I came across this movie by a friends suggestion on one of the History forums I frequent and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. My Boy Jack (based on the Kipling Poem by the same name) tells the story of Rudyard Kipling and his son Jack, who at the beginning of WWI in England…
Texas News: Shooting in Houston, 2 Killed and 6 Wounded
The media is being very cautious and are avoiding the “T” Word at all cost, but seeing this occurred on MEMORIAL DRIVE in Houston, the irony is not lost on me. Since one of the shooters is still alive, maybe a motive will soon surface. God Bless all the families of the victims. -SF Gunfire…
World War I History: You Can Thank World War I Veterans For Making the Wristwatch Popular
After World War I, an entire generation of battle-hardened veterans came home sporting military-issued ‘trench watches,’ or wristwatches as we know them today. Essential for keeping track of time and much more practical than pocket watches for troops in the trenches or flying aircraft, ‘trench watches’ became a “newly endowed emblem of masculinity, modernity, and First…
Cold War Files: America’s “Secret War” and The Most Bombed Country in History
Christine Boyle’s store, Queen Design Lao, offers rings, necklaces and pendants to shoppers along Luang Prabang’s quaint peninsula. Most of the trinkets resemble normal jewelry, but the miniature cluster bombs on some chains in the friendly Aussie’s shop are less subtle. Known as “peace jewelry,” the necklaces sport metal harvested from unexploded bombs, a reminder…
My Extremely Long Memorial Day Movie List (Revised for 2020)
By Hammerhead I have been seeing a lot of Memorial Day Movie List lately, and although some of the list are commendable, some of the list just plain suck! So being a veteran, (and historian) I thought I might give you guys my List. I will warn you..It’s long and I did not number them because…
History of Terrorism: 3 Members of the Baader-Meinhoff Gang Have Re-Surfaced in Germany
They used to be among Germany’s most wanted: When Ernst-Volker Wilhelm Staub, Burkhard Garweg and Daniela Klette disappeared in the 1980s, West German authorities considered them to be extremely dangerous. German authorities say all three belonged to the Red Army Faction (RAF), an extremist group that had killed politicians and businessmen throughout the preceding two decades. Also known as…
World War II History: Bomber Plane Missing for 72 Years Found in the Pacific
TBM-1 Project Recover discovered its sixth WWII bomber plane since 2012. World War II American bomber plane the US Navy TBM-1C Avenger, missing since July 1944, was found in waters surrounding the Pacific Island nation of Palau, according to multiple news reports. It was discovered 85 feet under water within a lagoon. The plane was…
World War I History: Vintage Photo
Belgian soldier smokes a cigarette during a fight between Dendermonde and Oudegem Belgium in 1914. This is a really good photo of a Belgian Maxim, although it appears to be staged – the man has his thumbs on the trigger, but there does is not ammo belt in the gun. View the Original Photo and…
A “What If” Memorial Day
As a Veteran and Historian, I appreciate Post like this, I hope you do too. Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all my readers and subscribers. -SF The news could not have been worse. Starvation, malnutrition, diseases such as typhoid, smallpox, dysentery, and pneumonia, along with freezing temperatures that assaulted thousands of shoeless feet bloodying…
Modern Crime: Security Firms are Big Source of Weapons for Rio Criminals
Over 30 percent of all weapons belonging to private security firms in Rio de Janeiro end up in the hands of criminals, authorities say, highlighting an important yet often overlooked source of firearms for criminal groups throughout Latin America. A Federal Police report accessed by Globo states that at least 17,662 firearms were diverted or…