Texas native James Marion Logan was the embodiment of the U.S. military's greatest tactical weapon: its Non-Commissioned Officer Corps. Every branch has some kind of saying about NCOs. They're the backbone of the Air Force, they lead the way in the Army, and in the Marine Corps, they wear special swords.
If you want to see how poorly an armed force without NCOs performs in combat, just look at how the Russians are doing in Ukraine.
Sgt. James M. Logan was one of the first American troops to hit the beaches of Salerno on Sept. 9, 1943 and almost immediately, he and his fellow soldiers found themselves under a heavy German assault. Logan, unlike many of the men with him on the beaches that day, wasn't a conscript and would show the Nazis and Fascist defenders what it means to be a professional soldier.
Logan grew up in Luling, Texas during the Great Depression. Like a lot of Americans at the time, he had to help the family make ends meet. By age 15, he was an unskilled laborer, making $15.00 a week. In 1936, he joined the Texas National Guard to help boost his income. He was only 15 years old.
With World War II looming over the country, many National Guardsmen were mobilized for active duty service, and Logan was sent to the Fifth Army's 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. They trained in Florida and in the U.S. Army's 1942 Carolina Maneuvers before shipping off to the Mediterranean, where the Americans were cutting their teeth against German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps.
Sgt. Logan and the 36th (Texas) arrived in North Africa in April 1943 but were held in reserve for the remainder of the North African Campaign. As the fighting there wound down and the Allies moved on to invade Sicily, the 36th was held in reserve, training in Algeria for the next seaborne invasion: mainland Italy.
A lot happened between the fall of the Axis in North Africa in May and the invasion of Italy in September 1942. The Allied invasion of Sicily led to the fall of the Fascist government and Italian capitulation. Germans then disarmed Italian forces and took over its defensive positions. The Salerno invaders would be facing stiff resistance if they couldn't achieve surprise.
As the U.S. 36th (Texas) Infantry Division headed to the shores of Salerno at 3:30 in the morning, a voice came over a loudspeaker in English: "Come on in and give up. We have you covered." The Germans were ready for the invasion and knew the Americans were landing. The U.S. Army attacked anyway.
Logan landed with the lead battalions from 141st and 142nd Infantry Regiments at Paestum, their landing craft coming under heavy artillery fire. He was one of the first soldiers to land on the beaches in the first wave. He led Company I 800 meters inland, where they came to a stop along a canal. German machine guns opened up on them in a blaze of tracers and bullets, positioned behind a wall some 200 yards away. With his men pinned down, he took action.
Sgt. Logan ran through the lead hailstorm to the opposite side of the wall, killing three enemy soldiers as they tried to attack. When he reached the wall, he silenced the two machine guns, killing their gunners. As the Germans began to retreat from the area, he took over their machine gun, and turned it around on them as they ran – he also captured an officer and a soldier who didn't escape in time.
Later that morning, his company again came under fire. This time, it was coming from a sniper in a house 150 yards away. Instead of taking cover, he made a mad dash for the house while under enemy fire. He shot the lock off the door and, as he kicked it in, killed the enemy sniper descending the staircase.
Logan would receive the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Salerno, and would go on to receive another Medal of Honor nomination for actions at Velletri the following year. Since the Army no longer awarded two Medals of Honor to one individual, he received the Distinguished Service Cross.
Sgt. James M. Logan would survive the war, also receiving a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and (after it was created in 1997), the Texas Legislature Medal of Honor. He died at age 78 in 1999 and was laid to rest in Austin, Texas.
Every American is familiar with the words of Francis Scott Key's epic poem-turned song-turned national anthem.
"Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?"
As we stand there, listening to the words while waiting for our football or baseball game to start, it likely doesn't occur to us just how miraculous it was for the broad stripes and bright stars to still be gallantly streaming that morning in September 1814. At the outset of the battle, things looked pretty grim for the Americans.
When the War of 1812 began, Britain was fighting a defensive war, mainly because it was focused on defeating Napoleon in Europe. When Napoleon was exiled to Elba in May 1814, the Royal Navy was free to take the offensive – and it did, in a big way.
The U.S. saw success in the Great Lakes and against Britain's American Indian allies, but the Royal Navy controlled the oceans. They reinforced Canada and pushed the Americans out of Ontario, captured what is today Maine (it was still part of Massachusetts during the war), and sent an expedition of 5,000 Redcoat veterans of the war in Europe to the Chesapeake Bay.
British troops landed in August 1814, swiftly defeating opposition to their landing, then defeating the Americans at Bladensburg, Maryland, before burning Washington, D.C., and capturing Alexandria. They then set their sights on Baltimore, a much more appealing target, given its importance as a major port city.
