allegations that Iraqi soldiers are disguising themselves as civilians.  An explosion damaged a shopping center in Kuwait City before dawn. Initial reports suggested the cause was a malfunctioning U.S. cruise missile, but later reports focused on an Iraqi Silkworm missile as being responsible. No injuries are reported. A Iraqi military suicide bomber, driving a taxi, killed four US soldiers in an attack. "We will use any means to kill our enemy in our land and we will follow the enemy into its land," Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said, "This is just the beginning. You'll hear more pleasant news later."

March 31, 2003 -- Journalist Peter Arnett is fired by NBC after giving an interview to Iraqi television, which some considered as unfairly critical of the Bush administration's war on Iraq. Later in the day, Arnett is hired by a British tabloid, the Daily Mirror. The Pentagon orders embedded FOX News reporter Geraldo Rivera from its troops and demands him to leave Iraq after accusing him of reporting United States troop positions.

CLICK HERE FOR "TREASURY OF DEATHLESS QUOTES" by Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf

April 1, 2003 -- A 32-year-old Iraqi lawyer, whose wife worked as a nurse at a hospital in Nasiriyah, risks his life to help coalition forces rescue prisoner of war Private First Class Jessica Lynch. The lawyer witnessed Lynch being tortured and decided to help her. The man immediately began searching for coalition forces to tell them about Lynch. Black Hawk helicopters flew in under cover of darkness, touched down next to the hospital, and a team of heavily-armed commandos stormed the building, using hand-drawn maps given to them by the lawyer and his wife. Lynch was successfully rescued and the lawyer and his family were flown to a refugee center in the southern port city of Umm Qasr.

April 2, 2003 - Chaplains Playing Key Role at Atterbury.  All of the soldiers coming through Camp Atterbury are required to meet with one of the camp's chaplains as they're going through their initial processing. He says the individual religious preferences of each soldier are respected.
 

April 3, 2003 - Coalition Forces seize Saddam International Airport and rename it 'Baghdad Airport'.

April 9, 2003 -- Baghdad falls to U.S. forces. Some Iraqis cheer in the streets after American infantrymen seize deserted Ba'ath Party ministries and pull down a huge iron statue of Saddam Hussein, ending his 24-year rule of Iraq. Looting of government offices breaks out and Hussein's fighting forces melt away in large portions of the city.

April 10, 2003 - National Guard Gets Medical Training at Camp Atterbury.  A National Guard unit from West Virginia took some of the medical training they've learned in the classroom and applied it to a simulated battlefield at Camp Atterbury.

April 11,2003 - Jane Fonda: Iraq War Will Turn World Against America
Actress Drew Criticism During Vietnam War

May 1, 2003 -- The U.S. declares major combat operations over.

June

July 22, 2003 - Sons of Sadam Hussain killed

July 27, 2003 - Bob Hope Dies.  VA Secretary Salutes Legacy of Bob Hope

WASHINGTON (July 28, 2003) - Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony J. Principi today offered condolences to the family of Bob Hope on behalf of American veterans whose lives were brightened by the entertainer during field
performances from World War II to the first Gulf War.  "Veterans everywhere hold a special place in their hearts for Bob Hope,'' Principi said. "For decades, he filled their cold and lonely watches with laughter and the warmth of memories from home."  Bob Hope set the standard within the entertainment industry for supporting U.S. troops in peacetime and sharing the hazards of wartime, Principi said.  "He was a link to family and friends, a cheerful reminder of a free society that can poke fun at itself while cherishing the values for which our troops sacrifice every day," Principi added. When a congressional resolution bestowed upon him the title of "honorary veteran" in 1997, Hope said that he had been given many awards in his lifetime, but to be numbered among the men and women he admired the most was the greatest honor he had ever received.  Bob Hope died July 27 in Los Angeles at the age of 100.

(Editor's Note:  The soldiers of CAMP ATTERBURY and the patients of Wakeman Hospital were fortunate to have had Bob visit them two times, once during WW2 and once during the Korean War.)

July 22, 2003 -- Saddam Hussein's personal bodyguard captured.

