Interview with Frederick T. Phillips, a captain in the US Air Force during WWII. He answers questions about his time in the military and life after the war.

Interview with Jimmy L. Smith, a US Navy Seal in WWII. He answers questions about his life during the war.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether the seal of a professional engineer licensed in Texas may be placed on engineering plans, specifications, and other documents relating to projects not to be constructed in Texas (RQ-0244-GA)

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Protecting Seniors from Fraud Act of 2000 directed the Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress on the effectiveness of the Triad program by April 4, 2005. The program, sponsored at the national level by the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), provides advice, training, and technical assistance to communitybased crime prevention programs for senior citizens but does not fund them. These community-based groups typically are partnerships among local law enforcement officials, seniors, and sometimes other community members to develop and expand crime prevention programs for seniors in their communities. NSA has sponsored the Triad program with funds provided by various Department of Justice (DOJ) grants. The act's provisions included support for the Triad senior fraud prevention program, the dissemination of information to states to raise awareness about the dangers of telemarketing and sweepstakes fraud, and mandates to study crimes against seniors and to collect statistics on crimes disproportionately affecting seniors. With regard to our report, the act specified that it include an analysis of the Triad program and activities, identify impediments to establishing community-based Triad groups across the nation, and make recommendations to improve the effectiveness of …

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the district attorney of the 173rd Judicial; District may simultaneously hold a part-time teaching position at Trinity Valley Community College and receive compensation for doing so (RQ-0234-GA)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Validity of engineering documents prepared and sealed by a licensed engineer who is employed by an unregistered firm (RQ-0235-GA)

Document about the McKinney chapter of the Texas Society, Sons of the American Revolution.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Bob Goeser. Goeser joined the Marine Corps in October of 1942, and was assigned to the air arm. He completed Radio Navigation School. He served as an air crewman in the Philippines and China, completed over 50 combat missions and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, and a Silver Star. He was discharged in December of 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dick Merrifield. Merrifield was born in Philadelphia in 1925 into a family of three boys and one girl. All three boys served in the military during World War II. Upon graduating from high school in 1942 he joined the Marine Corps and spent thirteen weeks at Paris Island. Upon completion of boot training he was sent to Cherry Point, North Carolina where he was assigned as a gunner/radioman with VMSB-331, flying in Dauntless SBD dive bombers. After completion of dive bomb training the squadron departed by ship to Nukufetau Atoll, arriving in mid-November 1943. From there the squadron flew support missions to various islands. Merrifield flew sixty-three missions. He recalls the feelings and sensations one has when diving at a 90 degree angle. Following the surrender of Japan, Merrifield went to Hawaii where he was assigned to Marine Air Control Squadron 2. The squadron was sent to Tsingtao, China in support of the Nationalist Army of Chiang Kai-shek. Merrifield returned to the United States in March 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Owen Putler. Putler became a Navy Cadet in June of 1942. He completed Civilian Pilot Training, and received his license in February of 1943. He then joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and became a second lieutenant. He completed advanced dive bomber training in May of 1943. In March of 1944 he was stationed in the Marshall Islands and served as a VMSB-331 pilot, conducting bombing, search and photo reconnaissance missions. Their job was to keep the shipping lanes open for the Navy and the fleet. Putler completed 136 missions and received 6 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 21 Air Medals.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with R.Y. Bowers. Bowers was born in Lancaster, South Carolina in 1922. Upon joining the Marines in 1931, he was sent to Parris Island, South Carolina for four weeks of boot training. In June 1943, he was assigned to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, VMSB- 331. He briefly tells of his twelve months of training in radio and gunnery. When his training was completed he went by troop train to San Diego. There he was trained in the use of plane mounted radar and later assigned to a pilot with whom he remained throughout the war. In 1943 the squadron went aboard the USS Nassau (CVE-16) for a fourteen day voyage to the island of Pango Pango. From there, the unit moved to various islands including Wallis, Majuro and Nanomea. During this time they met no enemy fighter opposition but their plane received flak damage on several occasions. Bowers and his pilot were then moved to Makin where they remained for three months. They then returned to the United States. Bowers flew 37 combat missions during his time with VMSB-331.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Rueben Watlov. Watlov joined the Marine Corps in 1942. He completed radio and gunnery school. In January of 1943 Watlov joined Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 331 (VMSB-331), working as an aerial gunner aboard a Douglas SBD Dauntless divebomber. Beginning in November of 1943, they were stationed at Nukufetau Airfield on Motulalo Island. They participated in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands Campaign. Watlov joined a detachment of their squadron at Tarawa, aiding in patrol operations. They remained in the Pacific and carried out air strikes against bypassed Japanese positions for the remainder of the war. They returned to the US in October of 1945 and he was discharged in November.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Thomas Ross. Ross was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in September 1922. After graduating from high school he played football at the University of Wisconsin in 1940 and 1941. While in college, he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Enlisting in the Naval Aviation cadet program in 1942 he began pre-flight training at Iowa City, Iowa. He then went to the Glennville Naval Air Station in Illinois. While there he requested a transfer into the air arm of the US Marine Corps. Upon being accepted he went to Cherry Point, North Carolina where he was assigned to VMSB-331 to pilot SBD dive bombers. The squadron traveled to San Diego where they were put on the USS Nassau (CVE-16) for deployment to Nukufetau Airfield. He was a member of a detachment of the squadron that spent several months on Tarawa where they were subjected to nightly bombings by Japanese aircraft. During June 1944, while on a mission over Maloelap, Ross was forced to ditch due to flak damage. He and his crewman were picked up by a PBY. In July, the squadron converted to F4Us with experienced Corsair pilots …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses work done by GAO's Office of Special Investigations (OSI) related to degrees from "diploma mills." For purposes of this overview, we defined "diploma mills" as nontraditional, unaccredited, postsecondary schools that offer degrees for a relatively low flat fee, promote the award of academic credits based on life experience, and do not require any classroom instruction. Over the past 3 years, OSI has purchased degrees from a diploma mill through the Internet, created a diploma mill in the form of a fictitious foreign school, investigated whether the federal government has paid for degrees from diploma mills for federal employees, and determined whether high-level federal employees at certain agencies have degrees from diploma mills. This testimony summarizes our investigative findings."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Although the U.S. government provides broad protection for intellectual property, intellectual property protection in parts of the world is inadequate. As a result, U.S. goods are subject to piracy and counterfeiting in many countries. A number of U.S. agencies are engaged in efforts to improve protection of U.S. intellectual property abroad. This testimony, based on a recent GAO report, describes U.S agencies' efforts, the mechanisms used to coordinate these efforts, and the impact of these efforts and the challenges they face."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Polls taken in Islamic countries after 9/11 suggested that many or most people had a favorable view of the United States and its fight against terrorism. By 2003, opinion research indicated that foreign publics, especially in countries with large Muslim populations, viewed the United States unfavorably. GAO issued two studies in 2003 that examined (1) changes in U.S. public diplomacy resources and programs since September 11, 2001, within the State Department (State) and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG); (2) the U.S. government's strategies for its public diplomacy programs and measures of effectiveness; and (3) the challenges that remain in executing U.S. public diplomacy efforts. GAO made several recommendations to State and the BBG to address planning and performance issues. Both agencies agreed with these recommendations and have made some progress in implementing them. On July 22, 2004, the 9/11 Commission released its report and recommendations. Two of the Commission's recommendations relate to the management of U.S. public diplomacy. For this testimony, GAO was asked to discuss its prior work as it relates to these recommendations."

