As a career Naval officer, it’s difficult to put into words what it feels like to witness the United States Navy celebrating its 250th anniversary. That’s two and a half centuries of ships at sea, sailors standing the watch, and generations of Americans answering the call to defend freedom around the world. It’s humbling. It’sContinue reading “Anchored in History: Honoring the Navy’s 250 Year Voyage”
Category Archives: Military
From the Frontier Files: The Story of Buckskin Johnny Spaulding
Do you ever get envious of someone with a really cool call sign or nickname? The movie Top Gun immediately comes to mind with the naval aviator characters of Maverick, Iceman, and Viper. Let me introduce you to man who lived back in the 1800s with an equally cool nickname—“Buckskin Johnny” Spaulding. Buckskin Johnny is a distantContinue reading “From the Frontier Files: The Story of Buckskin Johnny Spaulding”
A Family’s Fight: The Spauldings at Gettysburg
July 1-3, 1863 marked the turning point in the American Civil War. In a small town in central Pennsylvania, a massive force of Union and Confederate troops clashed at a place called Gettysburg. Gettysburg was the “High Water Mark” of the Confederate Army’s penetration into the north. The fate of the republic was at stake – ifContinue reading “A Family’s Fight: The Spauldings at Gettysburg”
Purple Heart Stories
The Purple Heart is a military decoration awarded to U.S. Armed Forces personnel wounded or killed in action. The Purple Heart is the nation’s oldest military award first introduced by General George Washington in August 1782 as the “Badge of Military Merit” towards the end of the American Revolution. Inexplicably, Washington’s Badge of Military MeritContinue reading “Purple Heart Stories”
Combating the Fugitive Slave Act: The Story of Congressman Rufus Spalding
April 9, 2025 marks the 160th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. That event began a long period of healing and restoration for our Republic. President Lincoln declared an end to slavery by signing the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier in 1863. But it wasn’t until the passing of the 13th Amendment (Abolition ofContinue reading “Combating the Fugitive Slave Act: The Story of Congressman Rufus Spalding”
The Soldiers Home
On July 21, 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed Executive Order 5298 which consolidated three agencies managing veterans affairs into a single organization called the Veterans Administration (VA). The VA then began to serve the five million veterans of World War I, over 200,000 of which were wounded and/or disabled.1 So, how did the United StatesContinue reading “The Soldiers Home”
Don’t Call That Sailor Mister
I’d like to introduce to you Florence Wilhelmina Momberger (1896-1991), my great-aunt. Florence was a World War I Navy veteran, a deputy sheriff, and a leader in the community of veterans. Here’s the remarkable story of this one tough lady. Florence was born on May 10, 1896 in Hamburg, New York just south of Buffalo inContinue reading “Don’t Call That Sailor Mister”
Navy Jargon – You Got The Gouge!
Military life brings with it a distinctive set of phrases that new recruits must quickly learn. In addition to the countless number of acronyms (alphabet soup), there’s a unique jargon that comes with each branch of the service. After serving 22 years in the U.S. Navy, it took me several years to “talk like aContinue reading “Navy Jargon – You Got The Gouge!”
Harvard Naval Radio School in WW1
When I examine Harvard University through political lens today, I don’t perceive an ardent support of the United States military. Writing for History News Network, Richard F. Miller discusses reasons why in his article titled, Why Don’t Harvard Graduates Join the Military Anymore.1 This, however, wasn’t always the case at Harvard. During World War I, HarvardContinue reading “Harvard Naval Radio School in WW1”
Andersonville: Walking in Our Ancestor’s Footsteps
NOTE from Dale: I launched the Fortitude Blog in 2021, and this month, I’m thrilled to introduce my first guest blogger. Clare Cory is the great-great-granddaughter of Civil War veteran, SGT Dewitt C. Spaulding. SGT Spaulding kept a personal diary during the Civil War from August 1861 to December 1864. Here’s SGT Spaulding’s compelling storyContinue reading “Andersonville: Walking in Our Ancestor’s Footsteps”
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