[December 6, 2016] The most widely accepted definition of hero refers to a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character. It also refers to a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal. So it is with U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Paul Smith; our hero… Read More »
[December 4, 2016] A few days ago a small, rusting wrought-iron gate was found in rural Norway. Any of us would not have given it even a passing thought. But this gate bore the words “Arbeit Macht Frei” or “Work Sets You Free” and was the gate in which prisoners passed as they entered the infamous Concentration camp… Read More »
[December 1, 2016] Humor is a great American pastime. And so it is with many other societies that have enjoyed the benefit of Democracy, wealth, and peace. One form of humor is especially poetic and that is satire. Satire can be used to mock leaders and is an effective tool to deliver a strong yet cloaked message to… Read More »
[November 24, 2016] The cornucopia of plenty is symbolic of abundance and nourishment; originating from classical antiquity and commonly associated with the Thanksgiving holiday in America. It may not seem like it after such the recent divisive political campaigns but the world has experienced the greatest level of peace and prosperity in the history of humankind. There are… Read More »
[November 22, 2016] Occasionally I stumble across a person of great courage and use my forum at theLeaderMaker.com to share that person’s story (or at least point out where it can be found). U.S. Army Private First Class (PFC) Tony Vaccaro, veteran of World War II, is that person. There are so many of these stories that it… Read More »
[November 19, 2016] Most of us have been watching of late about college and university students across the United States protesting, conducting “cry-ins,” group-therapy sessions, and similar acts as a response to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s election victory; the epitome of privilege. Students have been, if we look to the past, often on the forefront of positive change… Read More »
[November 11, 2016] Speeches sometimes have good information in them, sometimes the speaker is actually good, and sometimes both come together for remarkable experience. I don’t personally believe that I’ve reached that pinnacle but nothing will stop me from trying. For Veterans Day my speech at an upstate New York college is presented here in full. The speech… Read More »
[October 27, 2016] I grew up in the Deep South, rural Louisiana, where we had strict rules about how children were to behave. One hard-and-fast rule in my family was that my brother and I got to watch only one “war show” per week and the one we chose was the television series called Combat! The show was… Read More »
[October 5, 2016] One of the great legends out of the Old West in America came about in the late 1800s when the infamous Dalton Gang terrorized the state of Oklahoma robbing and killing. Much has been written and movies made about the gang and their exploits but little on the townspeople who helped bring their activity to… Read More »
[September 16, 2016] It was ten years ago, almost to the day, that was one of the most difficult days I had during combat in Iraq but was also the day of a memorial service for a National Guard Engineer soldier from Iowa killed in action. We held no funeral there; all were in the U.S. hometown of… Read More »