The paintball field near White Beach, run by Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation, is now open to all SOFA-status personnel and military retirees.

The field is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each payday Saturday on a first-come basis, according to a release.

Reservations must be made for all other days.

For details or reservations, call DSN 632-4013 or 632-4014.

Family retreat scheduled at OkumaA family retreat will be held July 10-12 at the Okuma Recreation Facility on the beach off Route 58.

The retreat will focus on relationships and parenting skills and will afford time for family fun, a release said.

The retreat is sponsored by the Chaplains Religious Enrichment Development Orientation.

To sign up, call 645-3041.

Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony June 23ITOMAN, Okinawa — The annual Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony will be held June 23 at Peace Prayer Park at Mabuni Hill.

The ceremony, which marks the end of the last major land battle of World War II, is sponsored by the Okinawa prefectural government in remembrance of the 240,734 people — military and civilian — who died during the 83-day battle for the island.

Their names are inscribed on black granite walls that stretch to the sea.

A special ceremony for the 14,009 Americans killed will start at 10:30 a.m. at the portion of the wall reserved for the American names. It is sponsored by the USO.

The prefecture’s main ceremony begins at 11 a.m.

This year the names of 128 people, including a Navy corpsman, will be added to the Cornerstone of Peace, according to the prefectural government.

A free bus will depart from Camp Foster at 8 a.m. from the American Legion parking lot. Free buses also will depart from Camp Kinser Building 107, at 8:20 a.m., and from the United Seamen’s Service in Naha at 8:40 a.m.

Dress for the occasion is business casual. Military members have been asked by the prefecture to not wear their uniforms.

For details and bus reservations, call Patty Juliuson at 645-2662 or e-mail admin.oki@uso-pacific.org.

Thousands expected in girls’ 2002 truck deaths ceremoniesSEOUL — More than 20,000 people were expected to gather Friday night to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the deaths of two young Korean girls who were crushed by a U.S. armored vehicle.

About 20,000 people were expected to gather in Gwangju and another 1,000 in Busan to remember Shin Hyo-sun and Shim Mi-son, who were walking on Highway 56 when they were run over by the 57-ton military vehicle. Their deaths sparked public outcry and massive anti-American protests that summer.

In a rare interview late last week, Mi-son’s father, 55-year-old Shim Su-bo, told South Korea’s CBS NoCutNews that he no longer holds a grudge against the soldiers who ran over his daughter and that he wouldn’t attend any rallies.

"I want to accept this is just a plain car accident," he told the news organization. He said he didn’t approve of politicians or civic groups using his daughter’s death for political benefit.

Stars and Stripes was unable to reach the father to independently confirm the statements.

Yokosuka base to host ‘CFAY Sunday’Yokosuka Naval Base will host the inaugural "CFAY Sunday" this weekend as part of a monthly initiative to open the base to more Japanese visitors.

Certain areas of the base will be open to Japanese guests from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, said base spokeswoman Michelle Stewart. Among them are food courts, parks and athletic fields.

Stewart said Japanese visitors must provide photo identification and enter through the base’s Womble Gate. There are no planned gate closures or changes for Americans who live and work on the base, Stewart said.

"We want to share the base with our Japanese hosts — there is a lot of history here and we want to give them the opportunity to enjoy that," Stewart said. "It’s their base, too."

Marine jailed for not testifying in Iraq caseRIVERSIDE, Calif. — A Marine charged with murder in the 2004 death of an Iraqi detainee during combat operations in Fallujah was jailed Thursday for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury.

Sgt. Ryan G. Weemer’s attorney told the judge that his client opted not to testify for fear of self-incrimination. The sergeant did not speak before U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Larson found him in contempt of court. Weemer can be held for up to 18 months unless he decides to testify or until the grand jury is excused.

Weemer is accused of shooting an unarmed captive in November 2004 during some of the heaviest fighting of the war. His case is still pending at Camp Pendleton. One of his attorneys has said Weemer did nothing wrong.

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