Saturday, June 9, 2007

Combat Camera: Aboard the USS Harry S. Truman

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 6, 2007) - Final checkers give the thumbs up before an F/A-18C Hornet attached to the "Gladiators" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, launches from the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier qualifications. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Kevin T. Murray, Jr. (RELEASED)

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 6, 2007) - Aviation Support Equipment Technician 2nd Class Jason Hitchcock while being assisted by a member of the firefighting team races to plug a hole in the 'Battle Box' during the Damage Control (DC) Olympics held on the fantail aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75). Truman is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting Carrier Qualifications. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Arturo Chavez (RELEASED)

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 5, 2007) - A Navy pilot sits in the cockpit of an F/A-18C Hornet attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 34, while waiting for flight operations to begin aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier qualifications. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Kevin T. Murray, Jr. (RELEASED)

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NORFOLK, Virginia (June 2, 2007) - Sailors and their guests look to the sky as aircraft from Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW 3) perform a formation fly-over at the conclusion of an air power demonstration on board the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman Sailors brought over 4000 guests on board for a day-long Friends and Family Day cruise on June 2. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson. (RELEASED)

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NORFOLK, Virginia (June 2, 2007) - An F/A-18C Hornet attached to the "Raging Bulls" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37 climbs through rainbow-colored clouds during an air power demonstration on board the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman Sailors brought over 4000 guests on board for a day-long Friends and Family Day cruise on June 2. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson (RELEASED)

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 2, 2007) - Family members and the crew watch flight operations as part of the air power demonstration during the Friends and Family Day Cruise aboard the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Sailors brought their friends and family aboard Truman so they could experience a day in the life of a Sailor. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo Reyes (RELEASED)

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NORFOLK, Virginia (June 2, 2007) - Guests gathered in the bow catwalks get an up-close look as an F/A-18F Super Hornet attached to the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 as it launches from waist catapult number four during an air power demonstration on board the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman Sailors brought over 4000 guests on board for a day-long Friends and Family Day cruise on June 2. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson (RELEASED)

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NORFOLK, Va. (June 2, 2007) - An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the "Swordsmen" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32 launches from the flight deck during an air power demonstration aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman Sailors brought over 4000 guests aboard for a daylong Friends and Family Day cruise. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson (RELEASED)

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NORFOLK, Virginia (June 2, 2007)- An F/A-18C Hornet attached to the "Raging Bulls" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37 punches through a cloud of water vapor while breaking the sound barrier during an air power demonstration on board the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman Sailors brought over 4000 guests on board for a day-long Friends and Family Day cruise on June 2. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson (RELEASED)

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 4, 2007) - Landing Signal Officers (LSO) watch as an F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, prepares to make an arrested recovery aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is underway conducting carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kevin T. Murray, Jr (RELEASED)
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Friday, June 8, 2007

Combat Camera: Constructing a Battle Position

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Soldiers from Company F, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, N.Y., begin moving barriers into place to construct an observation tower at a new battle position near Quarghulli Village, Iraq. The battle position is being constructed to interdict the flow of al-Qaida personnel and weapons into Baghdad. Photographer: Sgt. Tierney Nowland, Joint Combat Camera Center

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A Soldier from Company F, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, N.Y., begins moving concrete foundations into place to construct an observation tower at a new battle position near Quarghulli Village, Iraq. The battle position is being constructed to interdict the flow of al-Qaida personnel and weapons into Baghdad. Photographer: Sgt. Tierney Nowland, Joint Combat Camera Center

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Soldiers from Company F, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, N.Y., began moving a concrete foundation into place to construct an observation tower at a new battle position near Quarghuilli Village, Iraq. The battle position is being constructed to interdict the flow of al-Qaida personnel and weapons into Baghdad. Photographer: Sgt. Tierney Nowland, Joint Combat Camera Center

