Qayyarah Airfield West / Saddam Airbase

Qayyarah Airfield West is located in northern Iraq approximately 300 kilometers North of Baghdad and 16 kilometers West of the Tigris River. The airfield is served by two main runways measuring 11,500 and 11,800 feet. The airfield has at least 33 dispersed hardened aircraft shelters and once housed MiG 25s and 27s and M-1 Mirage fighters.

Qayyarah West is protected by a 20 kilometers security perimeter. Within the perimeter, vegetation growth highlights draw attention to the base. Vegetation planted to obscure the base from ground observation has the opposite effect when viewed from overhead.

There are two Weapon Storage Areas (WSA) located 10 and 12 kilometers to the North that are probably associated with Qayyarah West. WSA 1 has 30 munition storage igloos and is 1640 acres in size. WSA 2 has 42 munition storage igloos and is 800 acres in size. It is not known whether these storage areas were built after Operation Desert Storm or whether they were struck during Operation Desert Fox.

FOB (Forward Operating Base) Q-West / OBJ (Objective) Jaguar

The Qayyarah West airfield or "Key West" as troops call it (Q-West, the name is too long) where the headquarters element of the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division with roughly 150 people stay defines the word "austere." Looking out from the sidewalks of the main headquarters compound on a glaring Saturday morning, there is nothing but dirt piles and broken concrete revetments as far as the eye can see. Soldiers here use Army standard burn-out latrines. Human waste goes into barrels, which are filled with gasoline and burned every evening, filling the air with an unmistakable aroma. There are usually two hot meals served daily, breakfast and dinner. Lunch is Meals, Ready to Eat. Occasionally breakfast does not materialize.

The main runway, which had 32 major craters when the US troops arrived May 28, and the control tower are about two miles away from the headquarters compound. One of the first priorities was to repair the runway and tower, and the airfield is now in good enough shape to accept the Air Force's largest transport. After 69 days of around-the-clock work, the soldiers of the 37th Engineer Battalion, out of Fort Bragg, N.C., repaired the craters that littered the main airstrip at QWest, impeding planes from landing there and establishing a more secure route for needed items. The airfield at Q-west has the potential to be a major supply point in the northern region of Iraq. The runway is capably of supporting a C-5 galaxy.

The craters were the result of precision bombing by American planes during both Gulf Wars. About 13 craters were gouged out of the 2.2-mile long main strip, and another 30 destroyed sur-rounding runways and lesser airstrips. Some of the craters reached 30 feet in depth, and 120 feet in diameter. Airfield damage repair is a long process, requiring much effort. Teams of four to five light equipment engineers tackled each main-strip hole. One hole, from start to finish, took seven to nine days to repair. Small teams work more efficiently. To repair the craters, crews first had to clean the upheaval around the parts of tarmac outside the crater affected by the blasts. Next, a survey team assesses the best soil to fill the craters. The filling has three levels. The first two layers are mostly debris blown out by the explosions. The third layer is crushed stone. This layer reaches up to one foot from the top of the blast crater. To top off the hole, a foot of reinforced cement is poured in until it reaches the rim. Heavy equipment is used in the repair process. The engineers used bucket loaders to shovel material into the craters, knobby steam rollers to compact the material, water distributors to ensure the material is compacted down correctly and evenly, and finally, smooth rollers to finish the job. Some of the craters still had unexploded ordnance in them. The mine awareness group disposed of 2,000 pound bombs at the bottom of the pits.

By July 2003 Qayyarah West Airfield, a former military air base about 30 miles south of Mosul in northern Iraq was the home of the 'Bastogne Bulldogs,' the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. Only a handful of the brigade's soldiers actually live here, however. Most of them are spread around the region, where they are tasked with missions such as local outreach and assistance, search and cordon, safety patrols and guard duty for important archaeological sites to prevent looting. The outlying troops live where they work, some in tents, others in makeshift quarters in existing buildings.

The days can be long and hard at Qayyarah West Airfield in Northern Iraq, full of dust and camel spiders. Charlie Company of the the 37th En Bn did all of the construction for the 1st BCT at Q-West. They started building the tropical huts and made great progress on the groundwork for the KBR trailers that were to go down there. They also finished up the new front gate and continued with the Ammo Holding Area (AHA). For the AHA they built up large berms to protect from any secondary explosions. They continued with the Oil Pipeline Firefighting and the picture of the week shows a couple of Pioneer dozers at one of the fires.

Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) thwarted an attack on Iraqi Civil Defense Corps forces at Objective Jaguar near Qayyarah Oct. 12. 2003. Approximately 30 individuals traveling in 16 vehicles approached the perimeter of Objective Jaguar, a large ammunition storage point currently guarded by ICDC forces. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery engaged the enemy, who broke contact and fled the area. The 101st AD soldiers later detained three suspects and confiscated three AK-47s, one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, two RPG rounds, two 9mm pistols and a crate of AK-47 magazines. ICDC forces assumed protection responsibility of Objective Jaguar Oct. 1.

On 02 October 2003 coalition soldiers relinquished security and guarding responsibilities of Objective Jaguar, an ammo supply point, to the soldiers from Delta Company, part of the Iraq Civil Defense Corps in a relief in place. The ammo supply point that the Iraqis will guard is 12 square kilometers, and has been guarded by 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) for the last five months. The mission to secure the ammo supply point is important; it's larger then the city of Mosul. Besides Obj. Jaguar, the ICDC will secure the nearby Al Hatra hotel as well as 2,000 year-old ruins that are in the area.

In October 2003 an elite air assault school in the US military's 101st Airborne Division began operations in Iraq, its first foreign mission since the Vietnam War . The deployment was the latest in a series of moves in Washington signalling the US-led occupation of Iraq will be longer than anticipated. Not since the Vietnam War has the 101st uprooted the school and sent it abroad to train soldiers. The Sabalauski Air Assault School, usually based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, would train 2,000 students at a rate of 150 a week in launching ground assualts out of airborne helicopters.

The soldiers of the 101st Aviation Regiment fixed their focus on the little guys. The helicopter regiment, based at Qayyarah West Airfield with 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, conducted numerous community projects in the half-dozen villages surrounding the airfield with hopes of bringing positive, permanent changes to their living standards. The aviators started surfacing the dirt roads between the villages with rock and gravel in order to make them more serviceable. Road conditions commonly force drivers to drive out of the way in order to reach a main highway, and a common route takes drivers along the airfield's outer perimeter.

Schools in need of simple supplies and new windows, or even a complete renovation, received a helping hand from 101st Airborne Division CERP funds and nongovernmental organizations working with the soldiers. While early reviews are good on the multi-million dollar investment, the division has run into road bumps in the first week of school. One school in the town of Quyarrah, for example, was not holding classes five days after it was expected to open, despite a $2,500 grant to the faculty. When Capt. Kellie Rourke of Minneapolis, Minn., 101st Aviation Brigade, inspected the school 07 October 2003, she said she found it filthy -- nowhere near ready for lessons.

The Quyarrah Oil Refinery is now the largest employer in this town of roughly 30,000 people, south of Mosul. After its 1986 closing, four bombings during the Iran-Iraq war, 17 years of inactivity and $46,000 in Coalition-supported renovations, the factory came to life again once again. For nearly two decades, the managers of this oil refinery paid guards to protect the facility and its benzene and asphalt base stockpile that will now be used in production. The Oil Ministry in Baghdad had no interest in reopening the plant, but with support from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Col. Ben Hodges, the division's First Brigade commander, the refinery re-opened. In addition, the plant produces diesel fuel - a byproduct of the production process that will power the facility. In fact, there is no fuel line into the refinery. When the plant is operating correctly, it is self-sufficient.

An MWR on base houses an aerobics room, theater, basketball court, shuffle board and a wide variety of other recreational activities.

Q-West Home to the NCO Academy where Iraqi NCOs take part in the Primary Leadership Course which trains Iraqis to become successful non commissioned officers in the Iraqi army.

FOB Endurance

FOB Endurance is located at Qayyarah Airfield West, itself approximately 60 miles south of Mosul. It is another name for FOB Q-West.
The facility is surrounded by desert and no settlements are located near the base. As of November 2004, the facility's internet access was slow relative to that available Mosul Airbase and sometimes prone to not working. Phone access was reported to be limited. Mail deliveries were described as taking extra time because of the facility's remote location, but were running at about 3 per week, while outgoing mail was limited to one or two times per month.
A soldier-operated mini-PX opened on November 20, 2004, in room 116 of the bombed out palace. The mini-PX is to be supplied with stock from the main PX warehouse at Mosul Airbase. Other facilities at FOB Endurance include a dining facility, an MWR building with a theater. The base gym which, as of November 2004, was operated by KBR, offers a basketball court, along with access to free weights, exercise bicycles and treadmills.

