America had Jesse James. Australia had Ned Kelly. And England had Dick Turpin. All three were popular heroes who were noted for their “rob from the rich and give to the poor” Robin Hoodish careers in crime. Unlike Robin Hood, all three men were actual historical figures and the Read more…
I still enjoyed teaching, even after 39 years, because I looked forward to telling anecdotes. But I also enjoyed telling jokes. I started each class with one of my story jokes. And occasionally I was able to squeeze one into a lesson. The joke below was told as part of Read more…
One of the most remarkable small unit actions in American History occurred on the night of June 15, 1966. In the Vietnam War, small units of soldiers or Marines would sometimes be dropped off in the jungle to scout for enemy formations. This could be dangerous if the unit Read more…
It is believed that Dolley Madison mentioned hosting an Easter egg roll and Abe Lincoln apparently hosted a private party. Here is the chronology for what is now officially held the Monday after Easter Sunday. 1872 – the first public Easter egg roll was held on Capitol Hill in Read more…
The relationship between the American media and the military has often been adversarial. However, while the news media pats itself on the back for reporting the truth in war (e.g., the My Lai Massacre), we also have examples of the media “enhancing” stories (sometimes with Pentagon collusion). America went Read more…