The British wo
uld attack by land and by sea, with the seaborne invasion striking Fort McHenry, Baltimore Harbor's primary defense. When they arrived at Baltimore, they found the road to the city blocked by 10,000 Americans and 100 guns, a much more powerful defense than they anticipated. The British needed to reduce Fort McHenry to provide naval gunfire for the attacking land forces.
On the morning of Sept. 13, 1814, a British task force of 19 warships began a bombardment of the fort. Heavier ships can't approach Fort McHenry because of the shallow waters, so only the bomb ships can get close enough to fire exploding mortars and Congreve rockets – these Francis Scott Key's "bombs bursting in air" and "rockets' red glare."
Key was a lawyer from a wealthy family who became an agent for prisoners of war held after the burning of Washington. He was aboard the HMS Tonnant, flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cockburn, commander of British forces in North America. Key dined with the admiral to negotiate the release of an elderly prisoner who was a family friend but would remain aboard during the Battle of Baltimore, watching the Siege of Fort McHenry.
The heavier ships would eventually exchange cannon fire with the guns of Fort McHenry but would also veer off out of range. The battle over the fortress would go on for 27 hours, even amid a heavy rainstorm, as 1,500 shots were fired between the two sides. The British would even launch a land-based diversionary attack in an attempt to draw fire away, but it, too, would fail.
When morning finally came, the Americans were still in control of the fort, which was still in fighting shape. They lowered their storm flag and raised the massive flag they used every morning for reveille, specially made by a local flag maker named Mary Pickersgill. This was likely the "broad stripes and bright stars" Key saw at the twilight's last gleaming.
Since the Royal Navy couldn't break Fort McHenry, the British were forced to abandon their assault on Baltimore, sparing it the same fate as Washington. Their next stop would be certain defeat at the Battle of New Orleans.
I would say that the more I read other sailors' stories and memories, I felt compelled to write more of my own. Writing the memories brought more of them to life and cleared some of the haze built up from years of 'Storage' in the recesses of my mind and brought other memories to mind that I hadn't thought about in some time. I think as time rolls on, I will visit these questions again and perhaps add or subtract a few things; time will tell. It seemed odd at first that I was writing a story and found myself laughing out loud while alone at my desk, and I think that it is healthy to laugh at yourself from time to time.
ETCS/SS David Scheffler US Navy (Ret)
Served 1972-1995
Even before the creation of the U.S. Space Force, American military leaders have had to grapple with what a war in space might look like and what we would need to be successful. In 2022, Russia launched what U.S. intelligence believes to be an orbital anti-satellite weapon into space. 
China is thought to be pursuing a range of anti-satellite weapons.
While that may seem surprising to some and downright frightening to others, it's important to remember that the U.S. has had the capability to shoot satellites out of orbit for almost 40 years – and it didn't require advanced rocketry, fuels, or some kind of secret weapons to do it, either.
About 50 years ago, the U.S. Air Force's newest air superiority fighter took to the skies for the first time. The F-15 Eagle was intended to take lessons learned from the Vietnam War while creating a fighter that could match the power, altitude, and speed of the Soviet Union's newest MiGs, the MiG-23 and MiG-25.
Long story short, it was a rousing success. The F-15 and its iterations, F-15A through F-15E, were so successful that the aircraft was given new life in 2021 as t
he F-15 EX Eagle II. Not bad for a design that first entered service in 1976, which was an interesting time during the Cold War and the Space Race.
Younger readers won't remember the mix of awe and fear Americans felt when the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space in 1957. They could see Sputnik in orbit over their country from their earthbound vantage point, an amazing achievement for man but a grim reminder that the U.S. was falling behind the Communists' space technology. The U.S. launched its first satellite, Explorer I, in 1958.
Low earth orbit would soon be filled with man-made satellites, 115 by 1961. It wasn't long before there were communications satellites, navigation satellites, explorers, researchers, and telescopes. Spy satellites would be crucial in gathering information about Cold War adversaries. It was spy satellite data, after all, that precipitated the Cuban Missile Crisis.
But even the most well-made satellites have a shelf life, and back then, those were much shorter than they are today. A number of satellites, long dead, still hang out in orbit around the Earth. The same was true in 1985, but one of those obsolete satellites made history as the target of the world's first-ever orbital kill.
Air Force Maj. Wilbert D. "Doug" Pearson Jr. took off from Vandenberg Air Force base in a highly-modified "Celestial Eagle" F-15A on Sept. 13, 1985. His objective: the Solwind P78-1 satellite orbiting 340 miles above Earth. His weapon of choice was an ASM-135 ASAT anti-satellite missile: 3,000 poun
ds of infrared-seeking explosives moving at Mach 12 in an 18-foot-long projectile.
Pearson took off at a 65-degree angle, headed for the edge of space at Mach 1.2. At 38,100 feet, the missile was automatically activated, firing in three stages. The final stage was its homing mechanism, which hit 15,000 miles per hour, completely destroying the satellite. Pearson is, to date, the world's only "Space Ace."
