Saluting Service and Sacrifice
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MOVIES: Bill & Ted return as MLB middle-aged dads Page 21 Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, heart and soul of the ’69 MUSIC: The Killers ‘Miracle Mets,’ dies at 75 still exploring Page 32 Back page TRAVEL: DIY cruises keep dreams afloat Page 28 stripes.com Volume 79, No. 100 ©SS 2020 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 $1.00 PACIFIC U.S. ARMY/AP Sgt. Maj. Thomas Payne, shown as a sergeant first class in 2012, will receive the Medal of Honor for his actions during a daring 2015 raid that rescued 70 hostages set to be executed by Islamic State militants. Soldier will get Medal of Honor for Iraq rescue Saluting BY JAMES LAPORTA Associated Press DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — An American soldier who helped res- service and cue about 70 hostages set to be executed by Islamic State mili- tants in Iraq has been approved to receive the Medal of Honor for actions during a daring 2015 raid, The Associated Press has learned. sacrifice Sgt. Maj. Thomas “Patrick” Payne, a Ranger assigned to the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command, will receive the U.S. military’s highest honor for valor in combat in a White House cer- Scaled-down ceremony marking 75th anniversary of WWII’s emony set to be held on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. end reflects on a generation’s toil to turn ‘peril into peace’ The medal approval was con- firmed by two Defense Depart- BY WYATT OLSON U.S. sailors aboard On Wednesday, only a dozen veterans of the ment officials who spoke on Stars and Stripes the USS Michael war were on the fantail of that ship in Pearl condition of anonymity because Murphy stand at Harbor, Hawaii, to witness a commemoration HONOLULU — Seventy-five years ago, they weren’t authorized to speak attention while marking the 75th anniversary of the war’s 900 bombers and fighters filled the sky above passing the Battleship on the record. Payne was initially end, their numbers thinned by time. Tokyo Bay, where 250 Allied ships were Missouri Memorial given the Army’s second-highest More than 100 veterans of the war had award, the Distinguished Service moored as Imperial Japan formally surren- on Wednesday planned to attend — including 14 who were in Cross, for the special operations dered during a ceremony on the deck of the during a ceremony commemorating the Tokyo Bay 75 years ago — but event planners raid, which is being upgraded to USS Missouri. end of World War decided the risks posed by the virus were too a Medal of Honor. Thousands of servicemen crammed the II. Japan formally great for veterans well into their 90s. The vet- Contacted by the AP on Mon- decks and turrets of the battleship to view the day, the Pentagon would not com- surrendered on the erans who did attend live in Hawaii. historic signing on Sept. 2, 1945, bringing an ment. The White House did not deck of the Missouri respond to an email inquiry. end to World War II. on Sept. 2, 1945. SEE WWII ON PAGE 5 Danny Nateras SEE MEDAL ON PAGE 3 U.S. Marine Corps PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Friday, September 4, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EUROPE GAS PRICES EXCHANGE RATES United plans to furlough 16K Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9100 Euro costs (Sept. 4) ..............................$1.16 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.42 Dollar buys (Sept. 4) .........................€0.8234 Turkey (Lira) .........................................7.4420 Associated Press Unavailable at press time British pound (Sept. 4) ........................$1.30 (Military exchange rates are those Japanese yen (Sept. 4) ......................103.00 available to customers at military banking United Airlines said Wednesday it plans to fur- South Korean won (Sept. 4) ..........1,156.00 facilities in the country of issuance Commercial rates for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the lough 16,370 employees in October, a smaller Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3770 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For PACIFIC GAS PRICES British pound .....................................$1.3293 number than the airline predicted in July because nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3103 purchasing British pounds in Germany), thousands of workers agreed to leave with the travel China (Yuan) ........................................6.8357 check with your local military banking Country Unleaded Super unleaded Super plus Diesel Denmark (Krone) ................................6.2820 industry facing a slow recovery from the pandemic. facility. Commercial rates are interbank Japan -- $2.939 -- $2.509 Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.8209 rates provided for reference when buying Airline officials had outlined 36,000 potential Change in price -- +3.0 cents -- +2.0 cents Euro ........................................