Town honors the fallen one last time

Matt Cardy / Getty Images Europe

A cortege of hearses carrying the bodies of eight British soldiers killed during the bloodiest 24 hours for British forces since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 pass hundreds of mourners lining the streets of Wootton Bassett on on July 14, 2009.

By Peter Jeary, NBC News

LONDON -- At sunset Wednesday, a simple ceremony will mark the end of an English town's remarkable tribute to Britain's fallen fighters.

For four years, the people of Wootton Bassett have lined the streets to quietly honor the repatriation of servicemen and women who died overseas in the line of duty.

When repatriation flights began in April 2007 at the Royal Air Force base in Wootton Bassett, a dozen or so townspeople, including members of the British equivalent of the Veterans Association, decided to stand to attention as the coffins passed through the town's main street.

This impromptu display of respect captured the imagination of others and soon hundreds of people began to line-up in silence, usually including family and friends of the deceased.

Anne Bevis of the Wootton Bassett branch of the British Legion said members were astonished at how support for the tribute grew so quickly.

"We cannot understand what it feels like to lose a loved one, but this was our way to show respect, one small way to help friends and family cope with their grief," she said.

"It escalated beyond what anyone could have thought, not just in the town itself, but in the villages all along the procession route and beyond.  It really captured the hearts of the nation."

More than 150 processions carrying the coffins of some 345 military personnel who died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have passed through Wootton Bassett’s streets.

Starting Thursday, flights will again land at the Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton 50 miles away. A new repatriation center has been built at the airbase, the traditional destination of these flights.  So on Wednesday evening the people of Wootton Bassett will hold a special ceremony during which a British Union Flag that marked the last procession on Aug. 18 is lowered for the last time and then taken to Oxfordshire where Brize Norton is located.

Wootton Bassett’s mayor, Paul Heaphy, said tonight's ceremony will be in keeping with the recent tradition.

He called it "a symbolic gesture to those who may see fallen service personnel repatriated in the future. This final gathering will remember those who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and reflect on a profoundly significant era for the people of Wootton Bassett."

Some worry that changing the location of the ceremony will spell the end of a moving, and to many, vitally important modern tradition.

Andrew Winning / Reuters

British Army Lieutenant Daniel John Clack's fiancee Amy Tinley (second from left), mother Sue Clack (left), and brother James gather just before his coffin is driven through Wootton Bassett on Aug. 18. Clack, 24, of the 1st Battalion The Rifles was killed while serving in Afghanistan.

Although military repatriation is the responsibility of the British Ministry of Defence, the Royal British Legion has traditionally taken a close interest in the way Britain's military dead are honored.  So the organization worked with authorities on a new procession route from the Brize Norton airbase which, they hope, will encourage public tributes like those paid at Wootton Bassett.

Tonight will be a chance for people from around the country to pay their respects, Bevis said.

"We have brought the sacrifices being made to the attention of the whole country," she said.  "We have done it without making a big show, but quietly, with dignity, and without intruding into the grief of others."

The town will itself be honored later this year, when it will be renamed as Royal Wootton Bassett, the first town in more than a century to receive the "Royal" title. When announcing the change of name, British Prime Minister David Cameron, called it "an enduring symbol of the nation's admiration... and gratitude."

Because of the people of Wootton Bassett the relationship between the British military and public has changed, bringing the two closer. A town, united in mourning, has found a way of uniting wider communities.

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Family, friends remember fallen troops as heroes

Some had young children, wives and girlfriends. Others were just starting to make their way in the world.

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But the brothers, fathers, sons and uncles who died when a U.S. military helicopter was shot down in eastern Afghanistan all had something in common: a love of family and country, according to friends and family members. Those who knew them said the soldiers were aware of the dangers they faced but were dedicated to their mission — even if it meant giving their lives.

Here are the stories of some of the fallen:

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Patrick Hamburger planned to propose to his girlfriend, but had a job to do first: a mission in Afghanistan.

The 30-year-old sergeant from Grand Island, Neb., had joined the Nebraska National Guard when he was a senior at Lincoln Southeast High School but had never been deployed, his brother Chris Hamburger told The Associated Press on Sunday.

