Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs, other blogs, and the mainstream media. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. (We have a daily "Open Post" too, if you have something on another topic you can link there.)

IRAQ

Girl's tip foils IED -- [Multi-National Force-Iraq]
BAGHDAD , Iraq – A young girl phoned in a tip of a possible roadside bomb to Coalition Forces Jan. 14, potentially saving innocent lives.

The girl reported seeing a white bag in a hole on a road in southeast Baghdad . When Coalition Forces investigated, they found a man hiding in the grass by the road, as well as four masked men in a car. A man carrying an AK-47 and talking on a cell phone was observed walking over to two suspected trigger men who were in the prone position. Attack aviation engaged the terrorists preventing them from carrying out the attack

SAVING THE WORLD -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
There are many things we do to assist the Iraqi people both visible and sometimes not very visible. Many smaller events get accomplished so that larger ones can continue to move on and form the country’s independence. The event themselves I wont discuss but you can get a feeling at least of how we felt traveling around the area saving the world or so it seemed.

Saturday, January 14, 2006 -- [Chapter - War - in Iraq]
Today while approaching a base there was a large detonation, smoke rising into the air. From our vantage point it appeared to be an IED but then we were informed by one of our own that it was at the front gate of the base. From a distance it looked almost like mortars had impacted. At the same time a group of men were standing by their truck on a bridge with ak-47s watching us

30 MPH in the Right Lane -- [Baghdad Guy - in Iraq]
In the meantime, I’m starting to feel like a caged animal in downtown Baghdad, waiting for the opportunity to do what I came here to do, rather than sitting on my hands. The Army is very good at offensive operations, and it is very good at defensive operations, but when you start to mingle the two together in a murky environment such as Baghdad, it starts to stray from most units’ area of expertise. I am a trained infantryman, with my specialty being the destruction of any type of enemy. I am not a cop, and I am certainly not a security guard for KBR (one of Halliburton’s children, if you’re not familiar with them).

That being said, I will accomplish whatever mission is thrown my way, small or large, essential or idiotic.

Stryker patrol field trip -- [Reporting from Iraq - journalis embedded with the 172nd Stryker Brigade
Going on patrol Friday was a little like school field trip day, and the soldiers didn’t seem to mind.
Educational patrol
After witnessing the sacrifice of a cow, the platoon drove south of Mosul about 15 miles to the Nimrud ruins. It’s a rural area along the Tigris River Valley and part of the platoon’s area of responsibility, but they don’t come here on a daily basis. Soldiers said the Iraqi police in this region are reliable, dependable and well-trained and keep the area relatively safe.

Insurgents Sentenced -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
An Iraqi insurgent will spend 15 years behind bars for shooting and wounding a New York soldier in an attack that the assailants recorded as a training video for terrorists. The July 2 attack on Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer led to an Iraqi court convicting Ali Said Abbas Al-Khaz'ali of attempted murder and threatening the public safety.

The incident drew national attention in the United States because Tschiderer, despite the attempt on his life, rendered first aid to Al-Khaz'ali after the assailant suffered a broken leg and gunshot wounds while trying to escape.

The Civil War Among Sunni Arabs -- [Strategy Page]
January 16, 2006: Terrorist attacks against certain types of targets get lots of media coverage, especially when, as there usually are, lots of attacks. What is less reported is the ultimate success, or failure, of those attacks. For example, there were several attacks on foreign diplomats, in an attempt to prevent those countries from establishing diplomatic relations with the new Iraqi government. That campaign failed, as there are over fifty countries that have reestablished their embassies in Iraq, or are in the process of doing so.

Marine Killed, Police Thwart Ambush, Raids Nab Terrorists -- [Iraqi Bounty Hunter]
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2006 – A U.S. Marine was killed in Iraq yesterday, Iraqi police recently thwarted a roadside bomb ambush on coalition forces, and raids yesterday in northern Iraq led to the capture of five terrorist suspects, U.S. military officials in Baghdad reported today.
Officials said the Marine, assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, died of wounds received from small-arms fire in Ramadi. The Marine's name is being withheld until next of kin are notified.

