Articles 4.14.2005

The Mooresville Times, IN, has an article on the best friend of Pfc. Stephen Paul Downing II, of the 2-17th Field Artillery, who was killed in Ramadi on 10.28.2004. Chuck Christofferson recently enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard, explicitly following in the legacy of his best friend. Pfc Downing and Mr. Christofferson had been best friends since they were 4 years old. Another close friend of the two, J.R. Wheeler is also enlisting in the Guard. The article also mentions that a fellow 2-17th FA soldier, Phillip Piltcher (who's rank wasn't given), was with Pfc Downing on the day he died. While home on leave, Piltcher was able to attend Pfc Downing's funeral, sharing stories of their time together in Iraq and Korea.
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Reuters has a few photographs of insurgents firing a mortar in Ramadi. One of the captions also indicates that a soldier was killed in Ramadi. The soldier, Spc. John W. Miller, was a 21-year-old member of the 224th Engineering Battalion of the Iowa National Guard, which is based at Camp Ramadi.
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Other articles from the region:
- Knight Ridder: Iraqi refugees in mortal fear at home can't get entry into United States
- NY Times (reg req'd): Closer Look at Falluja Finds Rebuilding Is Slow
- Washington Post: In Fallujah, U.S. Envoy Greeted by Complaints
- Associated Press: In Iraq, State Dept. Deputy Hears Gripes
- AFP: US State Department number two stresses progress in Fallujah
- USA Today: Insurgents come looking for deals to enter politics
- Reuters: Pentagon's War Spending Hard to Track - Watchdog
- San Francisco Chronicle: New president, prime minister must confront huge problems
- Washington Post: In Mosul, a Battle 'Beyond Ruthless'
- NPR Audio Story: Sunni Arabs Divided on Role in Iraq's Future