"He didn't have to go, and he wanted to go because his group was getting deployed. He wanted to be there for them. That's him for you," Chris Hamburger said, adding that Patrick always looked out for his two younger brothers and friends.

He was also the kind of guy who helped his girlfriend raise her 13-year-old daughter from another relationship as well as the couple's own 2-year-old daughter, and planned to propose marriage when he got home, Chris Hamburger said.

Video: 30 killed in deadliest day for US in Afghanistan (on this page)

Patrick Hamburger had been in Afghanistan less than two weeks and had arrived at Forward Operating Base Shank a few days before climbing aboard the helicopter with U.S. Navy SEALs and other troops to rush to the aid of a U.S. Army Ranger unit under fire from insurgents.

"It doesn't come as a total surprise that he was trying to help people and that's how it all ended up happening," Chris Hamburger said.

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If someone was sad, Michael Strange tried to make them smile. He loved snowboarding, surfing, scuba diving, running, and shooting guns on the range.

"He loved his friends, his family, his country; he loved making people laugh. He was one of a kind," Strange's brother, Charles Strange III, 22, said Sunday outside the family's Philadelphia home, where American flags were planted throughout the neighborhood.

Strange, 25, decided to join the military when he was still in high school, and had been in the Navy for about six years, first stationed in Hawaii and for the last two in Virginia Beach, where he became a SEAL about two years ago, his mother, Elizabeth Strange, told The Associated Press.

But he always told his family not to worry.

Interactive: Timeline: The war in Afghanistan (on this page)

"He wasn't supposed to die this young. He was supposed to be safe," Elizabeth Strange said. "And he told me that and I believed him. I shouldn't have believed him because I know better. He would say 'Mom, don't be ridiculous and worry so much. I'm safe.'"

Charles Strange said his brother loved the SEALS, especially "the competitiveness, getting in shape and running and swimming and all of that."

He also had two sisters, 21-year-old Katelyn and 7-year-old Carly, and recently became an uncle. The family last saw him in June, when he came for a weeklong visit for his birthday, his mother said. He was supposed to be back for Thanksgiving.

"It was going to be such a good time," his mother said.

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If Elizabeth Newlun wanted to have a serious conversation with her son, John Brown, she had to shoot baskets with him.

"There's nothing athletic about me, but I realized that you have to get into other people's comfort zone to get information," said Newlun, of Rogers, Ark., explaining that her son, an Air Force technical sergeant, was a "gentle giant" who "just loved anything physical, anything athletic."

Newlun said her son played football and basketball in high school and went to John Brown University on a swimming scholarship. He had wanted to go into the medical field and become a nurse anesthetist, but decided to join the military after seeing a video of a special tactical unit, she said.

Story: SEALs killed in crash were on rescue mission

The airman was a paramedic and ready to attend to the medical needs of anyone who was rescued, his mother said.

Arkansas state Rep. Jon Woods went to high school with Brown in Siloam Springs and remembered playing basketball and watching "Saturday Night Live" on the weekends.

"When you think of what the ideal model of a soldier would be, he would be it," said Woods. "He could run all day."

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Aaron Carson Vaughn was a man of deep faith, insisting to his family that he didn't fear his job as a Navy SEAL "because he knew where he was going" when he died.

"Aaron was a Christian and he's with Jesus today," Geneva Vaughn of Union City, Tenn., told The Associated Press on Saturday. "He told us when we saw him last November that he wasn't afraid ... he said, 'Granny, don't worry about me.'"

"He was a tough warrior, but he was a gentle man."

Video: Fallen SEAL was ‘willing to give his life' (on this page)

Geneva Vaughn said her grandson, 30, joined the SEALS straight out of boot camp and was already a decorated fighter when he was asked by the Navy to return stateside to become an instructor. But he applied to SEAL Team 6 after two years, earning his way onto the squad in 2010.

He asked the military to return him to combat and shipped out just six weeks before he was killed, Vaughn said.

