Browsing: Society

A Brief History On January 26, 1945, the heroic tale of America’s bravest soldier (according to me) reached its zenith when Audie Murphy performed the incredible feats of military courage and effectiveness that earned him the Medal of Honor. Digging Deeper Already the recipient of virtually every single US Army medal for valor that could be earned, Murphy had returned to combat in January 1945 after recuperating from a previous wound.  Leading a platoon and then a company of infantry against a larger force of German soldiers in the Colmar Pocket battle area of France, Murphy was wounded in both…

A Brief History On January 25, 2016, we published an article about The Blood of Pope John Paul II Stolen for Satanic Ritual.  As much out of the mainstream Christian and Catholic faith such idiocy may seem to be, there is an even goofier series of incidents involving body parts and gifts to popes. Digging Deeper Specifically, the coronation of Charlemagne, King of the Franks, as the first Holy Roman Emperor on December 25, 800 by Pope Leo III was a momentous occasion in History and in the history of the Catholic Church.  Charlemagne saw fit to bestow a most…

A Brief History On January 24, 2017, we pick this date at random to celebrate a little explored aspect of police work, that of the dreaded nickname!  Most readers would be familiar with “Dirty Harry” Callahan of (fictional) movie fame, or perhaps “Prince of the City” (NYPD Det. Robert Leuci played by Treat Williams) of the 1981 film by that name.  Richard Cain of the Chicago PD was also known as Richard Scalzeti, perhaps because of his association with the Chicago Mob.  Who could forget fictional “Sperm” Whalen of the book and movie, The Choir Boys?  Even other countries get…

A Brief History On January 23, 1879, the British Army in South Africa ended its second major battle in as many days against Zulu warriors known as Impis in the British  war to seize Zululand.  The Battle of Rorke’s Drift followed the Battle of Isandlwana by only a matter of hours, but fortunately for the British had a different conclusion. Digging Deeper Yesterday we discussed the Battle of Isandlwana, memorialized in the 1979 movie Zulu Dawn, and today we address the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, memorialized in the 1964 movie Zulu. In 1879, the British under Sir Henry Bartle Frere,…

A Brief History On January 22, 1879, the British Army got a taste of colonial medicine when it suffered its worst defeat in its history against a native force armed mostly with archaic weapons.  The British numbered about 1800 soldiers counting colonial and native troops, and were accompanied by about 400 civilians.  A Zulu force of perhaps 20,000 warriors, armed mostly with indigenous weapons (spears, etc) and some obsolete firearms (muskets) attacked the British column that was invading Zululand, resulting in a resounding defeat of the British in the area of Isandlwana. (Note: There are various spellings of Isandlwana.) Digging…