Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[July 11, 2019] Leadership comes in many styles, and sometimes it hits you that even an occasional oddball style can work well if enough hard work and thinking are correctly applied. It reminds me of the time, as a young child, I was in a small mud pit with a bunch of other boys and a greased pig.… Read More »
[July 10, 2019] Recently we rightly celebrated D-Day, the Allied invasion of France that began 75 years ago in June 1944. But it was a year earlier, with the invasion of Sicily that the real battle for Europe began. On this date, July 10, 1943, the first elements of American and British troops landed on the southern coast… Read More »
[July 9, 2019] I fell for the ruse. As a new Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, I made a classic mistake on the “simulated” battlefield. I had ordered my Infantry Platoon to attack an enemy position that was fake and learned, the hard way that things are not always as they appear. “Hence that general is skillful… Read More »
[July 8, 2019] He surprised me. It was the end of our Basic Combat Training, and we were about to graduate as newly minted Privates in the U.S. Army. All of us had survived the crucible of two hard months of training and were friends. One Private from Cajun country in southern Louisiana asked me a surprising question;… Read More »
[July 7, 2019] I’ll soon be headed to Boy Scout camp with a number of 11-year old boys; who will be away from home for their first time. Anyone who has been around young boys (or girls) who are about to spend a week camping without their family, knows that it can be a daunting task. That is… Read More »
[July 6, 2019] In military terminology, the last line of defense is that position where the mission is to hold enemy forces and not allow them to pass. If an enemy breakthrough occurred, the entire organization would risk being destroyed. Leadership is often the last line of defense; there is no one or nothing else that is available… Read More »
[July 4, 2019] I like cake. I like it so much that my wife decided to get me a special 4th of July cake decorated to look like a U.S. flag. This is just one of those eternal symbols of my life here on Earth. Another is I’m a patriot. Like so many hundreds of men and women… Read More »
[July 3, 2019] Tomorrow is the 4th of July and a special time for all Americans. As a tribute to the many that fought for our freedoms, from the U.S. Revolutionary War to present, I’m providing a short story about WWII veteran Staff Sergeant Bernard Friedenberg. I’m fortunate to live in a part of the country that acknowledges… Read More »
[July 1, 2019] Yesterday, I was watching the movie, To Hell and Back (1955) when I remembered that I’d not written a “Hero” blog post in a long time. The movie, starring Audie Murphy (playing himself) has been one of my favorites since I can remember.1 “I’ll tell you what bravery really is. Bravery is just determination to… Read More »
[June 30, 2019] A seasoned Vietnam Veteran sergeant advised me long ago to be wary of people who tell you this; That’s on my plate to do. It is just another way to put off work to another time. Sergeant First Class Jack McKinsey took no gruff of anyone. That’s why I liked him and heeded his advice.… Read More »