Category History
BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF, 76 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK, DECIMATED JAPANESE NAVY IN WORLD WAR II
For four days in October 1944, American and Japanese naval forces slugged it out in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The battle was part of the Allied forces retaking of the Philippine Islands, which the Japanese had captured early in 1942. It represented the largest sea battle in all of World War II, and perhaps […]
FIFTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO TODAY, JFK TELLS AMERICANS OF SOVIET NUCLEAR ARMS IN CUBA
On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy went on national television to tell the American people they were in the gravest possible danger imaginable. The Cold War that commenced in 1947, and persisted throughout the 1950s, had gotten even colder after the Soviets shot down an American U-2 spy plane over the USSR and […]
CALVET’S RESPECT FOR LATINO VETERANS ETCHED IN STONE
Statues, in many cases, honor a person who symbolized leadership, bravery, and who set the example that others follow. The California Mexican-American Veterans Memorial, known as “El Soldado,” is different, though. It represents not an individual, but an entire culture of patriots. Consequently, with Latino Heritage Month coming to its close, the California Department of […]
THE MOTHER OF ALL 3 U.S. COAST GUARD BIRTHDAYS: 231 YEARS AGO TODAY
Did you know that the U.S. Coast Guard celebrates three different birthdays, and that today isn’t one of them? October 2, 1789, however, is the reason all three exist. Here’s the skinny. The Coast Guard considers August 4, 1790, its true date of birth. On that day, Congress approved the construction of 10 ships for […]
GROUNDBREAKING SET FOR NATIVE AMERICAN MEMORIAL PLAZA THAT WILL SHOWCASE “THE GIFT” STATUE AT RIVERSIDE
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration will break ground on the plaza of the American Indians Veterans Memorial on Friday, September 25 at the Riverside National Cemetery. It will be the first major monument honoring U.S. indigenous veterans located at a VA national cemetery. The Memorial will feature a statue named “The […]
241 YEARS AGO TODAY, JOHN PAUL JONES AND THE FIRST BONHOMME RICHARD MADE HISTORY
In one of the early great sea victories of the American Revolution, John Paul Jones commanded the Bonhomme Richard as it defeated two British warships, the Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough, off the coast of England on September 23, 1779. Early in 1779, King Louis XVI received a visit from Benjamin Franklin, dispatched by […]
POW-MIA BRACELETS BROUGHT ATTENTION TO THE CAUSE, SOLDIERS HOME IN 1970s
POW-MIA BRACELETS BROUGHT ATTENTION TO THE CAUSE, SOLDIERS HOME IN 1970s As the Vietnam War raged into the 1970s, the North Vietnamese had captured hundreds of American soldiers and airmen, with many more reported as missing in action. A young college student took it upon herself to make sure Americans did not forget about them. […]
HOW SEPTEMBER 2, 1945, BECAME ONE OF THE MOST MONUMENTAL DAYS IN HISTORY
Certainly, September 2, 1945, stands as one of the most monumental days in modern times, as judged by the number of monuments that followed. On this day 75 years ago, Japanese officials boarded the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, and signed the documents of surrender that ended World War II. Later that same day, […]
PATTON TOOK MESSINA 77 YEARS AGO TODAY, BUT FILM GOT IT WRONG: NO SMIRK, NO MONTGOMERY
It is one of the most memorable scenes of the 1970 Oscar-winning film “Patton.” British Field Marshall Bernard “Monty” Montgomery rolls into the Sicilian town of Messina, expecting to bask in the glory of the moment. Instead, he finds a smug U.S. General George S. Patton waiting to see the look on his face, having […]
NAVAJO CODE TALKERS DAY REMEMBERS THOSE WHO SAVED LIVES, VITAL TO WINNING WWII IN PACIFIC
In 1982, when President Reagan declared August 14 of each year Navajo Code Talkers Day, the recognition was long overdue. Not until 2000 did President Clinton sign the bill awarding the original 29 Code Talkers the Congressional Gold medals that President George W. Bush presented in July 2001. In total, there were 400 Navajo Code […]
