When I lived in Germany years ago, I spent a lot of time looking for military relics. I repeated the phrase, “Hast Du Kriegsache” (Do you have any war relics?) as I explored  book stores, second hand shops and antique … More »

“Ready on the left? Ready on the right? Ready on the firing line!” With that, I took a deep breath, exhaled half and held the remainder. I checked my feet and the grip on my M1 Garand. With clean, Wisconsin … More »

  Gasoline fumes fill my nostrils as I pull my four-point harness tight. Pinned to the back of my seat, I can’t reach the shift lever, but it doesn’t matter—my crew chief is ready to pop it into gear while … More »

At the recent Iola Military Vehicle Show, I noticed a huge shift occurring in the hobby. Whereas the vehicle display at the shows of the past decade had been dominated by WWII vehicles, the 2013 event was clearly lacking in … More »

I have the good fortune to handle a lot of militaria through the course of a week.  Some of it is from very old collections, so I am able to see the effects of what some people may have considered … More »

Ever since I was a boy, traveling during the summer months has always meant keeping my eyes open for convoys of military vehicles. Regardless of world deployments, it seems the highways are always streaming with olive drab or desert sand … More »

Nothing caused me to grind my teeth more when I was a teenager than the almost nightly admonition at the supper table, “Remember, you are a Graf.” The explanation of that had long been discarded—my brothers, sister and I knew … More »

“What can I do?” a reader asked me recently after explaining how he purchased a WWII German helmet. His dilemma stemmed from having bought the helmet sight-unseen. He had seen it advertised as a “WWII Afrikakorps painted helmet.” With no … More »

  I try to live a life without regrets. Indeed, I have narrowed them down to just three. That is, until earlier this week. When I read The Baltimore Sun headline, “Museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground won’t be reopening,” my … More »

  Sitting at my parents’ breakfast table last weekend, my Dad (now 92 years old) looked at me and said, “Remember how you used to be embarrassed you had such ‘old’ parents?”  I chuckled as I replied, “You are still … More »