July 29, 2003 -- Soldier escorted Hope to Atterbury in 1951
By KELLY BOGGS
Daily Journal staff writer
kboggs@thejournalnet.com

July 29, 2003 Energy and compassion are what a former CAMP ATTERBURY soldier remembers about legendary entertainer Bob Hope.  Hope visited CAMP ATTERBURY in southern Johnson County twice, in 1942 during World War II and in 1951 during the Korean War.  Joe Glass, now a Colorado resident, not only saw Hope’s show in 1951 but rode in a car with Hope and actress Marilyn Maxwell from the airport in Indianapolis to the camp.  Glass said Hope was cordial but not quite the cut-up he expected on the ride. Later, Hope’s manager told Glass that Hope was ill with a 102-degree fever.  By the time Hope went on stage for the first of two shows, Glass said no one could tell he was under the weather.  “He was sick, but he never slowed down,” Glass said. “He was full of energy, and all the troops responded to his energy.”  In between performances, Hope and other members of the show visited Atterbury’s Wakeman Hospital. Glass said what he remembers most about Hope was his compassion for the wounded soldiers.  “He had his whole troupe go to the hospital and just talk to the fellows who were wounded, even the seriously wounded,” Glass said.  Hope interacted one-on-one with those in the hospital, asking patients about themselves and their families and joking with the nurses.  The soldiers on base and members of the community were excited that Hope chose to visit the base, Glass said.  While the performances were limited to the soldiers at Atterbury, Hope’s 1951 movie, “My Favorite Spy,” debuted in local theaters.  Hope had conducted a contest for U.S. soldiers to explain why his movie should be premiered at their base, and a soldier from Atterbury won.  Hope’s previous performance at CAMP ATTERBURY nine years earlier, in 1942, was also memorable because the performance was broadcast nationally from Atterbury’s Post Theatre 3 on Hope’s NBC Pepsodent radio show.  The death Monday of the 100-year-old entertainer saddened Glass, one of the millions of veterans Hope touched in his lifetime.  “It’s definitely the passing of an era,” he said, “an era that won’t be duplicated in my lifetime for sure.”

August 7, 2003 - Indiana Rangers await Atterbury reunion
By Kelsey VanArsdall

Dropped behind enemy lines to record and send information to U.S. forces, the Indiana Rangers always ran the risk of detection and having to defend themselves against masses of enemy soldiers.  Nearly 40 years ago, every second, their lives were in danger.  The Rangers still get together to celebrate their service and the lives they have lead since coming back from the horrors of Vietnam.  Friday through Aug. 10 marks the Company D Ranger 151st Airborne Infantry Association reunion at CAMP ATTERBURY in Edinburgh. The reunion has taken place for more than 30 years.  “We’ve got between 100 and 150 members,” said Sgt. Zita Moore of the National Guard and honorary association member for six years. “They’re just a great group of guys.”  Moore organized the last three reunions. “When it’s time for the reunion some of the guys get worried because they don’t have as much hair as they used to, or they have a beer gut,” she laughed.  Moore said she laughs and tells them they aren’t expected to be in Ranger condition anymore.  “The Rangers are an elite group,” said Moore.  “We were not just an army unit, we were like family,” said Bill Schoettmer, an Indiana Ranger and association member.  Part of Indiana National Guard, the company was the only National Guard infantry unit to serve in Vietnam. “It was so hard for us when we lost a family member, and we all look forward to the reunions to meet again,” he said.  The infantry lost six men during the war, and one in a vehicle accident before arriving in Vietnam.  Friday, the Rangers are invited to a five-hour motorcycle ride beginning at 10 a.m. at CAMP ATTERBURY or a golf outing from 12 to 5:30 p.m. at Timber Gate Golf Club in Edinburgh. 

