On 27 June 1920, it was hot in Jalandhar, in the Indian state of Punjab. It was not the fact that for days the daily temperatures often exceed 105° Fahrenheit; that was to be expected in June. It was not the fact that the area then, as it is today, bordering on the modern state of Pakistan, was often a flashpoint for conflict. No, the temperatures were rising in the barracks of … [Read more...] about When the “Devil’s Own” Said “No”
After 175 Years, It Is Time for the Real Story of the “Irish Famine.”*
On 13 September 1845, the British Newspaper "The Gardeners' Chronicle announced: "We stop the press with very great regret to announce that the potato murrain has unequivocally declared itself in Ireland. The crops about Dublin are suddenly perishing....where will Ireland be in the event of a universal potato rot?" That simple paragraph ushered in five years[2] of … [Read more...] about After 175 Years, It Is Time for the Real Story of the “Irish Famine.”*
“If They Get the Flag, They’ll Get Old Mike”
From a rise of land known as Chin Ridge, the men of the 75th Ohio saw a sight that must have made their blood run cold. They were part of Union General John Pope’s Army of Virginia (not to be confused with the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia), which had in the Summer of 1862 been proceeding south in an attempt to capture Richmond and end the war. However, … [Read more...] about “If They Get the Flag, They’ll Get Old Mike”
Col. William O’Brien’s Last Stand on Saipan
As the dark clouds of war gathered over America in the fall of 1940, the 105th Infantry Regiment of the N.Y. National Guard was called to active service. The regiment, recruited from Troy, NY and the surrounding area, had been sent to Fort McClellan to begin the rigorous training that would transform them from part-time to full-time soldiers. They were conducting … [Read more...] about Col. William O’Brien’s Last Stand on Saipan
CHRISTI SIMUS NON NOSTRI*
On July 17, 1950, darkness beyond that of the evening fell on the parish of Sanjeong Dong, which served as a parish and headquarters of the Columban missionaries in Chollanamdo province, Korea. Earlier in the day, the American consulate had informed Monsignor Patrick Brennan that U.N. forces could not hold the city from the advancing Communists; they advised him that all of the … [Read more...] about CHRISTI SIMUS NON NOSTRI*