News

Forged in Fire

The 2nd Amendment: we mostly think about it as firearms, but in the American Revolution, swords were also important weapons.  American cavalrymen carried long sabers, frequently as shock troops who charged at great speeds.  Infantrymen were often armed with a short sword measuring around 25 inches in length, known as a “hanger” that served as a secondary weapon to the musket.  As a result, swords were plentiful when the Constitution was written.

Today, probably no one would choose a sword over a firearm for most self-defense situations they might face, but it is incumbent that we force the opponents of our God-given right of self-defense to defend their entire foolish and naïve would-be bans or limitations on our right.  We must demand to own other self-defense weapons, including swords.

You may not have contemplated swords since you were a wee tike running around with a small wooden one playing pirate, so let’s quickly look at some characteristics of today’s long blades.  Swords changed over the last several millennia, primarily because the character and conduct of warfare (the type of enemy – such as mounted versus dismounted and what formations they used; tactics; metallurgy; the armor worn by your opponent, and so forth) constantly changes.

Today, the character and conduct of your fight could be combat inside your home, or outside.  The guy probably trying to kill you will likely have neither a sword of his own, nor wearing armor, most-likely be a single opponent, or at most a small group, but not part of a large, packed formation such as a Greek phalanx!  If outside your domicile, if he has a gun and you don’t, you have a problem – unless you can strike first, while inside the house, you know the terrain which is a huge advantage.  But again, this is not an argument to trade in your Browning 12 gauge for a Renaissance-era Zweihänder (two-handed) long sword – not that a blow from the latter won’t disable an attacker, but swinging that bad boy inside and you’ll find out what collateral damage is!

So here are some general types of swords you could own, and you aren’t limited to just one!  Just like with firearms, you have to practice, practice, practice: you and two other buddies just can’t saunter out in the back yard one afternoon, swinging your swords expecting to become the Three Musketeers.  And these are not wood or dull; they can will cut you if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Slasher.  The Japanese Katana (above; sometimes called a Samurai sword in modern culture) is one of the best, if not the best, slashing swords available due to the stability, flexibility, and precision provided by the handle and soft curvature of its single-edge blade.  The downside?  You’re looking at years to get good with it – which is true for many swords ! – and it’s pretty long for inside-the-house use!

Cutter/Chopper.  Cutting strikes are different from slashing, as they look to sever body parts (sword-fighting is bloody; get used to it).  The best cutter/choppers have broad, sturdy, blades with a forward center of gravity that focus all of their power on the single-edge blade.  A Chinese Dadao (above) is a good choice.

Thruster.  While it can slash, the whole point of the thruster is to bury the blade’s point deep into the chest/guts of the other guy.  Nothing did that better, for a longer period of time, than the Roman Gladius, the sword of the Roman legion.  Blade length is about 20 inches; inside the house is doable, because you aren’t swinging it, you’re stabbing.  Remember!  Since the blade can be 2.6″ in width, the wounds are often fatal.

Jack of All Trades.  The above three types were designed for fighting, but a machete can serve many other purposes, cutting bushes, small trees, ropes, and even digging the ground when necessary, and be a slasher if need be.  They love getting dirty.

StealthCane Swords provide you with that crucial 2 seconds of getting it into the fight – because your attacker has probably never encountered one before.  But laws concerning them are so nebulous, so often mis-quoted, that while I feel confident that used inside your house you might be OK, outside – well, we must push lawmakers allow them for self-defense anywhere.  Cold Steel makes several economic models, while Burger Custom Canes produces ones so exquisite that your kids will fight over it in your Will, and let their siblings have the lake house and your beloved 1966 GTO.

Intimidator.  Nope, not Dale Earnhardt.  It’s the Khukuri.  Think Gurkha.  Think “Ayo Gorkhali!” (“Here come the Gorkhas!”)  Yes, deterrence will not always work, but if it doesn’t, this bad mama-jama looks like it is going to hurt somebody really bad – because it will.  I can’t say enough about Himalayan Imports, that makes these over in Nepal.  I own a bunch.  Some are 30″ long, but you want one 15-20″ as its easier to control.  5160 Straight Carbon Spring Steel leaf-springs off of large cargo trucks, preferably Mercedes or Saabs, past their operational life, are retooled into blades.  The Ang Khola model is almost unbreakable; some can even serve as a prybar.  Does what a machete and ax can do.  When I bought mine, they provided the name/info of the smith (kami) who forged each; I hope they still do.  Even if you never want it as a weapon, you should consider owning one of these.