$1.1842/0.8444 currency. All figures are foreign currencies furloughs in July. Since then, thousands of workers Okinawa $2.289 -- -- $2.509 Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7505 to one dollar, except for the British pound, took early retirement, buyouts, or long-term leaves Change in price +4.0 cents -- -- +2.0 cents Hungary (Forint) .................................302.89 Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.3620 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, South Korea $2.299 -- $2.959 $2.519 of absence. Japan (Yen) ...........................................106.36 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) Change in price +4.0 cents -- +4.0cents +1.0 cents United officials said the forced job cuts will begin Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3057 INTEREST RATES Guam $2.299** $2.709 $2.949 -- Norway (Krone) ...................................8.9040 Oct. 1, when a prohibition on furloughs ends. They Change in price +4.0 cents +4.0 cents +3.0 cents -- Philippines (Peso).................................48.55 Prime rate ................................................3.25 said the furloughs would be postponed if Washing- Poland (Zloty) ...........................................3.74 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7504 Federal funds market rate ...................0.09 ton approves another $25 billion to help passenger * Diesel EFD ** Midgrade Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3642 3-month bill ............................................. 0.10 airlines cover payroll costs. For the week of Sept. 4-10 South Korea (Won) ..........................1,189.70 30-year bond ...........................................1.37 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 77/74 Kabul 80/66 Seoul 83/66 Baghdad 109/77 Kandahar 95/64 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 78/66 79/76 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 62/55 66/57 79/70 Iwakuni 81/78 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 86/63 Brussels 71/57 Guam 104/85 67/62 Ramstein 75/72 84/81 Lajes, 75/60 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 106/77 101/84 73/70 77/58 74/51 Aviano/ Vicenza 73/56 Naples 84/66 Okinawa Morón 84/81 98/66 Sigonella Rota 85/66 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 96/85 84/68 82/76 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ............ 14 Classified ......................... 42 Comics ..................38, 44-45 Crossword .............38, 44-45 Faces ............................... 16 Opinion .......................40-41 Sports .........................46-56 Weekend ..................... 17-38 Friday, September 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 MILITARY Overseas post offices make digital switch BY JENNIFER H. SVAN “So far we have not experienced Stars and Stripes any feedback from customers not happy with it,” said Kilian Bluem- KAISERSLAUTERN, Ger- lein, a Ramstein spokesman. many — After months of delays, Packages found with handwrit- the switch to electronic customs ten customs forms in the mail forms at military post offices after Sept. 13 will be returned overseas was made Thursday to the sender, the Postal Service without advance notice to cus- said. tomers in some areas. Electronic labels can be com- The requirement “to complete pleted at kiosks at military post online customs forms takes effect offices or created and printed at today,” U.S. Army Europe said in home. a statement Thursday. “The re- Those who know the weight of quired systems are all operating, their package can pay their ship- and clerks will no longer accept ping costs online and drop off handwritten forms.” their packages after a clerk con- The change is expected to cause firms the sizes and weights, offi- longer lines and wait times, mili- cials have said. tary postal officials have said. Customers can still fill out The Postal Service began handwritten customs worksheets transitioning to electronic cus- when they mail their packages, toms forms in March due to but postal workers will need to international regulations but type in all of the details to create /Stars and Stripes granted military post offices an MATTHEW KEELER electronic labels. extension. Staff Sgt. Dustin Traylor of the 51st Fighter Wing uses a computer to fill out a customs form inside the Customers shipping APO to Military post offices in Europe post office at Osan Air Base, South Korea, on June 16 APO should print a customs form and the Pacific were set to roll without using the “Click-N-Ship” out the new requirement Aug. 13. Service “discovering new issues of the new date last week on their and administrative