A Brief History On February 5, 1918, American US Army soldier Stephen W. Thompson while flying as a machine gunner in a French airplane shot down a German aircraft, the first ever air to air combat victory by an American member of the US Military. Previous incidents of Americans shooting down enemy airplanes and balloons during World War I came as those Americans were NOT part of the US military, but were fighting as part of a foreign military, such as the volunteers that flew for the Lafayette Escadrille. Digging Deeper In 1917, as the US was about to enter…
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 February 4, 2020, we have had a couple days to digest the array of highly expensive television ads pertaining to Super Bowl LIV (played and aired on February 2, 2020). Among those television commercials were a few in particular that really seem out of place with a sporting event geared toward entertainment. We take a look at these ill-considered ads… (Note: If you are wondering what sort of Super Bowl ads we actually approve of, think about Dachshunds wearing hot dog outfits running toward Ketchup and Mustard and Relish. Or cute horse and dog Budweiser commercials. …
A Brief History On February 3, 2020, we stand on the edge of the 2020 Presidential election season, the evening that the Iowa Caucuses that will kick off the start of the major party nomination process for the Republican and Democratic Parties candidates for President finally begin. Tonight, the 2020 Presidential campaign begins in earnest. On the Republican side, barring some sort of catastrophe or tragedy, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will be once again nominated, virtually without opposition as the people that run the party have seen to it that there will be no meaningful process…
A Brief History On February 2, 2020, we celebrate yet another Groundhog Day, a day in which Winter weary people find out if we are in for 6 more weeks of Winter or if we are facing the joy of an early Spring. As implied by the name of the day, an actual Groundhog is “consulted” for his (or her) “prediction.” But…. This year the animal rights organization, PETA, is recommending we immediately end this act of animal cruelty (?) and replace our beloved Marmots with (gasp!) animatronic replicas of Groundhogs! A discussion of why this plan is “stupid” is…
A Brief History On January 31, 2020, European Union member the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will no longer be a member of what amounted to a “United States of Europe.” Back in the day, Napoleon Bonaparte dreamed of a “United States of Europe,” a collection of nationalities united in a common cause (presumably led by him, of course!) as the premier “country” in the world. This dream was (sort of) realized in 1993 when the Maastricht Treaty went into effect, but now has suffered an enormous blow to its power, prestige and population. Digging Deeper…