Tuskegee Airmen to attend inauguration, and more

Tuskegee Airmen to attend inauguration

The Tuskegee Airmen were little celebrated during or soon after World War II, when the all-black corps of fliers and ground crew served the segregated Army with distinction. But honors have been flowing recently, including a Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Airmen last year. Now Congress has invited surviving corps members, who trained in Tuskegee, Ala., to attend the inauguration of Barack Obama. Of the original 16,000 Airmen, only 330 are still alive. “I didn’t believe I’d live long enough to see something like this,” said 83-year-old veteran Charles Lane Jr. of Omaha. “I would love to be there.”

Iraqi women dare to drive

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Women are getting behind the wheel again in Baghdad. When violence there was soaring, few women dared to drive, fearing attack by Islamic extremists determined to keep them tied to their homes. But prior to the breakdown of order, Iraqi women were long accustomed to driving. Now, local driving schools report an increase in female students, and the Iraqi Automobile and Tourism Association says that most of the 123 people who signed up for driving lessons last month were women. “Even the Iraqi army, when I am at their checkpoints, they encourage me,” said 28-year-old Ashwa Mejid. “They say, ‘You’re a hero! You’re brave!’”

Puppies save 3-year-old

A 3-year-old boy who got lost in the Virginia woods was kept from freezing to death by cuddling two puppies through a bitterly cold night. Jaylynn Thorpe of Halifax County wandered away from his baby-sitter just before sundown last Friday. As the temperature dropped to 17 degrees, rescue parties grew frantic. But after 21 hours, a search team found the boy sitting by a tree, with his 12-week-old puppies nestled against him. When Jaylynn was taken to the hospital to be examined, the pups remained on duty, keeping the boy in sight. “I definitely call this a miracle,” said county Sheriff Stanley Noblin.