On December 17, 2004, the 917th Corps Support Group took over the duties of the 167th Corps Support Group at FOB Endurance. The 2-8th Field Artillery was also stationed at the facility starting around November 2004. The 116th Rear Area Operations Center moved to FOB Endurance after Thanksgiving 2004 from Mosul AB.

Al Asad Air Base [Qadisiyah Airbase]

Al Asad Airfield, the second largest airbase in Iraq , is located in northern Iraq approximately 180 kilometers West of Baghdad and 12 kilometers Southwest of the Euphrates River. The airfield is served by two main runways measuring 14,000 and 13,000 feet. Al Asad, like other military airbases across Iraq, has numerous hardened shelters and hangars with multiple runways and taxiways, patterned after their Russian counterparts. According to the "Gulf War Air Power Survey", Al Asad had 33 hardened aircraft shelters. At each end of the main runway are hardened aircraft shelters knowns as "Trapezoids" or "Yugos" which were build by Yugoslavian contractors some time prior to 1985. Al Asad is protected by a 21 kilometer security perimeter.

There is one Weapon Storage Areas (WSA) located 8 kilometers to the Northeast which occupies 3 square kilometers. This WSA appears on a 1985 Russian map but it is not known whether it was struck during Operation Desert Storm, or Desert Fox. The Al Asad airfield, housed three fighter squadrons - the bulk of the Iraqi air force.

Qadisiyah Airbase is named after the great battle of May 636 at Al Qadisiyah, a village south of Baghdad on the Euphrates. The Iranians, who outnumbered the Arabs six to one, were decisively beaten. From Al Qadisiyah the Arabs pushed on to the Sassanid capital at Ctesiphon, enabling Islam under Caliph Umar to spread to the East. During the 1980s, Baathist publicists regularly called the Iran-Iraq War a modern day "Qadisiyah" exploiting this age-old enmity in its propaganda and publicizing the war as part of the ancient struggle between the Arab and Persian empires.

FOB Webster / Objective Weber (Al Asad Airbase)

Australian Special Air Service Regiment troops captured the Al Asad Airfield on 16 April 2003. Counter-SF tactics saw the enemy concentrate sports utility vehicles (SUVs) mounted with heavy calibre machine-guns with mortar support to try and out manoeuvre and overwhelm the SF groups. They failed abysmally as SF, sometimes with close-air support, used superior tactics to devastate and defeat this determined enemy element. The key, it was found, lay in destroying the SUVs. With that done, surrender inevitably followed.

The coalition found scores of fighter aircraft, mostly Soviet-era MiGs but also three advanced MiG-25 Foxbats. Special operations forces entered al Asad airfield and found numerous fixed-wing fighter warplanes, apparently undamaged and many still in flyable condition, hidden under camouflage. The discovery of over 50 aircraft at Al Asad Air Base and nearly 8 million kilograms (8,000 tonnes) of explosive ordnance was a major achievement. The MiGs escaped detection during the coalition bombing campaign. Some were buried, others were parked in date palm tree groves or tucked in dried out riverbeds and covered with camouflage sheets.

Some of the Iraqi MiGs were in flying condition, and, as of late September 2004, remained a unique feature of the airbase, with parts lying discarded accross the barren landscape of Al Asad. Occasionally, one can find an engine of a MiG-25 Foxbat-considered to be the fastest fighter aircraft ever produced-being used as a roadblock.

With the capture of the airbase the SF refused to rest on their laurels - they got it working again. Although none are mechanics or airfield engineers, they repaired and rebuilt two bulldozers, a roller and a grader and repaired bomb craters on the airfield in order to allow 36 Sqn's C130s to land. Repair of the airfield also enabled a couple of high-profile visitors to deliver a personal thank you. Fittingly on Anzac Eve, Minister for Defence Robert Hill and CDF Gen Peter Cosgrove paid homage to the small quiet group who have forged an awesome reputation for Australia in the wastes of the western desert.

