Last week I was at our river place—pronounced “riv’ah if you hail from Virginia’s Northern Neck—when a nor’easter struck with a vengeance. I stood by watching helplessly as the waves and wind whipsawed our pier, tearing away most of its decking, tossing it into the waiting swells of the Potomac River. The Read more
The nation’s eyes are on Virginia. It shouldn’t surprise anyone since only Virginia and New Jersey have gubernatorial elections this year. Moreover, the nation has been bitterly divided over political and culture war issues that have dominated in recent years, particularly those of the far-left’s “woke” agenda. In my years as Read more
Sometimes I see something in the news that gives me hope that, as a nation, we may not have quite fallen off the enlightened ledge, not yet anyway. I am sure that many of you are aware of the “progressive” far-left assault on freedom of speech on college campuses across the Read more
I worry about the state of our fighting forces today. In particular, I’m troubled about my Army, the service I love to this day. I can’t recall a time in my childhood where I didn’t aspire to be a soldier. When I entered the Army in May of 1973, it was recovering from Read more
I got caught in a rain storm the other day and by the time I was home, I was drenched. Fortunately, it was a somewhat humid day and the rain was a bit refreshing, even as I waded through puddles of water that covered the tops of my running shoes. It was, Read more
I am busy! This week I am pressing to finish the edits of the final draft of my next book, one that will focus on U.S. participation in United Nations peacekeeping in the Middle East in the early 1980’s. I was assigned to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in 1981-82 Read more
I grew up with a genuine respect for President Harry S. Truman, a Democrat and the man left to fill the shoes of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the end of World War II. As a young officer, I learned that Truman, like me, was also an artilleryman. He commanded D Battery, Read more
I received a call from a good friend and former Army colleague to talk about 9-11. He was one of my junior officers in the 1st Infantry Division and a very fine man. He is greatly disappointed these days. He loves his country. He’s ready to fight and die for it even now. He almost did Read more
It’s hard to imagine peace in Afghanistan these days. Particularly now that the country has been abandoned to Taliban thugs and their roving assassination squads culling out former supporters of the U.S. to murder them in cold blood. There is no peace today. There was a modicum of peace before May of Read more
The events of the last week in Afghanistan have given all of us pause. As a former soldier and combat veteran I have found myself oscillating from bewilderment to anger. I’m bewildered because I know that the U.S. has the wherewithal and leadership to conduct an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan, Read more