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Soldiers from Company F, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, N.Y., began moving a section of an observation tower into place near Quarghulli Village, Iraq. The tower and battle position are being constructed to interdict the flow of al-Qaida personnel and weapons into Baghdad. Photographer: Sgt. Tierney Nowland, Joint Combat Camera Center

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A Soldier from Company F, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, N.Y., climbs up the interior ladder of an observation tower at a new battle position near Quarghulli Village, Iraq. The battle position is being constructed to interdict the flow of al-Qaida personnel and weapons into Baghdad. Photographer: Sgt. Tierney Nowland, Joint Combat Camera Center

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Tech. Sgt. Gary W. Burdett: 2007 Military Videographer of the Year

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Click photo for screen-resolution image Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary W. Burdett is the Defense Department's Military Videographer of the Year for 2007. Pictured here during his tour in Iraq in 2006, Burdett is a member of 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. Defense Department photo

Award-Winning Combat Videographer Keys In on People
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, June 8, 2007 -- Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary W. Burdett's videography documents the up-close-and-personal actions of America's fighting forces around the world.

Burdett, a 16-year military veteran and a member of the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., is the Defense Department's Military Videographer of the Year for 2007. This is the first time he's been honored as the department's best military moving-picture shooter.

Burdett served in Iraq from May through September 2006, documenting U.S. soldiers performing combat patrols and other duty in Baghdad.

Videotaping combat missions in Iraq and elsewhere helps senior Pentagon leaders to stay abreast of far-flung military operations and also can be employed for evidence purposes, Burdett said.

"If we didn't shoot it, who is to say it happened or didn't happen? We try to shoot things as truthfully, naked and raw as possible," Burdett said.

Shooting action in Iraq means "you have to get in there" and learn about the servicemembers' personalities, the Stuttgart, Ark., native said.

"If you don't get to know the people, you're not going to have a story," the 37-year-old combat videographer explained. "It's all about the people."

Burdett shot a video sequence in August that depicts an Iraqi being questioned by U.S. soldiers in Baghdad's Hamiyah district. The Iraqi was questioned, Burdett said, because a search of the man's house had produced a quantity of unauthorized weapons.

"He had a lot of weapons. This guy's house was set up like a gun dealership, so they were asking him a couple questions," Burdett recalled. The Americans confiscated many of the weapons, Burdett said, but he added that he didn't know what became of the Iraqi man.

Another example of Burdett's award-winning work, titled "Delta Sick Call," depicts U.S. military medics treating Iraqi citizens near Kut, Iraq, in July.

"We had gone to Camp Delta, which was a Polish camp where the Iraqi security forces' training academy was based," Burdett recalled.

One of the U.S. servicemembers helping to train the Iraqis was Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Malloy, a U.S. Army medic. Malloy "was teaching the Iraqi army recruits combat lifesaver skills," Burdett said, adding that the medic also treated local Iraqis living near Camp Delta.

"Probably 90 percent of the people he saw were kids," Burdett said. "That's stuff you don't normally see on the news."

The videographer attributes the relative scarcity of mainstream-media coverage of such uplifting stories from Iraq to the "boogieman on the news" syndrome that favors coverage of war's violence and gore.

Burdett relied on his Sony PD-150 video camera to document action in Iraq. The camera weighs less than 5 pounds.

Capturing the appropriate sound to accompany his moving images is an equally important element of his work, the videographer pointed out.

"Sound is huge," Burdett said. "Sound will carry a piece, because people will look at bad pictures with really good sound, but they won't watch really good pictures with bad sound."

Burdett also carried a spare video camera in Iraq, as well as an M-16 rifle. He said he didn't spend a lot of time dwelling on the danger.

"Because, if you did, there's no way you could work," he said.

Burdett recalled varying circumstances when he recorded images and sound during his tour in Iraq. For example, he saw Iraqis reacting with joy at having their electric power restored or when obtaining water service thanks to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' reconstruction projects.

