On this Memorial Day, I'm pleased to plug a new book called "LOON: A Marine Story".
Among the many people I have been fortunate enough to cross paths with in my life is the book's author, Jack McLean. He and I and a couple hundred other boys were in boarding school together back in the 1960's.
LOON is Jack's story: a prep school boy who, when others were doing their best to avoid the draft, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and ended up fighting in Vietnam. He then went on to attend Harvard.
As the publisher's press info tells it:
"In Loon, McLean takes readers from Andover’s privileged campus, to the infamous Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, to the battle at Landing Zone Loon in the rugged hills along Vietnam’s Laotian border. During that period, Jack transformed from a sheltered boy, into a Marine, and ultimately into one of a handful of survivors of a horrific three-day assault during some of the heaviest fighting of the Vietnam War. Richly textured and full of action-packed battle scenes, Loon is a piercingly honest and beautifully written story of an infantry Marine and his comrades as they face the challenges of boot camp, stateside service and, ultimately, war. It neither glorifies nor mystifies. It simply tells the story, and in so doing, teaches us a great deal about courage, honor, sacrifice, and is a powerful portrait of a period of American history."
Last Friday, another of our Andover classmates organized a reception for Jack in Washington, D.C. Even though it has been more than 40 years since we were together in school, more than half a dozen of our class were on hand to congratulate Jack on his achievement and his service.
I can heartily recommend Loon. Get a copy.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Uganda and Iran as Uranium Partners?
According to Kampala's Daily Monitor, there were what the paper termed "strong" indications that during his just-concluded visit to Iran, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni discussed prospects for exploiting Uganda's uranium resources with Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
A joint Iranian-Ugandan statement said the leaders "reaffirmed the right of developing countries to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes."
Uranium was first discovered in Uganda in 2004. The Monitor reports Museveni has often said these resources would only be used for the generation of energy. The paper goes on to report that in 2007, Museveni ordered the Ministry of Energy to halt any deals for exploration of uranium, a position he has maintained to date.
The Monitor goes on: "But because of Iran's pursuit of uranium, the President's visit thus becomes significant. However, if Iranian companies are given a green light to develop exploitation of the mineral resource, such a development would be greeted by serious concern from Uganda's western allies like the United States of America."
Mr Museveni flew to Iran last Friday. Gen. Aronda Nyakirima, the Chief of Ugandan Defence Forces, also travelled to Iran and the Monitor says his presence indicates there was discussion on military cooperation between the two countries.
A joint Iranian-Ugandan statement said the leaders "reaffirmed the right of developing countries to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes."
Uranium was first discovered in Uganda in 2004. The Monitor reports Museveni has often said these resources would only be used for the generation of energy. The paper goes on to report that in 2007, Museveni ordered the Ministry of Energy to halt any deals for exploration of uranium, a position he has maintained to date.
The Monitor goes on: "But because of Iran's pursuit of uranium, the President's visit thus becomes significant. However, if Iranian companies are given a green light to develop exploitation of the mineral resource, such a development would be greeted by serious concern from Uganda's western allies like the United States of America."
Mr Museveni flew to Iran last Friday. Gen. Aronda Nyakirima, the Chief of Ugandan Defence Forces, also travelled to Iran and the Monitor says his presence indicates there was discussion on military cooperation between the two countries.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Iran Again Stresses Eagerness to Expand Ties with Africa
Iran's Fars news agency is quoting Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying Tehran is ready to expand ties with African countries, saying that it is a priority for the Iranian government.
"We hope the upcoming African heads-of-state meeting in Tehran will help broaden relations between Iran and Africa," Mottaki said on Sunday in a meeting with former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda.
As regards relations between Iran and Zambia, he referred to the potential in various commercial and industrial sectors of the two countries, and said Iranian contractors could play a key role in implementing various scientific and medical research projects in that country.
The Iranian top diplomat pointed to the upcoming African heads-of-state meeting in Tehran and said Iran hopes it will help in bolstering ties with African states.
Kaunda, for his part, expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries would increase in various fields, and said Africa is willing to use Iran's experience in establishment of research institutes to control chronic diseases, considering the remarkable scientific developments in various fields in Iran.
Note: No word yet on the date for the upcoming African heads-of-state meeting in Tehran.
"We hope the upcoming African heads-of-state meeting in Tehran will help broaden relations between Iran and Africa," Mottaki said on Sunday in a meeting with former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda.
As regards relations between Iran and Zambia, he referred to the potential in various commercial and industrial sectors of the two countries, and said Iranian contractors could play a key role in implementing various scientific and medical research projects in that country.
The Iranian top diplomat pointed to the upcoming African heads-of-state meeting in Tehran and said Iran hopes it will help in bolstering ties with African states.
Kaunda, for his part, expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries would increase in various fields, and said Africa is willing to use Iran's experience in establishment of research institutes to control chronic diseases, considering the remarkable scientific developments in various fields in Iran.
Note: No word yet on the date for the upcoming African heads-of-state meeting in Tehran.
Friday, May 1, 2009
World Press Freedom Day
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2009
Statement by the President in honor of World Press Freedom Day
World Press Freedom Day is annually observed on May 3 to remind us all of the vital importance of this core freedom. It is a day in which we celebrate the indispensable role played by journalists in exposing abuses of power, while we sound the alarm about the growing number of journalists silenced by death or jail as they attempt to bring daily news to the public.
Although World Press Freedom Day has only been celebrated since 1993, its roots run deep in the international community. In 1948, as people across the globe emerged from the horrors of the Second World War, nations saw fit to enshrine in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights the fundamental principle that everyone “has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
Even as the world recognizes the central and indisputable importance of press freedom, journalists find themselves in frequent peril. Since this day was first celebrated some sixteen years ago, 692 journalists have been killed. Only a third of those deaths were linked to the dangers of covering war; the majority of victims were local reporters covering topics such as crime, corruption, and national security in their home countries. Adding to this tragic figure are the hundreds more each year who face intimidation, censorship, and arbitrary arrest – guilty of nothing more than a passion for truth and a tenacious belief that a free society depends on an informed citizenry. In every corner of the globe, there are journalists in jail or being actively harassed: from
Today, I lend my voice of support and admiration to all those brave men and women of the press who labor to expose truth and enhance accountability around the world. In so doing, I recall the words of Thomas Jefferson: "The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
##