The test not only proved that it was possible to hit satellites with conventional but specially made weapons, but it also helped NASA deal with the problem of orbital debris and see what a hypervelocity collision in space might look like.
Approximately 800 Marines and Sailors of the "Two Five" comprised of H&S Co, Echo Co, Fox Co, Golf Co, and Weapons Co. are based at MCB Camp Pendleton, California under command of the 1st Marine Division. The 2/5 is a battalion-level infantry unit composed of Marines and support personnel. Infantry battalions are the basic tactical units that the regiment uses to accomplish its mission of locating, closing with and destroying the enemy by fire and close combat.
Marines: Together We Served lists 3,104 registered members who had been assigned to this unit as of August 2023, from Col. Abbink to Sgt Zwarka. A superior and reliable summary of the 2/5 from its own lineage history and Marines TWS reads: "The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines was initially formed in July 1914 and immediately sailed to the Caribbean due to political turmoil in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The battalion returned to the United States in late 1914. In June 1917, the battalion sailed for France with its present regiment. During World War I, the battalion participated in the Battle of Belleau Wood, Soisson, and the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. For these actions, the battalion was twice awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm and once with Gold Star. The Fouraggere, representing these awards, is worn today by members of the battalion.
"The story of the Corps' first shoulder unit patch is a strange one to say the least, and was borne out of the chaos and mass movement of troops to the Western front in World War I. The iconic American Indian head unit insignia eventually sported by Marines during the conflict had a tactical advantage, helping them and the unit they served under, the 2nd Army division, move supplies to the correct units and destinations… The unit shoulder patches (SSI) worn by the Army and Marines were not approved until relatively late in the war, around November 1918 - well after the Corps' hallowed battle at Belleau Wood. Vehicles and trains carried the emblems as early as March 1918."
2nd Battalion, 5th Marines participated in the post-war occupation of Germany and returned to the United States in August 1919. In 1920, at Quantico, Virginia, the battalion was ordered to guard U.S. mail trains. During this period, it also participated in reenactments of Civil War battles. The battalion was sent to Nicaragua in 1927 to fight bandits and supervised the 1928 national elections there.
At Quantico from 1934 on, the battalion participated in numerous exercises contributing to the development of the Marine Corps Amphibious Doctrine. In 1941 2nd Battalion 5th Marines joined the newly formed 1st Marine Division at New River, North Carolina. The 1st Marine Division departed the East Coast in 1942 and has never returned. During World War II, that battalion fought at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa. After the war, the battalion served on occupation duty in North China until 1947.
In July 1950, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines sailed from Camp Pendleton, California, to Pusan, Korea. In August, the battalion fought at the Pusan Perimeter. The battalion participated in the landing at Inchon, the liberation of Seoul, the Chosin Reservoir Campaign, and the defense of the East Central and Western Fronts. From July 1953 to February 1955, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines assisted in the defense of the Korean de-militarized zone after which it returned to Camp Pendleton.
In 1959, the battalion deployed to Camp Schwab, Okinawa, and then in 1960, relocated to Camp Pendleton. In April 1966, the battalion deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. During the next five years the battalion participated in combat operations in Hue city, Khe Sahn, Phu Bai, Dong Ha and Phu Loc. The battalion returned to Camp Pendleton in 1971, and in 1975 participated in Operation New Arrival, the relocation of Southeast Asian Refugees.
During the next fifteen years, the battalion deployed regularly as part of the Marine Corps Unit Deployment Program. In December 1990, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines sailed for the Persian Gulf and participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines landed in Saudi Arabia and participated in the liberation of Kuwait. During the return transit to the United States, the battalion was diverted to Bangladesh in order to provide humanitarian relief as part of Operation Sea Angel.
In 1993, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines deployed as the Battalion Landing Team for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operation Capable) and participated in operations in Rwanda and Somalia. In 1995 the Battalion began regular deployments to Okinawa for service as the Battalion Landing Team for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) and participated in several operations in East Timor.
In February 2003, the Battalion deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. In March, the Battalion attacked into Iraq, freed the Iraqi people and conducted peacekeeping operations in Muthanna Province until its redeployment in August. The Battalion earned its 14th Presidential Unit Citation for the Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign.
In August of 2004, the Battalion once again deployed to Iraq to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom II in Ramadi, Iraq.