And U.S. servicemembers on patrol would often be welcomed into Iraqi homes and be offered food or tea, he said.

"Other times, you'd go into a house to check for weapons and all the women would start crying," Burdett recalled. "And, I've learned that when that happens, there's probably something in that house or the man of the house is involved in some not-nice things."
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Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary W. Burdett, a member of 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., videotapes an Iraqi citizen being questioned by U.S. and Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad's Hamiyah district on Aug. 13, 2006. A search of the Iraqi's house had yielded a quantity of unauthorized weapons. Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz

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Thursday, June 7, 2007

Combat Camera: 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Moves, Communicates

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A Stryker Soldier secures a market area in a village just north of Baghdad June 5. The Soldier is with Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash. Photographer: Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Tikrit

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Sgt. George Wojtowicz walks through a village just north of Baghdad June 5. Wojtowicz is with Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash. Photographer: Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Tikrit

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First Lt. Daniel Lowe and his interpreter walk through a village just north of Baghdad June 5. Lowe is with Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash. Photographer: Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Tikrit

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Spc. Jairo Palacios talks with some boys in a village north of Baghdad June 5. Palacios is with Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash. Photographer: Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Tikrit

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Staff Sgt. David Howard patrols a village north of Baghdad, in the Taji area, June 5. Howard is with Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash. Photographer: Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Tikrit

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Stryker Soldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash., patrol a village north of Baghdad June 5. The Soldiers are with Company A, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Photographer: Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Tikrit

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Combat Photographer Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock: DoD's 2007 Military Photographer of the Year

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Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock, a member of the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., is the Defense Department's Military Photographer of the Year for 2007. Lock also earned that honor in 2002 and 2005. (U.S. Defense Department photo.)

Focus on Defense:

Sgt. Lock's compelling images grace many pages here.

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2007 -- An award-winning Air Force photographer routinely braves bullets and bombs to tell the military's story through the lenses of his Nikon cameras.

Combat photographer Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock is the Defense Department's Military Photographer of the Year for 2007. Lock also earned that honor in 2002 and 2005.

The 15-year Air Force veteran is assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. Lock has photographed U.S. servicemembers in action during multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Combat camera photographers document military operations from around the world, and their photos are routinely viewed by senior Pentagon leaders, Lock said. "We're the eyes and ears of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," he explained.

Lock's photos have appeared in major publications, including the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

His photos also are featured in the book titled, "A Day in the Life of the United States' Armed Forces," along with work by 125 of the world's-best photojournalists.

"A good photo will tell the whole story in a split-second of a frame," Lock said. "It leaves a lasting impression and will be etched into your mind."

Combat photographers "are pretty much given free rein" wherever they're sent, the 36-year-old Lock said. Working in Iraq last summer, Lock took photos of military operations in Mosul and Ramadi.

"We go and search out stories" to photograph, the Dayton, Ohio, native said, noting that combat photographers are normally paired with military combat videographers and embedded with units as they perform their missions.

Lock employs two Nikon D2X digital cameras, one fitted with a wide-angle lens, the other with a telephoto, when he photographs combat-zone actions of U.S. servicemembers during "patrols, raids, whatever."

One of Lock's most poignant photos among his award-winning portfolio was taken in Iraq in August 2006. The image depicts a grimacing Iraqi citizen sprawled across a Ramadi street. The Iraqi was caught in the middle of a firefight between U.S. troops and insurgents, he said.

"We really don't know who shot him," Lock recalled. "We did a traffic control stop, and right before we mounted up, one of our soldiers took a bullet to the back and we got into a gunfight. After searching houses, this guy was found lying wounded on his side."

The Iraqi had been hit in the hip, Lock said, noting the injured man received medical treatment by U.S. medics and survived.

The wounded Iraqi's photo was intentionally taken from an angle, Lock noted.

"I just tried to show the viewer something different than what the normal eye would see," the veteran photographer explained.

