A Brief History On August 16, 1944, the Nazis flew the prototype of the Ju-287 for the first time. Manufactured by the German aircraft company Junkers, it was a 4-engine, jet-powered bomber whose forward-swept wings made it radically different from any other airplane in existence at the time. Digging Deeper With a turbojet engine on each side of its nose, and another under each wing, the Ju-287 flew to speeds of almost 350 mph, which was fast but still not fast enough. Originally it was supposed to have been equipped with even more powerful jet engines, but developmental difficulties meant that Junkers had to go with what was available, the Jumo…
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 August 16, 1812, General William Hull of the U.S. Army surrendered Fort Detroit to an inferior English force. American forces numbered about 2,100, while the combined English and Native American forces only numbered just over 1,300. Hull was court-martialed, convicted and sentenced to death. Luckily President Madison gave him a reprieve. History is full of military blunders and dunderheads, and here we list 10 (in no particular order) of those unfortunate men who found themselves in a position to prove just what lousy tacticians they were. Digging Deeper 10. William Hull, U.S. Army. As described above, Hull…
A Brief History On August 14, 1880, work on the Cathedral of Cologne was finally finished after it had been started 600 years earlier! One of the most iconic landmarks in Germany, the cathedral survived World War II despite having been hit by at least 14 bombs in the many bombing raids on the city. Allied bomber crews even used it as a navigation point. Nonetheless, the product most often associated with Cologne is, of course, Eau de Cologne, a perfume. Many products are associated with the names of cities. Here 10 of them are listed, in no particular order. Digging…
A Brief History On August 14, 1994, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, Venezuelan terrorist and one of the most wanted men in the world, was finally arrested by authorities in the Sudan and turned over to French law enforcement. Digging Deeper The man who was dubbed “Carlos the Jackal” by the media after the Fredrick Forsythe novel (1971), The Day of the Jackal, had been fighting against Israel on behalf of the Palestinian people for close to 30 years. Ilich’s father was an avowed Marxist, which is why he gave his son the Russian name Ilich. Ilich’s 2 siblings were named Vladimir and Lenin. Predisposed to hate the capitalist democracies…
A Brief History On August 13, 1918, Opha Mae Johnson became the first of 305 women to enlist in the United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, proving that women can do and be just about anything! Taking over clerical duties in the U.S. while the men went overseas, these first female Marines were unofficially called “Marinettes.” Although first formed during World War I, the Women’s Reserve was again mobilized during World War II and only became a permanent part of the Marine Corps in 1948. The first female Lieutenant General (3-star rank) in the U.S. military was a Marine, Carol Mutter. …