2nd Battalion, 5th Marines is the most highly decorated battalion in the United States Marine Corps. Its motto comes from its actions at Belleau Wood during WW I. The fleeing French advised the newly arrived Marines to retreat in the face of overwhelming odds. The Battalion response: 'Retreat, Hell! We just got here! '"
SSgt. Reckless (1948-68) is an honored member of the 2/5. Lt. Eric Pederson purchased Reckless for $250 from a young Korean boy who, reportedly, was searching for money to buy his sister an artificial leg. Reckless was trained by Technical Sergeant Joe Latham to become familiarized with camp life and quickly became adored amongst her fellow Marines. She endured horrendous battle conditions, regular missions, and rough terrain while transporting essential ammunition and supplies for Marines during numerous battles; heroically. Reckless foaled three colts while at Pendleton after 1957, the first one being named Fearless. After her death, Reckless was initially buried behind the Camp Pendleton stables with full military honors. She was later exhumed and reinterred at the stable's front gate with a black granite marker and nearly life-size bronze equestrian monument. She received the following military recognitions:
• Dickin Medal
• Purple Heart (2)
• Navy Presidential Unit Citation (2)
• Navy Unit Commendation
• Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
• National Defense Service Medal
• Korean Service Medal (4)
• United Nations Korea Medal
• Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery
Unit awards: 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines
Presidential Unit Citation Streamer With Two Silver And Three Bronze Stars
(Solomon Islands, 7 August-9 December 1942)
(Peleliu, Ngesebus, 15-29 September 1944)
(Okinawa, 1-21 June 1945)
(Korea, 7 August-7 September 1950)
(Korea, 15 September-11 October 1950)
(Korea, 27 November-11 December 1950)
(Korea, 21-26 April, 16 May-30 June, And 11-25 September 1951)
(Vietnam, (3d Mardiv), 5-12 April 1966)
(Vietnam, 27 May 1966 – 24 April 1967 And 6 June-15 September 1967)
(Vietnam, 25 April-5 June 1967)
(Vietnam, 16 September 1967 – 3 February 1968, 3 March – 22 July 1968
And 24-31 October 1968)
(Vietnam, 4 February – 2 March 1968)
(Vietnam, 20 November-6 December 1968)
(Iraq, 21 March-24 April 2003)
Joint Meritorious Unit Award Streamer
(Bangladesh, 10 May-13 June 1991)
Navy Unit Commendation Streamer With Four Bronze Stars
(Korea, 11 August 1952 – 5 May 1953 And 7-27 July 1953)
(Vietnam, 7 December 1968 – 8 March 1969)
(Southwest Asia, 14 August 1990 – 16 April 1991)
(11 September 2001 – 31 January 2002)
(Iraq, September 2004 – March 2005)
Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer With Three Bronze Stars
(Vietnam, 9-11 May 1969)
(Vietnam, 23 July-23 October 1968)
(Somalia, 2 March-3 June 1994)
(1 January-31 May 2000)
Marine Corps Expeditionary Streamer
(Distant Runner, April 1994)
World War I Victory Streamer With One Silver Star
(Aisne Operation, 1-5 June 1918)
(Aisne-Marne Operation, 18-20 July 1918)
(St Mihiel Operation, 12-16 September 1918)
(Meuse-Argonne Operation, 29 September-10 October, 21-22 October
And 25 October-11 November 1918)
(Defense Sector Operation, Toulon-Troyon Sector, 18 March-13 May 1918 Chateau-Thierry Sector, 6 June-16 July 1918, Marbache Sector, 6-16 July 1918 And Limey Sector, 10-11 September 1918)
Army Of Occupation Of Germany Streamer
(13 December 1918 – 19 July 1919)
Second Nicaraguan Campaign Streamer
(10 January-21 July 1927, 1 April 1928 – 5 January 1929, And 14 February 1929 –
12 April 1930)
American Defense Service Streamer With One Bronze Star
(Cuba, 16 October 1940 – 3 April 1941)
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer With One Silver And One Bronze Star
(Guadalcanal, Tulagi Landings 7-9 August 1942)
(Capture And Defense Of Guadalcanal, 10 August-9 December 1942)
(Eastern New Guinea Operation, 8 October-25 December 1943)
(Bismarck Archipelago Operation, 26 December 1943 – 1 March 1944 And 5 March-25 April 1944)
(Western Caroline Operation, 15 September – 14 October 1944)
(Okinawa Gunto Operation, 1 April-30 June 1945)
World War Ii Victory Streamer
(7 December 1941 – 31 December 1946)
Navy Occupation Service Streamer With "Asia"
(Okinawa, 2-26 Septebmer 1945)
China Service Streamer
(30 September 1945 – 25 May 1947)
National Defense Service Streamer With Three Bronze Stars
(27 June 1950 – 27 July 1954)
(1 January 1961 – 15 August 1974)
(2 August 1990 – 30 November 1995)
(11 September 2001 – Tbd)
Korean Service Streamer With Two Silver Stars
(North Korean Aggression, 2 August-2 November 1950)
(Communist China Aggression, 3 November 1950 – 24 January 1951)
(Inchon Landing, 13-17 September 1950)
(First Un Counteroffensive, 25 January-21 April 1951)
(Communist China Spring Offensive, 22 April-8 July 1951)
(UN Summer-Fall Offensive, 9 July-27 November 1951)
(Second Korean Winter, 28 November 1951 – 30 April 1952)
(Korean Defense, Summer-Fall 1952, 1 May-30 November 1952)
(Third Korean Winter, 1 December 1952 – 30 April 1953)
(Korean, Summer-Fall 1953, 1 May-27 July 1953)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer
(Somalia, March 1994)
Vietnam Service Streamer With Two Silver And Two Bronze Stars
(Vietnam Counteroffensive Campaign, 13 April-30 June 1966)
(Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase Ii, 1 July 1966 – 31 May 1967)
(Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase Iii, 1 June 1967 – 29 January 1968)
(Tet Counteroffensive, 30 January-1 April 1968)
(Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase Iv, 2 April-30 June 1968)
(Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase V, 1 July-1 November 1968)
(Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase Vi, 2 November 1968 – 22 February 1969)
(Tet 69/Counteroffensive, 23 February-8 June 1969)
(Vietnam, Summer-Fall 1969, 9 June-31 October 1969)
(Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970, 1 November 1969 – 30 April 1970)
(Sanctuary Counteroffensive, 1 May-30 June 1970)
(Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase Vii, 1 July 1970 – 22 March 1971)
Southwest Asia Service Streamer With Three Bronze Stars
(August 1990 – 16 January 1991)
(17 January 1991 – 11 April 1991)
(April 1991)
Afghanistan Campaign Streamer With One Bronze Star
(Transition I, February-September 2012)
Iraq Campaign Streamer With Two Bronze Stars
(September 2004 – March 2005)
(March-October 2007)
Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Streamer
(21 March-24 April 2003)
Global War On Terrorism Service Streamer
(11 September 2001 – 20 March 2003)
French Croix De Guerre With Two Palms And One Gilt Star
(Belleau Wood, 2-13 June 1918)
(Soisssons, 18-19 July 1918)
(Champagne, 1-10 October 1918)
Korean Presidential Unit Citation Streamer
(2 August-6 September 1950)
(15-27 September 1950)
(26 October 1950 – 27 July 1953)
Vietnam Cross Of Gallantry Streamer With Palm
(13 April 1966 – 20 September 1969)
Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Actions Streamer
(21 September 1969 – 20 November 1970)
"TWS has helped me meet new friends as well as helped me reconnect with old friends I have been looking for, for some thirty-plus years. I have made numerous friends and have met personally with over fifteen different people while traveling, not counting the many people I met at the TWS reunion in Tucson. I would name them all, but I don't want to run the risk of leaving someone out.
One of the greatest assets of TWS is the different forums to participate in and the different people you meet, and the experiences of others that they share."
TSGT Earl Hoal US Air Force (Ret)
Served 1957-1977
Naval aircraft carriers revolutionized the way great nations project power all over the world. Naval aviation, of course, forever changed how battles at sea are fought and made the difference between victory and defeat for the Allies in World War II's Pacific Theater. But even a weapon as supreme as the aircraft carrier has its limits.
If a carrier was no longer limited to the blue water oceans and the range of its aircraft, it could once again change the nature of warfare as we know it. Like the helicarriers featured in the Marvel movies, flying aircraft carriers could ferry their fighters and helicopters closer to a target, cutting the risk to pilots in contested airspace as they refueled in-flight and even joining the fight for air supremacy.
They could have changed history.
Imagine: If the special operations aircraft used in Operation Eagle Claw, the failed joint special ops effort to rescue hostages in Iran, didn't have to refuel, they could have made the assault on the U.S. embassy in Tehran, rescued the hostages, and gotten out safely. President Carter might have been reelected, and the U.S. would never have known Ronald Reagan as President.
The United States actually did develop early flying aircraft carriers around the same time as it developed naval carriers. They came in the form of zeppelins, helium-inflated naval airships that carried Curtiss Sparrowhead biplanes that could take off and be recovered while in flight – and it increased the range of naval reconnaissance by a huge margin.
Two of them were built, the USS Akron and the USS Macon, each equipped with large hangars for up to five aircraft to take off and be collected via a trapeze connected to a hole in the bottom of its hull. Like naval carriers, the planes not only acted as recon aircraft, they could deploy to defend their mother ship.
Both airships were designed with a more intricate (and thus, heavier) design than most of the U.S. Navy airships that came before it. Their redesigned internal structure gave the ships more strength to keep them safe, even in stormy weather. They were also more aerodynamic than other airships of the time, with internal engines that allowed its crew to access them for repairs.
The Akron was built in Akron, Ohio, in 1929, christened by First Lady of the United States Lou Hoover in 1931, and finally took to the skies in September 1931. Within a month, it was commissioned into the U.S. Navy. Despite a ground accident, the ship generally performed well in the air and could remain in the air for days at a time.
