Book tells WWII vet’s powerful story
The story about Norwegian commando Jan Baalsrud, authored by noted history writer David Howarth in his book, “We Die Alone,” is enormously powerful.

Talks with Afghanistan progressing
An article in The Christian Science Monitor (Monitor), “Key Afghan rebels open door to talks,” (March 19, 2009) tells of heartening rumblings heard in Afghanistan signaling that talks could occur with positive results.

Celebrating the USS Wyoming
Navy personnel now serving or who have served on Ohio-class Trident submarines recently celebrated a major historic event: those ballistic missile submarines, sailed by two crews alternating three months’ duty, completed 1,000 patrols successfully without major incidents over a time span of about 27 years, dating back to the first patrol in October 1982.

What to do with detainees?
Two weeks ago this column’s article, “A new threat,” told about al Qaida’s new operations’ base in Yemen, headed by former terrorist inmates of the U.S. maximum security facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, (called Gitmo) and the threat this poses to the Arabian Peninsula and to U.S. and allied troops in the Persian Gulf area.

A new threat
Though conditions have stabilized remarkably in Iraq, as reported in this column’s Feb. 11 article, “‘Huge success’ for Iraq,” news items from several Internet sources and a Jan. 27 Christian Science Monitor article, “Ex-Detainees Rejoin Al Qaeda,” disturbingly report that al Qaeda is regrouping in Yemen drawing upon released inmates of the Guantanamo Bay detention center (commonly called Gitmo) for leadership roles.

American ‘Knights of the Air’
Alex Kershaw, a noted World War II history writer, authored a book, “The Few: The American ‘Knights of the Air’ who risked everything to fight in the Battle of Britain.”

Up from the depths
We hear little about unusual World War II events, the kind of military history generally covered in this column’s articles, associated with battles on the Eastern Front fought by the Red Army of the Soviet Union (today’s Russia) against Nazi Germany.

Bataan survivor recalls ordeal
Vets’ Hotline has carried several articles about the Bataan Death March, featuring Casper’s survivor of that barbaric event, Rev. Leonard L. Robinson.

Casper native becomes a decorated officer
The week before last, a distinguished Army medical officer, Maj. Gen. Carla G. Hawley-Bowland, made a sad journey home to her native state, Wyoming.

‘An implacable enemy’
Almost daily, we hear about Iran, its saber-rattling and their hatred of America.

Remembering the fallen
Remembering those who have fallen while answering their nation’s call has been a major goal of every generation, which solemnly vows that those lost in “its war” will never be forgotten.

Surviving torture
This article, like the last one, “A family history” (Oct. 22, 2008), draws upon John McCain’s book, written with Mark Salter, “Faith of my Fathers.”

Blogger shifts attention to Afghanistan
An earlier Vets’ Hotline article, “War through the eyes of a blogger,” April 9, 2008, introduced Michael Yon, a freelance Internet journalist and photographer who, on urgings of military friends serving in Iraq, decided to go over there in 2005 and, as he put it, “write the truth.”

Technology helps I.D. remains of MIAs
The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), headquartered at Hickam Field, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has the task of finding and retrieving the remains of Americans missing in our nation’s past conflicts.

Airmen saved by headhunters turned Christian
During a Nov. 16, 1944, bombing raid on a Japanese fleet that was larger than intelligence reported in Brunei Bay on Borneo’s northwest coast, an enemy naval anti-aircraft shell destroyed a 13th Air Force B-24 Liberator bomber’s nose turret.

Treasure at sea
One of the most bizarre stories to come out of World War II was about the SS John Barry, a U.S. Merchant Marine cargo ship, and U-859, a German super submarine commanded by 27-year-old Kapitänleutnant (Lt. Cmdr.) Johann Jebsen.

Review of military policy, war in Iraq
The United States Department of Defense (DOD) regularly issues press releases about the ongoing War on Terror and other topics associated with the military.

Navy crew enjoys Wyoming
Wyoming Veterans Commission

Vets’ Hotline
USS Wyoming crew ‘coming home’

A history of terrorism
The success of the “surge” of additional troops, which reassured Iraqis that America was not pulling out to leave them unprotected from massacre by vengeful al Qaida butchers, has offset the national news media’s and Washington politicians’ usual negative views.

‘A new chapter for Armed Forces Day’
Armed Forces Day was established in 1949 to replace Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days, stemming from Congress’s unification of the services under the newly created Defense Department in 1947.

The conditions of freedom
Major Gen. Ed Wright, the Adjutant General of Wyoming, was this year’s Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery Memorial Day keynote speaker.

Consider Kings Point
Vice Admiral Joseph D. Stewart, USMS (U.S. Maritime Service), superintendent, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y. (Academy or Kings Point), invited me to speak at this year's May 1 black tie Battle Standard Dinner.

A family reunion
Military reunions are marvelous events to rejuvenate aging veterans’ spirits.

Documentary looks at Vietnam
A documentary film “Vietnam n Remembered” by Larry Cappetto, an independent filmmaker, author and producer of the award winning television film documentary series “Lest They Be Forgotten,” is coming to Casper.

War through the eyes of a blogger
Michael Yon is a writer and photographer. He became an independent war correspondent in Iraq after meeting many Iraq War veterans in 2004 at two military friends’ funerals.

Leopoldville disaster
A recent obituary of Allen E. Sallade, former Rawlins policeman and co-worker from my county attorney days, reminded me that he was on the S.S. Leopoldville, torpedoed and sunk on Christmas Eve 1944 near its destination, Cherbourg, France.

Remembering the Four Immortal Chaplains
“Do not pray for my safe return, but that I do my duty,” Chaplain Clark V. Poling asked of his family before leaving to embark, with three other chaplains, on the U.S. Merchant Marine troopship S.S. Dorchester, sunk 150 miles off Greenland by German submarine U-223 on Feb. 3, 1943.

'Vets With A Mission'
"Vets With A Mission" (VWAM) was organized 20 years ago to send volunteer teams of Vietnam War veterans and non-vets, including doctors and nurses, to former South Vietnam.

Misconception of ‘River Kwai’
Probably the best known movie to come out of World War II was “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”