"I'm not ready to give up on the anthem and the ritual of standing while its played." During operation desert storm, after Iraq’s Republican Guard had been forced out of Kuwait, my brigade set up a checkpoint on the only highway from Kuwait to Baghdad. We established a medical treatment facility and raised the American flag. It was a signal to the oppressed population of … [Read more...] about Last Word: 90 Seconds Together
Veterans
The General Who Launched Memorial Day
Tracing the origins of Memorial Day can become rather convoluted. After all, about two-dozen U.S. communities claim to have held the first such commemoration. On a less contested level, Gen. John A. Logan was the man who established an official day to honor military persons who made the ultimate sacrifice. Born on Feb. 9, 1826, in Jackson County, Illinois, he was one of ten … [Read more...] about The General Who Launched Memorial Day
Rolling Thunder’s Last Ride
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – Abraham Lincoln (quote on the home page of Rolling Thunder's website) The Rolling Thunder “Ride for Freedom” will ride through D.C. one last time on Sunday, May 26. After 31 straight years Artie Muller, founder and executive director of the … [Read more...] about Rolling Thunder’s Last Ride
Healing Hearts on Rockaway Beach
The eighth annual Wounded Warriors Weekend in Breezy Point, NY. Eight years ago, Rockaway Beach resident Flip Mullen, who served 18 years with the FDNY, his wife, Rita, and a group of former firemen called The Grey-beards, galvanized the support of local families in the Rockaway area and organized the first visit of wounded soldiers to the area for a four-day summer sports … [Read more...] about Healing Hearts on Rockaway Beach