Several years ago around July 4th I was visiting Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Sitting at Independence Point enjoying the view a man comes up on an electric three wheel scooter called a roundabout not the ones we see today. He wore a light jacket with a Vietnam War reference on it. Judging by his age he … More Arlington Matters
Wars often have an accidental beginning. History demonstrates this to us. Do our leaders acknowledge that? In my earlier days perhaps motivated by self interest I studied the US entry, as a nation, into the Vietnam conflict. Did our leaders actually visualize a monolithic communism, comprised of various countries, spreading their unified tentacles across the … More Containment Forgotten/Accidental Wars
A couple of friends asked if I would join them to watch the movie “Boys in the Boat.” Having spent most of my life on the East Coast, this movie was not particularly significant to me. Now, residing in the Pacific Northwest its importance in this region became obvious. In 1936 in this part of … More Winning The Race, Losing The Gold
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. These two awards are bestowed by the president of the United States and by Congress to recognize people who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, … More An Honorable Person
Another DC-8 stretch jet accelerating along the runway, the pilot decides all OK to climb, the wheels lift off the runway at Cam Ranh Bay as the sounds from inside echo to those still behind or just arriving. Not a one of us thought this a country we liberated but our year was complete. Heading … More A King of Some Fools
Driving along a major interstate highway I could not help but see the super size American flag waving on a extra high pole needed to accommodate its height and width. I never saw such flags while in the military or on government buildings. As I drove past where the flag was located I saw it … More Raising Old Glory
Does President Trump deserve to be convicted now that he has been impeached, certainly? Should he be convicted by the Senate, probably not? The penalty upon conviction is removal from office and after a separate vote by the Senate the President could also be barred from future public office. I take exception with efforts by President … More Impeach, yes, Convict?
Making America great isn’t what someone can do, it’s actually who we are. We need to look through the current rhetoric which is very much an either/or proposition. It seems that a person must not only support some policy or position in the current times, there needs to be a loyalty which translates into for … More Remembering American Greatness
The other night I watched a summary film of the Ken Burns documentary on the Vietnam War. Having been there during the war I thought it should be interesting to see. Like so many Vietnam Veterans we didn’t talk much about it after returning home. After the screening of the Burns summary four Vietnam Veterans … More Thank You, Good Buddy, Ken
America 1967 saw civil rights marches, some displayed on the evening news how brutal the fight against racial discrimination had become. The headlines on racial issues diminished, not because the problem was eliminated, but because protests against the Vietnam War had come to the fore front. Many white people viewed the civil rights movement as … More Looking For America
