U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan reported 7/28-8/2/06

from D.O.D. releases dated 7/28-8/1/06

Lance Cpl. James W. Higgins, 22, of Frederick, Md., died July 27 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Lance Cpl. Adam R. Murray, 21, of Cordova, Tenn., died July 27 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Cpl. Timothy D. Roos, 21, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died July 27 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Pfc. Enrique C. Sanchez, 21, of Garner, N.C., died July 27 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Spc. Andrew Velez, 22, of Lubbock, Texas, died on July 25 in Sharona, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related injury. Velez was assigned to the Corps Support Battalion, Theater Support Command, Fort Irwin, Calif. This incident is under investigation.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Edward A. Koth, 30, ofTowson, Md., died July 26 at Camp Victory, Iraq, after ordnance exploded during a disposal operation. Koth was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Eight, serving with Multinational Corps Iraq in Baghdad. The incident is under investigation.

Servicemember Killed in Iraq; DoD Identifies Earlier Marine Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, August 1, 2006 – A servicemember assigned to the 16th Corps Support Group was killed in action by a makeshift bomb while on a convoy south of Baghdad yesterday, U.S. military officials reported.

A second servicemember from the unit was wounded in the same attack. Officials did not release the troops’ service affiliations. Their names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Meanwhile, the Defense Department announced the identities of four Marines killed in Iraq’s Anbar province July 27.

Cpl. Timothy D. Roos, 21, of Cincinnati, Ohio. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Lance Cpl. James W. Higgins, 22, of Frederick, Md. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Lance Cpl. Adam R. Murray, 21, of Cordova, Tenn. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Pfc. Enrique C. Sanchez, 21, of Garner, N.C. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus, 28, of Wolf Creek, Mont., died July 29 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Lance Cpl. Anthony E. Butterfield, 19, of Clovis, Calif. & Sgt. Christian B. Williams, 27, of Winter Haven, Fla. were killed July 29 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. They were assigned to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Pfc. Jason Hanson, 21, of Forks, Wash., died July 29 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Soldiers, Marine Killed in Iraq;DoD Identifies Previous Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, August 2, 2006 – Two soldiers and a Marine were killed in Iraq today, and the Defense Department released the identities of three Marines who were killed recently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
A soldier and a Marine, both assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, and a soldier assigned to 9th Naval Construction Regiment died due to enemy action in Anbar province today.
The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Meanwhile, DoD released the identities of three Marines who were killed July 29 in Anbar province: Sgt. Christian B. Williams, 27, of Winter Haven, Fla.; Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus, 28, of Wolf Creek, Mont.; and Lance Cpl. Anthony E. Butterfield, 19, of Clovis, Calif.
All three Marines were assigned to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

sometimes a little chocolate just isn't enough...

[from Daily Candy]
July 31, 2006
The Chocolate Manifesto
Bored with stuffy old chocolate shops and all the white-glove pomp and circumstance that goes along with them? Wish that Marie Antoinette behind the counter there would stop doling out tiny samples and just let you eat cake?
Attention, citizens! A sweet revolution is taking place at Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man — Union Square’s 5,000-square-foot cocoa utopia. Here, patrician and plebeian, bourgeois and proletariat alike have access to such wonders as the Magnet (a chocolate egg passed from mouth to mouth); popsicle fondue; cigarette-like boxes (packed with dark chocolate thins); and handfuls, vials, and pounds of chocolate powders, liquids, and bricks. There is equal obligation for all to taste the molten cake, chocolate granitas, choctails, chocolate breakfast foods, and shots of warm truffle cream with grown-up Pop Rocks.A smaller satellite shop is set to open in the East Village next month, thereby abolishing the distinction between the haves and have-nots. That’s bringing chocolate to the people. Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man, 841 Broadway, between 13th and 14th Streets (212-388-0030 or maxbrenner.com

I Like Killing Flies

[excerpted from Daily Candy]

Fly on the Wall
If you’ve ever been denied from Shopsin’s, the quirky Greenwich Village diner (legendary for its rigid no-parties-of-five policy and 900-item menu), now’s your chance to see life on the inside.
In his new documentary, I Like Killing Flies, director Matt Mahurin puts owner Kenny Shopsin in the hot seat during the days leading up to his emotional shuttering of the eatery’s original WV location.
Viewers get the full Shopsin’s experience, which is as much about the grub (mac and cheese pancakes, 300 made-to-order soups) as it is about the owner’s eccentric takes on capitalism, politics, and sex.
Not to mention customer service. A potential patron asking directions on the phone is told “Don’t come.” Sweet nothings like “You’re an asshole” are hollered across the room.
Next time you have a hankering for Blisters on My Sisters or Postmodern Pancakes, indulge at your own risk. As one customer says in the film, “You never know what’s gonna come out of his mouth.”
Or, once you sneak a peek, what’s going to come out of yours.
I Like Killing Flies, opens Friday, July 28, at Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street, between University Place and Fifth Avenue (212-924-3363 or cinemavillage.com).

52 books in 52 weeks

haven't posted this in a while but here's this year's 52 books in 52 weeks so far - in no particular order & * means re-read. Oh & I'm not counting lit journals, stuff I have to read for work, etc.

1. jeanette winterson/gut symmetries
2. jeanette winterson/the passion*
3. j. lethem/as she climbed across the table
4. j. lethem/fortress of solitude
5. larry brown/big bad love * (3rd time?)
6. e. kostova/the historian (man...does she need a good editor!)
7. zadie smith/on beauty
8. cormac mccarthy/no country for old men
9. joan didion/the year of magical thinking (read it twice - does that count as 2?)
10. joan didion/where I'm from
11. wm vollmann/europe central
12. malcolm gladwell/the tipping point
13. steve earle/doghouse roses
14. ian mcewan/saturday
15. francine prose/a changed man
16. francine prose/guided tours of hell
17. alice greenway/white ghost girls
18. james lee burke/jolie blon's bounce
19. michael ondaatje/coming through slaughter* (3rd time?)
20. james lee burke/sunset limited
21. james lee burke/lost get-back boogie
22. james lee burke/half of paradise
23. cortazar/hopscotch* (it's different every time)
24. wm gass/fiction & the figures of life
25. wm gass/tests of time
26. flannery o'connor/mystery & manners
27. neil jordan/shade
28. the warrior's camera-cinema of akira kurosawa [forgot who the author is, sorry!]
29. roy stars/deadly dialectics: sex, violence & nihilism in mishima
30. michael yapko/hand-me-down blues
31. d. parker/not much fun (lost poems of dorothy parker)
32. anthony swofford/jarhead* (re-read prior to this year's Tin House workshop)

that's all I can remember right now...

U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan 7/26-7/27/06

from D.O.D. releases dated 7/26-7/27/06.

Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Swanson, 25, of Rose Haven, Md., died on July 22 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his patrol encountered enemy forces small arms fire. Swanson was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.

Capt. Jason M. West, 28, of Pittsburg, Pa., died on July 24 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire. West was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.

Spc. Joseph A. Graves, 21, of Discovery Bay, Calif., was killed on July 25 in Baghdad, Iraq, when his convoy encountered enemy fire. Graves was assigned to the 110th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

Spc. Dennis K. Samson Jr., 24, of Hesperia, Mich., died on July 24 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries sustained by enemy small arms fire. Samson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Mardi Gras Indians coming to Central Park Summerstage

08/12
Soul to Soul: The Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indians with Big Chief Bo Dollis and others: SummerStage3:00PM-5:00PM ($30 suggested donation)

baby bats babble too...

BABBLING bouts of barks by baby bats. It's not a tongue-twister; it's the first example of infant vocalisation in non-primate mammals. In human infants, babbling has an important role in language acquisition, developing the vocal tract and associated musculature. Similar behaviour is seen in other primates and some songbirds. Now a team led by Otto von Helversen at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, has recorded infant babbling in sac-winged bat pups (Saccopteryx bilineata), a species with an unusually large vocal repertoire. The pups, aged 4 to 8 weeks, uttered renditions of all known adult vocalisations, including barks, chatters and screeches (Naturwissenschaften, DOI: 10.1007/s00114-006-0127-9). A lack of social context implies the pups babble for vocal training rather than communication.
From issue 2562 of New Scientist magazine, 29 July 2006, page 18

Mann's "Rat Fink" set for U.S. release

Mann's "Rat Fink" Set for U.S. Release
Abramorama has acquired Ron Mann's animated biopic "Tales of the Rat Fink," about Hot Rod Legend Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, creator of the anti-Mickey Mouse icon, Rat Fink. The film, featuring the voices of John Goodman, Jay Leno, Ann-Margret, and Brian Wilson, among others, had its world premiere earlier this year at SXSW and includes classic archival footage of the golden age of hot rods and the surf rock soundtrack of The Sadies. According to the announcement, Catherine Tait of Duopoly brokered the distribution deal between Ron Mann's Sphinx Productions and Abramorama, which released Mann's previous movies, "Grass" and "Go...< http://www.indiewire.com/buzz/060723.html#004514 >

3rd Annual Big Apple Film Festival & Screenplay Competition

3rd Annual Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition
November 16-18, 2006 at Tribeca Cinemas in New York City. Includes film screenings, special NYC premieres, panel discussions, special guests, networking parties and closing night awards ceremony.Partners and sponsors: IFP, Filmmaker Magazine, indieWIRE.com, Scriptshark.com, Writers Boot Camp, Stella Artois Previous attendees include representatives from HBO, Magnolia Pictures, Wellspring Media, Gen Art, Wild Bunch Films and more. Previous films include: "Love, Ludlow," "Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party," "The Angel Doll," and more For more information and to submit go to www.bigapplefilmfestival.com or www.withoutabox.com [from indiewire]

NY International Latino Film Festival

NY International Latino Film Festival
Schedule and venues online at nylatinofilm.com.

