Iraq

Soldiers have birthdays, too. But try to send a cake to Iraq or Afghanistan, and you’re likely to find it arriving on the other end, days or weeks later, as a goopy, decomposed mess. That’s why a Huntington Beach woman who runs a national cake delivery network tried to find a better way, enlisting a local bakery to come up with something that can survive the long, bumpy ride and still taste good once it arrives — complete with custom message printed in frosting.

On the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq Wednesday, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher expressed mixed feelings about the conflict’s worth. For the war’s opponents, candlelight vigils were scheduled throughout the county Wednesday by MoveOn.org members, including those in Huntington Beach. Few thought a march would change the nation’s foreign policy, but they said they wanted to remind residents about a war that would soon enter its sixth year. “I think it was a noble purpose and a noble goal,” Rohrabacher said.

"Joel Rezendes is alive because Marc's body blocked the force of the blast," Guy Glimpse said of his son, Marine Lance Cpl. Marcus Glimpse of Huntington Beach. Glimpse, 22, and fellow Marine Joel Rezendes were setting up a roadside checkpoint in the Al Anbar province of Iraq on April 12 when an improvised bomb exploded, killing Glimpse. He is the first local military service member to die in Iraq. Rezendes is recuperating from his injuries at home in Seattle, and his mother called to tell the Glimpse family about their son's heroic act. Family members gathered Saturday at the home of Patricia Gregg, Marcus' grandmother, to make arrangements for the funeral, which is expected to draw about 2,000 people.

VOICE FROM IRAQ Orange County political consultant Eileen Padberg will speak about her experiences in Iraq from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at UC Irvine's McDonnell Douglas Auditorium. For information, call (949) 824-2904 or e-mail the Center for the Study of Democracy at o7csd@uci.eduf7. BID TO YOUR ART'S DESIRE AT AUCTION The Orange County Museum of Art is holding its Benefit Art Auction 2005 Thursday to support the museum's education and outreach programs.

The Huntington Beach Independent went to Harbour View School and asked students, 'What would you like to say to the soldiers who are fighting in Iraq?' "I want to say thank you for fighting for the freedom of Iraqis and I wish them a happy Valentine's Day." TRAVIS SPARKS, 11 "I just wanted to thank the soldiers for fighting for our country and I hope they come home safe and soon." KRISTEN DURKAN, 10 "I wish them a happy Valentine's Day and I wanted to thank them for fighting for our safety."

The Huntington Beach Independent went to College View Elementary School and asked Christy Stover's fifth-grade class, 'What's the first thing you'd do if you were president of the United States?' "The first thing I'd do is definitely see for myself how the war is in Iraq. I'd like to see progress." Danielle Banh, 10 "I would stop the war with Iraq because it's killing a lot of people." Nathan Fierro, 10 "I would deliver $500,000 to every hospital in person."

Burbank Neighbors for Peace and Justice joined other groups to march and rally in Los Angeles today to protest the war in Iraq. Protesters will meet at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Broadway and march to the Federal Building, where several speakers, including Ron Kovic, whose autobiography, "Born on the Fourth of July" became an Academy Award-winning movie, will rally. "We do it primarily to educate people and let them know that war never solved anything," said Anna May Nelson, a member of the Burbank group.

President Bush has proposed sending another 20,000 troops into Iraq in the next several months. He claims this troop escalation is a new strategy. In fact, this is another example of Bush and the Republicans refusing to admit when they are dead wrong. As the other countries involved surge out of Iraq, we are surging in. Bush is running out the clock so that this mess he has created will become the problem of the next administration. That way, he and the Republican hit squad can try to blame someone else for their failures there.

Everyone undoubtedly remembers where they were and how they heard about the despicable attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon seven years ago today. The first plane crashed into the World Trade Center at 8:45 a.m. EST. It was a quarter to six here on the West Coast, and Vic and I were still sleeping. My brother George called from Indiana as soon as he heard the news. At first it looked like a horrible accident, but a second plane crashed 18 minutes later. By 9:45 am, a third plane crashed into a helicopter landing pad and careened into the Pentagon.

Despite heavy rain snarling traffic and pushing festivities inside, Huntington Beach?s adopted battalion of Marines celebrated their return from Iraq at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort Friday, where the Huntington Beach 3/1 Marines Foundation put on a huge bash to show its support. Battalion members presented three of the 3/1 Foundation?s biggest corporate benefactors with a trio of irreplaceable gifts: The Robert Mayer Corporation, the Waterfront Hilton and the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa all received Huntington Beach flags that Marines flew in their recent tour in the Al Anbar province of Iraq.

T here is a 94-line statement about Memorial Day outside Huntington Beach City Hall that says more than any editorial the Independent could ever write. That is the city's war memorial, which displays the names of 94 Huntington Beach residents who died in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. The monument was dedicated May 26, 1997, and expanded later to include the Iraq casualties. It's doubtful those will be the last names ever added to it. When a major tragedy shakes American society — 9/11, the Challenger, Virginia Tech, Hurricane Katrina — there is always an acute period of mourning that lasts a few days or weeks.

  918 RECORDING ARTISTS “ATTACKHEAD” TO DONATE 50% OF ALL CD SALES DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY TO THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA (IAVA) The Southern California heavy metal band, “Attackhead” will be supporting Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) to help raise funds for our Veterans. Attackhead is donating fifty (50) percent of all profits from the sales of its CD’s during the month of February to the non-profit organization.

Students are making sure troops abroad have a bit of holiday cheer with a stocking care package. Peterson YMCA, Huntington Beach Cub Scout Pack 290 and John R. Peterson Elementary School are working together to collect items for troops. People can donate 7-inch-by-9-inch stocking items to fill the stockings, or a filled stocking. The stockings can be filled with food, gum, socks, letters and more. Items can be dropped off in donation boxes in YMCA P5, 20661 Farnsworth Lane, in front of the cafeteria and near the Clap wing by Monday.

On the Fourth of July, President Obama?s campaign words of promise echoed in my ears: ?breaking the power of the lobbyists, providing affordable health care for all, cutting middle-class taxes, ending both the Iraqi war and our dependence on foreign oil, and uniting us.? Like many, I wanted to believe, and our critical times seemed to provide more certainty. At any rate, I thought that these Herculean tasks could be completed by the man from the planet Krypton. Incidentally, that is why unimaginative neo-cons can?

Soldiers have birthdays, too. But try to send a cake to Iraq or Afghanistan, and you’re likely to find it arriving on the other end, days or weeks later, as a goopy, decomposed mess. That’s why a Huntington Beach woman who runs a national cake delivery network tried to find a better way, enlisting a local bakery to come up with something that can survive the long, bumpy ride and still taste good once it arrives — complete with custom message printed in frosting.

Miki Sessler was distraught when her husband Bert, a retired Marine, died in December 2003. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself; she felt lost. Inspired by Bert, Sessler soon found her new calling. She founded Operation Beanies For our Service Members. It was a simple idea: she would knit beanies and encourage others to do the same. The beanies would then be shipped to American soldiers. “He just gave me the idea, it hit me in the head,” Sessler said.

On the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq Wednesday, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher expressed mixed feelings about the conflict’s worth. For the war’s opponents, candlelight vigils were scheduled throughout the county Wednesday by MoveOn.org members, including those in Huntington Beach. Few thought a march would change the nation’s foreign policy, but they said they wanted to remind residents about a war that would soon enter its sixth year. “I think it was a noble purpose and a noble goal,” Rohrabacher said.