HHC 54th Engineer Battalion (Corps) (Mechanized) conducted initial reconnaissance of Al Asad Airbase in western Iraq on 30 APR 03. This aerial reconnaissance was for the purpose of determining the suitability of utilizing the runway to land military aircraft for resupply. Members of the recon team were CPT Sizemore, CPT Watkins, SFC Ellis, and SGT Thomas. The Regimental Support Squadron (RSS) battalion commander and CSM also attended the initial recon.

FOB Al Asad / Camp Al Asad

Upon arriving in Iraq, assets of the 3d ACR quickly took their positions in the Al Anbar Region of Iraq. The 3d ACR was assigned the difficult task of controlling what was and still is the "hot spot" of Iraq. Each squadron received minimal supplies to renovate the desolate and meager conditions found at each camp. In the process, troopers discovered a diamond in the rough, Al Asad Air Base. Al Asad, a state of the art facility, built by the Iraqi government and funded by Yugoslavia in the early 1980's was abandoned in the mid 1990's. Located on the facility, along with the majority of 3d ACR Troopers, was one of the most sophisticated hospitals in Iraq. In the hospital was found medical equipment formerly used by the Iraqi Army, abandoned and useless to the Army which now inhabits the base. Like the rest of Al Asad, the equipment gathered dust after the Iraqi Army abandoned the post.

The 3d ACR cleared the hospital and repaired what equipment they could. Civil Affairs assets from Long Knife Squadron decided to give the equipment to the local hospital in an effort to improve hospital quality within the community. Capt. Michael Rush, Civil Affairs Officer for Long Knife Squadron spearheaded the operation to get the equipment to the hospital within Baghdadi, Iraq, a small town outside of Al Asad Air Base.

In mid-September 2003 a brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division replaced the 2nd Squadron of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, freeing it to move west. After a short rest at Al Asad Airbase, Iraqi headquarters of the 3rd ACR, the squadron began its new mission securing more than 500 miles of border with Saudi Arabia , Jordan and Syria.

At the Al-Asad Air Base, soldiers of the 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment mourned their comrades-in-arms who died on 02 November 2003 when their Chinook transport helicopter was downed outside Fallujah, 50km west of Baghdad. In a tribute to the fallen soldiers, on 06 November 2003 the men prayed and cried as taps rang out in a ceremony, while an American flag fluttered and 15 helmets hung from posts.

According to an Oct. 3, 2004 Marine Corps story, in a ceremonial "manning of the rails," Det. C, Marine Aircraft Control Squadron 1, MWSG 38, 3rd MAW, transferred their operations to the Iraqi air traffic control tower at al-Asad on Sept. 30, 2004. Measuring 150 feet tall, the Iraqi tower is more than twice the size of the expeditionary tower, which the unit had been operating in since arriving there in March 2004. The permanent Iraqi tower has numerous advantages over the more austere expeditionary tower, including increased visibility. Prior to that, the unit had been using an AN/TSQ-120 ATC tower, which would, as a result, be used for backup operations. Because the Iraqi tower had not been utilized or maintained for an extended period of time, it wasn't easy for MACS-1 to get it ready for use, with preparation work on the tower taking three months.

The Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 23 reconstruced over thirty bomb craters between October 2004 and March 2005. The project included excavating the old joints in the runway that were cracking, chipping and separating after years of wear and tear. This included numerous daily convoys into the desert to retrieve materials from quarry sites. Pouring new concrete will give jet aircraft a smooth surface for landings and take-offs and could reduce aircraft maintenance. During a six week period from November to December 2004, the Naval Mobile Construction Batallion completed nineteen of the crater repairs by working twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. At the end of March 2005, the Naval Mobile Construction Batallion 24 took over the project, completing the remainder of the thirty bomb craters.

In early June 2005 marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 put the finishing touches on a two-month project to enhance the security of the airbase by expanding the perimeter fence. Engineers, welders, draftsmen, surveyors and heavy equipment operators began the mesa fence project in April 26, and since then worked through temperatures ranging in the triple digits and constant blowing dust to extend the perimeter of the airbase.