Lock carries a 9 mm Beretta automatic pistol along with his Nikons, "so that when we're put on a team with the Army, Marines and Special Forces, we become an asset, not a hindrance." Combat troops and their photographers take turns "watching each others' backs," he noted.

Lock said he has been shot at "quite a few times" during his war-zone tours, but has emerged unscathed. He admits that his blood pressure rises during such situations.

During firefights, "adrenalin starts rushing, and your training kicks in," Lock explained. "I tend not to be scared until the night before a mission or just afterward."

Despite the danger, combat photographers have "the best job in the military," Lock emphasized.

"If I want to go flying in a plane one day, I can do that; if I want to go ride in a tank the next day, I can do that," he explained. "We have the freedom to be creative and tell stories about many, many people."

(Story by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service.)

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Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock's photo of an Iraqi civilian wounded after being caught the middle of a firefight between U.S. troops and insurgents in Ramadi, Iraq, in August 2006 was among photos featured in his award-winning portfolio. (U.S. Defense Department photo.)

Related Sites:
Military Photographer of the Year Web Site
1st Combat Camera Squadron
Jeremy Lock - photojournalist

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Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Combat Camera: Battle of Midway Commemorations

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PENSACOLA, Fla. (June 5, 2007) - The U.S. Navy "Blue Angels" fly over the Battle of Midway commemoration ceremony at the Center for Information Dominance (CID) Corry Station. Nine veterans of the Battle of Midway joined hundreds of CID Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and guests in the commemoration, held annually to celebrate the decisive victory at Midway. U.S. Navy photo by Gary Nichols (RELEASED)

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PENSACOLA, Fla. (June 5, 2007) - Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen assigned to the Center for Information Dominance (CID) Corry Station participate in the command's annual Battle of Midway Commemoration Ceremony. Nine veterans of the Battle of Midway joined the CID staff members, students and guests to celebrate the decisive victory at Midway. U.S. Navy photo by Cryptologic Technician Maintenance 1st Class Wesley Goodman (RELEASED)

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MIDWAY ATOLL (June 4, 2007) - Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, addresses more than 1,500 guests, including veterans and active-duty service members, during the 65th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway commemoration ceremony held at the Battle of Midway National Memorial on Midway Atoll. Midway Atoll is located less than 150 miles east of the International Dateline and is a National Wildlife Refuge whose mission is to preserve, protect and restore the biological diversity and historic resources of the atoll. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael L. Hight (RELEASED)

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MIDWAY ATOLL (June 4, 2007) - Secretary of the Interior, the Honorable Dirk Kempthorne, delivers his remarks during the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway commemoration ceremony on Midway Atoll. More than 1,500 distinguished guests and visitors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Midway Memorial Foundation and U.S. Pacific Fleet, assembled on the atoll, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Midway Atoll is located less than 150 miles east of the International Dateline and is a National Wildlife Refuge whose mission is to preserve, protect and restore the biological diversity and historic resources of the atoll. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl (RELEASED)

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MIDWAY ATOLL (June 4, 2007) - Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Robert F. Willard, delivers his remarks during the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway commemoration ceremony on Midway Atoll. More than 1,500 distinguished guests and visitors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Midway Memorial Foundation and U.S. Pacific Fleet, assembled on the atoll, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Midway Atoll is located less than 150 miles east of the International Dateline and is a National Wildlife Refuge whose mission is to preserve, protect and restore the biological diversity and historic resources of the atoll. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl (RELEASED)

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MIDWAY ATOLL (June 4, 2007) - U.S. Pacific Command Color Guard parades the colors during the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway commemoration ceremony on Midway Atoll. More than 1,500 distinguished guests and visitors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Midway Memorial Foundation and U.S. Pacific Fleet, assembled to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Midway Atoll is located less than 150 miles east of the International Dateline and is a National Wildlife Refuge whose mission is to preserve, protect and restore the biological diversity and historic resources of the atoll. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl (RELEASED)