Key & Poppy Sale this week

Key and Poppy Blowout Sale + Matta Sale
What: Vintage stuff for less than $30, plus dresses by Lucy Sykes, Mara Hoffman, and Mint for less than $200 at Key; 30-70 percent off sandals, tunics, and summery sarongs at Matta.
When: Key, Fri.-Sun., noon-7 p.m.; Matta, Thurs.-Sun., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.Where: Key, 41 Grand St., b/t Thompson & W. Broadway (212-334-5707); Matta, 241 Lafayette St., b/t Prince & Spring Sts. (212-343-9399).

2nd word for the day 7/27/06

jeunesse doree \zheuh-ness-dor-RAY\ noun: young people of wealth and fashion
Example sentence: "On any sunny afternoon in Dublin, you will see the jeunesse doree taking their ease under the awnings of pavement cafes." (Bruce Anderson, _The Spectator_, July 2001)
Did you know? French revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre and his allies, the Jacobins, gained many enemies for their role in the Reign of Terror. One of their fiercest opponents was Louis Freron, a former Jacobin who played a key role in overthrowing their government. On July 27, 1794, counter-revolutionaries toppled the Jacobin regime and had Robespierre arrested and executed. In the midst of the chaos that followed, Louis Freron organized gangs of fashionably dressed young toughs to terrorize the remaining Jacobins. French speakers called those stylish young thugs the "jeunesse doree" -- literally, the "gilded youth." By the time the term "jeunesse doree" was adopted into English in the 1830s, it had lost its association with violent street gangs and simply referred to any wealthy young socialites.

word of the day for 7/27/06

apologia \ap-uh-LOH-jee-uh; -juh\, noun:A formal defense or justification, especially of one's opinions, position, or actions.

Mr. Arbatov is well aware that he was perceived in this country as a spokesman at best and toady at worst for the regime. And he clearly wants this book to serve as his apologia.-- Bernard Gwertzman, "When Soviet Bureaucrats Were the Last to Know", New York Times, August 20, 1992

Apologia is from the Greek word meaning "a spoken or written defense," from apologos, "a story," from apo- + logos, "speech." [from dictionary.com]

word of the day

I know it's been a while (and yes, I'm acknowledging your comment - even though I didn't save it)...so here you go:

Word of the Day for Tuesday July 25, 2006
plebeian \plih-BEE-uhn\, adjective:1. Of or pertaining to the Roman plebs, or common people.2. Of or pertaining to the common people.3. Vulgar; common; crude or coarse in nature or manner.
noun:1. One of the plebs, or common people of ancient Rome; opposed to patrician.2. One of the common people or lower classes.3. A coarse, crude, or vulgar person.

Plebeian is from Latin plebeius, from plebs, plebis, "the common people."

for those of you who go to brooklyn

from dan/ewn

The following memo comes from the fine folks at Starcherone Books:

"Hey, cool cats one & all,
Join us Wednesday, July 26, 7pm, at Night & Day, for our Brooklyn PP/FF Anthology Party! If you haven't heard about PP/FF, it's the newly released StarcheroneBooks anthology featuring 61 of today's leading practitioners in the in-betweenprose-poetry/flash-fiction form that editor Peter Conners has named "PP/FF." Seehttp://www.starcherone.com/ppff.htm for more info on this first-of-its-kind book, ideal for creative writing classes and for just hanging around in the park reading and looking cool with in these summer dog days...Readers: Kazim Ali, Brian Clements, Peter Conners, Geoffrey Gatza, Christine Boyka Kluge, Ted Pelton, Anthony Tognazzini, Jessica Treat, & Mark Tursi.Location: Night & Day, 230 5th Ave (cross street: Presidents St.), 7pmReader Bios:Kazim Ali is the author of a novel, Quinn's Passage, and a book of poems, The Far Mosque. He is the publisher of Nightboat Books and assistant professor of English at Shippensburg University.Brian Clements is the author of several collections of poetry in print and online, including Essays Against Ruin, Burn Whatever Will Burn, and Flesh and Wood. Heis the editor of Firewheel Editions and of Sentence: A Journal of Prose Poetics, and he coordinates the MFA in Professional Writing at Western Connecticut StateUniversity.Peter Conners is founding co-editor of the online literary journal, Double Room: A Journal of Prose Poetry & Flash Fiction, as well as editor of PP/FF: AnAnthology. His third poetry collection, Of Whiskey and Winter, will be published by White Pine Press in fall 2007. Conners works as Marketing Director/Associate Editor for the poetry publisher BOA Editions. He lives with his wife and two sons inRochester, NY.Geoffrey Gatza has dedicated himself to protecting the downtrodden of his city from a continuing series of deadly poetic schemes by the insidious School of Quietude. He is editor and publisher of BlazeVOX Books. His web site is Geoffreygatza.com.Christine Boyka Kluge is the author of Teaching Bones to Fly, a poetry collection from Bitter Oleander Press, and Domestic Weather, which won the 2003 Uccelli Press Chapbook Contest. Her prose poetry and flash fiction collection, Stirring the Mirror, is due out from Bitter Oleander Press in 2007.Ted Pelton is the author of three books, most recently the novel, Malcolm & Jack (and Other Famous American Criminals) (Spuyten Duyvil, 2006). Recipient of anNEA Fellowship for Fiction, he is an Associate Professor at Medaille College of Buffalo, NY, and Executive Director of Starcherone Books.Anthony Tognazzini has published work in Swink, The Hat, Sentence, Quarterly West, Salt Hill, La Petite Zine, The Mississippi Review, Quick Fiction, Ducky,and Hayden's Ferry Review, among other journals, and in Sudden Stories: A Mammoth Anthology of Miniscule Fiction. He has received a Pushcart nomination and an award from the Academy of American Poets. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.Jessica Treat is the author of two story collections, Not a Chance (FC2, 2000) and A Robber in the House (Coffee House Press, 1993), and is completing a third. Her stories and prose poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She is the recipient of a Connecticut Commission on the Arts Award.Mark Tursi is one of the founders and editors of the literary journal Double Room, and he is an Assistant Professor at College Misericordia in Pennsylvania. Hereceived his Ph.D. from the University of Denver and his MFA from Colorado State University.Hope to see you all there!"

one story cocktail hour & reading series 7/28

ONE STORY'S COCKTAIL HOUR AND READING SERIES is pleased to welcome
Scott Snyder
His cocktail choice of the evening: Gin & Tonic [a/k/a what my MOM drinks]
Friday, July 28th @ Pianos158 Ludlow Street
Cocktails: 6:30 pm
Reading: 7:00 pm Our host this month: Hannah Tinti, editor of One Story
The One Story Cocktail Hour & Reading Series is a chance for One Story readers and One Story writers to meet, enjoy a cocktail, and mingle in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Part private party, part showcase. And just like One Story magazine, one author has the chance to take the spotlight.
Scott Snyder is the author of One Story issue # 14, “Happy Fish, Plus Coin.” He has also been published in Zoetrope, Tin House, Epoch, and other journals. He teaches at Columbia University and lives in New York with his wife. His first collection, Voodoo Heart, has just been released by Dial Press. For more information, visit www.voodooheart.com.
One Story Readings are at Pianos. Each reading features a $3 drink special.
Pianos is located at 158 Ludlow at Stanton on the Lower East Side. Take the F or V train to 2nd Avenue. Walk towards the 1st Avenue exit and leave through the door that says Allen Street. Walk east on Houston to Ludlow, then a block south just the intersection of Stanton. Pianos will be on your left.
Cocktail hour from 6:30-8:00pm. The reading will begin slightly after 7:00pm.
ADMISSION IS FREE.
Gin & TonicIngredients:
2 oz gin
Tonic water
Ice
Pour gin into a glass 1/4 full of ice cubes and fill with tonic water.
Visit www.one-story.com for more information.

