Editor’s note: Several Alabamians were killed while serving on board the USS Oklahoma when it was attacked at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, including Julius Ellsberry, a Birmingham native who was the first African American and Alabamian to die in World War II. Others lost that day included: Navy Chief Warrant Officer John A. Austin…

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(Editor’s note: This story originally published in May 2024.) By Troy Turner [email protected] Movie goers are reveling this month over the 24th anniversary of the smash hit and Best Picture winner “Gladiator,” released May 5, 2000; and perhaps more so with the announcement of its sequel, “Gladiator 2,” set for release in November 2024. Both…

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MOBILE — The USS Alabama Battleship Commission announced Tuesday evening that Commander Mark J. Fields, U.S. Navy (Ret.) of Tuscaloosa, will become the ninth executive director of USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park. Fields takes the helm effective Jan. 1, 2025. He follows Maj. Gen. Janet L. Cobb, U.S. Army (Ret.), who retires on Dec. 31…

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Editor’s note: This story is part of a series by the Department of Defense highlighting famous sports stars and entertainers who served in the military.  By David Vergun DOD News  Rapper MC Hammer is perhaps best known for his 1990 hit “U Can’t Touch This.”  Stanley Kirk Burrell, which is Hammer’s birth name, was also in…

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