Life in Iraq -- [J Barne's Coffee Shop - in Iraq]
...Somethings are just ment to be seen while lookin through the sites of a 240 charlie. This is lookin out the loader's hatch on one of our tanks. Nice town aint it? I'm thinkin of movin here when the war's over. NOT!

Sunday, January 15th, 2006 -- [My Turn - in Iraq]
Ever since I left the US, i've noticed a saying that seems to be apparent in all places that our soldiers go as far as being deployed to Iraq.

The unwilling,
do the impossible,
for the ungrateful.

Make sense? I'm sure it does to some degree. It's usually on barrier walls, building walls, and port-o-john walls.

Sunday, January 15, 2006 -- [Team Med-fah - in Iraq]
Ssgt Walsh, having finished building the team a pullup bar, putting decking down to the heads (to avoid the mud), and shoring up the roof with 8 x 8's, is now patching holes in tires. The guy does not stop. Master Guns Kistler, you have taught your apprentice well.

SGT dock [Blog Machine City - Home from Iraq]
An old friend of mine, SGT Dock, is with 1st Brigade, 34th ID, on his way to Iraq.

Back on the Block [SGT Dock's Holiday - deploying to Iraq]
I was thrilled to be down with a "line unit" since it brings me closer to my EMS backround. Up at Charlie Co. I was bound to just be a hospital technician or something like that.

I can already hear people looking at the screen and saying, "He's got to be nuts to want to be closer to the madness". But it's true... I can't stand looking at the same four walls whether it's an office or a tent. I hated working as a clerk when I was on active duty. It was 5 months of hell. I curse red pens and secretary work.

WTF, President Bush? -- [Winds of Change - Armed Liberal]
I commented in passing on the Administration's apparent disinterest in proving more reconstruction funds for Iraq. I was temperate in my comments in part because I wasn't sure what, exactly was going on - the budget process is opaque and complex on good days.

FRESH VEGETABLES -- [2006 Tour of Duty - in Iraq]
This is one of the small fruit and vegetable stands in one of the rural villages. These vegetables looked like they were fresh. Notice the boy in the pictue is selling gas.

A question from Luke - The Cross Sabers [A Soldier's Diary - In Iraq]
(photo blog) One of my favorite places here in the International Zone is the Cross Sabers - what once was Saddam's old parade grounds.

Gut check 101 [Across the Pond - In Iraq]
The holidays have come and gone and I am now over the hump. I am past the halfway point of my deployment and that much closer to getting home to my fiance. You would think that it would be a point of rejoicement knowing that I will soon be home with my love. But that doesnt seem to be the feelings these days.

Vigilant (new pics) [photos from Rock and Roll Soldier - In Iraq]

Believer's Palace (photo essay) [Dan in the Desert - In Iraq]
Saddam has dozens of palaces, but this one is unique in many ways. The most obvious thing about it is that it really isn't a palace. It's a shell, designed to hide the bunker underneath it.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Cronkite: Time for U.S. to Leave Iraq -- (AP)
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - Former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, whose 1968 conclusion that the Vietnam War was unwinnable keenly influenced public opinion then, said Sunday he'd say the same thing today about Iraq. "It's my belief that we should get out now," Cronkite said in a meeting with reporters.

US helicopter shot down in Iraq: witnesses -- (Reuters)
Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:46 AM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. helicopter was shot down north of Baghdad on Monday, witnesses said

'Marshall Plan' for Iraq Fades -- (LA Times)
Once the $18.6 billion for reconstruction is spent, the nation might have to rely on private investment. 'No pain, no gain,' a U.S. official says.
BAGHDAD — After more than 2 1/2 years of sputtering reconstruction work, the United States' "Marshall Plan" to rebuild this war-torn country is drawing to a close this year with much of its promise unmet and no plans to extend its funding.