Throughout history, a quality-made sword spoke of the unique character of its owner; in some cultures, only the bravest could possess one.  Be that protector of your own house and family.  Find your Excalibur.

Forged in Fire2023-08-25T10:47:49-05:00

Getting the Right Boom for the Baby Boomers

It is a cruel irony that senior citizens, who have an even more pressing need for self-defense capability – because they are viewed by criminals as being easy targets – often find it ever harder to utilize those tools of self-defense in any fashion, from hand-to hand-skills to weapons of all kinds.

My heart breaks every time I go to a gun range and see a senior citizen couple (who are my age in the interest of full disclosure) who have decided, often after six-plus decades of not owning a firearm, to finally purchase a pistol for home defense or self-defense away from home.

Because invariably, quite a few of us might buy something that will be (select all that apply): difficult to load; uncomfortable to shoot (too much recoil, not the right fit in the hand, too heavy to aim, too much muzzle blast, slide “biting” the web of your hand during recoil, etc.), inherently inaccurate, or too difficult – if it doesn’t fire as advertised – to apply immediate action to get it working again when a bad guy is trying to kill you.

The most fundamental problem is that a shooter must have a certain amount of strength to hold up their weapon at arm’s length, and to hold on to it throughout firing.  Depending on your strength, for a long gun (shotgun), that essentially might be impossible, and even lightweight handguns might be challenging.  This presents a two-pronged dilemma, because as weight of a weapon decreases, to make the firearm easier to lift and hold, recoil increases.  (Note: you can help with this by practicing every day holding a 2-3 pound small dumbbell with both hands, arms extended as you would a pistol and keeping that position for at least 10 seconds, working upward for longer times, and so you don’t shake while you are doing it.)  YOU CAN DO THIS!

Then there is the dreaded coordination, or manual dexterity, that seems to vanish with each passing year.  Fingers don’t work as readily or as smoothly as they used to, and manipulating tiny, detailed control levers, or loading a magazine into a semi-auto, or reloading the cylinder in a revolver, can be so challenging that not even John Wick could do it on his first take.  In short, here are the challenges:

  • Difficulty in inserting cartridges or magazines
  • Manipulation of controls (magazine release, safety, etc.)
  • Retracting slide to load or clear (known as racking the slide)
  • Holding pistol up at arm’s length
  • Maintaining adequate stability for the gun when firing

And these are often difficult to quantify, unlike weight, size, capacity, ballistics.  If I became a gun range owner with an FFL (so I could order you the exact model you want), I would have several pistols available for you to fire at the range BEFORE you make a decision on what to buy.  You have to feel the difference yourself in firing, not just take anyone’s advice as Gospel, not even mine.  I would urge you to fire enough ammunition (that you obviously pay for) through each weapon that is forces you to reload it twice, so you can check out the ease or difficulty in doing that.  We’re talking 30-40 rounds per pistol.  In 40 rounds, you’ll know if the gun is fun to shoot, or is painful, or too heavy to hold steady.  Normally, you would rent each pistol, which is money well spent, but I would suggest to range owners that if you subsequently buy a new one of these four models, the hour-long rental fee would be waived.

Here are a few pistols I would have available at the range: semi-autos and revolvers, because each type has certain advantages, which you will experience for yourself when you fire them.  Have tried to keep similar calibers: .380 for semi-autos and .38 for revolvers.  Longer barrels result in somewhat greater muzzle velocity which is a component of stopping power.  But the most-important component, in my opinion, is bullet placement on the bad guy.  And you can only do that through practice, practice, practice.  And you won’t practice, if firing the weapon is uncomfortable, let alone painful.

Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ

Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ.  .380 Auto.  Semi-auto.  8-round magazine.  3.68″ barrel.  4.5-lb. trigger pull; single action only.  Weight 21.6 ounces loaded.  Easier-to-rack slide, easier-to-load magazine, and easier-to-clean design.  @$450.

Girsan MC 14T

Girsan MC 14T.  .380 Auto.  Semi-auto, double action or single action. 13-round magazine.  4.5″ barrel.  Double action trigger pull 7.5-lb; single action 4.7-lb.  Weight 30.6 ounces loaded.  No racking required; barrel tips up allowing for manual loading of first round as shown above.  Magazine functions better with 12 rounds instead of 13.  This weapon has just come out –@$498.

