Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[December 24, 2025] By September of 1776, the cause of independence looked bleak. Though General Washington had miraculously escaped the British after the Battle of Long Island, the defeat of the American army had been a humiliating rout. Washington had made a number of mistakes, and some began to speak of replacing him, whether with General Charles Lee… Read More »
[December 23, 2025] In the U.S. military, I’ve always noticed differences among unit commanders, especially when I was a field-grade officer. There are two kinds of commanders you could work for if you were in their unit. There was the commander who kept his thoughts close to his chest, tightly reined in information, and surrounded himself with tight-lipped… Read More »
[December 22, 2025] To answer the question, why do we put up a Christmas tree, we might say that everyone does it. We know others who do it, our family and friends, and we see it in stores and on television. The tree is beautiful and part of a long-standing tradition. But, we might not really know… Read More »
[December 21, 2025] Santa Claus is not a lie; he is a story we tell children. Although the story itself is fictional, it conveys a profound message. The essence is that if you are a good child, there will be rewards for you in the future. This narrative encourages children to be aware of the world around them… Read More »
[December 20, 2025] Shortly after assuming command of a Mechanized Infantry Company in the late 1980s, I was assigned a brand-new second lieutenant. Because of his actions while in my unit, the men began calling him ‘Lieutenant Mud Flap.’ That year, we would all learn lessons that helped us master the art of leadership. A leader does the… Read More »
[December 19, 2025] My friends and I had long conversations about Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein and his role in the Iran-Iraq War. The debate over whether he was an evil dictator or a grandfatherly figure protecting his country raged on and off, even after he used chemical weapons to attack Kurdish civilians in 1988. Known as the Halabja… Read More »
[December 18, 2025] It seems like a lifetime ago. First Grade began for me in 1958, now nearly seven decades ago, and so my memory has faded somewhat. But that rainy morning in September or October, my mother dressed me in a new yellow raincoat that smelled of rubber. To me, the new raincoat made me feel special,… Read More »
[December 17, 2025] The primary purpose of a democratic government is to protect life, liberty, and property of their citizens. In another case on the brink of self-destruction, Australia’s government leaders have abdicated that core purpose, and have consciously allowed antisemitic, anti-Western forces to grow unchecked inside their country. On the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, a mass killing… Read More »
[December 16, 2025] Most folks in America are unaware that since 2010, there has been a project underway to locate, document, and share the stories of our World War II U.S. Navy submarines. Furthermore, the majority of those unaccounted for, labeled as Missing in Action, are from our Navy. This is what Lost 52 Project is all about.… Read More »
[December 15, 2025] I’ve been fortunate enough to visit some of the greatest art galleries in Europe and America, and I’m forever grateful for that opportunity. Yet, no matter how much I write about or see, I’m often amazed by the depth of meaning in the many works of art across the West. One recently making headlines is… Read More »