US frees two Iraqi journalists -- (Reuters)
Jan. 15 - The U.S. military freed two Iraqi journalists who work for Reuters on Sunday after holding them for several months without charge.

Al-Qaeda forms body to coordinate fight against US, allies -- (The News International)
| DUBAI: Al-Qaeda in Iraq and some other militant groups have set up an umbrella body to coordinate their fight against US-led forces and the Iraqi government, according to a Web statement posted on S...

More than 500 Iraqi detainees freed -- (Al Jazeera)
The US military has freed more than 500 Iraqi detainees from three prisons in Iraq, including two journalists. | The prisoners had been held for several months without charge at Abu Ghraib prison... (photo: Getty Images)
Al Jazeera

2,000 More M.P.'s Will Help Train the Iraqi Police -- (New York Times)... ERIC SCHMITT
Army military police advisers will work with Iraq's officers in one of the most extensive efforts yet to team Americans with Iraqis.
In a story to appear in its Monday editions, the Times said the mission was just starting in Baghdad and would expand to all 18 provinces by the end of the month, and that it "entails significant new security risks for United States forces."

Soldiers' books show Iraq's front line -- (BBC News)
The war in Iraq may be far from over, but it has already produced a small crop of books by soldiers who fought in it.

These books are not like Anthony Swofford's acclaimed marine memoir Jarhead, a searing but elegiac account of the first Gulf War written a decade after the events it describes

AFGHANISTAN

Saturday, January 14, 2006 -- [InstruMetal - in Afghanistan]
I've decided that sycophantic officers, who are only in command of soldiers to enhance their career, should all be drawn and quartered.... After seeing so much idiotic bullshit pulled by these idiots in combat, it would do mankid a service by ridding the earth of these morons.... it will get fewer men killed this way. Its rediculous that men with no combat expertise push for a combat command, just to write on a personnel paper that they had one, are 'leading' troops in combat by sitting inside the quasi-protected up-armor....

Protect Afghan Kids This Winter - Part IV - Pictures of the Week -- [BlackFive]
RE: Protect Afghan Kids This Winter - Part I, Part II and Part III
Received this email about your donations of winter clothing to the Afghani children. Major Alan McKewan sends pictures - I'll put them in the Extended Section - maybe you'll see your kid's old winter jacket in Afghanistan. And thank you!

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Injured soldiers were to be shipped home (CNews)
EDMONTON (CP) - Three Edmonton-based soldiers injured in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan were due to come home in the next few weeks, military officials said Sunday.

Canada Diplomat Killed in Afghanistan -- (Yahoo /AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan - A suicide car bomb hit a Canadian military convoy Sunday in southern Afghanistan, killing two civilians and a senior Canadian diplomat, officials said.
A purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Mohammed Yousaf, claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded three Canadian soldiers and 10 other people.

Ex-Taliban Minister Killed in Afghanistan -- (AP)
| KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Gunmen killed a former Taliban leader who renounced the hard-line Islamic regime after it was ousted in late 2001 and had since supported Afghanistan's U.S.-backed governm...

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

American Honored with North Korean Medal -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
Strangely enough, an American has been post-humanously honored with a North Korean medal:

North Korea has awarded a medal for the first time to an American — the late leader of a U.S.-based aid group — for his efforts to help the communist state fight hunger and poverty, a news report said.

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Senators say military strike on Iran must be option -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican and Democratic senators said on Sunday the United States may ultimately have to undertake a military strike to deter Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, but that should be the last resort.

"That is the last option. Everything else has to be exhausted. But to say under no circumstances would we exercise a military option, that would be crazy," Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Israel Will Allow Palestinians to Vote in East Jerusalem; Tracheotomy Aids Sharon's Breathing -- (New York Times)
JERUSALEM, Jan. 15 - The Israeli cabinet agreed Sunday to let a limited number of Palestinians vote in East Jerusalem in the Palestinian parliamentary elections on Jan. 25, but barred all electioneering in the city by the Islamic faction Hamas.