The fence line was pushed out to extend security. It provides a better vantage point for security towers. The squadron's drafters and surveyors scoped out the area and drew up the plan, which included three miles of fence, barbed wire and a bridge to cross the wadi between the base and the towering mesa. When the plans were finished, the squadron's engineers began the process of digging thousands of postholes, planting the fence posts, hanging the fence and tying the barbed wire.

Because the fence crossed through the wadi, or riverbed, that lies between the camp and the ridgeline, the squadron used their ingenuity to craft a non-standard field expedient bridge to reach guard towers around the perimeter. While drafters and surveyors measured the topography and drew up the plans, engineers laid a foundation complete with drainage, and the squadron's welders crafted the bridge from old steel concrete forms.

Soldiers at Al Asad are working very hard everyday to prevent mortar attacks. They employ a variety of means to find where the insurgents are going to firing mortars and rounds from. Focus is on conducting operations so they can kill or detain the insurgents who are doing these types of operations, with every means available. The use of ground forces to go out and deal with these insurgents who are firing mortars as well as indirect firing systems and also air power. These tactics are forcing insurgents are resorting to and relying more on indirect fire. That gives them the capability to use their from many kilometers away. Soldiers on Al Asad use pattern analysis, to determine where insurgents are going to fire from next.

The Coalition Commander has decided to bring in a coalition force at Al Asad, for a variety of countries to help the U.S. with the occupation. Soldiers from Uganda are at Al Asad, to guard facilities that are in the airbase itself. As of November 21, 2005 soldiers from Uganda guard the PX, gymnasium and other morale support activity buildings. The reasons that the troops from Uganda are there, is because it frees up the troops to task out in our own units like the 1/109th. For example, if these Soldiers from Uganda were not guarding these sights on the FOB the Soldiers from the 1/109th would have to use some resources for that objective.

Marine Corps aviation is upgrading the way it does business logistically on Al-Asad. As of December 2005, the Patriots of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26 were testing the Marine Aviation Logistics Support Program II pilot at Al Asad, Iraq. MALSP II will enable units to reduce the forward footprint and save money. Marine Aviation Logistics Support Program identifies exactly what is needed to bring soldiers into a combat environment, including spare aviation parts, support equipment, mobile facilities and personnel. MALSP II will help improve on the process using new concepts to be more efficient and effective. The MALSP II pilot is based on principles of AIRSpeed. AIRSpeed is a business management strategy that focuses on eliminating waste and constraints to maximize overall production and integrating a disciplined approach for improving business performance by reducing variation. The program essentially supports every type of aircraft in the Corps. The MALSP II pilot allows soldiers to be more effective with less. In MALSP II, the Patriots will stock a reduced amount of each line item, called a buffer, that is based on the amount of demand on a particular item during the time it takes to reliably replenish the item. The system is based on the forward operating base pulling what they need based on demand, as opposed to pushing allowances forward as the way business is currently conducted. Marine Aviation Logistics Support Program II is set up with a parent base, an Expeditionary Support Base and a forward operating base. The MALSP II pilot parent base is MALS-14 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The ESB is MALS-26 at Al Asad and the FOB is MALS-26 detachment at Al Taqaddum, Iraq. In the future, the ESB could be based out of a combat environment, in a neighboring country or on a ship. The Patriots stock more than 19,000 parts to support aircraft in Iraq. MALSP II pilot started in April and focuses on 190 parts to test the concept. As of December, 2005, there was support the FOB at Al Taqaddum using the buffer concepts. Soldiers are able to access and manage critical information on the Web-based software, and to learn the stock posture Al Taqaddum and at Al Asad and act on deficiencies."

Marines and soldiers at the outlying forward operating bases have another name for al-Asad -- "Camp Cupcake." It is a place where an oasis has served traders since the time of Abraham of the Bible. Al-Asad is thought of as luxurious compared with most other bases in Iraq. New housing, called "can cities," are springing up all over Al Asad. Metal trailers linked together provide one or two soldiers with 10-foot by 20-foot living areas. Latrines have running water and porcelain commodes in the can cities, not portapotties. Showers are spotless, just the place to refresh after an "abs" session with the on-base trainer. A theater shows movies day and night.

Soldiers, Marines, Air Force personnel and sailors can do laps in the indoor swimming pool. The large PX faces competition from nearly a dozen Iraqi merchants, who are licensed to sell everything from local crafts and rugs to Cuban cigars and pirated DVDs.

