CARLATA BRADLEY

Pvt. Eddie Slovik became the first American soldier since
the Civil War to be court-martialed and executed by firing
squad for desertion—and the only one who suffered such
a fate during World War II.

Pvt. Eddie Slovik was a draftee. Originally classified 4-F
because of a prison record (grand theft auto), he was
reclassified 1-A when draft standards were lowered to
meet growing personnel needs.

In January 1944, he was trained to be a rifleman, which
was not to his liking, as he hated guns.

In August of the same year, Slovik was shipped to France
to fight with the 28th Infantry Division.

Eddie and Antoinette Slovik.

1974

A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jetliner
(similar to above) operating as American Airlines
Flight 5342, was on final approach to Runway 33
at Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington,
Virginia Wednesday evening when it collided with
an Army H-60 Sikorsky helicopter crashing into the
Potomac River Wednesday evening. 

This was the first commercial airline crash in the U.S.
since 2009.

A U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter.

(FOX NEWS) – A loss in the sports world of NASCAR was
announced by the National Motorsports Press Association
on Monday, January 27th.

Longtime broadcaster Bill Weber died on Dec. 13, the
organization kept his death private until recently. No
cause of death was given. He was 67. 

Interestingly, he worked as a magician in Florida after
the end of his broadcasting career.

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SANDY KOZEL

Before and after shuttle explosion (first visible signs of
danger on left, just after explosion on right).

At 11:38 a.m. EST, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle
Challenger lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and
Christa McAuliffe is on her way to becoming the first
ordinary U.S. civilian to travel into space.

McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher
from New Hampshire, won a competition that earned her
a place among the seven-member crew of the Challenger.

She underwent months of shuttle training but then, beginning
January 23, was forced to wait six long days as the Challenger‘s
launch countdown was repeatedly delayed because of weather
and technical problems. Finally, on January 28, the shuttle lifted
off.

Seventy-three seconds later, hundreds on the ground,
including Christa’s family, stared in disbelief as the
shuttle broke up in a forking plume of smoke and fire.

The Final Crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

President Ronald Reagan addressing the nation from the
White House on the day of the space shuttle Challenger explosion.