Enlisted

War was Lloyd Brown's chance to get out of the Ozarks. It was 1918. The 16-year-old Missouri boy lied about his age to get into the Navy. Before he knew it, he was on the gun crew on the battleship USS New Hampshire, climbing 50-foot-tall masts, peering into the waters of the Atlantic for German U-boats and helping capture one. Mr. Brown, the last surviving Navy veteran of World War I, died Thursday at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in St. Mary's County....

Two senior enlisted leaders with an elite Navy dive unit could face charges of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of two sailors at Aberdeen Proving Ground in February, and others could be charged, the Navy said Wednesday. The chief warrant officer and the senior chief petty officer, whom officials did not name, also could face charges of dereliction of duty in the deaths of Diver 1st Class James Reyher and Diver 2nd Class Ryan Harris. All were members of the elite Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2, which is based in Virginia Beach, Va., but has made frequent use of the UNDEX Test Facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

A photo caption in Sunday's editions incorrectly characterized the commissioning of the USS Stethem. It is not the first U.S. Navy vessel named after an enlisted sailor.The Sun regrets the errors.

North Korea's recent threats to target South Korean and American cities with atomic destruction have the shrill belligerence of a 6-year-old's temper tantrum. But while few analysts believe North Korea has the means to carry out its threats, U.S. and South Korean officials would nevertheless be unwise to ignore them. With tensions on the peninsula higher than at any time since the end of the Korean War, there's great danger a conflict could break out by accident or through miscalculation.

A photo caption in Sunday's editions incorrectly characterized the commissioning of the USS Stethem. It is not the first U.S. Navy vessel named after an enlisted sailor.+ The Sun regrets the errors.

When Jo Dee Catlin Jacob enlisted in the Navy in 1974, she had to wear white gloves and high heels, "and it was not at all uncommon to be expected to pour the coffee.""When I joined, it was impossible for a woman to fly, to go to sea, to be a SEAL," she said. "It was very much a traditional Ozzie-and-Harriet, woman-subservient world."Remnants of that era remain: Women still may not serve on submarines, and a study released this month by the RAND National Defense Institute found that they are underrepresented in the combat-ready ranks of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon ordered the Army yesterday to end its 20-year policy of allowing personal relationships between some officers and enlisted soldiers, throwing cold water on both romances and friendships.The change will bring the Army into line with the Marines, Navy and Air Force, which prohibit any personal ties between officers and enlisted ranks, regardless of their sex, said Defense Department officials.Defense Secretary William S. Cohen said a consistent policy was necessary in a time when the services are finding themselves stationed and fighting together in joint operations.

Harry Richard Spurrier Jr., a retired Bethlehem Steel Corp. worker and Navy veteran, died of stroke complications Sunday at Laurelwood Care Center in Elkton. The former Essex resident was 87. Mr. Spurrier was born in Baltimore and raised in the Hampden-Woodberry area. He attended city public schools and during the Depression worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Glen Rock, Pa. A week after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Spurrier enlisted in the Navy. Serving on the USS Barnegat, a seaplane tender, as chief supply officer, he traveled during the war years to North Africa, England, Brazil and Iceland.

WASHINGTON -- Fraternization -- it is the most common complaint being heard over the phones in the crisis center at Aberdeen Proving Ground after the alleged sexual abuse of trainees there.But what exactly is it?Military law defines it as a relationship between a commissioned or warrant officer and an enlisted subordinate that violates military custom and is prejudicial to good order and discipline.But beyond that basic criminal definition are many variables. It is not solely a gender-based offense, although improper sexual relations are the way it usually surfaces.

WASHINGTON -- A new Pentagon policy that will bar Army officers from dating soldiers of a lower rank may also upset a more long-standing tradition: male bonding.Both active duty and reserve Army officers worry that a new fraternization policy, expected to be approved by Defense Secretary William S. Cohen in the coming weeks, could bar occasional socializing between junior officers and their sergeants.Such activity is necessary, they argue, to forge camaraderie and build unit cohesion.Among the victims could be such Army mainstays as "right-arm nights," which allow lieutenants to invite their sergeants to the officers' club, the occasional beer and poker game, as well as the periodic dinner with their spouses.

