Left of the Dial

Obama Drastically Scales Back Goals for America After Visiting Denny's

...I think I've actually been to this Denny's. 

Wow. Now just imagine if he'd been to a Waffle House. 

Happy Birthday to U.S.

Big thanks to George and Tom and Ben and John and all the rest for the present. Sorry if we haven't treated it as well as we should. We'll try harder.  

I Want You Back

My new favorite cover ever:

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Iraq and who died at a military hospital of their injuries in Afghanistan:

Kevin A. Dupont, 52, of Templeton, Mass.; sergeant first class, Army National Guard. Dupont died Wednesday at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio after suffering third-degree burns March 8 when his Humvee struck a roadside bomb and burst into flames in Kandau, Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 79th Troop Command in Rehoboth, Mass.

Edmond L. Lo, 23, of Salem, N.H.; staff sergeant, Army. Lo was killed June 13 when a roadside bomb he was trying to disarm exploded in Samarra, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Jonathan C. O'Neill, 22, of Zephyrhills, Fla.; specialist, Army. O'Neill died Monday at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio after being badly burned June 2 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in southeast Afghanistan's Paktia province, south of Kabul. He was assigned to the 549th Military Police Company, 385th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Kafele H. Sims, 32, of Los Angeles; captain, Army. Sims died of noncombat-related injuries Tuesday in Mosul, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade in Schwetzingen, Germany.

Joshua W. Soto, 25, of Avenal, Calif.; sergeant, Army. Soto was killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division at Ft. Bliss Texas.

The Carrot Highway

There are times I am so very glad I didn't decide I loved music so much that I would attempt to make my life in the music industry. 

Like these folks: 

 

Aquaman's Lament

So I've listened to this song probably a dozen times over the past couple days. I've spent a bizarrely large percentage of my life thinking about the Batman, but I always loved Aquaman as a kid: we both had blonde hair and loved to swim, and that's about the extent of my introspection. 

And I must say, the King of the Seven Seas makes a good argument, especially when it comes to the unlimited free seafood. 

He, of course, doesn't understand just what it is that makes the Dark Knight not just the greatest comic book character ever but, in fact, one of the greatest characters in the history of fiction full stop. But that's okay, as the song's from Aquaman's POV. The homoerotic angle's kinda been done to death, but we can overlook that given its other charms. 

One thing, though, Mark, if you're reading this: awesome job, oh so catchy, love pretty much everything about it. Except this bit: 

Have you ever got the notion
That he's just a rat with wings
I'm the king of seven oceans
And, Vicki, you're my everything

would work better as:

Have you ever got the notion
That he's just a rat with wings
I'm the king of seven oceans
And I want you to be my queen

Tell you what, you can have it, free of charge. 

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan:

Rocco M. Barnes, 50, of Los Angeles; major, Army National Guard. Barnes was killed June 4 in a vehicle rollover in Afghanistan. He was a member of the California Army National Guard's Tactical Command Post, 40th Infantry Division and assigned as an individual augmentee to the 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Ricky L. Richardson Jr., 33, of Franklin, Mo.; chief warrant officer 2, Marine Corps. Richardson was killed Wednesday while reportedly trying to dismantle a bomb in western Afghanistan's Farah province, on the Iranian border. He was assigned to the 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan.

Eduardo S. Silva, 25, of Greenfield, Calif.; specialist, Army. Silva died of noncombat-related injuries Tuesday at Afghanistan's Bagram Air Field, north of Kabul. He was assigned to the 563rd Aviation Support Battalion, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Joshua R. Whittle, 20, of Downey; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Whittle was killed in combat June 6 in southwestern Afghanistan's Helmand province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Ragtime 80s

So I'm going to just post YouTube vidyos from now on. Because I no longer have anything even remotely worthwhile to say. If I ever did. 

So...here. 

Would it be overly pedantic to point out that ragtime is never supposed to be played quickly? That this is actually stride and not ragtime? Either way, boy can play. 

