Felix de Weldon: The sculptor of the United States Marine Corps War Memorial

Felix de Weldon: The sculptor of the United States Marine Corps War Memorial

The United States Marine Corps War Memorial is an iconic piece of American history. It is a tangible representation of fundamental American values — courage, perseverance, patriotism and honoring the “man in the arena” who has secured our nation’s freedom, often at a terrible price. But who was behind the monument that is ingrained in […]

Delta Force Tale; Sister-Sister

Delta Force Tale; Sister-Sister

Dedication for this work goes to Ms. Kelly Harp “I really think you should go in and talk to her right away; I mean this very evening — right now!” The text string coming in from my Internet Drag Netter in Vermont was every bit importuning me to comply. She got that way now and […]

Non-profit reunites dogs and service members who met overseas

Non-profit reunites dogs and service members who met overseas

On a deployment, finding some breath of fresh air is no small thing. Sometimes that comes in the form of making back to the FOB or COP, working out and if you have the facilities, playing a video game or just hanging out with your friends. Sometimes it means getting a few more hours of […]

‘On the Waterfront’ — Pigeons, hawks and something more

‘On the Waterfront’ — Pigeons, hawks and something more

“You know this city’s full of hawks? That’s a fact. They hang around on the top of the big hotels. And they spot a pigeon in the park. Right down on him.” — Terry, from Elia Kazan’s “On the Waterfront.” If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t spoil it here — watch it first, then come […]

Movies about the world we can’t quite see

Movies about the world we can’t quite see

Escapism has always been popular in literature and fiction, but our society seems to have a particular fixation on two forms of it. The first is the “Other World” — where we live in the regular, boring world of day-to-day life, only to find that we are neighbors to a fantastical world, fraught with danger, […]

Opinion: Let’s talk about what ‘real men’ do.

Opinion: Let’s talk about what ‘real men’ do.

Masculinity is a tough topic to discuss in an open forum nowadays. Invariably, within the first few sentences (which makes up the preview seen on most social media platforms), everyone that takes the time to scan the headline above will place me into one of two categories: the man’s man (or purveyor of toxic masculinity) […]

Stay tooned: Billy Mitchell’s ghost and the naysayers

Stay tooned: Billy Mitchell’s ghost and the naysayers

If you’re like me, then the guy in the picture saying, “Who’s Billy Mitchell?” is you. Well I looked up William “Billy” Mitchell, he was a Brigadier General in the Army and is considered the “father of the Air Force.” He was court-martialed for insubordination when he got mad at the top brass for buying […]

VA employee is strong-armed into silence after voicing concerns

VA employee is strong-armed into silence after voicing concerns

Dan Martin — veteran of the United States Navy from 1985 to 1991, is an employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. After his service in the Navy, he attended Purdue and graduated with his degree in electrical engineering. From there, he went to Indiana Wesleyan for his MBA, where he also worked for […]

Delta Force Tale; Iron Maiden

Delta Force Tale; Iron Maiden

Read part I here and part II here. Dedication for this work goes to Doctor Taylor Mac; a friend, and mentor I counted: “One thousand one, one thousand two …” All paratroopers inherently count when they are falling. I mean they can’t not do it. They have to count seconds when falling. It is hard-coded into […]

Why Bitcoin is overrated for terrorist finance

Why Bitcoin is overrated for terrorist finance

For this article, cryptocurrencies will generally be referred to as Bitcoin to avoid confusion. Introduction Bitcoin was supposed to change the world of finance. Created by the reclusive and possibly imaginary Satoshi Nakamoto, it offered a purely digital currency that all of the people loved. Libertarians championed its unregulated free market aspect. Anarchists liked that […]