Terri Stafford used to take Lulu, her border collie mix, to medical facilities as part of a Baltimore-based volunteer program that enabled her to share her beloved pet's affection with others in need of it. "We did that for several years until Lulu got too sick" with cancer, said Stafford, a retired registered nurse who lives in Baltimore County. "Toward the end, when Lulu wasn't feeling well, she spent a lot of time hiding in the closet. But I'd say, 'Lulu, let's go visiting.' And she'd come running out and jump in the car. She loved it. "I also used to enjoy the way people would light up when I would bring Lulu to visit them," Stafford said.

When Alissa Harrington was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 38, she did what she's accustomed to doing when she needs answers. She reached for her smartphone. The Stevenson University technology professional says mobile apps helped her overcome one of the biggest burdens for anyone confronting a life-threatening illness: Managing the deluge of medical records and appointments and communicating what comes out of those to friends and family. "Mobile apps have really eliminated that," said Harrington, who as an instructional designer builds online courses and trains faculty how to apply technology to learning.

The effort by the Democratic Party, the UAW, Michael Moore and - disgracefully - Rick Santorum himself to orchestrate Democratic crossover votes against Mitt Romney in the Michigan Republican primary fell well short of its goal ("Santorum and Romney fight their own class war in Michigan," Feb. 27). Mr. Santorum's unholy alliance with big government, big labor and extremists underscores his shortcomings as an economic lightweight and an all-too-frequent shill for the unions during his years in Congress.

What's that chirping I hear outside my window?  The Great Backyard Bird Count is under way again.  The four-day annual event, which begins today (Friday, Feb. 17) offers even the most casual bird-watcher a chance to help scientists check up on the health of our winged neighbors. From the observations made by novice and expert alike, biologists may learn about how the weather this winter has affected bird populations here and elsewhere, whether migration patterns are changing and whether particular species are trending up or down because of disease or some other factor.

After nearly 40 years in the speaker business, Polk Audio is following music listeners from their living rooms and cars to their smart phones and their MP3 players. The Baltimore company is moving outside its comfort zone — speakers for home stereo systems and cars — with a new line of headphones, out this month. It is the first time Polk has sold anything other than a speaker or related accessory since a trio of Johns Hopkins University students started the company. Until now, senior vice president Ben Newhall said, "we've grown by adding a lot of different categories within speakers.

Aileen Elizabeth Foley, a retired hospital administrator and World War II veteran, died Feb. 1 of heart failure at St. Catherine's Nursing Center in Emmitsburg. She was 93. Miss Foley, the daughter of a grocer and a community activist, was born and raised in Minneapolis. She attended St. Lawrence Catholic School and graduated in 1935 from John Marshal High School in Minneapolis. She attended the University of Minnesota and in the late 1930s worked for BlueCross BlueShield of North Dakota.

Until the outbreak of the second World War, enlisted men were essentially nameless and faceless; officers, while entitled to more social respect, were also faceless -- until they reached flag rank, or broke aviation records.You could turn the services upside down and shake them without finding a married man under the rank of sergeant; they were blue-collar workers and, in time of war, cannon-fodder -- in all nations.Until Pearl Harbor, junior officers were forbidden by law to marry for five years after commissioning.

COX COMPLETES AIR FORCE TRAININGAirman Barry L. Cox, son of Rosina E. Galbreath of Columbia, has graduated from Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.In the six weeks of training, he studied Air Force history, organization, customs and received special instruction in human relations.Cox is a 1981 graduate of Walbrook Senior High School, Baltimore.NAVY'S SIMMS ENDS ENGINEERING COURSENavy Ensign James L. Simms, son of William and Donna Simms of Sykesville, has graduated from Basic Civil Engineer Corps Officer Course.

The American Visionary Art Museum , which opened 15 years ago Thanksgiving, will unwrap a glittering crystal-anniversary gift with the Saturday opening of "What Makes Us Smile?" It's the museum's biggest show since its inaugural "Tree of Life" exhibit back in 1995. For the first time, AVAM founder and curator Rebecca Hoffberger has collaborated with two guest co-curators, Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons," and Gary Panter, the alt-comics wizard who designed the sets for "Pee-wee's Playhouse.