[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 »
[September 5, 2016] One of the advantages of Labor Day is the opportunity to cook burgers out on the grill, get some cooler weather, and drink a beer. Best wishes to everyone this fine day as Hurricane Hermine drifted eastward off-shore, doing less damage than expected, and had no impact on New York City where I live. However,… Read More »
[August 30, 2016] For a vibrant, open society to have heroes is necessary like a living animal having blood that flows through its veins. A hero helps us define the limits of our aspirations in life and so it is with Nancy Wake, the Allies’ most decorated servicewoman of World War II. Her story is one of daring,… Read More »
[August 29, 2016] One of my first lessons in the effectiveness of leadership was when, as a U.S. Army Private (the lowest rank), my Platoon Leader Jimmy Madison approached me one day to say Happy Birthday. What a shock! My entire time in the military had been one humiliation after another and now I was getting a little… Read More »
[August 19, 2016] I stood on the grounds of one of the many battlefields of the American Revolutionary War just yesterday and not knowing it until a friend told me. I was at Liberty State Park (east of lower Manhattan across the Hudson River) in Jersey City at the site of the Raid at Paulus Hook. Honestly, I’d… Read More »
[August 9, 2016] Practice makes you strong and competition makes you stronger. My wife and I watched the U.S. Women’s Volleyball Olympic team comeback performance to beat the Netherland’s team 3-2 in five games. Wow, exciting game. But what is it that makes this – or any sporting game – of interest to those of us who study… Read More »
[August 8, 2016] One thing that I learned early on in the U.S. Army was to pay close attention to army sergeants. This applies, certainly, to all military services. The U.S. Army’s Command Sergeant Major (CSM) is the most senior enlisted rank as noncommissioned officers and one of the most respected. Senior Flag Officers are advised by senior… Read More »