Commemorating 80 years in the Pacific

On May 14, 1945, Stars and Stripes published its first newspaper in the Pacific. To commemorate 80 years serving the military community in the theater, we're taking a look back at Stripes history through the writing and photography of a dedicated staff spanning generations. Stars and Stripes has proudly supported the Pacific military community since the beginning and will continue to serve the troops and families at the heart of our work.

Photo of the day

ARVN national police and rangers are clearing out pockets of VC snipers near Newport Bridge on the northern outskirts of Saigon.

ARVN national police, 1968

A soldier sits on the river bank, overlooking the river shacks on stills. ARVN national police and rangers are clearing out pockets of VC snipers near Newport Bridge on the northern outskirts of Saigon. VC and North Vietnamese launched an attack shelling more than 120 provincial capitals, towns and allied military installations across South Vietnam and battled government troops inside the capital city of Saigon. VC blasted the pedestrian walkway of the bridge at 4 a.m. May 5th. Ed. Note: Stars and Stripes reporter/photographer McIlhaney was with S&S photographer John Olson following Brig. General Ngyuen Ngoc Loan - chief of the Vietnamese National Police - that day when the police chief was hit by small arms fire. And aide of the gen. managed to drag his boss out from the fire to where Olson and McIlhaney were holed up when two grenades landed, of which one exploded. Both the general, Olson and McIlhaney and the aide were hit by shrapnel. It is at this time it is believed that McIlhaney dropped some of the film in the water.

Bruce McIlhaney | BUY THIS PHOTO

TOP STORIES

Tourists pose for pictures and walk around a Demilitarized Zone observatory near Goseong, South Korea, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017.

From the Archives

Missiles and sunbathers: S. Korea’s DMZ is more tourist mecca than war zone

Tourists snapped photos with North Korean mountains in the background, apparently unaware or unconcerned that they were about 60 miles away from…Read More

Memories with stars and stripes

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This week in Pacific history

C130 cargo plane sites on the runway at Utapao Air Base in Thailand
Allison Batdorff, Stars and Stripes

May 2nd - May 8th


May 2nd, 2008 – Cyclone Nargis strikes Myanmar, causing catastrophic damage and killing over 138,000 people.
May 3rd, 1947 – Japan's post-war constitution goes into effect.
May 5th, 1994 – American teenager Michael P. Fay is caned in Singapore.
May 7th, 1946 – Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita found Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, which was later renamed Sony.

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