Firing the First Shot “We must somehow maneuver them into firing the first shot.” President Roosevelt declared prior to the outbreak of World War II. The “them” he referred to—none other than a vital part of the Axis seeking control of the Pacific –The Japanese. In 1937 China was invaded by the Japanese. In 1939 …
In October of 2016 I was invited to assist with the 35th Reunion of the Battle of the Bulge Association held in Seattle, Washington. An honor and a thrill to be among those incredible warriors who fought for our freedom in the chill of the worst winter in decades. They came using wheelchairs, walkers, canes, …
“I don’t talk about it much.” Dr. Dan Raleigh spoke softly, his voice mellowed by his 97 years, when I first interviewed him in 2015. “Not many people are alive anymore when it happened.” The “it” Raleigh refers to so humbly was Pearl Harbor Day. On the early Sunday morning of December 7, 1941, …
Over my 12 years of research, I’ve been fascinated by the different military caps worn by those who served. Each a specific marker of their contribution and the branch they joined. Be it the increasingly rare survivors of WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, or perhaps our most recent skirmishes, these hats are a symbol, proudly …
Japanese Intelligence in the United States Prior to World War II Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your enemy is vital to your success in any situation. When, in 2012, I began my journey of verifying the claim there were no Japanese spies in the United States or observing within US Territory prior to WWII, …
The best of teams analyzes their opponents before entering any competition against them. To deliver that winning blow takes risks. The risks facing the United States at the end World War II were monumental. Taking the helm after the death of President Roosevelt in April of 1945, President Truman and his military brass had to …
Victory over Japan Day On Friday, August 10, 1945, Emperor Hirohito urged Japan’s War Council to submit a formal declaration of surrender through ambassadors to the Allies. Even though Japan’s war causalities had been great, most of their fleet destroyed and their people were starving, it took a second atomic bomb, dropped on Nagasaki, three …
The few living survivors of the ‘First Wave’ at D-Day that I was able to interview before they passed all concur on one thing—tragic mistakes were made that morning of June 6, 1944, costing thousands of Allied lives. For starters, the landing parties headed ashore later in the day than planned. They missed the opportunity …
Read more “D-Day Mistakes, Madness and Miracles –The First Wave–The 80th Anniversary”
Victory In Europe – VE Day On September 3, 1939 the British and France declared war on Germany after the Nazi’s invaded Poland. On December 11, 1941, after the United States was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, Germany declared war on the US. Six years of global battle for the Brits and four …
Having fought gallantly for four months, weak, starving, sick, exposed to the burning heat of the Philippines, roughly 60,000 Filipino troops and 11,000 – 15,000 men from the United States surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942 on the peninsula of Bataan. A fate that would claim 5,000-10,000 Filipino soldiers and about 650 American …