a repeat from vollmann & moody

sent to me by a writer friend after last year's "writing camp" - thought I'd give it a repeat as it seemed worth it.

from Wm. Vollmann
“Biographical Statement (c. 1989)”
by William T. Vollmann from Wordcraft, later republished in Expelled from Eden: a William T.Vollmann Reader, 2004 (Eds. Larry McCaffery and Michael Hemmingson)“... My loneliness was worse because I was trapped in books. Then I realised that if I could not get out of my books I could at least bring other people in to visit me. I could do this only by writing books.”

and Rick Moody...“Writers and Mentors” by Rick Moody (The Atlantic – Fiction Issue 2005)
“On the first day of my workshop with Angela Carter, in my sophomore year,Carter was charged with reducing the number of would-be participants in her class to fourteen. Maybe thirty people were in the room, and she simply stood before us and tried to take questions. Some young guy in the back, rather too full of himself, raised his hand and, with a sort of withering skepticism, asked, “Well, what’s your work like?” You have to have heard Carter speak to know how funny the next moment was. She had a reedy and somewhat thin British voice, toward the upper end of the scale, and she paused a lot when she spoke. There were a lot of ums and ahs. Before she replied, she cocked her head and said “um” once or twice. Then she said, “My work cuts like a steel blade at the base of a man’s penis." The room emptied out at the break, and I’m not sure a quorum of fourteen returned. Maybe only eleven or twelve.”... “Now, once an audience begins to experience itself as a community with power, it begins to ask certain questions about stories. I’m sure that analogous questions are asked about poems and essays in workshops everyday, but I have less experience with those forms. Pardon me, then, if I confine myself to the kinds of questions that are commonplace of the contemporary fiction workshop.
1) Does the story begin effectively?
2) Does the story end effectively?
3) Does the story have conflict?
4) Does the story move from beginning to end?
5) Are the characters believable?
6) Are the characters likeable?
7) Is the story dramatic? Does drama help the story move?
8) Who is narrating the story?
9) Is the language of the narrator effective?
10) Is the language in the way?
11) Does the story contain extraneous elements that can be removed?
12) If the story is in the third person, should it be in the first, orvice versa?
13) Does the story have a theme?
14) Does it move effectively toward its theme?
15) Does the character experience epiphany?
16) Are you moved?
This is just off the top of my head. Many other such questions can be imagined. To the extent that a student comes to expect these questions, or to the extent that he or she writes in expectation of them, the likely product will be stories (or poems or essays) that reduce the chances of innovation, that ratify the workshop system, and that ratify the idea of the university but do little for the development of the form or for our language as a whole.
If I had to do it myself, I might instead ask questions like these:
1) Has the writer attempted to eliminate all adverbs?
2) Does this story prefer Anglo-Saxon words to Greek and Latinate alternatives?
3) What’s wrong with using a few more semicolons?
4) Does this story contain any sentences that you want to remember to your grave?
5) Would Samuel Beckett like this story? Would Gertrude Stein? Would Virginia Woolf?
6) How would this writer put paint on canvas?
7) Is this writer just using his or her eyes, or has he or she tried to use other senses – for example, the all-important literary sense of audition?
8) What would happen if you reorganised the sections of this piece at random?
9) Does this story like music?
10) Does this story answer the question “Why bother to write?”
11) Can this story save any lives?”

karyn's puppy's a star

karyn's got a new puppy & he's already a star...
http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=22309@kcbs.dayport.com

writing camp 7/15 the role of place in fiction, making "grass angels" & more proof that white men can't dance

Saturday, July 15th, 2006 started off far too early indeed...no workshop though we were all meeting for brunch at some schmancy place in a hotel followed by a rumored trip to Powell's...spent the morning catching up on the "real" world & taking picture of trees (yes, I know, they're the same trees I took pictures of last year)...brunch was good but wayyy too expensive for my sad budget...I gave up on trying to find something vegan (again) and had pancakes & mimosas...I would say that the conversation was deeply intellectual but I think we talked about a lot of other things...it was nice though & I will miss these people & definitely miss the workshop/brain stimulation...Made it back to campus in time for 2 p.m. CREATING A WORLD: The Role of “Place” in Fiction Setting is too often captured in clichés or hollow glances, but a rich and textured setting can inform the plot, help define characters, and draw a reader into the story. These three writers, each highly skilled at crafting place, discuss their various approaches. Panel with Dorothy Allison, Ann Cummins, Charles D’Ambrosio" (from schedule description)...here are my notes..."the way I see it, smell it, etc." (D. Allison)..."the inherent arrogance of writing anything" (D'Ambrosio)..."Beer shit & baby bottles" (verbal slip by Dorothy Allison - corrected as "baby shit and beer bottles")..."emotional landscape vs. physical landscape"..."specificity of place - Wide Sargasso Sea, Out of Africa" D. Allison referenced LeGuin's islands...other references James Welch, the Book of Salt...the most important thing isn't the landscape but that WE are key in the landscape...horrific stories set in really beautiful places..."small, cramped & evil" (D. Allison)..."Do have to be willing to be bad - be bad before you can be good" (Dorothy Allison)...and that's all I wrote...I remember a comment D'Ambrosio made about the quality of rain in Washington vs. the quality of rain in Portland which I thought was brilliant but won't mean a whole hell of a lot to anyone not from the Northwest...The next 2 seminars on the schedule were: 3 p.m. SPINNING FICTION FROM HISTORY AND/OR FACT Seminar with Jim Shepard This seminar investigates the particular problems and excitements involved in the use of historical and/or nonfictional material as the part of the basis for fiction. Students are asked to have read, in advance of the seminar, two short stories—Ron Hansen’s “Wickedness”(from Nebraska) and Nathan Englander’s “The Tumblers” (from For the Relief of Unbearable Urges)—and, if possible, two novels: Marguerite Yourcenar’s Memoirs of Hadrian and Marta Morazzoni’s The Invention of Truth. 4 p.m. A BOOK IN THE WORLD What happens to your book after the agent sells it? How does yourpublisher work to get it into the hands (and hearts and minds!) of thebooksellers and readers? Follow the odyssey of the novella Girls in Peril, the first book in the Tin House Books New Voice series, and learn about the intricate process behind every book’s introduction to the world. Panelists include Elise Cannon, director of sales, PGW; Lee Montgomery, Editorial Director Tin House Books; Laura Howard, Marketing and Publicity Manager for Tin House Books; Andrea Tetrick, sales rep at PGW; and Gerry Donaghy, buyer at Powell’s." BUT I cut class and started packing and finally, called an "outside" friend and met up with her for a good long afternoon of catching up, drinking too much & enjoying the fact that not only were we both wearing bright colors ("pink IS the new black") but she spent time making grass angels...you'd have to know her to get the joke...Missed Alex Lemon's reading to spend time with said friend & had dinner with some of my classmates followed by 8 p.m. Reading with Nick Flynn, Steve Almond, Aimee Bender & 10 p.m. dance party...whoo. My friend had to take off to work & while I thoroughly enjoyed the readings by all 3 - Nick Flynn (always a favorite), Steve Almond (a new discovery for me & a new favorite) & the always wonderful Aimee Bender (whose story was sexy & sad at the same time) - I thought the party was less fun than last year (or maybe I'm less fun?) and I didn't stay all that long...just long enough to confirm that beer was not good for my brain & my long held opinion that white men can't dance...Sunday was spent packing, trying to find the woman I was sharing a cab with to the airport, getting on my flight (which was shared with a few of the Tin House faculty) and waiting for a certain faculty member's luggage...after dropping everyone off, I got home to an extra hot apartment, wayyy too many messages on my home answering machine (why don't people just call the cell?) & lots of questions as to just why I'd come back to nyc when I like it so much more in the Northwest...still haven't come up with any answers though this fall semester's course descriptions gave me a small glimmer of hope for some level of intellectual stimulation not too far off on the horizon...& in the meantime after seeing the photos from Tin House, I'll be living in the gym for at least the next 6 months (6 years?)...ouch.

