Two different news items - but each frustratingly related to the other. In both we are reminded yet again how fundamentally bankrupt the process is by which this nation produces and procures weapons systems for its armed forces.
In one article we find yet again that the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces is out to lunch and failing dismally in its oversight role.
Just over one week ago construction workers found a one ton bomb at the port of Marseille, France. The bomb dates back to the Second World War and is believed to be German. On Sunday, March 18, 2012 the bomb was removed as can be seen in this picture.
The bomb is not thought to have been air delivered, but, instead have been left behind by German soldiers who, prior to retreating, sought to demolish the excellent port facilties at Marseille.
On March 16, 1802 Congress signed off on legislation establishing the United States Military Adademy at West Point. Located on the Hudson River north of New York City , West Point had been a military post created with the help of Polish General Tadeusz Kosciuszko in 1778.
One of the most prestigious universities in the world, West Point is known not only for preparing officer candidates for the United States Armed Forces but also is known for holding high standards of scholarship and learning.
Austria, nestled between Germany and Italy, possessed a long history as a dominant European power. However, after the First World War, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had been dissolved with Austria remaining as a small, central European state; a shadow of its former imposing Imperial greatness. Austria therefore represented a ripe target for a predator such as Hitler.
In February 1938, Hitler coerced Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg into placing Nazi sympathizers in important government
The Center For Strategic and Budgetary Assessments(CSBA) gave a presentation on Tuesday detailing major trends in ground combat that will impact ground vehicle modernization. Buried in the slides was an interesting info-graphic on the accelerated cost of force protection - meaning the price paid to equip the average combat rifleman in the U.S. Military. These costs have risen dramatically. According to the CSBA the average cost of clothing and equipping:
A WWII era G.I.
Holocaust survivor Ernie Gross, age 83, and U.S. Army WWII veteran Don Greenbaum, age 87, were able to meet late last year in Philadelphia some 66 years after they unwittingly shared a day at a place and time in history that few people would ever want to be; Dachau concentration camp in April of 1945.
On April 29, 1945 Greenbaum was a G.I. in U.S. General George S. Patton's Third Army when the Third Army reached Dachau and its surviving victims.
Though the Panzer V "Panther" is often lauded as one of the Second World War's top tanks there is a serious question as to whether the immense resources put into developing and fielding this tank was worth it. Though a new tank design when it first appeared in the Wehrmacht's ranks during the summer of 1943, the Panzer V owed much to the superb T-34 that had spurred the Panther's development.
A hidden stash of Hitler's private art collection has been found. What's more, and rather uniquely, this time it appears the seven discovered paintings may have included items he might have actually bought. Normally, Hitler and his cronies were more likely to have stolen whatever it is they acquired.
As most of you by now probably know, I normally don't write anything about the book in the blog. That said, I thought everybody would like to see some of the coverage it has been getting. Anyway, here are two direct links to news articles (both are really more about me and the writing process rather than the book's content):
Attorney's Book Challenges Traditional View of WWII
Book Details How Germany Came Close to Winning War
In addition, the wire services picked up the second article so
On February 23, 1945 Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press took perhaps one of the most remembered pictures of World War II: the raising of the US Flag over Iwo Jima's most dominating physical feature - Mount Suribachi. Rosenthal's image was actually of the second flag raising. The first had been done earlier in the morning by men of the 5th Marine Division, but this second raising would be of a larger flag.
All told five U.S. Marines and one U.S.
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