Smith & Wesson 637 Airweight.  .38 Special (+P rated).  Revolver: double action or single action.  Double action trigger pull 9-lb; single action 2-lb.  5-round capacity.  1.875″ barrel.  Weight 15.5 ounces loaded.

Charter Arms Undercover Lite

Charter Arms Undercover Lite.  .38 Special.  Revolver: double action or single action.  Double action trigger pull 10-lb; single action 3.6-lb.  5-round capacity.  2″ barrel.  Weight 12 ounces.  @$400.

I do not own any of these weapons, but use, instead, a Smith & Wesson 351 PD, .22 Magnum revolver.  It holds 7 rounds and fits my needs at my age.

But I am intrigued by the Girsan MC 14T .380 Auto.  The other three may have incremental improvements over my 351 PD, although five rounds is not a lot of room for misses.  But with the Girsan’s tip up barrel design, which can eliminate racking entirely, combined with a hefty capacity, the Girsan may prove to have revolutionary improvements, and I want to test those, so I know for myself – not having to rely on someone else’s opinion.

Getting the Right Boom for the Baby Boomers2023-09-07T16:11:29-05:00

Kudos for Stalingrad

(November 8, 2013)  Distinguished Stalingrad author Jason Mark, who has written such classics as Island of Fire: The Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory in Stalingrad, Death of the Leaping Horseman: 24. Panzer-Division in Stalingrad, Into Oblivion: The Story of Pionier-Battalion 305, Angriff: The German Attack on Stalingrad in Photos, and An Artilleryman in Stalingrad, now offers Stalingrad: The Death of the German Sixth Army on the Volga, 1942-1943 for purchase on his website (www.leapinghorseman.com).  Jason writes on his site:

“Leaping Horseman Books gives this two-volume set its highest recommendation. The level of detail is astounding.  For every day of the battle there is map and an account of the actions and casualties of every corps and division in 6. Armee, followed by a closer look at an individual soldier who died on that day.”

Check out his website for this book and for many of Jason’s excellent offerings.

Kudos for Stalingrad2013-12-12T17:01:04-06:00

Fifth Field Responses Arriving

(November 6, 2013)  Responses to the publishing of The Fifth Field are starting to arrive.  A Supreme Court Associate Justice, an Army 4-star and Deans of two east coast “Ivy League” Law Schools and one California Law School have written that they each have a copy of the book and look forward to reading it.

Fifth Field Responses Arriving2013-11-07T08:59:30-06:00

The Fifth Field Published

(September 17, 2013) Schiffer Publishing has sent out the author advance copy, which indicates that The Fifth Field has been published and should be available for shipment next month.  The book is fabulous; it came out at 370 pages, with 42 photographs, almost all of which have never been published before.

Five special photographs show moments from the executions of Louis Till, Fred McMurray, Charlie Ervin and Mansfield Spinks at the Peninsular Stockade at Aversa, Italy in 1945.  These unique photographs, which had remained hidden in private hands for 67 years after the war, and unknown to be in existence by the Army, are believed to be the first photos of U.S. Army executions of U.S. personnel since the hanging of the Lincoln Assassination Conspirators in 1865.  The book additionally has five photographs of Army hangman Master Sergeant John C. Woods; we feel certain that you have not seen at least three of them before.

Each of the cases is covered in great detail through trial records, witness statements, investigator notes, review findings and execution reports.  For those historians and legal scholars wishing to do additional research you will find 56 pages of endnotes with specific document citations and the archives in which these documents can be found.  There is an additional appendix that provides over 100 short biographies of detention center personnel, hangmen (such as Thomas and Albert Pierrepoint,) key Judge Advocate General — JAG — officers and commanders from Dwight Eisenhower on down who approved General Court-Martial results.

This is a book about the death penalty.  No matter what you believe your opinion to be on this important subject, you need to read this book before making up your mind for the final time.  The information within these pages has never truly been considered before as we address this significant national issue.  But do not worry.  This is not a legal text; it is written by a regular Army officer, using standard English, not “legalese.”  Having said that, there is a section where a trained lawyer, with over 50 years experience and who has participated in death penalty cases, examines several of these courts-martial and analyzes them from his own perspective.

