Stories

Soldiers from the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division in action near the Ch'ongch'on River, 20 November 1950

Korea and what it meant

By Jeff Bacon on June 23, 2016 Hero of the week, Stories, Videos

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 and officially continues to this day. It is the story of a lightning fast surprise invasion by more than 100,000 North Korean soldiers that engulfed almost all of South Korea within a few days. It is also the story of a stubborn and desperate resistance in the southern tip of South Korea – the Puson Perimeter – after the initial invasion. The refusal to surrender prevented the North Koreans from consolidating their hold on the country, and kept the door open for the Inchon invasion in September. Other storylines emerged too. One…

Army strong

By Jeff Bacon on June 14, 2016 Stories, Videos

Happy 241st birthday to the world’s most powerful army!

A leaguer of our own

By Jeff Bacon on June 10, 2016 Stories

There is a sensational story happening right now that only a handful of baseball fans are aware of – and it has a distinctive Navy connection. That story goes by the name of Alex Dickerson, a slugger playing for the AAA El Paso Chihuahuas. Until last week he was in the midst of the longest active hitting streak in professional baseball, capping it at 29 games. A few days later after sitting out a couple of games, he went 4 for 5. His current batting average is .408, a staggering number. He was called up to the San Diego Padres…

D-Day

By Jeff Bacon on June 6, 2016 Hero of the week, Stories

It has been seventy-two years since over 150,000 men conducted an assault on the coastline of France against an entrenched and experienced German military. Known as Operation Overlord then, it has become known to today’s generations as D-Day. Much has been written about the assault. The Americans suffered 9,000 casualties, with the worst conditions experienced by those on Omaha Beach – where some companies in the first wave suffered more than 50% casualties. Casualties were high among airborne forces from the 82nd and 101st as well. It is humbling to hear the stories of those who were there on D-Day,…

Midway – American grit

By Jeff Bacon on June 3, 2016 Hero of the week, Stories

The United States had no business winning the Battle of Midway. Its three carriers – ENTERPRISE, HORNET and YORKTOWN – were outgunned by four Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu, and a huge fleet of battleships, cruisers, destroyers and light carriers. To make matters worse, YORKTOWN had been damaged so severely at the Battle of Coral Sea a month earlier that she was barely able to get back to Pearl Harbor for repairs. She was presumed to be out of commission. American presence on the island itself consisted of a hodgepodge of discarded aircraft, new arrivals and hastily built…

The way it should

By Jeff Bacon on June 3, 2016 Hero of the week, Stories

Sometimes life just works out the way it should. Last Saturday I had the honor of presenting a special award to a colleague for his work over the last decade supporting the troops. The award is called the Silver T-Square, and the recipient was Army veteran and fellow cartoonist Bruce Higdon (also known as Foghorn because of his easy country charm). Bruce served his country in uniform, then served the troops as a cartoonist with the USO for over a decade. Here is Bruce at Ramstein AFB in Germany. Here he is returning from Afghanistan in a C-17. He is…

State Champs

By Jeff Bacon on May 26, 2016 Stories

I guess you don’t really know someone until the chips are down and everything is on the line. That’s when you see what a person is made of. It takes awhile. Or, in the immortal words of Carl the groundskeeper, you’ve “…gotta get inside this guy’s pelt and crawl around for a few days.” (Always quote from Caddyshack when given the opportunity.) Brent Taylor is the Executive Director of the Wyakin Warrior Foundation, one of the best transitional programs for wounded and injured veterans in the country, but that’s not what I’m writing about. I am writing about Lacrosse, which…

(tourdivide.org)

Crazy psycho veteran on a bike

By Jeff Bacon on May 19, 2016 Hero of the week, Stories

I am not talking about me. While it is true that I am preparing for a gravel race, it is only a hundred miles long. A hundred mile race is peanuts. Let me tell you about a guy named Joe Welker. Joe is an Army veteran and is a crazy psycho because in a few weeks he will ride his bike along the Continental Divide for 2768 off road miles from Canada to Mexico. I used to live in Colorado. Tackling the Continental Divide is no Sunday drive, I can assure you. You know how they always talk about the…

Petty Officer Charles Keating IV

Death of a SEAL

By Jeff Bacon on May 12, 2016 Hero of the week, Stories

The media brushed by the news. Another American killed. A Sailor. A SEAL. Killed in Iraq. Despite the cursory mention, despite the chaff from political contests that demanded attention, the nation noticed and paused. His family was notified. His new bride of only a few months, a vibrant and lovely girl with an infectious optimism and ready smile, was notified too. The utter sadness of it all overwhelmed everyone. The tragic news spread across his town, and people who had never met any of them sprang into action. On Friday the city of Coronado will line the streets to honor…

A bittersweet Mother’s Day story

By Jeff Bacon on May 8, 2016 Hero of the week, Stories

While browsing through the Mother’s Day greetings on social media after celebrating with my wife and calling my own mom, I stumbled across this famous story and immediately realized it should be shared again, especially on this special day. The words have been pulled directly from the Naval History and Heritage Command’s website. News of the deaths of all five brothers became a rallying point for the war effort, with posters and speeches honoring their sacrifice. Extensive newspaper and radio coverage of the incident made the loss of the brothers a national story, producing “a wave of humility and sympathy…”…

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