New 80s Brat Pack Video

This makes me very happy. 

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, or who died at a military hospital of their injuries:

John C. Beale, 39, of Riverdale, Ga.; staff sergeant, Army National Guard. Beale was among three guardsmen killed in an ambush Thursday when Taliban militants detonated a roadside bomb and opened fire on the soldiers' vehicle in Afghanistan's Kapisa province, northeast of Kabul. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Calhoun, Ga.

Justin J. Duffy, 31, of Cozad, Neb.; sergeant, Army. Duffy was killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee in east Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Jarrett P. Griemel, 20, of La Porte, Texas; specialist, Army. Griemel died of noncombat-related injuries Wednesday at Forward Operating Base Gardez south of Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division at Ft. Richardson, Alaska.

Jeffrey A. Hall, 28, of Huntsville, Ala.; staff sergeant, Army. Hall was among four soldiers killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in the Nerkh district west of Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Roberto A. Hernandez II, 21, of Far Rockaway, N.Y.; specialist, Army. Hernandez was killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee in Afghanistan's Paktia province, south of Kabul. He was assigned to the 549th Military Police Company, 385th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) at Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Bradley W. Iorio, 19, of Galloway, N.J.; private, Army. Iorio died May 29 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered two days earlier in a noncombat-related incident in Tallil, Iraq, south of Baghdad. He was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division at Ft. Bliss, Texas.

Kevin M. Jenrette, 37, of Lula, Ga.; major, Army National Guard. Jenrette was among three guardsmen killed in an ambush Thursday when Taliban militants detonated a roadside bomb and opened fire on the soldiers' vehicle in Afghanistan's Kapisa province, northeast of Kabul. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Calhoun, Ga.

Jeffrey W. Jordan, 21, of Rome, Ga.; specialist, Army National Guard. Jordan was among three guardsmen killed in an ambush Thursday when Taliban militants detonated a roadside bomb and opened fire on the soldiers' vehicle in Afghanistan's Kapisa province, northeast of Kabul. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Calhoun, Ga.

Christopher M. Kurth, 23, of Alamogordo, N.M.; specialist, Army. Kurth was killed Thursday when his vehicle was struck by an anti-tank grenade in Kirkuk, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Thomas E. Lee III, 20, of Dalton, Ga.; private Army. Lee was killed May 29 when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Mosul, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Jasper K. Obakrairur, 26, of Hilo, Hawaii; sergeant, Army. Obakrairur was among four soldiers killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in the Nerkh district west of Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Matthew D. Ogden, 33, of Corpus Christi, Texas; private first class, Army. Ogden was among four soldiers killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in the Nerkh district west of Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Charles D. Parrish, 23, of Jasper, Ala.; specialist, Army. Parrish died Thursdayin Balad, Iraq, of injuries suffered earlier that day when his vehicle was struck by an anti-tank grenade in Jalula, northeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo.

Matthew G. Reza, 27, of Austin, Texas; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Reza died of noncombat-related injuries May 31 in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31, Marine Aircraft Group 31, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, S.C.

Marko M. Samson, 30, of Columbus, Ohio; specialist, Army. Samson died of noncombat-related injuries May 31 in Tikrit, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 277th Aviation Support Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Samuel D. Stone, 20, of Port Orchard, Wash.; private first class, Army National Guard. Stone was killed May 30 when his vehicle overturned in a noncombat-related accident in Tallil, Iraq, south of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment in Bremerton, Wash.

Robert D. Ulmer, 22, of Landisville, Pa.; lance corporal, Marine Corps. Ulmer died of noncombat-related injuries Friday in Iraq's Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune N.C.

Matthew W. Wilson, 19, of Miller, Mo.; private first class, Army. Wilson was among four soldiers killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in the Nerkh district west of Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Literal Total Eclipse of the Heart

Ah, another week gone by, another lack of anything interesting to say. Oh, for the days when I could effortlessly pontificate for hundreds, nay, thousands of words and not worry that I had naught worthwhile to say. I am a shell of my former myself. And yet ever so much bigger. Time sucks. 

