[April 26, 2020] In late 1775, on a sunny afternoon in Kinderhook, New York, several young women had gathered for a quilting bee. Suddenly, their peace was interrupted by a man who dropped in and commenced to harangue “against the Continental Congress.”1 The quiltmakers had had enough, they stripped the young man naked to the waist and commenced… Read More »
[April 25, 2020] The U.S. Army is a large organization. A common expectation is that once you meet a soldier, you may never see them again. While that is true, those in your peer group can become close friends. One such Army Engineer Officer and I were on similar career paths as officers. He had a problem that… Read More »
[April 23, 2020] In December 2004, I had the opportunity to interview captured Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. During that brief encounter at his prison cell at Camp Victory in Baghdad, I asked him one question, “Why did the Americans defeat your army?” Honestly, I wasn’t expecting an answer. But he smiled and told me that “defeat” is a… Read More »
[April 22, 2020] It wasn’t that long ago that I was reading one of several books on U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and his prosecution of the Union side of the Civil War. The war was, in some sense, predictable, but no one was willing actually to do something to prepare for it. The possibility of war was just… Read More »
[April 18, 2020] Drill and Ceremony is a method of moving troops from one location to another. Since its introduction by Friedrich von Steuben to Revolutionary soldiers at Valley Forge in 1778, highly motivated sergeants have used commands to instill discipline in new troops. Following those commands is not easy, but after some experience, troops will often begin… Read More »
[April 17, 2020] I was told by my second-grade teacher that I had a lot of bad habits that “needed fixin.” Like all the other kids in the class, I was deathly afraid of her, so I just nodded my head in agreement. Truth be told, I did have plenty of bad habits in school, like not studying,… Read More »
[April 16, 2020] It has been simply too long since I wrote an article about a hero. It goes without saying that we still need heroes, especially in our modern world. We need heroes precisely because they define the limits of our ideals, hopes. and dreams. That is precisely what U.S. Army Private Desmond Doss has done for… Read More »
[April 14, 2020] A common thesis throughout the existence of humanity is that betrayal is the lowest of lowly “sins.” When we think of traitors, Benedict Arnold and Judas Iscariot come to mind. For our neighbors, the British, the British Free Corps of World War II is what they contemplate as one of the most despicable chapters in… Read More »
[April 13, 2020] American novelist Ernest Hemingway once wrote that “courage is grace under pressure.” Having spent many decades in the U.S. Army, I can attest to the truth of Hemingway’s quote. An old, grizzly Marine gunny sergeant once told me that in combat, you had better keep your head or the enemy will. Today, my topic is… Read More »
[April 11, 2020] As I go about my business to teach leadership to young folks, the one complaint I hear often is that history courses are dull and mostly useless. We can and, of course, we should learn and do so quickly, else we are destined to repeat past mistakes. U.S. strategic leaders have learned from them, and… Read More »