Sept

Oct 7, 2003 - Back from Iraq - 1st Guard troops return home - Indiana unit was called up last November

October 8, 2003 - Flare Testing At CAMP ATTERBURY

10/14/2003 - Members of the 293rd return home

Members of the 293rd Battalion based at Camp Atterbury returned home from Iraq on Tuesday.  They were deployed nearly a year ago, and the group provided security first in Kuwait and later in Iraq.  Tuesday, they began their debriefings before being allowed to go home. One soldier said these procedures were running smoothly. He commented, “We walked in and we got the warmest welcome. Everyone has just been really great.  They want to get us through as fast as they can to get us back to families and friends and things that matter.”  This reserve unit is the first battalion involved in combat since the Korean War.

10/16/2003 - Crane Flare Decoys
Mike Grant

Imagine going to work everyday and making something vital to the nation's defense.  Now, imagine the thing you are making is so potentially dangerous that very few private businesses will touch it.  About 100 people involved in pyrotechnic production at Crane don't have to imagine that.  They live it everyday.  Air Guard pilots do some test runs over Camp Atterbury in southern Indiana.  The planes have a flare for defense, literally.  The flares they are dropping are made at the Crane Naval Center and they are a main line of defense for American pilots all over the world.  "We design them here," said Carl Lohkamp, Pyrotechnics Director at Crane, "We manufacture them here. Then they go straight to the fleet for usage."  At Crane they make what is called a flare plank. They cut it up and process it into a flare decoy. When the decoy is fired off it burns at 2000 degrees plus. It protects our airplanes from heat seeking missiles. 

More than 600 National Guard soldiers will return today to their home armories, their families and their civilian lives.  Many of the men saw their families briefly in the past two weeks as the Fort Wayne-based 1st Battalion of the 293rd Infantry Regiment arrived in Indianapolis. But now is the real homecoming.  "We've all been waiting to come home," Spc. Michael Sutera, 29, said. After 11 months away, he will return to Angola to his sons, 6-year-old Michael and 11-year-old Justin, and his girlfriend.   The 293rd soldiers prepared to leave active duty this week at Camp Atterbury, south of Indianapolis.  "You can just tell that everyone is extremely proud of their service," Lt. Col. Ivan Denton, the 39-year-old commander of the 293rd, said Thursday afternoon after an award ceremony.  The unit suffered no combat deaths, but 19-year-old Spc. Brian Clemens, of Kokomo, died when his Humvee rolled on Feb. 6. Pfc. Anthony R. Wagner, 22, died in a Nov. 21 car wreck in Indiana before the unit left.  From January until coalition forces began the war in late March, the 293rd provided security at air bases and staging grounds in Kuwait as other soldiers poured in.  Then, days into the war, the unit marched toward Tallil Air Base in Nasiriyah, in southeastern Iraq. That journey, with firefights along the way, qualified the soldiers to become the first Guard unit awarded the combat infantry badge since the Korean War. 

October 28, 2003 - Houghton County, Michigan National Guardsmen Called To Duty - Eight National Guardsmen from the Copper Country have said goodbye to friends and family as they departed for an eight month tour of duty.  The group will spend the next two months at Indiana's Camp Atterbury, then depart to Egypt for six months.  The Company A 107th Battalion will be stationed on the Sinai Peninsula near the Red Sea for a peacekeeping mission.   The group will be doing mostly construction and repair work in Egypt.  They hope to return to the Keweenaw next summer.  U.P. News

October 28, 2003 - Pfc Jessica Lynch says she is too busy to meet the Iraq lawyer who risked his life to provide information to US troops, enabling her rescue.

Nov 5, 2003 - Indiana Guard members train for Bosnia duty.  Troops to join peacekeeping force in March. 