It crossed the country to rebase at San Diego in 1932 when it had another accident. The ship accidentally became airborne, lifting three sailors dangling from its mooring ropes. Two of those sailors fell to the ground in an incident captured on film. Until this point, its ability as a reconnaissance aircraft had been limited because it didn't have its five fighter planes, so the airship's operational history had been embarrassing.
Once it did have its aircraft, however, all seemed to be forgotten. In 1933, the USS Akron flew to Cuba, the Panama Canal, and even newly-elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Inauguration Ceremony.
In April 1933, however, disaster struck. Akron was off the coast of New Jersey on a mission to aid radio direction finder stations. It was carrying Rear Adm. William Moffett and a number of other dignitaries. Including its crew, there were 76 people aboard.
Akron ran into one of the worst and most violent storms recorded to that date in the North Atlantic. Wrapped up in fog, the turbulence from the storm brought the airship into a steep nosedive. It recovered, only to be dragged down by its tailfin. The fin hit the ocean and pulled the airship in, breaking it up in the stormy sea. Only three survived.
After the USS Macon met a similar fate, crashing into the ocean in 1935, the age of the airship was effectively over, at least for the U.S. Navy. Its airships had a lot of potential and, some say, never fully had the chance to display the potential it could bring to the battlefield. If ever an airborne aircraft carrier could be protected from the elements and the enemy, it could be a huge game changer for anyone using them.
If you’re trying to make smarter choices when it comes to your health and wellness, it can be difficult to know where to start. “Diet and exercise” can seem vague, but did you know that practicing better nutrition can help prevent several diseases?
At the Million Veteran Program (MVP), researchers are studying how diet and nutrition influence Veteran health with the hopes of recommending effective ways you can become the healthiest version of yourself. Below are some everyday healthy choices that can have a big impact on your health.
Incorporate nuts and yogurt into your diet
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD), is the major cause of death for Americans, including Veterans.
MVP researchers discovered that:
- Regularly eating nuts (but not peanut butter) may lower the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.
- Eating any type of yogurt may improve heart health, in addition to being a good source of protein.
- Eat more chocolate/ Another potentially heart-healthy food: chocolate. MVP researchers analyzed data from MVP participants who completed the nutrition section of the MVP lifestyle survey. Good news: Findings suggest regular chocolate consumption may lead to a lower risk of CAD.
Focus on fruits and vegetables
Researchers at MVP studied the relationship between adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet and the risk for chronic disease. Findings show that eating a diet of mostly fruit, vegetables and other plants like whole grains, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils and tea/coffee may lead to a longer, healthier life. Further, eating a plant-based diet may prevent major chronic diseases.
While grocery shopping, spend most of your time on the outer edges of the store. That’s where you’ll find fresh and unprocessed foods. Preparing meals at home can also help you avoid consuming fried foods, which is correlated with CAD.
VA has a program to help address food insecurity (when a person has problems accessing good nutrition due to financial issues, transportation, or other factors). Veterans experiencing food insecurity can find resources at VHA National Food Security Office (FSO).
Stop smoking
Smoking is addictive, and research shows it has a negative effect on overall health and wellness. While quitting smoking is difficult, this one change can have an enormous positive impact on your health. The Surgeon General’s estimate is that quitting could add 10 years to your life.
MVP researchers investigated the relationship between smoking and cardiovascular diseases and found a link between smoking and a broad range of cardiovascular diseases, particularly CAD, heart failure, and stroke.
Lifestyle changes and putting effort into action
Better nutrition is just one piece of the puzzle. MVP researchers identified eight therapeutic lifestyle factors that may lead to both a lower risk of premature death and a lower overall mortality risk: Never smoking, positive social relationships, not regularly binge drinking, good sleep hygiene, good diet, minimal stress, being physically active, and no opioid addiction.
VA offers two main programs that can help Veterans incorporate positive lifestyle changes into their daily lives. MOVE! is a weight management program that guides participants through activities that support healthy lifestyles, and the program is available in both English and Spanish.
Whole Health is VA’s approach to care that supports Veteran health and well-being. Whole Health develops a personalized health plan that is based on each Veteran’s values, needs, and goals.
Join over 960,000 Veterans in VA’s Million Veteran Program
The findings in this article were made possible by the Veterans in VA’s Million Veteran Program. Each Veteran who joins MVP has a positive impact on the research and discoveries made by researchers. MVP is 40,000 Veterans away from reaching its goal of enrolling one million Veterans by this November. In addition to nutrition, MVP is studying dozens of health conditions that affect Veterans, including:
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart health
- Tinnitus
- And more.
Join the Million Veteran program today at www.mvp.va.gov or call 866-441-6075 to make an appointment at a participating VA facility. You don’t need to receive your care at the VA to participate.
