Remembering: Memorial Day

It began as a tradition during the Civil War, with the first unofficial events taking place on both sides of the war. The memorial days gained military recognition shortly after national military cemeteries began being created. After the war, and Abraham Lincoln's death, official occasions of the holiday began.
On May 1, 1865, black residents of Charleston, South Carolina, held a memorial to remember Union prisoners of war who had died at a prison camp there. That memorial was spread across the country by the newspapers, who called it "Decoration Day".

In the southern states "Confederate Memorial Day" began as a remembrance of Confederate war dead, in 1866. Most places chose April 26 as the day for the holiday, as it marked the day CS General Johnston surrendered to US General Sherman. Other areas chose to recognize various other auspicious dates, such as the death of CS General Jackson. Many of the southern states continue to recognize the day as a day to remember those who died for the South's cause, during the Civil War.

Then in 1868, a decree was issued, by the veterans' organization for Union Civil War veterans, The Grand Army of The Republic, for the holiday to be recognized nationally and annually. They copied much of their ceremonies from that of the southern states, and chose May 30 as the date for the holiday, mostly because no major battle had occurred on that date, and as flowers were readily available by then. Over the next few years it spread and by 1890 was recognized as an official state holiday in all of the northern states.

By 1882, Memorial Day was beginning to be used in northern states, instead of Decoration Day. However, it did not become common until after WWII. Then in 1967, Federal law officially declared it to known solely as Memorial Day. It was in 1968 that a law was passed to move Memorial Day, and other federal holidays, to only be held on Mondays, so as to allow for a three day weekend. In 1971, the law went into effect and Memorial Day was set to the last Monday of each May. Some feel that the move trivializes the meaning of the holiday.

Poroshenko Wins Ukraine's Elections

Petro Poroshenko won Ukraine's presidential elections, on Sunday.

He took more than fifty-four percent of the vote, while his nearest competitor took only thirteen.

Elections in much of the eastern part of the country had little or no turn out, due to threats of  violence from separatists.

Poroshenko, a billionaire who made much of his money as a candy maker, has pledged that he will not ever recognize Crimea's being part of Russia.

Russia seized Crimea, in March, and pushed through a referendum of secession from Ukraine, which most of the world considers illegal.

Ukraine Warns Off Encroaching Russian Helicopters

Ukrainian forces fired warning shots, on Saturday afternoon, at Russian helicopters.

Two MI-35 helicopters encroached upon Ukraine territory, north of Crimea.

A Ukrainian anti-aircraft battery fired to warn them off.

The Russian helicopters then turned back into Crimea, without damage or injury.

Al Shabaab Attack Leaves 10 Dead at Somalia's Parliament

Al Shabaab launched an attack on Somalia's parliament building, on Saturday.

The three hour attack left at least ten dead and eleven more wounded.

Officials said that multiple terrorist fighters were killed, but their dead were not included amongst the official numbers.

The attack began with a car being driven into the building and then exploded.

Other fighters then opened fire on security forces, civilians, government workers, and parliamentarians.

Security forces were eventually able to clear the area of the terrorists, some of whom had blown themselves up.

The attack highlighted the government's inability to defend itself, let alone the country from Al Shabaab.

Attack Near Donetsk Leaves 13 Soldiers Dead in Ukraine

Thirteen Ukrainian soldiers were killed when their checkpoint was attacked by separatists, outside of Donetsk.

Another thirty-three soldiers were injured in the attack.

Several military vehicles were pictured burnt out, at the site of the attack.

There was no word on separatist casualties.

Witnesses said that the separatists used an armored bank truck, which the soldiers waved through the checkpoint.

As they drove through, the separatists opened fire on the troops, at point blank range, leading to a very one sided battle.

Thailand's Army Announces Coup

On Thursday, Thailand's military announced that they were taking over the country's government.

They cited failed talks to stabilize things, after six months of anti government protests, as the reasoning for their coup.

Attempts to form protests against the coup were quickly dispersed by armed soldiers, who in some cases fired into the air to make their points clear.

Troops were also quick to disperse areas that had been occupied by the protesters, for the last six months.

The army had declared martial law, on Tuesday, but had still pushed for the different political parties to come to an agreement.

Their refusal to do so led to the military's move.

