written by Todd DePastino America's Tom Courtney who won the Men's Olympic Games 800-metres Final, shakes hands with Britain's Derek Johnson, who won silver and watched by bronze winner Norway's Audun Boysen, in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 26, 1956. (AP Photo) Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Posy Courtney of Sewickley, PA. She told
Written by Todd DePastinoBill Bonnamy has collected a fascinating and easily accessed archive of records, photos, stories, and ephemera related to the 319th Glider Field Artillery, 82nd Airborne Division. Bill's father's service in the unit inspired the creation of the 319 Gliderman website (https://319gliderman.com) as tribute "to the memory and sacrifices made by these brave
Major Patricia "Momma Bear" Justice in the O.R. at FOB Shank, Afghanistan August 7, 2013: Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shank, Logar Province in Afghanistan: Patty remembers a “thump” followed by the sensation of a big hand picking up her body and squeezing the breath from her lungs. Hurled
written by Lawrence Obrist (Lawrence Obrist) In 1968, I served as an Army social work and psychology specialist in Company D of the 25th Medical Battalion of the 25th Infantry Division at Cu Chi and Tay Ninh, Vietnam. Medical units like mine were where “the score was kept” in the Vietnam War.
written by Todd DePastino Sleeping quarters in Wöbbelin, a subcamp of Neuengamme concentration camp (National Archives) On May 4, 1945—just hours from the final surrender of Germany in World War II—the men of A and B batteries of the 319th Glider Field Artillery received unusual orders from 82nd Airborne Headquarters: they were
written by Todd DePastino Happy 95th Birthday to Popeye, one of the few Americans to serve in four branches of service (Merchant Marine, Coast Guard, Navy, and, yes, Army--more on that below). He was also at once the toughest and most tender-hearted of cartoon characters. He overcame a one-eye disability, a serious