writing camp 7/14 defamiliarizing a banana

Friday, July 14th, 2006 up earlier than usual (ouch) because we'd all agreed to meet at 9:30 instead of 10 in order to workshop 3 manuscripts today so we could all go to brunch tomorrow...my note taking vastly deteriorated by this point & there's little for me to refer to although we did have some great "stimulating" conversation during workshop and ran well into the lunch hour...I'd also resorted to eating PB&J by this point since the meal service truly sucked...ouch...today's notes: 2:00 pm DEFAMILIARIZATION: Ugly Word, Beautiful Idea - Seminar with Anthony Doerr This seminar explores how a writer uses sentences and narrative (and art itself) to make the familiar unfamiliar, to renew our senses of perception. Here we will get to the nitty-gritty of why cliches aren’t doing our work any favors." [schedule description]...this seminar started out with a writing exercise (all together now, roll those eyes) but while my writing was appallingly bad [go ahead...YOU try to describe a banana w/out using the words yellow, fruit, eat or banana & tell me how poetic your description turns out)...in any case, some good writing was done but not by me. The discussion launched then into the concept of defamiliarization & there were handouts..."take an everyday object & make it new again - defamiliarized banana"..."we're desperate to make meaning - Nick Flynn"..."habitualize - good art is about fracturing that"..."Henry James' 'weak specification'" as evidenced in the DaVinci Code..."close the gap as much as you can - the more precise your language the closer you'll get"...this seminar featured the best moment of levity at a s**tty writer's expense - namely, deconstructing the opening paragraph of The DaVinci Code which, of course, is rife with cliche and imprecise language...after which, I cut class again - my brain not quite being up to an hour of DA Powell's brilliance - 3:00 pm MISADVENTURES IN POETRY: When a Poem’s Success Lives in its Mistakes...not sure what I did instead but I'm sure it was really important...8 p.m. Reading with Matthea Harvey, Anthony Doerr, Jim Shepard...Matthea Harvey's poetry was wonderful (more Robot Boy!!), Jim Shepard read from his new one - replete with graphic descriptions of executions during Revolutionary France (gak)...I still haven't forgiven him for that story about the megaladon that gave me nightmares 3 nights running...And though Anthony Doerr's seminar was really stellar, his reading was less so & I drifted off...another late night & up early again even though we had no workshop on Saturday...

writing camp 7/13 during which I start to cut class

7/13...another 6:49 am wakeup...at least the water pressure in the shower is better than my shower at home...another long walk & re-read the day's manuscripts after a very sad breakfast indeed - what's with all that melon & no bagels again?...and why won't it rain? please? no notes during workshop but this is what I have from the first seminar/panel 2:00 pm POET AS LOVER, READER AS THE BELOVED: Building a Unique Relationship The reader and the writer, the lover and the beloved. These are versions of the same thing: two alien minds trying to share a world. How do poets woo their love-objects (their readers) into an imaginary, often radically unfamiliar, universe, shack, or pup-tent? Is it true, as May Sarton says, that “all poems are love poems”? Panel with Nick Flynn, Matthea Harvey, and D. A. Powell" [Matthea wasn't on the panel]...my notes: what is the urge to write? "all poems are lovers" (unattributed) "a way to access the unconscious - not necessarily a dialogue with the reader" - Nick Flynn..."all poems are dramatic monologues" D.A. Powell..."a profound silence' - Virgil" "spontaneous emotion recollected in tranquility' - Wordsworth"..."the real love poem is the one that goes starkly into the problem of living, the problem of loving" (D.A. Powell)..."writing to the younger self" "writing from the crisis of the present"..."who is the hermetic poet writing for? Dickinson? Stevens?" "the poem has to please the poem" (Powell)..."all poems are kind of a controlled failure" (Powell)..."Orpheus & Erydice...just on the verge of closing the gap between ourselves & the unknown...the moment of the mistake - therein lies poetry"..."Zeno's paradox - we get ever closer with each successive poem but don't actually want to get there..."..."the same as faith...Michaelangelo's Creation - Adam's finger never touches God - what makes life/poetry interesting is that you have to go on faith" (Powell)..."love is doing - Tilly Olson" (Flynn)..."Penelope weaving & unweaving...Scherezade - talking against death"..."it's done, there's no fixing it/may as well write about it" (Powell)..."We can change the past by what we do today" (Flynn)..."writing from a place of compassion...trying to be empathetic"..."Dean Young - all of the real writing of the poem happens before you put pen to paper"..."poems are operas not arias - every piece contains a part of the whole"..."the moment of bewilderment in a poem is somewhat equivalent to the lyric moment" (Flynn)..."dramatic vs. interior monologue - Dickinson more interior"..."I encourage the baser emotions in my class - bitterness, mean-spiritedness" (Flynn)..."too often when we think of love, we think of this pure thing - love is riddled with the baser emotions" (Alex)..."reading love poems to learn about love is like watching porn to learn how to have sex" (Flynn)...after which I took a long walk, read some, listened to some music had a beer & entirely blew off the next seminar...3:00 pm THE EXQUISITE TEXT: How to Learn from the Success of Others Seminar with Antonya Nelson...I'm sure lots of exciting things happened between 3pm and the 8 p.m. Reading with D. A. Powell, Ann Cummins, Antonya Nelson but I didn't take notes so who knows? I stayed for D.A. Powell's reading which brought me to tears (as always & just shut up you non-lovers of good poetry) and then I went to the bookstore & bought some Neruda & went to read and have a beer by myself because I just couldn't take any more listening to other people talk...ended up in a good conversation about poetry & the frustrations of reading translated work & then headed off to catch up on the "outside world"...

writing camp 7/12 the blurry business of truth, finding the story w/Gil Dennis, Michael Ondaatje reads

7/12...I'd already fallen into a pattern of waking up at 6:49 am Pacific time (why?!?), checking emails/voicemails, listening to some charlie parker, going for a longgg walk, attempting to find something decent for breakfast (what happened to all the bananas people? in fact, what happened to anything resembling fruit??) and then re-reading the pieces being workshopped that morning...Since I was up in today's workshop, my walk was a little longer & I threw some nick cave & ac/dc in with the charlie parker...being workshopped for me usually feels like a cross between going to the dentist for a root canal & having one of those "we need to talk" conversations...anyway, onward...I won't bore you all w/those notes but move on to the seminars of the day, "The Blurry Business of Truth: Rescuing the Memoir 2:00 pm Few writers believe in a neat divide between fiction and nonfiction. Most of us, regardless of what genre we’re working in, dance back and forth through the porous border of lived and contrived experiences. What is a writer’s responsibility to “truth” when writing memoir? Has our understanding of truth become too flexible or are these liberties essential for the craft to excel as art? Panel with Nick Flynn, Karen Karbo, Lee Montgomery, and Anthony Swofford." Although this panel featured Nick Flynn, Lee Montgomery & Anthony Swofford, all of whom I think are great, my notes aren't extensive...here's what I actually wrote down: "narrative drive/scenes"; "I don't think the well of craziness will ever run dry" (Nick Flynn); "How 'true' is a memoir? How do you define what's allowed? Stick to the thruline of what happened" "the idea of lived life vs. narrative life"...then there was extensive discussion of the legal/vetting of text...and discussion of dialogue in narrative - Swofford's p.o.v. that "creating" dialogue w/in the text is okay as long as the dialogue is actually in keeping with something the person would have said & in their vernacular (I'm wildly paraphrasing here because, frankly...my notes on this panel suck)...Lee Montgomery actually took notes on her family, including var. dialogue & could refer to them while writing her memori...my only addt'l notes from this panel are, "write from a compassionate place"..."she's been hijacking my fiction for years" (Lee Montgomery on her mother)..."You think you know the beginning & the end but realize you don't know anything" (Nick Flynn on nonfiction)...wish I had more notes from this one but all the legal talk really numbed my brain...onwards...next up: 3:00 pm FINDING THE STORY "In this famously effective seminar, our special guest Gil Dennis discusses the tools that he uses to discover a story. " If you don't know who Gil Dennis is, imdb him...Here are my notes, make of them what you will...Story prompts "What is the most terrifying thing that ever happened to you? What is the saddest thing? What is the most shameful thing you've ever done? What is your most joyous/proudest moment? The time you laughed until you cried? What's the most angry someone got at you? What is a story someone told you to save your life?" "transcribed literally" "the failure of your perceptions - gives you style" "most stories are linked" "terror is the back story to shame - which are the back story to the joyous moment" "3x5 cards with prompts re: incidents - go where you don't have a moral purchase - can't get to the high ground" Extensive discussion re: Peyton Place story prompts & Walk the Line/J.Cash...This was a wonderfully inspiring seminar & hopefully I'll have time to sit down and write it up with the justice it deserves. Following his seminar, I went to (you guessed it) cocktail hour, had a brief conversation with Gil Dennis (really, really nice guy!) and met some new & interesting people...Michael Ondaatje read that night from a new work, from "Handwriting" and from "Anil's Ghost" (read it if you haven't yet!)...here are my notes after wayyyy too many hours under flourescent lights..."they are a strong breed, clockmakers"..."safer than galloping into darkness"..."ghosts as manifestations of guilt"..."painting the eyes of Buddah"..."Scaramouche - 1st book read; the 4 Feathers - 1st film" "I don't think people think like Jane Austen"..."the truth is always waiting to be told"..."never again will a single story be told as if it was the only"...yeah, I know...sorry about that...the reading was wonderful but my brain was melting by the time the Q&A started...afterwards, I headed off to the "reception" and had a long talk with various classmates (workshop-mates?) during which Bryan (who writes well in the lyrical register) and I decided to write a novel together called, "Primo Levy's Staircase" (his title...not mine so just hush)...well it was funny at the time...

