Regular readers will know that I’m a veteran of military service. Many of you are also veterans, so you’ll understand why this article gave me both heartburn and a severe attack of the munchies. The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) contingent in Afghanistan was treated yesterday to a meal of carpaccio, scallops, duck with red… Continue reading Damn, I’m jealous – and hungry!
Tag: Military memories
Memories of a mammoth aircraft
Older readers may remember the first thermonuclear-weapon-capable strategic bomber in the United States arsenal, the Convair B-36, the largest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft ever built. Convair B-36 bomber (image courtesy of Wikipedia) This huge aircraft could carry a greater weight of bombs than the all-up weight of an entire B-17 Flying Fortress bomber of World War… Continue reading Memories of a mammoth aircraft
There’s political correctness, and then there’s Marine correctness!
Yesterday I posted an article about a retired Marine who expressed himself in, shall we say, less than politically correct terms when discussing a forthcoming visit to Iwo Jima, where he’d fought during World War II. Reader Maisie K. e-mailed me the following cartoon, from Broadside. She said my article yesterday reminded her of some… Continue reading There’s political correctness, and then there’s Marine correctness!
Act of Valor – a punch to the gut
I’m not much of a movie-goer. I dislike (intensely) the way Hollywood so often screws up their plots, expects us to not merely suspend disbelief but actively participate in mentally screwball whacko impossibilities, and sneers at ethics, morals and values that are important, even dear to me. I haven’t set foot inside a movie theater… Continue reading Act of Valor – a punch to the gut
Why the Unimog is such a great off-road vehicle
Last year saw the 60th anniversary of the Unimog (I wrote about it at the time). I’ve covered many thousands of miles in these astonishing vehicles and their derivatives, and hold them in very high regard indeed. Here’s a video clip demonstrating just how well they can cope with obstacles. Try doing that with your… Continue reading Why the Unimog is such a great off-road vehicle
A very low pass indeed!
A few months ago I published an article about ‘The T-6 Texan in South African service‘. This world-famous training aircraft served with the South African Air Force (SAAF) from 1940 until 1995 (where it was known as the Harvard, rather than the Texan, following Royal Air Force nomenclature). Several examples are still flying with the… Continue reading A very low pass indeed!
Armistice / Remembrance / Veteran’s Day 2011
I think I said all the important things last year at this time. Even so, let’s remember where this all started: Armistice Day, 1918. I’m obliged to the Daily Mail for publishing a series of photographs of the World War I battlefields as they are today. Here are a few examples. (Click the images for… Continue reading Armistice / Remembrance / Veteran’s Day 2011
A new milblog
Courtesy of a link at Neptunus Lex, I discovered a new military blogger today, writing under the title of The Mellow Jihadi. He’s got some interesting (and amusing) stories to tell, some of them worthy of my own younger days in uniform. I particularly enjoyed his tale of what can happen when a relatively junior… Continue reading A new milblog
Today in history: The Battle of Midway
From 4th-7th June 1942, US and Japanese naval forces engaged in what one authority has called “the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare”. It was fought over and around Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, and would bear its name thenceforth as the Battle of Midway. The events of the… Continue reading Today in history: The Battle of Midway
Amusing memories of US Navy flight training
I’m currently reading John Trotti’s memoir “Phantom Over Vietnam” (which I highly recommend: it’s out of print, but used copies are freely available). In it, he recounts a couple of wonderful stories about US Navy and Marine Corps flight training, which I thought I’d share with you. The first is from the days (during and… Continue reading Amusing memories of US Navy flight training