Terrorist Attack in China Kills 31

Thirty-one people were killed in a terrorist attack in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.

Thursday's attack struck at a market and wounded another ninety people.

Two cars were rammed into crowds at the market, while explosives were thrown out of the vehicles.

One of the cars exploded, killing the terrorists, before police could act.

The Xianjiang region has seen increased terrorism as tensions between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese grows.

North Korea and South Korea Naval Vessels Exchange Fire

North Korean and South Korean ships exchanged fire, on Thursday.

It began when a North Korean vessel fired two shots at a South Korean vessel, along the disputed maritime border.

The shots missed, and the South Korean ship responded with several warning shots.

Fishing vessels in the area were ordered back to port, in case of further incidents.

Officials are uncertain if the North Korean ship was actually targeting the South's.

US Army: Specialist Adrian M. Perkins

Specialist Adrian M. Perkins, nineteen of Pine Valley, California died on May 17.

He was shot and killed, in a noncombat incident, in Amman, Jordan.

Perkins was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, Colorado.

His decorations include: Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon.

1.8 Million Pounds of Ground Beef Recalled

Nearly two million pounds of ground beef have been recalled due to possible E. coli contamination.

All of the beef came out of the Wolverine Packaging Company, in Detroit, Michigan.

The meat was sold to restaurants throughout Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio.

Eleven cases of E. coli poisoning have been linked to the meat, in those four states.

Health officials remind consumers to be sure that all meat is cooked to at least one hundred and sixty degrees.

Modi Wins India's Elections

Narenda Modi won a decisive victory in India's elections, on Friday.

He won by more than thirty percent, giving him the largest victory margin since 1984.

His Bharatiya Janata Party also looked likely to win a majority of the seats in parliament.

That would mark the first time since 1989 that a coalition was not necessary.

Modi is an extremely pro business politician, and expectations are for his government to bring in a new golden economic age.

US Army: Command Sergeant Major Martin R. Barreras

Command Sergeant Major Martin R. Barreras, forty-nine of Tucson, Arizona, died at San Antonio Military Medical Center, on May 13, from wounds sustained.

He was wounded in combat on May 6, in Harat province, Afghanistan.

Barreras was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas.

His decorations include: Bronze Star with Valor, three Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, three Meritorious Service Medals, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, four Army Commendation Medals.

Review: Godzilla

Let's begin with announcing a spoiler alert, though some of what I say will only be spoilers if you're a Godzilla fan.

Simply put, this was Godzilla. It was fantastically done and is deserving of the name.

If you like action movies, you will greatly enjoy this movie. If you're a Godzilla fan, you'll love this movie. If you like movies at all, you will enjoy this movie.

The acting was beyond what you would expect for an action or monster type movie, and only added to the impressively well made film.

It's plot made pretty logical sense, with only a few slight issues, mostly in the military logic part of things.

Now to the spoilers. It is a san kaiju event. Yes, there are three monsters in this movie.

Rodan is not in this movie. When I said that it didn't look like him, after viewing the trailers, I was right. The makers of this movie did a great job of creating a new kind of kaiju, for the movie so that it wasn't just a remake of a previous battle.

Godzilla is not the hero we were looking for, but definitely the hero we needed.

Go see this movie, you won't regret it.

Sadly, there was nothing after the credits to stay for, so no need to, though it was impressive to see how many military units were involved in the making of Godzilla.

Tens of Thousands Evacuated by California Fires Near San Diego

Six fires are currently burning in San Diego County, California.

They have now combined to reach over ten thousand acres.

Seven homes and an apartment complex have fallen victim to the flames.

Tens of thousands have been evacuated, while dozens of aircraft drop water and retardant on the fires.

The majority of fire fighting efforts and resources are being aimed at the Cocos fire, near San Marcos.

That fire has forced the evacuation of twenty-one thousand people alone.

Gusty winds, temperatures in the triple digits, and dry conditions are expected to continue indefinitely.

21 Killed in Anti China Riots in Vietnam

Twenty-one people were killed in riots in Vietnam, on Wednesday night and Thursday.

Sixteen of those killed were of Chinese descent.

Over one hundred more people were hospitalized as a result of the violence.

The protests stem to anger over Chinese violations of Vietnamese waters, including the building of an oil platform.

