[December 25, 2020] My uncle “DJ” was a cook in the 2nd Infantry Division during World War II.1 He told me many stories of the battles; most intriguing to me was his time during the Battle of the Bulge. However, it was DJ’s wife, my aunt Mary, which I could best associate with as she told us about… Read More »
[December 21, 2020] I never was a big fan of watching television or going to the movies. To me, it was a waste of time. However, readers of my leadership blog will note that I occasionally refer to films because of their value in understanding leadership. One such documentary, The Somme (2005), is one of them. Are movies… Read More »
[December 20, 2020] World War II was the largest and most destructive war ever. It was a time of great upheaval, chaos, and death. However, the war was also a time that saw America’s traditions carried forward onto the battlefields, the hospitals, and homes. Christmas in WWII was given special attention. Our troops did their best to celebrate… Read More »
[December 15, 2020] Yes … I’m a flag-waving American Patriot. My 40 years in the U.S. Army did not make me a patriot. Growing up in a patriotic family did not make me a patriot. I’m a patriot because I lived half my life overseas in 20 foreign countries, on four continents, which made me a patriot. With… Read More »
[December 14, 2020] A Gallup poll in October 1940 found American youth as “a flabby, pacifist, yellow, cynical, discouraged, and leftist lot.” On the precipice of war, the United States was wholly unprepared militarily or socially. We were, indeed, a cowardly, leftist lot. Today, we are no different. We honor and respect the Greatest Generation; those who served… Read More »
[December 12, 2020] It has been said that a hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown. That, my friends, describes Chuck Yeager, flying combat ace, and test pilot – a real American hero. “You don’t concentrate on risks. You concentrate on results. No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done.” –… Read More »
[December 7, 2020] December 7, 1941, at 7:53 a.m., Japanese warplanes attacked the U.S. Naval fleet at Pearl Harbor.1 Much has been written in America about the attack – the lessons learned from it and how a weaker yet innovative enemy can blindside a large and powerful nation. In a famous speech, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt declared the… Read More »
[December 5, 2020] Over the past several decades, there has been a decline of veteran identity. This is reflected in falling membership across all organizations like the VFW, increased suicide rates, and unemployment. This is a problem that has national-level and societal implications, none of which are good. The Decline of Veteran identity. This unfortunate decline of identity… Read More »
[December 4, 2020] The U.S. has experienced an anti-military ideology since the 1960s. This kind of thinking has become a key component of Progressive dogma. In the city of San Francisco, this line of Progressive thinking is strong. Recently, community leaders in San Francisco saved their JROTC program from school board members’ intent on removing the program. Those… Read More »
[December 1, 2020] Sixty-five years ago, the moral courage of Rosa Parks, a visionary for Civil Rights, helped write racial equality into the mind of all Americans. On this date in 1955, coming home from work, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. For that reason, she was arrested for… Read More »