For historians of the Second World War, this is the first definitive account of every capital case ending in death for an American soldier in Europe and North Africa during the conflict.  For past, present and future Judge Advocate General officers, non-commissioned officers and civilian personnel, this is a history of your Corps during its most significant hour.

 

The Fifth Field Published2013-10-06T19:53:23-05:00

Stalingrad Two-Volume Set Published!

Stalingrad: The Death of the German Sixth Army on the Volga, 1942-1943

Volume 1 – The Bloody Fall

Volume 2 – The Brutal Winter

(August 9, 2013)  The advanced copies of the long-awaited set of books detailing the demise of the German Sixth Army have arrived at the publisher and more should arrive in a few weeks.  You can order a set now.  Bound in a sturdy black case, the two volumes have a total retail price of $69.99.   If you are a historical aficionado of the battle, a “grognard” wargamer, or a military collector of German World War II Stalingrad memorabilia – especially documents , this is a set of books you will pore over time and again in your library.

Stalingrad Two-Volume Set Published!2013-08-10T11:38:44-05:00

Information Needed!

 

Mortimer Christian -- Do you have information about him?

(February 21, 2013)  I need your help!  Work is finishing on The Fifth Field book and the draft will go to the publisher before April 30.  I am putting together photographs now.  There are several important Military Policemen who are part of this story and who I need to get in contact with.  NONE of these men did anything wrong in any way; in fact they had maybe the toughest job in the entire war and it is time for that story to be told.

I simply need to hear their view of what went on as they saw it.  If you are one of the following men (and unfortunately I think that almost all have passed away,) or you are the spouse, son or daughter or grandson or granddaughter of one of these men (or even if you are not positive, but think you might be), please email me.  I really need a photograph (hopefully in uniform) and also perhaps this person wrote home about what happened and you still have the letters, or even took pictures about where he served.  I can use any information you might have.  I have been searching for 12 years and this is the last chance I have to add information before the book goes in for publishing.

Jack D. Briscoe — Sergeant in the 2913th DTC.  Born in Sheridan, Texas on July 4, 1919, he stood 6′ tall and weighed 163 pounds.  He was single and had worked as a roustabout on an oil field before enlisted at Camp Bowie, Texas on November 4, 1941.  His military occupational specialty was listed as a 677 – Disciplinarian.  He separated from the Army on September 22, 1945 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.  Briscoe was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the American Defense Service Medal.  He later worked for the Mobil Oil Company, married and had two daughters.  Jack Dempsey Briscoe died on July 18, 1985 at Weimar, Texas and is buried at the Chesterville County Cemetery.

Russell E. Boyle — Sergeant and Military Police guard at the Loire DTC.  He enlisted in Chicago; the Army discharged Boyle at Camp Grant, Illinois on November 21, 1945.

Kenneth Breitenstein — Sergeant and Military Police guard in the 2913th DTC.  Born in Reading, Pennsylvania on August 19, 1922, he finished three years of high school before becoming a metalworker.  Breitenstein was inducted at Allentown, Pennsylvania on January 2, 1943.  He stood 6’1″ tall and weighed 175 pounds.  In 1945, he applied for officer candidate school.  After the war, Breitenstein served in the Reserves until 1953.  Kenneth L. Breitenstein died on May 10, 2009 at Coudersport, Pennsylvania.

Mortimer A. Christian — Major and Commandant, Seine DTC.  Born on September 28, 1896, Christian graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and served in the 17th Cavalry in World War I, later entering the Military Police.  Mortimer Christian died on November 1, 1955.  He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 1, Site 931-B.

James C. Cullens, Jr. — Lieutenant Colonel and Commandant of DTC Number 1/2912th DTC at Shepton Mallet Prison; Cullens assumed command of the facility on June 14, 1943 as a major.  He commanded the unit until October 1, 1944, when he transferred to the 751st MP Battalion.  James C. Cullens was born in Louisiana on November 9, 1895.  He graduated from West Point in 1918 and was commissioned in the Infantry, but resigned his commission the following year.  He was recalled to service in 1942 and served until 1947.  James C. Cullens died at Ille-et-Vilaine, Dinard, France on December 11, 1961.

Philip J. Flynn — Major and Commanding Officer of the United Kingdom Base Guardhouse.