Death of Kuwaiti Emir Raises Long-Term Leadership Worries -- (New York Times)
The crown prince of Kuwait, elevated to the post of emir after the country's longtime leader died Sunday, is believed to be 76 and is in ill health.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Walid Phares: Allies or Not Allies is the Question -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Walid Phares asked me to post the following for him (quote him directly):

The Predator's strike inside Pakistan's border area, aiming at al-Zawahri's possible stay in a village may have (or not) missed its target. But the missile attack triggered a series of political explosions in the region. In short, the issues are out. I addressed them in a series of interviews over the weekend: Here is a summary:

More questions than answers -- [Peace like a River]
Friday evening came reports that Al Qaeda's #2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, arguably more important than Osama bin Laden from an operational standpoint, may have been killed in an air strike.

However, officials in Pakistan were soon claiming Zawahiri was not at that location.

Taliban Taken Over By Bean Counters -- [Strategy Page]
January 16, 2006: The Taliban in Afghanistan is apparently suffering from money problems, as a result of both bad PR and Western attacks on their sources of revenue from the outside world. One result of this is that the Taliban is reportedly restructuring its funding of operations. Hitherto, regional commanders in Afghanistan have been given blocks of money to use as they though most wisely. Apparently some of these regional commanders decided that the wisest course was to a goodly portion of the money away for a rainy day, rather than use it to fund operations against the government and the Coalition forces.

MSM REPORTS ON TERRORISM

The drone, the CIA and a botched attempt to kill bin Laden's deputy -- (The Guardian)
In the hunt for al-Qaeda, a missile attack on a mountain village killed women and children. The attack was precise, the intelligence was flawed, and the strained relation between Pakistan and the US has been pushed to breaking point

Pakistanis Decry U.S. After Deadly Strike -- (AP)
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - Thousands of Pakistanis took to the streets Sunday to rage for a second day against a purported U.S. attack on a border village, chanting "Death to America" and demanding U.S. troops leave neighboring Afghanistan, as more details emerged about the airstrike. Pakistani intelligence officials said the reported target, al-Qaida No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahri, had been invited to the attacked village for a dinner marking a Muslim festival on the night of the missile strike but he failed to show up.

Senators Defend Airstrike in Pakistan -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senators defended on Sunday a purported CIA airstrike that Pakistani officials said killed at least 17 people in a village near the border with Afghanistan but not the intended target, al-Qaida's No. 2 leader....

U.S. Faults Saudi Efforts on Terrorism -- (LA Times)
WASHINGTON -- Although Saudi Arabia has cracked down on militants within its borders, the kingdom has not met its promises to help prevent the spread of terrorism or curb the flow of money from Saudis to terrorist cells around the world, U.S. intelligence, diplomatic and other officials say.

As a result, these critics say, countless young terrorism suspects are believed to have escaped the kingdom's tightening noose by fleeing across what critics call a porous border into Iraq.

Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spy Program -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressed skepticism Sunday over President Bush's domestic eavesdropping program, joining a chorus of Republicans and Democrats who are questioning its legal justification....

Sunni group vows to behead Iranians -- (Washington Times)
Deep in the lawless triangle connecting Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, eight Iranian soldiers are being held hostage by a Sunni group that is vowing to kill them if Tehran does not meet its demands.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Get to work on this (cross post, etc.) [From My Position - On the Way!]
Lil Toni is auctioning off a very cool bit of Beatles Memorabilia, and the Auction ends tomorrow! The proceeds go to Project Valour-IT, which needs money, badly! There's lots of guys on the wards here at Walter Reed with F'd up hands, and the ones I've met are all jazzed about being able to get started. If you want to bid, (and I know you do) go here.

Operation Pillowcase -- [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
The Nellis Air Force Base Family Readiness Group is requesting help for their "Operation Pillowcase" program this year. This event will take place in March and they are requesting donations of white pillowcases (or very light colored pillowcases). Operation pillowcase was started last year on the base and was a huge success. What the family readiness group (FRG) does is they ask family members of deployed troops to bring photos of them and their families to their March FRG meeting. They take family photos and transpose these photos onto the pillowcases for their loved ones in Iraq. These pillow cases are then mailed to the airmen.