writing camp 7/11 part 2: the lyric register & swofford's new one

writing camp 7/11 (cont.) from schedule: 3:00 pm WRITING IN THE LYRIC REGISTER: Raising Your Prose to New Heights Seminar with Steve Almond "In every narrative, there come moments when the prose must rise into the lyric register. These passages, marked by a compression of sensual and psychological detail, are the closest writers come to singing. Using the work of Frank O’Connor, Denis Johnson, C.K. Williams, and others, we’ll examine how the lyric register operates—and why your work should, in the crucial moments, aspire to song." This seminar was equal parts inspiring & depressing...as my manuscript was being workshopped the following day & I can be a little (?!?) too heavy on the "lyric" side of things when I write, during the entire seminar, Ikept asking myself...WAS it EARNED? anyway, here are my notes...Starting with a brief quote from the Iliad, Almond launched into his thesis that written story comes from oral story which comes from song. Writing in the lyric register wherein writing becomes "lyric - full-throated"...the lyric register - a cousin of Joyce's epiphanic moment although he posits that ephiphany involves realization whereas the lyric moment is one of revelation. [I could bore you all by quoting from my undergrad Sr Thesis on Joyce & the ephiphanic moment wherein I discuss both revelation and realization...but I won't]. Back to my notes from the seminar..."slow down where it hurts" "if you cannot move forward, you must move inward" "the lyric moment has to feel EARNED" "You can't just throw beautiful words at the page & hope to achieve truth OR beauty" [this is where I started to get really nervous about my own writing...ouch]..."the path to the truth runs through shame & involves self-revelation" "get rid of the unnecessary words"...Almond referenced a hand out with several excerpts (I'll add titles soon, promise)..."Shame & On the Hand" - euphony/internal rhymes - isolate a particular moment & do not stop" "using commas, etc. to create rhythm - not just finding the right word but figuring out the rhythm...""Green's 'Heart of the Matter'" and the art of "dwelling"..."Longfellow's Happy Accidents of language" "it doesn't try to give the 'correct' version"...Tim O'Brien's "The Things they Carried" & allusion to Isaiah...Frank O'Connor's "Guests of the Nation"[these are 2 of the excerpts included in the handouts]..."Mistakes: 1 - refuse to heed O'Connor & write slice of life stories - the stakes are not high enough; fail to recognize plot as the mechanism that forces the protaganist up against intensity - writers tend to bail out in peaks of emotion 2) lapsing into sentiment - emotion asserted by the author - failure of security - extra words - worry that the read isn't getting it" ... "risk sentimentality rather than striking a pose; write towards the moment of lyric intensity"...Borges "On Blindness" "the tragic mistake of cleverness"..."As you get better as a writer, your work looks worse & worse"..."point of view is the means to the end - 1st person immediately; close 3rd the same work" "2 Questions the reader asks: who do I care about [character], what do they care about? [character motivation]" "lyric register HAS to be earned - an organic effort - not asserted, not forced - you BETTER make sure you EARNED that moment"..."the precise descripton of something conventionally horrifying is beautiful" "beauty resides in your fidelity as writers" Almond is "not interested in ideas but emotions - the emotional fate of the characters"...and that's all I wrote before I headed off to do some reading & have a beer & feel thoroughly insecure about my own writing...I missed the 5:30 reading but thoroughly enjoyed the 8pm reading with Lee Montgomery, Anthony Swofford & Charles D'Ambrosio. Lee Montgomery read from her memoir (which I highly recommend!), D'Ambrosio read from "The Screenwriter" - an amazing piece in his latest collection & Swofford read from his novel, EXIT A, out in January of '07. Very good stuff & very much looking forward to reading the whole thing soon.

writing camp 7/11 part 1

again, these are notes taken from my notebook & will be fleshed out when I have a minute...7/11 - not sure what happened to my notes from workshop that morning...so, here's what I have on Aimee Bender's seminar described in the schedule as follows: 2:00 pm WHY DID HE DO THAT AGAIN? The Pitfalls of Character Motivation Seminar with Aimee Bender "After giving birth to a character, a writer needs to take the time to get to know that character and what makes him tick. How does one shape an imagined being into a well-drawn character with thoughts and actions that feel both original and true?"...notes: Mystery & Manners - Flannery O'Connor - 2 + 2 should always be more than 4...theme-1st word to last word...Hiroku Mirakami - 9/11 essay NY Times...the advantage to a closed system - answers are clear...open system - difficult landscape" "How do you work the idea of motivation" "movies w/obvious character's motivations (Crash, etc.)" "you should never know what the character wants"..."different avenues for exploring character motivation - Lydia Davis - trying to capture the feeling of a moment/microcosm; Mirakami - on the other end the action the characters go through" "trust what you don't understand - 'here's an action I cannot explain' Salinger "A. Smith's Blue Period" or Lorrie Moore - shoves pie in her face" (ref. the previous night's reading)..."do not boil down but UP - Essays on Writing - O'Connor"..."The form of a story gives it meaning" "Brautigan, Richard 'The Weather in S.F.'..." "what's being built & what's the follow through?" "hold off judgement to the last instant" the next page is a writing exercise she had us all do wherein we wrote about something we did when we were 9 & could not explain why we did it...I'll spare you all..the person who came up and read her piece wrote about playing the mud naked with a boy - mine wasn't nearly so glamorous...next up, Steve Almond on writing in the lyric register...squeezed in between my notes on Aimee Bender's seminar & Steve Almond's are the following notes (apparently from Swofford's workshop 7/11): Swofford's editing marks (which he wrote on the blackboard if memory serves) I can't do the graphics here since blogger's just not that advanced but...underlined text with a check mark means he likes it, squiggly underline or squiggly underline with "conf." means confusing, brackets [ ] around text means really consider/should it go? a line through words means cut word/phrase from text...seems easy enough to understand but more on that later...the only other note from that day's workshop is, "what was the writer attempting & did he/she succeed?" and that's it...hmmm...

writing camp

yeah...I know...it's taken me a while to write about "writing camp" this year - between the heatwave and "real life" I haven't had much time to find my brain since I got back...& some of you have already read this in emails I sent so just skip those parts...& the rest of the oregon trip will be documented with photos asap too...day 1 started out with a mimosa and an all-fruit smoothie laden brunch, getting a sunburn on a friend of a friends' deck with a lovely view of some factory straddling the willamette...no idea what neighborhood I was in since I was only a guest & not driving...then back to my friend b & k's house where I did my final packing, tried to get relief from the heat, said goodbye to k & her beautiful kids & then off to Reed w/b. driving. skipping the boring paying too much money for bad housing & worse food part, I'll just dive into our first workshop meeting during which I took no decipherable notes except "read first page" and "synopses - 1 minute", a list by day & name of who was being workshopped each day & the pages we would be focusing on in each piece...that's it for day one...oops...then off to cocktail hour, the first of many bad meals...apparently variety isn't in Reed chef's vocabulary...then time for another beer & a reading during which I took no notes either[8:00 pm Lorrie Moore Reading—interview with Elissa Schappell]...My actual notes begin with "Swofford - Monday 7/10...voice & tone...structure - how story is being told; why is the writer telling this story, narrative life vs. real life, narrative drive...meaning, sense & clarity (all underlined)...Christina Asquith "The Emergency Teacher", Rob Wilder "Daddy Needs a Drink", William Gass...then we broke for lunch...next up "The Editors Panel" described in the schedule as "GETTING INTO PRINT: Tin House Editors When asked about early attempts at publishing, many accomplished writers mention filling desk drawers or papering walls with form rejections before achieving an initial acceptance of their work. Learning how best and where to submit your work often comes after years of careful reading and continued effort. In this panel, the editors of Tin House magazine and Tin House Books offer emerging writers a rare opportunity to learn about the process from the publishing side of things. "...basically a repeat of last year's editors panel - my notes from this panel read: "Non Fiction & literary pilgrimage" "Tin House Books submissions - 50 pages, synopses & outline help" "Small Spiral Notebook - Fiction, The Canary & Jubalot - Poetry" "Santa Monica Review" and "that man sure has ugly shoes!"...next up was the Agents panel which was less then helpful overall during which we learned that the memoir is dead, last year's comment was repeated that agents are now editors (a disturbing thought if one's agent has more of a sales than literary background) & many other wonderful things...my notes read only, "James Frey - the Enron of Memoir" and "ideal query letter"...apparently they didn't say much I cared about...here's the description on the schedule: "THE AGENT GAME: Finding an agent to represent your work can be a time-consuming and hair-raising endeavor. Ideally, the relationship between agent and author is both professional and personal, providing a writer with much-needed support and encouragement. In this seminar, New York agents talk about what writers should know before seeking representation and offer unique insight into their profession.Panel with Sarah Burnes, Liz Farrell, Betsy Lerner, and Ira Silverberg" 7/10 reading - took no notes...reading with Karen Karbo, Elissa Schappell, Dorothy Allison...both Karbo & Schapell were good...Dorothy Allison was wonderful as per usual. All writers should be this good at reading their work.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan 7/21-7/26/06

