A Brief History On February 19, 1945, the most cracked battle in history of the United States Marine Corp (USMC) began with 30,000 Marines hitting a beach. Digging Deeper Digging deeper, and we mean digging deeper, we find the small Pacific Island of Iwo Jima fortified by about 22,000 Japanese soldiers who had spent the previous year creating an amazing array of tunnels and fortifications to prepare for the inevitable American assault. The battle that would follow would result in the only time in USMC history where Marine casualties would outnumber those of the enemy! Although only 216 Japanese would survive the battle as…
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A Brief History On February 17, 1864, the H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to sink an enemy warship, even though it had itself sunk twice before! Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find the Hunley again sank after its successful attack, making it a total of three times that she sank, each time drowning her crew. About forty feet long and four feet wide, the Hunley had, not surprisingly, been designed by H.L. Hunley who also died in the second sinking. Built in Mobile, Alabama, the Hunley was transported by railroad to Charleston, South Carolina where Confederate authorities took charge…
A Brief History Between January and July 332 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedon, perhaps the greatest general in the history of warfare, besieged the Phoenician island city of Tyre, a jewel in the war between the Macedonians and the Persian Empire. Located in what is now Lebanon, Tyre had defensive walls right up to the sea, making a forced landing almost impossible, especially on the landward side (East) where the wall soared 200 feet above the sea. Digging Deeper Alexander tried to negotiate a surrender of the city, to no avail, and settled in for a long blockade and…
A Brief History Between 415 and 413 BC a battle for Syracuse on the Island of Sicily was fought between the forces of Athens and the forces of Sparta. Athens and Sparta had been engaged in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) for control of Greece and its environs in the Mediterranean. This battle proved so debilitating to Athens that the war with Sparta was as good as lost, although Athens managed to hold on for a remarkable 10 more years. Digging Deeper Athens was the dominant city state of Northern Greece, while Sparta was the reigning heavyweight champ of Southern…
A Brief History On January 8, 1935, Elvis Aron Presley, the King of Rock and Roll was born in Mississippi. Major Dan once spent 3 weeks in Mississippi, and was born on January 7. Elvis had dark hair, Dan likewise. Both liked jelly donuts and peanut butter, not to mention cheeseburgers. Alas, both estimable gentlemen were slightly overweight, but not as young men. Digging Deeper Elvis was born to a Christian family, the good Major was born into a Christian family. The King was heterosexual, and most people think Major Dan is, too. Long sideburns were once a trademark of both…