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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Jan 15 2013 - 12:46am

The USS Kittiwake was a US Navy submarine rescue ship built during WWII, and commissioned on July 16, 1945. Decommissioned in 1994, the Kittiwake was sunk early in 2011 as an artificial reef just off the island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean Sea.

Though not a warship - in comparison to most modern corvettes and other such vessels the Kittiwake certainly ranks as good sized.

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Dec 11 2012 - 6:54pm

The Hartford Connecticut Police Department recently received quite a surprise when during a gun buy back program a woman walked into the station with a World War II era Sturmgewehr 44; widely recognized as the world's first assault rifle. Heavy and awkward by today's standards, nevertheless when introduced the Sturmgewehr quickly became a prized possession capable of laying down tremendous firepower at standard combat ranges.

Manufactured in Nazi Germany during World War II only around 400,000

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Dec 1 2012 - 4:54pm

Today the US Navy (USN) formally deactivates the Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) after 51 years of active service. The 8th Navy ship to bear the name "Enterprise" (ironically the first Enterprise was a British ship until captured by Benedict Arnold on May 18, 1775) she was the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

In 1954 Congress authorized construction to begin on the newest edition of the Enterprise (her famous WWII era predecessor had been decommissioned in

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Nov 16 2012 - 2:40pm

Sonny Eliot, a long time Metro Detroit weatherman and TV personality famous for his quirky personality died at his Farmington Hills home at the age of 91. An icon in the Metro Detroit region, with a broadcasting and radio career dating back to the late 1940's what many may not know is that Eliot, born Marvin Schlossberg, also spent 18 months as a POW (prisoner of war) during WWII.

Eliot enlisted after Pearl Harbor and because of some pre-war flying lessons quickly found himself in the USAAF

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Nov 11 2012 - 6:07pm

Last week the keel laying ceremony for the USS Detroit took place in Marinette Wisconsin. The USS Detroit is the fourth Littoral Combat Ship built by Marinette Marine. The U.S. Navy expects to take delivery of the ship in 2015.

As a native of the Metro Detroit region I am proud to have the name of the city attached to a brand new warship. That said, I am a bit apprehensive about the Detroit. The LCS class of warships have come under a healthy dose of criticism; particularly in regards to their

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Oct 22 2012 - 8:35pm

Antoni Dobrowolski, the oldest known survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp died today in Debno, Poland. Born on October 8, 1904 Dobrowolski was 108 years old when he died. In a world where today the word "hero" is almost casually applied Dobrowolski truly was one.

A teacher, Dobrowolski practiced his profession during the World War II German occupation of Poland.

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Sep 28 2012 - 1:07am

There are few things cooler than a fighter jet. Growing up, I was fascinated by, and proud of, all sorts of things about the US Military but, being a kid, few things drew my attention as did it's fighter jets. And for good reason.

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Sep 10 2012 - 9:25pm

In August and September of 1939 Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland and divided up the country between themselves. The Germans quickly went to work murdering tens of thousands of people. Meanwhile, Josef Stalin's Soviet Union more quietly, but still brutally, subjugated its part of the former Polish state. To this day the German atrocities garner the bulk of the attention, and rightly so in many respects.

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Sep 2 2012 - 6:58pm

Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day is a U.S. Federal holiday honoring the contributions of America's workers. In celebration of Labor Day 2012 we will take a look at one of the biggest and most spectacular industrial efforts in U.S. history: the Willow Run Manufacturing Plant.

During the massive rearmament drive ordered by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt prior to the U.S.

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Submitted by
Steve Mercatante
on: Aug 16 2012 - 7:37pm

At the storied Powazki Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland (where many of Poland's greatest citizens are buried) a hunt is on for Witold Pilecki; and for others like him believed to have been murdered by Stalin's post Second World War Polish police state and then unceremoniously dumped in unmarked graves.

Though a veteran of the early 1920's war fought between Poland and the Soviet Union, Witold Pilecki remains today best known for his heroism during WWII; when during the 1939-1945 German occupation he

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