Conflicts
From the Depression to the Draft
Approximately 16 million Americans served in World War Two. All came out of the Depression with many being jobless prior to the war and most being poor. It’s been said that World War Two helped bring America out of the Depression and that is certainly true as industry geared up, not only to supply our […]
Private Aldo Riyoni
This past spring and summer’s travels were frutiful as I found some WW2 era postcards in various antique stores. The most interesting to me are the ones that contain a message to loved ones. I like to record them here in the hopes that maybe some relative will recognize the name and request the card […]
Brother’s of War-The Iron Brigade at Gettysburg.
The Iron Brigade (also known as the Black Hats because they wore the hats of the US Regulars) in the Union Army of the Potomac initially consisted of the 2nd, 6th, 7th Wisconsin Infantry and the 19th Indiana Infantry. Battery B, 4th US Artillery was attached to the brigade. The brigade after severe losses at Antietam was brought […]
Bloody Hill
The Battle of Wilson’s Creek (called Oak Hills by the Southerners) was fought ten miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri on August 10, 1861. Named for the stream that crosses the area where the battle took place, it was a bitter struggle between Union and Southern forces for control of Missouri in the first year of […]
1938 Horrors of War Card Set
I recently picked up quite a few, Second Series, Horrors of War cards for $15.00 at a flea market. They are all reprints from 1984. I had never heard of the set but a little research shows that the set was originally produced in 1938 by Gum, INC. Apparently, the original cards are much sought […]
Frozen in Time
If you look closely toward the bottom left of the picture you will see at least two Confederate soldiers looking up toward the camera. The picture is said to be dated to around September, 1862 during Lee’s first invasion of the North. The picture features a column of Confederate soldiers marching somewhere in Maryland, presumably […]
The Mongols in Russia
The war in Ukraine is a reminder that there is nothing new under the sun ( Ecc. 1:9). This is because warfare in the region of Ukraine has been nearly constant for centuries. Few people know, for example, that the Mongols under Genghis Khan conquered the Kievan Rus (now Ukraine) in the 13th Century and […]
Private Albert David Smith-World War One
I recently added three postcards to my small military history collection of post cards. I especially like to find the ones that have a name and address and a message. It gives me the opportunity to do some INET research and see what I can find out about the person. There is also the chance […]
Billy Mitchell was Right (and still is).
I grew up in West Allis Wisconsin-a suburb of Milwaukee. There was parkway and a well-to-do neighborhood (well-to-do in those days) near my school. Sometimes, rather than go right home after school, my friends and I would walk over to the parkway and imagine “playing army” or otherwise adventure around-all the things young boys would […]
History and Hobbies 
Entangling Alliances
Did you know that only Congress has the power to declare war? It indeed requires an Act of Congress to declare war; yet, since 1941, the US has fought in numerous wars involving US personnel and other wars by proxy where we supplied arms and munitions. The war in Ukraine is a proxy war that […]