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Cpl. Sanchez, 2nd LAR, (c) www.artharris.com

By Art Harris, The Bald Truth, (c) www.artharris.com, all rights reserved

I arrived in a sandstorm, and left in a sandstorm, the raging desert winds etching stings and memories of war few can erase–friendship and gratitude I carry with me today on Veterans Day, and every day for the young Marines who looked out for me as an embedded journalist, and each other, rough, tough, ready to fight– and ever polite.

“Sir, could you please bend down so I could shoot out your window?” asked my driver, Cpl. Sanchez, as our 7-ton ammo truck came under fire one night in Nasirya. I scribbled notes, now illegible, as the men let me into their lives, some cut short, to write about their hopes, dreams and missions I’ll be sharing about these and other American heroes from time to time on The Bald Truth.

Not a day goes by I don’t think about the young guns of the 2nd Marines light armored reconn unit (LAR) out of Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, and how we raced across the Iraq border in March, 2003, my only weapons, laptop and cameras. As I salute them today, and all the men and women in uniform, I also wince about how we got off on the wrong foot–my fault–and my first brush with fear.

Then Marine Cpl Rey Narvais, (c) artharris.com

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Hank Tommy Croslin, Jr., Arrested Thursday in Putnam County, on drug charges

By Art Harris, The Bald Truth, (c), www.artharris.com, all rights reserved

The Bald Truth has learned that Misty Croslin-Cummings’ brother, Tommy, 23, was arrested at 8:56 a.m. Thursday Nov. 6 in Putnam County, Florida, on felony prescription drug–and drug equipment–possession charges, and later that day refused to talk with investigators in the Haleigh Cummings missing child case when they paid him a jailhouse visit. He’s being held on a $1,508 bond.

“They wanted to see if he had anything more to say about what he may know about Haleigh, or his sister, Misty, than he shared last time, and he said he didn’t have anything to add,” a source close to the case tells me in an exclusive interview.

In a public statement, PCSD spokesman Lt. Johnny Greenwood, denied the arrest had “any bearing on the Haleigh Cummings investigation, and we do not want subsequent arrests, such as this one, to cause distractions for our investigative team.” Read the rest of this entry »

Art Harris, with author Jane Velez Mitchell

By Art Harris, The Bald Truth, (c) www.artharris.com, all rights reserved

It was a celebration of Jane Velez-Mitchell’s big heart, guts and gutsiness for telling her story, “I Want, My Journey from Addiction, and Overconsumption to a Simpler, Honest Life” (HCI, $24.95), and now a New York Times Bestseller.

“It’s a little strange to throw a cocktail party to celebrate sobriety, but we can handle it, now,” she laughed, grabbing the mike at the hip, Peter Max art gallery on the Upper West Side Wednesday night to thank her CNN host and employer for the soiree, her staff and all the guests who appear regularly and irregularly, including Marc Klaas, Dr. Robi Ludwig, the TV therapist who also appears on Nancy Grace, and Dr. Jeff Guardier, author and popular TV psychologist as well–and her deep bench of New York attorneys and cops.

We whipped out our Sony flip cam, a tiny Webbie HD, to catch her talk, and learned how hard it is to hold steady, drawbacks in low light and audio limitations, but it still picked up Jane’s dynamo energy, gratitude and awe.

Marc Klaas, in from San Fran to surprise Jane
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By Art Harris, The Bald Truth, (c) artharris.com, all rights reserved

Although veteran child finder Tim Miller sadly believes Haleigh Cummings won’t be found alive, he tells The Bald Truth Wednesday he still plans to return to Putnam County, Florida to search for the ever elusive missing six year old–or her body.

“We will never, EVER quit searching for Haleigh Cummings,” he tells me in an exclusive interview to clear up an apparent misunderstanding that lead volunteers and supporters to jam Texas Equusearch switchboard flabbergasted to hear Miller might not be willing to use his considerable expertise or equipment to look for Haleigh because he felt she was dead.

“We already have plans to return for another organized search when the vegetation thins out this winter,” he says. “”I don’t think Haleigh’s (body) is all that far away from Satsuma because whoever took her isn’t smart enough to carry her far.” Read the rest of this entry »