“People have too damn much money.” That was my Dad’s usual response when I told him about the price someone had paid me for a helmet, medal, or firearm. Though I haven’t heard him say it out loud for a … More
JAG File
Time for YOUR HMV New Year’s Resolution!
Ten New Year’s Resolutions for Historic Military Vehicle (HMV) Collectors Have you made any promises to your self about your hobby to fulfill in 2018? It isn’t too late, but there is a trick to ensure your resolutions are successful: Start with … More
Camouflage Pajamas
One of the neatest gifts I received as a pre-kindergartener was a pair of camouflaged pajamas. Bear in mind, that was near half a century ago, long before you could find camo at most any store. You see, back in … More
The Great War Didn’t End with the Armistice
“This Forum generally deals with the period of ‘hostilities’ being August 1914 to November 1918,” a moderator typed in response to a question I had posted on the Great War Forum regarding a photo of a Mark V tank in … More
DESERTION “IN TIMES OF WAR”
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a duty or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning. We have been hearing a lot about desertion, lately, as it relates to the case of Sergeant Beaudry Robert “Bowe” Bergdahl who deserted … More
“INTERCONTINENTAL” JUST ISN’T THAT FAR ANYMORE
“Duck and cover!” Though I am too young to remember this instruction when coined in a British 1964 public information film to tell people what to do in the event of a nuclear explosion, I am surprised how much … More
Firecrackers and BB Guns
Firecrackers and BB Guns How did you get your start in the hobby? Most of us will respond to that question by recounting how someone gave us a patch, medal, or a ride in a Jeep. Though the details will … More
It’s not “All about me!”
IT’S NOT “ALL ABOUT ME” Forgive me if this rambles, but the adrenaline is still flowing through my system. A person whom I had regarded as a friend of the hobby just called me to tell me how he walked … More
THEY HAVE ALREADY COME FOR US
It’s been only two weeks since I quoted Reverend Martin Niemöller’s poem, “First they Came … ,” in response to the recent removal of Confederate monuments in Charlottesville, Virginia. Since that time, there have been additional military monuments removed; a … More
A Monument to History
First, they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they … More