from D.O.D. releases dated 7/21-7/26/06
Soldiers Die in Iraq; DoD Identifies Four Other Fatalities
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2006 – Three U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq yesterday, and the Defense Department identified four servicemen who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since July 16. A soldier assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died yesterday due to enemy action while operating in Iraq's Anbar province. A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier was killed last night when terrorists attacked his patrol with small-arms fire south of Baghdad.
Earlier yesterday, another Multinational Division Baghdad soldier was killed when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in eastern Baghdad. The soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Meanwhile, the Defense Department identified four servicemen killed recently in Iraq and Afghanistan:
Army Cpl. Matthew P. Wallace, 22, of Lexington Park, Md., died July 21 in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb detonated July 16 near his Bradley fighting vehicle. Wallace was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Marine Cpl. Julian A. Ramon, 22, of Flushing, N.Y., died July 20 while conducting combat operations in Iraq's Anbar province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Army Pfc. Derek J. Plowman, 20, of Everton, Ark., died July 20 in Baghdad from a gunshot wound. Plowman was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 142nd Fires Brigade, in Rogers, Ark. This incident is under investigation, officials said.
Army Staff Sgt. Eric Caban, 28, of Fort Worth, Texas, died July 19 in southern Afghanistan of injuries suffered when his combat reconnaissance patrol came in contact enemy small-arms fire July 18. Caban was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
Cpl. Matthew P. Wallace, 22, of Lexington Park, Md., died on July 21, in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 16. Wallace was assigned to the Army's 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Cpl. Julian A. Ramon, 22, of Flushing, N.Y., died July 20 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Pfc. Derek J. Plowman, 20, of Everton, Ark., died on July 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, from a gun shot wound. Plowman was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 142nd Fires Brigade, Rogers, Ark. This incident is under investigation.
Staff Sgt Eric Caban, 28, of Fort Worth, Texas, died on July 19 in southern Afghanistan of injuries sustained when his combat reconnaissance patrol came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations on July 18. Caban was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
Marine Killed in Iraq; DoD Identifies Previous Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2006 – A Marine assigned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died due to enemy action in Iraq's Anbar province today. The Marine's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The Defense Department also released the identities of three servicemembers who were killed recently supporting the war on terror:
Marine Lance Cpl. Geofrey R. Cayer, 20, of Fitchburg, Mass., died July 18 from a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Army Sgt. Mark R. Vecchione, 25, of Tucson, Ariz, died July 18 in Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A1 Abrams tank. Vecchione was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Chiomento, 34, of Fort Dix, N.J., died July 17 in Khwaya Ahmad, Afghanistan, when his patrol encountered enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. Chiomento was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.

Two Soldiers Killed in Iraq; Officials Identify Earlier Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 25, 2006 – Two soldiers assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died in separate incidents in Iraq's Anbar province yesterday, military officials.
Officials provided no further details about the incidents. The soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Defense Department officials have identified three earlier casualties from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army Capt. Blake H. Russell, 35, of Forth Worth, Texas, died July 22 of injuries caused by enemy forces while investigating a possible mortar cache in Baghdad. Russell was assigned to 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Marine Capt. Christopher T. Pate, 29, of Hampstead, N.C., died July 21 in Anbar province. He was assigned to 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, Command Element, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Army 1st Sgt. Christopher C. Rafferty, 37, of Brownsville, Pa., died July 21 in Sharana, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered a day earlier, when his unit encountered small-arms fire. Rafferty was assigned to 37th Engineer Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C.
1st Sgt. Christopher C. Rafferty, 37, of Brownsville, Pa., died on July 21 in Sharana, Afghanistan of injuries sustained on July 20, when his unit encountered small arms fire during combat operations. Rafferty was assigned to 37th Engineer Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C. This incident is under investigation.
Capt. Christopher T. Pate, 29, of Hampstead, N.C., died July 21 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, Command Element, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Capt. Blake H. Russell, 35, of Forth Worth, Texas died on July 22 of injuries sustained from enemy forces munitions while investigating a possible mortar cache during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq. Russell was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Two Servicemembers Die in Iraq; Officials Identify Earlier Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 26, 2006 – Two servicemembers have died in Iraq since yesterday, and officials have identified earlier casualties.
A sailor assigned to Multinational Corps Iraq died around 2:15 p.m. today in Baghdad. Officials said the incident does not appear to be due to enemy action and is under investigation.
A servicemember assigned to 43rd Military Police Brigade was killed in action north of Baghdad yesterday. Officials did not identify the individual's branch of service.
The names of the deceased servicemembers are being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.
DoD officials have identified three soldiers reported killed earlier in Iraq and Afghanistan:
Army Sgt. David M. Hierholzer, 27, of Lewisburg, Tenn., died July 24 in Pesch, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when his platoon encountered enemy small-arms fire. Hierholzer was assigned to 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Army Spc. Stephen W. Castner, 27, of Cedarburg, Wis., died July 24 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee in Tallil, Iraq. Castner was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, Milwaukee.
Army Cpl. Adam J. Fargo, 22, of Ruckersville, Va., died July 22 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when his convoy encountered enemy small-arms fire. Fargo was assigned to the 4th Brigade Troop Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.
Spc. Stephen W. Castner, 27, of Cedarburg, Wis., died on July 24, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMMV during combat operations in Tallil, Iraq. Castner was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, Milwaukee, Wis
Sgt. David M. Hierholzer, 27, of Lewisburg, Tenn., died on July 24 in Pesch, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his platoon encountered enemy forces small arms fire. Hierholzer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Cpl. Adam J. Fargo, 22, of Ruckersville, Va., died on July 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his convoy encountered enemy forces small arms fire. Fargo was assigned to the 4th Brigade Troop Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky

U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan reported 7/18-7/21/06

from D.O.D. releases dated 7/18-7/21/06

Staff Sgt. Robert J. Chiomento, 34, of Fort Dix, N.J., died on July 17 in Khwaya Ahmad, Afghanistan, when his patrol encountered enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. Chiomento was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.

Sgt. Mark R. Vecchione, 25, of Tucson Ariz, died on July 18 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A1 Abrams tank. Vecchione was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.

Lance Cpl. Geofrey R. Cayer, 20, of Fitchburg, Mass., died July 18 from a non-hostile incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.The incident is under investigation.

Marine Dies in Iraq; Officials Identify Earlier Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2006 – A Marine assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died due to enemy action in Iraq's Anbar province today, according to U.S. officials in Baghdad.
The name of the deceased is being withheld until the Marine's family is notified.
DoD officials have released the identities of several soldiers killed in Iraq.
Army Staff Sgt. Michael A. Dickinson II, 26, of Battle Creek, Mich., died July 17 in Ramadi when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy small-arms fire. Dickinson was assigned to 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Army Cpl. Kenneth I. Pugh, 39, of Houston, died July 17 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when his M1A2 Abrams tank encountered enemy small-arms fire. Pugh was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott R. Smith, 34, of Punxsutawney, Pa., died July 17 in Iskandariyah of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated during a controlled ordnance-clearing mission. Smith was assigned to the 737th Explosive Ordnance Detachment, 52nd Ordnance Group, Fort Belvoir, Va.
Army Spc. Manuel J. Holguin, 21, of Woodlake, Calif., died July 15 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy small-arms fire and an IED. Holguin was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.

Spc. Manuel J. Holguin, 21, of Woodlake, Calif., died on July 15 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy small arms fire and an improvised explosive device. Holguin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.

Cpl. Kenneth I. Pugh, 39, of Houston Texas, died on July 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his M1A2 Abrams tank encountered enemy forces small arms fire. Pugh was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. This incident is under investigation.

Sgt. 1st Class Scott R. Smith, 34, of Punxsutawney, Pa., died on July 17 in Al Iskandariyah, Iraq, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated during a controlled ordnance clearing mission. Smith was assigned to the 737th Explosive Ordnance Detachment, 52nd Ordnance Group, Fort Belvoir, Va.