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MIDWAY ATOLL (June 4, 2007) - Sailors assigned to the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band perform on Midway Atoll for more than 1,500 distinguished guests and visitors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Midway Memorial Foundation and U.S. Pacific Fleet, during a commemoration ceremony for the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Midway Atoll is located less than 150 miles east of the International Dateline and is a National Wildlife Refuge whose mission is to preserve, protect and restore the biological diversity and historic resources of the atoll. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl (RELEASED)

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MIDWAY ATOLL (June 4, 2007) - Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Robert F. Willard and the Honorable Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii, speak with a member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as they cross the flight line of Midway Atoll. More than 1,500 distinguished guests and visitors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assembled on Midway Atoll, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Midway Atoll is located less than 150 miles east of the International Dateline and is a National Wildlife Refuge whose mission is to preserve, protect and restore the biological diversity and historic resources of the atoll, while providing opportunity for wildlife-dependent recreation, education and scientific research. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl (RELEASED)

Official U.S. Navy Battle of Midway Web site

Battle of Midway Commemorated at Midway Atoll
6/5/2007
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James. E. Foehl for Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

MIDWAY ATOLL (NNS) -- Distinguished visitors and more than 1,500 guests of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Midway Memorial Foundation and U.S. Pacific Fleet, assembled on Midway Atoll, June 4, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway.

“We’re gathered here today at one of the most remote and special places on earth. Midway, is where the course of history was changed,” said the Honorable Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawai’i.

The Battle of Midway was fought June 4 – 7, 1942, and served as a turning point in the Pacific during World War II.

“No one knew it at the time, but the tide of war in the Pacific had turned because of the heroism and sheer determination of those who fought on June 4, 1942,” said Dr. James M. D’Angelo, president and chairman, International Midway Memorial Foundation.

“It’s not hard to imagine what we would’ve heard if we’d have been here this day 65 years ago. I can hear the words now. ‘Many planes heading toward Midway! Bearing 3-2-0 distance, 1-5-0! Tally-ho hawks at angel 12! Pilots, man your planes! Don’t let this carrier escape!’”

Until June 4, 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy dominated the Pacific. Their plan to cripple the remaining carrier forces of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and capture Midway was to serve as a stepping stone for future attacks on U.S. homeland soil.

“‘This scheme of conquest was the most enticing and ambitious and far reaching in modern history… It almost worked, and might well have succeeded but for the United States Navy,’” said Adm. Robert F. Willard, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, quoting the late American Historian, Rear Adm. Samuel Eliot Morison, on the significance of the Battle of Midway.

“Our adversary did not count on us breaking their naval code, out-flanking them or locating them on time. They did not count on fourteen hundred supremely dedicated shipyard workers at Pearl Harbor (who) performed a miracle by getting USS Yorktown battle-ready in two days They did not count on, nor could they imagine, our resolve or the bravery of our Sailors and of our Marines. Their spirit and determination carried the day and, when it was all said and done, the Japanese had lost four aircraft carriers, a heavy cruiser, three destroyers, 300 planes and thousands of men,” said Willard.

In turn, America lost the carrier USS Yorktown (CV 5), destroyer USS Hammann (DD 412), 145 planes, and 307 brave men.

“It was a miraculous victory by any standard,” said Willard.

The Japanese navy would never again regain the offensive in the war against the United States.

“For those of you who are here who fought in that battle, I’m honored to be in your presence,” said the Honorable Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior. “All Americans owe you a debt of gratitude for your service and your sacrifice.”

In the closing moments of the ceremony, Battle of Midway survivors Rear Adm. John Besson, Ensign William Tunstall, and Chief Petty Officer George Chockley were presented a ceremonial wreath by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Normandy Memorial Ceremony Marks 63rd Anniversary of D-Day

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French and U.S. flags fly between graves at the American cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer, western France, Wednesday June 6, 2007, marking the 63rd anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (6th R) and France's Defence Minister Herve Morin (5th R) attend a ceremony marking the 63rd anniversary of the D-Day invasion at the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer June 6, 2007.

