Spencer C. Williams, Writer

I’d like to think the boys had their father’s sense of humor, but he left them at an early age.

Major Thomas Bolyn Smothers, Jr., (USMA Class of 1929) was the father of Thomas Bolyn Smothers III, the elder half of the musical-comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, who passed away this week.

MAJ Smothers, Jr., served in the 45th Infantry Regiment and survived the Battle of Bataan and the Bataan Death March. He endured harsh captivity for nearly three years in a POW camp on the Philippines and died in 1945 while a prisoner of war.

His son, Thomas Smothers III was born on Feb. 2, 1937, in a U.S. Army hospital on Governors Island in New York City.

Happy “It sucks to be you on Boxing Day, Fritz” for those who celebrate.

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The Monroe Doctrine at 200 by Jay Sexton of War on the Rocks

The Many Faces of the Monroe Doctrine - War on the Rocks In yet another curious twist in its long history, the Monroe Doctrine, which turned 200 on Saturday, is making an unexpected political comeback in the

Got the new cat water fountain ⛲️.

Missed the “Taylorheimer” event at the Moreland Theater yesterday.

It’s nice to see a new Korean War movie on Lt. Gen. Walton Walker and the Pusan Perimeter. I hope the English subtitles are accurate (looking a you “Squid Game”).

Are American military tactics hurting their own marines?

A Secret War, Strange New Wounds and Silence From the Pentagon Many U.S. troops who fired vast numbers of artillery rounds against the Islamic State developed mysterious, life-shattering mental and physical problems. But the military struggled to understand what was wrong.

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On this date in 1066, England, an old country, was founded by French visitors from the Duchy of Normandy.

On the return trip on this date in 1944, the planners of Operation Market Garden attempt to justify that two out of three bridges taken is not bad.

The Writer's Almanac from Thursday, September 28, 2017 The Writer's Almanac from Thursday, September 28, 2017 “The Good Life” by Tracy K. Smith from Life on Mars. © Graywolf Press, 2011. ORIGINAL TEXT AND AUDIO - 2017 It was on this day in 1066 that William the Conqueror of Normandy arrived on British soil

August 28th is the day. 197 years in the making.

“Have you met of the Oregon State University, Washington State University, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley of the Pac-12 Conference?”

National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

Good news, History Buffs, the members have voted for another year of history in Oregon.

Happy Maj. Gen. Hal and Nancy Moore Day— May 11, 2023.

www.facebook.com

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162nd Infantry enters combat in World War II.

Oregon Army National Guard Recruiting

Not this Memorial Day, but maybe the next. https://youtu.be/MUP7F6qulKQ

National Museum of the United States Army Promo Video The National Museum of the United States Army will provide the only comprehensive portrayal of Army History and traditions through the eyes of the American S...

These are the faces of the new U. S. Army posts. They are loyal Americans all. (From the Association of the United States Army)

Fort Hal Moore, GA- perfect.
https://www.armytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2022/05/24/panel-to-push-for-fort-bragg-to-be-renamed-fort-liberty/

Panel unveils nine Army base name recommendations The commission is charged with renaming bases whose names currently honor Confederate leaders.

The Mount St. Helens eruption was forty-two years ago today. https://www.usace.army.mil/About/History/Historical-Vignettes/Relief-and-Recovery/137-Mt-St-Helens/

Mount St. Helens Disaster Response This is the official public website of the Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For website corrections, write to [email protected].

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” Pablo Picasso

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3253.Pablo_Picasso

Pablo Picasso Quotes (Author of Desire Caught by the Tail) 165 quotes from Pablo Picasso: 'Everything you can imagine is real.', 'Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.', and 'Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth.'

U. S. "Unconditional Surrender" Grant at 200.

ANZAC DAY- celebrating the creation of the Australian New Zealand Corps in 1914- has already past in Australia but you can watch the festivities here. https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac-day

Anzac Day | Australian War Memorial Anzac Day Anzac Day, 25 April, is a day of national remembrance. This year, the Australian War Memorial will mark the 107th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings with the following commemorative program. Dawn service – Dawn service commences at 5.30 am - No tickets required The Aboriginal and Torr...

Army chooses Sig Sauer to build its Next Generation Squad Weapon The weapon has an advanced optic, shoots 6.8mm and will replace the M4 carbine and M249 SAW.

“The shot heard round the world.”

It echos everywhere from Odessa, Texas 🇺🇸 to Odessa, Ukraine. 🇺🇦

APRIL HAPPENINGS - Anniversary of Rebellion - On April 19,1775, British soldiers marched from Boston to Concord Massachusetts via a road through Lexington. Their mission was to seize arms and ammunition. As they entered Lexington, they discovered the town green occupied by a small formation of armed citizens. After a brief and perhaps heated discussion, the 80 or so militiamen began to disperse. Where it came from, no one knows for sure, but “The Shot Heard Round the World” was fired. Several colonists were killed or wounded in the exchange of gunfire. The British column marched on to Concord where some ammunition was destroyed. As news of the altercation at Lexington spread, more and more colonists responded to the midnight rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes who had been sent out by the Committee of Safety. The Massachusetts Minutemen continued to harass the British column all the way back to Charlestown Neck near Boston, where the protection of Naval artillery awaited. Word of the clash of colonists and soldiers on the 19th of April finally reached London on the 28th of May. While many hoped for reconciliation with the Crown, it was no longer a war of words but now a contest to be decided on the future battlefields of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Saratoga, Savannah, Charleston, Kings Mountain, Cowpens and many others.

image courtesy of Library of Congress

[portion of 1903 print/engraving published by John H. Daniels & Son. Depicting a “line of Minute Men being fired upon by British troops in Lexington, Massachusetts.”/three large structures in background along with partly cloudy sky]

https://www.loc.gov/collections/continental-congress-and-constitutional-convention-from-1774-to-1789/articles-and-essays/timeline/1775/ (accessed 8 Mar 2022)
https://www.nps.gov/articles/embattled-farmers-and-the-shot-heard-round-the-world-the-battles-of-lexington-and-concord-teaching-with-historic-places.htm (accessed 8 Mar 2022)
https://www.loc.gov/resource/pga.00995/ (accessed 8 Mar 2022)

Our patron Saint.

Today in History: Union General U.S. Grant accepts surrender of Confederate army by Robert E Lee at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the Civil War, 1865 https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/april-09/?loclr=fbloc

Seventy-three years of reasons why there is democracy in Europe.

On April 4th 1949, 12 countries signed the Washington Treaty & agreed to defend each other if any of them are attacked.

73 years later, this commitment is firmly shared by 30 Allies, making the biggest, the strongest & the most successful Alliance in history.
✔️ 73 years
✔️ 30 countries
✔️ 2 continents
✔️ 1 billion people
✔️ 1 Alliance

Don’t invade a country without preventive maintenance.

Do YOU make time for maintenance?

https://www.psmagazine.army.mil/