[March 28, 2022] I’ve always believed that the redeeming value of movies is more than their immediate entertainment value. Movies can teach us worthy lessons. Once, I posed the question, “Can we learn leadership from a movie?”1 Modern movies, however, disappoint … and I’m sure most of us would agree. I am convinced that some of the best… Read More »
[March 18, 2022] I remember reading a book when I was a mere 17 years old. I thought it would be boring, but I was wrong. Titled “A Soldier’s Story,” it was a behind-the-scenes eyewitness account of WWII. Written by U.S. Army General Omar Bradley, known to us all as the Soldiers’ General, his story is the story… Read More »
[March 8, 2022] I have a granddaughter who lives in Colorado and, like many young children, is a big fan of the Disney movie Frozen (2013). And, like many today, we are struggling to explain the events happening in the Ukraine to our families in such a way that we do not hide the realities of war but… Read More »
[March 6, 2022] My wife yelled over to me yesterday and said, “Hey, take a look at this guy!” I was working on an article for a local newspaper (on how military veterans are treated). I stopped typing to listen to her. “This guy Dan Ball has a show on OANN called Hungry Heroes; you might want to… Read More »
[February 27, 2022] The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has not gone well. The reason is simple: courage on the part of the Ukrainian people. Ordinary soldiers and citizens are fighting the Russian juggernaut with unexpected tenacity. This is a genuine David and Goliath story unfolding right before our eyes. A few personal observations: Russia caught the world… Read More »
[February 15, 2022] Last night, my wife watched a political commentary on her Fire Tablet device. She yells over to me and says, “You gotta see this.” Two black women, Diamond and Silk, were non-stop yakking it up about freedom and liberty, how our political and legal system is failing, and making us both laugh. It was just… Read More »
[February 8, 2022] Growing up, us kids had minimal permission to watch television and were restricted to one 30-minute show per evening. My brother and I chose the TV show Combat!, starring Vic Morrow and Rick Jason.1 This televised war drama series covered the grim lives of a squad of American soldiers fighting the Germans during World War… Read More »
[February 7, 2022] This is what I wrote to my son the day after Iraqi’s first democratic election: “It appears that the Iraqi elections were a complete success by any measure.” The Iraqis defied the terrorists; women, in particular, voted overwhelmingly. The elections were more than a move toward democracy but a move toward a civilized, modern society.… Read More »
[February 6, 2022] I didn’t know it at the time, but I grew up privileged. As a young boy, my privilege was being in the company of combat veterans from World War II and the Korean War. They were everywhere; being salesmen, pumping gas, farming, raising dairy cows,1 all holding down ordinary jobs you could find in a… Read More »
[February 5, 2022] We hear, on occasion, of heroic deeds of our military personnel; those who put their lives on the line for their buddies in a display of unbelievable courage. We need heroes like that, and for reasons of necessity, we do indeed love our heroes. But, there are also many more stories of ordinary troops who,… Read More »