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. --  This week, more than 650 officers will finish training at Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, as they prepare to lead 1,500 U.S. soldiers on a mission for Indianapolis' 38th Infantry Division.  The soldiers will be part of a multinational force of more than 2,200 soldiers stationed in the northern NATO zone, centered in Tuzla, from March to September.  "We'll be stabilizing the country," Schlotfeldt said. "I think it's going to be a wonderful experience."  In addition to target practice, the Guard members have concentrated on skills more specific to peacekeeping -- such as how to search civilians for weapons, conduct roadblocks and checkpoints, and control crowds.  The rest of the Guard soldiers will arrive at Camp Atterbury in January for training. They will fly to Germany in mid-February before heading to Bosnia.  About 1,000 Indiana Guard soldiers will make up the bulk of the force, which is the United States' 15th rotation of peacekeeping duty in Bosnia. They will work alongside soldiers from Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and Turkey.  Brig. Gen. Timothy J. White, a 56-year-old businessman from Indianapolis, will lead the 38th Infantry's Bosnia mission next year and will oversee the multinational force in the north zone.  "We have a good relationship with the local population," Wright, a Vietnam and Gulf War veteran, said of soldiers he observed in an eight-day visit to Bosnia last year. 

11/05/2003 - Network pulls 'Reagan' miniseries
By David Kronke, Television Writer

In an unprecedented step for network television, CBS backed down Tuesday in the face of public pressure and pulled its four-hour miniseries "The Reagans" off its schedule. The program, set to air in a mere 10 days during the November sweeps ratings period, had stirred controversy among conservatives who assailed it as the liberal media's attempt to misrepresent former President Reagan's legacy.  The former president, now 92, suffers from Alzheimer's disease and has not been seen by the public in years.  On Oct. 26, Maryland lawyer Michael Paranzino created the Web site boycottcbs.com and was inundated with thousands of responses a day later.  "It's a great victory for all fair-minded Americans, whatever their political persuasion might be," he said. "The show was clearly out of bounds, and even after 18 subsequent edits, it still couldn't pass the smell test for balance. This film crossed the line and the American people rose up."

11/06/2003 - Forever thankful

By Harry McCawley - Columbus, IN Republic Newspaper

For years, Margaret Raes displayed small photos of 10 young men in the living room of her Columbus home.  “We grew up with those faces,” said her daughter, Dymphna Perry. “None of us knew any of them but they were very much a part of our lives.”  The only encounter the Raes family had with the young men was Jan. 13, 1943, near the small Belgian village of Pollinkhove.  That was when Margaret and others raced into a field near the village to a scene of devastation — the smoldering wreckage of a B-17 bomber and the mutilated remains of its 10-man crew.  One of the members of that crew was a Bartholomew County man, Joseph Anderson.  That moment changed the lives of Margaret Raes and her family.  It would be the catalyst that led Margaret, her husband, Lucian, and their three children to emigrate to the United States and Columbus.  It would establish a lifelong relationship with Jack and Olive Anderson, parents of Joe Anderson.  And now it has taken the story full circle, with the pending dedication later this month of a memorial dedicated to the 10 airmen in the Belgian village.  That this would happen 60 years later is because of the interest taken in the 1943 incident by a Belgian who was not alive when the plane went down.  He had to turn to Columbus and Dymphna Perry for the story of what had happened that day in 1943 and the days to follow.  He also found out about the 10 young men and the woman who spent much of her adult life caring for their memory  Rigobert DeClercq had moved to Pollinkhove in 1983, but it was not until last year that he first heard the story about the crash of a World War II bomber near the village.  “There was nothing in the village that mentioned such a catastrophic event,” he said. “Then I found a witness of the crash with a very good memory. He told me there was a family which emigrated to the States via contacts with the parents of Joseph Anderson.”  That led to trans-Atlantic conversations with Dymphna Perry, who provided him with information about her parents and some of the young men killed in the crash.  The B-17 had been on a bombing mission over France when it was repeatedly strafed by German Messerschmitt fighter planes. It went down and disintegrated.  The villagers retrieved the bodies and buried them in a church cemetery.  Days later, the Germans arrived, looked at the graves and told the villagers to give the remains a more proper burial.  In 1945, American forces arrived in the village. The first place they stopped was a store operated by the Raes family. Over the door, Margaret had posted a sign, “English spoken here.”  She pointed the American officers to the graves and related the story of what had happened. The bodies were disinterred and transferred to a military cemetery elsewhere in Belgium. Three of the bodies — including Joseph Anderson’s — were listed as unknown because they had been burned beyond recognition.  The officers took Margaret’s name, and a few months later the first letter from the families of the crew members arrived.  “She wrote all of them,” Dymphna said. “At first, they wanted to know what had happened, how their loved ones had died, that sort of thing. Eventually each one of those families sent my mother a picture of their loved one.”  She also stayed close to the crew. They were buried together in the military cemetery, but Margaret paid regular visits, placing flowers and other items on the graves.  One of her deepest relationships was with Olive Anderson. In one letter she wrote about the desire of the family to move to the United States.  Olive encouraged her new friend to pursue her dream and offered help.  That was in 1946. Three years later the family arrived in Columbus under the sponsorship of Jack and Olive Anderson.  For nine months, the Raeses lived with the Andersons until they were able to build a home.  It was a relationship that endured. When Margaret and Lucien celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1976, Olive Anderson served as the hostess for their open house.  Few remain from the relationship that began with the crash. The senior Andersons and Raes died years ago.  Dymphna and her sister, Deonise Smith, are the only survivors of Lucien and Margaret, and only grandchildren are left in the Anderson family.  But in Pollinkhove, Belgium, Rigobert DeClercq heads the “B-17 Memorial Comite,” which will dedicate a memorial to 10 strangers Nov. 13.  He said the village wanted to tell the relatives of the dead strangers that “the Belgian people still want to remember those who fought for our freedom and gave the ultimate offer, their lives.”