How does the government justify the cost of war to citizens? Do officials really care? Not really, for financially, it doesn't matter.
Money's never been the issue, they say. Measure conflict – win or lose – not body count alone, they offer.
Wars are defined in terms like "freedom," "restoration," and "re-establishment," but none of these are reasons. Merely rhetoric.
The human cost in lives is not considered a priority when "warmongers" choose conflict over peace. And once a people or a nation go to war, the military is then justified, both in manpower and budget spending, for it's basic economics that fuels war.
Return on the investment – billions spent to fund a war – can only be recovered if the military 'earns' its reason for existence: the "inanimate" expense. The higher price called for is the loss of lives of millions of soldiers caught up in war on both sides of the conflict. War mongers, though, aren't deterred. They're the "investors" in the war – equipment, supplies – and, in last place, in human life.
The longer a war lasts, the greater the return on their investment, though the "game" of war is much more deadly.
Human lives are hidden behind terms like "armies," "squadrons," and "platoons," a cold and faceless reference that becomes a chess piece on the war board game. Each move involves not faceless pawns but actual soldiers – human beings – who are flesh and blood. Acknowledging the loss of a squadron or platoon, as though they're just a chess piece, without qualifying them as soldiers, justifies, to those who perpetrate war, that cost is not measured in human lives.
The men and women on the battlefield are brushed aside in the grand view of an attempt to "win the war." They become secondary, inconsequential to the cause. When a nation looks at warfare as a return on investment in its military, and its soldiers and their lives aren't the main reason for opting for peace, then warfare becomes primary, and human life is secondary. History has proven this a fact. For there have been, and there will be, wars and rumors of wars until the end of time.
TWS has been tremendously helpful. It's a great place to reminisce and, if you're lucky, reconnect with old buddies.
TT2 Hank Ellis US Coast Guard Veteran
Served 1968-1972
The military's recruiting crisis is at an all-time high in 2023. The U.S. Army, the military's largest branch, is expected to fall short by 15,000 recruits this year. Most of the younger generations the military can get are those who are children of someone who served -- but even that source is threatened.
Other branches are seeing shortfalls, too. The Navy is going to miss its goal by 10,000 recruits; the Air Force will be short 3,000. Only the Marine Corps, the smallest branch, is expected to make its goal. News reports of substandard housing and food shortages don't help, nor do the decades of war, followed by an epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder and veteran suicide.
All branches are in a quandary about what they can do to make military life more appealing and make Gen-Z consider the military in their future plans. One Marine Corps intelligence officer believes he has the answers and compiled them into a new book, "We Don't Want You Uncle Sam: Examining the Military Recruiting Crisis with Generation Z."
Lt. Matthew Weiss is himself a member of Gen-Z. He spent his pre-military years working for the defense technology firm Anduril Industries, which was then a tech startup. As he worked for an innovative tech startup, he began to notice how a well-run business can attract quality Gen-Z talent in a competitive space.
Weiss would go on to earn a bachelor's degree and an MBA at the Wharton School, the University of Pennsylvania's business school. Then, he became a United States Marine. Today, he's not only an author; he's a Signals Intelligence and Electronic Warfare officer. It's a unique background that gives him unique insight into why the military is having so much trouble attracting his generation.
Some of the problems he notices are the kind older generations might expect from kids born after 1997. Creating social media influencers to inspire potential new recruits to military service, shortening service contracts, and putting marijuana use on an equal footing with alcohol are just a few of his suggestions for meeting Gen-Z's culture where it is today.
He also has some more substantial considerations. He believes his generation would respond to performance bonuses instead of the military's structured payscale, that the military should highlight the fact that many of its jobs don't require computer screens and that the military's focus should be on how service helps local communities, not just warfighting.
There are more problems and solutions in the book, all explained in greater detail. Some readers may scoff at his suggestions, but the recruiting crisis will soon have the branches resorting to desperate measures to attract talent – and these potential solutions may not seem so crazy at that point.
"We Don't Want YOU, Uncle Sam" by Matthew Weiss is available now on Kindle e-reader and in paperback for $13.59
Texas native James Marion Logan was the embodiment of the U.S. military's greatest tactical weapon: its Non-Commissioned Officer Corps. Every branch has some kind of saying about NCOs. They're the backbone of the Air Force, they lead the way in the Army, and in the Marine Corps, they wear special swords. 
Sgt. Logan and the 36th (Texas) arrived in North Africa in April 1943 but were held in reserve for the remainder of the North African Campaign. As the fighting there wound down and the Allies moved on to invade Sicily, the 36th was held in reserve, training in Algeria for the next seaborne invasion: mainland Italy. 
