military: March 2008 Archives

The National Archives announced Wednesday that it is joining with www.footnote.com to make historical records of tens of thousands of deceased Vietnam War veterans available electronically for the first time.

The Associated Press has more:

A Web re-creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall allows access to thousands of pages of casualty records and agency photos. People can search by name, hometown, birthdate, tour date, or dozens of other categories.

The interactive wall allows people to post photographs they may have of a deceased veteran and to make comments. The service is currently free for Vietnam War information; the company is deciding whether to charge fees for some of the 50,000 National Archives photos now digitized.

The number of U.S. military casualties in Iraq is approaching 4,000. You can view Iraqi war casualty figures broken down by year, month, type and a wide variety of other statistical measures at the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, a non-government site maintained by volunteers that compiles casualty data from every available source.

USA Today's Web site compiles an index of U.S. troop deaths in Iraq that covers the past two years by month.

In addition, since October 2006, The Los Angeles Times has been publishing profiles of California military personnel who have been killed in Iraq.

Hollywood action star Chuck Norris, known for his martial arts prowess and tough-guy image, has become a cult figure among the U.S. military in Iraq and an unlikely hero for some in Iraq's security forces. A small cardboard shrine dedicated to Norris has been set up at a U.S. military helicopter hub in Baghdad.

"The fastest way to a man's heart is with Chuck Norris's fist," reads one message at the shrine, which consists of a signed photo of the actor surrounded by similar statements.
"Chuck Norris puts the laughter in manslaughter," reads one and "Chuck Norris divides by zero," reads another.

Known as Chuck Norris "facts," the claims have already become an Internet phenomenon, and scores are featured on www.chucknorrisfacts.com, including "Superman wears Chuck Norris pyjamas," and "There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Oklahoma."

The actor has visited Iraq several times and was made an honorary Marine last year. Some 20 U.S. military personnel and support staff spoken to by Reuters could recite at least one Norris "fact," despite many having not visited the Web site.

U.S. troops in Iraq say his support for them and Norris' invincible image has made him their idol and insist the exaggerated and satirical claims are not meant to mock him.