Staff Sgt. Michael A. Dickinson II, 26, of Battle Creek, Mich., died on July 17 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy forces small arms fire. Dickinson was assigned to the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Marine, Soldier Killed; DoD Identifies Previous Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 19, 2006 – A Marine died in Iraq and a soldier was killed in Afghanistan yesterday, and the Defense Department has released the identities of four soldiers killed recently while supporting the war on terror.
A Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died as a result of what officials called "a non-hostile incident" in Iraq's Anbar province yesterday. The incident is under investigation; foul play is not suspected, officials said.
A coalition soldier was killed while conducting combat operations in the Carhar Cineh district of Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, yesterday.
Two coalition soldiers were wounded in the fighting and were taken to a coalition hospital. They were listed in stable condition, officials said.
Names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The Defense Department released the identities of four soldiers killed recently while supporting the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan:
Army Staff Sgt. Jason M. Evey, 29, of Stockton, Calif., died July 16 of injuries suffered when his Bradley fighting vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Baghdad. Evey was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 10th Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Hood, Texas.
Army Sgt. Robert P. Kassin, 29, of Las Vegas, died July 16 at Larzab Base, Afghanistan, when his platoon encountered enemy small-arms fire. Kassin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.
Army Sgt. Alkaila T. Floyd, 23, of Grand Rapids, Mich., died July 13 in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered July 8 when a roadside bomb detonated near his mine-protected vehicle in Ramadi, Iraq. Floyd was assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Bamberg, Germany.
Army Cpl. Nathaniel S. Baughman, 23, of Monticello, Ind., died July 17 in Bayji, Iraq, when his Humvee encountered enemy rocket-propelled grenades during a patrol. Baughman was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan 07/17-07/18/06

reported in D.O.D. releases dated 07/17-07/18/06

Cpl. Nathaniel S. Baughman, 23, of Monticello, Ind., died of injuries on July 17 in Bayji, Iraq, when his HMMWV encountered enemy forces rocket-propelled grenades during patrol operations. Baughman was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Sgt. Robert P. Kassin, 29, of Las Vegas, Nev., died on July 16 at Larzab Base, Afghanistan, when his platoon encountered enemy forces small arms fire during combat operations. Kassin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.

Sgt. Alkaila T. Floyd, 23, of Grand Rapids, Mich., died on July 13 in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained on July 8 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Mine Protected Vehicle in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Floyd was assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Bamberg, Germany.

One Coalition Soldier Killed, 11 Injured in Afghan Fighting
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 18, 2006 – One coalition soldier was killed and 11 others were wounded yesterday during a battle with Taliban extremists in the Tarin Kowt district of Afghanistan's Oruzgan province, military officials reported.
Coalition forces had attacked and destroyed a truck that extremists were loading with mortar equipment. Afterward, coalition and Taliban forces engaged in a pitched battle. Enemy casualties have yet to be reported, U.S. officials said.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our brave soldiers today," U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 76, said in a statement. "The men killed and wounded today fought an intense battle against extremists who oppress the rights of women, murder the innocent and harbor terrorists as they did during the Taliban regime. "Our soldier, who sacrificed his life today to prevent such tyranny from returning to Afghanistan, will not be forgotten," Freakley said.
Elsewhere, Afghan National Army and coalition forces detained a terrorist leader and seized a large weapons cache south of Kunduz near the village of Baghlan July 16. Elements of the 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade, 209th ANA Corps, and coalition forces detained Amir Gul Hassanyar, an area terrorist leader, during a search operation.
The terrorist leader is believed to be responsible for numerous attacks using improvised explosive devices, trafficking in illegal weapons and drugs, and engaging in other anti-coalition and anti-Afghan government activities. A detailed search of the compound in which Hassanyar was found resulted in the discovery of 500 17 mm high-explosive rounds, 80 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 153 rounds of 82 mm mortar rounds, 42 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, 600 rounds of small-arms ammunition, six anti-personnel mines, one 50-pound plastic-explosive bomb, one white Toyota Corolla vehicle, and six Afghan National Police uniforms. "Gul is a threat to the people and the government of Afghanistan," U.S. Army Col. Thomas Collins, a coalition spokesman, said. "Receiving and disposing of these weapons reduces the danger posed by extremists who would use them to harm innocent civilians and Afghan and coalition forces." In other news from Afghanistan, U.S. officials announced today that Afghan and coalition forces have seriously disrupted Taliban leadership, facilitators and rank and file fighters throughout southern Afghanistan, but particularly in the Sangin, Musa Qala and Baghran districts of Helmand province. "Afghan and coalition forces have killed numerous low and mid-level commanders that the senior Taliban leadership rely on to intimidate villages, threaten elders and lead small bands of extremists to conduct attacks on Afghan and Coalition forces," Army Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force 76, said. Mountain Thrust was intended to significantly impact the Taliban network, and Fitzpatrick said the operation has yielded progress. "We went to Sangin, left and returned, each move calculated one step ahead of our common enemy," he said. "We're confident that we're inside their decision cycle and have seen indications of confusion on their part." Afghan and coalition forces are not revealing their next move for security reasons, but are confident they can keep Taliban extremists off balance, Fitzpatrick said.
"By breaking up Taliban cells and bands, Afghan national security forces will continue to build upon coalition successes by employing forces to extend good governance throughout the south," he said. "These actions will improve the security and stability in the southern provinces, which opens the door for the construction of more infrastructure, more employment, economic development and a better life for the Afghan people."

Two U.S. Soldiers Die in Iraq; DoD Identifies Previous Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 18, 2006 – Two American soldiers died in Iraq yesterday, military officials reported, and the Defense Department has identified two earlier casualties. A soldier assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died in Anbar province. A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died in a bomb explosion south of Baghdad. Their names are being withheld until their families are notified.
The Defense Department released the identities of two other servicemembers killed recently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Army Sgt. Andres J. Contreras, 23, of Huntington Park, Calif., died July 15 of injuries suffered when his Humvee encountered an improvised explosive device in Baghdad. Contreras was assigned to the 519th Military Police Battalion, 1st Combat Support Brigade, Fort Polk, La.
Army Sgt. Thomas B. Turner Jr., 31, of Cottonwood, Calif., died July 14 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, in Germany, of injuries suffered July 13 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley fighting vehicle in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. Turner was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Staff Sgt. Jason M. Evey, 29, of Stockton, Calif., died on July 16 of injuries sustained when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq. Evey was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 10th Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Hood, Texas.

Sgt. Thomas B. Turner Jr., 31, of Cottonwood, Calif., died on July 14 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained on July 13 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Al Muqdadiyah, Iraq. Turner was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Soldier Dies of Wounds; DoD Identifies Previous Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2006 – A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died today at about 12:55 p.m. after being hit by small-arms fire in western Baghdad earlier in the day, military officials reported. The name of the soldier is being withheld until the family is notified.
The Defense Department released the identities of three other servicemembers killed recently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Army Sgt. Irving Hernandez Jr., 28, of New York, N.Y., died in Mosul, Iraq, July 12 when he encountered enemy small-arms fire. Hernandez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jerry A. Tharp, 44, of Muscatine, Iowa, died July 12 when his dismounted patrol was struck by an improvised explosive device while operating in the Anbar province of Iraq. He was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25, Rock Island, Ill.
Army Spc. Damien M. Montoya, 21, of Holbrook, Ariz., died in Baghdad July 9 from a non-combat related cause. Montoya was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan 6/30-7/17/06

The following areU.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan reported by D.O.D. releases dated 6/30-7/17/06.

Petty Officer 1st Class Jerry A. Tharp, 44, of Muscatine, Iowa, died July 12 as a result of enemy action when his dismounted patrol was struck by an improvised explosive device while operating in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. He was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25, Rock Island, Ill.

Spc. Damien M. Montoya, 21, of Holbrook, Ariz., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 9 from a non-combat related cause. Montoya was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Sgt. Irving Hernandez Jr., 28, of New York, N.Y., died in Mosul, Iraq, on July 12 when he encountered enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Hernandez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Sailor Killed in Iraq; DoD Identifies Previous Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 13, 2006 – A sailor assigned to 9th Naval Construction Regiment died due to enemy action while operating in Iraq's Anbar province yesterday, and the Defense Department has identified earlier casualties in the war on terror. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The Defense Department identified four soldiers and a Marine who died recently in Iraq or from injuries sustained there:
Marine Sgt. Justin L. Noyes, 23, of Vinita, Okla., died July 2 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.
Army Staff Sgt. Omar D. Flores, 27, of Mission, Texas; Spc. Troy C. Linden, 22, of Detroit Lakes, Minn.; and Spc. Joseph P. Micks, 22, of Rapid River, Mich., died in Ramadi, Iraq, July 8, when a makeshift bomb detonated near their Mine Protected Vehicle. All three soldiers were assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany.
Army Sgt. Duane J. Dreasky, 31, of Novi, Mich., died July 10 at Brooke Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, of injuries sustained when a makeshift bomb detonated near his Humvee in Habbaniyah, Iraq, on Nov. 21. Dreasky was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery, Lansing, Mich.

