Edit [June 11, 2023] The funeral yesterday was conducted with just the right amount of planning to make it one of the best attended that I’ve seen in a long time. Many from the community were there to give their respects to the family of PFC Hartmann. There was no political grandstanding or long speeches. It was full… Read More »
[June 9, 2023] Family. Family. Family. I’ll update my letters to my granddaughter in an ongoing series for future reading. My granddaughter is the oldest of my grandchildren and the only girl. And she is a very active child and smart as a whip. Today’s topic is family. Regular readers know my stance on families and will not… Read More »
[June 8, 2023] As a new Platoon Leader in the U.S. Army Infantry, my Soldiers were always comparing me to their previous leader. And oh, that Lieutenant did not do so well. Those comparisons were usually unflattering and frankly I was not too happy about it (for professional reasons). My commander told me to just get use to… Read More »
[June 7, 2023] When I was a young Infantry captain and company commander, I published my command philosophy (i.e., my leadership philosophy) – good thing because it forced me to think about how I would act and how I thought soldiers would perceive me. I had spent time reading books on famous leaders from history, especially World War… Read More »
[June 6, 2023] Codenamed Operation Overlord, the invasion of German-occupied France had long been coming. Success was an outgrowth of the many leadership lessons from the failures at Dunkirk and other battlefields. Those lessons were hard-earned and cost the lives of tens of thousands of military and civilians. Yet, what did the military and civilian leadership gain from… Read More »
[June 5, 2023] Until recently, a person could relocate to another geographic area, gain helpful employment, and start a family, thereby leaving past transgressions in the past. The permanency of our past is, however, here to stay. Many well-known people have experienced a bit of embarrassment when their past behavior and associations were made public. Things that occurred… Read More »
[June 4, 2023] It is often said that a leader’s performance in a peacetime environment cannot predict how that leader will act in combat. This well-known knowledge of human performance has been recorded since the Roman Empire. Under peaceful, less dangerous circumstances, the military leader has priorities that differ from combat, where death is expected. “Inquiries are… Read More »
[June 3, 2023] Summer jobs, side jobs, and odd jobs. This article is my latest update to letters to my granddaughter. Growing up in the 1950s was good for me. By now, you know that we were rich (by local standards), and that meant my parents were married, my dad had a steady job on the railroad,… Read More »
[June 2, 2023] It looks like the superstore Target failed to get the message from parents. “Don’t mess with our kids.” In support of Pride Month (was this just Pride Day recently), Target put displays of children’s wear in front of their stores that included a line from a Satan worshiper, including tuck-friendly girls’ swimsuits for boys. … Read More »
[June 1, 2023] Did you ever see the face of a troop in a combat zone who sees, for the first time, a young beautiful Red Cross Donut Dolly? That troop is magically transformed from a mentally hardened, physically grubby and weary Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman or Coastie into a smiling, joking, happy, jolly, friendly person you… Read More »