A Thank You from a wounded sailer -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
I wanted to let you know that many Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and a few Sailors (not many of us come through Landstuhl) read and took comfort in the Christmas Messages From Home. I watched many of them as they read through and every one had a smile on their face when they were finished. Thank you for taking the time to put it together.

MILITARY

The Necessity Of Military Preemption -- [Open Fire]
Here's an attempt at explaining why I believe military preemption is our only recourse with which to respond to militant Islam.

20th-century conduct of foreign policy utilized deductive reasoning to mitigate the risks of going to war. This reasoning is possible because numbers ran everything e.g. the Soviets had X number of tanks, Y artillery pieces, Z troops and we knew where they all were. Recall McNamara's whiz kids running Vietnam as if it was an actuary convention. Our thinking is similar in Iraq and Afghanistan and it's working because those variants are conducive to conducting war using 20th-century paradigms for war.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

After 155 Years, Marine Sentries Removed -- (AP)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- A Naval Academy tradition that lasted 155 years has come to an end: The Marine Corps sentries who guarded the gates and the crypt of Revolutionary War Capt. John Paul Jones have been withdrawn and sent to war.

A hero scorned -- (USA Today)
In 1968, helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson flew into the thick of what he thought was a fierce battle in South Vietnam and discovered, instead, that a massacre was going on - of women, children and elderly men at the hands of U.S. soldiers. Horrified, he landed his helicopter between the soldiers and the civilians, ordered his crew to fire on any American who continued shooting, called for back-up and rescued victims, digging through corpses to scoop up one child.
...What Thompson really deserved, and never got, is the hero's recognition afforded other national icons of moral courage, such as Rosa Parks. Not so much for his benefit as for the nation's. The mob mentality that took over at My Lai was an extreme manifestation of a common human instinct. It's just easier to go along with the crowd, rationalizing corrupt behavior, than it is to face the danger of stopping it. That was true at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and at corrupt Enron.

POLITICS

San Francisco Democrats Illustrate the Problem the Party Faces -- [The New Editor]
Erin McCormick's San Francisco Chronicle piece describing Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's town hall meeting with constituents in her district is illustrative of one of the challenges facing the Democratic Party's coalition: how to deal with the Utopian pacifists that are overrunning the party.

Remembering May, the 'gang of 14' and the vindication of various people -- [TigerHawk]
The New York Times surrendered this morning. On its front page we read the headline "Glum Democrats Can't See Halting Bush On Courts." The opening paragraphs say it all:

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Anti-war activists take Pelosi to task -- (San Fransico Chronicle)
Minority leader negotiates with lawmakers to her right
Her opposition to the Iraq war may have earned her a reputation as a radical lefty in Washington.

But when Democratic minority leader Nancy Pelosi came home to hold a town hall meeting in San Francisco on Saturday, she was greeted like a pro-establishment warmonger.

Feinstein Warns Against Alito Filibuster -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Democrat who plans to vote against Samuel Alito sided on Sunday with a Republican colleague on the Senate Judiciary Committee in cautioning against a filibuster of the Supreme Court nominee....

Dems Ready Proposal on Code of Conduct -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats intend to unveil a sweeping plan this week to tighten Congress' code of conduct, officials said Saturday night, including a ban on lobbyists' gifts to lawmakers and a crackdown on special interest provisions slipped into legislation in the final moments before passage....

Insurers told to provide Medicare drugs: report -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration has told health insurers under contract to the new Medicare drug plan that they must provide a 30-day supply of any drug a beneficiary was previously taking after tens of thousands of people were unable to get medicines promised by Medicare, the New York Times reported on Monday.

