Written by Todd DePastino Folks old enough to remember Desert Shield and Storm will recall that when the war started, yellow ribbons sprouted like daffodils on front doors and mailboxes, lamp posts and traffic signs. They became a symbol of support for troops sent into harm’s way and an expression of hope that they would
Written by Todd DePastino For much of our history, Halloween wasn’t about candy and costumes. It was about vandalism. All that changed in World War II, when Americans invented trick-or-treating. Paper-mache jack-o’-lantern (National Museum of American History, Smithsonian) Several Octobers ago, I woke up, looked out the window and saw pumpkins smashed,
Air Force Trailblazer, Sandra OrtegaThe word “ebullient” comes to mind when I think of Dr. Sandra Ortega, an Air Force veteran who joined our VBC Happy Hour for the first time back in May. Sandy’s high-spirited approach to life no doubt saw her through the trials of serving as the first direct-commissioned Black woman officer
Colonel Kenneth G. Carlson graduated the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1966, launching a twenty-six year career in the Army. Among his honors are two Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars (one for Valor), and a Purple Heart. The story below is selected from his interview with the West Point Center for
South-facing elevation of the memorial (The National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial) Written by Todd DePastino Ground broke this summer for a National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial in Washington, DC, just off the National Mall. The moment was twelve years in the making, preceded by agonizing labors of design, site
Written by Jim Roberts Vietnam veteran Jim Roberts poses the question: “What exactly is there to be happy about in being a veteran?” The words “Happy Veterans Day” always cause me to flinch. I shake my head in wonder. “What exactly is there to be happy about in being a veteran?” Todd and I