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Ernest Latta. Latta worked in the CCC for a year and a half before joining the Army in October, 1940. He trained in Hawaii and was attached to Company I, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was at Schofield Barracks when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. After the attack, Latta guarded a beach on the western edge of Oahu for some time. He went to Guadalcanal in December, 1942. Latta earned a Silver Star in combat at Guadalcanal. He also invaded Vella Lavella. After that, he was present during the invasion of Luzon and participated in the battles at Balete Pass. Latta chose to be discharged when an opportunity came his way in July 1945.

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The collection, maintenance, and use of location-based (geospatial) information are essential to federal agencies carrying out their missions. Geographic information systems (GIS) are critical elements used in the areas of homeland security, healthcare, natural resources conservation, and countless other applications. GAO was asked to review the extent to which the federal government is coordinating the efficient sharing of geospatial assets, including through Office of Management and Budget (OMB) oversight. GAO's report on this matter, Geospatial Information: Better Coordination Needed to Identify and Reduce Duplicative Investments (GAO-04-703), is being released today. GAO's testimony focuses on the extent to which the federal government is coordinating the sharing of geospatial assets, including through oversight measures in place at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in order to identify and reduce redundancies in geospatial data and systems."

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: When a surety is entitled to a refund under Government Code section 41.258, which mandates an officer taking a bail bond to require the surety to pay a cost (RQ-0153-GA)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs’ 2004 plan for allocating low-income housing tax credits is consistent with Senate Bill 264 (RQ-0161-GA)

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Hand. Hand joined the Army in February of 1941. He served with the 208th Military Police Company in Brownwood, Texas. After Pearl Harbor, Hand completed Officer Candidate School, graduating in May of 1942. He was assigned to the 7th Armored Division, 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. They landed at Omaha Beach in August of 1944. They patrolled between Saint-Lô and Caen, and Hand was wounded on his way up to Germany. Hand returned to the US, and remained hospitalized from August of 1944 through April of 1945. He was then assigned to help set up a Reconnaissance School at Fort Knox. Hand was discharged in December of 1945.

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Family Court, established by the D.C. Family Court Act of 2001, was created in part to transition the former Family Division of the D.C. Superior Court into a court solely dedicated to matters concerning children and families. The act required the transfer of abuse and neglect cases by October 2003 and the implementation of case management practices to expedite their resolution in accordance with timeframes established by the Adoptions and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA); a plan for space, equipment, and other needs; and that the Superior Court integrate its computer systems with those of other D.C. agencies. The act also reformed court practices and established procedures intended to improve interactions between the court and social service agencies in the District. One such agency, the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA), is responsible for protecting children at risk of abuse and neglect and ensuring that services are provided for them and their families. Both social service agencies and the courts play an important role in addressing child welfare issues. Representative Tom Davis, Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, asked GAO to assess the Family …

News release about about the opening of DART's new Malcolm X Boulevard bus transfers location and the agencies plans for expansion and improvements of to its bus service.

News release about DART's construction contract for two light rail extension projects.