At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, for the first time in over four years, the guns fell silent across the trenches that scarred the face of Europe during the First World War. America had been latecomers to the conflict, but at a tremendous cost had tipped the scales in what had been a murderous stalemate. No division had sacrificed more than the … [Read more...] about “Wild Bill” Donovan, “The Last Hero”
The Irish Have a Word For It
Since the time of the Bards, the Irish have been proud of, and justly famous for, their command of language. Not only have they produced more than their fair share of writers (Swift, Joyce, Yeats) but they have also contributed more than their fair share of words to the English language (galore, caddie, slogan, spunk and fittingly enough gab). In one case though, … [Read more...] about The Irish Have a Word For It
St. Columcille of Iona
In the years following the missionary work of St.Patrick to Ireland, mainland Europe continued to slip further and further into the gloom of the Dark Ages. Only Ireland, which had transferred its ancient traditional love and appreciation of learning to the new faith and its classical traditions, was the flickering flame of civilization kept alive. Here it could have remained, … [Read more...] about St. Columcille of Iona
“Let the Shamrock be Entwined with the Laurels of the Revolution”
As we enter this July 4th weekend, there will be many programs rightly celebrating the accomplishments of the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers. As Americans have a lot to take pride in. Our revolution was one of the few in history not to be followed by a military dictatorship. The government that it gave rise to, while not perfect, is one of the few that realizes … [Read more...] about “Let the Shamrock be Entwined with the Laurels of the Revolution”
Lt. Col. Joseph Jeremiah McCarthy, “A hero at every campaign and everything he did”
The recent HBO Mini-Series The Pacific has brought a long overdue recognition to the sacrifices and hardships endured by the U.S. Marines in the Second World War. These battles were fought on isolated islands that one would struggle to locate on a map: Guadalcanal, Roi-Namur, Saipan-Tinian, Peleliu, Okinawa. Combat was often at point blank range; not only did the men involved … [Read more...] about Lt. Col. Joseph Jeremiah McCarthy, “A hero at every campaign and everything he did”