T. W. Gillard — Lieutenant Colonel and Commandant of DTC Number 1 at Shepton Mallet Prison.

Alfonso Girvalo — Sergeant and Military Police guard at the Loire Disciplinary Center.  Nicknamed “Big Al” at the disciplinary training center, he was born in 1918 in Ossining, New York; he attended high school for four years prior to his induction into the Army on April 16, 1942 at Fort Jay at Governors Island, New York.  Girvalo stood about 6’1″ tall and weighed 200 pounds.  After the war, he returned to the Ossining.  Alfonso Girvalo died there in 1986.

Arthur S. Imell — Major and Commander of the 2615th MP DTC in North Africa.  Born on July 31, 1889, he served in World War I and retired as a lieutenant colonel; he was in the Infantry.  He died on February 9, 1956; Arthur Imell is buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in Section AI, Site 268 at San Antonio, Texas.

Herbert Kleinbeck — Technician Fifth Grade.  Born on August 9, 1920 in Chicago, Illinois, he was single, had one year at the University of Illinois and was trained as an apprentice tool and die maker.  Kleinbeck, who listed his residence as Elmhurst, Illinois, was inducted into the Army in Chicago on August 14, 1942.  He stood 5’10” tall and weighed 164 pounds.  He attended military police school and was trained as a clerk, light truck driver and motor dispatcher and arrived in Europe on June 2, 1943.  He was discharged from the Army at Fort Sheridan, Illinois on December 24, 1945.  He was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.  Herbert Kleinbeck died on February 21, 2000 in East La Mirada, California.

Frank Landi — Sergeant and Military Police guard at the Loire DTC, he was likely born on November 3, 1904 in Pennsylvania.  Landi had attended grammar school and had worked in a machine shop prior to enlisting in Los Angeles on April 17, 1942.  One prisoner recalled that Landi stood about 5’5″ tall and in addition to his very bowed legs had what appeared to be a broken nose, indicative that he may have been a boxer.  He was discharged at Indian Gap Military Reservation in Pennsylvania on November 6, 1945 and returned to Los Angeles.  It appears that Frank Landi died in Sacramento, California on May 1, 1981.

Lieutenant Colonel Herbert R. Laslett — Lieutenant Colonel and Commandant of the 2912th DTC at Shepton Mallet Prison, England, beginning on October 1, 1944.  Born on August 23, 1891, he died on May 31, 1954.  Herbert R. Laslett is buried at the Willamette National Cemetery at Happy Valley, Oregon in Section G, Site 1409.

Howard Laux — born 1915 in California.

Vincent J. Martino — Tech Sergeant.  Born in New York City on April 17, 1924 he had served as a stock clerk.  Martino stood 5’6″ tall and weighed 195 pounds.  He arrived overseas on February 18, 1944 and was assigned to the 2913th DTC.  Vincent J. Martino was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.  His file listed him with a military occupational specialty of 564 – “Special Assignment.”

Earl Mendenhall — Sergeant and Military Police guard, assigned to the Loire DTC.  Standing 6′ tall and weighing 180 pounds, with gray eyes and blond hair, the former bridge carpenter was easily distinguishable from the other guards.  Born in Bowie, Texas on December 8, 1923, he was inducted into the Army on November 24, 1941.  Discharged from the Army in August 1945, in 1963 he moved to Grand Blanc, Michigan and worked for 35 years in the Chevy V-8 Engine Plant.  He died on April 9, 2011; Earl Mendenhall is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery at Grand Blanc, Michigan.

Richard A. Mosley — Sergeant and Military Police guard at the Loire DTC.  The son of Irish immigrants, Mosley was born in Pineville, Kentucky on February 22, 1904.  He joined the Navy in World War I, but received a discharge for being underage.  He later spent five years at the University of Illinois, studying electrical and mechanical engineering.  He subsequently was the foreman for an automobile service center.  Although he was partially blind in one eye, he entered the Army at Los Angeles on August 1, 1942 and became a powerhouse engineer.  After arriving in Great Britain on June 1, 1943, he was transferred to new duties as a military specialty 635 – disciplinarian.  He stood 6’5″ tall and weighed 203 pounds.  On March 1, 1945, he became a first sergeant in the 1008th Engineer Services Battalion.  Mosley was discharged at Fort MacArthur, California on August 31, 1945.  He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with a Bronze Service Star for Northern France.  Mosley lived in Hanford, California until his death on January 5, 1953.  Richard A. Mosley is buried at Grangeville Cemetery in Armona, California.