November 9, 2003 - National Guard maintenance unit called up
By the Associated Press - BLACKSTONE, Va. -- Approximately 250 soldiers of a Virginia Army National Guard maintenance company have been called to active duty.  The 3647th Maintenance Company units will enter active federal service at their home armories in Richmond and Blackstone on December 7, Major General Claude Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, said in a statement on Sunday. The mobilization will last for up to 18 months, and that could be extended to 24 months. The Virginia Army National Guard soldiers are currently scheduled to travel to their mobilization station, Camp Atterbury, Indiana, after a short period of duty at their home armories.

November 10, 2003 - WISH TV - More Indiana-Based Troops to be Mobilized - Dozens more National Guard soldiers from Indiana will be mobilized for the war on terrorism. This is the second Indiana mobilization announced in the past several days.  Just Friday, the Marines announced they're mobilizing part of an Indianapolis unit. The National Guard says it will mobilize one of its Indianapolis battalions, a unit that handles personnel work.  The military still hasn't decided whether it will send the battalion overseas, but the unit will be part of the war on terrorism.    Camp Atterbury is one of a shrinking number of places in the country where reserve troops train. Atterbury should see renewed activity. Thousands of soldiers came through the camp then before heading to the Middle East. A spokesperson for Atterbury says it will be just as busy this time around.  The military has shut down many of the mobilization sites, but Atterbury is one of nine that will remain open. The troops coming home will be de-mobilized at Atterbury. 

 - NWI Times, Chicago - Indiana National Guard administrative unit mobilized - INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Another Indiana National Guard unit is being mobilized for active duty, officials announced Monday.  Fewer than 100 members of the 138th Personnel Services Battalion are being put on active duty for up to 18 months, Indiana National Guard spokeswoman Lisa Kopczynski said.  The Indianapolis-based battalion will report to central Indiana's Camp Atterbury the first week of December for training.  Kopczynski could not say where the unit would eventually serve.  The personnel services battalion handles administrative matters for the armed services.

 - About 270 members of the 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment in Peoria will head to Fort Campbell, Ky., and 60 members of the 232nd Corps Support Battalion in Springfield will go to Camp Atterbury, Ind. The 1544th Transportation Company in Paris and 10 members of the 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment in Springfield will head to Fort McCoy, Wis.

November 13, 2003 - 660th Transportation Unit Leaves Next Month - Cadiz, Ohio  - Next month, 95 area army reserves will say goodbye to their families. The military activated the 660th Transportation Unit out of Cadiz last week.  The group is scheduled to leave Cadiz on December 10, 2003.  The unit will first head to Camp Atterbury in Indiana and wait for the call t ship out.