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From heroism to history, here are the most-read Stars and Stripes stories of 2023
Stars and Stripes
December 31, 2023
Marine Pfc. Nathaniel Laprade speaks to commanding officer Lt. Col. Christopher Kearny at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., on Aug. 25, 2023. At 4-foot-7, Laprade could be the shortest member of the Marine Corps in its history. ( William Horsley/U.S. Marine Corps)
A missing soldier, a reenlisting country singer and stories about U.S. military history in the Pacific were topics that caught the attention of Stars and Stripes readers in 2023.
Here are the Top 10 most-read staff stories from the year.
Sgt. Jonathan Lane is pictured in undated photos released by the U.S. Army’ Criminal Investigation Command July 6, 2023. (U.S. Army)
1. Missing US soldier spotted under different name at Air Force base in Germany
A U.S. soldier who was listed as missing was spotted at Ramstein Air Base in Germany under an assumed name, military law enforcement officials said in July. Read more here.
RELATED: US Army sergeant missing in Germany for a week declared AWOL
2. Army removes colonel from command of Germany-based brigade
The leader of a Germany-based brigade that maintains vast amounts of Army weaponry and supplies has been quietly fired from her position. Read more here.
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Craig Morgan, a country music artist, performs at BaseFEST, May 12 at Fort Bliss, Texas. (Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf)
3. ‘I still have more to give’: Country singer Craig Morgan reenlists in Army at 59
Country singer Craig Morgan was sworn into the Army Reserve in July at age 59 in front of a crowd of concertgoers at the storied Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. Read more here.
4. Marine veteran who refused COVID-19 vaccine arrested in Japan
A Marine veteran who refused the COVID-19 vaccine while serving in Japan and defied orders to return home was arrested this month at her former duty station. Read more here.
5. Air Force automatically extends enlisted time in grade by 2 years
For fiscal year 2024, the Air Force, hoping to retain more of its experienced airmen, automatically raised the maximum number of years enlisted members may serve at a given rank. Read more here.
Pfc. Nathaniel Laprade, a Marine who stands 4 feet, 7 inches tall, is shown at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., on Aug. 25, 2023. (William Horsley/U.S. Marine Corps)
6. No tall tales here: 4-foot-7 recruit makes it into Marines, likely sets record
At a height of 4 feet, 7 inches, Pfc. Nathaniel Laprade could be the shortest Marine in the Corps’ nearly 250-year history. But after making it through the Corps’ grueling boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., on Sept. 1, he was standing tall. Read more here.
In late October, staff with the Pearl Harbor National Memorial discovered that a concrete-steel platform used for salvaging the USS Arizona during World War II had partially collapsed. (National Park Service)
7. Historical salvage platform attached to USS Arizona is collapsing into Pearl Harbor
It took Japanese torpedo bombers less than an hour to sink the battleship USS Arizona during the Dec. 7, 1941, surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Salvaging the unrepairable hulk that rested half submerged on the harbor floor took almost two years. In late October, staff with the Pearl Harbor National Memorial discovered that a concrete-steel platform used for salvaging the ship had partially collapsed. Read more here.
RELATED: One USS Arizona attack survivor remains following death of Ken Potts, 102
The guided-missile destroyer USS Howard passes Iwo Jiam, also known as Iwo To, in the Philippine Sea, June 25, 2023. (Santiago Navarro/U.S. Navy)
8. US destroyer struck bottom near Bali before commander was fired, Navy says
The guided-missile destroyer USS Howard, based at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, sustained a “soft grounding” just before arriving in Indonesia for a port call on Aug. 10, the U.S. 7th Fleet told Stars and Stripes that month. The incident occurred nine days before Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commander of 7th Fleet, fired the Howard’s skipper, Cmdr. Kenji Igawa, on Aug. 19 for a “loss of confidence in his ability to command.” Read more here.
RELATED: Navy fires skipper of Japan-based destroyer after less than a year in command
At left, Col. Jon Meredith was fired as commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, in October 2022, after a criminal investigation. At right, Col. Ann Meredith, his wife, was fired Tuesday, March 23, 2023, from her position as commander of the 89th Military Police Brigade at Fort Hood after a separate investigation. (U.S. Army)
9. Married colonels at Fort Hood fired following criminal investigations
Col. Ann Meredith was fired as commander of the 89th Military Police Brigade at Fort Hood in March, as she and her husband, also a colonel fired from his command post, faced separate criminal investigations, base officials said at the time. Read more here.
RELATED: Charges dropped against Fort Cavazos colonel facing court-martial over sexual allegations
Imperial Navy pilot Nobuo Fujita flew the only enemy bombing mission over the continental United States during World War II. (U.S. Navy)
10. 81 years ago, single Japanese pilot launched only bombing of US mainland during World War II
September marked the 81st anniversary of the end of the only enemy aerial bombing campaign to strike the continental United States during World War II. A veteran Japanese Navy pilot advocated the attack and was given the honor of taking the war to the American home front. Read more here.
11. Towing company to repay Marines whose vehicles were sold during deployment
A North Carolina tow-truck operator must pay almost $67,000 to settle claims that he repossessed and sold vehicles owned by Marines deployed to Okinawa and elsewhere overseas, according to federal prosecutors. Read more here.
An Air Force C-130J Super Hercules visits the island of Rota during Cope North training on Feb. 18, 2020. ( Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)
12. Air Force plans to bring some mothballed Indo-Pacific bases back to life
The Air Force plans to increase the number of bases it can operate from in the Indo-Pacific so that it can disperse forces in wartime, a general said in August. World War II-era airfields throughout the Pacific provide available real estate, Brig. Gen. Michael Zuhlsdorf, who is responsible for logistics and force protection, said. Read more here.
Marines with the Marine Advisor Company A, Force Headquarters Group, take part in a military awards ceremony at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., May 7, 2023. One of the four Marines being recognized thwarted a transnational criminal human trafficking organization while drilling with his unit that weekend. (U.S. Marine Corps)
13. Marine lieutenant colonel stymies alleged human-trafficking ring in DC suburb
The Marine Corps dubbed a lieutenant colonel “a hero” in May after he was credited with busting a gang’s alleged human-trafficking operation in Alexandria, Va., where he was staying during a recent drill weekend in nearby Washington, service officials said. Read more here.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. A.C. Roper, deputy commander, U.S. Northern Command, listens to Alaska Native veterans sharing their stories at a meeting with general officers and military veterans during the Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention, Anchorage, Alaska, Oct. 21, 2023. (Don Hudson/U.S. Air Force)
14. Alaska land offered to veterans in one-of-a-kind giveaway, but it comes with a hitch
A unique federal land transfer program seeks to give away up to 160-acre tracts of wilderness to Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans or their heirs. But the offer of free land comes with a caveat. Read more here.
15. Pentagon tells service members to stop displaying giant US flags at major events
The Defense Department said that having service members carry the U.S. flag horizontally or land it on the ground after a parachute jump is no longer acceptable. Read more here.