Major W. G. Neiswender

Lieutenant Colonel Henry L. Peck — Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer, Loire DTC.  Henry Peck was born on August 26, 1910 in New York City.  He graduated from the City College of New York in 1931 with a degree in history; he later received a Master’s Degree from Columbia University.  He relinquished command of the 2913th DTC (Loire DTC) to Colonel Morris T. Warner on June 26, 1945 and departed the unit on October 11, 1945.  Peck was promoted to colonel in March 1946.  He later worked for the Veteran’s Administration and retired as a colonel on August 26, 1970.  Henry L. Peck died on December 5, 1996.

Thomas F. Robinson — Technician 3rd Class and assistant to Master Sergeant John C. Woods.  Robinson was born in New York in 1920; he was married and had two years of high school.  At the time of his enlistment, he lived in Westchester, New York.  A baker by trade, he enlisted in 1942 in Bayonne, New Jersey; prior to working with Woods, Robinson was assigned to the 554th Quartermaster Depot.  Thomas F. Robinson was discharged November 9, 1945 in New York City.

Clyde R. Thorn — First Lieutenant, Infantry, and Acting Commander of the PBS Garrison Stockade Number 1.  He was born on May 13, 1910 at Harrisburg, Arkansas.  He enlisted in the Army on April 13, 1942; he later was commissioned an officer on December 26, 1942.  Clyde Thorn died in Batesville, Arkansas on March 6, 1992.  Clyde R. Thorn is buried there at Oaklawn Cemetery.

Major (Doctor) John C. Urbaitis — Major Urbaitis was born on September 5, 1906 and died on April 23, 1984.  Urbaitis is buried at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in McKean County, Pennsylvania.

Bert Ward — First Sergeant.  Born in Michigan in 1909, he enlisted in the Army on April 10, 1939 in Cordele, Georgia.  Prior to his enlistment, Ward, who was a candy-maker, lived in Genesee County, Michigan.  Bert Ward was discharged ay Indian Town Gap Military Reservation on August 15, 1945 and went to Eaton Rapids, Michigan.

Glenn A. Waser — Captain and Commander of the PBS Garrison Stockade Number 1.  He was an MP officer.  Born in Ohio in 1909, he graduated from the University of Illinois in 1933.  Glenn A. Waser entered the service on July 7, 1942.

 

Information Needed!2013-08-09T12:57:05-05:00

Landsberg Prison in Lieu of Sharks

(November 26, 2012)  After extensive research, there just isn’t enough to do a book on shark attacks and the survivors of the USS Indianapolis.

With that project on hold, have started a historical novel on Landsberg Prison, with Dante, and his sidekick Virgil, coming back and redoing a new version of Dante’s Inferno, featuring Auschwitz, Landsberg, Plötzensee Prison, the Wannsee Conference and Lublin, Poland and Operation Reinhard.  This will be the author’s first attempt outside of pure non-fiction.  It may become an E-book.

Landsberg Prison in Lieu of Sharks2013-01-13T16:50:49-06:00

New Info on Germany’s Most Prolific Hangman

(October 14, 2012 — Washington)  Another research trip to the National Archives uncovered information on Johann Reichhart, probably Germany’s most prolific hangman of the last century.  See how the U.S. Army hired Reichhart to hang dozens of his former employers in the Historical Sketches section.

Regarding the USS Indianapolis, our search found dozens of survivor hand-written accounts of the sinking, as well as finding that the Navy “sanitized” the archives’ file in the early 1990s of information regarding burials at sea of the dead.

New Info on Germany’s Most Prolific Hangman2013-01-10T17:28:36-06:00

Company L and Shark Attacks?

(September 2, 2012)  Now that Stalingrad is in to the publisher, there are two future projects that are starting to get interesting.  One is another company history of the 7th Cavalry to go with that of Company M.  It would be about Company L and Lieutenant Jimmy Calhoun.  A second book project may be on the USS Indianapolis, concentrating on the exact scope of the shark attacks against the men in the water after the ship sank.  Send an email in if you have any preference and we’ll see where readers’ interests are.

Company L and Shark Attacks?2013-01-10T17:26:51-06:00
Go to Top