“Next to a battle lost, the greatest misery is a battle gained.” —Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, June 19, 1815 The Battle of Waterloo—a series of bloody encounters between French, Anglo-Dutch, and Prussian armies fought over four days—culminated with … Continue reading
This time last year I did a commentary on five brothers who served in World War II. Very impressive. Imagine my surprise when someone who caught the commentary sent me a package with this note: “Dear Professor Kengor: Your [commentary] about the … Continue reading
I’ve written in the past about how my Pop carried with him a haunting memory from his time aboard the aircraft carrier Essex in World War II. Anti-aircraft fire had killed a turret gunner during a sortie. Pop, whose job … Continue reading
Iran acts like a Persian Gulf hegemon because it can. Tehran’s military, while capable of making a less-than-concerted attack costly, would be overmatched by the armed forces of the United States and those of the Persian Gulf states and crumble … Continue reading
The Russian-built S-300 anti-aircraft/anti-ballistic missile (AA/ABM, carrying the NATO designation SA-10, codenamed “Grumble”), while not the world’s most advanced surface-to-air defensive weapon, roughly equates to the American Patriot system. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent decree promptly lifting former President Dmitry Medvedev’s … Continue reading
“A Great nation cannot wage a little war.” –Duke of Wellington to Parliament, 1838 In September 1964, shortly after Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorizing President Lyndon Johnson to conduct military operations against North Vietnam, the administration tasked … Continue reading
“The logical end of a war of creeds is the final destruction of one.” –T.E. Lawrence Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 5, President Barack Obama cautioned against judging recent barbaric attacks by ISIS as unique to Islam. … Continue reading
On February 19, 1945, 20-year-old Bill Young of Mooresville, North Carolina, disembarked an LST on a miserable hunk of black rock called Iwo Jima. He was part of a 75-mile-long convoy of ships preparing to dislodge the Japanese from this … Continue reading
“We have tried since the birth of our nation to promote our love of peace by a display of weakness. This course has failed us utterly.” &endash;Gen. George C. Marshall, 1945 War remains, as a Prussian general defined it nearly … Continue reading
“We have tried since the birth of our nation to promote our love of peace by a display of weakness. This course has failed us utterly.” -Gen. George C. Marshall, 1945 War remains, as a Prussian general defined it nearly … Continue reading
They rushed to the third floor gripping their Kalashnikov automatic rifles and entered the room where the editorial board had gathered to meet. The rifles fired, innocent lives were destroyed and lost, and then they left. Outside, they entered a … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at Forbes.com. We all celebrate when an innocent person is released from prison. The freedom of Alan Gross is welcome news. But the release of three convicted Cuban spies and operatives (who were directly … Continue reading
A few weeks ago, I dropped in on Russ Post, an 89-year-old war veteran who happens to live on my street. What followed was a memorable Saturday afternoon, as Russ took my teenage son and me on a roller coaster … Continue reading
It took some time for the nation to appreciate the services offered and sacrifices endured by men and women who served during the Vietnam War. In addition to 58,000 deaths, there remains the enduring physical and psychological trauma experienced by … Continue reading
The Government Accountability Institute reports that President Obama continues to skip the majority of his Presidential Daily Briefings. This is a stunning fact, first reported two years ago and now updated and reconfirmed. Worse, it was also just reported that … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at Breitbart.com. Many Americans think of war as a great national struggle, as was the case during WWII, where violence rose to address the belligerents’ objectives. These were “total” wars between nation-states driven by incompatible … Continue reading
Americans can see or hear about dozens of terrorist acts every day. They can tune in to their favorite TV shows or go to the local cinema and be bombarded with violence and mayhem endlessly. Perhaps these events should be … Continue reading
Two years ago, I wrote about a scandalous presidential reality. I’d say I’m shocked to report that the scandal continues, but I’m not. And that’s even more scandalous. In October 2012, I commented on the revelation that President Obama had been absent … Continue reading
In the early morning of September 23, 2014, American air forces—joined by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Jordan—began striking targets in Syria as part of ongoing operations against the terrorist group ISIS. Nearly a week earlier, September … Continue reading
“Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.” —President John F. Kennedy For most people war is an unthinkable horror. While generals must think realistically about war, an important duty for a political … Continue reading
