Command Sgt. Maj. Philip Johndrow

Nancy Youssef / MCT

Command Sgt. Maj. Philip Johndrow.

Top Story

After 42 months in Iraq, soldier still feels guilty he's not there

By Nancy A. Youssef | McClatchy Newspapers

As Command Sgt. Maj. Philip Johndrow was getting off the airplane at the end of his third tour in Iraq, his wife, Vickie, simply said: "We have to talk." Johndrow had served 42 months, about three-fourths of the Iraq war, on the ground, more combat time than almost any other American soldier. » read more

Lt. Cmdr. John McCain is pulled from a Hanoi lake.

AP

Lt. Cmdr. John McCain is pulled from a Hanoi lake by North Vietnamese soldiers in 1967 after his plane was shot down.

Spotlight

McCain served, Obama didn't — does it matter?

By Margaret Talev | McClatchy Newspapers

Republican nominee John McCain has a vaunted military record. Democrat Barack Obama has none. But four months out from the voting, Obama is ahead in national surveys. History shows that whether a candidate has military experience rarely determines who'll win election to the nation's highest office. Still, there's enough evidence that Americans respect military service and connect it to patriotism that Obama has been making a concerted effort, especially as Independence Day approached, to talk about his love of country and respect for an institution he never joined. » read more

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Colombia rescue video caught hostages' first moment of joy

The hostages were unhappy by the demand that they be handcuffed — made by their rescuers who used the demand as a way to persuade guerrillas they were international aid workers. They boarded the helicopter sullenly. Then, as the helicopter was airborne and their captors overpowered, the hostages burst into cries of joy. » read more

U.S. military in Iraq celebrates the 4th with reenlistments

One thousands two hundred and fifteen soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen raised their hands and re-upped in what was called the largest re-enlistment ceremony ever. Gen. David Petraeus administered the oath amid John Phillip Sousa marches. Patriotism — and big reenlistment bonuses — drove the fervor. » read more

Jesse Helms, former N. Carolina senator, is dead

Former U.S. Sen. Jesse A. Helms, the son of a police chief whose political career began with opposition to desegregation and led to national prominence as one of the leading lions of the American right, died Firday morning. He was 86. » read more

MCCLATCHY VIDEO

Beach Ball Fourth

Fort Worth Star-Telegram staffers follow the wacky adventures of a beach ball to the tune of the 1812 Overture in honor of the Independence Day holiday.

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MCCLATCHY SPECIAL REPORT

Guantanamo: Beyond the Law

An eight-month McClatchy investigation of the detention system created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has found that the U.S. imprisoned innocent men, subjected them to abuse, stripped them of their legal rights and allowed Islamic militants to turn the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba into a school for jihad.

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DAVE BARRY »

Got questions?

Dave Barry is running for president (yes, of the United States).

· Dave Barry's blog | Q&A

Dave Barry
Q: Dave, would you want to go hang with Robert Mugabe? Cecil John Rhodes from DeBeers

A: Sure. Just me and Bob, and Bob's 47 armed thugs, chillin'. Dave Barry