But this makes it all better. 

I know what you're thinking. How on earth did they take The Greatest Song Ever and make it even better? 

Very simple. 

Ringo Starr? Lined eyes.

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq:

Leevi K. Barnard, 28, of Mount Airy, N.C.; first lieutenant, Army National Guard. Barnard was among three soldiers killed May 21 when a roadside bomb exploded near them while they were on foot patrol in the south Baghdad neighborhood of Dora. He was assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion in Fayetteville, N.C.

Paul F. Brooks, 34, of Joplin, Mo.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Brooks was among three soldiers killed May 21 when a roadside bomb exploded near them while they were on foot patrol in the south Baghdad neighborhood of Dora. He was assigned to the 935th Aviation Support Battalion in Springfield, Mo.

Brent S. Cole, 38, of Reedsville, W.Va.; chief warrant officer, Army. Cole was killed May 22 when the Apache helicopter he was flying crashed near Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C.

Chad A. Edmundson, 20, of Williamsburg, Pa.; specialist, Army National Guard. Edmundson was killed Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded near him while he was on foot patrol in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade in Lewistown, Pa.

Jason E. George, 38, of Tehachapi, Calif.; major, Army Reserve. George was among three soldiers killed May 21 when a roadside bomb exploded near them while they were on foot patrol in the south Baghdad neighborhood of Dora. He was assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion in Fayetteville, N.C.

Ashton L.M. Goodman, 21, of Indianapolis; senior airman, Air Force. Goodman was one of two Air Force personnel killed Tuesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their convoy vehicle near Afghanistan's Bagram Air Field, north of Kabul. She was assigned to the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

Brian Naseman, 36, of New Bremen, Ohio; sergeant first class, Army National Guard. Naseman died of noncombat-related injuries May 22 in Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Sussex, Wis.

Blue C. Rowe, 33, of Whittier; first sergeant, Army Reserve. Rowe was killed Tuesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in central Afghanistan's Panjshir Province, northeast of Kabul. He was assigned to the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion in Upland, Calif.

Mark E. Stratton II, 39, of Houston; lieutenant colonel, Air Force. Stratton was one of two Air Force personnel killed Tuesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near their convoy vehicle near Afghanistan's Bagram Air Field, north of Kabul. He was assigned to the Joint Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

Duane G. Wolfe, 54, of Los Osos, Calif.; commander, Navy Reserve. Wolfe was killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near his convoy vehicle southeast of Fallouja, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers' Gulf Region Division in Iraq.

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq:

Esau I. De la Pena- Hernandez, 25, of La Puente; staff sergeant, Army. De la Pena-Hernandez was one of two soldiers who died May 15 at Forward Operating Base Shank in central Afghanistan's Lowgar province of injuries suffered when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire while on foot patrol in Chak in Wardak province, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

Carlie M. Lee III, 23, of Birmingham, Ala.; sergeant, Army. Lee was one of two soldiers who died May 15 at Forward Operating Base Shank in central Afghanistan's Lowgar province of injuries suffered when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire while on foot patrol in Chak in Wardak province, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.

David A. Schaefer Jr., 27, of Belleville, Ill.; specialist, Army. Schaefer was killed May 16 when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Roslyn L. Schulte, 25, of St. Louis; first lieutenant, Air Force. Schulte was killed Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded near her convoy vehicle near Kabul, Afghanistan. She was the Air Force Academy's first female graduate to be killed in action in Afghanistan or Iraq. She was assigned to Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces Command at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Gitmo Debate Simplified

Concise yet incisive:

I Don't Get Coldplay

So Coldplay and I have never really connected; I've listened to, I think, their first three albums several times each, and found them pleasant and completely unmemorable. Why are these guys superstars? I do not get it. I mean, sure, Chris Martin's a good-lookin' dude, I guess, but it's not like he's gorgeous or nothin'. (Is he?) They've pleasantly captured the style of U2 meets Radiohead without any of the substance. (Not that I'm crazy about Radiohead.) 

