05-06-2011

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Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

Vol. 120, No. 109 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday

May 6, 2011

FRIDAY

www.rdrnews.com

INSIDE NEWS

A SAD DAY IN NJ, TOO

TRENTON, N.J. — As mourners filed out of the church, two by two, the organist struck up an unusual tune for a funeral: “America the Beautiful.” Outside, military pallbearers in ceremonial dress carried the flagdraped casket of 1st Lt. Omar Vazquez to the waiting hearse, while a dozen retired servicemen saluted, flags in hand. - PAGE B6

TOP 5 WEB For The Past 24 Hours

• Police investigate teenager’s death • Police ID dead teenager • A hero comes home • RPD foils 4-state crime spree • Harvard to be regimental commander

INSIDE SPORTS

A hero’s farewell

The U.S. Army Honor Guard salutes Pfc. Antonio Stiggins for the final time during funeral services at South Park Cemetery, Thursday.

EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER A fallen soldier killed in Iraq last month was laid to rest under the sprawling green leaves of Arizona Cypress trees on the north side of South Park Cemetery Thursday afternoon after a memorial service at a local church.

Officials say this was the first New Mexico casualty from Operation New Dawn. A baby wailed during the military funeral as the New Mexico Army National Guard Honor Guard pallbearers in ceremonial dress blues fired three volleys as a salute, and family and friends wiped away tears as the bugler

Mark Wilson Photo

NMMI’S GONZALEZ TAKES 4TH

ALBUQUERQUE—Sometimes things just don’t go the way you expect them to. Like that vacation to Myrtle Beach that you have been looking forward to for a year, but the entire week you're there, it’s cloudy, rainy and windy. But as the saying goes, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. For NMMI’s Jose Gonzalez, he planned to at least medal .... - PAGE B1

Angel Mayes says her final goodbyes to her son, Pfc. Antonio Stiggins, during funeral services at South Park Cemetery, Thursday. Mark Wilson Photo

Cruz Garcia, a Vietnam Veteran, pays his final respects to fallen comrade Pfc. Antonio Stiggins during funeral services at Christ’s Church, Thursday.

Donna Lucille Clark Melba Ruth Phillips Lillian Fay Shirley Leona Beryl Mayberry - PAGE B6

TODAY’S FORECAST

CLASSIFIEDS..........C1 COMICS.................B5 ENTERTAINMENT.....B7 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8

INDEX

“It was beautiful, beautiful,” one woman murmured to her friend while dabbing her eyes with a

tissue. The ceremonial funeral

Mark Wilson Photo

The faithful gather outside the Chaves County Courthouse to participate in the 2011 National Day of Prayer, Thursday.

See FAREWELL, Page A3

Hundreds of Roswell citizens gathered for a day of prayer, music and fellowship on the steps of the Chaves County Courthouse, for National Day of Prayer, Thursday. “I appreciate the National Day of Prayer. It was a blessing to me,” Sam Salcido, Roswell resident, said. “I felt that people are concerned with what’s going on, especially praising God. God is the one that’s holding the United States together.”

Capt. Beau Perez, of The Salvation Army, also commented on the observance. “It’s wonderful to see the city represented — everyone all together here at the National Day of Prayer. It does my heart good,” Perez said. “Prayer is the hand that moves the world. Our nation really needs God’s hand. Our city needs prayer, our county needs prayer. I’m very glad that we’re out here praying today.” Ceremonies were led by the Rev. Melvin Suttle, pastor of Roswell First Assembly of God, who read a

proclamation issued by President Barack Obama declaring May 5 National Day of Prayer. Mayor Del Jurney was also on hand to read a proclamation delcaring May 5 National Day of Prayer in Roswell. During observances, community leaders, elected officials and local clergy prayed for different entities and various issues affecting the city. Chaves County Commissioner Greg Nibert delivered one of those prayers, in which he said,

For Obama, the day was about the importance of being in New York in the aftermath of the successful raid to find and kill bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader. Obama addressed families who have watched and wondered for nearly a decade whether the government would track down its most infamous enemy. On this special ground, Obama never mentioned bin Laden’s name.

Still, this was where the terrorist inflicted his greatest damage on a similarly sunny day in 2001 when hijacked airliners were crashed into the World Trade Center. Nearly 200 other people died when a third airliner hit the Pentagon — Vice President Joe Biden led a ceremony there on Thursday, and Bush Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld attended — and others were killed when yet

a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. Enthusiastic, emotional New Yorkers waited on streets to see the president, but there were few displays like the more raucous exuberance of a few days earlier. There were happy faces, shouts of “USA! USA!” and flags waved in the crowd, but there also was heavy security and most people

JONATHAN ENTZMINGER RECORD STAFF WRITER

OBITUARIES

HIGH ...90˚ LOW ....50˚

sounded Taps and gave a final, crisp, white-gloved salute to the flag-draped casket.

Hundreds gather for National Day of Prayer

TODAY’S • • • •

Mark Wilson Photo

Obama in NY: We never forget, we mean what we say

NEW YORK (AP) — Solemnly honoring victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, President Barack Obama hugged survivors, thanked the heroes of one of the nation’s darkest days and declared Thursday that the killing of Osama bin Laden after all these years was an American message to the world: “When we say we will never forget, we mean what we say.” On a brilliant blue-sky

day, one of reflection more than celebration, Obama of fered New Yorkers a moment of their own. Standing at the gritty construction site of ground zero, where the towers fell and a memorial now rises, the president laid a wreath of red, white and blue flowers for the nearly 3,000 who died as he marked a turning point for the nation and this city of steely resilience.

See PRAYER, Page A3

See OBAMA, Page A3


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