War
History of White Christmas: the most popular Christmas song ever
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF WHITE CHRISTMAS: THE MOST POPULAR CHRISTMAS SONG Podcast version ing Crosby‘s White Christmas is the best-selling Christmas song ever. It has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Other estimates indicate over 100 million records have been sold, with at least 50 million of those being singles. It’s a Guinness World Record!…
Read MoreHistory of the Gettysburg Address
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS Abraham Lincoln, on November 19, 1863, began his address in Gettysburg: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. With only nine more sentences, he dedicated a new…
Read MoreHistory of Veterans Day: Lest We Forget
Reading Time: 3 minutesVeterans Day used to be called Armistice Day, commemorating the ending of hostilities on the western front of World War I on November 11, 1918, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. At 5:45 am on that day, Germany signed the Armistice (truce) in the Forest of Compiegne, and the order was given for a cease-fire later that morning, after four years of war.
Read MoreHistory of Ukraine: What You Want to Know, part 1
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF UKRAINE, PART 1 Today is the third anniversary of Russia’s fullscale invasion of Ukraine. I wrote the following article, and part 2, three years ago to explain to faithful readers the history of Ukraine and the continuing conflict with Russia. Most of the details here are still correct. With the…
Read MoreVeterans Day: How it Differs from Memorial Day
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhat is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?
Read MoreHistory of Veterans Day: Lest We Forget
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF VETERANS DAY A professor once commented, “We write things down so we can forget them.” Now, of course, this is true in the sense of writing down appointments so we don’t have to worry about missing meetings. But that’s just it; we do forget things. As individuals, we forget things that are important…
Read MoreThe Passing of Queen Elizabeth II
Reading Time: 3 minutesTHE PASSING OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II BALMORAL, Scotland, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the nation’s figurehead and a towering presence on the world stage for seven decades, died peacefully at her home in Scotland on Thursday aged 96. “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment…
Read MoreHistory of Queen Elizabeth II: 70-Year Platinum Jubilee Celebration
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II Queen Elizabeth II of the UK has ruled for 70 years, marking her Platinum Jubilee celebration. While she took the throne on February 6, 1952, she was not coronated (officially “crowned”) until June 2, 1953, or 69 years ago today at Westminster Abbey. But what’s a year between friends? She…
Read MoreHistory of Ukraine: What You Want to Know, part 2
Reading Time: 6 minutesHISTORY OF UKRAINE: WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW, part 2 We have looked at the recent history of Ukraine in our first article; now we turn to these questions: What is the history of Ukraine over the last two centuries that got us here? What has been Ukraine’s relationship with other great powers…
Read MoreHistory of the Liberation of Dachau — a Personal Reflection
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF THE LIBERATION OF DACHAU, a Personal Reflection On April 29, 1945, 81 years ago, toward the end of World War II, the Allies captured and liberated Dachau. My father, Staff Sergeant John Petro, was one of the liberators. It was one of the few stories from The War that my father told me…
Read MoreHistory of General Winn: the Passing of a Hero
Reading Time: 2 minutesHistory of General Winn: The Passing of a Hero At the Air Force Academy Chapel, I attended the memorial service for Brigadier General David W. Winn, whose family I have known for a decade and more. It was a moving experience to participate in a service with full military honors, befitting an officer of such…
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