[July 4, 2016] The first fireworks I ever saw was when, at the age of 11, my dad drove our family to see my great aunt in Little Rock, Arkansas. Late that evening as we crested a hill overlooking the valley where the city is located, from the backseat of the family’s ’49 Chevy four-door sedan, I got… Read More »
[July 1, 2015] I walked the grounds at the Gettysburg battlefield more times than I can remember; studied the terrain, the movements of troops, the reasons why the battle was fought, and to also see the cemetery where my relatives are buried. The massive battle took place over three days beginning July 1, 1863 and was to be… Read More »
[June 19, 2016] One of the advantages of traveling throughout the United States is the privilege of meeting with military veterans who served in our country’s wars. Their stories amaze me to this day and whenever I get a chance to sit down and talk, that is exactly what I will do. Last week I met with a… Read More »
[June 06, 2015] During one of my combat tours, my senior headquarters gave our troops the souvenir opportunity to have a U.S. flag flown over the Saddam’s main palace in Baghdad. We had to buy the flag and turn it in with a written request that included name and date to be on a certificate. My good friend… Read More »
[May 30, 2016] On this Memorial Day and as I travel about the East and Mid-Western states of the United States, I find that more people are aware of this special day and its meaning than ever before. Despite what one hears in the media about those who have no idea what’s going on, I find the opposite… Read More »
[May 25, 2016] We’ve all met military veterans and most of us thank them for their service and sacrifice to our nation and yet there remains one overlooked group that is just as important. The families of those veterans are frequently treated as second-class citizens. Yesterday, while traveling through the state of New Jersey, I happened to visit the… Read More »
[May 12, 2016] More than a decade ago the U.S. Army developed a “Warrior Ethos” program that was designed to help prepare soldiers for combat and it still exists today as part of the Soldier’s Creed.1 What it did not do was create warriors. Today, I’m introducing a real warrior – Francis Marion who was the father of… Read More »
[May 10, 2015] Battles in war teach us many things and being a combat veteran those battles bring particularly hard lessons when I study them. The (in)famous Battle of Hamburger Hill was a part of the Vietnam War’s Operation Apache Snow in which tactical engagements lasting from May 10 to 20 in 1969. What the battle reaffirmed was… Read More »
[April 8, 2016] It was once said that “evil prospers when good men do nothing.” So it was with Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer; recognized for being someone who we can all look up to for courage in the face of certain death. Today, I’m recognizing Bonhoeffer as a hero to all free peoples and holding him up as someone… Read More »
[April 4, 2016] I’m a believer that leaders are made, not born, and, I’m a firm believer that the best leaders are made in the crucible of fire. That fire can be combat or any other high-level emergency or challenge that is overcome. Leaders who survive it are all the better for the experience. And so it is… Read More »