Story: Navy SEAL’s widow: ‘We were blessed to be together’

"He was doing what he loved to do and he was a true warrior," Geneva Vaughn said.

Aaron Vaughn leaves behind his wife, Kimberly, and two children, 2-year-old son Reagan and 2-month-old daughter Chamberlyn.

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Robert James Reeves and Jonas Kelsall had been childhood friends in Shreveport, La., where they played soccer together and graduated from Caddo Magnet High School, Kelsall's father, John, told The Times of Shreveport and KLSA-TV.

Both joined the military after graduation, though the 32-year-old Reeves spent a year at Louisiana State University first, his father, Jim Reeves, told the newspaper.

Reeves became a SEAL in 1999 and served on SEAL Team 6, his father said. During his many deployments, he earned four Bronze Stars and other honors.

Kelsall, 33, was one of the first members of SEAL Team 7, his father said.

He trained in San Diego and met his wife of three years, Victoria, when he was attending the University of Texas out of Basic Underwater Demolition training, his father said.

Reeves placed several American flags outside his home and his neighbors joined in, many decorating their homes in red, white and blue in support of the families.

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Associated Press Writers Timberly Ross in Omaha, Neb., Chris Talbott in Nashville, Rochelle Hines in Oklahoma City and Ron Todt in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Game Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Home » Game » Game Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Based on Hasbro’s legendary Transformers property and one of the most anticipated films of 2009 from Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen thrusts players into a battle for supremacy across the globe as either Autobots or Decepticons to drive, fly, fight and blast their way through intense, pressure-packed levels. Delivering extensive control, gamers can select from the largest, most diverse range of playable Transformers ever – each with distinct personalities, abilities and weaponry – and jump straight into action as they instantly switch between robot, vehicle and weapon modes to fight for the preservation or annihilation of all mankind. In addition, for the first time in the Transformers universe, players can also fight the epic war between Autobots and Decepticons online in explosive multiplayer combat.

Features:

* The Choice Is Yours – Players can take on the role of their favorite AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS such as Optimus Prime, Starscream, Bumblebee and Ironhide, along with new characters making their first appearance in a game. With two distinct campaigns that allow players to save or destroy the human race, players can unlock and play missions in any order and with different characters for a whole new experience

* Outmaneuver Your Opponents – Instantaneously convert from a colossal robot to a dynamic land or air vehicle such as a diesel truck, sports car, military chopper or fighter jet. New, ultra-fluid transformations can be performed in-motion anytime and anywhere, allowing players to strategically propel through and decimate hordes of enemies with incredible agility

* Take the Battle Online with Friends – For the first time ever in the TRANSFORMERS universe, players can engage in full, multiplayer action, taking the epic war between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS online to play with friends in a multitude of competitive game modes as they utilize their characters’ unique weapons and abilities to lead their teams to victory

* Demolish Your Enemies – Each TRANSFORMER can unleash a unique array of assaults on its enemies – ranging from powerful missile attacks and rapid-fire chain guns to explosive energy blasts and visceral melee strikes – allowing players to pick from a variety of weapons and moves in their character’s arsenal and experience diverse gameplay in every brutal encounter.

* Intense, Heroic Missions – Every second counts as players drive, fly, fight and blast their way through gripping, pulse-pounding levels straight from the film and beyond to determine the ultimate fate of the world

System Requirements

Intel CPU - Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz
Nvidia Graphics Card - Geforce 7600 GT 256MB
Direct X - 9
Ram - 1 Gbs
AMD CPU - Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4800+
ATI & Intel Graphics Card - Radeon X1600 Series
Hard Disk Space - 5 GB

Installation

º 1. Unrar/mount with latest Daemon Tools Pro vIDE
º 2. Install the game.
º 3. Use this serial: CHECK NFO
º 4. Block the game from going online with a firewall
º 5. Enjoy!

Serial Key
EH35-CXC3-636C-1P11-EE42
77P1-C3HZ-114C-1P11-FABF
4M65-L3VL-3MCC-1P11-47C9
E65H-6113-H5AE-1P11-954A

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