Family Feud, New Book Threaten King Legacy -- (Yahoo News /AP)
ATLANTA - On the eve of what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 77th birthday, his legacy is under attack and its greatest defender is unable to speak

THE MEDIA

Walter Cronkite is saying we should get out now. -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Sometimes, it’s best to fade away gracefully. Of couse, Walter is entitled to his opinion. I’m thankful he no longers holds much influence over the public. Get out now, and then what would be my question Walter. If we left today, would Iraq follow the same path Vietnam has? I doubt it.

CBS to Air North Korea Report on 60 Minutes -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
Nomad provides a great link to a 60 Minutes report that airs on January 15th that includes such gems as this North Korean general telling Dan Rather that they will nuke the US if the Americans invade North Korea:

More of Leta's Kosovo Diary -- [Way Down In Kosovo - in Kosovo]
...Since my last visit to Kosovo I have been working to secure Sister Cities partnerships for some of the major cities around Kosovo. My initial focus is to find the right “fit” for Ferizaj. I’ve talked with the Sister Cities International people and had all of the information I needed in order to get the ball rolling on this.

I mentioned in my first diary entry that I wanted to go to Kosovo “under the radar” on this trip. Well, now I’ll tell you why. There is SO much to do there.

Good Bye Kosovo -- [So Far From Home - in Kosovo]
...As I look back on the past 16 months I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished on this deployment. We’ve helped keep security and stability in a region that has known nothing but death and destruction over the past decade. Everyday I was here; I never ceased to be amazed by what things these young soldiers accomplished in the name of freedom and the United States. On the flip side, my family was never far from my mind. There was not a day that went by that I did not think of them and wonder how or what they were doing.

MSM REPORTS ON MEDIA

Missed Target -- (Slate)
The New York Times and Washington Post lead with protests in Pakistan following the U.S. airstrike on a village that targeted al-Qaida's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Pakistani officials said they are sure the intended target was not in the village, and that 18 civilians (the WP says 17) were killed, including six children. Thousands of Pakistanis participated in a protest near the site of the attack, where they chanted anti-American slogans. The Los Angeles Times does not front the Pakistan story and leads with U.S. officials saying that Saudi Arabia hasn't been doing as much as it promised to fight terrorism. Although Saudi Arabia has improved terrorism prevention within its borders, it hasn't been so effective in stopping prospective terrorists from leaving the country and has not stopped millions of dollars of local money from going to terrorist groups around the world.

CONGRATS

Drum Roll Please!!! -- [Gypsy Life - in Iraq]
It is my extreme pleasure to introduce to everybody my baby neice Sophia Reina LaRon. I wish I could be there with you two, Sky and Hiromi. I love your family so much. Thank you for sharing this picture of your daughter with me and brightening up my week here in Baghdad!!

WELCOME HOME

Deployment Complete -- [Incoherant Ramblings - home from Kosovo]
I just flew back into the states in the last hour.

It feels good to be back.

Back in the USA -- [My Days at Division - home from Iraq]
After a few hours of standing around (because we arrived much earlier than expected), we had a very short homecoming cermony. MAJ Flyfish and I followed that up with quick dash to Waikiki and downed some early cocktails and Hawaiian BBQ. It's great to eat something that's not made by a military contractor.

It's Astounding...Time Is Fleeting... [All Quiet on the Southwest Asian Front- home from Iraq]
I've gotten to cook a real meal in a kitchen, sleep in a decent bed, go to a bookstore, and drive my own car again. I haven't heard anything explode or a shot in days. It even rained the last two days.

I miss all the pockets in my DCUs, and I feel strange not being armed constantly. This will take some getting used to.

Home in the USA [Armywriter22 - home from Iraq]
I made it home safely and soundly yesterday morning. We had our little ceremony and were released for the day. Lots of people hugging and kissing.

IN MEMORY OF ...

Shelley Winters dies at 85 -- (New York Daily)
Sadly, the curtain falls on Shelley Winters.
Shelley Winters, the blond bombshell from Brooklyn who broke into the movies playing sexpots and won two Oscars portraying unglamorous mothers, died of heart failure yesterday. She was 85.

(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)