A Brief History On this holiday when thoughts of children are wandering to their Christmas and Hanukkah lists, for those among us that are hunters, law enforcement officers, military people, recreational or competitive shooters, interested in self defense and the preservation of liberty, or just into the history and technology of firearms, we present to you our “Bucket List” of guns we would like to own before we are too old to enjoy them. (Although some may be out of production, they are still out there for sale.) Obviously, such a list is pure opinion and is not relevant to…
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 November 25, 1940, the feverish pace of developing improved warplanes during World War II culminated in the first flight of two of the most iconic twin engine medium bombers of the war, the British de Havilland Mosquito and the American Martin B-26 Marauder. Digging Deeper These 2 medium bombers had quite different roles in combat, with the B-26 operating as a conventional medium bomber, best employed from medium altitude. The B-26 had impressive self defense armament of 12 X .50 caliber machine guns and could carry up to 4000 lbs of bombs. The Mosquito was often…
A Brief History On November 24, 1835, the Texas Provincial Government (Permanent Council) authorized the creation of a mounted para-military police force to enforce laws throughout The Republic of Texas and protect its borders. Digging Deeper Stephen Austin had first formed the unit under the command of Captain Morris as an unofficial call for volunteers in 1823, while Texas was still the property of Mexico. Texas became an independent republic in 1836, and was admitted as a state in the United States in 1845. Although Mexico had welcomed American settlers to Texas, the Americans insisted on violating Mexican law by…
A Brief History On November 23, 1976, Frenchman Jacques Mayol became the first free diver (no scuba or other source of air) to reach the incredible depth of 100 meters. Digging Deeper Born in Shanghai, China, Mayol was 49 years old at the time of his (then) record dive. At age 56 he bested this effort with a free dive to 105 meters. An accomplished free diver, Mayol had many records over the years to go along with his bench mark dive in 1976. He had met fellow free diving pioneer Enzo Maiorca, and the 2 men had a friendly…
A Brief History On November 22, 1988, one of the most costly of the Cold War high technology weapons was revealed when the prototype of the Northrup Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was made public. Digging Deeper Development had started under the administration of President Carter, which was a major reason for Carter canceling the B-1 bomber. Of course, the public was unaware of problems with the B-1 and the game changing technology that would be incorporated on the B-2, making Carter seem soft on military power. During the 1980 presidential election, Carter felt compelled to make vague reference to…