Pentagon Relocates 200 Marines to Sicily in Case of Troubles in Libya

Two hundred US Marines have been rebased from Spain to Sicily.

The Pentagon made the decision based on concerns of instability in Libya.

All two hundred Marines are part of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response.

Several times before, members of the unit have been reposition due to concerns of instability in North Africa.

Protests Erupt Over Deaths of 300 Miners in Turkey

Violent protests occurred in several Turkish cities, on Wednesday.

Protesters were demonstrating against the government, who they say is to blame for a deadly accident at a coal mine.

They blame the government for lax safety measures and are adding the disaster to their list of grievances with Prime Minister Erdogan.

On Tuesday, an explosion at the mine, in Soma, killed nearly three hundred people.

Around four hundred and fifty miners have been rescued, with more than eighty of them injured.

As many as one hundred and fifty more miners are thought to still be trapped, within the mine.

US Army: Chief Warrant Officer Deric M. Rasmussen

Chief Warrant Officer Deric M. Rasmussen, thirty-three of Oceanside, California, died on May 11.

He was killed in Mazar E Sharif, Afghanistan.

Rasmussen was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas.  

Ambush in Ukraine Kills 6 Soldiers

Six Ukrainian soldiers were killed, on Tuesday, in an ambush carried out by separatists.

Ukraine's government responded to the attack by declaring it a terrorist action.

The attacked happened outside of Oktyabrs'ke, Slovyansk, Ukraine.

According to the Defense Ministry, the soldier's convoy was attacked by over thirty militants who began the fight with grenades.

The militants were driven off, after a firefight.

There was no words on separatist casualties.

Mine Explosion in Turkey Kills 5 Traps 300

Five people were killed and as many as three hundred trapped after an explosion at a mine in Soma, Turkey.

The explosion happened more than a mile underground, on Tuesday.

Rescuers are pumping oxygen into the tunnels and ensuring there won't be further collapses, before digging to rescue those trapped.

So far only twenty-five have been rescued.

Ford Recalling 692,500 Escape SUVs and C-Max Hybrids

Ford has announced a recall of nearly seven hundred thousand Escape and C-Max vehicles.

Two issues are covered under the recall.

Both vehicles have a possible software glitch that could keep side air bags from deploying.

C-Maxs affected were built between January 19, 2012 and February 24, 2014.

The Escapes have a second possible issue that they are being recalled for.

This issue involves exterior door handles that can stick, keeping the door from latching correctly, leading to the possibility of the door opening at any time.

Escapes affected were built between October 5, 2011 and February 14, 2014.

Both problems will be taken care of, for free, by dealers.

Vehicles in the US, Canada, Mexico, and outlying US territories are involved.

Putin Spends Victory Day in Occupied Crimea

Russian President Vladimir Putin spent Victory Day watching military parades Moscow, and then in occupied Crimea.

While in Moscow he praised Russia's "all conquering patriotism", as he watched tanks, ICBM launchers and thousands of infantry parade through Red Square.

His trip to Crimea was the first since Russia took over the Ukrainian region, in March.

In Sevastopol he watched as naval forces paraded through the harbor, while Russian jets soared above the city.

Putin praised Crimeans for rejoining Russia, and congratulated them on their "great victory".

The vast majority of the world calls Russia's takeover illegal and does not recognize it.

Victory Day Doesn't Bring Peace to Ukraine as 20 Die in Fighting

While most of Eastern Europe and Russia celebrated Friday as Victory Day, marking the end of WWII, violence continued in Ukraine.

Fighting killed at least twenty people in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Friday.

Most of the dead were separatist forces who had occupied the city's police station.

Ukrainian military forces are continuing to step up their actions against the separatists, who have refused to lay down their arms and end their occupations of government buildings.

Al Qaeda Attacks President Palace in Yemen

Al Qaeda militants attacked the presidential palace in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday.

At least four Yemeni soldiers were killed in the fighting, which lasted over an hour.

The militants were driven off, with unreleased casualties of their own.

During the battle, an explosion struck near a police building, in another section of the city, but it is unclear if it was related.

President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi was not in the palace, at the time of the attack.

Yemen's government has been increasing attacks upon Al Qaeda held areas of the country, as they try and free their country of the terrorist organization.

