We Remember
Toby Keith dies of stomach cancer
Sad news in the entertainment world yesterday. Country music superstar Toby Keith has died at the age of 62 after suffering the past couple years with stomach cancer. The older I get, the more tragically young a 62 year-old’s death seems. Funny how that works. Normally we only highlight the deaths of celebrities when they’re […]
Valor Friday
During the Vietnam War, 235 men earned Medals of Honor. Since the end of that conflict, a further 33 have been awarded. In any such list, there’s always got to be a “first.” Roger Donlon was the first man to receive the Medal of Honor during Vietnam. Though Army Captain Humbert “Rocky” Versace, in 2008, […]
Captain Larry Taylor, MoH dies age 81
Larry Taylor, who just last year received the Medal of Honor for his daring rescue of a surrounded LRRP team in Vietnam, has sadly passed away. He was 81 years old. Local news channel WBIR has the story; An East Tennessee Army veteran who recently received the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the […]
Valor Friday
I was recently reading an article about the much admired A-1 Skyraider. The single-engine light bomber and attack aircraft was designed and first flown during World War II. Coming too late to see service during that war, the aircraft is emblematic of the rapid advancements made in aviation during the period. A Skyraider is capable […]
Valor Friday
It’s been a long time since I talked about Doris Miller, a mess steward who rose to fame and everlasting glory as a hero of the day on 7 Dec 1941. Miller, untrained in the operation of an anti-aircraft gun, took the weapon and fired at the Japanese during their surprise attack on his ship […]
Valor Friday
Brendan O’Connor’s military service is a tad unorthodox. He started as an officer, but became an enlisted man. Reminds me a bit of Michael Novosel. Born in 1960, he came from a line of military men. His father was Mortimer O’Connor, a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point in, Class of 1953. […]
Valor Friday
I briefly mentioned Peter Conover Hains last week as we explored men who spent more time in the service than is normal. Hains was the only confirmed American veteran of both the Civil War and World War I, though he didn’t see overseas service in the latter conflict. Canadian John Boucher is said to also […]
Last Merrill’s Marauder died
Many of you history mavens recall the name Merrill’s Marauders of WWII Burma fame. Russell Hamler, the last surviving member of the Marauders, died near Pittsburgh at age 99 on Tuesday. The Marauders inspired a 1962 movie called “Merrill’s Marauders,” and dozens of Marauders were awarded individual decorations after the war, from the Distinguished Service […]
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