A Brief History On June 28, 1987, Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Air Force became the first military force in history to purposely target civilians with chemical weapons when they attacked the town of Sardasht, Iran with “mustard” gas. Digging Deeper Iraq was at war with Iran at the time, a particularly nasty affair. Additionally, the people of Sardasht (perhaps 20,000) were Kurds, an ethnic group that also lives in Iraq and Turkey and has been clamoring for an independent country of their own. Thus, the ruthless regime of Saddam Hussein could kill 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak, by…
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 June 27, 1980, President Jimmy Carter authorized Helen Keller Day to commemorate her 100th birthday. Famous for her strong will to overcome adversity (blindness and deafness) she has been an inspiration to millions of people all over the world. There is, however, more to the story and this we will share with you. Digging Deeper Born in Alabama in 1880 and died in 1968, Helen led a long life with her disabilities. Among her ancestors was Robert E. Lee, a cousin of her grandmother. Able to see and hear just fine at birth, she contracted an illness (possibly…
A Brief History On June 27, 1985, US Route 66, known as “The Main Street of America,” was officially taken off the list of US highways. Established in 1926, it was the main road from Chicago to Los Angeles (Santa Monica). Spawning a hit song (by Nat “King” Cole) and a hit television series, this route was the American highway, at least until superseded by the Interstate Highway System. It survives (barely) today in pieces as “State Route 66” in some states and as stretches of a “National Scenic Byway.” Many other symbols of America have also come and gone, and…
A Brief History Once again a fierce debate tears across the land about so-called “common sense gun control.” Our Founding Fathers wrote in the Federalist Papers that the Government should never have more firepower than the people, and they meant cannons and military muskets, not hunting and target guns. Today, the rabid anti-gunners show their ignorance of the intent of the Founding Fathers by ignoring their writings on the subject and the context of the times. Other (European) countries had long denied their public free access to weapons, and this meant swords and the like before guns were common. (Hence,…
A Brief History On June 26, 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened for traffic. (See our other article today.) The seaway opened the Great Lakes to ocean going freighters enhancing the economy of the region and transportation efficiency for the US and Canada. Unfortunately, it also brought invasive species. Sometimes invasive species are brought to a new land or water on purpose, other times by accident. Often times, the introduction of a non-native species has unwanted consequences for their new home and neighbors, be they plant or animal. Here we list 10 of the most irritating (to us; it is a…