But then there's "Viva la Vida," which I would marry if I could. It sounds—and I mean this in the best possible way, as there is little higher praise available from me—like a 70s AM radio pop tune with 2008 production, and that's nothin' but a great damn combination, prolly because my boy Brian Eno (GENIUS!) produced it. 

The video, on the other hand? In it, Chris Martin hasn't quite pushed John Mayer off the top of the Must Get His Ass Kicked Savagely and Hopefully on Pay Per View charts, but he's staking his claim. What a tool. On the other hand, Martin's massively rich and gets to see Gwyneth Paltrow nekkid. So. 

Here's a live version of "Viva la Vida," as the studio version is unembeddable. (A foolish move on the label's part, but when are they not foolish?) The sound's not in synch with the video, but that's okay; the less you actually watch the band, the better your chances of enjoying their musicks. 

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq or who died at a military hospital of their injuries:

Randy S. Agno, 29, of Pearl City, Hawaii; staff sergeant, Army. Agno died May 8 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., of noncombat-related injuries suffered April 27 at Forward Operating Base Olsen in Samarra, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 325th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Omar M. Albrak, 21, of Chicago; specialist, Army. Albrak was killed May 9 in a motor vehicle accident at Camp Victory in Baghdad. He was an Individual Ready Reserve soldier assigned to the Headquarters, Multi-National Forces in Iraq.

Jacob D. Barton, 20, of Lenox, Mo.; specialist, Army. Barton was among five troops killed Monday when a U.S. soldier opened fire at a combat stress-control center at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. Barton was assigned to the 277th Engineer Company, 420th Engineer Brigade in Waco, Texas.

Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, of Paterson, N.J.; staff sergeant, Army. Bueno-Galdos was among five troops killed Monday when a U.S. soldier opened fire at a combat stress-control center at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. Bueno-Galdos was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

Justin P. Hartford, 21, of Elmira, N.Y.; private, Army. Hartford died of noncombat-related injuries May 8 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 699th Maintenance Company, Corps Support Battalion, 916th Support Brigade at Ft. Irwin, Calif.

Matthew P. Houseal, 54, of Amarillo, Texas; major, Army Reserve. Houseal was among five troops killed Monday when a U.S. soldier opened fire at a combat stress-control center at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. Houseal was assigned to the 55th Medical Company in Indianapolis.

Steven Hutchison, 60, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; major, Army. Hutchison died May 10 in Basra, Iraq, south of Baghdad, of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Al Farr. He was the oldest member of the U.S. military to die of combat-related wounds in Iraq or Afghanistan. Hutchison had served two tours of duty in Vietnam and voluntarily rejoined the Army under its retiree recall program. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kan.

Ryan C. McGhee, 21, of Fredericksburg, Va.; corporal, Army. McGhee was killed Wednesday when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in central Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Ft. Benning, Ga.

Lukasz D. Saczek, 23, of Lake in the Hills, Ill.; sergeant, Army National Guard. Saczek died of noncombat-related injuries May 10 in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, near the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment in Woodstock, Ill.

Charles K. Springle, 52, of Wilmington, N.C.; commander, Navy. Springle was among five troops killed Monday when a U.S. soldier opened fire at a combat stress-control center at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. Springle was director of the Community Counseling Center at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Michael E. Yates Jr., 19, of Federalsburg, Md.; private first class, Army. Yates was among five troops killed Monday when a U.S. soldier opened fire at a combat stress-control center at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. Yates was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade in Grafenwoehr, Germany.  ports and the Associated Press

No Green Day

So Green Day tickets went on sale today; they’re coming to SoCal in August. With only the tiniest bit of difficulty, I talked Top Management into coming with me. She likes the band but doesn’t really care for concerts. Still, she’s a gamer.