Staff Sgt. Omar D. Flores, 27, of Mission, Texas. Spc. Troy C. Linden, 22, of Detroit Lakes, Minn. & Spc. Joseph P. Micks, 22, of Rapid River, Mich. in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on July 8, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Mine Protected Vehicle (RG-31) during combat operations. All soldiers were assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany.

Four Soldiers Die in Iraq; Previous Casualties Identified
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2006 – A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died in a non-combat-related incident today, and three soldiers assigned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died due to enemy action while operating in Iraq's Anbar province yesterday, military officials said. The first incident is under investigation. The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Meanwhile, the Defense Department has identified three soldiers who were killed recently in Afghanistan.
Army Pfc. Kevin F. Edgin, 31, of Dyersburg, Tenn., died July 6 in Baghran Valley, Afghanistan, when his convoy encountered enemy small-arms fire. Edgin was assigned to the Army's 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Army Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. McLochlin, 45, of Rochester, Ind., died in Orgun-e, Afghanistan, July 5, when his unit encountered enemy forces using small-arms fire. McLochlin was assigned to the Army National Guard 152nd Infantry Regiment, Marion, Ind.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 William T. Flanigan, 37, of Milan, Tenn., died in Kandahar, Afghanistan, July 2 when his helicopter crashed during combat operations. Flanigan was assigned to the Army National Guard's 4th Squadron, 278th Armor Cavalry Regiment, Jackson, Tenn.

Pfc. Kevin F. Edgin, 31, of Dyersburg, Tenn., died on July 6 in Baghran Valley, Afghanistan, when his convoy encountered enemy small arms fire. Edgin was assigned to the Army's 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. McLochlin, 45, of Rochester, Ind., died in Orgun-E, Afghanistan, on July 5, when his unit encountered enemy forces using small arms fire. McLochlin was assigned to the Army National Guard 152nd Infantry Regiment, Marion Ind.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 William T. Flanigan, 37, of Milan, Tenn. died in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on July 2 when his helicopter crashed during combat operations. Flanigan was assigned to the Army National Guard's 4th Squadron, 278th Armor Cavalry Regiment, Jackson, Tenn. The incident is under investigation.

Soldier Killed in Afghanistan; Previous Casualties Identified
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 7, 2006 – A coalition soldier was killed yesterday in the Baghran Valley of Afghanistan's Helmand province when a convoy was attacked by enemy extremists, and the Defense Department has identified earlier casualties in the war on terror. During the attack, coalition forces returned fire, and at least five extremists were killed. A coalition soldier wounded in the Baghran Valley attack was taken to a coalition medical facility for treatment. "We deeply regret the loss of our fellow soldier, who bravely fought alongside his comrades against those who would impose tyranny and oppression on the Afghan people," said Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 76. "He died serving his country in a mission he and his comrades believe in. His sacrifice will not be forgotten." The soldier's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The Defense Department also identified three soldiers who were killed recently in Iraq.
Army Pfc. Collin T. Mason, 20, of Staten Island, N.Y., died in Taji on July 2 when he encountered indirect fire while manning a checkpoint in his vehicle. Mason was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Army Staff Sgt. Paul S. Pabla, 23, of Fort Wayne, Ind., died July 3 in Mosul of injuries suffered from enemy small-arms fire. Pabla was assigned to the Army National Guard's 139th Field Artillery, Kempton, Ind.
Army Sgt. James P. Muldoon, 23, of Bells, Texas, died June 29 in Balad of injuries suffered earlier that day in Baquba. Muldoon was shot while manning a control point during combat operations. Muldoon was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Combined Arms Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Sgt. James P. Muldoon, 23, of Bells, Texas, died on June 29 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained earlier that day in Baquba, Iraq. Muldoon was shot while manning a control point during combat operations. Muldoon was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Combined Arms Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Staff Sgt. Paul S. Pabla, 23, of Fort Wayne, Ind., died on July 3 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from enemy small arms fire during combat operations. Pabla was assigned to the Army National Guard's 139th Field Artillery, Kempton, Ind.

Coalition Soldier Killed in Afghanistan; DoD Identifies Previous Casualty
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 6, 2006 – A coalition soldier was killed yesterday while on patrol in Afghanistan, and the Defense Department has identified a soldier who recently died in Iraq. The coalition soldier was killed in Afghanistan's Paktika province after his patrol received small-arms fire from a group of extremists. Officials did not identify the soldier's nationality. During the course of the firefight, a 10-year-old Afghan girl was wounded and transported to a coalition medical facility for treatment. She has undergone surgery and is currently in stable condition, U.S. military officials said. "The tragic loss of our soldier, who paid the ultimate price for helping to provide freedom for others, will not be forgotten," said Army Brig. Gen. Douglas A. Pritt, commander of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix. "Our hearts and our prayers go out to his family and fellow comrades. We also pray for the quick recovery of the little girl injured in the attack."

Meanwhile, the Defense Department has identified a soldier who died while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Army Spc. Kyle R. Miller, 19, of Willmar, Minn., died June 29 in Mosul, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy. Miller was assigned to the Army National Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment, New Ulm, Minn.

Pfc. Collin T. Mason, 20, of Staten Island, N.Y., died in Taji, Iraq, on July 2 when he encountered indirect fire while manning a checkpoint in his vehicle. Mason was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX.

Spc. Kyle R. Miller, 19, of Willmar, Minn., died on June 29 in Mosul, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy. Miller was assigned to the Army National Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment, New Ulm, Minn.

Marine, Soldier Killed in Iraq; Earlier Casualty Identified
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 3, 2006 – A Marine was killed in action today in Iraq's Anbar province, a soldier died in a roadside bomb explosion yesterday north of Baghdad, and the Defense Department has identified an airman who died in Iraq over the weekend. The names of the Marine and the soldier are being withheld until their families are notified.

Meanwhile, the Defense Department has identified an airman supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom who died over the weekend.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Carl Jerome Ware Jr., 22, of Glassboro, N.J., died July 1 from a noncombat-related cause at Camp Bucca, Iraq. He was assigned to the 15th Security Forces Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Airman 1st Class Carl Jerome Ware Jr., 22, of Smyrna, Del., died July 1, from a non-combat related cause at Camp Bucca, Iraq. He was assigned to the 15th Security Forces Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. The incident is under investigation.

Pfc. Justin R. Davis, 19, of Gaithersburg, Md., died in Korengal Outpost, Afghanistan (near Kunar Province), on June 25, when he came in contact with indirect fire while on patrol during combat operations. Davis was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y. The circumstances of the soldier’s death are under investigation as a possible friendly-fire incident.

Spc. Christopher D. Rose, 21, of San Francisco, Calif., died on June 29 of injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq. Rose was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Cpl. Ryan. J. Clark, 19, of Lancaster, Calif., died on June 29 in the Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of injuries sustained on June 17 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Clark was assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, Baumholder, Germany.

Cpl. Aaron M. Griner, 24, of Tampa, Fla., died in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on June 28, of injuries sustained when his vehicle struck a mine during combat operations. Griner was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Cpl. Jeremy S. Jones, 25, of Omaha, Neb., died on June 27 of injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device during dismounted combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq. Jones was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Servicemembers Killed in Iraq; DoD Identifies Previous Casualties
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2006 – Three soldiers and a Marine were killed in action over the past two days in Iraq, military officials reported, and the Defense Department has identified three earlier Iraq casualties.
A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier who was part of a dismounted patrol was killed yesterday in a bomb explosion south of Baghdad. Near Balad, a soldier assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, was killed and another was wounded yesterday by a roadside bomb while conducting a combat logistics patrol.
A soldier from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team died yesterday from small-arms fire in Mosul.
On June 28, a Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died in action while operating in Iraq's Anbar province.
The servicemembers' names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Meanwhile, the Defense Department identified three earlier Operation Iraqi Freedom casualties:
Army Pfc. Michael J. Potocki, 21, of Baltimore, died June 26 of injuries suffered in Asad, Iraq, when his unit came in contact with enemy forces small-arms fire. Potocki was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Terry O.P. Wallace, 33, of Winnsboro, La., died June 27, of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Taji. Wallace was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Marine Pfc. Rex A. Page, 21, of Kirksville, Mo., died June 28 from wounds suffered during combat operations in Anbar province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Sgt. Terry M. Lisk, 26, of Fox Lake, Ill., died on June 26 of injuries sustained in Ar Ramadi, Iraq when his unit received indirect fire from enemy forces during combat operations. Lisk was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.

Sgt. Justin L. Noyes, 23, of Vinita, Okla., died July 2 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.