Battles

WASHINGTON - They returned home to a politically traumatized nation that treated them with indifference and scorn. Now, veterans' advocates fear the country will again miss an opportunity to recognize the toil and torment of the 3 million service members sent to fight the Vietnam War. The Pentagon's plans to celebrate the veterans - five years in the making - are sputtering. This Memorial Day is supposed to be the curtain-raiser for a series of gatherings to mark the 50th anniversary of the beginning of US involvement in the decade-plus war and to honor those who served.

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Thousands of people in speeding trucks or pulling carts piled high with clothes and furniture fled a region north of Mogadishu Thursday amid the sounds of gunfire and explosions as government troops and their allies tried to take more ground from Islamist insurgents. The Afgoye corridor has been a shelter for hundreds of thousands of people seeking relief from violence that has plagued Mogadishu the last several years. African Union and Somali forces pushed al-Shabab militants out of Mogadishu last August and are now trying to seize...

STILLWATER, N.Y. — Descendants of Revolutionary War soldiers who fought in one of history’s most important battles can now find their American ancestors in a computer database, and someday they might be guided by GPS to the exact spots where their relatives faced musket fire, cannon barrages, and bayonet charges. History buffs spent 12 years gleaning information from 200-year-old military documents to assemble the list of thousands who participated in the Battles of Saratoga.

DENVER - Fire crews took advantage of lower temperatures and higher humidity to make key advances on a large wildfire in northern Colorado, one of several burning across the West. Officials said the blaze that scorched 12 square miles was 85 percent contained over the weekend, compared with the previous report of 45 percent containment. The fire, which started Monday about 20 miles northwest of Fort Collins, had prompted officials to evacuate about 80 homes, but all residents were allowed to return by Friday night.

From time to time, we've all worked for wizards, warriors, or combinations of the two. Good managers, ideally, can seamlessly switch between the roles when appropriate. The inspirational and charismatic boss who can motivate her charges to work endless hours in pursuit of that unattainable account should also be able to roll up her sleeves and get down with the troops and do whatever it takes to get the job done. As important as having (or being) a manager who works wonders and fights the good fight, is having a plan to win the battles that must be won. Two recent books examine both vital...

BATTLES With Walls At: Royale tomorrow. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets: $22, $20 in advance. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com It made sense for the tech-savvy trio Battles, which has spent years establishing itself among the new music elite, to invite '80s new-wave pioneer Gary Numan for a guest spot on the group's latest album, "Gloss Drop. " The ageless Brit, known for his groundbreaking 1979 song "Cars," was happy to oblige and soon got to work on the track the band had sent over to his computer.

At a moment when the president of the United States must consider strategy as well as tactics in Afghanistan, it is sad to see how many military writers are incapable of doing just that. Antony Beevor has made a signal reputation for himself as a historian of the “sharp end’’ of battles such as Stalingrad and Berlin. Beevor thus opens his new book dramatically on June 5, 1944, as the Allies prepare to take advantage of a brief lull in unseasonably poor weather in order to launch a massive, 60-mile-wide invasion of France, targeted on the coast of Normandy: D-Day.

Mitt Romney on Tuesday cast himself as the target of a "vast left-wing conspiracy" in the press, saying "many in the media are inclined to do the president's bidding. " "There will be an effort by the, quote, vast left-wing conspiracy to work together to put out their message and to attack me," Romney said during an interview with conservative radio host Larry O'Connor on Breitbart News. "They're going to do everything they can to divert from the message people care about, which is a growing economy that creates more jobs and rising incomes.

SYDNEY -- Peter Casserly, Australia's oldest World War I veteran, who survived the bloody battles on the Western Front, has died in a Perth nursing home at age 107. Mr. Casserly enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in March 1917, lying about his age to join the Fifth Railway Section. He said he informed his mother of the move in a message in a bottle that he dropped over the side of his troop-carrying ship. The bottle washed up on a beach, and someone mailed it to his mother.

Mainers who served in the 103rd Infantry Regiment during World War II are being honored at a ceremony for their service. Regiment members are being recognized Saturday at the Augusta State Armory in a ceremony put on by Maine Veterans Services and the Maine Military Historical Society. The ceremony includes a history of the regiment’s battles in the Pacific and medal presentations to those that were wounded in combat. The families of those who died fighting in battle are receiving the State of Maine Gold Star Honorable Service Medal.

