Veterans

Veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia, who could have opted out of his minor league deal with the Orioles after his fifth start of the season Sunday, has told the organization he will stay until at least May 14. “Freddy is a qualified major leaguer and hopefully we can find a spot for him,” Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said. Pitching for Triple-A Norfolk, the 36-year-old Garcia leads the International League in wins (four) and innings pitched (33 2/3). Garcia, who is 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA with 21 strikeouts and two walks on the season, was just named the International League pitcher of the week Monday after going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in a pair of eight inning starts this past week.

Herbert A. Davis, a Baltimore real estate broker and decorated World War II veteran, died Monday of progressive supranuclear palsy at Keswick Multi-Care Center. He was 87. "Herb was always very enthusiastic and just a great guy," said Dorothy F. "Patsy" Ross, who works in real estate sales for Chase Fitzgerald & Co. "He was enthusiastic, positive and was always thinking on the bright side, and he really knew the business," said Mrs. Ross. "He was a great salesman. " Judy L. Bushong, a real estate agent, worked with Mr. Davis for 28 years.

As a Vietnam veteran, I am familiar with automatic assault weapons and the damage they can do ("Fight against gun violence must go on despite setback in the Senate" April 23). These weapons are designed for warfare and police emergencies. I am writing today to express how deeply concerned I am about the recent actions, or should I say inactions, by our legislators. I am not being paid by any political action committee. I have been unable to understand how it is that, according to the latest polls, 83 percent or more of Americans want protective action on gun reform, but our Congress has not shown they agree.

Two weeks after Beverly Poyer married her husband in 2007, he was deployed to Afghanistan. When he came home a year later, she was thrust into a role she hadn't expected: caregiver. Army Spc. Max Poyer, exposed to frequent mortar blasts in Afghanistan, suffered brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Now the life the Southern Maryland couple had planned - to finish college, buy a house and have more children - had to be redefined. That's when Beverly Poyer, 32, found a new calling: helping military families overcome emotional battle scars and transition back to civilian life.

OAKLAND, Calif. - When Zach Britton left the Orioles in March, he felt like he wasn't in a situation in which he could succeed in the majors. The 25-year-old left-hander believed he needed to go the minors and recapture what made him so effective when he first arrived in Baltimore in 2011. For the most part that meant regaining the feel and command of his heavy sinkerball. "I needed to get back to what I did best, throw the sinkerball. And that's what I kind of got back to down at Norfolk," said Britton, who was promoted from Triple-A on Thursday to, at least initially, provide bullpen depth.

This year marks the observance of landmark anniversaries of several military milestones in U.S. history. The 150th anniversary of the third year of the Civil War, among the bloodiest in American military history, is commemorated throughout 2013. This year also is the bicentennial of the second year of the War of 1812; it was a year notable for the British Navy's Chesapeake campaign which resulted in the sacking of Havre de Grace. Notably, a century ago this year was the last full year of what passed for peace in the complicated lead up to the start of World War I. The coming year marks the centennial of the start of what was initially referred to as the Great War, but would later be called the War to End All Wars and then when another great war erupted a generation later, World War I. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the end of a war that looms large in American policy even now, the Korean War. In an effort to ensure that the Korean War doesn't get lost in the mix, a group of veterans from Harford County who fought on the peninsula nation that borders China's northern Manchuria territories, but has been claimed at times by Japan, donated $1,000 to the county's public library system to support commemorations of the 60th anniversary.

OAKLAND, Calif -- The Orioles haven't named a starter for Monday's game in Seattle, and one possibility is 36-year-old veteran Freddy Garcia, who is 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Norfolk. When Garcia signed, he agreed to make five starts before a decision regarding his future had to be made. Tuesday, he lasted eight innings, gave up four hits and a run and struck out four. His fastball velocity was in the high 80s. “Freddy had a good outing last outing. As Ron Johnson our Triple-A manager put it so well, Freddy was Freddy,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

I have observed that Gov. Martin O'Malley, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch seem to rush to be in the front row when the cameras are clicking ("New Maryland law aimed at helping veterans land jobs," April 18). Any efforts to enhance the job opportunities for returning military veterans are wonderful. However, where have they been for two decades when Maryland military retirees were striving to achieve a fair and justified exclusion of retired military pay from state income tax as other states, some adjoining Maryland, have done?

Gov. Martin O'Malley picked an Annapolis veteran Thursday to oversee the waning years of his administration, appointing as chief of staff a man who has worked under four governors and earned respect in the environmental community for his candor. Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin will take over for the final 18 months of O'Malley's administration, as the governor decides whether to set his sights on the White House and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown launches a campaign to succeed O'Malley.