Author Archives: Jeff Jardine
SHINING LIGHT ON CALIFORNIA’S TWO JEWISH MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS AS HANUKKAH BEGINS
With eight days of Hanukkah – the Jewish Festival of Lights – beginning tonight, CalVet would like to salute the memories of the 18 known Jewish Medal of Honor recipients, two of whom were from California. Their names grace the Medal of Honor Wall at CalVet Headquarters in downtown Sacramento, and their stories are worth […]
JAPAN’S ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR AWAKENED A “SLEEPING GIANT”
As time takes its toll, only about 2,000 or so remain among the estimated 60,000 American military personnel who survived Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor 79 years ago. Over the next few years, their remembrances of that horrific and defining moment in history – December 7, 1941 – will fall to books, newspaper accounts, videos, and movies for the retelling. The focus will always remain on the attack […]
WITH RATIFICATION OF THE 13th AMENDMENT, SLAVERY IN U.S. OFFICIALLY ENDED 155 YEARS AGO
One of the great misconceptions in United States history is that President Lincoln ended slavery in this country when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, effective January 1, 1863. It did not happen then, and would not for over two more years. So, when did slavery actually end in the U.S.? December 6, 1865, 155 years ago, when Georgia became the 27th state needed to ratify the […]
1959 ANTARCTIC TREATY KEPT CHILL ON IN A GOOD WAY DURING COLD WAR
Long before the terms “global warming” and “climate change” became commonplace, a dozen nations agreed to protect Antarctica from the ultimate meltdown. On December 1, 1959 – 61 years ago today – they signed the Antarctic Treaty that banned military activity and weapons testing on the continent where the South Pole is located. This agreement […]
GIVING THANKS AT THANKSGIVING TO VETERANS AT CALVET HOMES
On Veterans Day a couple of weeks ago, many folks thanked our military veterans for their service in defending our constitution. COVID-19 restrictions prevented the firm handshakes and warm hugs that once carried the day, and gave way to drive-by parades, salutes from afar, and virtual greetings. Still, the sentiments were genuine, heartfelt, and very […]
SEVEN SCORE AND 17 YEARS AGO, LINCOLN GAVE AMERICA’S MOST MEMORABLE ADDRESS AT GETTYSBURG
November 19, 1863, 157 year ago, just over four months after one of the deadliest, bloodiest, and defining battles of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln arrived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He spent the night in David Wills’s home in downtown Gettysburg, less than a mile away from the cemetery that would be dedicated the following […]
ENTRY TO NATIONAL PARKS, OTHER FEDERAL LANDS NOW FREE TO ALL VETERANS, GOLD STAR FAMILIES
Veterans of the United States military, along with those who lost family members, can now enter Yosemite, Yellowstone, or any other national park in the United States at no charge. Once available only to disabled veterans, the benefit expanded to all veterans and Gold Star families beginning Veterans Day 2020, and available at more than […]
SPACED OUT OVER DECADES, NOVEMBER 16 EVENTS DEVELOPED, DEFINED U.S. SPACE PROGRAM
Certain days in a month, over time, can become magnets for important events. Take November 16, as an example. It has been a huge day in the history of the United States’ space program, beginning with November 16, 1945, when 88 German scientists captured during the fall of the Nazi Germany arrived in the U.S. bearing the […]
MANY VETERANS FIND DIFFERENT WAYS TO SERVE AFTER MUSTERING OUT OF THE MILITARY
Each Veterans Day, we honor those who served to defend this nation. Parades. Shows. Visible well intentioned and well deserved thanks. Often lost in the moment is that for so many veterans, serving remains in their blood. It doesn’t end when they are handed their DD-214 discharge paperwork. To the contrary, they are just getting […]
VETERANS DAY IS ITS STAR, BUT NOVEMBER 11 IS A MEMORABLE DAY FOR OTHER EVENTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY
Since 1919, November 11 has held a special place in Americans’ hearts. That year, we celebrated Armistice Day for the first time, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the end of World War I that came on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Then, in 1954, President Eisenhower renamed it Veterans […]
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