I’m a bit trepidatious ahead of time as I’ve gotten kinda picky about seat location in my old age. But it turns out that Green Day in San Diego is nothing like Bruce Springsteen in Los Angeles, and in the first minute of onsale I get seats that are almost exactly where I would have picked them myself, had I had the entire arena to choose from.

So I'm all ready to pay. And then I see that the two $49 tickets—which seems reasonable after Springsteen—total nearly $130 once all the service charges are added in. 

And I've got three minutes to decide and pay. 

And I just cannot do it. 

If the tickets were to cost $65, that'd be one thing. But 30% on top of the price? Most or all of it going to the utterly heinous Ticketmaster? In THIS economy? Not a chance.

Mayhap the words I had to type in to prove I was a person (newsflash to regular Left o’ the Dialians: I am) were an omen: “downsize washing.”

So. Another of my favorite bands I'll not be seeing live. 

Greatest Film EVAH

I know I know I know. 

I have been sorely neglecting y'all of late. Or neglecting you sorely. Whatevs.

I've got about a half dozen posts about 10%, so maybe if I smush 'em together? Prolly not the best idear. 

Instead, I offer you this, the—seriously—greatest film evah. Not even sure it's out. Doesn't matter. 

Greatest.

Film.

EVAH.

(Sure, you prolly think 'cuz you can see the title right up thar in the preview that you have a rough idea what it's about. Well, you don't.)

((Okay, okay, okay. You do.))

(((Still doesn't matter. You cannot possibly prepare yourself for The Greatness.)))

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq or who died at a military hospital of their injuries:

Ryan C. King, 22, of Dallas, Ga.; specialist, Army. King was among three soldiers killed May 1 when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades near the village of Nishagam in northeastern Afghanistan's Kunar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Jeremiah P. McCleery, 24, of Portola, Calif.; specialist, Army. McCleery was one of two soldiers shot and killed May 2 by two Iraqi soldiers who attacked a combat outpost in Hammam Alil, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

James D. Pirtle, 21, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; sergeant, Army. Pirtle was among three soldiers killed May 1 when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades near the village of Nishagam in northeastern Afghanistan's Kunar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Shawn D. Sykes, 28, of Portsmouth, Va.; specialist, Army. Sykes died Thursday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered in a noncombat-related accident Tuesday at Combat Outpost Crazy Horse in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Jake R. Velloza, 22, of Inverness, Calif.; specialist, Army. Velloza was one of two soldiers shot and killed May 2 by two Iraqi soldiers who attacked a combat outpost in Hammam Alil, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

William D. Vile, 27, of Philadelphia; staff sergeant, Army. Vile was among three soldiers killed May 1 when their unit was attacked with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades near the village of Nishagam in northeastern Afghanistan's Kunar province, on the Pakistani border. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kan. 

In Memoriam

The Defense Department last week identified the following American military personnel killed in Iraq or who died at a U.S. military hospital of an illness contracted in Iraq:

Christopher D. Loza, 24, of Abilene, Texas; sergeant, Army. Loza died of a non-combat-related illness April 10 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., after becoming ill March 17 while serving in the Radwaniya district of western Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 124th Cavalry Regiment, 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division in Waco, Texas.

James R. McIlvaine, 26, of Olney, Md.; sergeant, Marine Corps. McIlvaine was one of two Marines killed in combat Thursday in Iraq's Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Tyler J. Trahan, 22, of East Freetown, Mass.; petty officer second class, Navy. Trahan was killed in combat Thursday in Fallouja, Iraq, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 12 in Norfolk, Va., and was deployed with an East Coast-based Navy SEAL team.

Leroy O. Webster, 28, of Sioux Falls, S.D.; sergeant, Army. Webster was shot and killed April 25 while on foot patrol near Kirkuk, Iraq, north of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

Mark A. Wojciechowski, 25, of Cincinnati; staff sergeant, Marine Corps. Wojciechowski was one of two Marines killed in combat Thursday in Iraq's Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.