Sgt. Logan ran through the lead hailstorm to the opposite side of the wall, killing three enemy soldiers as they tried to attack. When he reached the wall, he silenced the two machine guns, killing their gunners. As the Germans began to retreat from the area, he took over their machine gun, and turned it around on them as they ran – he also captured an officer and a soldier who didn't escape in time. 
As we stand there, listening to the words while waiting for our football or baseball game to start, it likely doesn't occur to us just how miraculous it was for the broad stripes and bright stars to still be gallantly streaming that morning in September 1814. At the outset of the battle, things looked pretty grim for the Americans. 
uld attack by land and by sea, with the seaborne invasion striking Fort McHenry, Baltimore Harbor's primary defense. When they arrived at Baltimore, they found the road to the city blocked by 10,000 Americans and 100 guns, a much more powerful defense than they anticipated. The British needed to reduce Fort McHenry to provide naval gunfire for the attacking land forces. 
The heavier ships would eventually exchange cannon fire with the guns of Fort McHenry but would also veer off out of range. The battle over the fortress would go on for 27 hours, even amid a heavy rainstorm, as 1,500 shots were fired between the two sides. The British would even launch a land-based diversionary attack in an attempt to draw fire away, but it, too, would fail. 
China is thought to be pursuing a range of anti-satellite weapons. 
he F-15 EX Eagle II. Not bad for a design that first entered service in 1976, which was an interesting time during the Cold War and the Space Race. 
ds of infrared-seeking explosives moving at Mach 12 in an 18-foot-long projectile. 
Marines: Together We Served lists 3,104 registered members who had been assigned to this unit as of August 2023, from Col. Abbink to Sgt Zwarka. A superior and reliable summary of the 2/5 from its own lineage history and Marines TWS reads: "The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines was initially formed in July 1914 and immediately sailed to the Caribbean due to political turmoil in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The battalion returned to the United States in late 1914. In June 1917, the battalion sailed for France with its present regiment. During World War I, the battalion participated in the Battle of Belleau Wood, Soisson, and the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. For these actions, the battalion was twice awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm and once with Gold Star. The Fouraggere, representing these awards, is worn today by members of the battalion.
In 1959, the battalion deployed to Camp Schwab, Okinawa, and then in 1960, relocated to Camp Pendleton. In April 1966, the battalion deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. During the next five years the battalion participated in combat operations in Hue city, Khe Sahn, Phu Bai, Dong Ha and Phu Loc. The battalion returned to Camp Pendleton in 1971, and in 1975 participated in Operation New Arrival, the relocation of Southeast Asian Refugees.
SSgt. Reckless (1948-68) is an honored member of the 2/5. Lt. Eric Pederson purchased Reckless for $250 from a young Korean boy who, reportedly, was searching for money to buy his sister an artificial leg. Reckless was trained by Technical Sergeant Joe Latham to become familiarized with camp life and quickly became adored amongst her fellow Marines. She endured horrendous battle conditions, regular missions, and rough terrain while transporting essential ammunition and supplies for Marines during numerous battles; heroically. Reckless foaled three colts while at Pendleton after 1957, the first one being named Fearless. After her death, Reckless was initially buried behind the Camp Pendleton stables with full military honors. She was later exhumed and reinterred at the stable's front gate with a black granite marker and nearly life-size bronze equestrian monument. She received the following military recognitions:
Vietnam Service Streamer With Two Silver And Two Bronze Stars
If a carrier was no longer limited to the blue water oceans and the range of its aircraft, it could once again change the nature of warfare as we know it. Like the helicarriers featured in the Marvel movies, flying aircraft carriers could ferry their fighters and helicopters closer to a target, cutting the risk to pilots in contested airspace as they refueled in-flight and even joining the fight for air supremacy. 
The Akron was built in Akron, Ohio, in 1929, christened by First Lady of the United States Lou Hoover in 1931, and finally took to the skies in September 1931. Within a month, it was commissioned into the U.S. Navy. Despite a ground accident, the ship generally performed well in the air and could remain in the air for days at a time. 
At the Million Veteran Program (MVP), researchers are studying how diet and nutrition influence Veteran health with the hopes of recommending effective ways you can become the healthiest version of yourself. Below are some everyday healthy choices that can have a big impact on your health.
Wars are defined in terms like "freedom," "restoration," and "re-establishment," but none of these are reasons. Merely rhetoric.
Other branches are seeing shortfalls, too. The Navy is going to miss its goal by 10,000 recruits; the Air Force will be short 3,000. Only the Marine Corps, the smallest branch, is expected to make its goal. News reports of substandard housing and food shortages don't help, nor do the decades of war, followed by an epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder and veteran suicide. 
He also has some more substantial considerations. He believes his generation would respond to performance bonuses instead of the military's structured payscale, that the military should highlight the fact that many of its jobs don't require computer screens and that the military's focus should be on how service helps local communities, not just warfighting.