A Brief History On September 29, 1789, the United States Department of War established a regular US Army for the first time, a modest force of only several hundred men. My, how things have changed! Today we take a brief look at the US Army, just a few words on its history and its current status. Digging Deeper The United States was never a country to rely on a large standing army, at least not until the period after World War II when we stood ready to defend the US and the Western allied countries against communist expansionism, notably in…
Author: Major Dan
Major Dan
Major Daniel Zar is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.
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A Brief History On September 25, 2018, comedian, actor, and television maven Bill Cosby, “America’s Dad,” was sentenced to prison for the crime of aggravated sexual assault. He joins a long list of celebrities who have let their sexual urges either get them in trouble or stain their reputations. We have previously discussed such celebrities in prior articles and today we look at more such tainted personalities. Who would you add to this list? (Actor Bob Crane, perhaps?) Digging Deeper 1. Bill Cosby, comedian, actor. Not just alleged but convicted. By his own admission he administered drugs to women in…
A Brief History On September 23, 1913, future fighter pilot combat hero Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros of France made an aviation historic first by becoming the first pilot to fly all the way across the Mediterranean Sea, flying from St. Raphael, France to Bizerte, Tunisia. Usually referred to by the more manageable name of Roland Garros, this aviation pioneer went on to become the first acknowledged fighter pilot hero during World War I, though unlike the popular legend, was not technically the first fighter “ace.” Historians often point to Garros as the man that invented air to air combat…
A Brief History On September 21, 1745, the Battle of Prestonpans was fought in the East Lothian council area of Scotland between a British army under the command of Sir John Cope and an upstart rebel army of Jacobites under the command of Charles Edward Stuart, the grandson of King James II and VII of England and Scotland, respectively. Also known as “The Young Pretender” and even “Bonnie Prince Charlie,” Charles sought to put his father on the throne of Britain in a conflict known as The Jacobite Uprising, or even the just simply “The ’45.” Although Charles won a…
A Brief History On September 18, 1838, English businessman and politician Richard Cobden along with free trade advocate John Bright established the Anti-Corn Law League, an action taken in opposition to the “Corn Laws” that had been enacted in Britain since 1815, a series of tariffs on goods imported from outside of Britain, especially grain products, hence the name “Corn Laws.” Today, we take a look at even more of the laws people love to hate, as we have previously done in our articles on this subject. Digging Deeper Corn Laws, Britain, 19th Century. Tariffs are a double edged sword,…