December 2010 - Argghhh!

...in the Bastion of the Battered Bastards of the 101st, Bastogne. "To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne. The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands. There is only one possibility to save the encircled U...

On this day in 1941, the pilots of the American Volunteer Group, AKA the Flying Tigers, leapt into the air war against the Japanese in China , entering combat over Kunming, China. And where were you on this day in 1989? I was in the kitchen of Mom and Dad's, home on leave for Christmas, talking on the phone with the wife (who was also in town for Christmas) of a high school buddy of mine, trying to talk her down from the ceiling as she had awakened that morning to find out that her husband was...

Why voting matters, even if you have to hold your nose sometimes.Breyer Fires Warning Shot Across Second Amendment’s Bow Friday, December 17, 2010 On Sunday, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer reminded Americans why it is important to vote for a president whose nominees to the court will likely be faithful to the Constitution, to vote for U.S. senators who will reject nominees who likely will not be faithful, and to vote for federal and state legislators who can check and balance justices...

It starts in 1777, with France recognizing the United States as a nation independent of Great Britain.Then, in 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky.The text of General Order 11:General Order No. 11 decreed as follows:1. The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department orders, are hereby expelled from the Department [of the Tennessee] within twenty-four...

Solving the whatziss... Not and egg cup. Nope, it wasn't the canvas it was resting on (though that was a good sly shot!)Well, we didn't, really. But don't feel bad - I'm not all that sure, either.Yep, it was a US 60mm mortar round and fuze, both mid-70's dated.Yep, it was a (inert) Bulgarian RPG rocket motor.Because that's what I had in the holdings of the Arsenal. I'm missing a key piece - the collar that mates the two.Like this Iranian example. The Iranian example has...

There were panzers in the mist... All pics courtesy the US National Archives. The first two come from captured german film of the opening phases of the Battle of the Bulge. The last two are US Signal Corps photos of US soldiers on patrol and a destroyed Sherman tank....

...just remember, it could be worse.A mine clearing line charge detonates on Route 611 during Operation Outlaw Wrath in Sangin District, Dec. 4, 2010. Marines with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, conducted the clearing operation to ensure safe travel for locals and coalition forces. Photo by Cpl. John McCall ...