CHICAGO - Police clashed with scores of protesters Sunday after more than 2,000 demonstrators marched peacefully to the edge of the NATO summit where President Obama is meeting with world leaders. Protesters shouting "Shut down NATO" threw bottles at officers wearing riot helmets and wielding batons. A city permit allowed protesters to march until 4:15 p.m. About 30 minutes after that, police began forcibly dispersing the crowd by driving the demonstrators from streets near the McCormick Place convention center, where the summit convened.

With his carefully tended hair, tight trousers and perfect harmonies, Robin Gibb, along with his brothers Maurice and Barry, defined the disco era. As part of the Bee Gees — short for the Brothers Gibb — they created dance floor classics like "Stayin Alive," ''Jive Talkin'," and "Night Fever" that can still get crowds onto a dance floor. The catchy songs, with their falsetto vocals and relentless beat, are familiar pop culture mainstays. There are more than 6,000 cover versions of the Bee Gees hits, and they are still heard on dance floors and at wedding receptions, birthday...

By Andrew Mooney, Boston.com Correspondent As ESPN's John Hollinger artfully illustrated in April , the Celtics' dramatic turnaround from has-been, elder statesmen of the East to dangerous veterans bent on one last title run can be attributed almost entirely to their defensive resurgence. The introduction of Avery Bradley into the starting lineup and the shift of Kevin Garnett from power forward to center transformed a .500 team into a dark horse Finals pick.

An Anchorage seafood restaurant heralded its grand opening Friday by mimicking Alaska Airlines' splashy salmon show in Seattle. The Seattle-based airline makes a big production each year of delivering the first-of-the-season Copper River king salmon from Alaska to Seattle for preparation by top chefs, who got their celebrated bounty earlier Friday. Hours later, an Anchorage-based seafood processor delivered a 30-pound king and a seven-pound sockeye salmon with much fanfare at The Bridge Seafood Restaurant, which was set for...

SANA, Yemen - Government troops battling Al Qaeda fighters in southern Yemen have made inroads into the militants' strongholds, but the offensive on a strategic city has slowed because of concerns the extremists could launch a surprise counterattack, military officials said Thursday. Backed by heavy artillery and warplanes, Yemeni troops have advanced into Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan Province, which fell under the control of Al Qaeda-linked fighters last year as the country was engulfed by political turmoil that led to the ouster of longtime leader Ali Abdullah...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Red Sox seem prepared to play their first interleague series of the season starting Friday night, when they take on the equally disappointing Phillies, a high-payroll team that also has suffered numerous injuries and setbacks. They are teams who have mirrored each another, but the Red Sox, who have won six of seven after a 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay Thursday night, will first be facing Cole Hamels, which means Boston should hide rookie third baseman Will Middlebrooks.

Sidney Crosby is feeling good these days. Still, the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar isn't sure when he'll return to the ice. Coach Dan Bylsma said Thursday afternoon Crosby will not play Friday or Saturday and that his status remains uncertain. Crosby hasn't played since being diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms in early January. "He's had a good week of practice and is progressing, but he will not be playing this weekend," Bylsma said. Crosby has practiced with the team since the start of training camp two months ago and was cleared for contact last month.

Divisive Republican primaries, an out-of-nowhere GOP retirement in Maine and an unexpectedly competitive race in North Dakota add up to an unpredictable battle for control of the Senate this fall, confounding early forecasts that an era of Democratic rule was inevitably coming to an end. Adding to the uncertainty, tea party-backed challengers are on the primary ballot against establishment candidates in New Mexico and Texas in the coming weeks,...

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff Three games in, the Celtics and 76ers are beginning to separate. And that's not just a reference to the blowout. A win like Wednesday night's 107-91 drubbing in Game 3 will bring about that conclusion, but it's about more than the score. Little, pointed details about how both sides approach the game of basketball are starting to emerge. We're beginning to understand just who the Celtics, and the Sixers, really are. The series is the ultimate study in contrasts.