RSSWWI

Tarawa Marine to be laid to rest

| January 8, 2025 | 20 Comments
Tarawa Marine to be laid to rest

SGT. Robert F. Van Heck was 25 when he was killed in 1943 on the island of Betio, part of the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Island chain. He was a member of the 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which saw heavy combat over several days of fighting against the Japanese military on an […]

Continue Reading

Christmas in war

| December 25, 2024 | 23 Comments
Christmas in war

I didn’t know Santa Claus fought at Guadalcanal, but there is photographic proof brought to you by LIFE Magazine. As we celebrate Christmas today, our veterans here can attest to giving a thought and prayer to those who can’t be at home this year. Some are deployed to the latest war zone in the Middle […]

Continue Reading

WWI official miracle

| December 12, 2024 | 8 Comments
WWI official miracle

The Catholic Church in the person of Archbishop Malcom McMahon announced that it has declared the cure of a WWI vet in in 1923 an official miracle, the first one  for an Englishman at Lourdes. (No, I will not take pot shots at the English despite being such low-hanging fruit.) Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, of Liverpool […]

Continue Reading

More new toys, and one olde one

| November 13, 2024 | 36 Comments
More new toys, and one olde one

China has unveiled a largish drone…ten TONs’ worth.  The drone is expected to be a “mothership” for smaller drone swarms. While initially it can look like a normal attack aircraft, its central payload section is labeled as ‘Isomerism Hive Module’. This reveals that the mothership could have the capability to launch drones mid-air and then […]

Continue Reading

Valor Friday

| November 8, 2024 | 8 Comments
Valor Friday

This week must be another re-post, but as we are nearing the 106th anniversary of the end of World War I, we’re gonna re-look at the tragic death of Henry Gunther. An American, he was the last official casualty of World War I. He died one minute before the Armistice ended the war 102 years […]

Continue Reading

Valor Friday

| August 16, 2024 | 4 Comments
Valor Friday

Longtime readers will know that I have a soft spot for the heroism of those in the chaplain and medical corps. Today’s feature hits both. A recent Military Times article highlights some of the incredible battlefield bravery of Doctor Orlando Petty. While serving at an aid station at the front, Petty, a Navy doctor attached […]

Continue Reading

Valor Friday

| August 2, 2024 | 5 Comments
Valor Friday

It’s the end of September, 1918. At about the same time that the German high command is trying to tell the Kaiser that they will lose to war and it’s best to capitulate now, an American all-black infantry regiment is attempting to take Hill 188. Hill 188 is a tall, well defended German post overlooking […]

Continue Reading

Oldest destroyer sunk by enemy fire found

| August 18, 2022 | 3 Comments
Oldest destroyer sunk by enemy fire found

The wreck of the USS Jacob Jones, the first destroyer ever sunk by enemy fire, has been located about 20 miles from Start, England in 400 foot deep waters in the English Channel. She was sunk by torpedoes from U53 and went down with 2 officers and 62 enlisted still on board. We are thrilled […]

Continue Reading