Memorial Day will be observed this year on May 29, 2023. Memorial Day has always been special to me as a veteran of 22 years in the U.S. Navy. I live in Northern Virginia about 20 miles west of Arlington National Cemetery. Each year over Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I visit Arlington toContinue reading “Memorial Day – The Dash in the Middle”
Category Archives: Military
Sons of the Founding Fathers
Do you remember career day in elementary school? Do you recall how you admired the fireman telling his exhilarating stories of extinguishing ravenous fires while saving lives? Perhaps you recall your pride in sharing with friends what your parents did for a living? Let your mind now wander back to late 1700s America for aContinue reading “Sons of the Founding Fathers”
The Last Soldier
I recently discovered an amazing book – The Last Men of the Revolution by Rev. E.B. Hillard, published in 1864. In his book, Hillard describes his journey to embark with two photographers to visit, photograph, and interview the six known surviving veterans of the American Revolution. Take a moment to reflect on this accomplishment – today, we can grasp inContinue reading “The Last Soldier”
An Unsung Hero – The Story of Joseph Warren
When you think about the names that shaped the American Revolution that birthed the United States of America, who comes to mind? Immediately, you think of names like General George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. In addition to these remarkable men, there were many lesser-known patriotsContinue reading “An Unsung Hero – The Story of Joseph Warren”
Veterans Day Reflections
Each year on November 11th, we observe Veterans Day which had its beginnings with Armistice Day. The Armistice, that brought an end to World War I, was signed in France, at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 which was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Twenty years later in 1938, Armistice Day becameContinue reading “Veterans Day Reflections”
Letters Home – From a WWII B-17 Crewman
During World War II, letters from home helped increase the morale of our country’s soldiers, sailors and airmen fighting around the world. The amount of mail crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans each day was remarkable. In 1945, nearly three billion letters were exchanged between service members and friends and family.1 “Mail call” was one ofContinue reading “Letters Home – From a WWII B-17 Crewman”
150th Anniversary of The Spalding Memorial
If you’ve ever written a short story, published a book, created a blog, or even captured your memoirs, could you imagine your work being referenced 150 years later? This is exactly the case of the research by Dr. Samuel J. Spalding of Newburyport, Massachusetts in a book called The Spalding Memorial published in 1872. This year (2022)Continue reading “150th Anniversary of The Spalding Memorial”
The Overcomer
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a person who overcomes is “one who succeeds in dealing with, or gaining control of, some problem or difficulty”. Is it easy for you to overcome? If that’s the case, you should be thankful, as many have to work hard at being an overcomer. Although challenging, an overcoming mindset is one that we allContinue reading “The Overcomer”
A Mother’s Sacrifice
Every year on the second Sunday of May, we celebrate Mother’s Day. A once a year recognition of a mother’s sacrifice just doesn’t seem to bestow the justified tribute a mother deserves. Mothers are on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Mothers are cooks, maids, ministers, shoppers, teachers, nurses, schedulers, drivers, handywoman,Continue reading “A Mother’s Sacrifice”
The Small World Phenomena
I’ve been watching the fascinating, albeit slow moving, The Curse of Oak Island on the History Channel. This reality television series chronicles a team of treasure hunters and their search for legendary treasure on Oak Island, on the coastal area of Nova Scotia, Canada. In one of the episodes, a theory was presented that treasure was buried on Oak IslandContinue reading “The Small World Phenomena”