US Army: Private First Class Daniela Rojas

Private First Class Daniela Rojas, nineteen of Los Angeles, California, died on May 3, in Homburg, Germany.

She was transported to Germany for treatment, from Afghanistan.

It was her first deployment.

Rojas was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, Colorado.

Her decorations include: Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO Medal, Army Service Ribbon.

Plane Crashes Into Northglenn Home

A small plane crashed into a Northglenn home, on Monday.

The Piper PA-25 Pawnee struck the Denver area home and caused a fire.

Firefighters were able to stop the flames before the consumed the entire home.

An investigation is underway to determine why the plane crashed.

Witnesses do say that the plane appeared to be struggling to stay in the air.

It's pilot was taken to the hospital for his injuries, but is expected to recover.

Fighting in Ukraine Kills Another 8

Fighting continued around Slavyansk, on Monday, leaving eight dead.

Four of the casualties were Ukrainian soldiers who were caught in an ambush.

Another thirty soldiers were wounded in the ambush, which halted the government's attempt to retake the city.

Separatists also managed to shoot down a third helicopter, this time a MI-24 gunship.

Ukraine reiterated their accusations that Russia is behind the turmoil.

Russia continues to deny involvement, accusing Ukraine of brutalizing their people.

42 Dead in Violence in Ukraine

At least forty-two people are dead after violence spread in Ukraine, and also spreading the fears of civil war.

The worst of the violence happened in Odessa, where at least thirty-five died in fighting between pro Russian groups and Ukrainian nationalists.

According to authorities, many of the pro Russians were found to be carrying IDs from neighboring Moldova.

They are using the incident to once again accuse Russia of meddling with Ukrainian affairs.

In the east, Ukrainian military forces continue their moves against pro Russian separatists, reclaiming several key structures.

Meanwhile, Russia stated that Ukraine's lack of ability to protect it's own people is cause for Russian troops to enter Ukraine and help "protect" the separatists from Ukraine's government.

Ukraine and many other countries have repeatedly said that Russia is behind the turmoil and supporting the separatists.

Russia, has maintained fifty thousand troops, along the border, with Ukraine, since March while they were annexing Crimea.

The presence of the troops has made the Ukrainian government hesitant to act against the separatists, til now.

2,500 Dead After Afghanistan Landslide

Authorities have stopped search and rescue efforts in north east Afghanistan.

Friday a massive landslide buried much of Ab Barik, in Badakhshan province, after heavy rains.

Later in the day things were made worse when a second slide reburied everything, including hundreds of would be rescuers.

Officials believe that as many as twenty-five hundred people were killed between the two slides.
Due to the danger of a third slide, officials have called off any search.

They also state their doubts that there are survivors in the town, which was buried with twenty to three hundred feet of mud and dirt.

New York City Subway Train Derails

A New York City subway train derailed, Friday morning.

It happened near 65th Avenue and Broadway, in Queens.

Several minor injuries occurred, but nothing serious or life threatening.

However, due to the derailment, several lines are without service.

At this time the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has no set time for when they will be reopened.

An investigation is underway to determine what caused the derailment.

Several Dead as Pro Russia Separatists Battle With Ukraine's Military Outside Slovyansk

Open fighting has begun around Slovyansk, Ukraine, between government troops and pro Russian separatists.

There are reports of multiple deaths on the separatist side, though no confirmed numbers.

Dozens more have been injured or arrested as government forces make an attempt to recapture the city.

Two Ukrainian helicopters were shot down by separatist militias, resulting in the deaths of two Ukrainian servicemen.

Ukraine used the incidents to once again say that Russia is actively instigating, backing, supporting, and arming the militias.

Russia responded by once again denying their involvement, and by restating the "right" to send troops into Ukraine to "protect those of Russian descent".

250 Dead, 2000 Missing After Mudslide in Afghanistan

At least two hundred and fifty people are dead after heavy rains caused a mudslide in Afghanistan.

As many as two thousand are missing from Ab Barik, after a hill fell onto the town.

The town lies in Badakhshan province, in the north east of the country.

Rescue attempts are underway, but they are hindered by lack of equipment as well as the difficult terrain that must be crossed to reach the town.