About Me

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I am a lifelong student of military history with particular interest in the Battle of Antietam. I work for the federal government in Washington DC and have two young adult children who I love very much. I currently volunteer at Antietam and devote much time to the study of this battle and the Maryland Campaign. I enjoy collecting notable contemporary quotations by and about the men of Antietam. Since 2013 I have been conducting in depth research on the regular artillery companies of the Union Army and their leaders. I hope to turn this into a book on this subject in the future. My perspective comes from a 28-year career in the U.S. Army. Travels took me to World War II battlefields in Europe and the Pacific where American valor ended the tyranny of Nazism and Empire. But our country faced its own greatest challenge 80 years earlier during the Civil War. And it was the critical late summer of 1862, when Robert E. Lee launched the Maryland Campaign. It is an incredible story of drama, carnage, bravery, and missed opportunities that culminated around the fields and woodlots of peaceful Sharpsburg MD. So join me as I make this journey South from the North Woods.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Another Marine Milestone


As justice was finally dispensed to Osama Bin Laden this past weekend it caused me to pause and reflect once again on the spirit, accomplishments and capabilities of the awesome young men and women in our armed forces, I am proud to again post on the latest status of my son Jim, a young Marine enlisted man. Jim as you may recall completed Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island SC on December 3. After spending the holidays with us, he departed for Marine Combat Training at Camp Geiger NC, which he completed at the end of January. Jim then headed for Pensacola Naval Air Station where he began his initial aviation training to be an aviation safety systems mechanic. I am proud to say that Jim completed this training and did a great job. He got to select the aircraft that he will specialize in and it is the AV-8B Harrier. Jim graduated today from the course at Pensacola and will depart for Cherry Point NC for specialized training on the Harrier on Friday. After this training, Jim is looking forward to getting to his permanent duty station and joining he fleet! Words cannot express the pride that I have in him. Well-done Marine.

For links to my other post on Jim’s service, check here, and here, and here.

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