[December 1, 2019] Unlike many heroes that I’ve highlighted here at my leadership blog, Sir William Wallace continues to be a highly controversial hero.1 The popular film, Braveheart (1995) starring actor Mel Gibson, helped alert us to the exploits of Wallace. Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First… Read More »
[November 14, 2019] Since the beginning of human existence, people have been trying to figure out what makes us mentally tough and prepared to meet the toughest challenges. The world sends us the unexpected and she will test our good judgment, wisdom and readiness. A warrior mindset is essential to maximize performance and ensure victory, especially when the… Read More »
[November 11, 2019] Today is the 101st anniversary of the end of World War I, also known as the Great War. Since that time, military veterans are thanked for their service to the nation and help keep us free from tyranny. Veterans also owe the American people a great sense of gratitude for their opportunity to be part… Read More »
[November 6, 2019] Forty descendants of an Israeli group of siblings hugged an elderly Greek woman. As a teenager, this tiny Greek lady hid, fed, and protected Israelis more than 75 years ago and risking everything to save her neighbors from death at the hands of the Nazis. Melpomeni Dina is one of only a few recognized among… Read More »
[November 1, 2019] A recent article in LiveScience tells us of a recently discovered Viking grave near Scotland’s Swordle Bay long ago. In the 10th century, the Vikings dug an elaborate grave and buried a “warrior of high status” in a boat containing items representing the man’s stature.1 While archeologists remain focused on this warrior’s artifacts found, I… Read More »
[October 28, 2019] It is a military axiom that goes back further than the recorded history of men and warfare. Men fight in war not to achieve a strategic aim but because of their comrades fighting alongside them. Camaraderie is their motivation. “I hold it to be of the simplest truths of war that the thing which enables… Read More »
[October 27, 2019] Yesterday, I got to see the film They Shall Not Grow Old for free on one of the Comcast channels. Just over a year ago, I wrote a short article on the film and how Director Peter Jackson has brought back to life old footage from World War I, found in the British Imperial War… Read More »
[October 14, 2019] You will them throughout airports as you travel across the United States, in train stations, and on buses. Members of the U.S. Marine Corps are easy to spot by the way they hold themselves, dress, and speak. But there is one thing that is also easy to “see.” The Marines Corps values and their slogans! … Read More »
[October 11, 2019] He came from “the other side of the tracks.” Staff Sergeant John Crèche was young, brash, and flippant. Born to a poor family on a ranch in southern Texas, John had a refreshing ability to see beyond the platitudes, the red tape, and the prima donnas that infect all large organizations. And, he never hesitated… Read More »
[October 10, 2019] In late 1944, my uncle “DJ” was a cook with the 2nd Infantry Division in Belgium when the Germans attacked. The Battle of the Bulge would go down in history as one of the most famous and strategically important battles of WWII. In his recollections, my uncle was ordered to “grab a rifle and be… Read More »