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, 2nd from right, U.S. Ambassador to France Craig R. Stapleton, right, and U.S. D-Day veteran Walter Ehlers, left, take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the new Normandy American Cemetery Visitor's Center in Colleville-sur-Mer, Wednesday June 6, 2007. The ceremony marked the 63rd anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

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A visitor walks between gravestone markers at the American Cemetery after a ceremony marking the 63rd anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Colleville-sur-Mer June 6, 2007.

D-Day Memorial Ceremony 06 June 2007


SecDef Robert Gates in Normandy

Gates Visits Normandy to Honor Lives Lost to Fight Oppression
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service


COLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France, June 6, 2007 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today visited the Normandy Coast here to honor the almost 10,000 Americans killed during the D-Day invasion 63 years ago today and to offer a reminder that Americans are once again giving their lives to fight an enemy driven to destroy freedom.

Gates, traveling here with new French Defense Minister Herve Morin, dedicated a visitor center at the American Cemetery that honors 9,387 Americans killed and 1,557 who went missing during the Normandy campaign.

"All are remembered and honored here," Gates said. "All gave the last full measure of their devotion."

He said the United States mourns the troops who died here and is grateful for those who survived the beaches and the battles that followed and helped Europe build a long-term peace.

Memorials like the one here provide an important reminder of the past "so that successive generations will know the enormous cost of freedom," the secretary said.

Gates said the new visitor sender will help ensure that future generations never forget the stories of those who fought here and that time doesn't "dim the glory of their deeds."

"Sixty-three years ago, we fought together in the belief that the blood of free men could wash away the stains of tyranny," he said. "And today, finally, the dream of a Europe whole and free is a reality."

Gates said the D-Day anniversary serves as a reminder that Americans and Frenchmen share values that have transcend any differences they might have had in the past or have today.

"Throughout the many years of that long, twilight struggle, our partnership had its share of divisions and discord," Gates told Morin. "But even when we disagreed on tactics, we remained unified in purpose. And today, finally, the dream of a Europe whole and free is a reality."

Gates reminded the audience that the free world is again facing challenging times.

"We once again face enemies seeking to destroy our way of life, and we are once again engaged in an ideological struggle that may not find resolution for many years or even decades," the secretary said. "Just (as) during World War II, free nations of the world are banding together -- and dying together -- to confront their common threat."

As the United States, France and other free nations face this challenge, Gates urged them not to forget that history, values, even blood, continue to bind them.

"The blood of everyone who has ever perished in defense of the lofty ideals that gave rise to and still underpin our great alliance," he said. "Those ideals were given their birth on this continent and given their renewal on battlefields like this one."

Gates urged those here today never to forget what happened on these shores.

This place serves as an important reminder of the frailty of human life and the terrible costs of war -- but also, he said, of the courage and valor demonstrated by those who believed freedom was worth fighting for.

"We are grateful that out of the rubble of war, free nations conceived of and built a better future," he said.
ON THE WIRE
Pentagon Chief Honors D-Day Troops
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP) -- Above a cliff of silent reminders, Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday evoked the image of fallen warriors to mark the 63rd anniversary of the Normandy D-Day landings that turned the tide of World War II.

US defence secretary, in France, remembers D-Day dead
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AFP) -- US Defence Secretary Robert Gates paid homage Wednesday to young Americans killed on D-Day 63 years earlier as he paid a solemn visit to the Normandy beaches.

D-Day time capsule found in car
(BBC) -- On the 63rd anniversary of the D-Day landings, a "time capsule" has been found in a vintage car hidden away during the Nazi occupation of France.

A Note on D-Day
Words to carry in a wallet

A Washington Post Editorial

The National D-Day Memorial Foundation

ALSO SEE
Combat Camera: D-Day, 6 June 1944 - 63rd Anniversary

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