Today is a hallowed date in the history of the US Marine Corps. On February 23rd, 1945, the US flag was raised atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima by a group of Marines, to be immortalized on film by Joe Rosenthal in a photograph he titled Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima. It won the… Continue reading On this day: February 23rd, 1945
Tag: War
Another sunken battleship discovered
The wreck of the French pre-dreadnought battleship Danton, sunk in the Mediterranean Sea in 1917, has been discovered – accidentally – by a team surveying the seabed for a new pipeline. (Click pictures for a larger view.) According to the BBC: The Danton, with many of its gun turrets still intact, is sitting upright in… Continue reading Another sunken battleship discovered
Another sunken battleship discovered
The wreck of the French pre-dreadnought battleship Danton, sunk in the Mediterranean Sea in 1917, has been discovered – accidentally – by a team surveying the seabed for a new pipeline. (Click pictures for a larger view.) According to the BBC: The Danton, with many of its gun turrets still intact, is sitting upright in… Continue reading Another sunken battleship discovered
A fascinating escape story
I’d never heard of or read about any Allied servicemen escaping from Hong Kong after the Japanese occupied it in December 1941: but a BBC report indicates that such escapes did happen, and, what’s more, the resistance to the Japanese invaders was rather stronger than I’d heard. When Japan invaded Hong Kong in 1941 a… Continue reading A fascinating escape story
Norway to raise ‘toxic submarine’ wreck
A relic of the last days of the Second World War is proving just as dangerous today as it did in its lifetime. According to a Swedish report: Norway’s government has said it plans to surface a Nazi submarine loaded with mercury that sank off its shores in 1945 that poses an environmental hazard. “The… Continue reading Norway to raise ‘toxic submarine’ wreck
A somber piece of history
I was sobered by a report in the New Scientist. An old glass jar inside a beaten up old safe at the bottom of a waste pit may seem an unlikely place to find a pivotal piece of 20th century history. But that’s just where the first bulk batch of weapons-grade plutonium ever made has… Continue reading A somber piece of history
Sir Winston Churchill
On January 24th, 1965, at the age of 90, Sir Winston Churchill died at his home in Hyde Park Gate, London. He died beloved of his fellow Britons, whom he had led through the darkest days of World War II to final victory. He was accorded a State funeral, and as the train bearing his… Continue reading Sir Winston Churchill
A forgotten hero
Two hundred years ago today, on January 16th, 1809, one of the most crucial battles of the Napoleonic Wars took place at Corunna, Spain. The outcome of the Battle of Corunna would help to determine the ultimate fate of Napoleon. If it had gone the other way, the history of Europe might have been very… Continue reading A forgotten hero
An historic award in Australia
In 1991 Queen Elizabeth of Britain signed letters patent establishing the Victoria Cross for Australia as part of that nation’s Australian Honors System, and its highest military award for gallantry in action. It replaced the British Victoria Cross that had previously been issued to Australian servicemen. (Similar replacements have been made for Canada and New… Continue reading An historic award in Australia
A Merry Christmas to my friends in the sandbox
I have several friends in the sandbox (both of them), plus readers of this blog who’ve somehow heard about it while over there. To all of you, I send my prayers and very best wishes for a safe, peaceful and blessed Christmas. I’ll post general Christmas greetings tomorrow night, but since you’re several hours ahead… Continue reading A Merry Christmas to my friends in the sandbox