June 29, 2003

Behind the Wheel column reviews 2003 Chevrolet Corvette; chart shows features and prices, along with those of comparable models; photos (M)

African-American Hewlett-Packard executive Janiece E

Bodies of two American soldiers missing in Iraq for 3 days are found, miles apart from their Humvee; military refuses to give any details about how men died or to answer speculation that they might have been abducted; two soldiers are Sgt First Class Gladimir Philippe and Pfc Kevin Ott; they disappeared near town of Balad, 20 miles from Baghdad, in area near strongholds of conservative Sunni Muslims; Army criminal investigators have been assigned to determine what happed at scene, to find out how two heavily armed soldiers and their armored military vehicle could have been taken without report of struggle or of gunfire; photos; map (M)

Century-long quest to build national museum of African-American history and culture on National Mall in Washington brings together civil rights stalwart Rep John Lewis, conservative Republican Sen Sam Brownback, and impassioned lawyer Robert Wilkins; Republican support for current effort has raised eyebrows of some supporters of museum, who question whether it is calculated effort to court black voters before presidential election next year; Lewis, who has introduced bills for museum every year since 1988, takes more pragmatic view; Senate authorized $17 million in startup money for 2004; consultants on project estimate museum will take several years and more than $300 million to build; detractors are concerned about how museum would deal with slavery and how it would portray South; supporters argue that however painful the subject, project is long overdue; photos; map (M)

Article on Independence Day focuses on battle to spell out pursuit of happiness, vague right established in Declaration of Independence; pursuit underlies two enduring strains of American unhappiness: culture wars and ravenous consumer culture; drawing (M)