The living conditions at Al Asad have been very good, with daily showers and air conditioning reported. The food and gym facilities have been reported as being excellent and, as from February 2006, Al Asad has had a telephone center and Internet café (albeit with a lengthy wait).

WELCOME Ms. Catalina Manarang Lucas sa Barista Kapihan ni Ate at Kuya !!! Lakad na sa inilatag na Red carpet para sa iyo and enjoy a fresh cup of brewed coffee handa namin specialy for you!!!



Mag e–enjoy ka dito, halina pasok na, magbasa at mag post ng iyong mga messages. Makipagbalitaan sa mga dating ka-klase at ka-eskwela. Inroduce yourself to us Cat ok, enjoy ka lang sa company ng ibang mga Barista.

Masayang masaya kami at kapiling ka namin dito sa Barista Kapihan ni Ate at Kuya!!!.

Manny Ace

It is Thursday, November 19, in the year of our Lord two thousand and nine. Napakabilis talaga ng panahon, parang kailan lang sinalubong natin ang taon, heto na naman … patapos na ang kasalukuyan at darating naman ang panibagong taon.

Heto at naghahanda na naman ako para sa aking susunod na ‘mission impossible’. Kaya huwag mabahala kung wala kayo mabasa na talata oh tinta mula sa inyong lingkod ng mga susunod na mga araw.

Magandang araw sa inyong lahat mga kaibigan. Ano ano ng balita dyan sa inyong panig ng daigdig? Dito kasalukuyan ay nasa 4 degrees centigrade na, alam ko meron dyan mga lugar na mas matindi ang lamig, lalo na sa mga parteng hilaga ng mundo kung saan mayroon ng mga niyebe (lalim nun ah, niyebe = snow or ice). Kaya paalala lang na dress in layers, to keep warm, parang sa ganun kapag nainitan na eh mag alis ng layer na suot. Hindi mainam ang masobrahan sa init tapos ay sasabak sa lamig … trangkaso ang aabutin.

Balita mula sa Las Vegas:

Wow mali! Look-a-like ni Manny Pacquiao dinumog sa Las Vegas 11/18/2009 | 10:57 PM

Ilang sandaling naranasan ng isang Pinoy na nagtatrabahong janitor sa Canada ang kasikatan matapos siyang magpagkamalang si Manny Pacquiao sa Las Vegas.

Sa ulat ng GMA News 24 Oras nitong Miyerkules, ipinakita ang video footage kung saan pinagkakahulugan ang look-a-like ni Pacquiao na nakilalang si Bryan Abenujar.

Makikita sa video footage ang malaking pagkakahawig ni Abenujar kay Pacquiao tulad sa kilos, bigote, hugis ng mukha, buhok, katawan at pati na ang pag-ngiti.

Tulad ng isang sikat na celebrity, nag-uunahan ang mga dayuhan na magpakuha ng litrato kasama si Abenujar at humihingi ng kanyang authograph.

Ang naturang video ay kuha umano sa MGM Grand Garden Hotel sa Las Vegas kung saan ginanap ang laban ni Pacquiao kontra sa Puerto Rican na si Miguel Cotto.

Sinabi sa ulat na sinadya ni Abenujar na bumiyahe sa Las Vegas mula sa Canada kung saan ito nakatira at nagtatrabho bilang janitor para lamang personal na masaksihan ang laban ng tinaguriang “Pambansang Kamao" ng Pilipinas.

Hindi naman umano mapigilan ng ilang empleyado sa MGM na matawa nang makita nila na look-a-like lamang ni Pacquiao ang pinagkakaguhan ng mga tao. – Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV


Value Moment
November 19, 2009

An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't know … Anatole France

Weird Facts:
• Crayola means “oily chalk.” The name is derived from the French words “craie”, or “chalk,” and “ola,” an abbreviation for “oleaginous,” or “oily.”

Events on this day:
• 1959 - Ford Motor Company announces the discontinuation of the unpopular Edsel.
• 1863 - American Civil War: U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address at the military cemetery dedication ceremony at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Birthdays:
• Jody Foster - 46
• Meg Ryan - 47
• Calvin Klein – 66
• Ted Turner – 70
• Larry King – 75
• James Garfield – WHB 177

Thought for the Day:
• Watch the goat from the front, the horse from the rear and man from all sides.