A Brief History On February 20, 2019, we celebrate another National Love Your Pet Day, as if we had to be reminded. Back on May 8, 2015, we featured an article about the Westminster Dog Show and we waxed poetic about the virtues of having a dog and a little about the history of dogs. While we understand many people want to keep pets other than dogs (no, we really do not understand), we prefer canine companions, especially from the Hound group. Yes, we have had other pets and loved them a lot, but the dogs love you back! Digging Deeper We…
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 19, 1945, 30,000 US Marines landed on the Japanese held island of Iwo Jima, part of the Volcano Islands chain. The Battle of Iwo Jima is often cited as the most ferocious battle in American History and is a testament to the incredibly brave and dedicated men on both sides that fought and died there. Among the bravest of the brave was Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, a previous Medal of Honor winner from the Guadalcanal Campaign that was only at Iwo Jima because he demanded to be returned to action instead of staying in the…
A Brief History On February 18, 1942, the Japanese Imperial Army began a carefully planned massacre of ethnic Chinese men in the conquered territories of Singapore and Malaya, an effort to eliminate what the Japanese perceived to be “hostile elements.” As many as 100,000 Chinese men were executed in a purge called Sook Ching by the Chinese. Soldiers carrying out the deadly deeds were supervised by the Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police. Digging Deeper The Japanese saw the Chinese as their main enemy in Asia and called the purge of ethnic Chinese “Kakyō Shukusei” or “purging of Overseas Chinese” in…
A Brief History On February 17, 2019, we take a look back to this date in 2015, when we listed “10 of the Sexiest Songs of All Time.” Today, we list another 10 of the Sexiest Songs of All Time, and as always, invite you, our valued reader, to nominate those songs you believe should be on this list. The so called “sexiness” can be sort of explicit lyrics (but not out of the range of what you might hear on the radio or in common use), the suggestiveness, use of double entendres, or the general ability of the song…
A Brief History On February 16, 1960, the US Navy submarine, USS Triton SSRN-586, set out on a voyage of circumnavigation of the Earth, the first time anyone had made such a voyage completely underwater! Called Operation Sandblast, the voyage of the Triton is one of the most famous trips around the Earth that we list today, joining other pioneering events that have gone down in history as famous trips around the globe. Digging Deeper 1. USS Triton, 1960 (First Underwater). The Triton was a submarine called a “radar picket sub,” of course nuclear powered and commissioned in 1959. She…